Tag Archives: Paranormal

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Review: The Taking by Kimberly Derting

Title: The Taking
Author: Kimberly Derting
Series: The Taking Trilogy
Rating: ★★★

After reading Derting’s other novels, I knew The Taking was going to be a book I wanted to read. It was different from her other novels, and after starting to read, I could tell it was either going to really pull me in, or I was going to struggle to finish it. Books that are connected to the science fiction genre are not usually my thing. They have to be done really well for me to enjoy them.

Kyra was in the car, having an argument with her father about colleges, when she demands he pulls over so she can walk to her team’s championship celebration. Once out of the car, she vanishes. All she remembers is a flash of light, and then nothing. The next thing she is aware of is her being by a dumpster with no recollection of how she got there. When she returns to her home, she finds a man and a child she doesn’t know there. Across the street, where her boyfriend lives, she finds he is gone and his younger brother has grown up. 5 years have passed since she vanished and nothing is the same.

Kyra is thrown into a new world where she doesn’t know what is going on. People want things from her; they want to know where she went and why she’s been gone for years. She’s become obsessed with time, not wanting to lose anymore of it. Her best friend and her boyfriend have moved on. Her family has been torn apart. She doesn’t recognize anything about her life now. She’s still 16 and trying to cope with everything. I find I was forgiving her for things I’d usually find annoying in a character. To me, her choices were understandable. She’s trying to fall back into a life that vanished. Her decisions wouldn’t always be the best, but she showed a maturity I was grateful for.

The relationship between Kyra and Tyler seemed to develop just a little too fast for my taste. Yes, they had great chemistry and Tyler was a wonderfully sweet boy, it felt a little odd for Kyra tog o from viewing him as the kid brother of her boyfriend to imagining a relationship with him. I would have liked a little more development of the relationship between the two before it turned romantic. At times, despite being great boyfriend material, it felt like Tyler’s attempts to make Kyra happy felt more like a little kid with a crush instead of two equal people finding their way together.

I don’t want to reveal too much of the plot because this is a book that needs to unfold at just the right pace. In all honesty, if I had known what one of the major plot points would be, I probably wouldn’t have read it. But Derting wrote the novel in such a way that it didn’t feel cheesy or wrong. It felt like it was a perfect piece of the puzzle. I’m really looking forward to what comes next. The cliffhanger has me anxious.

Despite a few flaws, The Taking was a good book that definitely pulled me in and has me ready and anxious for the next piece of the story. Derting has another great series on her hands.

If The Taking sounds like your kind of novel, you can purchase it here:
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Thank you to HarperTeen and Edelweiss for an advanced copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: The Midnight Witch by Paula Brackston

Title: The Midnight Witch
Author: Paula Brackston
Rating: ★★★★

Brackston is no stranger to writing witch novels. She’s set one in the 17th and 19th century, and now she tackles the time around World War I. I think Brackston’s writing style is one that you definitely have to like, but she can write an amazing novel. The Midnight Witch took a little while to get going, but once it did, I couldn’t put it down.

Lilith is the daughter of the 6th Duke of Radnor. Her father is also the Head Witch of the Lazarus Coven. When he dies, Lilith’s brother becomes the 7th Duke of Radnor, and she becomes the Head Witch. From the beginning, her reign in challenged. People aren’t sure if a young female can truly lead the coven. But she has support and eventually gains the respect of the other witches. At the same time she’s learning how to lead, a group of sorcerers are trying to get the Elixir, the secret the Lazarus coven protects. She’s also learning what it’s like to fall in love for the first time. With the threat of war looming, Lilith must learn how to balance all areas of her life before everything she works to protect is gone.

I like Lilith. She knew what she wanted, and even though she had moments of self-doubt, she never backed down when she knew her choice was right. She’s up against great odds, in all areas of her life, but she tries to keep that from overwhelming her. She learns to balance her duties and her desires well. She’s not the typical woman of the time and she knows what it’s time to adjust her ways of thinking to fit the times.

Bram, the love interest, wasn’t my favorite, but he wasn’t horrible. He was devoted and hopelessly in love, even if it felt like it happened a little fast. This might be because we don’t get to see all of their interactions before they declare love, so it didn’t bother me too much. Louis, the man Lilith is engaged to, isn’t too bad either. It’s easy to see how much he loves and cares for her. They’ve grown up together and that’s given him the time to develop feelings for her. It’s clear to see both men will help Lilith in whatever way they can, whenever she needs them.

