All that Glows by Ryan Graudin

Series: Standalone

Genera(s): Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy

Subjects: faeries, magic, supernatural, royalty, princes

Setting: Modern day London, England

POV/Tense: 1^st person POV, present tense: Emrys

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 463 pgs.

HC/PB: Paperback

List Price: $9.99

Publisher: HarperTeen

Summary/ product description: “Emrys—a fiery, red-headed Fae—always embraced her life in the Highlands, far from the city’s draining technology, until she’s sent to London to rejoin the Faery Guard. But this isn’t any normal assignment—she’s sent to guard Prince Richard: Britain’s notorious, partying bad boy and soon-to-be King. The prince’s careless ways and royal blood make him the irresistible for the dark spirits that feed on mortals. Sweet, disheveled, and alive with adventure—Richard is one charge who will put Emrys’s magic and heart to the test.

When an ancient force begins preying on the monarchy, Emrys must hunt through the London’s magical underworld, facing down Banshees, Black Dogs and Green Women to find the one who threatens Richard’s life. In this chaos of dark magic, palace murders and paparazzi, Emrys finds herself facing an impossible choice. For despite all her powers, Emrys has discovered a force that burns brighter than magic: love.”

My Review:  This book seemed so promising at first. It fell pretty flat though. Maybe because I don’t like British book that much. Maybe because I’m sick of books about faeries. This book may have had some fighting and magic, but it just wasn’t that exciting.

Emrys is a faery that supposed to protect Prince Richard. Richard like to party and drink. He’s kind of like Oliver Queen from Arrow, but the prince of England. Emrys reveals herself to Richard, and then they fall in love and she’s thinking about becoming mortal to be with him. Some kissing and romantic dates, and all that fun stuff. The fact that the main character is a guardian of a Prince seems unique to me, but most of the story is riddled with clichés that I’ve seen in paranormal romance and urban fantasy.

I don’t want to discourage people about this book. It is kind of long (463 pages), which is probably part of why I got bored with it. It moved pretty slow too. But if you love books about Fay and don’t get bored with them, or if you love anything set in the UK, then you’ll probably enjoy this. It has luscious and descriptive writing.

 I loved the magic that Emrys used. She could shape-shift and cast spells. There were creatures like banshees and green woman and black dogs. Emrys fought those creatures to protect Richard. There’s Queen Mab, Titania,  Herne of the Wild Hunt, but no Oberon or Puck. There’s mentions of the Arthurian Legend being real and Emrys knew Arthur.

I recommend this book to fans of the Wicked Lovely series by Melissa Marr, the Wondrous Strange series by Lesley Livingston, The Faeries Path series by Frewin Jones, The Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa, or the Glimmer Glass series by Jenna Black.

Cover Art Review: I love this cover. The hand lettering is so awesome and detailed. It has a beautiful effect on it. The photo of the fairy girl looks like the girl on the Faery Path series covers. I like the pink hue.

With All My Soul by Rachel Vincent

Series: Soul Screamer (bk. 7)

Genera: Paranormal

Subjects: Supernatural, banshees, reapers, death, afterlife, souls, love,

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 377 pgs.

HC/PB: Paperback

List Price: $9.99

Publisher: HarlequinTeen

Summary/ product description: “What does it mean when your school is voted the most dangerous in America? It's time to kick some hellion butt...
After not really surviving her junior year (does "undead" count as survival?), Kaylee Cavanaugh has vowed to take back her school from the hellions causing all the trouble. She's going to find a way to turn the incarnations of Avarice, Envy and Vanity against one another in order to protect her friends and finish this war, once and forever.
But then she meets Wrath and understands that she's closer to the edge than she's ever been. And when one more person close to her is taken, Kaylee realizes she can't save everyone she loves without risking everything she has....

My Rating: êêêêê

My Review: How do you review the final book in a series? All I can say is that this is an awesome, action-packed, and well-written finale. It’s unbelievable that this series is over. Seven books. I love this series so much and I’ll miss all the characters, especially Tod. I still have to read the novellas and short stories, but the books are done. Unless the author decides to write a spinoff series in which the main character is a different paraonormal being, maybe a female Reaper, or Siren, or maybe an incubus. This was the longest book in the series and had so much packed into it. It took me a week to read because I was savoring it. This isn’t the type of book you want to read in one sitting. I wanted to drag it out slowly because one’s it’s done, it’s done and it’s not like you can re-read it and still be surprised what happens. The ending was happy, but I was surprised by it. I wasn’t sure how thing would turn out after what Kaylee did, but they turned out good.

So, here’s what I can say without being spoilery. At the end of the previous book, Kaylee put Emma’s soul into Lydia’s body. Poor Emma! To see her own funeral, and to feel others emotions because Lydia was a Syphon, that really sucks. But it did make for an interesting conflict. There were a lot of side-conflicts in this book. The main one it Avari trying to get Kaylee to surrender her soul, but there’s others. Like Emma’s sister being pregnant with an incubus. Kaylee meets the hellion of wrath, and help her for a taste of her anger. Lots of crazy stuff, and it makes the story interesting.

And the swoony romance of Kaylee and Tod. Tod is the most hilarious fictional boyfriend ever. He’s a reaper and he have a great sense of humor. He acts like he’s narcissistic, and has a big ego, but that’s all humor. He love Kaylee more than anything, and that matter more than anything. I loved what he said about Hellions not being proper villains. That’s on page 293-294. And there’s a part when he says that he hopes Nash has those grandkids and old man gut someday, wishing him a life of good sex and food. Funniest thing ever. And he says some very swoon worthy things too. I want Tod so bad! Despite him having a name like Tod, he sound awesome. Tod and Kaylee should have been together since book 2, not just the middle of book 5.

