Infinite by Jodi Meadows

Series: Newsoul (bk. 3)

Genera(s): Fantasy, Dystopian, Sci-fi, Romance

Subjects: Reincarnation, love, supernatural, utopias, adventure, dragons, sylphs

Setting: Heart and the Range. Situated in an area that is pretty much like Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming

POV/Tense: 1^st person POV, past tense: Ana

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 418 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover and now in Paperback

List Price: $17.99/$9.99

Publisher: HarperTeen: Katherine Tegen Books

Summary/ product description: “DESTRUCTION

The Year of Souls begins with an earthquake—an alarming rumble from deep within the earth—and it’s only the first of greater dangers to come. The Range caldera is preparing to erupt. Ana knows that as Soul Night approaches, everything near Heart will be at risk.

FLIGHT

Ana’s exile is frightening, but it may also be fortuitous, especially if she can convince her friends to flee Heart and Range with her. They’ll go north, seeking answers and allies to stop Janan’s ascension. And with any luck, the newsouls will be safe from harm’s reach.

CHOICE

The oldsouls might have forgotten the choice they made to give themselves limitless lifetimes, but Ana knows the true cost of reincarnation. What she doesn’t know is whether she’ll have the chance to finish this one sweet life with Sam, especially if she returns to Heart to stop Janan once and for all.

With gorgeous romance and thrilling action, the final book in the Incarnate trilogy offers a brilliant conclusion to the compelling questions of this fascinating world, where one new girl is the key to the lives of millions.

My Review:  I’m finally done with this series. I put off reading this final book for a year. I loved this series because it was so unique and interesting. I like the romance and the mix of fantasy and sci-fi elements. I don’t know if I will ever read a series like it again and now I finally am saying goodbye to it. It’s really hard for me to review this. I loved it, and I tried to drag it out.

It’s set during the wintertime in an area that may have once been Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, or a place like it. There are fantastical creatures like dragon, sylphs, centaur, trolls and even phoenix. It’s full of awesome world building that keeps you guessing whether this is set in some kind of distant future, or a whole different world. A million souls reincarnating for 5,000 years sounds pretty crazy. We find out more information in the e-novella, Phoenix Overture, but never the whole truth. I recommend reading it before this book. That novella is why I put off this book so long. It’s 90 pages long and I hate reading long things on my Nook.

I enjoyed the adventure in this finale.  Ana, Sam, Stef, and Whit travel north to find another wall where dragons live. They translate a Phoenix book along the way with the help of sylph. It explains the past and the truth about Janan. They have to make a plan to stop his ascension that could set off a super volcano event right inside the Range.

I loved Ana and Sam’s relationship. They share the love of music and play together sometimes. Ana was a big fan of Sam aka Dossam before she even met him, but she fell in love with the dark hair boy who said his name was Sam. Sam tries to protect Ana and encourages her curiosity and believes she can do what she sets her mind too. If she believes that she can get dragon to help stop Janan, then he will help even if he’s terrified of dragons.

If you have not read Incarnate yet, then why are you reading this review? Go read Incarnate! Jodi Meadows is awesome and she has a new book called the Orphan Queen coming out in March 2015.

Cover Art Review: The colors are so gorgeous on this cover. It’s like aurora colors. I love the feathers and the eyes on the girl’s face. I love the engraved feather under the book jacket too.  

Asunder by Jodi Meadows

Series: (Incarnate bk. 2)

Genera: Fantasy, Dystopian, Sci-fi, Romance

Subjects: Reincarnation, love, supernatural, utopias

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 406 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: HarperTeen: Katherine Tegen Books

Summary/ product description: “DARKSOULS
Ana has always been the only one. Asunder. Apart. But after Templedark, when many residents of Heart were lost forever, some hold Ana responsible for the darksouls–and the newsouls who may be born in their place.
SHADOWS
Many are afraid of Ana’s presence, a constant reminder of unstoppable changes and the unknown. When sylph begin behaving differently toward her and people turn violent, Ana must learn to stand up not only for herself but for those who cannot stand up for themselves.
LOVE
Ana was told that nosouls can’t love. But newsouls? More than anything, she wants to live and love as an equal among the citizens of Heart, but even when Sam professes his deepest feelings, it seems impossible to overcome a lifetime of rejection.
In this second book in the Newsoul trilogy, Ana discovers the truth about reincarnation and will have to find a way to embrace love and make her young life meaningful. Once again, Jodi Meadows explores the extraordinary beauty and shadowed depths of the soul in a story equal parts epic romance and captivating fantasy.”

