Review - Enclave by Ann Aguirre

Enclave is the first in Ann Aguirre's young adult Razorland trilogy.  The second installment, Outpost, is scheduled for a Fall 2012 release.

Blurb from her site:

In Deuce’s world, people earn the right to a name only if they survive their first fifteen years. By that point, each unnamed ‘brat’ has trained into one of three groups–Breeders, Builders, or Hunters, identifiable by the number of scars they bear on their arms. Deuce has wanted to be a Huntress for as long as she can remember.

As a Huntress, her purpose is clear—to brave the dangerous tunnels outside the enclave and bring back meat to feed the group while evading ferocious monsters known as Freaks. She’s worked toward this goal her whole life, and nothing’s going to stop her, not even a beautiful, brooding Hunter named Fade. When the mysterious boy becomes her partner, Deuce’s troubles are just beginning.

Down below, deviation from the rules is punished swiftly and harshly, and Fade doesn’t like following orders. At first she thinks he’s crazy, but as death stalks their sanctuary, and it becomes clear the elders don’t always know best, Deuce wonders if Fade might be telling the truth. Her partner confuses her; she’s never known a boy like him before, as prone to touching her gently as using his knives with feral grace.

As Deuce’s perception shifts, so does the balance in the constant battle for survival. The mindless Freaks, once considered a threat only due to their sheer numbers, show signs of cunning and strategy… but the elders refuse to heed any warnings. Despite imminent disaster, the enclave puts their faith in strictures and sacrifice instead. No matter how she tries, Deuce cannot stem the dark tide that carries her far from the only world she’s ever known.

I LOVED this book!  Deuce, the main character, instantly pulled me into the story.  She is very proud of her community and her place within as a protector of her people, a huntress.  However, Deuce is hiding a "flaw", her sense of compassion and desire to question authority.  Both are traits Fade values and personifies himself.  Throughout the course of the novel, Deuce begins to discover that maybe the controlling enclave hasn't been completely honest with its populace and the dangers they face.

The action is top notch.  There are fighting scenes beyond every page flip both externally with the freaks and rival gangs and internally as the veil over Deuce's eyes begins to lift.  It was eye opening to see the world topside through each of Deuce's new revelations.  I was reminded of simple everyday items we take for granted in this life.

Aguirre did a phenomenal job on world building.  Each scene completely enraptured me and the contrast between the top side and underground worlds was beautifully orchestrated.  Within Enclave, the world became as important and tangible as the main characters.

Speaking of characters, even minor ones were well done.  Deuce as I mentioned prior, is very easy to relate and bond with.  Fade was harder to get a handle on in the beginning, but as Deuce grew to like and trust him, I did as well.  Tegan and Stalker worked well as additional characters; though I do hope to see more of them in future installments.  I think both characters have more to tell.

Overall, Enclave is an action packed, emotionally charged post apocalyptic thriller.  I loved the addition of zombies to the dystopia genre.  This novel proves to be an addictive start to a promising series!  If you are a fan of the recent dystopian fiction wave, make sure to add Enclave to your list.  For a sneak peek, the first two chapters can be found here.  Enjoy!

Rating: 5/5

~Helena

Review - Divergent by Veronica Roth

Divergent is Veronica Roth's debut novel and the first of a planned trilogy.  It is set for release on May 3, 2011.

Summary:

In Beatrice Prior’s dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can’t have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris, and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together, they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes-fascinating, sometimes-exasperating boy fits into the life she’s chosen. But Tris also has a secret: one she’s kept hidden from everyone, because she’s been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly-perfect society, she also learns that her secret might be what helps her save those she loves . . . or it might be what destroys her.

First things first, isn't the cover just gorgeous?!  I seriously felt a magnetic pull to this book before I even laid eyes on the summary.  I opened up the pages and instantly delved into a masterfully crafted world of self exploration and governmental control.  Then a few chapters in, I fell head over heels for Four, the main male character.  To say I enjoyed this novel would be an understatement.  Divergent is a must read for young adults and adults alike.

Roth takes us on a no holds barred adrenaline trip along a rocky road of raw emotion, violence, and aggression.  She highlights each character at their worst and best moments; showing the duality and complexity of the human psyche.  This novel is about exploring the inner core in each of us and what we are capable of doing for self preservation and those we love in turn.

The characters are dynamic and well developed.  World building is fantastic; each faction left a clear picture and emotion for the reader.  Through the eyes of Tris, we gain insight into the inner workings of each faction, their governemental leaders/agendas, teenage angst, and parental relationships.  My favorite parts involved Trish learning who her parents really are on the inside and what they in turn are capable of as well.  And of course, the little glimpses into what makes Four tick raptly held my attention.  The characters make this novel and Roth did a fantastic job weaving it all together.

While searching for cover art, I came across the news that Summit has already purchased movie rights!  I am so beyond excited to see how they portray the world and characters on the big screen.

Roth has posted the first 100 pages of Divergent for your reading pleasure as well as a quick blurb explaining the thought/meaning behind the name of each faction.  Definitely check them out if you are interested!  Stick around and read her other entries too; I adore her sense of humor! :)

Rating: 4/5

~Helena

Review - Anathema by Megg Jensen

First off, congrats to Helena who just completed the 24-hour Readathon!! Way to hang in there! We're very proud of you! Now on to the review.

Unlike the lovely and dedicated Helena, I only participated in the Readathon for a few hours. During that time, I read Anathema by Megg Jensen.

Is this a gorgeous cover or what?

*As always, spoilers ahoy!

Blurb:

Magic. Lies. Manipulation

Reychel is a slave girl sheltered from the outside world with no hope for escape. The night before her dreaded fifteenth birthday, her best friend disappears, leaving her to face her branding ceremony - when her master’s sigil is burned on the back of her bald scalp – alone. She soon discovers nothing is as it seems when people desperate for freedom beg for her help.

