Of Triton by Anna Banks

Of Triton by Anna Banks

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends      

Publication date: May 28th 2013
My rating: 3.5 stars

In this sequel to OF POSEIDON, Emma has just learned that her mother is a long-lost Poseidon princess, and now struggles with an identity crisis: As a Half-Breed, she’s a freak in the human world and an abomination in the Syrena realm below. Syrena law states that all Half- Breeds should be put to death.
As if that’s not bad enough, her mother’s reappearance among the Syrena turns the two kingdoms—Poseidon and Triton—against one another. Which leaves Emma with a decision to make: Should she comply with Galen’s request to keep herself safe and just hope for the best? Or should she risk it all and reveal herself—and her Gift—to save a people she’s never known?

I wasn't a fan of the first book but let me tell you this- I got hooked! I was flipping those pages like my life depended on it. 

Book #2 starts right after Of Poseidon finished. Emma's mom turned out to be Galen's supposedly dead sister-in-law, or King Grom's mate Nalia. Well, Nalia kidnaps Emma because she thinks Galen is trying to get her arrested for the murder of Grom who's actually alive. Yeah... these characters are still pretty ridiculous but a little bit less than they were in book #1. Running doesn't take long and once the long lost lovers glance at each other everything is okay. Well, except for the fact Grom's mated with another Syrena just before he ran to find Nalia. What a mess...

Now everyone's trying to annul his 'marriage' which is practically impossible because of the silly, outdated Syrena laws. Grom can annul everyone else's marriages but not his own. Only the Archives can do that and their leader actually has some different solutions on his mind. Even though Emma start complaining about Grom and Nalia being a pair before her mom met her dad, she finds it in her heart to move past it and help her mom find happiness. haha Oh Emma, you selfless girl. *sarcasm*

Now we get to the good part. The romance between Emma and Galen isn't the center of attention in Of Triton. It was a very nice change because the less nagging I got from Emma and Rayna, the better. I can't deal with high level of drama and bullshit anywhere. There were still times where I wanted to punch these two but, again, it wasn't as bad it was in #1. So, less romance, more Syrena politics. The Royal families have to obey the laws which were written when Poseidon and Triton were still alive and since then a lot has changed. Many of the Archives are apposed and aren't interested in an update. Their arguments also weren't up to date but who could blame them. They've been stuck in water for so long without any proper legal help. I don't judge this part harshly because it's a fun, YA book and it shouldn't be taken too seriously. 

All in all, Of Triton showed so much progress and I'm glad I stuck with it. I'll be reading Of Neptune as well, once it gets out. Fingers crossed for no idiotic moments with Emma and Rayna! So if you're looking for a quick paranormal read pick something else, I'm just messing with you. Of Triton was a book with a pretty cover, pretty characters which make the worst decisions. Read this mess, now!

Of Poseidon by Anna Banks

Of Poseidon by Anna Banks

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends      

Publication date: May 22nd 2012
My rating: 2 stars

Galen is the prince of the Syrena, sent to land to find a girl he's heard can communicate with fish. Emma is on vacation at the beach. When she runs into Galen—literally, ouch!—both teens sense a connection. But it will take several encounters, including a deadly one with a shark, for Galen to be convinced of Emma's gifts. Now, if he can only convince Emma that she holds the key to his kingdom...
Told from both Emma and Galen's points of view, here is a fish-out-of-water story that sparkles with intrigue, humor, and waves of romance.

To quote Emma "Oh, my sweet goodness" this book was annoying. Everything about it was annoying-the characters, the 'plot' and the relationship development. 

Emma's on a vacation with her friend Chloe when a shark attacks Chloe, tears her leg of, killing her in the process. Can't say I was upset because Chloe's character was created for the sole purpose of dying right then and there. Luckily, Emma also met Galen that day. She actually bumped in him and made this whole scene about how embarrassing it was to slam into the hottest guy she ever saw. She really wouldn't stop talking about it. Get over it! 

After Chloe dies and Emma looses her phone, Galen decides it's a good idea to track her down even though she lives very far away because she's also a Syrena, like him. He buys a house and a car in the same city. He even starts going to her school where they have the same class schedule. Creepy much? Don't even get me started on the window climbing. 