The storyline was interesting. It started a little slow, with a lot of set-up taking place. I can appreciate it, but it still felt a little slow. Once things began happening, however, I couldn’t stop reading. I had to know what was going to happen next and there was never an easy time to stop. There was always a reason for me to keep reading.

Brackston has another great book on her hands with The Midnight Witch. It might take a little while to get into it, but once you get drawn in, it’s hard to break away. The Midnight Witch takes on a different tone than her other novels, but it’s still just as wonderful.

If The Midnight Witch sounds like your kind of novel, you can purchase it here:
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Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: Split Second by Kasie West

Title: Split Second
Author: Kasie West
Series: The Pivot Point Series
Rating: ★★★★

Here’s the amazing thing about Kasie West. She writes books that, on the surface, are books I wouldn’t go for. But she has such fantastic characters and plots that I can’t help but fall in love. They have the perfect mix of tension, romance, and intrigue. There’s always something pulling me into the story.

Pivot Point was about Addie trying to decide which future to take. Split Second is what comes next. Her memory of her Search has been wiped away by Laila. She doesn’t know what happened in the future she didn’t chose, but after her boyfriend, Duke, admits to only dating her for her Searching abilities and her best friend betrays her, she’s not sure why she didn’t go with the other future. When she leaves the Compound to spend the holidays with her father, things begin happening. Her ability grows and she feels an unexplainable connection with a boy from the normal world, Trevor.

Laila also gets to tell her story in this novel. While Addie is busy trying to figure out the developments in her life, Laila is working on figuring out how to restore memories, something Addie revealed she can do and wants done. Laila will do anything for her best friend, taking risks to try and discover the truth. She ropes Conner into her plans, never expecting him to be immune to her charms.

Both stories are wonderfully written. Addie is looking for an escape. Her life is not what she thought it was and 6 weeks away from Duke and the mess that surrounds him sound like just what she needs. Laila is feeling the guilt over her betrayal. She knows it wasn’t completely her fault, but she still feels horrible for causing Addie any pain. Her desire to fix that bridge, through whatever means necessary, is the driving force that makes her act. Each girl has different motivations, but they come together to bend a past and future for them both.

I cannot believe how well West has written two completely different, yet equally swoon-worthy male characters. Trevor and Connor are different people, motivated by different things, and with completely different personalities, yet I fell for both of them. I already adored Trevor, but this book made me love him even more. Connor didn’t have a book history with me, but that didn’t stop me from loving him.

There was one little piece I wish was addressed in Split Second and that’s the only thing that kept it from being 5 stars. There was a piece of information that was mentioned, but never really explored. Other than that, it was amazing. Kasie West is an author I’ll be watching. Split Second pulled me completely under her spell.

If Split Second sounds like your kind of novel, you can purchase it here:
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Review: Death Sworn by Leah Cypess

Title: Death Sworn
Author: Leah Cypess
Series: The Death Sworn Trilogy
Rating: ★★★★

Death Sworn takes a girl, places her in a near-impossible situation, and makes her do the impossible. It had action, mystery, and secrets. There’s a little bit of romance in there, but it doesn’t overwhelm the rest of the story. It was a great read.

Ileni is losing her magic. She was once thought to be one of the most powerful sorceresses, but now she’s been sent on a nearly impossible mission. She knows the only reason she was selected was because the Elders knew she’d fail. She was a disappointment to her people and sees this task as the last contribution she can give. She knows it will cost her life, but she is determined to learn all she can about the assassins before that time.

Ileni is not the strongest character physically. She’s losing her magic and has no fight training. She’s living in an underground cavern filled with assassins who know how to kill in as many ways possible. Her only hope is that she lives long enough to find some information that’s valuable. Sorin, the assassin assigned to protect her, helps keep her safe, but she’s not entirely sure she can trust him completely to do that. Every assassin listens and obeys every order the master gives and her life is dependent upon the master not ordering her death.

Ileni is clever and works with what she has. She makes the best out of her waning magic, teaching her classes in a way that doesn’t give her secret away. She learns to fight to protect herself. She questions the morals of herself and the assassins. Sure, she has her flaws, but she finds a way to work around them. She tries to keep those flaws from interfering too much with her goals. She doesn’t make the mistake of trust anyone but herself.

Sorin is commanded to protect her. They develop a friendship that leads to a little something more. Even so, it can be difficult to see Sorin battle between doing things he wants to do and doing the things the master tells him to do. The master saved him and gave him purpose; to go against him doesn’t seem right. I’m glad Ileni, while dependent upon him for protection against the other assassins, doesn’t look to him for everything in her life.

