Wow. This series is so unbelievably different, yet so enthralling, that it is in a league of its own.
I have LOVED the first several books4.5 Stars ⭐️
Wow. This series is so unbelievably different, yet so enthralling, that it is in a league of its own.
I have LOVED the first several books in this world (2 full length books and 2 novellas) so I was eager to see what this book was going to give us. In this book, we move away from Oraya and Raihn and we are now focused on Mische -who fled their court after killing a Prince of the House of Shadow, he was the vampire who turned her.
This book takes us completely into the world of the House of Shadow after Mische is captured and going to be put to death for her crime. She is about to be offered as a gift to the King of this House (in other words, the King would be given the privilege of killing her) when the unexpected happens. Asar - the bastard 2nd heir - ends up saving her by telling the court that it would be stupid to kill her when she can be of use - and what do you know...he has a use for her. And that is where the story begins.
This book is told in many different timelines. We get to learn, slowly....about Mische's life as a "Chosen" of the Sun god. The book takes us back and forth in Mische's life, starting from when she was 8 years old and selected as a "Chosen" and then also through her lifetime living in the "convent" with the other followers of this god..
While I will admit that the whole journey into the underworld was EXTREMELY confusing at times and really hard to picture (at least for me) I did have the gist of what the goals were so I was able to follow along and understand.
The other focus of the book is their journey into the Underworld - the entire reason that she was saved by Asar. He has been given a quest by his god (the god that created the vampires) and has tasked Mische and two others with joining him. Unfortunately, Mische has also been secretly tasked by her god (the Sun god) to join in this quest, but her task is completely different and not going to help in the way Asar is expecting.
Where this book excels - as with every other book in this series - is in the character development and the character growth of our main MC's. It becomes quite obvious (to everyone else but the main two) early on that Mische and Asar have some type of attraction going on. Yes, they are both two of the most stubborn people in the world when it comes to admitting it but then again, that is what created so much UST.
As always, once this book starts, I was immediately invested. I was curious, because as a reader, we are only given snippets of information as the journey unfolds. So, we were learning important information as they were descending into the "descent."
I honestly fell in love with Asar. He is a truly layered individual and I enjoyed every minute with him. *sigh*
Mische, well she took me a little longer to understand, but I finally did as we began to learn more and more about her life and I was rooting for her in the end as well.
This was not a complete story line/arc and it totally set up the next book. Yep, that is called a cliffhanger....But honestly, at this point, I would read ANYTHING by Ms. Broadbent.
I am truly looking forward to the next book in this series.....
I am not sure, but I think that this book was much longer than the other books - at least it FELT longer. And yes, there was a lot that had t3.5 Stars
I am not sure, but I think that this book was much longer than the other books - at least it FELT longer. And yes, there was a lot that had to happen if things were going to be wrapped up, so that part was understandable.
The issue that I had with this book in particular was the pacing. It starts off with a bang as the gang heads to the US to try to handle the situation in New York. That part of the book sped by. Then, there is an event that leads to Maeve's separation from her group.
Before I even discuss that, I just remembered something. Not only was there a VERY long summary of the previous book (which she had done in each of the previous books and I think would have been extremely helpful if there had been a long time between books), but in this book, there is a VERY long Prologue that in the end, really has nothing to do with anything. Seriously, if you skipped the entire Prologue, you would not even realize that you missed anything- it was that insignificant, yet it was VERY wordy and very, well, just odd.
Okay - back to the story. The middle part of this just dragged. The story honestly felt like it came to a complete halt and that was just frustrating. Yes, there eventually is a reason but it really broke up the continuity.
We then have another couple of the, "REALLY, you're going to do that HERE?" moments and then a REALLY (and I mean REALLY) weird mating scene - and that is saying something -- though honestly after 4 books, somehow I've gotten to the point that I just skim....
But after all of that, it felt like once we had that weird reunion, that it was a sprint to the finish. In a way, after all the build up to where everything was leading, well, I almost felt cheated with the ending. Yes, we were given a couple of Epilogue's and for that I am very grateful but I would have liked more. With ALL the time spent just walking in the desert, I would have rather had those pages give us more details on the things that were discussed in the Epilogues. Maybe that's just me.
