The End is Here for the Unearthly Series

So basically, today the last book in my favorite series (beside Maximum Ride) came out. I'm kind of sad that it's ending. Here are the 3 books (and a novella) in the series: Unearthly, Hallowed, Radiant (e-novella) and Boundless.

 

 

But Epic Reads ( www.epicreads.com ) has put together something amazing. The best ways ever to say goodbye. This End Is Here campaign.

 

And here's the blog post for the Unearthly series:

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

And here's the forums:

http://www.epicreads.com/forum/list.php?70

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So here it goes...
Hi. I'm Haley.
I have an Unearthly Obsession.
Some call it Super Fannism.
I think of myself as an Angelholic.
(When it comes to books)

 

 

I love angel books. I probably have about 50, many of which are on my top shelf of my big book case. You can't see them all. I love Hush, Hush, Fallen, Angel Burn, Angelfire, Halo and A Beautiful Dark.
Unearthly is my favorite.
You know what made this my favorite angel book series of all time? The characters and the setting. I read Unearthly with a Wyoming travel book by my side. Jackson Hole, home of the Grand Tetons. Never been there, but now I want to go there so bad! I even went a Google Earth and pinned Jackson Hole and looked at tons of photos.

 

 

 

 

And of course I love the sexy cowboy, Tucker. :)

(This is the guy who played Dan Patch on Hellcats)

 

I love the cover of these book. Metallic, shiny, mono-chromatic. I love the typography. It's like the cover for Beautiful Creatures. But better. That feather is awesome.

 

I took pictures of my bird posing on the covers:

 

"Unbirdly"

 

 

 

"Birdlowed"

 

"Birdless"

 

 

 

She really loves angel book just as much as me. She's a true Angelbird.

 

(Actually, she's a Budgie)

 

I also underlined funny quotes in silver gel pen while reading Unearthly on Spring Break 2011. I took a book vacation cuz we never go on real ones during Spring Break.

 

 

And in Hallowed, I used metallic blue gen pen.

 

 

 

I also decided it was okay to draw in my book, so I did this in metallic gel pen too:

 

 

 

 

 

After reading Hallowed the day is was released, I decided to make fanart. Which I later gave to the author at the Spring Into The Future tour.

 

 

Cynthia seemed really happy with my fanart. So much that she brought her phone out and showed me the cover art for Boundless. I knew it was going to be pink!

 

 

She also signed my books and some bookmarks:

 

 

Now that the series is over, we can only hope for a movie.

But if they ruin it, then I will be very mad.

 

 

 

 

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 So grab yourself a copy. I preordered mine and am still waiting for UPS to drop it off.

 

http://www.epicreads.com/books/boundless/9780061996207/

 

Synopsis

The past few years held more surprises than part-angel Clara Gardner ever could have anticipated. Yet through the dizzying high of first love to the agonizing low of losing someone close to her, the one thing she could no longer deny was that she was never meant to have a normal life.
Since discovering the special role she plays among the other angel-bloods, Clara has been determined to protect Tucker Avery from the evil that follows her . . . even if it means breaking both their hearts. Leaving town seemed like the best option, so she's headed back to California—and so is Christian Prescott, the irresistible boy from the vision that started her on this journey in the first place.
As Clara makes her way in a world that is frighteningly new, she discovers that the fallen angel who attacked her is watching her every move. And he's not the only one. . . . With the battle against the Black Wings looming, Clara knows she must finally fulfill her destiny. But it won't come without sacrifices and betrayal.
In the riveting finale of the Unearthly series, Clara must choose her fate once and for all.


Watch the book trailer:

 

 

 

 

Happy Reading!