Everything about this book screamed Twilight. I wonder what was the author thinking creating characters which fought all the time about the most trivial thing. Since the book was more for the younger readers, I really don't think it's a good idea. Kids read all kind of things and become inspired with the actions of these characters. I'm sure there are better ways of solving problems without yelling and punching. 

The best part of this book was the Syrena mythology. The underwater city, how mermaids change their legs into fins and all the Poseidon and Triton rivalry. 

My friend told me the second book, Of Triton is better than the first so I'm going to check it as well. Based on my not so good experience with Of Poseidon I would probably skip the sequel but I'll take her word for it. 

Everbound by Brodi Ashton

Everbound by Brodi Ashton

Publisher: Balzer + Bray      
Publication date: January 22nd 2013
My rating: 4 stars

Nikki Beckett could only watch as her boyfriend, Jack, sacrificed himself to save her, taking her place in the Tunnels of the Everneath for eternity — a debt that should’ve been hers. She’s living a borrowed life, and she doesn’t know what to do with the guilt. And every night Jack appears in her dreams, lost and confused and wasting away.
Desperate for answers, Nikki turns to Cole, the immortal bad boy who wants to make her his queen — and the one person least likely to help. But his heart has been touched by everything about Nikki, and he agrees to assist her in the only way he can: by taking her to the Everneath himself.
Nikki and Cole descend into the Everneath, only to discover that their journey will be more difficult than they’d anticipated — and more deadly. But Nikki vows to stop at nothing to save Jack — even if it means making an incredible sacrifice of her own.
In this enthralling sequel to Everneath, Brodi Ashton tests the bonds of destiny and explores the lengths we’ll go to for the ones we love.

It's a rare treat to stumble upon a book where I ship the main characters with both guys. I usually go for the underdog which frequently leaves my ships unsailed in the harbor. 

If you haven't already read the first book you should probably stop reading cause I will be posting some minor spoilers. 

Everbound starts up not long ago after Jack sacrificed himself for Nikki. He's now in Everneath and Nikki's trying to persuade Cole to help her get him back. Nikki doesn't have a life on Earth so the obvious choice would be to hunt Jack down. What else's she going to do with her time?

It's strange how riveting these books are once you start reading them. Well, at least it's strange for me because I never think of mythology as something new and fresh. Same things goes for retellings. We all already know how those stories go so there isn't much left to be desired. But Brodi Ashton's books are effortless and gripping. At this point I don't think she can go wrong with the final book. 

Now to the love triangle which isn't actually a triangle since Nikki obviously loves Jack. Cole somehow succeeds to weasel his blond head into the equation. I don't know how he does it every time. There's something about him. I just can't hate him. I still don't think he's a bad guy, even though he tricks Nikki every chance he gets. I start to think he'll change and do something selfless. Guess I'll have to hope he'll advance from his current state for mind. There's still one more book left. 

I'm so glad I decided to wait and read Everbound near the release of Evertrue.  The ending was unexpected, to say the least. 

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers     
Publication date: September 27th 2011
My rating: 4 stars

Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.
In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.
And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.
Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages--not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.
When one of the strangers--beautiful, haunted Akiva--fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

I'm well aware of the fact I'm 2 years too late. I get that but hey! I'm here now and that's what counts. 

I set out to write this review but I'm still not sure what to say. I keep thinking about the romance between Karou and Akiva. I'll explain my issues with it soon. 

First of, the whole paranormal world in Prague was interesting. The architecture, the art, the culture... even the people pretending to be vampires were fun. We meet Karou in a dark alley getting felt up by her ex boyfriend who's an vampire/actor. They broke up because he cheated on her and Karou doesn't want to see his lying face anywhere near her. Kaz doesn't feel the same way and follows her to her art school where he poses naked in front of her whole class. Awkward. She eventually gets her revenge, wishing Kaz gets nasty itches to scratch in  his most  private places. Her friend Zuzana's there to cheer with her. 

Karou's a blue haired girl who loves to draw strange characters with snake tails, bull heads and some human parts.  What you didn't know is those characters are real. They are Issa and Brimstone, her sort of guardians.  They deal with wishes and can open a portal to just about any place on Earth you could imagine with simply opening their door. Karou helps them acquire human/animal teeth for some reason she's still not aware of. She does try to get some info about her parents, herself, even about the teeth but Brimstone is not giving away any secrets. 