So how does everyone else feel about the ending? I looked at the other reviews. So many great series ending this year. It does feel like torture. But it’s still better that being tortured in the Netherworld. Tortured by finale books? I’ll take that kind any day over hellions.

Cover Art Review: Such a pretty golden dress. Wish there was something more paranormal looking, but I love the title typeface.

 

~Haley G

Before I Wake by Rachel Vincent

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Series: Soul Screamers (bk. 6)

Genera: Paranormal Romance

Subjects: Banshees, supernatural, death, afterlife, reapers

Length: 339 pgs.

HC/PB: Paperback

Summary/ product description: “I died on a Thursday-killed by a monster intent on stealing my soul. The good news? He didn't get it. The bad news? Turns out not even death will get you out of high school... Covering up her own murder was one thing, but faking life is much harder than Kaylee Cavanaugh expected. After weeks spent "recovering," she's back in school, fighting to stay visible to the human world, struggling to fit in with her friends and planning time alone with her new reaper boyfriend. But to earn her keep in the human world, Kaylee must reclaim stolen souls, and when her first assignment brings her face-to-face with an old foe, she knows the game has changed. Her immortal status won't keep her safe. And this time Kaylee isn't just gambling with her own life…”

My Rating: êêêêê

My Review: This is probably the best book in the series yet. Can’t wait to read the conclusion. This book had so much more Tod in it than the other books. I love Tod. He’s been my favorite character since the beginning, and now that he with Kaylee, and we get to see his romantic side, he’s even been. He said some amazing quotes, and I either cracked up or awwwed each time. I love this ridiculous pizza-delivering grim reaper character so much. Rachel Vincent really created an amazing, swoon worthy guy.

I think it was interesting how Kaylee was dealing with being dead, and faking being alive. How she was trying to stay corporeal in class so she wouldn’t freak out her classmates by disappearing. And how she didn’t have to sleep at all. The author portrayed this in a pretty realistic way. She did a good job. And then there’s the Hellions. Avari and his new plot to get what he wants. I won’t give it away, but it did blow me away.

And there’s a new character! One that sees dead people…lol.

Really, if you read the books in this series, you know this book will be awesome. But just how awesome…you have to find out for yourself. If you haven’t read the series, you should I you love paranormal romance. This is probably the best (non-angel, non-werewolf), most unique, paranormal romance series that I’ve read. What other series have a bean sidhe (banshee) as a protagonist? I love books with reapers though…(Once Dead, Twice Shy by Kim Harris)

There’s a short story after the book ends, about a Day in The Afterlife of Tod (pre-If I Die). It’s pretty funny.

Cover Art Review: Just a girl in a pink dress? At least she has the same hair as Kaylee. I liked the last 2 cover way better. Like the title typeface though.

~Haley G

If I Die by Rachel Vincent

Series: Soul Screamers bk. 5

Genera: Paranormal Romance

Subjects: Banshees, supernatural, love, death, reapers, hellions, magic

Length: 342 pgs.

HC/PB: Paperback

Summary/ product description:

“The entire school's talking about the gorgeous new math teacher, Mr. Beck. Everyone except Kaylee Cavanaugh. After all, Kaylee's no ordinary high-school junior. She's a banshee—she screams when someone dies.

But the next scream might be for Kaylee.

Yeah—it's a shock to her, too. So to distract herself, Kaylee's going to save every girl in school. Because that hot new teacher is really an incubus who feeds on the desire of unsuspecting students. The only girls immune to his lure are Kaylee and Sabine, her boyfriend's needy ex-girlfriend. Now the unlikely allies have to get rid of Mr. Beck…before he discovers they aren't quite human, either.

But Kaylee's borrowed lifeline is nearing its end. And those who care about her will do anything to save her life.

Anything”

My Rating: ê ê ê ê

My Review:

When I read the title I immediately thought it was the last book in the series. It’s not. And that’s all I’m going to tell you. I won’t tell you weather Kaylee dies or not.

And if you haven’t read the first 4 books, read them or this won’t make much sense to you.

In this book Kaylee finds out when she’s supposed to die, so she does her version of living like she’s dying by trying to save people. Also Tod plays a bigger role later on…

My favorite character is still Tod. I love his humor and personality way better than Nash. He’s really starting to grow on Kaylee like he’s been growing on me. I’ve been Team Tod all the way! I really hope to see even more of him in the future.

I’m not sure how to review a 5^th book in a series, but I think that each book has had a great continuation. This series seems more episodic that planned. I wonder is Rachel knew what she wanted to happen in book five when she wrote the 1^st or 2^nd one. I think that she didn’t because the incubus is new. Now we’re finding out more about the Netherworld and it’s creatures. I never even heard of a Syphon before read this!

This series is really worth reading! I recommend it completely! It’s fun, fresh, and sometime scary.

Cover Art Review: Both this cover and the cover of My Soul to Steal are beautifully done. The first three books had boring cover in comparison. I like having both a guy and girl on the cover. It looks like they’re dancing. The title is different than the 1^st 4 books, and it’s white only. I like the green dress, but don’t like the shoulder part of it so much. The guy looks like maybe he’s trying to keep the girl from being suck away. Is it Nash and Kaylee, or Tod and Kaylee?

~Haley G