Review: Trial by Fire by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Synopsis: There can only be one alpha.

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

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

Bryn faces both the costs, and the rewards, of love and loyalty, in this thrilling sequel to Raised by Wolves.

SPOILERS FOR RAISED BY WOLVES AHEAD. IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO RUIN IT FOR YOUSELF STOP READING NOW. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

I would like to start by mentioning that I almost never like a sequel more than the first book but this is an exception. I loved Raised by Wolves and found the world that Barnes built was believable and spectacular. In Trial by Fire I found myself second guessing the world I knew because things that had never happened in this world were happening. Bryn was not only a female alpha, but human as well. In her world this is unheard of and there are a lot of people who are working against her.

Trial by Fire is a book with so many twists it will leave you reeling. I found myself caught up in the decisions that Bryn was making because I felt for her and her position in the pack's protection. When Lucas shows up on Bryn's territory you instantly feel like he needs to be protected just the way anyone in the position would feel. Although it isn't Bryn's place to take care of another pack's wolf, she still wants to take on the obligation, even if it means starting a war in the world of the alphas.

This story teaches morals and about making the right decision, even if it means pushing boundaries and crossing lines. Bryn's struggle may be the product of another world but it still makes you consider the things you would do in tough situations that have boundaries clearly set but could use some breaking to do what's right for others. Bryn's choices in this book are extremely troublesome but deeply admirable. Some decisions are wise while other include issues you would never expect, this story will keep you reading until you've made it to the final pages.

Review: Intrisical by Lani Woodland

Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Yara Silva has always known that ghosts walk alongside the living. Her grandma, like the other females in her family, is a Waker, someone who can see and communicate with ghosts. Yara grew up watching her grandmother taunted and scorned for this unusual ability and doesn't want that to be her future. She has been dreading the day when she too would see ghosts, and is relieved that the usually dominant Waker gene seems to have skipped her, letting her live a normal teenage life. However, all that changes for Yara on her first day at her elite boarding school when she discovers the gene was only lying dormant. She witnesses a dark mist attack Brent, a handsome fellow student, and rushes to his rescue. Her act of heroism draws the mist's attention, and the dark spirit begins stalking her. Yara finds herself entrenched in a sixty-year-old curse that haunts the school, threatening not only her life, but the lives of her closest friends as well. Yara soon realizes that the past she was trying to put behind her isn't going to go quietly.

I'd have to say that I was intrigued by this book from first glance at its cover. Immediately after I decided from the synopsis that I needed to get it. I must say that Woodland wastes no time jumping into the action. Right from page one the book is thrust into a scene where we meet Yara, who has tried to supress her Waker ability to see ghosts, until she arrives at Pendrell, a boarding school that is known for being haunted and cursed. In the opening pages she rescues a boy named Brent from a black mist that is choking him. From then on the mist is after her and she is sent into a constant battle against the mist and the curse of Pendrell.

Yara takes a lot of time in this book to discover herself, or at least the side of herself that she has been trying to bury. She doesn't want to be called crazy or a freak like her grandmother used to be when she told people about being a Waker. Yara has struggled with trying to be normal and never wanted to inherit the gene to see ghosts. Once she arrives at Pendrell, she starts to develop this power, although she wants to fight against it because she feels that it is a burden rather than a gift.

Yara and Brent have the sort of relationship that is flirtatious but they keep their distance from each other. I felt that it was dragged out to a point where I was shaking my fist in the air screaming, "Kiss her already!" But they were very dedicated to helping each other. They pulled each other through the mystery of understanding what is behind the curse at Pendrell to overcome the danger that faces them in this story. The only downside I saw to this novel was that I found many mistakes in the text that slowed my reading. This is a story that will keep you on your toes until the final pages and make you hope Woodland will write really fast (Yes, I know that's not how it works).

Review of Passion by Lauren Kate

Synopsis from Goodreads: "Every single lifetime, I'll choose you. Just as you have chosen me. Forever."