Can Reychel learn to believe in herself in time?

The first in the Cloud Prophet series, Anathema is the story of lowly slave Raychel who learns she is so much more. In the world Jensen has built, there are two classes of people. One class, the Malborn, are members of the nobility who own the land and everything on it. The other class, the Serenians, are the indigenous people and slaves to the Malborn. Among these people there are the "gifted," individuals with magical powers. Reychel is gifted with prophecy, allowing her to read the future in the clouds. Because of her gift, she is called upon to help lead the Serenians to freedom.

This story is structured around some fantastic ideas: the struggle of an enslaved people to be free, the betrayal of those closest, the hero's journey, etc. It's a shame these interesting elements are not better executed. Anathema is a young adult novel, but that's no excuse for it to skimp on the emotional buildup or dynamic storytelling. Events happen quickly, too quickly, without adequate tension to make the actions and reactions believable or important to readers. I wanted to care so much more about the characters than I did, but Reychel (the most well developed) was often cardboard. She developed deep relationships with everyone she met, but it was never explained why. Big misunderstandings abound. Other characters can instantly see truths Reychel has missed her entire life, but the reader is expected to believe Reychel is the strong, capable leader who will save her people. Reychel didn't seem strong or capable to me. She didn't even seem all that smart. I tripped over the dialogue a number of times. It contains a good degree of social niceties that don't move the plot forward or tell us anything about the characters - they just talk for the hell of it, I guess. That's expected in real life, but not necessary in novels.

Jensen's ideas are wonderful. She has a strong creative sense that bleeds through the novel. Unfortunately, Anathema falls short on the basics. Timing, plot execution, believable tension, dialogue, and realistic characters are all issues impacting my overall enjoyment of the novel. I still give it a 3 based on the quality of the driving ideas, but the mechanics fell flat.

Overall, I did enjoy Anathema, it just didn't grab me in the way I think it could have. I purchased it for a mere $.99 on Nook, and while in retrospect I wouldn't pay more than that for it, it was worth the purchase price and time commitment. Anathema is a short, fast read that may appeal to younger teens and tweens who like stories with light paranormal elements (don't let the length scare you, it's not really 620 pages, that's just an error in the Nook formatting). There is nothing I would consider inappropriate for tweens and younger teens, and they may enjoy the characters and tone. Older teens and adults, however, won't find much substance. I doubt I'll read the sequel.

Rating: 3/5

~Lily

Review - Lost Voices by Sarah Porter

Lost Voices is the debut novel and first of a trilogy by Sarah Porter.  Release date is set for July 4, 2011.

Blurb from back cover:

"After her father vanishes in a storm at sea, fourteen-year-old Luce is struck in a grim, gray Alaskan fishing village with her alcoholic uncle.  When her uncle crosses an unspeakable line, Luce reaches the depths of despair.  Abandoned on the cliffs near her home, she expects to die when she tumbles to the icy, churning waves below.  Instead, she undergoes an astonishing transformation and becomes a mermaid.

A tribe of mermaids finds Luce and welcomes her in.  They are beautiful, free, and ageless, and Luce is thrilled with her new life until she discovers the catch: they feel an uncontrollable desire to drown seafarers, using their enchanted voices to lure ships in to the rocks.

Unlike the other mermaids, who are happy to wreak vengeance upon the humans who terrorized them, Luce wants to retain her inner humanity - but going against her new friends could cost Luce her place in the tribe.  Will she be pressured into using her extraordinary singing talent to help commit mass murder?"

Wow...phenomenal!  Porter does an amazing job with the very difficult and socially taboo topic of child abuse.  When I signed up to review this ARC through Dark Faerie Tales, I was immediately captivated by the gorgeous cover.  I had never read a mermaid book, so I figured I would give it a whirl.  Definitely glad I did.

Luce is a captivating young female character that grows stronger as the novel progresses.  In the beginning, Luce is seen at her worst moment when her uncle attacks her and leaves her in despair by the cliffs.  A tumble into the waves results in her transformation into a mermaid and submersion into a support group of sorts.  Each member of the tribe that Luce now finds herself a part of, has a crippling story to tell, tales of abuse and heartache, tales that long for revenge.  With the power of their songs, the mermaids captivate and take their sorrows out on countless sailors...even though the taking lives to fill the emotional void within still leaves them hollow.

Countless children suffer from abuse and long to ghost away, long to feel that they are not alone in the world, that one day their abusers will get the justice they deserve.  Porter handles this delicate subject with poise and heartwrenching emotion.  The inner struggle within each victim is executed with stunning clarity, along with the group dynamics that pit the mermaids against each other in typical teenage fashion.

The world building is splendid; the mystique of the mermaid and the open ocean is brought to light in vivid detail.  Character building as I mentioned earlier is fantastic, dynamic, and the strong suit of the novel.  There were very few lags in the story sequence; I finished the novel in one afternoon.  The underlying message left me raptly flipping the pages until the very end.  Only real beef is the ending; it is the first in a planned trilogy, so I understand the need to leave some open plotlines; however, it seemed very abrupt.  I eagerly await further installments in the series and applaud Porter on a wonderful and powerful debut novel!

Rating: 4.5/5

~Helena

Review - The Abused Werewolf Rescue Group by Catherine Jinks

The Abused Werewolf Rescue Group is Catherine Jinks' newest young adult novel set to hit US shelves April 4th.

Blurb from her site:

"When Tobias Richard Vandevelde wakes up in a hospital with no memory of the night before, his horrified mother tells him that he was found unconscious. At Featherdale Wildlife Park. In a dingo pen. He assumes that his two best friends are somehow responsible, until the mysterious Reuben turns up, claiming that Toby has a rare and dangerous “condition.” Next thing he knows, Toby finds himself involved with a strange bunch of sickly insomniacs who seem convinced that he needs their help. It’s not until he’s kidnapped and imprisoned that he starts to believe them—and to understand what being a paranormal monster really means."