 

 

 

~Haley G

In My Mail Box 1-22-2013

Lots of interesting stuff came during January. None of which were ARCs. I finally got my Army of Ten prize pack from Gretchen McNeill. The first 7 photos show what came in the prize pack. 4 autographed book and 2 items that 2 characters from TEN would own. Photo 8 shows The Prey. Macmillan gave me a Hardcover Copy to review. And I read it, loved it and reviewed it. The cover is beautiful and textured like velvet. Photos 8, 10 and 11 show Through the Even Night, which I won during the Under the Never Sky re-read on Pitchdark.com. The last 2 photos show 4 library books I have checked out. Can't wait to read Revolution 19. Also, I preordered Boundless by Cynthia Hand, so I should be getting that in the mail soon. I will preorder Shadows in the Silence and Asunder soon. I may not have this pictured, by I got a copy of Prodigy by Marie Lu on Friday at Meijer. They put it ouit over a week early. I should read it, but I'll probably wait.
~Haley G

Altered by Jennifer Rush

Series: Altered (bk. 1)

Genera: Sci-fi Adventure/ Romance/ Thriller

Subjects: genetic engineering, government agencies, experiments, memory

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 323 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: Hachette: Little, Brown

Summary/ product description: “When you can’t trust yourself, who can you believe?
Everything about Anna’s life is a secret. Her father works for the Branch at the helm of its latest project: monitoring and administering treatments to the four genetically altered boys in the lab below their farmhouse. There’s Nick, Cas, Trev . . . and Sam, who’s stolen Anna’s heart. When the Branch decides it’s time to take the boys, Sam stages an escape, killing the agents sent to retrieve them.
Anna is torn between following Sam or staying behind in the safety of her everyday life. But her father pushes her to flee, making Sam promise to keep her away from the Branch, at all costs. There’s just one problem. Sam and the boys don’t remember anything before living in the lab—not even their true identities.
Now on the run, Anna soon discovers that she and Sam are connected in more ways than either of them expected. And if they’re both going to survive, they must piece together the clues of their past before the Branch catches up to them and steals it all away.”

My Rating: êêêê1/2

My Review: This sci-fi was a nice change of pace after reading so many paranormal romances lately. It’s NOT dystopian, no matter what it says on Goodreads. It’s about genetically modified guys, and a girl who love one of them. And then there’s the Branch, which is kind of like Itex in Maximum Ride. The sci-fi elements reminded me so much of False Memory by Dan Krokos, and also like Revived by Kat Patrick. If you’re a fan of the Maximum Ride series, you might also like this series. It’s fast-paced. Pages will fly by without you even realizing it.

I loved that most of this book was set in Michigan, even if it started out in New York. It was an adventure with lot of action. Anna, which seemed kind of sheltered at first, turned into a kick butt heroine, and she even learned some important things about her past. There’s the four boys with genetic alterations living in her basement. Cas is probably my favorite. Sam seems too intense. Trev is really smart, and Nick sounds good looking. But Cas, he’s funny and awesome. I love everything he says in this book. When comparing them to the guy of Under The Never Sky, Cas is Roar to Sam’s Perry-like intensity. Nick is mean to Anna, and she think of Trev as her best friend. She visits them in her basement a lot, but she doesn’t seem to have any other friends beside the boys. She takes combat lesson and loves to draw. I can kind of relate to her in the drawing part (and I also took karate for a few years). I draw, and paint.

There’s a lot of mystery and clue and stuff the lead to other things. I love books that keep you guessing. Ones you can make predictions about. This was full of twists and turns and awesome realizations. It’s hard to review this book without spoiling everything, but I was surprised with what I found out. There were some thing I already figured out, but I did not expect this. Read it and find out.

Cover Art Review: Good typography, and a very sexy looking guy. It’s pretty minimal, and I wish there was more on it, but it’s okay.