 

My Review: Still the most unique fantasy series I’ve ever read. It mixes fantasy with sci-fi and paranormal romance. The reincarnation stuff reminds me of Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz, and I recommend this to fans of that series, or the Grisha series.

Ana and Sam make a great couple. Sam may be a 5000 year old teenager, but I don’t think him and Ana being together is creepy and inappropriate. He truly cares about her and shares her love of music. She adored his music before she even met him, Dossam, the great musician. Ana’s so new, only 18 years old and never reincarnated. A newsoul. She doesn’t have the life experience that the others have.  But she’s a fast learner.

I love all the characters. Sure, I find the past-life different gender thing to be weird, like Stef being female, but usually male. It’s odd, but not that important. I love Sarit. She’s so funny and nice. And basically Ana best friend. And Chris is pretty cool, with his blue roses. Jodi did a good job making character who seemed like they were very old. And how they reacted to newsouls being born. Old people afraid of change? Sounds familiar.

I love the setting and world building more than anything in this series. The author based Heart off Yellow Stone National Park, a place where a city should never be built because of geysers and volcanic activity. It’s such a beautiful area and easy to picture. Just add a city with white stone and people and you get the idea. There were no dragons in this book, but there was a development in Sylph. Let’s just say my suspicions turned out to be kind of true.

I like how the dialogue isn’t historical or formal sounding. There’s humor and modern words, minus slang. There’s modern technology and even futuristic technology, designed by Stef. It’s really cool that they were able to advance over 5000 years. I kept hoping that this series was actually set in the future or a computer program/simulated universe (Matrix style), but I’m sure now that it’s just a fantasy world. I’m not disappointed. I just want to enjoy it for what it is. Still, it would be kind of cool if Janan turned out to be the programmer (Spoiler: He’s definitely not). This is all definitely fantasy, and it’s a very unique fantasy at that. Sylph, dragons, phoenixes, trolls, centaurs. Yeah, I love fantasy.

So ready for Phoenix Overture (e-novella) and then Infinite (book 3). As EpicReads said, I ship Sam and Ana.

Cover Art Review: Just as beautiful as the first book’s cover. I love the neon blue and red, and the blue roses by her eyes. The eyes look violet-blue. It’s so mesmerizing to look at. I just had to read it. I love the embossed rose under the dust jacket.

 

 

Shadows in the Silence by Courtney Allison Moulton

Series: Angelfire (bk. 3)

Genera: Paranormal Romance

Subjects: Angels, reapers, supernatural, magic, reincarnation, Michigan

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 469 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: HarperTeen: Katherine Tegen

Summary/ product description: “Your strength in heart and hand will fall. . . .
Ellie knows that the darkest moments are still to come, and she has everything to fight for:
She must fight for Will.
The demonic have resorted to their cruelest weapons to put Will in mortal danger, and Ellie makes an unlikely alliance to save him and to stop Lilith and Sammael, who seek to drown the world in blood and tear a hole into Heaven.
She must fight for humanity.
As the armies of Hell rise and gather for the looming End of Days, Ellie and her band of allies travel to the world’s darkest and most ancient regions in her quest to come into her full glory as the archangel Gabriel.
And Ellie must save herself.
Her humanity withers beneath the weight of her cold archangel power, but Ellie must hold tight to who she is and who she loves as she prepares for the ultimate battle for Heaven and Earth.
In this final installment in the Angelfire trilogy, Courtney Allison Moulton brings her dark world of epic battles and blistering romance to a blazing bright conclusion.”