Like with every other story, things get messy after 'the guy' shows up.  A mysterious angel attacks Karou in the streets of Marrakesh. I'm just going to stop here for just a second cause I feel like I should say this. Everybody knows I love a good romance but in this case I prayed for less. I didn't want to read about feelings when there's so much to see in this crazy paranormal universe. Everything was going along fine till Akiva showed up. And they were attracted towards each other right from the start. 

I was so ready to hate the second part of the book because of the dreaded romance but the craziest thing happened. I started liking the whole Karou and Akiva thing. The flashback scenes saved it. If it weren't for them, I would've pegged it as another insta-love. 

So, if you're up for some quality paranormal fiction, pick up Daughter of Smoke and Bone. You won't regret it. It's full of magical creatures, drawings, fights between good and evil and of course, a steamy romance. 

Book Review: Obsession by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Book: Obsession
Author: Jennifer L.Armentrout
File Type: Ebook
Release date: May 31st 2013
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
My rating: 2 stars.

synopsis: He’s arrogant, domineering, and... To. Die. For.

Hunter is a ruthless killer. And the Department of Defense has him firmly in their grasp, which usually doesn’t chafe too badly because he gets to kill bad guys. Most of the time he enjoys his job. That is, until he’s saddled with something he’s never had to do before: protect a human from his mortal enemy.

Serena Cross didn’t believe her best friend when she claimed to have seen the son of a powerful senator turn into something... unnatural. Who would? But then she witnesses her friend’s murder at the hands of what can only be an alien, thrusting her into a world that will kill to protect their secret.

Hunter stirs Serena’s temper and her lust despite their differences. Soon he’s doing the unthinkable—breaking the rules he’s lived by, going against the government to keep Serena safe. But are the aliens and the government the biggest threats to Serena’s life… or is it Hunter?

Wow. 

This was such an epic fail.

I won't lie. I was very excited about this one. The thing about JLA books are that they aren't very original. Actually. They aren't original at all. But where they lack in originality, they more than make up that gap with their entertaining nature. But clearly, Obsession lacked that too. 
I've actually grown tired now. I really do like the Lux series and I won't deny the fact that I keep up with the Covenant series. I even know in my heart that when the sequel for her NA book, Wait For You comes out, I'll be keeping my eyes out for it as well. But, like I said, I'm tired now. Entertainment goes as far as boredom catches upto you. There is so much repetition that honestly, if it's not my boredom then it's my frustration speaking right now. 

We have Serena Cross as our female protagonist who unfortunately stumbles her human ass into an alien conspiracy following the literal and untimely incineration of her bestfriend. Now there are big guns behind this particular alien conspiracy, and being a human and an unwanted witness to it, aliens are behind her to finish her off. But this game of cat and mouse shall not be simple and so enters, Serena's chosen protector, Hunter the badass Arum. 

After what I gathered from the Lux series, Arum are bad bad bad aliens and they are eviiil. I'll give it to the book that it has successfully managed to convince me that an Arum doesn't look like this, 



But actually.Is like this,



And that if you look at the world from the point of an Arum, you'd notice how similar and not similar the Luxen and the Arum actually are. Both of them are alien species that have travelled several light years after the destruction of their galaxy and have settled on Earth. Each of them are bred to kill each other. But that necessarily doesn't mean that the entire group of them are born evil and that each of them believe in the destruction of the other. This concept and idea along with the protector alien and the human who needs protection dynamic, it pretty much makes up the 'new' and slightly original element in the entire book. 

And the rest?

Let's see.

Serena is an infuriating protagonist. Hunter reminds me of an older version of Daemon and this is a book that should be kept away from kids. Does that some it up? Pretty much.
In Obsession, I was missing the funny-ness and the sarcastic banter that is usually present in a JLA book. What I did find was absolutely nonsensical. For example,

Potato: You're fat.
Tomato: So are YOU!!
Potato: I agree that I'm fat BUT you're fatter.
Tomato: NO. *With that defiant look* 
Potato ( in his mind) : Oooh, she's so feisty and yummy.
Tomato: What are you looking at?
Potato: You're so red. 
Tomato: *blushes*
Potato (in his mind.): I might just want to eat her up..