All in all it was a fun and interesting storyline - even if some of it was hidden in between some really inappropriate smexy times (I actually have NO issue with the smexy times, it was the time, locations and situations that they sometimes occurred in that had me shaking my head.)
Again - the narration was done using Virtual Voice - so - same comment about that as with the first 2 books.
This book takes things in a diffe3.5 Stars
Again - the narration was done using Virtual Voice - so - same comment about that as with the first 2 books.
This book takes things in a different direction. At the end of the last book, we meet another character - wolf shifter Caleb - an Alpha Prime. He takes Maeve into custody and delivers her to those who are after her. It becomes apparent that there is more to Caleb than we are initially told. Maeve has willingly surrendered herself and most of the book centers around her being held prisoner in the Mountain.
There are events that are difficult and at times frustrating. Honestly though, I felt like there was TOO much time spent in this circumstance and it really slowed down the feeling and the pace of the storyline.
There is also an event at the end of this book that came as a surprise to me. I mean, not a real surprise because it was pretty much telegraphed from the beginning, but a surprise in the fact that I wasn't sure how I felt about it. It felt a bit TOO contrived and I don't know, I really wasn't comfortable with it. So, there is that.
But, that particular storyline wraps up and at the end of this book we have the gang back together as they try to figure out where to go from here. One thing I will say is that I GET the fact that Maeve has several mates, but man, there is a time and a place for certain things. Seriously, maybe it was because the narration read certain events in a rote and fairly mechanical way, but it just felt like TOO much. She spends most of this book naked (which is actually understandable due to certain magical events) but when the men arrive again it just got to the point where I was thinking, "you DO realize that people are around….oh, and you are running for your life, right?" It was a bit much.....
So, I've gone this far - might as well see what happens next........more
Again, for this second book in the series, it was also done with Audible's Virtual Voice Narration. I still have the same feelings about it as I did dAgain, for this second book in the series, it was also done with Audible's Virtual Voice Narration. I still have the same feelings about it as I did during the first book - just not impressed.
This book takes off immediately after the end of the first book when Maeve is faced with the realization that there is another world that she has not been aware of and her mother was apparently NOT what she seemed either.
A lot is thrown at Maeve in a very short amount of time. This book is actually very fast paced with events taking off quickly and once the pace takes off, it doesn't really slow down.
Notice - I am going to go into a couple of issues that I had with the story in specifics - so here is the **SPOILER WARNING*** there will be some possible spoiler information so please use caution if you have not read this book yet......
Part of the benefit of the faster pace is that you do not really have time to seriously think about some of the "plot holes" that exist within the story - and there are many. But, if you just decide to jump in and try to enjoy the ride, it is full of action. Yes, somehow this 18 year old girl who JUST found out she isn't mortal is somehow able to do things that she shouldn't be able to do. Things that people centuries older than her have taken ages and ages to learn. Somehow, all of these "elite" guards that are sent after her - well, she just defeats all of them. See....part of the "don't think too hard" bits.....
Another thing that I REALLY had to ignore was the fact that somehow Maeve had been unknowingly on the run with her mother her entire life - never living anywhere more than 6 months - in order to stay hidden from the Tribunal, yet they never changed her name. The Sparrow name was important - her grandfather was over a thousand years old and on the Council and yes, his last name was Sparrow as well - but they never changed her name? THEY WERE SUPPOSEDLY HIDING.
When her mother (who also never changed her name) is killed Maeve lives on her own for a short period of time before her father comes for her. She is in the same house at the same address that the police use to notify her of her mother's death, under the same name, in the SAME school, yet she is not discovered. Again, things to not think too hard about....
And yet, once they discover her, they all of a sudden know EXACTLY where she is at all times. They find her on the road, then again when they run to a "Vampire Haven" that is a safehouse that the vampires have kept secret for centuries. They somehow know IMMEDIATELY everything about her all of a sudden - it all was a little TOO drastic - but, again, definitely action packed and exciting.
