Tag Archives: Paranormal

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Review: Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness

Title: Shadow of Night
Author: Deborah Harkness
Series: All Souls Trilogy
Rating: ★★★★

A Discovery of Witches felt like something I hadn’t read before. Sure, the witch and vampire idea is out there and has been for a while, but something felt different about that book. The same thing happened with Shadow of Night.

In Shadow of Night, Diana and Matthew timewalk back in time with the hope of finding Ashmole 782 complete. They want to find the secrets of their creation and their future. On top of that, they want to find a witch to help Diana as she finds her witch powers. They travel back to 1590 and are thrown right into the world of Elizabeth’s England.

Matthew falls back into his life as a spy and gets back together with his group of friends, known as the School of Night. Diana has to find a way to adjust to the time in nearly every way, on top of trying to find a witch with the power to teach her about her own powers. She’s living in the world that, as a historian, she could only dream of seeing.

Matthew and Diana are married before they timewalk, but they still have problems they need to work out. There are still secrets between them, and while some are insignificant, some are important. They have to work on their relationship and find ways to accept the good and the bad, as well as air those hidden secrets.

I think the cast of characters for this novel is one of my favorites in recent memories. Every single person was unique and I fell in love with several of them. The homes Matthew and Diana occupy while in Elizabethan England are rarely empty and each person that took up space in those homes was fantastic. They all added something special to the novel and I could easily read books about each and every one of them.

There’s a lot that doesn’t happen in this novel, but that doesn’t bother me. Even though not everything felt as though it held importance to the overall plot or characters, I didn’t mind reading about everything that went on. Nothing felt like filler, even though some pages were not as important as others. There are often times when things aren’t happening, but that’s okay. Harkness makes every word feel purposeful.

Shadow of Night was a fantastic novel that I made sure to really read. I slowed myself down in order to enjoy each word. This was a wonderful sequel and I am looking forward to what comes next and how Diana and Matthew’s trip to the past has changed their future.

If Shadow of Night sounds like your kind of novel, you can purchase it here:
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Review: If I Should Die by Amy Plum

Title: If I Should Die
Author: Amy Plum
Series: Revenants series
Rating: ★★★★★

I have loved this series from the beginning. There was something so perfectly romantic about it that had me falling in love hard from the very first pages.

It’s not the most beautifully written novel, nor is the world the most inventive. But there is something about Kate and Vincent that doesn’t need the pretty words in order to weave a romantic and amazing tale. Plum made me fall in love just by writing a fantastic love story.

Vincent has just been lost; his body burned, but his soul still on Earth. Kate fears all is lost, that once again, she has lost someone she loves more than anyone else in the world. Her parents’ death brought her Vincent, but she can’t see what will come for her now.

I don’t want to give too many spoilers because this is a book you don’t want to have spoiled. You want to read every page and want to know what is coming next. Experiencing the highs and lows of this novel was just an added bonus to the wonderful journey I went on.

The other revenants play a major role in this novel. There are twists that I didn’t see coming that made my gut twist and my heart clench up. I didn’t want to stop reading. I needed to know what was coming next and how the story would end.

If I Should Die is one of my favorite endings to a series. I’m sad to see it ending, but while I wish I could keep reading about Kate and Vincent, it ended the story perfectly. Loose ends were tied up, my heart is happy, and I’m still in love.

The Revenants series is a must read for anyone who wants to be swept up in a timeless romance set in one of the most romantic cities in the world. Be prepared to fall in love from the beginning and only have that love grow as the series concludes.

If If I Should Die sounds like your kind of book, you can purchase it here:
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Review: Another Little Piece by Kate Karyus Quinn

Title: Another Little Piece
Author: Kate Karyen Quinn
Pages: 432 Pages
Rating: ★★★★

It takes a lot for a book to creep me out. My heart doesn’t race, I don’t get goosebumps, and bumps in the night don’t scare me.

Another Little Piece had that creep factor. The jumping perspectives meant I was never sure what was going to happen next. Sometimes Annaliese just wants to be normal and other times the monster inside wakes up and wants to come out. The memories of the past start to haunt her and it’s easy to see that something isn’t quite right.

I didn’t find the jumping perspectives confusing. While they weren’t clearly marked, I found it easy to tell when Annaliese was seeing the world through different eyes. I wouldn’t go so far as to say it felt like a different person, but if felt like seeing an actor play multiple roles. Each time the perspective changed, it was like seeing Annaliese taking on a different character.

