BOOK REVIEW: Alienated by Melissa Landers

Name: Alienated (Alienated #1)
Author: Melissa Landers
Number of Pages: 344
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Date Published: February 4th, 2014
Source: Bought
Rate: 4.5/5

Two years ago, the aliens made contact. Now Cara Sweeney is going to be sharing a bathroom with one of them.

Handpicked to host the first-ever L’eihr exchange student, Cara thinks her future is set. Not only does she get a free ride to her dream college, she’ll have inside information about the mysterious L’eihrs that every journalist would kill for. Cara’s blog following is about to skyrocket.

Still, Cara isn’t sure what to think when she meets Aelyx. Humans and L’eihrs have nearly identical DNA, but cold, infuriatingly brilliant Aelyx couldn’t seem more alien. She’s certain about one thing, though: no human boy is this good-looking.

But when Cara's classmates get swept up by anti-L'eihr paranoia, Midtown High School suddenly isn't safe anymore. Threatening notes appear in Cara's locker, and a police officer has to escort her and Aelyx to class.

Cara finds support in the last person she expected. She realizes that Aelyx isn’t just her only friend; she's fallen hard for him. But Aelyx has been hiding the truth about the purpose of his exchange, and its potentially deadly consequences. Soon Cara will be in for the fight of her life—not just for herself and the boy she loves, but for the future of her planet.

[GOODREADS][B&N][AMAZON][BOOK DEPOSITORY]

BOOK REVIEW: Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo

Name: Ruin and Rising (Grisha #3)
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Number of Pages: 422
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Date Published: July 17th, 2014
Source: Bought
Rate: 4.5/5

The capital has fallen.

The Darkling rules Ravka from his shadow throne.

Now the nation's fate rests with a broken Sun Summoner, a disgraced tracker, and the shattered remnants of a once-great magical army.

Deep in an ancient network of tunnels and caverns, a weakened Alina must submit to the dubious protection of the Apparat and the zealots who worship her as a Saint. Yet her plans lie elsewhere, with the hunt for the elusive firebird and the hope that an outlaw prince still survives.

Alina will have to forge new alliances and put aside old rivalries as she and Mal race to find the last of Morozova's amplifiers. But as she begins to unravel the Darkling's secrets, she reveals a past that will forever alter her understanding of the bond they share and the power she wields. The firebird is the one thing that stands between Ravka and destruction—and claiming it could cost Alina the very future she’s fighting for.

*If you have not read Siege and Storm or Shadow and Bone I suggest you read them before entering this post, as it contains a few spoilers from the first two books.*
[GOODREADS][AMAZON][B&N]

BOOK REVIEW: Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo

Name: Siege and Storm (The Grisha Series #2)
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Number of Pages: 435
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Date Published: June 4th, 2013
Source: Gift
Rate: 4.5/5

Hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Fold, Alina must try to make a life with Mal in an unfamiliar land. She finds starting new is not easy while keeping her identity as the Sun Summoner a secret. She can’t outrun her past or her destiny for long.

The Darkling has emerged from the Shadow Fold with a terrifying new power and a dangerous plan that will test the very boundaries of the natural world. With the help of a notorious privateer, Alina returns to the country she abandoned, determined to fight the forces gathering against Ravka. But as her power grows, Alina slips deeper into the Darkling’s game of forbidden magic, and farther away from Mal. Somehow, she will have to choose between her country, her power, and the love she always thought would guide her--or risk losing everything to the oncoming storm.
  
*This review will reveal spoilers from the first book - Shadow and Bone - if you have read it continue! If you have not I would suggest reading the book!! Cuz it's awesome*

[GOODREADS][B&N][AMAZON]

REVIEW: The 5th Wave by Rick Yancy (The 5th Wave #1)

Name: The 5th Wave (The 5th Wave #1)
Author: Rick Yancy
Number of Pages: 457
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Date Published: May 7th, 2013
Source: Gift
Rate: 4.5/5

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker.

Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother—or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.
[GOODREADS][AMAZON][B&N][BOOK DEPOSITORY]

REVIEW: Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo (Grisha #1)

Name: Shadow and Bone (Grisha #1)
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Number of Pages: 358
Date Published: June 5th, 2012
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Source: Gift
Rate: 4.5/5

Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.

Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.

Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha . . . and the secrets of her heart.

Shadow and Bone is the first installment in Leigh Bardugo's Grisha Trilogy.
 [GOODREADS][AMAZON][B&N][BOOK DEPOSITORY][YOUTUBE REVIEW]

REVIEW: Shadow Study by Maria V. Snyder

Name: Shadow Study (Soulfinders #1)
Author: Maria V. Snyder
Number of Pages: 384
Publisher: Mira
Date Published: February 24th, 2015
Source: Given to me by the Author for an honest review - this is all my opinion and not prompted
Rate: 4.5/5

Once, only her own life hung in the balance.

Oddly enough, when Yelena was a poison taster, her life was simpler. But she'd survived to become a vital part of the balance of power between rival countries Ixia and Sitia. Now she uses her magic to keep the peace in both lands and protect her relationship with Valek.

Suddenly, though, they are beset on all sides by those vying for power through politics and intrigue. Valek's job - and his life - are in danger. As Yelena tries to uncover the scope of these plots, she faces a new challenge: her magic is blocked. She must keep that a secret - or her enemies will discover just how vulnerable she really is - while searching for who or what is responsible for neutralizing her powers.

Yes, the days of tasting poisons were much simpler. And certainly not as dangerous.
[GOODREADS] [AMAZON] [BARNES AND NOBLE] 

BOOK REVIEW: Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi

Name: Unravel Me (Shatter Me #2)
Author: Tahereh Mafi
Number of Pages: 461
Publisher: HarperCollins
Date Published: February 5th, 2013
Source: Bought
Rate: 4.5/5

tick
tick
tick
tick
tick
it's almost
time for war.

Juliette has escaped to Omega Point. It is a place for people like her—people with gifts—and it is also the headquarters of the rebel resistance.

She's finally free from The Reestablishment, free from their plan to use her as a weapon, and free to love Adam. But Juliette will never be free from her lethal touch.

Or from Warner, who wants Juliette more than she ever thought possible.

In this exhilarating sequel to Shatter Me, Juliette has to make life-changing decisions between what she wants and what she thinks is right. Decisions that might involve choosing between her heart—and Adam's life.
[GoodReads][AMAZON]

BOOK REVIEW: Mortal Heart by Robin Lafevers

Name: Mortal Heart (His Fair Assassin #3)
Author: Robin LaFevers
Number of Pages: 444
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Date Published: Nov. 4, 2014
Source: Given to me by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing company for an honest review
Rate: 4.5/5

Annith has watched her gifted sisters at the convent come and go, carrying out their dark dealings in the name of St. Mortain, patiently awaiting her own turn to serve Death. But her worst fears are realized when she discovers she is being groomed by the abbess as a Seeress, to be forever sequestered in the rock and stone womb of the convent. Feeling sorely betrayed, Annith decides to strike out on her own.

She has spent her whole life training to be an assassin. Just because the convent has changed its mind doesn't mean she has...



[Summary from Good Reads][My Review on GoodReads][AMAZON]

BOOK REVIEW: Tiger's Destiny by Colleen Houck

Name: Tiger's Destiny (Tiger's Curse #4)
Author: Colleen Houck
Number of Pages: 464
Publisher: Splinter
Date Published: September 4th, 2012
Source: Bought
Rate: 4.5/5

With three of the goddess Durga's quests behind them, only one prophecy now stands in the way of Kelsey, Ren, and Kishan breaking the tiger's curse. But the trio's greatest challenge awaits them: A life-endangering pursuit in search of Durga's final gift, the Rope of Fire, on the Andaman Islands in the Bay of Bengal.  It's a race against time--and the evil sorcerer Lokesh--in this eagerly anticipated fourth volume in the bestselling Tiger's Curse series, which pits good against evil, tests the bonds of love and loyalty, and finally reveals the tigers' true destinies once and for all. A smart  phone tag code on the back cover links readers to the series website. 