So, I think I like the fact that the books themselves are short and fast paced. Things happen rapidly and it does tend to pull you in - so, onward I go.........more
There are a couple of things to discuss regarding this specific book and series. First of all, it was my first time listening to a book th3.5 Stars ⭐️
There are a couple of things to discuss regarding this specific book and series. First of all, it was my first time listening to a book that used Audible's AI Virtual Voice Narration. Let me just say that I was not impressed. I'm not sure if it might have made a different impact if this was a CIA/Action thriller type book, but when you have a book in the RH genre, well, let's just say that you can REALLY notice the fact that it is computer generated. With that being said, at times, there really isn't a difference in the narration and it almost sounds human like, but then something would slip in and it became immediately apparent. ESPECIALLY during the smexy times. But, enough about that. It is what it is......
I have to admit that this book took a while to get started. Of course, we have to meet the characters and set up the world, and a lot happens in a very short while for our FMC Maeve Sparrow. Her mother is killed and a strange man shows up and says he is her father and takes her to Michigan to live with him. While she is dealing with all of this, she becomes involved with a boy at her new high school who gives off "dangerous" vibes (oh, and wears sunglasses at ALL times). She is "drawn" to him. Wouldn't you know it but the boy lives with 2 other males who all live together with another older professor type adult. And yep, you guessed it - they're vampires. Honestly, I started thinking that there was going to be a plagiarism lawsuit because this first book was giving off total Twilight vibes. Serious Twilight vibes.
Eventually, near the end of the book, it starts to become its own story. She discovers that the supernatural world exists and in the process, things are revealed about her life in particular and realizes that she has lived her entire life as a mortal when in fact, she isn't.
I honestly had no idea going in that this was going to be a RH book so imagine my surprise when Maeve and Caspian become a mated couple, but apparently, in vampire covens mating experiences are a bit different from the mortal world....and there are 4 males in this particular coven....
There was enough new and interesting things happening at the end of the book that peaked my interest and I decided to keep going. So, on to book 2....more
I went back and forth before deciding to tackle this book. This was another "new to me" author and it's been about 50/50 this month with 4.75 Stars ⭐️
I went back and forth before deciding to tackle this book. This was another "new to me" author and it's been about 50/50 this month with new authors and don't get me started on all these books that are supposedly so great on BookTok. I read both good and bad reviews and then I decided to wait until it came out on audio, Boy oh boy am I glad I did - and man did I enjoy this book.
When thinking back on it, I'm not even sure what it was about this book that was so good, I only know that it grabbed me from the beginning and held me until the very end. I enjoyed the world building because while it has some of the same things that we see fairly consistently in this genre, it was STILL so very unique. The world building was developed in a way that allowed me to build the movie in my head easily enough and the magic system was interesting.
But, it was the CHARACTERS that took it to the next level. Saeris Fane was a great FMC. There were nuances to her that made her so interesting. She was strong, compassionate, brave, yet likeable. Believe it or not, the likeability factor has been an issue for me recently and that just floors me.
Then there was Kingfisher - as an MMC, he made you want to figure him out. At first, his behavior was atrocious, but we got to learn the reasons behind his behavior at the same time as Saeris and then I just completely fell in love with him (just like her!). He was strong, charismatic, and he broke my heart with the things that he had been through. Again, the development of his character, the way we dive through the layers was just so unexpected. Fisher and Saeris together *chef's kiss*
And then there were the secondary characters - all I'll say about that is....Carrion Swift. Need I say more?
So, I'm glad I waited - I don't know if the book just hit me at the right time - but I enjoyed the heck out of it. And....the ending.
OMG. Seriously! I am SO TIRED of this whole new tradition of AWFUL cliffhangers. This ending was perfect. It was an unexpected punch in the gut with major reveals that were completely unexpected, yet delivered in a way that had me invested and eager for the next book.
Besides being a "new to me" author, this was also a first of its kind book for me. I mean, how often do you read a book where the FMC -Sloan4.25 Stars
Besides being a "new to me" author, this was also a first of its kind book for me. I mean, how often do you read a book where the FMC -Sloane - and the MMC - Rowan -are both serial killers? To be fair, they are kind of "good" serial killers. I bet you might wonder what that means, right? Well, it means that they only kill bad guys - or in other words, they hunt the hunters - other serial killers. With me so far?
