Review: The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa

Allison Sekemoto has vowed to rescue her creator, Kanin, who is being held hostage and tortured by the psychotic vampire Sarren. The call of blood leads her back to the beginning—New Covington and the Fringe, and a vampire prince who wants her dead yet may become her wary ally.

Even as Allie faces shocking revelations and heartbreak like she’s never known, a new strain of the Red Lung virus that decimated humanity is rising to threaten human and vampire alike.

Before I start this review I have to get something out of my system:
Just finished, read the epilogue, reread the epilogue. OH MY.... WHAT.... WHY.... HOW CAN YOU DO THIS TO ME... HOW CAN I WAIT UNTIL 2014 FOR BOOK THREE... Julie Kagawa is no longer in my life... it's over!! The ending of this book made me feel like I'd been punched in the gut. Seriously Kagawa, it was an amazing ending but it was just so unbelievably EVIL?!

Seriosuly, just when I think that Julie Kagawa can't get any better she goes and proves me wrong. I adored The Immortal Rules and I was so scared that The Eternity Cure would fail to live up to that standard but I needn't have been, this book was freaking AMAZING!

In the first book Allie was coming to terms with what she is, but by the start of The Immortal Rules she has come to realise that she is a monster and has chosen the type of monster she is, this means that the Eternity Cure has a lot more action in it and has some pretty gory scenes in it. I've always been a fan of Allie as a character because she's so hardened and tough but I loved her in this book because she kills and she lives as a real vampire but we do also get to see the more human side at some points. Jackal comes back on the scenes and despite the fact that I hated him after book one he was actually an incredible character because I slowly started to warm to him.

Zeke is also a new person. No longer the idealistic ray of sunshine that he was in The Immortal Rules, Zeke was an interesting character. He is still caring but he also isn't as trusting and is a lot more tough in this book, to tell the truth I actually preferred him that way and I still root for him and Allie.

I was so happy that Kagawa recapped the first book as I'd almost forgotten who everyone was, the recap is done very quickly and really helped me but it also made the first few chapters very boring. After that the pacing is perfect though, Kagawa manages to keep the book exciting and fresh for four hundred pages and I totally applaud that. I did find that there was a part near the ending where things were resolved a little too ideally, nonetheless it was still a fantastic book with great plotting.

Overall, an AMAZING sequel. I just love this series and I am on the edge of my seat waiting for book three.

Book released 30th April by Harlequin Teen

Book received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review (NetGalley) (May 3rd by Mira Ink in the UK)

Other books in this series:

The Immortal Rules #1

Other books by this author:The Iron King (Iron Fey #1)
The Iron Daughter (Iron Fey #2)
The Iron Queen (Iron Fey #3)
The Iron Knight (Iron Fey #4)
The Lost Prince (Call of the Forgotten #1)

Review: Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel

For 500 years Lenah Beaudonte has been a vampire. 500 years of seduction, blood and destruction. But she is sickened by her dark powers and longs to feel the sun on her skin, grass under her bare feet, and share the breath of a human kiss.
She wants to be mortal again.

But is she really capable of being human, after her long years of darkness? Waking up as a sixteen-year-old girl brings Lenah many things the life she has missed, taste, touch, love. But a vampire soul is not easily shed. And her coven of four vampires she led in decadence and thrilling destruction want their queen back...

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It took me a very long time to like this book, I mean it. I picked it up a few months ago and ended up putting it down because I couldn't get hooked. I tried again last week after I got the sequel for review and couldn't get into it for a long time. I don't think that I was ever completely hooked by this book since it took my five days to plow through. I'll admit that this book was good enough by the end to make me want to read the sequel but it took it's sweet time getting to that point. Just saying.

Okay, let me point out the one MASSIVE thing that annoyed me about this book. Lenah is this 600 year vampire that has been in hibernation for like, 100 years and when she wakes up she's human. So far, so good... BUT when Lenah wakes up and starts to go about her life as a normal sixteen year old girl she gets on with it so easily, surely you'd expect her to be amazingly  confused by like, how people talk and the newfangled contraptions, right? Nah, our Lenah (who by the way is awesome in everything and is flawless) gets right in there, using words like digital and stuff, it just didn't work for me.