My Rating: êêêêê

My Review: What a crazy action packed adventure this final book has been. It felt so epic even if it was shorter that the first two books. There’s a lot of traveling within the states and to places on the other side of the globe. A lot happens. It’s exactly what you want in a series conclusion. There were parts that made me laugh, or cry or root for the characters. There were surprises, either wonderful or terrifying. There was romance and friendship. After such a wonderful series, I wonder what Courtney will come up with next. I was hoping for a spin-off series, but a new series would be okay too.

At the beginning, Will’s hurt. I was missing Will badly, but Cadan was just so kind and wonderful. For a mostly demonic reaper, he’s a trustworthy friend. He has a good heart and that’s what matters. I don’t think I could pick a team, because Ellie and Will are clearly together. Love triangle over. You can let me have Cadan now! Not that this is a spoiler, but of course Will doesn’t die. I just can’t tell you how she saves him. Cadan actually helps her save him. I love Will still, because he’s so hot (well, the illustration of him on my Angelfire book mark is). I want an angel(ic reaper) boyfriend! (Demonic only if it’s Cadan). Will loves Ellie so much. I remember in Wings of the Wicked how he said he liked carrots, but he knows that Ellie love Coldstone anything. He knows her so well, and worries about her because he’s her Guardian.

Other characters that I like: Marcus. He is so funny. Him and Kate (Ellie best human friend) are still dating. They’re perfect for each other. I’m still sad that Nathaniel is gone. He was one of my favorite. He was bookish and smart and kind of like a young looking uncle to Will, and a good friend.

I also love some of the new characters we meet. Ethan Stone is really hilarious. He’s a real smart-arse. There’s this part towards the end when he’s plays AC/DC in a church. You’ll see. I was LMAO when I read it. I must have underlined almost everything he said because he was that funny.

I underlined quotes and metallic forest-green gel pen. A new gel pen. The ink’s pretty much almost gone because I underlined so much. So many funny or beautifully written sentences, phrases and dialogue.

I loved all the traveling in this book. I wonder if Courtney’s actually been to all these places or if its research or people she knows have been there. I loved the descriptions. I pictured them even without photo reference. I still wish I looked them up. Oh well, I like to use my imagination.

I was so sad and worried toward the end. I didn’t want Ellie to loose herself. Her Gabriel self is just so different because angels aren’t supposed to feel emotions. They’re like killer robots in that way. “Must obey orders. Must destroy…destroy…” (lol…not exactly like that).

There’s a surprise ending in the epilogue, so don’t sweat it. I was hoping for more, but it made me stop crying. It’s kind of bittersweet that way.

Cover Art Review: Not as good as the first 2 book’s covers. I don’t like the top the model’s wearing. The background is more natural this time, but there’s still stone. I wish the title was a different color. They could have done a lot better. It’s still semi-metallic with a gloss finish. There’s a green metallic embossment of the title on the inside cover.

 

~Haley G

 THE END IS HERE for the ANGELFIRE series!

http://www.epicreads.com/blog/the-end-is-here-for-angelfire/

 

Read the first two books in the series if you haven't already!

Incarnate by Jodi Meadows

Series: Newsoul (bk. 1)

Genera: Fantasy, Dystopian, Sci-fi, Romance

Subjects: Reincarnation, love, dragons, supernatural, utopias

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 374 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: HarperTeen: Katherine Tegan

Summary/ product description: “New soul
Ana is new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why.
No soul
Even Ana's own mother thinks she's a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she'll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame?
Heart
Sam believes Ana's new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana's enemies—human and creature alike—let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else's life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all?
Jodi Meadows expertly weaves soul-deep romance, fantasy, and danger into an extraordinary tale of new life.”