The end. 

This is the kind of conversation that usually went on between Serena and Hunter and all those times, I was thinking whether I should laugh or cry. And the characters were not normal. I have this question. Is it the lonely,closed vicinity or a person's idiocy that makes them blush all.the.time because the guy with them is SO HOT when oh my dear lord, her best friend is dead?
The pace was fast and the general idea was to get people hot and bothered which it also failed to do. In the end, I wasn't feeling this book at all.
But then there were moments. Not many. But they were there.

There was Luc, the fifteen year old badass entrepenuer who owns a club and deals in precious stones and then there was that brief scene which had Daemon in it. Something about men in pain when it concerns their beloved makes me SO WARM. It's sadistic but I clearly don't care. 
And then there was this moment where I actually liked the Serena-Hunter love. 

When I'd finally finished with the book all I could say was 'Mazza nahin aaya.' which means, that it just wasn't worth it. Obsession was a big disappointment. Can't say that it redeemed itself in the end, because it didn't.

Hidden by Marianne Curley

Hidden by Marianne Curley

Publisher: Bloomsbury 
Publication date: June 25th 2013
My rating: 1 star

For as long as Ebony can remember, she's been sheltered. Confined to her home in a secluded valley, home-schooled by her protective parents, and limited to a small circle of close friends. It's as if she's being hidden. But something is changing in Ebony. Something that can't be concealed. She's growing more beautiful by the day, she's freakishly strong, and then there's the fact that she's glowing. 
On one fateful night, Ebony meets Jordan and she's intensely drawn to him. It's as if something explodes inside of her--something that can be seen from the heavens. Ebony still doesn't know that she's a stolen angel, but now that the heavens have found her, they want her back.

 Jesus Christ! Please strike these characters from Heaven! Please, I beg of you. 

I've never read a Marianne Curley book before but a lot of people seem to love Old Magic so I thought, what the hell, Hidden has a pretty cover and the blurb sounds decent even though most angel books turn into fails, at least for me they do. So... I. Read. IT! 

I read it after dropping it two months ago. It was so painfully stupid. The characters! My God! The insta love is in warp speed. And it happens twice. Please, take your time so it sinks in. It happens twice! This girl feels this insane attraction and 'love' for two guys. She is such an immature brat. She disobeys her mother and gets into more trouble at every turn. Oh. I can just feel this headache thumping inside my head. It's pounding more and more. And the mother is not any better than her daughter. It's probably genetic. Just picture yourself being 15 or 16 and telling your friends how mean your mum is for not allowing you a lot of things. Picture her being stupid, because there is no way a mother can be smarter than her child. No way. Sounds familiar? There you go! I'm sure we've all done it once or twice. But we aren't smarter than our parents, at least not till our boobs stop growing. 

Who wouldn't be pissed off if s/he had to deal with this type of ridiculous characters and storyline in general? 

I wanted to like it. I even put it on my wishlist so I could order it. I'm glad I waited and wasn't blinded with the pretty cover. 

Book review: Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel

Title: Infinite Days
Author:  Rebecca Maizel
File type:  paperback
Release date: August 3^rd, 2010
Genre: YA, Vampires, paranormal romance

“Throughout all my histories, I found no one I loved more than you... no one.”
Those were some of Rhode’s last words to me. The last time he would pronounce his love. The last time I would see his face.
It was the first time in 592 years I could take a breath. Lay in the sun. Taste.
Rhode sacrificed himself so I, Lenah Beaudonte, could be human again. So I could stop the blood lust. 
I never expected to fall in love with someone else that wasn’t Rhode.
But Justin was... daring. Exciting. More beautiful than I could dream.
I never expected to be sixteen again... then again, I never expected my past to come back and haunt me...

My Goodreads friend Stacia was right when she said this book was weird. I can’t even explain it how I felt about it. Did I like it or not? I’m really not sure. There were some things that caught my eye but there were some things that made me mad.

