Book review - Ember's Curse (prime wolf) by Gena D Lutz....
If you love paranormal romances this is a must read! The characters are perfectly written. I'll try not to give away too much...Ember is a wolf/ vampire with all sorts of life issues within her pack. She hangs with her wolf pack mate Nathan and has a roommate Harper whose a vampire. This book is full of mystical creatures with twists and turns. In comes Collin a force to be reckoned with..gotta love the immediate chemistry between Collin and Ember...the description of their surroundings throughout the story makes you feel your within their world...one of my favorite characters besides Collin and Ember is Dane!!!! This author has quit the imagination, great read....can't wait to read more by her....

Book review of Love You More (broken series) by M.L. Stephens.....This book was great from start to finish! Chapter 1 gave me goosebumps and got me so angry at the situation, then chapter 3 made me cry my heart out. These terrific characters are well written and keep you reading, Jenna and Claire are the best of friends as close as sisters, their lives change dramatically from tradegy but the story has so many twists and turns you think you have it figured out but it's not what it seems, great co characters Mason a and Ella... A must read....the only issue I had was the ending ...lol..I wanted more, but luckily for me their is a book 2...(smie) M.L. Stephens is amazing,,, much recommended,,,,

~ nanee

Charity moon review - This book would be labeled to me as a YA/ paranormal/romance/light religion. Without giving too much away or spoiling the plot. Charity moon was written in the first person, main character Charity Bell who seems like a typical teenage high school student until the layers of her life are revealed, she has a major well deserved chip on her shoulder and a negative attitude but you feel for her character from beginning to end and go through her emotions with her throughout the story, loosing her father she pulls strength and hope from his religious/spiritual background That gets her through the tough times. In comes Levi Drake a sexy new comer with a protective streak and sweet nature whose hiding something. As their lives intertwine love at first sight meets true love. Twists and turns and intrigue keep the story interesting and the reader wanting to keep reading. There were a few disappointments towards the middle/end with the second wives/first child being a son storyline; my opinion didnt need so much emphasis. The vampires were mentioned briefly in a story being told to Charity by Levi then brought in again then gone again, alittle too fast moving in that part with the foregiveness. Over all I would highly reccomend this story especially if your into YA paranormal. I think the author wrote great characters and the story was one you can't stop reading and in the end want more.. Can't wait to read the second story of this series.

~~ Nanee 

The Flight of the Griffin by C.M. Gray Review ~Kami

The Flight of the Griffin by C.M. Gray 

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15831071-the-flight-of-the-griffin

http://www.amazon.com/Flight-Griffin-C-M-Gray/dp/1471750353/ref=la_B00765XUMC_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1356321020&sr=1-2

I won this book in a giveaway! Thank You! This is my honest review.

Pardigan, Quint, Loras and Tarent live on an abandoned ship, the Griffin. Pardigan is a twelve-year-old thief. Quint is the oldest and the captain of their vessel. “Loras had once been apprenticed to a magician, but the old boy had died before passing on much of his craft.” Tarent is lazy but nice and the boys' storyteller. Pardigan steals a magical knife and a shape shifter follows the boys. Among the things Pardigan stole from the merchant is a magic book of challenges. “‘The Book of Challenges’ was written a long time ago, by a magician who foresaw a time in the future when this planet would need to be set on another course. The reality you all take for granted is set in a fine balance between Chaos and Order.” Mahra, the shape shifter asks if they want to take up the quest to find three crystal skulls. The book names the boys Magician, Thief, The Leader (Fighter) and the Priest. “You are the soldiers for Order, you must complete the challenges to finish the spell and stop the world from slipping further and further into the control of Chaos and the dark days of true evil.” A demon, magician and the merchant follow the boys to stop them from their quest. This is a wonderful, imaginative adventure story and I was really loving it. The writing is really good and Mr. Gray paints such a pretty picture, I was immediately entranced. My only criticism would be that the middle of the story was dragging a bit and I didn't connect as much with the characters as I would like. They were a bit one-dimensional. I really liked the action bits the best. Mahra is pretty funny as a cat. 4 stars.

Love You More by M.L. Stephens Giveaway

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Black Moon (Paige Tailor Series #1) by Jessica McQuay Review ~Kami

Black Moon (Paige Tailor Series #1) by Jessica McQuay  Review

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16005072-black-moon

http://www.amazon.com/Jessica-McQuay/e/B00A72UMTU/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

This book was gifted to me by the author for an honest review. Thank You!