You have to go into this book knowing that it is going to be dark, and it definitely is. There are trigger warnings at the beginning of the book and I will say that to me, TW are sometimes superfluous. I know I am in the minority, but my thoughts have always been that we are adults, and we should be mature enough to know if we can handle a book. But, in this case, I think that the TW are definitely warranted. Learning in the beginning of the VERY long list of trigger warnings that one of them is "accidental cannibalism," well, that just might make a person stop and think. And Sloane's specialty? Well, I'm only going to say that her given title from the FBI is "Orb Weaver." She has garnered that name for a reason. Yeah, tbh there is also a bit (or maybe a LOT) of "yuck" in this book, but Ms. Weaver somehow does such an excellent job with the WAY she has written this storyline, that it just works.
Also, Rowan and Sloan (aside from being killers) seem to be really fun and well adjusted people. Yep, betcha didn't expect that comment. Their story is a fun one and I enjoyed following along on their journey and seeing their romance unfold. The funny thing was that once you began to feel yourself completely immersed in the story - BOOM - something pops out and just reminds you about the absolute craziness of the entire scenario (No Spoilers - all I'll say on this is where Rowan hides the location of a certain ring.....really???? Seriously????)
I think the main thing that makes this book work is the banter between the two MC's. It really is fun and entertaining. Add to that the secondary characters of Lark and Lachlan, and Fionn - it bumps it up to another level. Each of these characters are fleshed out very nicely and developed in a way that they are jusat as important to the story.
I would also be remiss if I didn't mention the narrating duo of Joe Arden and Lucy Rivers. They both did a fantastic job. Especially Joe (but to be fair, he is already narrating royalty in my opinion) but this story has several different accent requirements and his Irish brogue is spot on and COMPLETELY ADORABLE!
This has been one of those series that - at least to me - has been an up and down ride. I thoroughly LOVED the first book but then had so4.25 Stars ⭐️
This has been one of those series that - at least to me - has been an up and down ride. I thoroughly LOVED the first book but then had some real problems with the second book. The third book definitely redeemed itself, so when it came to this book - the 4th and final book - I wasn't sure what to expect.
I'm happy to say that this last book did a good job of bringing this series to a close. There was a lot to tie up and Ms. Scheuerer did a great job of bringing ALL of the previous secondary characters back in a way that just worked. We even got to see Talemir and Drue reunite with Wilder and with them that included their young addition to their family.
This was a really great book of found family - even if it took everyone a little bit of time to realize that. The sisters were reunited - which was important and through each sister, they brought more people into the group. I especially loved seeing a future for Wren along with Thea and Wilder's conclusion.
Again, the biggest issue that I had with this book was the level of...well.....I guess you would call it smut. As I mentioned before in the review of book 2, there is nothing wrong with smut and I usually have absolutely no issues with it. In fact, some of my favorite books would probably live under that category. The issues came with the amount, and the sometimes crazy and inopportune timing. It got to the point where you lost the intimacy between Thea and Wilder and it just became an act. The story was truly solid enough on its own and that amount of s*x was NOT necessary. With that being said - thank goodness this book was not as bad as the second book (seriously....on the outside balcony over the thousand troop tents before the big battle....now, THAT was too over the top)
So all in all the series as a whole was a good series. There were some really GREAT things about it, but to me, I would probably say the character relationships are what pulled it from an okay series to a really good series. Thea, Wren, Kip, Cal, Wilder, the other War Swords and all of the other secondary characters made for a wonderful and fun group....more
This was an anthology that I didn't even know about. That is....until I was reading the third and final book in the Ink and Sigil Series by Kevin HearThis was an anthology that I didn't even know about. That is....until I was reading the third and final book in the Ink and Sigil Series by Kevin Hearne and there was an Author's Foreword that mentions this book because of ONE particular story. Why in the world is that even important? Well, it really isn't.
Not to rehash things, but I was a pretty die hard fan of Atticus O'Sullivan in the Iron Druid Series. To say that I was NOT particularly happy with the way that series ended, well, with the actions of another Druid who Shall Not Be Named would probably be the understatement of the century. In my review, I think I said something like I hoped there might be a spinoff or another book that took us into the future to see how Atticus and Oberon were doing, but that I had absolutely NO desire to read another word about She Who Should Not Be Named. Here is the link to it if anybody cares: Scourged Review
The reason that this is even mentionable is that I wrote that review almost 7 years ago! 7 years and I still feel the same anger towards that character (fantastic writing Mr. Hearne!). So when Mr. Hearne started off this other book by mentioning that there was a short story that took us to Atticus and Oberon's new life, I was excited. So....here we are.