I liked some of the other characters. I especially liked Tony who, although being kind of close to stalker at some points is loyal and sweet and I think Lenah should so have picked him over popular and hot but completely boring Justin, with whom there was zilch chemistry. I also liked Rhode, or what Lenah remembers of him, he seems absolutely amazing! I also really enjoyed the Rhode/Lenah romance aspect. Vampire/human relationships always freak me out, since Lenah is like 600 years old...

I have to admit that the flashback parts of this book engaged me WAYYY more than the parts set in the present, and the best parts are the bits where things actually happen. I liked the bit at the end where Lenah's old coven come to track her down, I found that I was gripped at those parts and I hated the cliffhanger, it's definitely made me want to read the sequel (which i have TBR).

Overall, despite a slow start and a main character that I just couldn't stand I did actually enjoy the premise. Apparently Lenah sorts herself out in the sequel and the romance becomes more realistic so I will be reading the sequel. The ending gripped me and so I'm blaming the low rating of this book on a first book world building syndrome.

Overall Rating: D+

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Released in the UK April 1st 2011 by Panmacmillan
Book received via swap

Review: Ties to the Blood Moon by Robin P. Waldrop

Genevieve is a teenage girl who moves in with her aunt in Alaska after the death of her mother. Soon after her arrival she learns the things she was raised to believe only existed in fairytales are in fact a big part of her history. When it gets to be too much she seeks refuge in the arms of her new boyfriend, William, only to find out he's not who she thought he was either.

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This is going to be a tough review to write because there was so much that was right in this book but also so much that was wrong. It's not a secret that I have an extreme dislike for the Twilight series and to me there was way too much similarity between Twilight and Ties to the Blood Moon. Even certain scenes, like to cafeteria scene where Gen first sees William, and the animosity between Gen's vampire boyfriend and the werewolf that is in love with her. It felt like a lot of it was just Twilight in a new setting.


That was my main peeve with this book, but there were other things that annoyed me a little as well. Whilst William and Gen's romance is well written and doesn't seem awkward, it was just total inst-love. Within two days Gen is pledging her heart to him. To make matters worse, after like a month she's off on a journey with a new guy and then suddenly she starts to fall for this new guy. I dislike love triangles at the best of times but when it's a total insta-love triangle I just couldn't get into it. I also didn't see what it was about Gen that's so attractive, she was a bit of a Mary-Sue: werewolf princess, absolutely gorgeous, massively strong and eventually a rare 'hybrid'. It was plain annoying.


Now I hate giving negative reviews and so I really want to stress that despite the fact that i disliked this book, that's only because I disliked the Twilight series and found many similarities. If you are one of the large number of readers that liked that series you will more than likely love Ties to the Blood Moon. The writing style is fantastic and it was a fast paced read that I still read all of which shows that I obviously did like some aspects of the book. I really did enjoy the Alaskan setting and the mythology aspect of it.


Overall Rating: D

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Book received from the author in exchange for an honest review

Indie April Interview: Jennifer Krey, Author of The Hollow of Mont Noir

Today's Indie April author is Jennifer Krey, author of The Hollow of Mont Noir. (review here) 

Jennifer has stopped by to answer a few questions about herself, her book and her experiences and has also given you guys a Smashwords coupon for 50% off the book. (Seriously, go get, it's fantastic!)

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Hi Jennifer, thanks for stopping by!
Thanks so much for having me!  I'm thrilled to be here!


Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
I'm a stay-at-home mom with two little boys, ages 6 months and 2-1/2 years.  I've always enjoyed reading and writing, and I'm very excited to have published my first novel!  I also like cooking and baking, and I'm really into Paula Deen right now.  I know that a lot of her food is totally bad for you, so I try to limit myself to no more than one recipe a week.  I just made Elvis Pie (a peanut butter and banana pie) and it was outstanding!  I also love Elvis, so it was perfect for me!  My family loved it as well, and they're already asking to have it again.


Can you describe The Hollow of Mont Noir in three words?