I really enjoyed this novel.  Catherine Jinks is a new author to me; however, she is well known for her Genius series (Evil Genius, Genius Squad, and The Genus Wars).  She has also written a vampire novel: The Reformed Vampire Support Group; one I will be quick to look into adding to my TBR pile.

Toby is a very strong and likeable character.  Once Toby is faced with the possibility of being a werewolf; he enters a full fledged stage of denial.  His friends help him cope with this new turn of events by engaging in chuckle worthy antics aimed at discrediting Reuben's claims.  Reuben is persistant and hell bent on forcing Toby to accept his new plight and take responsibility for his new condition.  Toby and his mother are of course resistant...until Toby is kidnapped.

The action is full speed, pedal to the metal.  The motivations of the kidnappers are frighteningly plausible.  I was working through escape plans and possiblities right along with Toby, Reuben, and the crew.  I even found myself with a decent sized crush on Reuben...not quite sure if the author intended for him to appeal to readers this way...but heck, I am not complaining.  I'd like to see Jink's write a paranormal romance with characters as strong and emotionally scarred as Reuben. ;p

I found Toby's mother to be a tad irritating; but her resistance to the plot situations are very believable and true to character.  The world building is adequate; the reader gets a sense of all surroundings without being bogged down in extra details.  This allowed the action and character development to take center stage and shine.

If you are looking for the traditional, werewolf transformations and killing sprees then this novel is not for you.  Jinks shows us the human side of the werewolf; the underlying electricity that bristles right below the mask of humanity, the constant struggle of worrying that you may hurt your loved ones if you get out of control.

I am trying hard to avoid spilling any plot points.  Let me just say, I would definitely recommend this to fans of young adult paranormal action thrillers. There are a couple plot twists and turns you just may not see coming; until they creep up on you!

Rating: 4/5

~Helena

Review - Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Wither is Lauren DeStefano's debut novel and first in her Chemical Garden Trilogy.

Blurb from back cover:

"In the not-too-distant future, because of genetic engineering, every human is a ticking time bomb - males only live to age twenty-five, and females only live to age twenty.  To keep the population from dying out, girls are kidnapped and sold into polygamous marriages.
When sixteen-year-old Rhine is taken, she enters a world of wealth and privilege that both entices and terrifies her.  She has everything she ever wanted - except freedom.  With the help of Gabriel, a servant Rhine is growing dangerously attracted to, Rhine attempts to escape before it is too late."

I am torn on this review.  I love the concept and just recently began delving into dystopian lit as a genre.  As an aside, being in the medical field, the possible reality of this novel is terrifying.  There have been studies (yes I am a nerd) that have deleted certain genes from mouse models in an attempt to eliminate the threat of cancer.  The mice did not get cancer, but they experienced very limited lifespans.  This is because the same mechanisms that allow cancer cells to grow, also work to replenish our normal cells on a daily basis...but I won't bore you with the details that I don't completely know anyways.  I applaud DeStefano for her research, and if this was just an idea then you are one smart cookie ;p.  I also smiled when the term heterochromia graced the pages, but like I said mega dork here.

The novel seems divided into two sections for me, leaving me with vastly different opinions.  There is Rhine pre-escape attempt and Rhine post.  I had a very hard time relating to Rhine in the beginning.  She seemed emotionally distant to me and didn't react as I would expect.  She didn't outwardly express her fear, or act as the fighter that I wanted.  The first half of the novel, I got bogged down in the writing style.  Rhine told us how she viewed people, instead of leading us to agree with her through the actions/words of the other characters.  For example, I never felt resentful toward Linden.  He always seemed to be completely naive of the origin of the girls; more a captor of this situation as well, than a force to be hated.  Rhine and the others were terrified of Vaughn, but I didn't get to fully understand why until the latter half.  For these reasons, I had a difficult time connecting with the characters and the flow of the story was almost disjointed for me as a result.

The second half was completely different.  I loved Rhine's character, her duality to dream of freedom but still think of those she would be leaving behind to the fate of the mansion made her real.  The writing style seemed to change for me too, there was more action, more dialogue, more insight into other characters.  I finally saw and despised Vaughn.  Cecily went from being a static character into a multi faceted one.  Linden still struck me the same, but Rhine finally saw him for what I had all along.  I smiled, I was moved to tears, I sped through the pages.

Imagery throughout the novel is very powerful.  The descriptions of the Gatherers hit on primal fear.  All the books, soap operas, movies portray life as it was before...when everyone had 'normal' lifespans and life was a joy not spent in fear of dying at a young age.  What hit home the hardest for me, was that all these children grow up without parents.  Everyone dies so young, that there is no hope for a child to remember much of their parents.  We have children just to leave them unprotected in a cruel world where they will be expected to reproduce and die at a premature age as well.  Who will protect these young ones, who will make sure they are not extorted in the hopes of finding a cure, who will tuck them in at night?  Who will be left to keep the hope alive?

My favorite passage is when Rhine finds out the meaning of her name; the imagery is simply compelling.
Favorite line:

'The man in white says, "What fate has brought together, let no man tear asunder."
Fate, I think, is a thief.'

Since I have two completely different views of a single work, I decided to divide my rating accordingly.  The first portion I give a 3/5.  Second half earns a 4/5.  I am seriously considering re-reading the first bit to see if my opinion would change now that I know the characters better.