I liked that the relationship isn’t one of those “love you forever” ones. These are teens and they act like it. They speak of the future a little bit, but it’s never like some of the other novels out there, where the characters just know they’ll be spending the rest of forever with each other. In a story where there are a lot of unearthly elements, this small tie to the real world helped balance out the novel.

There were only a few things that took me out of the novel a little bit. I wish there was a little bit more explanation for why Annaliese is what she is now. It’s touched upon, but there isn’t ever really much depth in the explanation. I was also expecting a little bit more when it came to how the story ended. I felt like there was a lot of buildup for this dramatic event and then it fell a little flat. The resolution still worked, but it felt a little weak and lackluster.

Another Little Piece is a creepy novel that gave me goosebumps. It deals with the monster inside and what to do before that beast is unleashed. There’s a level of danger and urgency that made me keep reading until I had reached the end. The idea that everything could go completely wrong was always lurking in the background. If you’re looking for a novel that will give you that creepy feeling, Another Little Piece is it.

If you’d like to purchase Another Little Piece, You can find it here:
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Thank you to HarperTeen and Edelweiss for an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Title: Throne of Glass
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Series: Throne of Glass Series
Pages: 404 pages hardcover, 420 paperback, 351 ebook, 384 Kindle
Rating: ★★★★

I’ve been looking forward to reading Throne of Glass for a while. It seemed like the kind of book that I would love. It has a touch of the historical, a little bit of romance, and a take-no-names heroine.

Celaena was the most notorious assassin in the country, but someone betrayed her and she ended up as a slave in a mining death camp. She managed to keep surviving long past the average, even making it through an escape attempt, before the Crown Prince brings her as his entry in a competition for the king. If she wins, she will be at the king’s beck and call to kill whomever he wishes without question for four years, after which, she will gain her freedom.

As if the competition wasn’t enough, something is killing off the competitors and what is left behind looks anything but human. Not only does she have to worry about the other competitors, she has to worry about whatever is killing them, as well as blending into court life.

Celaena is one of the strongest characters I’ve read and she knows it. She has the right amount of cockiness about her assassin skills mixed in with her insecurities about fitting into court life as a lady. She’s not afraid to downplay her abilities and talents, but knows when it’s best to take a step back and come at a problem from a different angle. She definitely relies on the help of others, but not to save her. She uses the help of others to make herself stronger and better able to move forward.

There is a bit of a love triangle, but I like how it is done. Without delving in too much and risking spoilers, I see one guy as a first love that makes her heart soar and gives her a secret smile, and the other guy as the one that will find a way to ingrain himself in her life forever. Either way it goes, I’ll be happy, even though I am secretly routing for one of them a little bit.

Throne of Glass is anything but fragile. It’s tough, yet sweet. It has the action that keeps me flipping pages woven in with the little moments that make me sigh and smile. Celaena is an amazing female figure to read and I’m looking forward to reading more of her strength in the books to come.

If you think Throne of Glass is your kind of read, you can purchase it here:
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Amazon
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Review: Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

Title: Grave Mercy
Author: Robin LaFevers
Series: His Fair Assassin series
Pages: 549 pages hardcover, 484 paperback, 560 Kindle, 340 ebook
Rating: ★★★★

Grave Mercy is one of those books that I’ve been thinking about reading for a while, but I was never quite sure about. I’d take a look at it and consider picking it as my next read, but I was never sure the history and the supernatural would mix well, so I’d put it aside and pick something else up instead. Finally, after a year, I decided it was time to read it.

It was amazing. There was everything I love about a historical fiction novel, from the drama and deceptions to the language and people. LaFevers even sticks pretty close to the actual history, which made me enjoy it even more. Even the assassin nun aspect fit perfectly, and I wasn’t sure it would. It adds another layer to the novel that makes it even more intriguing.

Ismae has been marked by Death and after a disastrous arranged marriage, she ends up at the convent of St. Mortain. She is trained to deliver death to those that are marked, and because of how the convent saved her life, she agrees to do Death’s bidding without questions. It’s only after she is sent on a lengthy mission outside the convent that she begins to wonder where her loyalties lie.

Gavriel Duval is the bastard half-brother of the young Duchess Anne of Brittany. Everything he does is to protect his sister, her title and lands, and her happiness. He and Ismae begin to work together in order to discover and take care of the traitors hiding in her court.