Luce would die for Daniel. And she has. Over and over again. Throughout time, Luce and Daniel have found each other, only to be painfully torn apart: Luce dead, Daniel left broken and alone. But perhaps it doesn’t need to be that way. . . .

Luce is certain that something—or someone—in a past life can help her in her present one. So she begins the most important journey of this lifetime . . . going back eternities to witness firsthand her romances with Daniel . . . and finally unlock the key to making their love last.

Cam and the legions of angels and Outcasts are desperate to catch Luce, but none are as frantic as Daniel. He chases Luce through their shared pasts, terrified of what might happen if she rewrites history.

Because their romance for the ages could go up in flames . . . forever.

When we left Luce and Daniel in Torment, Luce had jumped into an Announcer to escape the misery of being in danger and struggling to understand the relationship that her and Daniel share. In Passion, Luce and Daniel both skip through their past lives, Luce looking for answers and a way to break the curse, and Daniel trying to find Luce so that she doesn't rewrite history. They are not the only ones running through the past though. Shelby, Miles, and Cam have all followed them through the times trying to get Luce home safely and without destroying herself or anything else in the process.

In Passion, we are offered a glimpse into the past of Daniel and Luce and I have to tell you that I adored every second of this book. I love learning about their past first-hand instead of only hearing stories from Daniel's perspective. I felt that Luce grew in this book more than any that preceded it and she found out that the love she felt for Daniel was real and significant, among other things. In all of her lives, Luce was taught a lesson that brought her closer to the ultimate truth that she learns by the end of the book. The love that Daniel and Luce feel in every lifetime if breathtaking, and Daniel's heartbreak from every one of Luce's deaths in excruciating. In Torment, I grew angry at Daniel and became a fan of Miles, but in Passion I grew to love Daniel more than I ever did in the beginning.

Daniel's Journey in this book is also important because he is not just chasing Luce, he also finds himself revisiting important moments in his own history that make him remember why he never gave up after all this time. He renews his own hope and understanding of his situation and believes in his choice all over again. The setting of the individual lifetimes come to life and I really enjoyed all of them. If there is one book that you read this summer, make it this book!

Booklist Beggining

It is about that time that I begin my 2012 book list. While I only know the first few books that come out in 2012 I can begin this list now to stop myself from having an OCD fit every time I look at my Amazon Wish List. This will be organized in the same order as my previous list starting with the month in the middle. Underneath the month will be the date of release, book title, author and series in that order. Enjoy.

2012 Book List

January
3- Bloodrose by Andrea Cremer (A Nightshade Novel)
3- Charmfall by Chloe Niell (A Novel of the Dark Elite)
10- A Million Suns by Beth Revis (An Across The Universe Novel)
17- Fracture by Megan Miranda
24- Everneath by Brodi Ashton
24- Life Eternal by Yvonne Woon (A Dead Beautiful Novel)

24- Hallowed by Cynthia Hand (An Unearthly Novel)

31- Destiny and Deception by Shannon Delany (13 to Life Series)
31- Wings of the Wicked by Courtney Allison Moulton (Angelfire Trilogy)

February
7- Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood

8- Pure by Julianna Baggot

28- Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver (Delerium Trilogy)

March
6- Everlasting by Elizabeth Chandler (Kissed By an Angel Series)

6- Balthazar by Claudia Gray (An Evernight Novel)
6- Embrace by Jessica Shirvington

13- Spell Bound by Rachel Hawkins (A Hex Hall Novel)
13- The Savage Grace by Bree Despain (A Dark Divine Novel)

April
17- The Last Echo by Kimberly Derting (The Body Finder Series)

May
1- Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins
1- Shine by Jeri Smith-Ready (Shade Series)
8- Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock
8- Endure by Carrie Jones (Need Series)
8- Until I Die by Amy Plum (Die For Me Sequel)
10- Endure by Carrie Jones (Need Series)
22- Taken By Storm by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (A Raised by Wolves Novel)
22- Shadow Bound by Rachel Vincent (A Blood Bound Novel) (ADULT)