Strange phenomena is happening to Paige. She hears thoughts screaming in her head and her hands glow with strange “white dusky light”. People start attacking her. And she seems stronger and reacts faster than she used to. Later her eye sight has improved. Paige thinks she must be losing her mind until she talks to her mother. Her mom explains what is happening, that Paige is not entirely human. That she is half fae. The writing is really good. I was drawn into Paige's story immediately. I cared about her a lot after only reading a few pages.

Paige has a hard time transitioning into her new life. “It felt like a millennia since I last thought about going to college or wondered how close I was to getting Valedictorian this year. My new life consisted of out running werewolves and going on vacation to Varulean instead of Disneyland.” Paige is kind of a brat at this point. I can kind of envision her having a tantrum, throwing herself on the floor, feet pounding into the carpet, fists pounding, and yelling “Hell, no. I won't go!” Paige doesn't like the faery food on Varulean, an alternate dimension, and she doesn't like their clothes. She is very rigid and stuck in what she is most accustomed to and isn't too thrilled by giving Faery a chance. Paige doesn't trust her grandparents, the faery queen and king. Paige is clumsy and worries about her defense training. She also worries about attending parties and mingling. She is afraid she will act and say something stupid and embarrass herself and the king and queen. Paige really wants to learn how to control her magic. Paige really doesn't like change and to be told that everything she has ever believed in is a lie, is a hard thing for her to deal with. It is an uncomfortable adjustment period. The story starts to drag at this point. Then Paige meets Naialah and things start to get interesting again. Two-thirds into the story things start getting really interesting.

There were a couple plot points that were left open ended, I am guessing for the next book in the series. Paige's relationship with Naialah, Naialah herself, the wolves, Paige's father. A lot of interesting things happen that aren't fully explained. I liked this book a lot and I would like to pick up the next book in the series, Ms. McQuay still has a lot of explaining to do. 4 stars.

The Alien Mind by Virginia Lori Jennings Review ~Kami

The Alien Mind by Virginia Lori Jennings Review

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16092168-the-alien-mind

http://www.amazon.com/Alien-Mind-Virginia-Lori-Jennings/dp/1480111562/ref=la_B002BMB7BQ_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1356075885&sr=1-2

This book was gifted to me by the author. Thank You!

“A group of aliens, calling themselves the Aruk, defied their home planet's government and

launched an attack on earth. In the dark of night they appeared into various houses in various towns all over the Earth. The Aruk attacked the Earth families in their homes and then kidnapped 150 children.”

The children are taught by the aliens how to use more of their brain capacity and to manifest psychic powers like telekinesis. The good aliens are from Aun, the Aunantet. Rivi can link her brain to a computer. Sarah Ernestine aka Rivinaig goes back to Earth and goes to middle school.

“You expect me to believe that you were kidnapped by aliens at the age of four. Were raised by them. Were taught how to do things using a separate part of your mind. That you've been living with aliens on an alien planet, and have only just arrived here two days ago?"

Rivi befriends a boy who is being bullied and tries to teach him to be more assertive.

This is a quick, entertaining read and I liked it a lot. Rivi's superpowers are really cool and I liked how she taught Dan to be confident.

This book is set in the near future and I thought it was a bit weird that no one seemed too upset knowing there were aliens out there and that Rivi has superpowers. She goes to meet with the U.S. President and she is treated very nicely. Typically in movies now a days, aliens are taken to Roswell and autopsied. And people who have psychic abilities are imprisoned somewhere, treated unkindly and experimented on. No one seems too terribly afraid or threatened by Rivi.

The bad aliens, the Aruk capture Rivi and Dan and torture them.

I thought it was strange that the aliens called Rivi and Dan by their Personal Pin Numbers from school. The book ends with the Aruk planning nefarious things and Rivi and Dan deciding to stop them by recruiting other children. Apparently only children have the ability to open up the unused portions of their brains.

I thought this story was really interesting and it had a lot of potential. I felt at times that the plot was scattering in several directions and I was getting a bit lost. I thought the writing was really good and uncomplicated enough to be enjoyed by 4 – 8 grade readers. I thought at times the story could have been polished a bit more to be stronger. I didn't become as connected to the characters as I would like. There was some scary parts that was drawing me in which I thought could have been expanded upon. All in all I did enjoy it and felt that it was quick light read. 3.5 stars.