I think what I loved most about this book is how strong Ismae is; not only in physical strength, but emotionally as well. She has faced a tough life because of who she is, but instead of giving up, she finds a way to make her pain her power. Her strength also comes in her ability to see people for who they are, not what they say they are. She can see why people do what they do and tries to understand a little piece of everyone she comes across.

Grave Mercy is an intriguing read that will have you holding your breath as you wait to see how it all unfolds. There’s history, drama, romance, and death all wrapped into one gorgeous package.

If Grave Mercy sounds like your kind of book, you can purchase it here:
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Review: Let the Sky Fall by Shannon Messenger

Title: Let the Sky Fall
Author: Shannon Messenger
Series: Let the Sky Fall series
Pages: 416 pages
Rating: ★★★★★

I went into this book doing something I try so hard not to do. I hoped. I hoped this book was going to whisk me away and make me fall in love and be everything I wanted it to be.

Usually, hoping about books leads to disappointment. When I’m disappointed in a book, it’s hard for me to look past my hopes and dreams and find a way to love a book despite not living up to expectations.

Let the Sky Fall not only lived up to what I had hoped, it soared so far past my hopes that I didn’t know what to do with myself when I finished. I literally sat in my chair and stared at a wall for five minutes because I just didn’t know what I was supposed to do with myself.

The story is told from Vane and Audra’s points of view. Vane can’t remember what his life was like before he lost his family to a tornado. Audra knows exactly what Vane is missing, but doesn’t want him to remember one part of it. Audra must keep Vane safe at all costs, but doing so puts both of them at jeopardy for feelings they shouldn’t have.

The story of the sylphs is something I had never read before. The world of the sylphs is so wonderfully crafted, that I could almost believe there are true sylphs that walk among us. Messenger created a parallel world that fits so perfectly into our real one that I found myself looking at the trees move in the wind tonight and wondered who was controlling it.

The relationship between Audra and Vane is sweet and powerful. There’s something there that I can’t explain. It just fits. It’s like when you see those elderly couples in love, 75 years later, and you know that there is just something between them that isn’t supposed to have a name. It goes beyond love and I can’t say enough how much I loved it.

The only negative thing I can say about this book is that I have to wait forever for the next one. I’ll be reading this book several times between now and when the net novel is released. This is definitely a must read book.

If you think Let the Sky Fall is your kind of book, you can purchase it here:
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Review: Pretty Dark Nothing by Heather L Reid

Title: Pretty Dark Nothing
Author: Heather L. Reid
Pages: 321 pages
Rating: ★★★

Pretty Dark Nothing started off with a bang and the drama just kept coming. By the time the big plot reveal happened, my head was spinning.

Quinn is being haunted by demons and they are messing up her life. She’s fallen on the high school popularity totem pole, her father ran away and created a new family, her mom is hardly ever around, and her boyfriend left her. She’s feeling lost, alone, and confused. She wasn’t the strongest character, but she wasn’t trying to be. She was trying to get through each day without making it known to the world that she might be going crazy. That takes a different kind of strength.

Aaron has always watched from the background, but when his ability brings him to Quinn’s rescue, he’s thrown into her life. They go back and forth for a while, not confident in themselves to make a move. While I’ve read more swoon-worthy boys, Aaron was real. He didn’t always have the perfect thing to say, but he was a real guy. I don’t always need the swoon in order to fall in love with a character and that’s definitely true for Aaron.

I didn’t even try to guess what was going to happen in this novel. Quinn’s unpredictability and unreliable narrating made the twists and turns that much more interesting to read. I definitely wasn’t expecting the ending, but once it happened I could see all the clues fit together. The ending was dramatic and has a wonderfully horrible cliff hanger. I am really hoping there is another book to this series because I want to know what happens with Quinn and Aaron.

Pretty Dark Nothing drew me in right away and kept me reading long after I should have gone to bed. A book that makes me give up on sleep just to finish it is definitely a book I enjoy.

If Pretty Dark Nothing sounds like your kind of book, you can purchase it here:
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Thank you to Month9Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy of the novel in return for a honest review.

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Review: The Sweetest Dark by Shana Abé

Title: The Sweetest Dark
Author: Shana Abé
Series: The Sweetest Dark series
Pages: 352 pages
Rating: ★★★

I hadn’t read anything by Abe before and was excited to get started. The idea behind this story was interesting, and looking past a few of the minor issues I had with it, it was just what I had hoped it would be.