This was an anthology of three stories - the first being the aforementioned Atticus and Oberon story. It was GREAT. A wonderful way of getting a peek into their current life with the addition of a murder mystery as well. Luke Daniels always does a fantastic job narrating Oberon and this time was no different. To me, the book was worth it just for this story.
Then. the second story was by a "new to me" author Delilah S. Dawson and it felt like it might be the beginning of a new series. If it is, I would definitely be interested in continuing with the next book. I liked the FMC and the setting in the enchanting world of Arcadia Falls made for lots of possibilities.
The third book - by author Chuck Wendig was a pass. His name sounds familiar, but I'm not really sure if I've read anything by him in the past. The story itself did nothing for me but I was okay with that since the first two more than made up for it....more
Very short novella introducing us to FMC Alexandria Andros - Alex. This is the prequel that tells us the events that occurred that caused 3.5 Stars ⭐️
Very short novella introducing us to FMC Alexandria Andros - Alex. This is the prequel that tells us the events that occurred that caused Alex to be in Atlanta on the day that she was attacked by daimon's and rescued by Aiden St Delphi.
It also gives us a little of the back story about how Alex and her mom were living after they left the Covenant - even though the reader has no clue at this point what the Covenant is.
I did enjoy it - even though I read this book AFTER I had completed the entire series....more
To be honest, I went back and forth with what I wanted to say on this review. If I was going to review the series as a whole, I would say tha3.5 Stars
To be honest, I went back and forth with what I wanted to say on this review. If I was going to review the series as a whole, I would say that I really, really enjoyed it. I loved the world, I loved the characters, and I loved the mythology. If I was going to say one thing about this book in particular it would be that you could have combined books 4 and 5 and probably had a better story for the readers. Again, just my opinion.
It felt like the momentum that had been building from the first book through the third book just stalled in book 4. Actually, Elixir (book 3.5) was the first book that I went, "Huh?" and then Appollyn (book 4) just FELT long and that was a first in the series. I was hoping that this last and final book would magically find the spark again, but alas.....it did not.
Things I'm glad for - *The series did tie up several loose ends *We FINALLY had the showdown that had been building since the very beginning *Seth and Alex had an awesome scene in this book - truly moving *There are a couple more- but *no spoilers* so we will leave it at that
Things that were disappointing - *There were WAY too many questions left unanswered after everything was said and done *The ending felt rushed *We never got to go back and get a chapter on the other characters that we had come to care about after the fight *I was EXTREMELY unhappy with one of the bargains that was made for the soul of a certain individual - talk about unfair.....man that bothered me *Then, we discover that ANOTHER deal was made that was even MORE unfair towards another character. REALLY?
The ending was a HUGE disappointment. Really, really awful. Besides having a couple of plot holes in the whole arrangement, it just didn't work. The pieces didn't fit.
The solution was worse - now don't get me wrong - the CONCEPT surrounding the solution (being together) that was the LEAST that needed to happen, but the WAY......nope......just nope.
So, I'm just going to remember the series as a whole. I'm going to remember the friends that were made, and the relationships that were built. And of course, those pesky gods....well, only the ones I liked (there were only a couple…well, just 2. Maybe 3).
But most of all, I am going to be happy for Aiden, and I guess for Alex too.....while I stew over what happened to Seth. That's the best I can do.........more
This was the second book in a row where I felt like we were going backwards with this series. What does this mean? Well, each book in this series feltThis was the second book in a row where I felt like we were going backwards with this series. What does this mean? Well, each book in this series felt like it was building. Building and building, and getting better and better. The level of drama, action, betrayal - the fight between good and evil. The growth of the relationships between those who escaped and who were becoming found family. It just kept getting better and better.
This book however, felt like everything just kind of stopped in its tracks. There were events that didn't really make sense. There was the whole crazy Alex thing which in my opinion, went on WAY too long.