The Moon Dwellers (The Dwellers #1) by David Estes Review ~Kami

The Moon Dwellers (The Dwellers #1) by David Estes  Review

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13931214-the-moon-dwellers

http://www.amazon.com/The-Moon-Dwellers-Saga-Volume/dp/1478150742/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1355814498&sr=8-1&keywords=the+moon+dwellers

This book was gifted to me for an honest review. Thank You!

17-year-old Adele is locked up in a juvenile detention center until she turns 18 when she will be moved to the adult Maximum Security Prison. Her parents were taken away by enforcers. She befriends another girl Tawni. She has an immediate painful reaction when she sees Tristan, the priveleged sun dweller and prince of the Tri-Realms. “Despite the distance, it's like they pierce me to my very soul, sending waves of energy up my back, through my neck, slamming into my brain like a sledge hammer.” Tristan also experiences pain when he sees Adele. “It's like she was metal and I was a magnet...But at the same time it felt like someone had shoved an electric wire into my skin and was frying me from the inside.”

Adele is the daughter of a traitor. “They told me rebelliousness is passed through blood, genetically, like eye color or being able to snap your fingers.”

People live underground and the sun dwellers are those closest to the surface, the moon dwellers are farther down in the earth and the star dwellers are the deepest underground. They are called the Tri-Realms. Adele wants to rescue her family. “Only small hurdles to get over, like escaping from the Pen, crossing hundreds of miles of cave networks while avoiding detection by Enforcers, breaking into at least one maximum security prison, and then breaking back out.”

Tristan wants to find the girl that caused him immediate pain when he looked at her so he leaves his home to find Adele and comes to the Pen right as she is breaking out. There are explosions and they are separated but Tristan is determined to find her.

This book is a dystopian YA that at times reminds me of Divergent by Veronica Roth, Enclave by Ann Aguirre, and Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Dictatorships and class systems are often themes in dystopian novels, I've noticed. Divergent has factions, The Hunger Games has districts and this one has Realms. The strong female protagonist is also something these books have in common. Adele is as strong a fighter as Tris or Katniss. I like these kind of stories. Though there are similarities, they never seem derivative but instead expand upon the theme which I enjoy.

It makes sense that after a nuclear disaster or if an asteroid or meteor hits the earth or some other event took place destroying the environment, that surviving humanity would go underground, this also happens in Enclave. In this book a meteor hit and the government was prepared so they built underground caverns but there wasn't enough room for everyone. All the politicians, doctors, scientists and farmers went and I am betting the rich went as well. For the normal people there was a lottery and everyone had a 1 in 100 chance of being chosen. This is just for the United States. They don't know if any other countries had survival plans. “It is 499 PM (Post-Meteor).”

Men kidnap Tristan and plan on taking him to the star dwellers. “The whole world is exploding, we are captured by a gang of misfits, and one of my captors wants an autograph?” “All I see are star dwellers blowing up moon dwellers, moon dwellers acting like sheep, sun dwellers ruling over all.” “Here he is talking about revolutions and changing the world, and he is willing to risk his life to help a random moon dweller, who happens to be an escaped convict, rescue her father from a secure prison where he is being held on charges of treason?”

I really liked this book a lot. The writing is really good and the characters are great. I was quickly drawn into this world and I care a lot about what is happening with Adele and Tristan and their world underground. Everything was getting exciting and then this book ends. Dang it! Cliffhanger ending! I have to get the next book in this trilogy. Must know what happens! Four Stars. 

Redemption, Ransom and Retribution by R.K.Ryals Review ~Kami

Redemption, Ransom and Retribution by R.K.Ryals review

http://www.amazon.com/Redemption-R-K-Ryals/dp/1466392509/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1355372284&sr=8-6&keywords=redemption+r.k.+ryals

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12970812-redemption

http://www.amazon.com/R.K.-Ryals/e/B005QBDOPG/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