Overall rating: 3.5/5

~Helena

From my Kleenex fortress

In light of current medical conditions, this post is brought to you by Kleenex, Afrin nasal spray, and the Mucinex D that I had to sign my life away for.  Seriously people, stop making meth.  I may just send you all my dirty tissues in the mail to prove a point for all the sickies out there like me.  So while I wallow, bitch, and whine...I really am a pathetic baby, I decided to procrastinate more on my school work and bring you an update post.

I finished Shadowfever and it was FANTASTIC!!!  I will be doing a review in the near future.  Another gem that I finally found a copy of and read at breakneck speed was Vampirates.  Yes, the perfect combo to fulfill all my fantasies...too bad its a children's book *wink*.  A review will be done on that one too, because vampires + pirates...awesome sauce!


Just the other day, I downloaded a copy of Sarah Palin: Vampire Hunter.  Yes, the title speaks for itself.  It is a Twilight parody with a political satirical twist.  It has kept me amused so far; right now I am at the halfway mark.  Betcha last dollar, you will see a blurb about it when I am done.

The dear mailman dropped off an ARC for me to finish this week.  Lauren DeStefano's first in her Chemical Garden trilogy, entitled Wither.  Really excited to dig in. :)

After I stop being all Sicky McSickerson, be prepared to see a lot more activity from me.

(no, it doesn't)

Keeping my germs to myself, for the most part...

~Helena

Book By Its Cover - Paranormalcy

Today's Book By Its Cover is Kiersten White's YA debut Paranormalcy.

Synopsis:

Sixteen-year-old Evie's job is bagging and tagging paranormals. Possessing the strange ability to see through their glamours, she works for the International Paranormal Containment Agency. But when someone--or something--starts taking out the vamps, werewolves, and other odd beasties she's worked hard to help become productive members of society, she's got to figure it out before they all disappear and the world becomes utterly normal.

Normal is so overrated.


Lily's Thoughts:

I think the cover is lovely; the darkened sky, the cattails bowing in the wind. Even so, I can't get over the creepy similarity the model bears to Scarlett Johansson. Seriously. It can't just be me seeing this, right? I imagine this is what a young, paranormal Scarlett Johansson would look like...if, you know, someone stole her soul leaving her dead eyed and hollow.

*Shudder*


Helena's Thoughts:

I love the cattails blowing in the wind and the stormy sky background. The girl is just a little weird. What is with the completely vacant stare? And her dress looks exactly like my dog's Halloween costume. Yes I dress up my animals and yes she has been a pretty in pink princess complete with hat and train for years. :) I agree with the statement that normal is overrated. I don't quite get why the girl is so glamorous looking if she works with a secret paranormal agency. I would expect more of a black leather tough exterior...maybe that was the whole idea though, to drive home that things are not always what they seem. The story sounds pretty neat but typical of the genre. I am really not sold on the cover but it does have its cool points.

Recommendsday Review - Hollowland by Amanda Hocking

Today's Recommendsday review is Hollowland by Amanda Hocking.

I came across this gem when searching for cheap books for my Nook.  Hollowland promised zombies, romance, and plenty of action; I was hooked at "zomb-".  The price is crazy affordable, just 99 cents more than free; and nestled nicely into my college student budget.  Hocking is a very talented author who boasts many ebooks for the Kindle and Nook.  Along with a love for paranormal romance, Hocking and I are mere months apart in age.  That's right, Amanda Hocking is 26!  I am in awe of all she has accomplished in less than a year (according to her blog) and her success is very inspiring.  Now onward to my review!

Remy is on a mission in zombie infested waters.  After a horrific invasion of her compound by zombies, Remy's little brother is whisked away to another installation miles away.  Remy is desperate to find her brother and desperate times call for desperate zombie ass-kicking moves.  (Yes I just morphed two cliched phrases within a few sentences...envy my brainwaves).  Teamed up with a spoiled tween girl, Harlow, a rockstar, Lazlo, and a medical student, Blue; Remy fights her way toward her goal.  Humor and sarcasm pepper the nailbiting action.  I devoured this book in two sittings, only stopping for that pesky responsibility known as classwork.

The character development is superb.  I absolutely loved Remy with all her fire and determination.  Rip roaring action is around every page.  Speaking of roaring, did I mention there is a zombie eating lion?!  I didn't, well hot dog!  I think I about busted a gut when Ripley first entered the fray.  Honestly, in a nut shell, I completely adored this book.  My only misgiving is the ending; it seems very abrupt and left me wanting more closure with the characters.  I am hoping that means a sequel is on its way...fingers crossed! :)


Rating: 5/5

~Helena

Review - The Frenzy by Francesca Lia Block

Francesca Lia Block's novel 'The Frenzy' features a green-eyed redhead who has a secret even she does not fully comprehend.   Olivia is a werewolf with all the issues of a normal teen taken to the extreme.  The town and family that Olivia grows up in is extremely close minded.  As a result, she feels compelled to hide her interracial relationship, her best friend's sexual orientation, and obviously her "little" moon induced hair problem.  

Block has the beginnings of a wonderful idea; however, the execution fell a tad short.  The character development is sub par.  I had a hard time relating to any of the characters; so much so, that even in the face of complete tragedy I did not feel for those involved.  Simply put, this story is way too short.  Block wove a very detailed action packed plot with many powerful messages; however, those are all lost when connection with characters doesn't occur.  Many times, we are told how the characters have to hide who they are because of the town's ideals; however, there are not many times where we are shown how the town reacts in situations.  The same goes for the characters, we are told through Olivia's words how the people look, how they think, etc but we are never really shown it through enough character and scene interactions.

The premise behind Olivia's curse is a novel one and definitely refreshing.  The way all the characters intertwine is also neat; however, I feel like this story is more of an outline lacking complete detail and fleshing out.  I missed dialogue and more explanations of actions.  I was left feeling like the woods and the other werewolves were never really explained completely.  Most characters only had one side, and presenting more viewpoints would have helped the storyline and character connections.