Death Sworn is an excellent fantasy novel that has an interesting setup for what comes next. There’s murder and mystery, magic and power. I can’t wait to read what Ileni does next.

If you’d like to purchase a copy of Death Sworn, you can do so here:
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Thank you to Edelweiss and Greenwillow Books for an advanced copy of the novel in exchange from an honest review.

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Review: The Taker by Alma Katsu

Title: The Taker
Author: Alma Katsu
Series: The Taker Trilogy
Rating: ★★

The Taker is not the novel I thought it would be. Sometimes that’s a good thing. Unfortunately, in this case it meant I was let down and just wanting to finish the book. I have this problem where I have to finish a book, even if I don’t enjoy it. I can’t give it an honest review if I don’t read the entire story and I always hold out a small bit of hope that things improve. Those are the only two reasons I stuck with the book until the end.

Luke is an ER doctor in a small town, working a normal night shift, when the police bring in a girl accused of killing a man. When Luke agrees to help the girl, she tells him her story, one that spans 200 years. She lived in the town when it was founded and fell in love with the son of the town’s founder, Jonathan. He’s not one to settle down and when Lanny finds herself in some trouble, she is sent to Boston. Feeling alone, confused, and betrayed, she finds Adair and falls into his lifestyle. She lives a life of excess, but when Adair finds out about Jonathan, he demands Lanny bring Jonathan to him. She’s trapped and can’t disobey him as much as she wants to. The story is told from the present day and from Lanny’s past.

Sometimes, if a story just isn’t for me I can still find enjoyment in the characters. I couldn’t in this book. Lanny was nearly a doormat, pinning for someone she knew she’d never have. She doesn’t stand up for herself and while some of that is due to the time, she just felt flat to me. Jonathan is nothing that a love interest should be. He’s manipulative and uses Lanny for his personal reasons without even considering giving her up so she can try and find a way to be happy. Adair has no redeeming qualities, as far as I’m concerned, and I really don’t think there’s any way Katsu could make me like him at all. Some of the secondary characters were interesting, but they weren’t enough to make up for everyone else.

The story itself has two personalities. Some of the beginning and some of the end were good to read, but the middle was just not for me. A lot happened that just didn’t seem to make sense in the grand scheme of the novel. It felt like it was there for shock value and not for actual plot or development. Lanny’s story could have been told without all of it.

I was really hoping The Taker would be something great. The book description was not what was in the novel. The characters are unlikeable, the plot was full of unnecessary details, and I just didn’t enjoy reading this book. I am sure this is a book that some people will like, but I am definitely not one of them. I won’t be continuing the series, either.

If you’d like to purchase The Taker, you can do so here:
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Review: Firelight by Sophie Jordan

Title: Firelight
Author: Sophie Jordan
Series: The Firelight Trilogy
Rating: ★★★

I have not read many books about either dragons or the decedents of dragons. The idea interests me greatly, so when I came across Firelight I decided to give it a try. It had some issues, but overall it was a good book with an interesting backstory and plot.

Jacinda is the only fire-breathing dragon in generations. Her future has been mapped out for her from now until the end. In an act of rebellion and defiance, she flies during the day and is spotted by hunters. In her attempt to flee from them, she ends up trapped but meets Will for the first time. A series of events unfold and soon she and her mother and sister are on the run from the pride. She feels entirely out of place at the new school, until she crosses paths with Will again. For some unknown reason he both calms and excites her, putting herself, her family, and Will in danger.

Jacinda was an interesting character. She had good and bad traits, which I liked. I like when characters come across as real people. The dynamic between her and her family was really fascinated me. I think the entire family could benefit from sitting down and just hashing things out. There’s a lot of frustration and disappointment that stems from a lack of understanding from everyone. Jacinda can’t understand why her mother turned away from her draki side, why her sister can’t understand how hard it is for her living away from the pride. But on the flip side, Jacinda doesn’t try to understand their points of view very well.

There were a few issues I had with the book. I wish the dragon world was set up a bit more, maybe a little more background given or have the pride fleshed out a little. It didn’t really take away from the story; I just wish it had been included. Another issue I had was how quickly Jacinda and Will declared they were in love. It’s just difficult for me to believe that without being together for very long, love has blossomed. Maybe that’s just a personal thing with me, but I’d always rather have characters admit attraction and strong feelings instead of calling it love.