Without-A-Trace meets Twilight.  (I made Without A Trace one word... is that cheating?)
(Yes.)

Why should people read your book?

I think (hope) my book is a fun, easy read.  It's part of a series (the Howl Series) that I see as being four books, and I'm already working on the second book, "Ochre Sky," so hopefully, my readers won't have to wait too long for the next book.


Who is your favorite character in The Hollow of Mont Noir?
Tough question.  If they were actual people, Riordan would probably be my favorite, but I really enjoyed writing for Samantha Bellamy.  She is kind of nasty, and that was fun.  Samantha is my husband's favorite character, too.  He wants me to write a spin-off just about her, but I have too many other ideas in the queue right now.
(Do it! Samantha is such a mean character so a spin of would be awesome!)

Were any of your characters based on real people? (If Riordan was, feel free to send him my way...)
No, none of the characters were based on real people, but someone recently asked me what famous person Riordan might look like.  He would look like River Phoenix (the post-Stand By Me River Phoenix with a bit longer and darker hair).  I adored River Phoenix - he was my first celebrity crush.  I won't say how old I was when he passed away, but I was old enough to be heartbroken.  I still remember where I was when I heard.


Seriously, Lycan or Strigoi? Why?
Well, in the Howl Series, the lycans (werewolves) are basically good and the strigoi (vampires) are basically bad... according to the lycans, anyway, which is the only viewpoint we get in "The Hollow of Mont Noir."  So, in this book, I'm definitely on the lycans' side, but.... things can always change.  That's all I'm going to say.
(Oooh, epic foreshadowing?)

What advice would you give to anybody planning to self-publish?
Enlist the help of your friends to review and proofread your book!  I put out a plea on Facebook, hoping for one or two reviewers, and I actually got a huge response.  I had classmates from high school and college, former colleagues, and friends all offer to read my book before I published it, and I can't thank them enough.  They caught typos I had overlooked even after reading the book fifteen times and offered suggestions to improve the story in many ways.


Thanks for being here today, any last words to see to the readers?
Thank you so much for your support!  I would like to offer all readers of Ink Scratchers a 50% discount on "The Hollow of Mont Noir" ebook through Smashwords.  Enter code BZ99E at the checkout to purchase the book for the promotional price of $0.99 through May 31, 2012.  Thanks again for having me here!
(Isn't she awesome?)

Indie April Review: The Hollow of Mont Noir by Jennifer Krey

Allison Spencer was no stranger to the paranormal. An animal empath, she had the unique capacity to sense the feelings of animals around her - an ability she liked to call "Crittervision." She had never met anyone else with unusual powers and had gotten used to the fact that she was just an eccentric in a world full of normal people.

Allison just wanted to be a typical teenager. But with a missing brother, a beastly stalker and the possibility that she's not completely human, her life was anything but typical.

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If there is any book that proves that you shouldn't judge a book by the cover (or an overly long synopsis that I totally cut down for this review) it's this book. Seriously, this book was great and I loved it and you totally wouldn't believe it from that cover, which is a little boring.


To start with, I wasn't sure that I'd really enjoy this book. I was interested from the start but wasn't absolutely gripped, Allison didn't seem like a very interesting character and I thought I knew exactly what was going to happen but by the end I loved Allison and I couldn't put the book down because I didn't know how things were going to turn it, it's just one of those books that aren't fantastically original but still completely grab you.


I think that I really started to like the book after we meet Riordan, maybe that is just because he's so sweet and such a lovely character or it could be because the romance began to develop at a steady rate and I loved to read scenes with Allie and Riordan despite the fact that there were certain behaviours that reminded me of my least favorite YA couple (Edward and Bella) but at least his protectiveness was actually cute and not abusive... I don't know why I loved the two of them, my usual tastes in YA romance says that I shouldn't but I just did!


I really enjoyed Krey's writing, whilst certain characters came off sounding a little too formal I loved how well she managed to write from Allie's point of view. Allie's grief over her brother rings true and her sadness over her parents arguing is so realistic, I think Allie is the type of character that many teenagers can relate to, I know I found it so easy to slip into her shoes for a while.