Then there was Aiden. It KILLED me watching him go through everything he went though. Yes, I understand why, I just didn't have to like it.
This was also the first time where there were issues with pacing. The story tended to drag at certain parts - there was way too much time doing the same repetitive things over and over - details that didn't necessarily need to be in the book.
Does that mean I didn't like it? No. I did like it - just not as much. When a book starts to frustrate me, that is never a good thing. But there was some redemption at the end. Another thing was I was SO glad to finally get to the last book in the series. That is also a red flag for me because usually, I'm sad and NOT wanting to get to the last book because it means it will be over too soon.
So, off we go. Time to find out how this wraps up. Truthfully, I have no idea how this is going to go....more
This is a short story in between the time that Aiden and the gang rescues Alex from the Island when everything hits the fan and when she awakens in thThis is a short story in between the time that Aiden and the gang rescues Alex from the Island when everything hits the fan and when she awakens in their safe house.
This is the time frame that later is called the "Evil Alex" period. She awakens (it was supposed to happen on her 18th birthday) but when she awakens, she is immediately enveloped into Seth. And Seth is no longer the Seth we knew. You know, the one that I went back and forth with whether I liked him or not. Let's just say that that is no longer a problem. He has gone over to the evil side.
But, honestly. This book was hard to read. Alex really is "Evil Alex" and the things coming from her mouth are more like someone being possessed. I can't believe she could change so much - that part never made sense to me.
Anyway, this story tells us what is happening as Aiden and the gang cage Alex while they search everywhere trying to find a way to break the bind. Apollo is becoming a bigger part of the story and he is also trying his best to find a solution. But, things are not looking good......
This was the first book that I felt did NOT grow and get better for me. I felt like we took a step back with this one. It was still necessary, but I didn't like it as much....more
Okay, now that that is out of the way....things are definitely heating up. After the attack at the Council in the Catskil4.5 Stars ⭐️
FINALLY! (IYKYK)
Okay, now that that is out of the way....things are definitely heating up. After the attack at the Council in the Catskills - Alex had to kill a Pure in order to save her life (he was trying to kill her). Aiden jumped in without a second thought to cover it up (Have I mentioned how much I adore Aiden?)
Anyway, my feelings about Seth are like a flag flying in the wind. It is constantly moving from one direction to the other. I only know that he is somehow manipulating her - but I don't know why yet - or why he was trying to get her to awaken early.
There is another event that FINALLY happens in this book. After SO many close calls, I mean SERIOUSLY.....I was going to throw my iPad through the wall if they got that far down the line again and had another interruption...AGH!!! Of course, this happens because Seth and Lucien have to stay in New York after the attack to clean things up....all I kept thinking was "stay away longer dude....no need to come back!"
The other great development in this book was the bigger role that we get to see from Deacon. He is one of my favorite characters - has been since the beginning - and it is great to get to see more of him.
Unfortunately, it doesn't look like things are going to last.........more
This is the second book in this series and things are getting interesting. It is apparent that there is some serious UST between Alex and 4.5 Stars ⭐️
This is the second book in this series and things are getting interesting. It is apparent that there is some serious UST between Alex and Aiden. Unfortunately, they can never be together because there are STRICT rules against half bloods and Pure's getting together. Serious rules that could cause Alex to be drugged into servitude if they were ever caught. Aiden wouldn't be punished, only Alex. Yes, these laws are totally one sided, but man oh man is their some heat between these two.
Unfortunately, Seth either did something or said something to Aiden because he completely tore Alex's heart in two. He was cruel. I know why he did it, and why he felt like he had to do it - but man oh man was it hard to read.
Remember my thoughts about not knowing how I felt about Seth, well, let's just say that it is becoming clearer and clearer that I do not trust him. He knows a lot more than he is sharing and I am worried that his intentions with Alex are not in her best interest. And man - Aiden - stop with the going back and forth. It only hurts Alex more. But, in the same breath, it also makes ME feel better to know that you are suffering....I'm not sure what that says about me.......
So, the team goes to New York to deal with the latest changes in the daimon's strategies and Alex is required to testify to the Council about what happened when she was kidnapped. Things do not go as planned. Not only is someone trying to kill her, ruin her, or get her sentenced to servitude, there is also the developing relationship with Seth happening.