 

~Haley G

Full Moon Kisses by Ellen Schreiber

Series: Once in a Full Moon (bk. 3)

Genera: Paranormal Romance

Subjects: Werewolves, shape-shifters, magic, high school, social classes, fortune tellers, love, supernatural

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 215 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: HarperCollins: Katherine Tegen Books

Summary/ product description: “Beware of the full moon.
A werewolf wants to take you into his world. Forever.
Celeste and Brandon know that Nash in werewolf form is bad news. But a new prediction from psychic Dr. Meadows has Celeste wondering: Which of them wants to turn her into a werewolf?
Still on Celeste's and Brandon's minds is the "cure" from Brandon's father. Brandon must face one dilemma he hadn't anticipated—if his dad's serum really does work, is he willing to give up being a werewolf for good? Is Celeste willing to give up her heroic werewolf boyfriend? And when Nash finds out there's a cure, will he try to take it from Brandon as they continue to deal with their rivalry, their competing affections for Celeste, and their struggles with their werewolf identities?
Then things grow still more complicated when a gang of sketchy guys from a neigh-boring town comes to Legend's Run just before the big Werewolf Festival. What, or whom, are they looking for?
The third installment in the sumptuous series about werewolves and the popular girl who loves one is full of danger, mystery, and undeniably romantic full moon kisses.”

My Rating: êêê1/2

My Review: This is the last book in the series. I wish there could be more boos because it feels incomplete to me. All three of the books were very short and light compared to other werewolf series I’ve read. These books were romantic and enjoyable, but felt lacking in some ways. I really love the characters, and the town, but felt like the plot could use some work. It’s over now, so  whatever. I also wish I knew where Legend’s Run is supposed to be. Is it northern Wisconsin or Minnesota? Those are the only places I know where’s there’s wolves and suburbs to a city. Maybe it’s set near Duluth and Superior, the area where we went camping summer 2012. (We saw no wild wolves or bears).

The book put a lot of emphasis on werewolf and full moon stuff. And I feel like it should be obvious that there’s something supernatural going on. Celeste’s friends seem to think it’s all prank, but they should be smarted that that. There’s also a lot of emphasis on the high school  setting. It makes the series seem so unoriginal. Thankfully, the final book had something interesting and not high-school related: The Werewolf Feast! And there’s new characters! This gang of three guys who are werewolves. It shakes things up. Even though Nash became a werewolf in the last book and they discovered a possible cure, thing last book seems fuller, even though it’s a bit shorter. More stuff happens. It just doesn’t seem like the end. Her Vampire Kisses series had way more than 3 books, so why make this a trilogy?

Cover Art Review: Similar to the other covers in the series. I like this photo of the girl the best. I love the indigo lighting on her face.

 

~Haley G

The Madman’s Daughter by Megan Shepherd

Release Date: January 29, 2013

Series: The Madman’s Daughter (bk. 1)

Genera: Sci-fi/historical fiction

Subjects: Islands, mad scientists, science, surgical modification, retellings, love, experiments

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 420 pgs. (ARC version) 432 pgs. (Hardcover version)

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: HarperCollins: Balzer & Bray

Summary/ product description: “In the darkest places, even love is deadly.
Sixteen-year-old Juliet Moreau has built a life for herself in London—working as a maid, attending church on Sundays, and trying not to think about the scandal that ruined her life. After all, no one ever proved the rumors about her father's gruesome experiments. But when she learns he is alive and continuing his work on a remote tropical island, she is determined to find out if the accusations are true.
Accompanied by her father's handsome young assistant, Montgomery, and an enigmatic castaway, Edward—both of whom she is deeply drawn to—Juliet travels to the island, only to discover the depths of her father's madness: He has experimented on animals so that they resemble, speak, and behave as humans. And worse, one of the creatures has turned violent and is killing the island's inhabitants. Torn between horror and scientific curiosity, Juliet knows she must end her father's dangerous experiments and escape her jungle prison before it's too late. Yet as the island falls into chaos, she discovers the extent of her father's genius—and madness—in her own blood.
Inspired by H. G. Wells's classic The Island of Dr. Moreau, The Madman's Daughter is a dark and breathless Gothic thriller about the secrets we'll do anything to know and the truths we'll go to any lengths to protect.”