Sadly I feel that Block missed the boat on this story.  I have heard good things about her other novels, so I suggest picking one of those up instead.  Great outline and plot sequence, just lacks important details.

Rating: 2/5

~Helena

Zombie + Unicorn = ....Team Zombicorn!

Zombies or Unicorns, which is the ultimate species on the fast track to stardom?  Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier are on a mission to declare the winner once and for all.  Zombies vs Unicorns, boasts an anthology by many well known authors of paranormal and teen fiction of the present day all vying for their team of choice.

Team Unicorn is headed by Holly Black and includes stories by Meg Cabot, Kathleen Duey, Margo Lanagan, Garth Nix, Naoini Novik, and Diana Peterfreund.  Reviews follow:

We will start this journey with Garth Nix's story "The Highest Justice".  Nix weaves a tale that includes unicorns and gasp...a zombie?!  The unicorn is portrayed as a purveyor of justice for a jilted lover against her cheating spouse.  This is a very short tale that I found to be a nice intro story for the anthology.

Story 2 in favor of the unicorn is "Purity Test" by Naoini Novik.  The old association between unicorns and virgins is as strong as ever, and one such bond is necessary to vanquish an evil baby unicorn stealing wizard.  Sarcasm is star in this story and kept me highly entertained.  Score 1 for Team Unicorn!

Next up is "A Thousand Flowers" by Margo Lanagan.  Many small stories are linked together by a shifting of character focus.  A small character becomes the major in the next scene, etc, etc.  At first, it was hard to follow and piece the bigger point of the story together, it does come full circle at the end.  The implied bestiality was a bit much for me; otherwise, it was a very strange story with the overall theme that true pure love conquers all.

Diana Peterfreund's "The Care and Feeding of Your Baby Killer Unicorn" was fantastic.  The fresh view of unicorns as connoisseurs of raw flesh, animal and human, really makes this story stand out.  Humor and pitfalls face the main character as she accepts her gift of unicorn tamer and raises a killer baby one of her own.  Score 2 for the Team Unicorn!

"Princess Prettypants" by Meg Cabot is next on the unicorn bandwagon.  This story embraces all the traditional views of unicorns as perfumed rainbow huggers and the strong bond that a girl shares with her single horned equid.  As the story unfolds, the main character loses her temper, and not far behind follows her new pet.  Entertaining tale that is worth a few laughs.

Last but definitely not least is Kathleen Duey's "The Third Virgin".  The darker side of these symbols of purity is once again explored.  Unicorns are blessed with the innate ability to heal the sick and dying, but this comes at a price.  Instead of feeding on the flesh of their victims like Peterfreund's tale, this unicorn feeds on their life force.  As every addict, our hooved protagonist begins ingesting more life juice and even goes so far as to kill.  Disgusted with himself, the unicorn travels the world far and wide to find a virgin to which he can confess his sins and seek comfort.  This was my favorite unicorn story followed very closely by the baby killer unicorns.  Score 3 for the Unicorns!

That puts Team Unicorn at 3.  Let's see how the zombies did!

Team Zombie is led by Justine Larbalestier, members include: Libba Bray, Cassandra Clare, Alaya Dawn Johnson, Maureen Johnson, Carrie Ryan, and Scott Westerfeld.  Reviews shuffle on:

First off is Alaya Dawn Johnson's "Love Will Tear Us Apart".  A love story unwinds between a human boy and a partially zombified boy-zombie.  Certain phrases like those comparing the humans smell to mac and cheese made me chuckle.  Despite the obvious opposition to their pairing, the couple runs off to start a new life together.  Score 1 for Team Zombie!

Second in line is "Bougainvillea" from Carrie Ryan.  This story was fantastic.  It jumped back and forth from pre-zombie reminiscing to zombie breach attack of the main character's fortress.  At the end the story comes full circle and ties up very nicely.  Beware, fast moving zombies star in this tale.  Overall this wins as my favorite of the undead stories.  Score 2 my undead friends!

Maureen Johnson's "The Children of the Revolution" is genius.  Very tongue-in-cheek, this tale had me rolling constantly with peals of laughter.  Johnson unveils a new religion where becoming zombie is considered reaching enlightenment.  Stabs at celebrity life and their enthusiastic adoption of foreign children and fad religions prevail.  I am sure many of you will be able to guess exactly who Johnson is poking fun at.  Wonderful story, a very close second favorite of mine.  Score 3 zombies!

Next up is "Inoculata" by Scott Westerfeld.  This tale involves a small compound of adults and teens/kids training intensely for the imminent demise of their fencing and face to face death match with the flesh eating undead.  One character harbors a "mutant" strain of the zombie disease and proceeds to share it with her comrades in an attempt to escape and survive the onslaught.  This story was entertaining.

Cassandra Clare offers "Cold Hands" to this collection for team zombie.  The detailed world building that Clare is known for in her Mortal Instruments series is alive and well even in a short story.  I love her ability to perfectly set a scene.  Characters are accessible and the action plugs along at a steady pace.  The message at the end is intense and powerful.  Zombies are a definite representation of society and social standing within this tale.  Well worth it.  Score 4 for Team Zombie!

This collection of stories ends with Libba Bray's "Prom Night".  All the adults have been infected and removed from the town.  Teens and children have been forced to grow up fast and take over the governing of their society in hopes of survival.  This installment was not one of my favorites, but the ending is gut wrenching and a perfect final scene for the anthology as a whole.

So the tally is in and the winner is....Team Zombie!  When I picked up this collection, I already figured zombies would win out; however, the unicorns did give a great fight.  This is well worth the read!