All I can say is that something is not right...But what do I know?
This is the first book in the Covenant Series- even though I discovered a short prequel AFTER I finished this series. But, this book intr4.25 Stars ⭐️
This is the first book in the Covenant Series- even though I discovered a short prequel AFTER I finished this series. But, this book introduces us to the world of the Hematoi - to the half-bloods, the Pure's, daimon's and the Covenant.
The thing that I found VERY interesting is that I am a HUGE fan of JLA. I've read most of her completed series, and all of her series still being written and she has written a LOT of books. I am not sure how I never discovered or started on this series. When I did, I discovered that this was the very first book she EVER had published. That was so amazing to me and it is truly astonishing to see how much she has grown and developed as a writer. Her latest series' - Blood and Ash, and Flesh and Fire - are some of the best books I have read, and that is saying a lot.
This book does a great job of introducing us to the characters and to the world. There is a lot of mythology in this series - so I have a feeling that I am going to get a refresher course on the gods in the different pantheons.
We are also introduced to Seth. Seth is the current Apollyon, which means even though he is a half blood, he is capable of utilizing ALL of the elements - fire, water, earth, air and the 5th (can't think of the name right now). There can only be one Apollyon per generation and Seth is in a strong position of power when all of a sudden, he was requested by Lucien. He is not very happy to have been called in from the field for reasons unknown.
He is an arrogant and annoying character and I'm not sure how I feel about him yet. At this point, he is just an extreme pest - but my feelings on him seem to change every few pages....weird, huh? Seth knows something is going on- that Alex is doing something to him but he is not exactly sure what.
Every so often, I find something in my Audible library that surprises me. Not that I was surprised to have a book by JLA in there- because truly, I amEvery so often, I find something in my Audible library that surprises me. Not that I was surprised to have a book by JLA in there- because truly, I am a huge fan. But somehow, I discovered that the book found itself in my library - AND had been placed there by being offered for "free" but the promotion was expiring on October 28th, 2024. Guess what? Today happened to be the 28th of October. Hmmmm. I looked it up and realized it was a stand alone so......what do you think I did? Yep, you are absolutely right.....I pushed play :)
I went into this fairly cold so other than realizing that it was a YA stand alone - that was pretty much the extent of my knowledge. The storyline introduces us to our FMC Ember McWilliams and we discover that her life is a mess. She is a 17 year old who was in a car accident with her family 2 years ago in which both her father and Ember herself died. But apparently, her little 5 year old sister (who was 3 at the time) has a gift. She can bring things - dead things - back to life and that is what she did to Ember. Unfortunately, Ember did not come back exactly "right". NOW, if she touches anything - plant, animal, human....they immediately die. Now isn't that a bummer?
Add to that the fact that her mother seems to have had something like a nervous breakdown and has not left her bed for the last two years, leaving Ember to have the total responsibility for a 5 year old child, sustaining the financial responsibilities of the family (food, bill paying, etc) not to mention the crazy fact that she is still attending high school - a school in which she has been labeled a "freak" from some of the physical changes that she has undergone because of the accident. Crazy, right?
So, that all happens in the 1st 2 chapters. The book actually takes off when something big happens and Ember and her family are basically kidnapped and taken to a compound in West Virginia and told about the "gifted" and the "outsiders". Bottom line, the really wanted Olivia (her little sister - for her "gift" and Ember was "unexpected") To say that Ember has trust issues with these people would be a generous understatement. THIS is where the story starts to get interesting.
Yes, there is the potential love interest in Hayden - another "gifted" boy about her age who seems to be the only person who wants her in this new "family" and who has to continually defend her right to at least be given a chance to stay (remember, she just has to touch skin on someone and they die - so, it is a bit fair for the concern....but, hey, they kidnapped her in the first place, right?)
Things get interesting when Ember realizes that things may not be exactly as she has been told and there are questions about the actual accident that destroyed her family. Add to that that odd things are happening around her and she is receiving really creepy threats.