My Rating: êêêê

My Review: I’m not a fan of historical fiction. I usually avoid it at all costs. Even the ones with the pretty cover. This book, I would have never read based off the cover. I won an ARC of it. I only requested it because I like free stuff, but I didn’t expect to get this in the mail. When I did, I wasn’t even sure I was going to read it. After the girl from EpicReads said so many good things about it, and finding out that it’s set on a tropical island (and not totally set in London) with creatures created by a mad-scientist, I had to give the book a try. I’m surprised to say I actually enjoyed it. I still don’t like the historical British vocab, but I could look past that too enjoy the sci-fi island adventure that this story truly is.

The beginning of the book is more gothic and dark in a historical London kind of way. Then when she and Montgomery are on the boat, it’s kind of different. But when they arrive on the Island, things get really different and awesome. It felt like a dystopian novel or a castaways survival story, except with a mad scientist. Kind of like Dr. Frankenstein’s Island, or Lost. Juliet thinks all the island “native” are deformed, but later on realizes that they are her father’s creations. This kind of surgery seems impossible to me today, even with plastic surgery, how can you make people out of animals? But since this is science fiction and a retelling, I’ll let the unrealistic science pass. The book was very thrilling with a few twists and turns that kept me guessing, and predicting what was going on.

I love the setting and the uniqueness of the story. I loved picturing a tropical rainforest island. The characters were okay, but I didn’t care for them that much. Juliet thinks she’s mad as her father. He’s a psychopathic scientist, so maybe she’s a guiltless psychopath too, or not. Montgomery I liked at first, but then I was on Team Edward Prince for a while…but I’m not sure if I’d choose either of them now.  The story itself was just so creative and exciting it blew me away. As I said, I did not expect it to be good. It was very good. I hope they do make this into a movie the back of my ARC say (Film rights have been optioned by Paramount Pictures). I had a hard time picturing what the creatures looked like, but I’m sure that some make-up or CGI/green screen could bring them to life.

I’m really wondering what the sequel will be about. Will it be set on the island again or someplace else? And will there be more, different monsters? Is Dr. Moreau going to discover genetic engineering or something like that? I can’t wait to find out. Hope when get the sequel’s title and summary soon.

Cover Art Review: Based off this cover, I would have never picked it up. This cover had historical written all over it, but it says nothing of the tropical island and the creatures that live on it. I really hope that they change the cover in the paperback version because this cover is very generic looking to me.

 

~Haley G

 

Angel Fire by L. A. Weatherly

Series: Angel (bk. 2)

Genera: Paranormal Romance/Dystopian Sci-fi

Subjects: Angels, psychic ability, Mexico

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 638 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Summary/ product description: “In Book Two of L. A. Weatherly’s wildly romantic, action-packed trilogy, the angels are back with a vengeance . . . and they don’t have heaven in mind.
In the wake of the Second Wave, the angel menace has exploded, and Alex and Willow are on the lam. Willow’s prophetic dream points them to Mexico City, where they connect with a fledgling group of angel killers led by the exotically beautiful Kara, an Angel Killer from Alex’s past. But the team remains suspicious of Willow, even after the more-experienced Alex takes over as leader, training them hard for a rush attack on the Seraphic Council, or “The Twelve.” This elite group of all-powerful angels is also under the scrutiny of Willow’s angel-father, Raziel, who has his own sinister plan to defeat them.
What Willow hasn’t told Alex is that there was also a mysterious boy in her dream, one she felt overpoweringly attracted to. When brooding, gorgeous Seb shows up in the flesh, he turns out to be another—possibly the world’s only other—half angel. He’s been searching for Willow all his life, and when Alex enlists this rival to help keep Willow safe, he can’t predict what chemistry will pass between them . . . or how far Willow might go to keep Alex safe. Will their love endure or spell doomsday for the human race?”