June
5- Arise by Tara Hudson (Hereafter Trilogy)
12- Timepiece by Myra McEntire (Hourglass Sequel)
12- Rapture by Lauren Kate (Fallen Series)
19- The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead (A Bloodlines Novel)
26- Before I Wake by Rachel Vincent (Soul Screamers Series)

July

August
7- Rivals and Retribution by Shannon Delany
21- The Rise of Nine (The Lorien Legacies Series)
28- The Blood Keeper by Tessa Gratton (A Blood Journals Novel)

September
4- Tiger's Destiny by Colleen Houck (A Tiger's Curse Novel)

Review: Die For Me by Amy Plum

Synopsis: In the City of Lights, two star-crossed lovers battle a fate that is destined to tear them apart again and again for eternity.

When Kate Mercier's parents die in a tragic car accident, she leaves her life--and memories--behind to live with her grandparents in Paris. For Kate, the only way to survive her pain is escaping into the world of books and Parisian art. Until she meets Vincent.

Mysterious, charming, and devastatingly handsome, Vincent threatens to melt the ice around Kate's guarded heart with just his smile. As she begins to fall in love with Vincent, Kate discovers that he's a revenant--an undead being whose fate forces him to sacrifice himself over and over again to save the lives of others. Vincent and those like him are bound in a centuries-old war against a group of evil revenants who exist only to murder and betray. Kate soon realizes that if she follows her heart, she may never be safe again.

In this incandescent debut, newcomer Amy Plum has created a powerful paranormal mythology with immortal revenants. The Paris setting comes enchantingly alive as a relentless struggle between good and evil takes place in its streets. Rich with romance, atmosphere, and thrills, Die for Me will leave readers breathlessly awaiting its sequel.

Die For Me is refreshing, charming, and will make you want Vincent just as much as Kate does. The revenants that Plum invented are new to the YA scene and that was the first thing to entice me into reading this book. The Paris setting is crisp in detail but because I have never been I could only imagine the scenery that was portrayed in the book. Kate is a girl that has lost both of her parents in a tragic accident that changed her life forever. Living with her sister and grandparents in Paris has done nothing to change the fact that she is miserable and sliding deeper all the time into a dark hole of despair. That is, until she meets Vincent, the charming, handsome and mysterious boy that seems to bump into her everywhere.

I really liked being in Kate's head. I found that right from the very first page I liked her point of view and description of the world around her. I could follow her through almost any story and enjoy every word. I found the attraction that she felt towards Vincent and vise-versa very rushed and too strong too fast. It had a very our-eyes-met-from-across-the-room sort of feel to it. I felt that the rest of the storyline progressed well and I found it easy to follow the action of the story.

There are many different aspects of the story that will make readers interested in Kate and Vincent. Vincent's approach to wooing Kate is both adorable and a little bit creepy. That being said, as much as his spying on Kate may have pushed me away a bit, he is incredibly polite, well-meaning, and protective of her. I would think that many fans of The Twilight Saga would love this book because Vincent is very much like Edward Cullen but he equally has his own personality. Vincent has chivalry down to a science and makes Kate, and readers, wait impatiently for him in his absence. Overall, a good read for people of all ages.

Review: Shift by Jeri Smith-Ready

Synopsis: AURA'S LIFE IS ANYTHING BUT EASY. Her boyfriend, Logan, died, and his slides between ghost and shade have left her reeling. Aura knows he needs her now more than ever. She loves Logan, but she can't deny her connection with the totally supportive, totally gorgeous Zachary. And she's not sure that she wants to.

Logan and Zachary will fight to be by her side, but Aura needs them both to uncover the mystery of her past--the mystery of the Shift.

As Aura's search uncovers new truths, she must decide whom to trust with her secrets...and her heart.