Overall, The Hollow of Mont Noir was such a fun and fast read with characters that rang so true to me, I enjoyed the romance and will definitely be reading the second in the series, Ochre Sky when it comes out.


Overall Rating: B

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Book received as an ebook for review from the author.

Review: The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten.

Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred ofthem. The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked—and given the ultimate choice. Die… or become one of the monsters.

Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad.

Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend—a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike.

But it isn’t easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what—and who—is worth dying for.

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Wow, it is so good to read a young adult vampire book that goes back to the basic, what we have here is true vampire myth - vampires that burn in the sun and can't handle a stake through the chest. This book also doesn't rely on romance to pull it through and instead relies on action, awesome world building and fantastic characters. I just loved this book.


Okay, I want to mention that whilst I read every single book in Kagawa's Iron fey series it wasn't one of the best series I have ever read because it was good but I always seemed to have trouble with the pacing, when I saw the length of this I was so worried that it would be another book pulled down by bad pacing but it was not. No, despite the fact that the print version of this book is around 500 pages I couldn't put it down. I actually finished this book in about three hours which is usually how long a 300 page book takes me, that is how gripping it is.


What I loved about this book is that it doesn't rely on the romance, the love interest comes in about halfway through the book but the romance takes a backseat and you only really see glimpses of it. I actually felt as though the romance was more of a plot device used to demonstrate Allie's conflict with herself over what she is, rather than romance that's there for the sake of romance and that was so refreshing! I also loved that it isn't the guy kicking butt and being the strong one, it's Allie! She was such an amazing character to follow because she was tough and witty but also showed her vulnerable side at times so she wasn't unbelievably kick ass... 


So far all I have done is go on and on about how awesome this book is, but that's because I really can't find anything that I disliked. Even the tiniest things were fought through, the little bits of description that make this supernatural dystopian world so vivid and the words that the character said, nothing seemed out of place or thrown in there...


Overall this book is pretty much awesome. That is all that I can say. Get me the sequel now please.


Overall Rating: A+

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Book released April 24th by Harlequin Teen (US) and May 4th by Mira Ink (UK)
Book received as an eGalley for review from NetGalley

Spotlight Sunday! Review: Witchblood by Emma Mills

Spotlight Sunday is a weekly meme in which I review a indie/self-published book.

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When Jess steals a glance at a gorgeous guy in a Manchester nightclub, little does she realise how he is going to change her life…or should that be death? Yet, the vampire clan could never have predicted what they were taking on.
With Luke pronounced ‘off-limits’ and the blood of a vampire simmering in Jess’s body, can she forget the love of her life and move on? If not, she will risk exposing the entire Northern vampire clan to untold dangers, in order to live her life the way she wants.

Can Jess be sure that Luke is all he appears to be? Will she succumb to the attraction she desperately tries not to feel for Daniel? And why does she still crave a packet of crisps more than a tasty teenage boy’s blood?

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Yes! A YA paranormal book set in good old UK! That makes me more happy than you can believe! 

I actually really do not like books with vampires anymore, I think they've been overused and glamorised and it annoys me to see so many series out there capitalising on the fang fandom but I was very impressed by this one. It wasn't amazing, but it was enjoyable. The first think I will say is that I really did not connect with this book until the very end, I was enjoying it but I was not really feeling like I was part of the story and I think this may be down to Mills writing, which is very beautiful but uses too much description so as soon as I started to be gripped by the story there would be a part with loads of description that put the brakes on it a little, so that was a bit distracting. I also feel as though the storyline wasn't plotted very well, as the part about Jess's witch lineage just kind of came out of the blue with little precedence to it.

I really liked the characters though, Jessica was very believable in her reactions to things and she was a fantastic character, though she did cry a lit and at times her hard nut exterior got a bit annoying (she was very sarcastic and it went over the top at times). I loved Luke and Daniel equally, but I still kind of prefer Luke. I feel like I didn't get to know the witches and Eva as well as I would have liked so I'd like to see some more development there.

It wasn't a quick read for me as I was kind of putting it down quite a bit, but it was enjoyable when i got into it, so I say stick it out if you're struggling with the pacing because it is worth a read.