Redemption (Redemption #1) by R.K. Ryals 

Dayton and her sister Amber go to live with their aunt, the Abbess of Blackstone Abbey. Dayton starts having a recoccuring dream and in her dream her father repeats “Look for the light”. Dayton's best friend, Monroe has visions. Monroe is a Wiccan, first she sees a man outside Dayton's second floor window, then during a scrying she sees figures, blood and a chain. Monroe thinks Dayton should leave the Abbey that it is dangerous. Amber tells Dayton that “they had you chosen years ago” and “You weren't meant to be brought into the fold.” Another one of Dayton's friends says that her aunt's aura is black. Dayton is really tough. I think it is really ballsy to swear at nuns. She acts recklessly and though there are several warnings to leave the Abbey, she ignores them. Dayton is not afraid of her aunt or the other nuns. A recruiter shows up to talk to Dayton. He says he has a job that she would be perfect for. Dayton is totally creeped out by him, but not once asks him what the job is. Amber says to Dayton: “When you turn seventeen, things change for you here. It's like a rite of passage. And for you and me, it's more than that. It's life altering.”

Since this was the beginning of the series it takes a while to set up the story. I started really getting into the story about half way through once Marcas was there and things started getting exciting. The secondary characters were well fleshed out and I liked them: Monroe and Conor.

“You didn't watch the next seven years of her life lived in a prison with no affection and only condemnation. You can't even recognize the fact that her strength comes now from betrayal. What must it feel like to find out you were raised to be sacrificed to a Demon?”

I liked the writing. I think my only critique would be that the supernatural parts were very complicated and the explanations were at times stilted and took a way from the flow of the story by slowing everything down. Dayton was very unwilling to believe in the fantastical parts that her life was thrust into in the beginning. But then towards the middle she accepted everything quickly. In the beginning she was stubbornly acting like an ostrich burying its head in the sand or an obstinate child putting her hands on her ears singing: “la, la, la.” And then all of a sudden she is just over it.

I think since this is the beginning of a series, it takes some time to set up the storyline which can sometimes be jarring for the pacing. I think that I might like the next book in the series better because of this fact. I was really getting drawn into the action and the characterization of Marcas towards the second half of the book. I found Marcas' complexities very intriguing. He is not a very “good” demon. “Marcas' failure is his mercy.” The battle with the demons was exciting and I was drawn into Marcas' and Dayton's quest to find a magic ring. I am excited to start the next book. 4 stars.

http://www.amazon.com/Ransom-Redemption-Series-ebook/dp/B006X1FU9Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1355467442&sr=8-1&keywords=ransom+r.k.+ryals

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13647343-ransom

Ransom (Redemption #2) by R.K. Ryals 

This book was gifted to me by the author. Thank You!

The book begins with Marcas and Dayton on a flying carpet going on a quest to retrieve a magic ring so as to break their bond. Dayton is afraid of heights and is swearing and complaining for the entire trip.  Marcus' ex, the angel Sophia shows up and Dayton gets a bit jealous. "It was like staring at a perfect piece of china, so beautiful, so flawless, that the only thing I wanted to do with it was throw it agaisnt a wall and watch it shatter." Things get really complicated on the quest for the ring. "Sophia wanted to protect the ring, Lucas wanted to take me to my father, Marcas wanted unbound, and I just wanted to go home." "Something told me mixing the word Hell with hound wasn't like mixing ice with cream."

I am liking Dayton more in this book. She is stronger. And she is so funny.  While Dayton gets tougher, Marcas seems to soften a bit. "I may need instruction. I may even need rescuing here and there. But, I am not weak. And when I learn something new, I learn it. I don't forget it, Marcas. I may fear things, but I am one hell of a fighter. And I didn't inherit that from Angels. It didn't come from Bezaliel. No, I inherited that from my mother." All these forces stand in Dayton's way. Demons want her destroyed or they want to use her for their own gain. Dayton insists on doing things the hard way and being complicated, because "it's more fun." Then she starts a forbidden love affair with Marcas. "I loved words. They gave meaning to life, explained feelings many couldn't express otherwise. It was a release. And if it was strange for me to like literature and poetry, then I rather liked being strange." Marcas is the only one without an agenda, the only one who doesn't want to use Dayton. Marcas wants to give Dayton the chance to choose her own fate. "Everyone has the capacity for evil. But evil doesn't have the capacity to be merciful."

I really like this book better than the first one. Dayton seems more mature and the writing is stronger. This book is really exciting too with all the battles going on and Dayton standing strong in the middle. I like the tough, surly, demon Marcas. He cares a lot for Dayton, though he is a man of few words, he is always there when she needs him.  And when you are at war with Hell, and the mother of demons Lilith, it is a good idea to have a badass, warrior demon at your back. With all the pain and evil in the world, I do believe that good will triumph. I believe that love is stronger than horror.  This book ends with a cliffhanger and now I must see how this trilogy will end because now I am really loving this story. 5 stars.