My Rating: êêêêê

My Review: This was probably the most creative mix of sci-fi and fantasy I’ve ever read. I so happy I finally read this book. It reminded me of Crewel by Gennifer Albin in some ways. I kept wondering if the rage was some synthetic world like the Matrix. I thought this book was dystopian, and in some ways it is. I guess it’s just a unique fantasy with reincarnation. I wonder what’s going to be discovered in the next few books. I really enjoyed the romance between Ana and Sam. The piano scenes made me think of Twilight. And I knew who Sam really was right away. It was pretty obvious.

I felt bad for Ana. Everybody treated her like she was helpless, or they didn’t know that she didn’t know certain things. The people who’ve been reincarnated over and over never had to teach children how to do stuff because they had already learned stuff in a past life. Ana is smart of enough to learn things on her own. She’s a very fast learner and eager to discover. She’s a new pair of eyes, a new opinion. She changes everything by the fact that she exists.

It’s a really interesting idea. This book has a lot of philosophic themes in it. The idea of a world of people who’ve been around for thousands of years. The fact that you’re so young and have only this life makes you different and unique. The only thing I found weird was that they kept getting reincarnated in different bodies.  Male or female. Sam have been a woman in a past life is very odd.

I like the fantasy world in this book. I like how they have technology. Apparently over 5,000 years they’re discovered all these things. They started off primitive, and are now more advanced than us. I just seems so strange. It made me feel like this world was a program. This world of empty houses and dangerous creatures was there waiting for them, and then they built it over 5,000 years. They’ve lived so many lives. Almost like they are players in a game/program. Each time they die, they come back in a different body. The sylphs and dragons are a nice touch.

Cover Art Review: This is probably my favorite cover image this year. It’s so neon bright. It glows! The red and the blue. The butterfly mask. I love it. It’s perfect. I wish it was on metallic or opalescent paper stock, though.

 

~Haley G

Wings of the Wicked by Courtney Allison Moulton

Publisher: HarperTeen: Katherine Tegan

Series: Angel fire (bk. 2)

Genera: Paranormal Romance

Subjects: Angels, reapers, reincarnation, supernatural, Michigan

Length: 516 pgs

HC/PB: Hardcover

Summary/ product description: “Life as the Preliator is harder than Ellie ever imagined.
Balancing real life with the responsibility of being Heaven’s warrior is a challenge for Ellie. Her relationship with Will has become all business, though they both long for each other. And now that the secret of who she really is has come out, so have Hell’s strongest reapers. Grown bold and more vicious, the demonic threaten her in the light of day and stalk her in the night.

She’s been warned.
Cadan, a demonic reaper, comes to her with information about Bastian’s new plan to destroy Ellie’s soul and use an ancient relic to wake all the souls of the damned and unleash them upon humanity. As she fights to stay ahead of Bastian’s schemes , the revelations about those closest to her awaken a dark power within Ellie that threatens to destroy everything—including herself.

She’ll be betrayed.
Treachery comes even from those whom she loves, and Ellie is broken by the deaths of those who stood beside her in this Heavenly war. Still, she must find a way to save the world, herself, and her love for Will. If she fails, there will be hell to pay.”

My Rating: ê ê ê ê ê +

My Review: This was a wonderful sequel with many twists…some of which I could see coming because they were either painfully obvious or foreshadowed…or I’m psychic. Lol. I love all pf the characters, especially Will. I’m totally falling for him, and I’m playing Taylor Swift “Spark Fly” in my head…”Get me with those green eyes, baby…”. He and Ellie are just funny and awesome together. And Cadan is so mischievous and sweet at the same time. He can’t possibly be totally demonic! And the new character Ava is pretty tough. Yes, this book was 516 pages long, and it took me a week to read, but it was 516 pages of awesomeness. Since this is only a trilogy, I’m happy this get a lot out of each book. It didn’t drag on, no, it was epic. I’d say I can’t wait another year for the next one, but I really wouldn’t want it to end so soon. Great series, and I recommend it to anyone!

Cover Art Review: Beautiful semi-metallic gloss. I love the dark blue color and the column appears crystalline. Same model as on Angelfire. I love the font of the title.

~Haley G