[Summary taken from GoodReads] [AMAZON] 

BOOK REVIEW: Lark Rising by Sandra Waugh

Name: Lark Rising (Guardians of Tarnec #1)
Author: Sandra Waugh
Number of Pages: 384
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Date Published: September 23rd, 2014
Source: Given to me by the Author and Publisher for an honest review
Rate: 4.5/5

Lark has foreseen two things—she will fall for a young man with sage green eyes,and he will kill her.

Sixteen-year-old Lark Carew is happiest close to home, tending her garden and gathering herbs for medicines. But when her Sight warns her that monsters called Troths will soon invade her village, Lark is summoned on a journey to seek help from the legendary Riders of Tarnec. Little does she suspect that one of the Riders, Gharain, is the very man who has haunted her visions. Or that the people of Tarnec have called her there for another reason: Lark is the Guardian of Life, the first of four Guardians who must awaken their powers to recover four stolen amulets. Together, the amulets—Life, Death, Dark, and Light—keep the world in Balance. To take back the Life amulet, Lark will have to discover her true inner strength and give in to a love that she swears will be her downfall
[Summary taken from GoodReads] [AMAZON]

BOOK REVIEW IN A NEW WAY: The Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

Name: Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass #2)
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Number of Pages: 420
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children
Date Published: August 27th, 2013
Source: Review (Bought)
Rate: 4.5/5

"A line that should never be crossed is about to be breached.

It puts this entire castle in jeopardy—and the life of your friend."

From the throne of glass rules a king with a fist of iron and a soul as black as pitch. Assassin Celaena Sardothien won a brutal contest to become his Champion. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown. She hides her secret vigilantly; she knows that the man she serves is bent on evil.

Keeping up the deadly charade becomes increasingly difficult when Celaena realizes she is not the only one seeking justice. As she tries to untangle the mysteries buried deep within the glass castle, her closest relationships suffer. It seems no one is above questioning her allegiances—not the Crown Prince Dorian; not Chaol, the Captain of the Guard; not even her best friend, Nehemia, a foreign princess with a rebel heart.

Then one terrible night, the secrets they have all been keeping lead to an unspeakable tragedy. As Celaena's world shatters, she will be forced to give up the very thing most precious to her and decide once and for all where her true loyalties lie...and whom she is ultimately willing to fight for.
[Summary taken from GoodReads]

BOOK REVIEW: Tiger's Curse by Colleen Houck

Name: Tiger's Curse
Author: Colleen Houck
Number of Pages: 403
Publisher: Sterling
Date Published: January 11th, 2011
Source: Review (Bought)
Rate: 4.5/5

Passion. Fate. Loyalty.

Would you risk it all to change your destiny?

The last thing Kelsey Hayes thought she’d be doing this summer was trying to break a 300-year-old Indian curse. With a mysterious white tiger named Ren. Halfway around the world. But that’s exactly what happened. Face-to-face with dark forces, spellbinding magic, and mystical worlds where nothing is what it seems, Kelsey risks everything to piece together an ancient prophecy that could break the curse forever.

Tiger’s Curse is the exciting first volume in an epic fantasy-romance that will leave you breathless and yearning for more.
[Summary taken from GoodReads] [Amazon]

BOOK REVIEW -- Origin

Name: Origin (Lux #4)
Author: Jennifer Armentrout
Number of Pages: 364
Publisher: Entangled
Date Published: August 27th, 2013
Source: Review (Bought)
Rate: 4.5/5

Daemon will do anything to get Katy back.

After the successful but disastrous raid on Mount Weather, he’s facing the impossible. Katy is gone. Taken. Everything becomes about finding her. Taking out anyone who stands in his way? Done. Burning down the whole world to save her? Gladly. Exposing his alien race to the world? With pleasure.