My Rating: êêêêê

My Review: My thoughts on the first book: I loved Willow and Alex’s relationship. I loved that they traveled across the country and ending up in so many places. It’s just exciting. I love adventure stories. And the romance was so hot. The story was unique because the angels were evil, soul sucking creatures. Aliens or beings from another dimension. Alex is an Angel Killer, Willow is half-angel. They fall in love despite that.

Now my thoughts on this book: I still love this series, but this book was so freaking long. Lots of stuff happened, I just felt like this book could have been 2 books. It really heavy to hold this thick book. And also I’m kind of sad that Alex and Willow’s relationship is kind of ruined by Seb. Seb’s a great character, but I really loved Alex. I hate love triangles that appear in the second book. They’re okay if they happen in the first book, but it still also seems that whatever “team” I’m on loses. I’m still Team Alex.  Seb is funny. He’s kind of a compulsive liar when it comes to his past, but he’s really honest to Willow. He seems pretty good looking, not at all like a stereotypical Mexican. His mother was Italian, apparently. Seb’s really in love with Willow, and he’s the only other half-angel, then I guess they are meant to be (Which makes me feel like how I did at the end of Hallowed by Cynthia Hand).

I’m still giving this book 5 stars. It was pretty awesome. I’ve never been to Mexico, and this book was set in Mexico City. I’ve not read many books set in other countries, and it’s nice to read another one. I even looked up the setting on Google Earth so I could picture it better. I actually had Spanish in high school, so no problems there.

The plot is really hard for me to describe because the book was so long. Basically, Alex and the AKs, and Willow and Seb are going to try to kill the Council of 12 angels because they think that will kill all the angels in the world. And they keep trying to find a good way to make that happen. And they keep running into problems. And of course, there’s the love triangle subplot (which turns into a love quadrangle). Alex keeps training a bunch of Angel Spotter to be Angel Killers. He teaches them how to shot moving targets. Alex is getting migranes, Willow thinks it’s her fault. Willow only wants to be friends with Seb, even though Seb is clearly in love with her. There’s still some switching perspectives. Willow’s 1^st person perspective and 3^rd person perspectives of Alex, Seb and Raziel. The 1^st book had all but Seb.

The ending of the book wasn’t exactly a cliff hanger, but it’s certainly enough to leave you anticipating the last book. It’s a pretty long wait if you read this book when it came out January 2012. Since its January 2013, and it’s supposed to come out in November, the wait for me is kind of cut in half. I really want to see how the end of the series plays out. Hopefully it will be full of action, adventure and excitement.

Cover Art Review: This cover looks too creepy. Not at all how I’d picture Willow’s angel form.

 

~Haley G

Maximum Ride: Nevermore by James Patterson

Series: Maximum Ride (bk. 8)

Genera: Sci-fi

Subjects: Genetic engineering, adventure, apocalyptic, super-humans

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 344 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: Little, Brown

Summary/ product description: “Maximum Ride and her faithful friends stand ready to face the two greatest threats that humankind has ever known--now combining forces in an unbeatable plot to destroy life as we know it once and for all. And this time, the enemy truly can't be stopped.
The danger mounts just as Dylan has finally worked his way into Max's heart--and just as her beloved Fang unexpectedly returns to the flock. An explosive confrontation between the two boys with a claim to Max's heart ensues, and the entire world hangs in the balance.
In this powerful and moving finale to James Patterson's epic fantasy series, fans will finally get the answers they've been waiting for--and an ending full of shock, surprises, and the greatest conclusion you never saw coming.”

My Rating: êêêêê

My Review: I was kind of afraid to read this. There were some bad reviews and rating from people on Goodreads. And I hate reading endings. Especially to my favorite series. And this is the series that started it all for me. The first series I became truly obsessed with. The series that made me read, and write. I created so many fanart pieces and fanfiction and was so inspired by this series. Now it’s over.