Retribution (Redemption #3) by R.K. Ryals

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13607421-retribution

http://www.amazon.com/Retribution-Redemption-Series-ebook/dp/B0084F4N3I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1355617633&sr=8-1&keywords=retribution+r+k+ryals

 This book was gifted to me by the author. Thank You!

This is the conclusion of the trilogy. Dayton has been kidnapped by Damon. Dayton loves Marcas and Marcas loves her too. Damon wants to rape Dayton and trap Marcas. Dayton is so much stronger now and in control of her power. Damon uses the ring to purge Marcas from Dayton. “Because as the ring worked to purge the Demon blood from my body, I felt my heart crack, the hairline fracture moving down the organ, widening until the halves fell apart.”

 Dayton goes into the ring to rescue Marcas. “He'd saved a lot of lives, had fallen in love, lost that love, protected me, and then hopelessly fallen in love again.”

 And so the exiles go to war in Hell and Bezaliel tells Marcas to walk away from Dayton. In Hell, Lucifer makes Marcas and Dayton suffer through three trials and only their love for each other keeps them alive. There are so many forces standing between Marcas and Dayton and it seems that it would be completely impossible that they can end up happily together. Along the way, Dayton matured and she trusted and loved the strong, surly demon Marcas. But neither Heaven nor Hell wants to allow them to be together. This was a beautiful love story and great conclusion of the series. I ended up really liking Dayton. I was annoyed with her in the first book, but her pain and suffering matured her and her love for Marcas saves them both. I really liked this series a lot. 5 stars.

Lunangelique (Lunangelique #1) by Kristin R. Campbell Review ~Kami

Lunangelique (Lunangelique #1) by  Kristin R. Campbell

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15892131-lunangelique

http://www.amazon.com/Lunangelique-The-Series-Volume/dp/1477697969/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1355266056&sr=8-1&keywords=lunangelique

I won this book in a giveaway. Thank You!

Lunangelique is the story of adopted 17-year-old twins Lexi and Alex. Lexi wants to find out more about her birth parents but her brother Alex convinces her to let it go. Ollie has just moved to the neighborhood and meets Lexi. Ollie lives with his older brother who, he says, works for the Church researching miracles. Another boy, 19-year-old Cole moves across from the twins. Lexi notices that he has “two deep scars lining the sides of his back.” Lexi has an immediate attraction to Cole which is reciprocated. Cole has been touring with the Virginia Symphony and will be working as a teacher's assistant at the twins' school. Cole tells Lexi a story about Selene, the goddess of the moon and her lover Endymion. Lexi is seriously hot for teacher, though Cole is reluctant to jeopardize his job.

A strange pendant shows up on Lexi's pillow. The design on the pendant are wings that remind Lexi of angel's wings.

On a dinner date, Cole and Lexi run into Edmund. Lexi thinks the man looks remarkably like her brother. Cole seems really nervous around the older man.

Edmund's last name is Kakabel which Alex finds: “The name was given to a supposed fallen angel. It means the “star of God'. This angel supposedly commanded an army of spirits.”

Cole is playing at the museum. Lexi peruses the art exhibits painted by Edmund and finds a painting of Selene, who looks remarkably like her. Cole seems to know more about the coincidences then he is willing to let on. It seems really weird to me that Cole always seems to want Lexi to drink wine, and Lexi is unaccustomed to drinking so it bothers her. Cole says where he is from everyone drank wine. Cole is 19 years-old and Lexi is 17 years-old. Where do people always drink at such a young age? Europe? The Middle Ages?

I thought this was a very quick read and that the writing is sparse and straight forward which I liked. I don't really like flowery writing with a lot of adjectives. I liked Lexi. She is an intelligent girl with a mind of her own. She doesn't let people push her around and I thought she was very strong willed which I liked. Four stars!  

Katie's Hellion (Book I, Rhyn Trilogy) by Lizzy Ford Review ~Kami

http://www.amazon.com/Katies-Hellion-Rhyn-Trilogy-Book/dp/1463542828/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1355026965&sr=8-2&keywords=katie%27s+hellion

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11483834-katie-s-hellion

http://www.amazon.com/Lizzy-Ford/e/B004XTTYOC/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

Katie's Hellion (Book I, Rhyn Trilogy) 

Lizzy Ford 

This book was gifted to me for an honest review. Thank You!