Rating: 4/5

~Helena

Review - End of Days by Max Turner

As previously promised, here is the much anticipated second installment in Max Turner's Nightrunner series, End of Days.  Release date is scheduled for September 28th!

Blurb on back of book:

"While Charlie struggles with his vampirism, he, Zack, and their friends are pulled into a conflict with the mysterious Mr Hyde, a creature who hunts vampires.  As the story unfolds, and the ties between Zack and his girlfriend Luna intensify, the network of support around them collapses, forcing them to redefine their notions of good and evil and find a way forward."

I recently reviewed the first book in the series, Night Runner; and while I enjoyed the notion and premise behind the novel, I still found it lacking in parts, particularly sentence flow.  End of Days fixed all the glitches that previously had me tangled up.  Characters blossomed and gained dimension, the action never let up, and the dialogue and sentence structure variation were huge breaths of fresh air.  In short, I adored this novel...on a longer note, let me begin my review. :)

The story begins when Charlie's party boy personality collides with his new vampire traits at a rave.  Enter hot girls, flashing lights, dancing (much to Zack's dismay), and...a couple of looming black figures hauling butt straight for the boys.  At breaking speeds the boys take off, and so starts their novel's worth of running; honestly I felt like I was falling behind by not flipping the pages any faster, haha.

A few new characters emerge; however, most of the old ones return and return with a vengeance.  We are introduced to Mr. Hyde, a colossal creature, definitely not human but not really vampire either.  Mr Hyde has made it his personal agenda to take out vampires everywhere, naturally Zack can't let that happen under his watch.  The vampires, Zack's crew of teen vamps, and police all band together...and butt heads...while on the search for this mysterious animal.  The action culminates in a tangled web that you just have to read for yourself to fully understand.  There was only one scene during the ending fight sequence where I felt there was a hole or gap within the action.  Huge improvement over the debut novel particularly with flow!

The sarcasm and humor I fell in love with in Nightrunner has a star spot within End of Days as well.  Here is a short list of my favorite lines.

"I hate to break it to you, Edward, but you aren't in Forks anymore"

"Cheese!...Yeah, I'm definitely tagging you on my Facebook page"

"Hell hath no fury like a demented vampire.  I'm sure Shakespeare said that somewhere."

I literally laughed out loud at parts, fell in love with various characters, and rushed to keep up with the fast paced storyline.  I highly enjoyed this installment and would definitely check out future releases within this series.

Rating: 4.5/5

~Helena

Review - Night Runner by Max Turner

Night Runner is Max Turner's first novel.  He is quite active with his fans and can be contacted (like everyone and their mom) on facebook.


 Synopsis:

"For Zack Thomson, living in the Nicholls Ward isn't so bad. After his parents died, he developed strange and severe allergies, and the mental institution was the only place where he could be properly looked after. As strange as it was, it was home. He could watch as much television as he wanted; his best friend Charlie visited him often enough; and Nurse Ophelia--the prettiest no-nonsense nurse ever--sometimes took him bowling. Of course, that didn't mean he had it easy. His allergies restricted his diet to strawberry smoothies, and being the only kid at the hospital could get lonely. But it never once crossed Zack's mind to leave...until the night someone crashed through the front doors and told him to run. Now he's on a race for answers--about his past, his parents, and his strange sickness--even as every step takes him closer to the darkest of truths."

I came across this novel while browsing ARCs.  The End of Days, the anticipated second installment in the Night Runner series was available for sign up.  Piercing orange eyes apparently draw me like a moth to a flame, fast forward two days and Night Runner was downloaded to my Kindle and devoured.  Ever since I have been stalking my mailman for the second novel, which came in the mail today!  Expect a review in the next week or so :)

Night Runner is a refreshing addition to the young adult vampire lore of today.  Turner presents a DNA altering virus which converts bitten individuals with debilitated immune systems into creatures of the night.  Creating a degree of diversity, every bloodsucker develops a special unique ability, like shapeshifting, invisibility, scuba diving sans air tank (ability to breathe underwater), etc.


Zack is unaware of who, what, or why he exists.  All he knows is where...the looney bin.  Apparently the only place that can offer a safe haven for people with allergies to the sun and most foods is the crazy house; kind of a stretch, but I can deal with it.  Every day...well night...is the same ol' same ol' until CRASH! BANG! enter old man on motorcycle through the lobby windows and into Zack's life.  And with one phrase uttered from the man's mouth, Zack's life is changed forever "Run...Don't let the cops get you.  He's coming.  Run!".


Eventually Zack does what any sane person from an insane asylum would do...run.  The novel unfolds with a steady level of momentum, revealing bit by bit his true past, the secrets behind his allergies, his parents and the story behind their downfall, and even a dash of teen love with a decent helping of friendship.  Turner sprinkles in one liners chockfull of sarcasm and humor that had me chuckling.  Any novel that actually puts the word "powned" in black and white is a win!


The sentence structure was simple and a bit choppy at parts; however, the plot twists and turns kept me interested.  As mentioned above, the humor pulled me through the rougher spots to a worthy conclusion.  Night Runner is definitely worth looking into.  It is a light and refreshing young adult read that can be finished within a day or two.  Pick up a copy, chat with Turner on facebook, and keep checking back for my review of the End of Days.  The Night Runner series has great potential that I hope with continue through the second installment.


Rating: 3.5/5


~Helena

Young Adult Friday

Welcome to another Young Adult Friday. Check out these YA paranormal titles, whether you're an adult or a teen.

Tantalize by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Quincie Morris has never felt more alone. Her parents are dead, and her hybrid-werewolf first love is threatening to embark on a rite of passage that will separate them forever. Then, as she and her uncle are about to unveil their hot vampire-themed restaurant, a brutal murder leaves them scrambling for a chef.