Good book, okay ending. I loved this whole series, even though I felt it really should have wrapped up after book 3. Book 4 was a disaster (which I still enjoyed). Don’t be discouraged from other reviews. Read this book. It’s good. A final goodbye to Max, unless you plan to read or write fanfiction like I used to. I will miss Max’s voice, personality, and every Flock member.

It’s REALLY hard to review this books without talking about talking about what happened, and spoiling stuff, so I’m not going to try…

WARNING, From this point, the review contains spoilers:

It wasn’t a bad ending. It was the kind of ending that makes me want a spin-off series. I enjoyed every minute of this book, but I really want to see what happens after. Maybe that’s what fanfiction is for. Hope somebody  writing fanfiction off of this ending. (Why does the description of the sky make me think of the aether in Under The Never Sky?) This is not a spoiler…some body write the post-apocalyptic fanfic of Maximum Ride. I really want to read it!

I think it’s cool that they try school again. What that school the one that won the contest to be written into the book? I though some school in NYC of Chicago won. And then there’s Fang’s new gang, and then later his travel. Really, he’s in Chicago for a few pages. Awesome! And him falling into Lake Michigan, I really don’t know of any or many cliffs that are on scenic overlooks. (And I’ve travel all around the Lake Michigan shoreline) I am really happy that Fang comes back, because I was Team Fang (Fax) all the way. Dylan makes me think he’s some guardian angel created to protect Max. He’s not really the one for her no matter what they say.

Angel is the Voice and I knew it!!!!!!! It’s like duh, she’s telepathic. Of course she’s the Voice! I was kind of hoping it was God and that the Flock member were angels/Nephilim instead of bird kids and they had a purpose, like the Unearthly series (my other fav). I’m kind of wondering if the Confessions of a Murder Suspect book is about angels or a religious cult too.

The 99% Plan sounded like a religious cult…without the religion part. Really, what’s with all the mass extinction? This series is almost Dystopian now, but it’s over.

Good luck writing fanfiction. Call it The Post-Apocalytic Society of Maximum Ride. Note to self: Come up with a more creative title. A shorter one.

Cover Art Review: For once they try putting wings on the model. Sure, the model looks NOTHING like Max. Wrong hair. They still didn’t do the wings as good as I did. But they did okay for the cover of the last book. I like that it’s metallic and shiny.

~Haley G

A Fractured Light by Jocelyn Davies

Series: A Beautiful Dark (bk. 2)

Genera: Paranormal Romance

Subjects: Angels, supernatural, good vs. evil, Colorado, winter, destiny, fate vs. freewill

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 337 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: HarperTeen

Summary/ product description: “When she wakes up in unfamiliar surroundings, Skye knows something terrible has happened to her. It's not until she hears Asher, the dark, rebellious angel she fell in love with, that the memories come flooding back. She tries to put the past behind her, but she knows she'll be forever haunted by the ruthless betrayal that almost took her life.
Skye returns home, but with the knowledge of who she really is, nothing can ever be the same. As she tests the limits of her newfound powers, Skye discovers that she's capable of far more than anyone could have imagined. Both the Order and the Rebellion want her for their side as war between the factions looms. She can't forget the terrifying truth she now knows about the Order, but something holds her back from embracing the Rebellion.
A Fractured Light picks up right after A Beautiful Dark's shocking cliffhanger ending and is perfect for fans of Lauren Kate's Fallen and Becca Fitzpatrick's Hush, Hush saga.”

My Rating: êêêêê

My Review: Awesome sequel. Very good. Romantic and amazing. I said that I loved A Beautiful Dark because it had angels and was set in Colorado. Still true. I love the setting and the paranormal subject. Unearthly is very similar in that it’s about angels (angel bloods) and is set in a beautiful, mountainous area. River Springs may not be a real city, but it was based off the Boulder area, which I’ve been too and loved. There’s skiing! I never been skiing. This book makes me want to try skiing.