All Katy can do is survive.

Surrounded by enemies, the only way she can come out of this is to adapt. After all, there are sides of Daedalus that don’t seem entirely crazy, but the group’s goals are frightening and the truths they speak even more disturbing. Who are the real bad guys? Daedalus? Mankind? Or the Luxen?

Together, they can face anything.

But the most dangerous foe has been there all along, and when the truths are exposed and the lies come crumbling down, which side will Daemon and Katy be standing on?

And will they even be together?
[ Summary taken from GoodReads ]

BOOK REVIEW: Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder

Name: Touch of Power (Healer #1)
Author: Maria V. Snyder
Number of Pages: 390
Publisher: Mira
Date Published: December 20th, 2011
Source: Review (Bought/Online)
Rate: 4.5/5


Laying hands upon the injured and dying, Avry of Kazan assumes their wounds and diseases into herself. But rather than being honoured for her skills, she is hunted. Healers like Avry are accused of spreading the plague that has decimated the Territories, leaving the survivors in a state of chaos.

Stressed and tired from hiding, Avry is abducted by a band of rogues who, shockingly, value her gift above the golden bounty offered for her capture. Their leader an enigmatic captor-protector with powers of his own is unequivocal in his demands: Avry must heal a plague-stricken prince, the leader of a campaign against her people.

As they traverse the daunting Nine Mountains, beset by mercenaries and magical dangers, Avry must decide who is worth healing and what is worth dying for.
[ Summary taken from GoodReads ]

BOOK REVIEW: Opal by Jennifer Armentrout

Name: Opal (Lux #3)
Author: Jennifer Armentrout
Number of Pages: 382
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Date Published: December 1st, 2012
Source: Review (Bought)
Rate: 4.5/5

No one is like Daemon Black.

When he set out to prove his feelings for me, he wasn’t fooling around. Doubting him isn’t something I’ll do again, and now that we’ve made it through the rough patches, well... There’s a lot of spontaneous combustion going on.

But even he can’t protect his family from the danger of trying to free those they love.

After everything, I’m no longer the same Katy. I’m different... And I’m not sure what that will mean in the end. When each step we take in discovering the truth puts us in the path of the secret organization responsible for torturing and testing hybrids, the more I realize there is no end to what I’m capable of. The death of someone close still lingers, help comes from the most unlikely source, and friends will become the deadliest of enemies, but we won’t turn back. Even if the outcome will shatter our worlds forever.

Together we’re stronger... and they know it.
[ Summary taken from GoodReads ]

BOOK REVIEW: Magic Study by Maria V. Snyder

Name: Magic Study (Study #2)
Author: Maria V. Snyder
Number of Pages: 392
Publisher: Luna
Date Published: October 1st, 2006
Source: Given for Review
Rate: 4.5/5

With her greatest enemy dead, and on her way to be reunited with the family she'd been stolen from long ago, Yelena should be pleased. But though she has gained her freedom, she can't help feeling isolated in Sitia. Her Ixian background has changed her in many ways—and her newfound friends and relatives don't think it's for the better....

Despite the turmoil, she's eager to start her magic training—especially as she's been given one year to harness her power or be put to death. But her plans take a radical turn when she becomes involved with a plot to reclaim Ixia's throne for a lost prince—and gets entangled in powerful rivalries with her fellow magicians.

If that wasn't bad enough, it appears her brother would love to see her dead. Luckily, Yelena has some old friends to help her with all her new enemies....
[ Summary taken from GoodReads ]

BOOK REVIEW: Obsidian by Jennifer Armentrout

Name: Obsidian
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Number of Pages: 335
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Date Published: May 8th, 2012
Source: Review (Bought)
Rate: 4.5/5

Starting over sucks.

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I'd pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring... until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.

And then he opened his mouth.

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something... unexpected happens.

The hot alien living next door marks me.

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon's touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I'm getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades.

If I don't kill him first, that is.
[ Summary from GoodReads ]