First thing I would like to say would be OH MY GOODNESS! I really like Shade, book one of the Shade trilogy, but this book exceeded my highest hopes for book two. Oh Zachary, totally sexy, tall, dark and accent! I love Zachary. Anyone who knows me has heard my undying love confessions for Edward Cullen, but I would gladly give him to the next girl in line for Zachary.

Aura has been mourning Logan's Shade since his concert the night he was supposed to pass on. She put her life on hold and tried every night since then to get him to return to the world as a ghost. Finally, at the beginning of the book, she finds herself face to face with Logan as a shade. Not only does he change from a ghost to a shade, but he also becomes solid again. Aura and Logan cannot think of anything except their unfinished business on the night of his birthday, the night they were supposed to make love for the first time. But to both their disappointment, Logan loses his solid form after about fifteen minutes. When she tells Zachary about what happened, on the same night that he asks her to prom, he can't believe that after all of this time of patiently waiting for her to move on that she would attempt to be with Logan again, and he withdraws his invitation.

Aura spends a lot of time in this book understanding how it is she feels about Zachary and Logan. This book is a much sexier story than the first because Aura can't seem to control her urges. Aura finds herself stuck in the middle once again. At the same time that Aura is going through all her troubles over the boys in her life, she is faced with a new discovery about her past and the secrets that may have created the Shift, and her involvement in it. Worse, someone has been watching her and may know more about Aura than she would like. This book is absolutely amazing and the romance in it is breathtaking. The mystery of the Shift and all the clues that Aura, Zachary, and Logan are given are well thought out and make you want the third book, Shine, to fall into your lap at the end. This will be another of Smith-Ready's books that I will add to my list of favorites.

Review of Clarity by Kim Harrington

Synopsis: When you can see things others can't, where do you look for the truth?

 
This paranormal murder mystery will have teens reading on the edge of their seats.
 
Clarity "Clare" Fern sees things. Things no one else can see. Things like stolen kisses and long-buried secrets. All she has to do is touch a certain object, and the visions come to her. It's a gift.

 
And a curse.


When a teenage girl is found murdered, Clare's ex-boyfriend wants her to help solve the case--but Clare is still furious at the cheating jerk. Then Clare's brother--who has supernatural gifts of his own--becomes the prime suspect, and Clare can no longer look away. Teaming up with Gabriel, the smoldering son of the new detective, Clare must venture into the depths of fear, revenge, and lust in order to track the killer. But will her sight fail her just when she needs it most?

I can honestly tell you that I read this book in a few hours only because I could not put it down. I started it thinking I'd read a chapter or two and wait until after I finished my school work for the day and then finish it. My mind screamed for more every time I tried to stop reading.

Clarity, Clare, and her family are blessed with gifts. Clare has the gift of visions, she can see people's perspective of specific moments when touching objects they have touched. Her brother Perry is a medium who can speak to the lingering dead and her mother is a telepath capable of knowing every lie she tells by reading her mind. They live in a tourist town in Cape Cod and most of the townies think they're freaks. Then, the town hires a new detective and everyone is talking about him and his son.. until a girl is murdered.

Clare's brother confesses to her that he was with the girl that night and becomes a prime suspect for murder, which in turn makes her want to work harder to protect him and find the real killer. There are many times where even Clare doubts her brother in this book. Clare works on the case with the detective's son, the hot and mysterious Gabriel Toscano, and her ex-boyfriend Justin. Clare is an easy character to like. She's sassy and entertaining. I did find at the beginning I had trouble connecting with her but after two or three chapters I enjoyed her point of view a lot. There is constant suspense and almost every chapter ends on a cliffhanger making you want to continue onto the next page.

This book is fast paced and will make you want more. Even after I finished I hadn't had enough. I'm really excited to read the book's sequel and cannot wait. There are many boys in this book that will make you swoon and my favorite was Perry. If you are heading to a bookstore soon, you should pick up this book, especially if you like a good mystery.