And I love the unique take on the angel mythology. It makes the angels you usually think as being good, look bad. And the Rebels look good. But I agree there has to be a balance between fate and freewill/control and chaos.

Asher, charming as ever. I love him! He reminds me of Patch. He’s not really all bad-boy, but really, he’s just awesome. I feel so sorry for Devin! He’s being controlled by the order. And there’s still Ian, who may eventually stand a chance. We find out something about him at the end. Really, the end was kind of crazy.

I love the humorous dialogue between Skye, Cassie and Dan. Cassie acting all invalid-like and dramatic. Really, there’s an awesome friendship here! Even if they were mad at her for being away. And Skye has a lot going on, but can’t tell them. She actually discovers some important things about herself, and develops her abilities further. I really think the weather control stuff is cool. All the Dark elemental abilities would be awesome to have.

New characters: Giddeon. He’s pretty cool, and Ardith, which we meet at the beginning on this book. They’re both Rebels.

I’m afraid if I go any further with this review I might spoil everything. I kind of guessed 3…maybe 4 important things that actually did end up happening/were discovered in this book. I’m just so perceptive when it comes to YA PNR plots. Predictable not a bad thing, but I enjoyed this book no matter what. Can’t wait for the 3^rd book. (I also can’t wait for Boundless, so that’s why I read this. It’s almost as good as Unearthly!!!!)

If you like YA Angel Paranormal Romances, read this series! It may not be as popular as Hush, Hush, Fallen, Unearthly or Embrace, or even Angelfire, but it’s not one you want to miss. It’s very unique in some ways.

It’s a great wintery read, and since it’s wintertime, I suggest reading this series on a snowy day, or with a picture of a wintery, mountainous landscape in front of you (like I did…some of the time).

Cover Art Review: Beautiful cover, but sadly the title’s not metallic and rainbowy. And they cut off her elbow or made it too dark. They were less careful when designing. This was a really dumb mistake. People do notice, so why did they not fix it?

 

~Haley G

Everbound by Brodi Ashton (and Neverfall novella)

Release Date: January 22, 2012

Series: Everneath (bk. 2)

Genera: Paranormal Romance/Fantasy

Subjects: Supernatural, underworlds, immortality, love, mythology, Utah

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 358 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: HaperTeen: Barlzer & Bray

Summary/ product description: “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.”

My Rating: êêêê1/2

My Review: I compared the first book, Everneath to Abandon by Meg Cabot and Falling Under by Gwen Hayes, both retellings of the Persephone myth. I also said that I was bored and confused and didn’t much care for Nikki. She was too depressing. Maybe if I was in the mood, I would have loved it. I gave Everneath 3 ½ star.

This wonderful, AMAZING sequel makes me want to take all that I said about Everneath back. This book redeemed everything. Nikki I much more driven, and a lot less depressed. She’s trying hard to get Jack back. She’s a lot tougher and more sarcastic. It kind of reminds me of how Kate from Die For Me changed in the sequel Until I Die. The first book the heroine seems flat and very depressed, the second book she come back all kick-butt and awesome. I like this Nikki better that the one in Everneath.

Cole is still the “bad boy,” but he’s a nice bad boy. He reminds me of Damon from the Vampire Diaries (in personality, not looks) or Kieran from the Paranormalcy series. He can be helpful, but very selfish. You love him for his looks and humor, and hate him for his self-centered actions that sometimes screw everything up. He’s a good bad guy or a bad good guy.  He’s very interesting. And his band, the Dead Elvises, which are awesome. Max is a great side character. Wish we’d see more of them. Max was in the novella Neverfall a lot.