Firelight is one of the few books I’ve found that has a dragon understory and is a good read. The story is unique and has a lot of promise. I’m looking forward to reading what comes next for Jacinda and Will.

If Firelight sounds like your kind of novel, you can purchase it here:
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Review: Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins

Title: Sweet Evil
Author: Wendy Higgins
Series: The Sweet Trilogy
Rating: ★★★

Sweet Evil is a perfect title for this book, although probably not in the way Higgins intended. Parts of it are wonderful and had me pulled in, while other parts fell flat and had me scratching my head.

Anna sees and feels the emotions of people around her. Her other senses are stronger than a normal human’s should be. She’s never known why, choosing to deal with things as they come instead of look for answers. Things change suddenly after a chance encounter with Kaidan. Suddenly she wants to know more and is sucked into a world she never knew existed.

I was worried about this book in the beginning. It looked like it was headed for one of those “insta-love” teen books where without knowing each other, suddenly the two main characters are head over heels in love and everything feels a little too overblown. Thankfully, Higgins played most of the romance as major attraction, which I can believe. Unfortunately, this small saving grace came at the cost of good characters. Kaidan is a bit of a jerk and Anna needs to grow a spine.

Anna seems a little weak to me, but I’m going to give her the benefit of the doubt on this one. I’m willing to look past her weakness when to comes to fighting the evils. She’s just been thrown into an intense world where everything she knows is shaken. I am not willing to overlook her weakness when it comes to Kaidan, though. In my eyes, even if it is the most amazingly attractive man on earth, if he behaves like a jerk and treats a woman like Kaidan treats Anna, he is not worth any extra effort. I know it’s for the story, but I can’t overlook how Anna deals with Kaidan. Being rejected by a guy you barely know and who treats you horribly is not a reason to lose yourself. It’s hard for me to look past that.

The one thing that might get me to read the next book is the storyline. It’s interesting and holds promise, even if the characters didn’t really work for me. I was able to look past that and see the bones of the story and I liked them.

Sweet Evil is one of the most appropriately named novels I’ve read. I know some people will love it, but I’m a little lukewarm on it. I’ve read worse, but I’ve also read better.

If Sweet Evil sounds like your kind of novel, you can purchase it here:
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Review: Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

Title: Paranormalcy
Author: Kiersten White
Series: Paranormalcy
Rating: ★★★

Paranormalcy was a decent book. The characters are interesting and the plot has promise. However, it felt like the book was trying to be too much. There was not only the paranormal aspect, but there was a lot of teen attitude. I had a bit of an issue with Evie, but overall the book was better that I thought it would be.

Evie works to contain and control paranormal beings. She can see through their glamours to what they really are, something no other person can do. She’s grown up in a world of the supernatural; not much surprises her anymore. After years of semi-peaceful existence, things are changing. An unknown being broke into the IPCA headquarters and paranormals are being killed off. The intruder won’t speak of his reasons for breaking in and the IPCA can’t figure out how the beings are being killed. Everything Evie has grown up with is changing and being put to the test.

Lend, the love interest, has his moments. He’s not the most swoon-worthy character I’ve read, but he did come across as a normal teenager. He had sweet moments, cheesy moments…everything you’d expect a normal teen boy to have. I especially enjoyed his insecurity about his true self. It was refreshing to read about a male character that wasn’t the perfectly confident teen. I’ve never met one of those. Instead, he puts on a front of confidence, but the moments when his guard came down were the best. They made him real.

Evie is the one that I struggled with. Putting aside some of her characteristics that I find annoying in any person, her strength was what bothered me. She started out pretty fearless, taking on challenges and figuring her way out of tough spots. Then she became a little too whiny for my tastes. Instead of fighting back like I would have liked her to, she put aside her feelings as to not anger the people around her, but the internal whining was a bit much. Near the end, her fight came back, but it was a little too late for her to be fully redeemed in my opinion.

Paranormalcy is a fine paranormal book and a decent teen novel. It just has a difficult time bringing the two halves together in a way that works and flows well. I’m not sure if this will be a series I continue, but if you really enjoy the paranormal novels, this would probably be a good book to pick up.

If Paranormalcy sounds like your kind of novel, you can purchase it here:
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Review: Fire by Kristin Cashore

Title: Fire
Author: Kristin Cashore
Series: Graceling Realm
Rating: ★★★★

Graceling was a superb novel that had me falling in love fast. It had a little bit of everything that I want in a book. I was anxious to read Fire and see if it lived up to the standard set by Graceling. Even though Fire was a wonderful book, there was something I can’t quite name that held it back from being a 5 star book.