Overall, a good read with some pretty dark undertones. I would recommend it, but it isn't the most gripping book out there so I'd recommend with reservations.

Overall Rating: C

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Book released January 9th 2012.

Received from the author for review.

Review: My Love Lies Bleeding by Alyxandra Harvey

The Blakes are rather different to your usual neighbours. They are vampires and some of the members of the family date back to the twelfth century. One of the children, Solange, is the only born female vampire known and, as such, she poses a direct threat to the vampire queen. Her best friend Lucy is human, and when Solange is kidnapped Lucy and Solange's brother, Nicholas, set out to save her. Lucy soon discovers that she would like to be more than just friends with Nicholas. But how does one go about dating a vampire? Meanwhile, Solange finds an unlikely ally in Kieran, a vampire slayer on the hunt for his father's killer

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Why I Read it: I received book four for review last week and haven't even started this series yet, so thought I'd better crack on.


Review: So I am not a big vampire book fan at all. I think i out vamped myself when I went through my Twilight phase and now I try to avoid vampy books. While this one didn't really change my mind about the genre, it's definitely one of the better vampire books that I've read recently.


I took a while trying to get into My love Lies Bleeding, mainly because there was a lot of info-dumping at the beginning which I totally hate in books. A few chapters in I really got into it and despite little periods of info-dumping throughout the book (which are inevitable in the involved Vampire politics that Harvey created) I really enjoyed the writing. Harvey had some great pacing and despite the book getting a little slow at times, the romance was always there to fall back on. The plot was pretty weak though, it was a bit all over and mostly did rely on romance to pull it through.


Ah yes, romance. I liked the development of Lucy and Nicholas's romance, there was teasing at the beginning and Nicholas is one of those sexy guys that every girl secretly wants to meet. Even more so, I enjoyed Solange and Kieran's developing relationship, I loved how despite them being enemies, they fall in love. It's totally sweet, almost like a less tragic Romeo and Juliet.


I had some issues with the voices. The story is told by two protagonists, Solange and Lucy and I didn't really find much difference in their voices, so I found myself flicking back a few pages to remind myself who was narrating. It annoys me when authors write from multiple points of view but doesn't make the voices unique. 


Whilst Lucy was the typical kick-ass protag, I found myself really liking her. i also loved Solange, her vulnerability, a little sheltered, overprotected. I loved how she broke out of her shell near the end.


Overall, My Love Lies Bleeding was a short and cute read with kick-ass character, good pacing and some cute romance. On the other hand, the narrative and plot were weak and there was a few issues with info dumping. I'd reccommend to people looking for something short and sweet. It isn't amazing, but it's good.


Overall Rating: B-

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Stand Alone/ Series: First in the Drake Chronicles
UK Release Date: December 22nd 2009
UK Publisher: Bloomsbury
Book bought by myself

Review: Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

St. Vladimir’s Academy isn’t just any boarding school—it’s a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They’ve been on the run, but now they’re being dragged back to St. Vladimir’s—the very place where they’re most in danger. . . .

Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy’s ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi—the world’s fiercest and most dangerous vampires—make Lissa one of them forever.

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Why I read it: I've heard so many great things about this series, but I've totally gone off vampires. I won this book in a giveaway and decided to give it a go.


Review: After the whole Twilight phenomenon, I've totally gone off Vampires. I also totally don't like series that go on past three books. It's for these reasons that I have been thinking that Vampire Academy was just not for me. 
Even now, while I'm writing this review, I can't decide how I felt about this book. I know I liked it, it was an enjoyable read, but it fell short on so many levels and I just cannot say that I loved it. That being said, there were a lot of things about the book that I totally loved.


Firstly, the main character, Rose was snarky and entertaining to read. Her narration was totally entertaining and never bored me. I loved her voice and her emotions, it makes this book a lot lighter than other YA reads. I also totally loved Rose's relationship with Lissa, they had the normal best friend dynamics that I totally relate to which are made a lot stronger because of their bond.