Bottom line, I enjoyed this book. It was a fairly quick and easy listen. I liked Ember for the most part. She wasn't a wilting rose and I truly felt for her as everything in her life is torn away from her and she feels completely betrayed as various things occur.
There is a bit of a drag in pacing near the middle, but once things get going again, there is a quick pace until the end. I enjoyed the narrator -Saskia Maarleveld - and without looking it up, I think she may be a consistent voice of JLA (don't quote me on that).
So yes - I am glad that I happened to catch this story before it disappeared from my library. I am curious if there is anything else in this world or if it is a true stand alone. I think I am going to go and look into that right now.........more
Completely "new to me" author that I'm actually not sure when it got added to my Audible library. It was a novella that was a part of an 4.25 Stars ⭐️
Completely "new to me" author that I'm actually not sure when it got added to my Audible library. It was a novella that was a part of an existing series, but it was touted as a stand alone so I thought, "why not?" Unfortunately, I went into this cold so I didn't even know what the storyline or even the genre was.
Imagine my surprise when I realized that this was a stand alone but set in the world of a multi book world from this author about a plaque that hits the world and wipes out about 90% of the population? The difference is that instead of creating typical zombies, the mutations are actually called "primals". While they have some similarities to what we have become used to, there are some pretty major differences as well.
This story introduces us to Bran and Kat. Bran and Kat are on the run (this part is a little vague) but apparently Kat is what is called a hybrid. She is 3/4 human and the rest primal. But Bran thinks of her as a daughter or friend. The crazy thing is that she is like 3 or 4 years old, but apparently as big and developed as an older teenager with definite thinking skills and some humanity.
The two find a hidden monestary in the Oregon wilderness where an older woman is trying to raise 5 "hybrid" boys. Again, these kids are young - the oldest is 6 - but they are definitely as big and bigger than most grown men. Shay is trying to teach the boys to focus on their humanity and she absolutely abhors violence.
Well, in a world where things have gone to he**, the whole "anti-violence" mantra, well, that isn't really feasible (there is a whole back story about "who" the boys are and why they are there). Anyway, a hunter who has been tracking the huge, deadly and evil Primal Alpha Male "Khan" who has been seen in the area, discovers their monastery and things go pear shaped from there.
I was very surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. It is extremely fast paced and full of action, yet the surprise was the depth of character development that we get from this unusual group of found family. It is one of those books where you keep thinking, okay, just one more chapter. And before you know it, you realize that you've finished the book.
I will admit that it made me curious enough to look up the author and look into his other books. This series- The Remaining - sounds interesting and I think I might add it to my constantly growing TBR list. ...more
What can I say other than I love this series? To top it off, this book wraps up a couple of story arcs and features 2 of our favorite couples from theWhat can I say other than I love this series? To top it off, this book wraps up a couple of story arcs and features 2 of our favorite couples from the series - well, specifically MY favorite couple and another couple that many people enjoy. So it's like a two-fer :)
During the last few books featuring Tenzin and Ben, we have been seeing Tenzin "evolve" as she begins to regain a bit of her humanity after mating with Ben. The two of them are probably one of the most unlikely pairs in this genre, yet I adore them tremendously. Tenzin is a one of a kind character in the fact that she is so old - thousands of years old - that she almost has sociopathic tendencies where she watches people and knows what types of reactions she should have, yet most of the time she just doesn't care. ....unless it involves Ben and/or his opinion of her. I really can't explain it, but watching her grow has been such a fun journey.
Then there is Brigid and Carwin. For whatever reason, I've had a problem liking Brigid from the beginning, but I've found myself softening towards her in recent books. There is actually an Author's Note at the end of this book that talks about Brigid being a difficult character for some people and I actually felt seen in this because I thought I was the only one who had a hard time liking her. Imagine that?
Anyway, this book is the finale in a couple of issues that have taken place over the last couple of books so it is not really a stand alone. Yes, I'm sure you could follow along, but why would you want to when it is so fun to understand and follow along with this incredible group of vampires?
I was sad when the book ended, but in the same note from Ms. Hunter, she lets us know that this is not the end. Our favorite characters are going to be popping up sooner rather than later - so that is a definite "yay" from me.
Enjoyed this one quite a bit and I will definitely be on the look out for what ever is coming next....more