Fire is considered a monster because of her bright and colorful hair. She’s able to influence the minds and feelings of those around her through the power of her mind and her exceptional beauty. She’s never quite sure if people like her for her or if it is because she is a monster. She becomes wrapped up in the fight over the kingship of her land, all the while learning that she’ll never truly feel comfortable with people unless she opens up and trusts how others feel.

Growing up knowing she’s a monster, with an evil man for a father and never knowing if she will ever have true friends has left a mark on Fire. She’s guarded and unsure of people, even with the confidence she has in herself most of the time. She trusts very few people and see’s her beauty as a burden instead of a gift. She saw how the power made her father into a force that people feared and she doesn’t want that for herself. It’s hard for her to see herself as different from her father, though, when the same things that made him that way are the things that draw people to her. She feels like she needs to make up for her father’s actions, but thinks she can never do enough to do that.

She goes to aid the king in figuring out the plots against him and his throne and ends up becoming wrapped up in the royal family. They want her to use her gifts to find out what secrets and plots are formed, but she feels like this is breaking her personal rules against invading and influencing the minds of others. It’s too close to what her father did, even though he did it for personal reasons and she is being asked to do it to try and make the coming war shorter.

The romance in this book was just as wonderful as in Graceling. It has a slow build and doesn’t jump right into love. The relationship starts out extremely rocky, but a trust and friendship grows first. All the build-up made that final moment even sweeter. Fire’s feelings about herself and others cause her to doubt what others feel and that made the tension even better. Not only does Fire have to come to trust what others feel about her, but Cashore wrote so well that the reader has to feel that growth as well.

There wasn’t as much action in this book; a lot of it took place outside the setting of the novel. But there’s intrigue and deception to make up for that. Even though the story was just as interesting to me as Graceling, there still felt like there was something missing and I’m not entirely sure what that is. My heart wasn’t pounding quite as hard with Fire.

Even with that missing something, Fire is still an amazing book. It’s a different story from Graceling, yet it has the same feel and same fantasy elements that made me love the book in the first place. Fire is a perfect companion novel to Graceling and can be read as part of the series or as its own novel. It’s definitely worth a read, especially if you liked Graceling. I already have Bitterblue in my hands and can’t wait to start reading.

If Fire sounds like your kind of novel, you can purchase it here:
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Review: Thornhill by Kathleen Peacock

Title: Thornhill
Author: Kathleen Peacock
Series: Hemlock
Rating: ★★★★

I was surprised by Hemlock and couldn’t wait to read Thornhill. Despite my anxiousness to read, I knew I needed to wait until I could sit down and read it all in one go. It was filled with everything that made me love Hemlock and even more that made me fall in love with Thornhill‘s story.

Everyone eventually leaves Mac. Her mother was first, then her father, and a werewolf recently killed her best friend. When Kyle, the boy she’s falling in love with, leaves, she finally decides enough is enough. With the help of Jason, Amy’s boyfriend, Mac travels to Denver, Colorado with the determination to get Kyle to follow her back home. Once in Denver, plans fall apart and she ends up in a wolf “rehabilitation” camp, along with Kyle, Serena, and a bunch of wolves from one of the Denver packs.

Life in the camp is stressful. Kyle must keep Mac safe from the other wolves, Serena is taken away under strange circumstances, and Mac is trying to discover what secrets are being kept within the walls of the camp. Jason talks his way onto the staff of the camp and from there, plans are made, attempted, and unravel.

I think my favorite thing about these novels is the relationships. Yes, the love story between Kyle and Mac is fantastic and makes my heart race, but every relationship is fascinating to read. Jason has to reconcile his feelings about wolves with the fact that his best friend is one and all wolves are not evil. Mac must tread carefully in order to not lose ties with more people in her life, wanting to be with Kyle but not wanting to hurt Jason anymore than he already is. Each relationship is constantly changing and it keeps the novel from feeling too stereotypically Young Adult.

The sequence of events was fast paced and I was never sure what was going to happen next. I was never sure of a character’s thoughts, motivations, or actions. It kept me on my toes and I could not read fast enough.

After the surprising feelings towards Hemlock, I was ready for what Thornhill would bring. I trusted there would be romance and action, all wrapped up in a supernatural tale that felt more real than fantasy. Thornhill completely delivered and I’m already anxiously awaiting the conclusion to this amazing series.

If Thornhill sounds like your kind of novel, you can purchase it here:
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