Can Quincie transform their new hire into a culinary Dark Lord before opening night? Can he wow the crowd in his fake fangs, cheap cape, and red contact lenses — or is there more to this earnest face than meets the eye? As human and preternatural forces clash, a deadly love triangle forms, and the line between predator and prey begins to blur. Who's playing whom? And how long can Quincie play along before she loses everything?

~*~*~*~~*~*~*~

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

There were no surprises in Gatlin County.
We were pretty much the epicenter of the middle of nowhere.
At least, that's what I thought.
Turns out, I couldn't have been more wrong.
There was a curse.
There was a girl.
And in the end, there was a grave.

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power, and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

~Lily

Young Adult Friday

It's Young Adult Friday. Indulge your younger self with these great reads.

A Certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb

Someone was looking at me, a disturbing sensation if you're dead. Though I could not feel paper between my fingers, smell ink, or taste the tip of a pencil, I could see and hear the world with all the clarity of the Living. They, on the other hand, did not see me as a shadow or a floating vapor. To the Quick, I was empty air. Or so I thought.

In the class of the high school English teacher she has been haunting, Helen feels them: For the first time in 130 years, human eyes are looking at her. They belong to a boy, a boy who has not seemed remarkable until now. And Helen–terrified, but intrigued–is drawn to him. The fact that he is in a body and she is not presents this unlikely couple with their first challenge. But as the lovers struggle to find a way to be together, they begin to discover the secrets of their former lives and of the young people they come to possess.

~*~*~*~~*~*~*~

Old Magic by Marianne Curley and Jeannie Lee

Jarrod Thornton is mesmerizing, but Kate Warren doesn't know why.

The moment the new guy walks into the room, Kate senses something strange and intense about him. Something supernatural. Her instincts are proven correct a few minutes later when, bullied by his classmates, Jarrod unknowingly conjures up a freak thunderstorm inside their classroom.

Jarrod doesn't believe in the paranormal. When Kate tries to convince him that he has extraordinary powers that need to be harnessed, he only puts up with her "hocus pocus" notions because he finds her captivating. However, the dangerous, uncontrolled strengthening of his gift finally convinces Jarrod that he must take Kate's theories seriously. Together, they embark on a remarkable journey — one which will unravel the mystery that has haunted Jarrod's family for generations and pit the teens against immense forces in a battle to undo the past and reshape the future.

~Lily

Book By Its Cover - Dark Flame

Today's book by its cover review is the new release Dark Flame, latest installment of Alyson Noel's young adult series The Immortals.

Synopsis:

Ever is trying to help Haven transition into life as an immortal. But with Haven drunk on her new powers and acting recklessly, she poses the ultimate threat—exposing their secret world to the outside. As Ever struggles to keep the Immortals hidden, it only propels Haven closer to the enemy—Roman and his evil companions

At the same time, Ever delves deeper into dark magick to free Damen from Roman’s power. But when her spell backfires, it binds her to the one guy who’s hell-bent on her destruction. Now there’s a strange, foreign pulse coursing through her, and no matter what she does, she can’t stop thinking about Roman—and longing for his touch. As she struggles to resist the fiery attraction threatening to consume her, Roman is more than willing to take advantage of her weakened state…and Ever edges closer and closer to surrender.

Frantic to break the spell before its too late, Ever turns to Jude for help, risking everything she knows and loves to save herself—and her future with Damen …

Helena's Thoughts:

Purple! Pretty! The forefront centering of the candle proves it to be an important element to the story. I love how it illuminates the two girls in the background and the shadowing plays off her collarbones. The girl in front seems more innocent while the one behind, all cloaked in shadows seems about to pull a disappearing act. It leaves me wondering just what Miss Dark Shadows is up to or hiding. Title is very fitting. I am a stranger to the immortals series, yet I have heard great comments about it. I tend to gravitate towards her covers in the bookstore, just never managed to actually sit down and read one. Maybe it's finally time to add her to the TBR pile.

Lily's Thoughts:

I can't say it better than Helena on this one, so I'm not going to try. I'll add simply, ditto.

Young Adult Friday

It's young adult Friday, so check out some of these YA novels that are as good for adults as they are for teens.

Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Schroeder

Restless souls and empty hearts. Brooklyn can't sleep. Her boyfriend, Lucca, died only a year ago, and now her friend Gabe has just died of an overdose. Every time she closes her eyes, Gabe's ghost is there waiting for her. She has no idea what he wants or why it isn't Lucca visiting her dreams. Nico can't stop. He's always running, trying to escape the pain of losing his brother, Lucca. But when Lucca's ghost begins leaving messages, telling Nico to help Brooklyn, emotions come crashing to the surface. As the nightmares escalate and the messages become relentless, Nico reaches out to Brooklyn. But neither of them can admit that they're being haunted. Until they learn to let each other in, not one soul will be able to rest.

~*~*~*~~*~*~*~

Glimmerglass by Jenna Black

It’s all she’s ever wanted to be, but it couldn’t be further from her grasp…

Dana Hathaway doesn’t know it yet, but she’s in big trouble. When her alcoholic mom shows up at her voice recital drunk, again, Dana decides she’s had enough and runs away to find her mysterious father in Avalon: the only place on Earth where the regular, everyday world and the captivating, magical world of Faerie intersect. But from the moment Dana sets foot in Avalon, everything goes wrong, for it turns out she isn't just an ordinary teenage girl—she's a Faeriewalker, a rare individual who can travel between both worlds, and the only person who can bring magic into the human world and technology into Faerie.

Soon, Dana finds herself tangled up in a cutthroat game of Fae politics. Someone's trying to kill her, and everyone seems to want something from her, from her newfound friends and family to Ethan, the hot Fae guy Dana figures she’ll never have a chance with… until she does. Caught between two worlds, Dana isn’t sure where she’ll ever fit in and who can be trusted, not to mention if her world will ever be normal again…

~Lily

Free Read - Winter's Passage by Julie Kagaw

There are few things better than free books. And when that free book is a paranormal ebook? All the better.