I liked the new twist on vampires, giving this whole world with politics and laws, it was very well thought out and very original, their 'feeding' dynamics are very different to usual too. I definitely enjoyed the twist, with the different types of vamps and the guardians. The writing itself was great too, I found a few editing mistakes, but nothing much. I didn't ever feel like Mean was trying purple prose, or was being too witty to be realistic.


There are a lot of swear words in the book, and the book mentions sex and has some make-out scenes. While this didn't bother me personally, I know that some readers might be offended by this. In my opinion, the book needed this level of sexuality. (Or in the words of my old English Lit teacher, the lovely Tristessa, "Vampires are meant to be sexual creatures, romping all the time and sucking each others blood to get off, they aren't meant to hunt deer, play baseball and sparkle" (this was in a very heated debate about Twilight with one of my classmates...)


But as I said, I didn't love this book, there were too many issues for me. I though that the characters were undeveloped, Dimitri was the typical silent and hot guy, Lissa was just a side-kick with powers, Christian was the outcast with a crush, etc. The story was a bit anti-climatic, I'd have loved more of a struggle, and it seemed as though everything was concluded too quickly, tied up in a bow. A cliffhanger would have had me wanting more, but as it stands I'm not really feeling like I need the next book.


I didn't feel like I believed Rose and Dimitri's romance. His feelings for her seem to stem from her body and flirting, not her personality and her's seem like just lust too. The blurbs for the later books describe him as her 'true love', but I didn't see any love, just lust. It also seemed a bit creepy, I mean, I'm all for 'age is just a number' but 17 and 24 is too much. 17 is younger than me and if a 24 year old was hitting on me I'd think he was; a) Desperate, b) A perv, c) Both of the above. Get my point?


Overall, Vampire Academy was an okay read, with a unique main character. The book offers a brand new take on vampires and Mead obviously has a great talent for writing. Unfortunately, I found that the characters were poorly developed, as was the main romance. I would have loved a more climatic romance... maybe even a cliffhanger?


Overall rating: C

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Series/Stand Alone: First in a series
UK Release Date: May 16th 2009 (First published 2007 (US))
UK Publisher: Puffin
Book received as a giveaway prize from Paper Dreams

Review: Reborn by Ley Mesina

Lily Westbrook knows she is anything but ordinary. When her powers fully mature on her eighteenth birthday, she realizes that being half witch and half vampire is more of a challenge then she was let on to believe. 

After being accepted to Kensington University in Cedar Creek, Massachusetts, she sets out on a journey that pulls her deeper into the world of witches and vampires, uncovering the truth about her past and discovering who she is meant to be.

Before I talk about how good this novella was, I'm going to get the bad stuff out of the way. The novella has the raw, unfinished vibe that a lot of self-published books have, meaning that there were a few spelling, grammar and vocabulary mistakes (the work momentums used instead of mementos, their instead of they're, a few issues with punctuation), but while this slightly detracts from the book it never is an issue. I also felt like the point of view jumped between characters too quickly which got very confusing as well as a few tense problems, which switched from "Lily was" to "Lily is".

Okay, so thats the big bad bits out of the way, I do have to say that I really enjoyed the concept of this novella. I like vampires and witches being enemies and I liked that Lily was half of each. This book is very short and there are no parts where you're sat on the end of the seat holding on tight, but it's still entertaining and because it's short, you can read it in one setting. All plot holes were covered and the execution of the storyline was extremely well done.

I wish there was more romantic development, as we can see that the romance is there, but it isn't built on, which, while being a change from all the love at first sight, was also a bit frustrating. There wasn't a lot of character development as well, so they didn't really feel like real people, even though I did like them, I never related to them.

The reason I'm going to give this a slightly lower rating is because I seem to be developing a thing against vampire novels and I always seem to dislike them a little more than other paranormals.

For the story and the execution, I give REBORN a B, 

But taking into consideration the language errors and my personal preference against vampires, REBORN gets a reasonable 

Rating: C+

Stand alone/series: First in a series

UK Release: May 25th 2011

Publisher: Self published

Book obtained via: E-book supplied by the author

Available at Amazon.com | BarnesandNoble.com | Smashwords.com