The mythological creature this book is based on is different and one I had not read about. I wish there had been a bit more about the World War I setting, but based on the book description for the next book, I’ll be able to get my history fix there. My only other complaint is I wish there had been a bit more concerning the history of the supernatural. A little more explanation would have been nice.

For a time when women weren’t considered womanly if they had convictions and strength, Lora is strong. She maintains the politeness required of her, but she finds other ways to show her strength. She doesn’t back down when she’s threatened, she doesn’t fall back on her “station” and cower. She stands strong in the ways she is able and doesn’t back down.

While my heart broke at the end, I wasn’t as into the love story as I wish I was. Jesse was sweet and kind, but I would have liked a little more depth to him. Armand has a little bit more to him, but I found his hot and cold with Lora to be a little too frustrating.

The Sweetest Dark manages to be something new in a sea of sameness. The level of detail is fantastic and the picture Abe can paint with her words is glorious. It does have a few shortcomings, but it is still worth a read. The historical setting makes for a unique and wonderful backdrop for this supernatural story.

If The Sweetest Dark sounds like your kind of book, you can purchase it here:
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Amazon
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Thank you to Bantam and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the novel in exchange for a honest review.

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Review: Levitating Las Vegas by Jennifer Echols

Title: Levitating Las Vegas
Author: Jennifer Echols
Pages: 300 pages
Rating: ★★★★

Levitating Las Vegas is a departure from what I’ve come to expect from Echols. It has older characters and a paranormal aspect. As much as I love Echols, I wasn’t sure if this kind of book would feel right coming from her. I’m glad to say that after a bit of a shaky start, Echols definitely picked up and had me turning the pages as fast as I could.

Holly and Elijah tried to have that sweet high school romance, but their parents interfered. After they each are separately “diagnosed” with a mental illness, they avoid each other as much as possible. So when they discover the true about their mental powers, they once again find themselves drawn to each other.

From there it’s a whirlwind romance with a kidnapping with a twist, a road trip, and personal discoveries that change how they view the world. They have to make decisions quickly and hope that what path they end up on is the right one. They are at times unreliable, but that only makes the drama more heightened.

The first chapter or so felt a little off; it didn’t quite flow as well as the rest of Echols’ works. Once the setup has been laid out, the story gets going and the book flows much better.

Levitating Las Vegas is a fast-paced romance with a twist. Echols handled her venture into the paranormal in a way I would only expect from her and I can’t wait to read what comes next.

If Levitating Las Vegas sounds like your kind of book, you can purchase it here:
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Amazon

Thank you to Pocket Star and Edelweiss for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.

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Review: Beautiful Redemption by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Title: Beautiful Redemption
Author: Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
Series: Castor Chronicles series
Pages: 451 pages hardcover, 576 ebook
Rating: ★★★★

When I was in 9th grade, my English teach spent an extraordinary amount of time teaching us about the Hero’s Journey. We read books, wrote essays, and watched the Star Wars movies all so we could better understand this pivotal part of so many stories all around the world.

Beautiful Redemption is the conclusion to the Castor Chronicles series. It ties everything together. As I was reading, I noticed something. There was a Hero’s Journey inside a Hero’s Journey. Ethan must complete his own journey in order to get back to the person he loves most. More importantly, Beautiful Redemption is the final leg of the Hero’s Journey of Ethan and Lena together. That 9th grade English class made me appreciate this even more.

I don’t really want to talk much about how the story unfolds; I feel anything I say might give away a secret. I will say that my earlier complaint, about there being some filler instead of moving the story along, wasn’t even a minor issue in this novel. Something was always happening and each little thing was important. Every step Ethan takes leads him somewhere and every plan Lena forms gets them closer to the end.

Both Ethan and Lena grow in this novel. They have to face their demons in order to continue along their journey. They have to face a world where they aren’t together and find a way to get back to each other. They each learn that they are strong individually, but together there is nothing that can stop them. And they do all of this without having whiny teen moments.

Beautiful Redemption is exactly what I wanted from the end of this series. Loose ends are tied up, personal demons are faced, and Ethan and Lena learn to be the people they need to be going forward. Everything wasn’t happy, but it was amazing. Stunning conclusion that makes closing that last page wonderfully bittersweet.

If Beautiful Redemption sounds like your kind of book, you can purchase it here:
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