Currently you can download free ebook copy of Winter's Passage by Julie Kagaw.

Synopsis:

Meghan Chase used to be an ordinary girl...until she discovered that she is really a faery princess. After escaping from the clutches of the deadly Iron fey, Meghan must follow through on her promise to return to the equally dangerous Winter Court with her forbidden love, Prince Ash. But first, Meghan has one request: that they visit Puck--Meghan's best friend and servant of her father, King Oberon--who was gravely injured defending Meghan from the Iron Fey.

Yet Meghan and Ash's detour does not go unnoticed. They have caught the attention of an ancient, powerful hunter--a foe that even Ash may not be able to defeat....

An eBook exclusive story from Julie Kagawa's Iron Fey series.

The reviews I've seen of this novella have been good. Apparently there's a cliffhanger that has readers itching for the next in the season. I can't wait to read it myself.

To download a free copy of Winter's Passage from Julie Kagawa's site, click here.
To download a free copy from from B&N, click here.
To download a free copy from Harlequin, click here.
It is likely, since both B&N and HQN, are offering free promotional downloads of this title that Amazon will follow suit shortly. Please check Amazon for more information.

~Lily


Disclaimer - All free ebooks advertised on this blog are promotional offers. IE - LEGAL. They're being offered through the author and/or publishing house and they are subject to change at any time based on the decisions of those aforementioned parties. We at Vamps R Us do not condone the transfer or possession of illegal (unpaid for, pirated) ebooks. Not only do we not condone it, we think it's a pretty asshat thing to do. Do you know how hard it is to write a book and get it published? Don't repay fabulous, hardworking authors by pirating their books. It's rude, it's illegal, and it makes you a douche. And Helena and I mock douches even more than we mock average stupidity, so you've been warned. That is all.

Recommendsday Review - Milrose Munce and the Den of Professional Help

Today's Recommendsday Reading is Milrose Munce and the Den of Professional Help by Douglas Anthony Cooper.

Synopsis:

No one except Milrose Munce knows that ghosts of former students live in his school. Not only is Milrose aware of these ghouls – he’s on a first-name basis with all of them. Of course, some are more likeable than others: the third floor is the home to nearly all of his good friends. Most of them – like Imploded Ig, Deeply Damaged Dave, and Toasted Theresa – were the victims of science experiments gone wrong though they do manage to maintain a sense of humour about their demise. Then there are the ghost athletes who lurk in the basement – a pretty disagreeable group, the majority of them having died after a particularly clumsy manoeuvre on the school’s sports field.

After Milrose is given yet another detention for offering his teacher an answer that was just a bit too clever, his life takes an unexpected turn. He is sent to a hidden den in the school’s basement to receive Professional Help. Here, he and the quick-witted Arabella, a fellow captive, are put under round-the-clock supervision of the maniacal Massimo Natica. Fortunately for Milrose and Arabella, once they join forces with their ghostly friends, Massimo Natica doesn’t stand a chance.

An excerpt from the first chapter is available on Cooper's website for your enjoyment.

Milrose Munce is chock-full of highly enjoyable dark humor. The novel obviously is within the young adult genre and reads easily for all ages; however, some of the jokes particularly the word play will be thoroughly enjoyed by adults as well. Munce sees dead people, dead people that constantly pop up and play jokes on the living students within the school. Many people have likened this novel to Harry Potter; I definitely can see the similarities; however, I liken it more to Ronald Dahl's works, particularly The Witches. Every sideways comment had me splitting at the seams. The characters are darling, yes I just said darling ;p.

Everyday Milrose performs experiments with his third floor crew of ghastly friends and each day is just as enjoyable as the last until the entrance of "Professional Help." The faculty is becoming concerned that Milrose is slapping the air on the back, talking to the empty space, and otherwise acting...well in the need of professional help. Milrose is not alone in this plight, the lovely Arabella is also "gifted" with the sight. Arabella prefers the second floor poets to Milrose's band of science geeks. Both children are signed away into a counseling program which is supposed to cure them. Only, the professional turns out to not be professional at all. Massimo Natica is out to cure or obliterate them (his methods aren't exactly kosher), a certain end that neither child finds in the least bit acceptable. So begins the fight against the powers that be to survive and make it out still able to converse with their undead friends.

Cooper's slapstick humor keeps the pages turning. It is a refreshing light read. I literally had it read in a few hours. Though relatively devoid of romance, the paranormal definitely runs thick. Every time I catch a whiff of almonds I become a tad sentimental now. :) Crack the binding on a copy; you will not be disappointed.

Rating: 5/5 for all ages

~Helena

Young Adult Friday

It's Friday, that means it's time to feature more young adult novels adults will enjoy.

Need by Carrie Jones

Zara collects phobias the way other high school girls collect lipsticks. Little wonder, since life’s been pretty rough so far. Her father left, her stepfather just died, and her mother’s pretty much checked out. Now Zara’s living with her grandmother in sleepy, cold Maine so that she stays “safe.” Zara doesn’t think she’s in danger; she thinks her mother can’t deal.

Wrong. Turns out that guy she sees everywhere, the one leaving trails of gold glitter, isn’t a figment of her imagination. He’s a pixie—and not the cute, lovable kind with wings. He’s the kind who has dreadful, uncontrollable needs. And he’s trailing Zara.

~*~*~*~~*~*~*~

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

For Nora Grey, romance was not part of the plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how much her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her. Not until Patch came along. With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Nora is drawn to him against her better judgment.

But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure who to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is, and to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is way more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel.

For Nora is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen - and, when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost her life.


~Lily