I really enjoyed the journey and adventure parts of this book. When they went through the Everneath. The labyrinth of the Ring of Water, Wind and Fire. It was like Nikki was going through different trials to reach her goal. She told stories about Jack so she could project a tether so she could find him. I loved the flashbacks of her in Jack in the canyon where they were camping. I love imagining the desert/mountainous scenery of Utah. I’ve never been to Utah, but I really want to go there. Arches National Park is also mentioned in this book. I looked up the Fiery Furnace and the Skull Arch and they are beautiful. I really love that the author had more natural Utah stuff in this book. Everneath lacked in natural scenery. Everbound has a lot more descriptiveness to the setting. There were also some scenes of Nikki dreaming and seeing Jack. So this book continues with a Now/Then plot, plus the At Night parts.

So, I was really impressed with the sequel. And its ending was so OMG (I saw it coming but, still…not in that way). Can’t wait for book 3.

Cover Art Review: Just as beautiful as Everneath’s cover. I love the whispy, smokey dress. And the clouds. And the title.

 

Review of Neverfall ebook novella

 

Everneath series, 1.5 (sett between Everneath and Everbound)

76 pages, narrated by Cole

 

Rating: 4 stars

 

Summary: “A thrilling new novella from the author of the Everneath series!
Jack is trapped for eternity in the Tunnels while Nikki has managed to evade Cole's grasp . . . for now. But Cole is more desperate than ever to find answers about Nikki, his best chance for taking over the throne of the underworld. How did she survive the Feed? Can Cole find another Forfeit like her who can survive it too?
Cole's quest leads him to the other side of the world, to a mysterious, dangerous society known as the Delphinians, whose price for information might be higher than Cole can pay—a price that could destroy Nikki. But when Cole attempts to steal the answers instead, his mission ends in disaster. Faced with centuries in a Delphinian dungeon, Cole is confronted with questions he's been too scared to ask himself: Is he really obsessed with the throne—or is he obsessed with Nikki? And can she really give him a new beginning as the Everneath's king . . . or will she instead bring about his tragic end?”

My Review:

Pretty good. I think I enjoy Cole's perspective more than Nikki's. I didn't enjoy Everneath that much because Nikki was kind of depressing, but Cole's pretty awesome. He seems like less of a bad boy here. I suggest reading this before reading Everbound. You get to see Cole’s motives and learn more about him. He gets trapped in a dungeon and learns how much he needs Nikki. Also you learn about him and the Dead Elvises

~Haley G

New Year, New Books 2013

So excited about so many books coming out this year, so I'm making a list of the one that I can't wait for, with categories.


Paranormal Romance/Fantasy

Debuts:
Let the Sky Fall by Shannon Messenger
Revel by Maurissa Guibord
Tides by Betsey Cornwell

First in a series (but not a debut):
Earthbound by Aprilynne Pike
Spellcaster by Claudia Gray

Standalones:
Life After Theft by Aprilynne Pike
The Dead and Buried by Kim Harrison (not sure if it is)

Sequels:
Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo
Of Triton by Anna Banks

Other book in a series that is not the second or last book:
Emblaze by Jessica Shirvington
Mystic by Alyson Noel

Conclusions:
Boundless by Cynthia Hand
Shadows in the Silence by Courtney Allison Moulton
Until I Die by Amy Plum
Dead Silence by Kimberly Derting




Sci-fi/Dystopian

Debuts:
Revolution 19 by Gregg Rosenblum
Pivot Point by Kasie West
Mila 2.0 by Debra Driza

Standalones:
Nobody by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
The Originals by Cat Patrick

First in a series (but not a debut):
Mind Games by Kiersten White

Sequels:
Unvravel Me by Tahereh Mafi
Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi
Asunder by Jodi Meadows
Vortex by S.J. Kincaid
The Elite by Kiera Cass
Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
Unbreakabke by Liz Norris
False Sight by Dan Krokos

Other book in a series that is not the second or last book:
Witch and Wizard: The Kiss by James Patterson

Conclusions:
Requiem by Lauren Oliver
Divergent bk 3 by Veronica Roth




HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

~Haley G