Let’s start with bad things, since they are easier to remember. It’s an understatement to say this book was filled with clichés such as new mysterious girl in school, most popular guy as a love interest, his bitchy girlfriend, spunky best friend who is the voice of reason and a bad guy. Main love interest, Justin did nothing for me. He had no personality at all. Why did Lenah fall in love with him so fast? His possibility to score some points with me disappeared the moment he agree with his girlfriend when she called Lenah a whore. Slut shamming? No, thank you. The bad guy wasn’t really a bad guy. He was just a frustrated lovesick vampire with a lot of time on his hands.

Now, there were two things I liked. Those are Rhode and just the feeling I had while reading the flashback scenes.  I really don’t get it why Maizel killed off the most interesting character in the book so early. This actually isn’t a spoiler since he died in the first 20 pages or so. Rhode was Lenah’s lover and maker and pretty much the only interesting vampire or human character in Infinite Days. My fingers were crossed that somehow he would turned out to be alive so I would learn more about him. Also, those flashback scenes were mostly with Rhode or Vicken. Tony (BFF), was an ok dude, I guess. After all, he did help Lenah a lot with her transition from being a vampire to a completely normal girl. Well, a really pale girl which know too much about everything.

Even after I got a lot of bullying and slut shamming I think I’ll try to read the second book when it comes out because I hate leaving things unresolved. 

This book was a part of 2013 Paranormal reading challenge hosted by Megan Likes Books and Auntie Spinelli Reads.

Radiant by Cynthia Hand

Title: Radiant (Unearthly, #2.5)
Author: Cynthia Hand
File type: ebook
Release date: December 4th, 2012
Genre: YA, Paranormal Romance, Angels

From New York Times bestselling author Cynthia Hand comes a riveting original novella (available only as an ebook) set in the world of the Unearthly series.
Clara is desperate to get away—from the memories that haunt her in Wyoming and the visions of a future she isn't ready to face—and spending the summer in Italy with her best friend, Angela, should be the perfect escape. . . .
For as long as she can remember, Angela has been told that love is dangerous, that she must always guard her heart. But when she met a mysterious guy in Italy two years ago she was determined to be with him, no matter the costs. Now she must decide whether she can trust Clara with her secret, or if telling her the truth will risk everything she cares about.
Alternating between Angela and Clara's perspectives, Radiant chronicles the unforgettable summer that will test the bounds of their friendship and change their lives forever.

I'm torn between giving 4 or 5 stars. I loved it so much. First Destroy Me and now Radiant! You people are trying to kill me! I want,I need Unravel Me and Boundless. Since Unravel Me is pre-ordered I only need to find some money to get Boundless too.Tucker and Warner! All I need to say to you is

*clears throat* Anyway

This is mostly Angela’s story but we also have Clara’s POV.  We get to see how they spent their summer in Italy before heading out to college. I liked Angela since Unearthly. There is just something in me that makes me love reading about goths and practically everyone who stands out.

Clara is still dealing with her mother’s death, her brother’s disappearance, and her breakup with my fictional boyfriend, Tucker while Angela sees her secret boyfriend, Phen (Penamue). IMO, they make an interesting couple. Since Clara is an empath she gets a glimpse into Phen’s soul and doesn’t like what she sees not because he ‘bad’ or ‘good’ but because he is an angel and apparently angels are incapable of loving people (cause they are God’s creation and they are meant to serve only him, something like that), but they do care, just not enough. So Clara thinks he should stay away from Angela because he will break her heart in the end. Phen is a Intangere (angel with a purpose, dunno exactly what it means) and he basically inspires people to write, compose, draw, etc.  He is a nice guy/angel and he is described as looking like Orlando Blood *drools*. He has that Dimitri Belikov quality about him I find incredibly appealing and you can feel that he is helping Angela to grow up as a character. Since Clara doesn’t think hooking up with an angel is a good thing this sets a strain in their friendship so they spend the rest of the summer practically not talking to each other. I am looking forward seeing how will they work things out in Stanford, or will it set them farther apart.

This novella also features a prologue and the first chapter of Boundless which will probably blow my mind away.  I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw Wendy bringing Clara’s stuff back from Tucker and inside the box there was a copy of Vampire Academy. VA is basically the reason I got into books. Before it, reading was just an obligation. I never knew there is a thing called Young Adult fiction. Well, I did read HP and Twilight but I thought that was just a one/two time thing.