Gabriel, lover to Death, helped sentence his friend Rhyn to Hell for something he didn't deserve. Death says that Rhyn will have to die to save humanity but that a woman destined to be his mate can change his fate. Gabriel delivers Rhyn his immortal powers and a book on how to care for humans.

Katie is having a really bad morning, she is pulled over for driving two miles over the speed limit and with a broken tail light. Then a child she doesn't know follows her and everyone insists that he is her son. Katie is a pill popping, whiskey swilling 18-year-old and she is supposed to have a 5-year-old son. When Katie left her apartment that morning, she didn't have a son, after meeting Toby for the first time and returning with him she finds that her apartment has been transformed with toys, drawings, furniture and pictures as if he belonged there, though Katie has no memory of him. Katie's sister says she is having amnesia issues and should call her doctor.

Gabriel, the death dealer follows Katie and hangs around her apartment freaking her out. He tells her that she wasn't supposed to remember her life before Toby showed up. But Katie is an immortal mate, an Ancient's mate and immune to immortal magic. 

“She’d been seen by a doctor who’d been dead twenty years, was babysitting a four-hundred-thousand-year-old angel, and the grim reaper spent the night on her couch. Things really couldn’t get much stranger.”

"It’s a long story, one you don’t necessarily need to know to understand your circumstances. My brother’s people found you and identified your unique gift for…blocking their natural talents. It makes you valuable and dangerous. If our enemies find you, they can take your blood and modify the creatures who work for them to make them immune to us."

Lizzy Ford exceptionally draws the reader into Katie's story. I was fascinated by the world building and Lizzy Ford's voice. I liked how flawed Katie was, which made her more interesting.

Katie is kidnapped and thrown into Hell in the cell right across from Rhyn.

Once Rhyn claims Katie things start getting exciting. Poor Katie has a really hard time associating with these immortal demonic creatures. They are really rough with her and it seems like every two page she is bloody and beaten. But she is tough and never stops the whiskey swilling and wise cracking.

I really liked the intimacy between Rhyn and Katie, they are both so broken and flawed. Rhyn starts to thaw and care for Katie at the same time Katie wants to give him up and his world. The immortal world is too dangerous for Katie, she wants her humdrum existence back. But Rhyn is willing to fight for her and keep her safe, he just doesn't know how. This is the first book in the trilogy and I hope that by the end of the third book Katie and Rhyn end up together, happy and safe. I like the two of them and I definitely like them together. Katie and Rhyn can save each other, I just know it, if they can figure out a way to keep Katie alive and Rhyn from destroying the world. But if it was easy, it wouldn't be interesting. Five Stars.

Phoenix Rising: Maggie Henning and the Realm: Part One (Volume 1) Lisa C Morgan Review ~Kami

Phoenix Rising: Maggie Henning and the Realm: Part One (Volume 1) Lisa C Morgan 

http://www.amazon.com/Phoenix-Rising-Maggie-Henning-Realm/dp/0615685285/ref=la_B009B8O19I_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1354729789&sr=1-2

This book was gifted to me for an honest review.

Thank You!

Maggie is a typical 16 year old girl, grumbling at her alarm clock, disrespecting her mother and filled with teenage angst and moodiness. Maggie's father had a mental breakdown, killed eight people in a church by burning it down and is confined to a mental hospital, Sunnybrook where he has been since Maggie was 6 years old. She is none too pleased that she has to visit him once a month nor that she is labeled the daughter of a murderer. Maggie has been having weird dreams and visions. Then she finds a note sent to her from Sunnybrook, which her mother had apparently hidden from her. The note says: “It's all true. Guard the blood.” Maggie meets a strange boy in the mall who seems to be able to read her mind. Maggie's best friend Stephanie has an unusually negative, immediate reaction to the boy and abandons Maggie at the mall. Feeling rebellious and reckless, Maggie lets the boy give her a ride on his motorcycle. Without having to give the man directions, the guy, Michel, drives her straight home. Maggie's mother, like Stephanie has an immediate adverse reaction to Michel.

I have to say that I did not like Maggie's attitude at all. If I was her mother, I probably would have slapped her. She is a serious brat.

Maggie's visit with her father turns weird as the incoherent, drooling, shackled monster that she expected turns to her, spits out his medication and tells her that she is in danger and that her mother is not her mother. Maggie's father yells “Revenants” and “Guard the Blood!”

And that's when things get weird with vampires, fairies and skeleton monsters: creatures of the Realm. Maggie finds herself in the middle of a war between good and evil and is told that the tears of a Phoenix, her tears can end the war. And the Revenants want her blood so as to become invincible.

I am a big fan of paranormal, fantasy and urban fantasy and this one is pretty good. I did find Maggie's teenage angst a bit off putting. I frequently had the urge to slap her. I didn't like her in the beginning but I did like the vampire princes: brothers Michel and Luc. Maggie isn't very strong and she doubts her abilities. “I see a weak little girl who spent ten years being teased and abused by almost everyone around her.” Once she showed her vulnerabilities, only then did I begin to feel and sympathize for her. Maggie starts developing “firestarter” powers and it is interesting her developing relationship with Michel since he is ice and she is fire.

Two thirds into the book I really started liking the story. Maggie's struggle enthralled me and Lisa Morgan's voice really drew me in. Things started to get really exciting as the Realm went to battle with the Revenants. A predictable tragedy later occurs that is written so poignantly and eloquently that even though I was waiting for it to happen, it still brought tears to my eyes. “That even with loss, love endures.” “We appreciate the sunset as mush as we treasure the dawn.”

This was a really good, at times excellent book and I really enjoyed it. I would like to get the next book and read more about Maggie, Michel and Luc. Four Stars!

Books for 2013 ~Kami

Another challenge on the Romance Readers Reading Challenges group on Goodreads is the A to Z book title challenge for the year. Here are the books that I already have to get me started for the A to Z challenge for 2013.

http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/12880-romance-readers-reading-challenges

Dawn Keepers by Jessica Andersen
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4498128-dawnkeepers

Heartless by Gail Carriger
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8356487-heartless

Lover Beware by Christine Feehan (borrowed from a friend)
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/304028.Lover_Beware

Master of Night by Angela Knight (borrowed from a friend)
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19909.Master_of_the_Night

Peter and Max by Bill Willingham
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6463595-fables

Shadow's Fall by Dianne Sylvan
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11547894-shadow-s-fall

The Wind through the Keyhole by Stephen King
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12341557-the-wind-through-the-keyhole

Books I want to read before the end of the year

I am at times a bit of a challenge junkie and I really like to organize myself by making lists. So here is my challenge to myself and the list of the books that I want to read before the end of the year, which would be 27 days since today is December 4th. 

I really like Goodreads and I am a member of the Romance Readers Reading Challenges group. For December's Pick It For Me challenge I want to read Wicked Nights by Gena Showalter and Caressed by Ice by Nalini Singh. 

http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/12880-romance-readers-reading-challenges 

http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1102877-2012-december-pick-it-for-me-challenge

I may also read Lover Enshrined (Black Dagger Brotherhood, #6) by J.R. Ward for this challenge. Another challenge that I am participating in is A Year of J.D.Robb and for December we will be reading Reunion in Death on December 15th. 

http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/750011-a-year-of-j-d-robb

My goal for 2012 was to read 90 books. I have read 115 so far. I am thinking that my goal for next year should be 150 books.

My list of books that I have from the library are:

Light my Fire by Katie MacAlister http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50747.Light_My_Fire

Wicked Nights by Gena Showalter http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12900491-wicked-nights

Caressed by Ice by Nalini Singh http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/458034.Caressed_By_Ice

Prey by Rachel Vincent

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6134783-prey

Crossed by Ally Condie

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9794437-crossed

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor (currently reading)

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10763598-daughter-of-smoke-and-bone

Books that I own: 

Save as Draft by Cavanaugh Lee (won in a giveaway)

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8856685-save-as-draft

Lunangelique by Kristin R Campbell (won in a giveaway) http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15715818-lunangelique

A touch of dead by Charlaine Harris http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6202318-a-touch-of-dead

Death's Excellent Vacation by Charlaine Harris http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7102544-death-s-excellent-vacation

Attachments by Rainbow Rowell (won in a giveaway) http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8909152-attachments

Reunion in Death by J. D. Robb http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/238140.Reunion_in_Death