Stephanie's books

Clockwork Angel
Eragon
City of Bones
Twilight
The Fellowship of the Ring
The Golden Compass
Night World, No. 2
Thirst No. 2: Phantom, Evil Thirst, and Creatures of Forever
Thirst No. 3: The Eternal Dawn
The Iron Daughter
The Iron King
Nightshade
Divergent
A Discovery of Witches
A Great and Terrible Beauty
The Hunger Games
The Host
City of Glass
Memoirs of a Geisha
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo


Stephanie's favorite books »

Wednesday 20 May 2015

Read to Review-The Archer (Arrow's Flight #2)



Title: The Archer

Author: Casey Hays
Series: Arrow's Flight #2
Rating: 5/5



Summary:

It took some heavy convincing, a few white lies, and the death of her leader to pull her away from that village, but finally, Kate is with me. I have never felt such relief. I will keep her safe. I will protect her with my last breath if I have to. I won't let my fears get in my way. And in time, I will tell her the whole truth. About me. About Eden. Even if she hates me afterwards . . . 

The Village is a mere memory. The world stands before Kate a wide-open door to the unknown. It is her life now. And her greatest fear.

Her only comfort is Ian with his promises of a new life in Eden. A refuge abundantly full of every good thing. A sanctuary of hope. A place of wonder. A paradise where the Archer doesn't exist, and Fate can't reach her. Together with the other boys from Eden, they embark on a harsh journey full of harrowing surprises and heart-wrenching secrets that forces them to prove their devotion to one another time and again.

But the boys of Eden? Just who are they with their unnatural abilities and dark secrets? Will entrusting her life–her heart–to one of them place her in graver danger than ever before? 

Will Eden finally be enough? Or will her heart continue to ache for something greater?

My Review:


*I received an ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

I must confess that I enjoyed book one a little more than book two and I think that is because this one was so heartbreaking and I know it had to be because that's life and even more so in this world but it made me very sad on many occasions, now I will say that I'm in love with this series and heartbreaking or not I will continue on because I'm totally hooked and that insane cliffhanger demands me to find out what happens, I am a liitle ticked off about the ending, to leave me hanging like that is just cruel especially since I can't get book 3 yet but as soon as I can I'm all over it.
I still love Kate she is strong and capable and I love the group that surrounds her on her scary journey to a new life.

"These boys from Eden are a mystery cloaked in rugged strength and equal tenderness."

I enjoyed the Eden boys Ian and Justin most of all and I really liked getting Ian's point of view in this book it gave me more info on Eden, Ian's super powers and also the insight I craved on Ian's feelings for Kate. Eden has a ton of secrets that I did not expect, it is not the utopia it was made out to be but the world is a crazy place and Kate does realize this eventually. 

"The outside world is no better," I say quietly "It might even be worse."

I am crazy excited for book 3 there is so much I need to know and so many people I'm hoping find the happiness they deserve, they have been through too much heatache as it is and I know there is more to come.

"Grief does not keep track of time."

Amazing series with amazing writing and this has become one of my favorite dystopians.

Saturday 16 May 2015

Read to Review- Breeder (Arrow's Flight #1) by Casey Hays



Title: Breeder
Author: Casey Hays
Series: Arrow's Flight book 1
Rating: 5/5




Summary:
Beyond the Village, nothing exists ... except devastation. A war waged by men and their hateful weapons long ago made it so, and my people--the women of the Village--are the only survivors. This is what our history lessons teach us, and this is what we are to believe. But I am sixteen now ... and I question everything. The Archer has spoken, but I have no desire to heed his command. I long for more. 


In a world demolished by war and ruled by the hands of Fate, individual choices have become obsolete. Essentially, there is only one requirement: Bow the knee to the wisdom of the Council without question. Many of the women in the Village have acquiesced to this mandate, including some of Kate's closest friends. But Kate longs for something more; she hears the call of another life. On the day of her sixteenth birthday celebration, the reality of what this means invades her with a vengeance, and she is forced to contend with her own moral conscience. Kate's destiny has always been the Pit--the life of the breeder--which she is expected to embrace without complaint. Her rebel's heart, however, refuses to comply with Fate's demand, and what she finds in the Pit draws her one step closer to finding the truth about herself and the Village. And it changes the course of her destiny for all eternity. Ages 14 and up.


My Review:

I received an ecopy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Well this book was not what I had expected because it was better. I was just expecting another typical dystopian read which is not a bad thing I loved the genre and decided to read this book based a little on that (I also liked the summary) but I found this to be much more than just your average dystopian and I loved it.
I really loved the writing, it pulled me in right away and I found myself lost in the world because of the great but not over the top descriptions it was very beautiful and it made it very hard for me to put this book down.
Kate was great, a young girl ready for her life to be her own and sick of the Council and what they think her fate should be, I admired her determination to stand up for what she wanted and it usually came at a high cost but she stuck to her guns. I also really liked Ian but I found that he was a little rash when it came to Kate and I'm not sure I totally believed how strongly he felt for her but I'm definitely coming around and I am looking forward to watching them together.
Mona, The Council and the village was rather disturbing just when I thought it could not get any worse another layer of evil was revealed and I found myself shocked and cringing more than I thought I would but I also I was fascinated with the way things worked and how so many people can just accept this way of life even after all of the "disposing" of that was done. I loved watching Kate fight Mona it was so exciting but I did not see the ending coming it was not at all what I expected and it was also pretty great.

"...I feel free. Rebellion does that to you. It makes you bold about the cause before you've won. It plays tricks on your mind that give you hope."

This is an amazing book about fate and the role we allow it to play in our lives, this is one of those books that will stick with you, that will make you think and for that I am grateful and just once more I will say I loved this book.

Saturday 9 May 2015

Read to Review- Dragon Marked (Supernatural Prison 1)




Title: Dragon Marked
Author: Jaymin Eve
Series: Supernatural Prison book 1
Rating: 5/5






Synopsis:
Book 1 in Upper YA/NA Paranormal Romance Trilogy.

There are supernatural prisons hidden across the globe. Contained within these fortresses are some of the deadliest criminals from the five supernatural races: vampire, shifter, fey, magic users and demi-fey.


Jessa Lebron, twenty-two, has spent her entire life in Stratford, Connecticut, one of the gateway towns adjoining these prisons which protect the fortified borders. She’s a wolf shifter, and her father leads the town council. She learns that much of her life has been hidden from her, secrets which threaten to tear apart the very fabric of her world. Especially the biggest secret of them all.


She is dragon marked.
Jessa only knows what she’s been told about the dragon marked, that they are dangerous and must be eliminated to prevent the rise of the dragon king, the powerful warmonger who had his head removed a thousand years ago. So now Jessa's on the biggest hit list of all. Dragon mark hunters are lethal and her only hope to evade detection is to keep the energy contained.
As more secrets unfold she finds herself locked up in Vanguard, the notorious American supernatural prison. Thankfully she’s not alone. Braxton, the dragon-shifter has her back. Together they must survive long enough to free themselves and the other dragon marked.


Because it’s time for the dragon marked to rise.


My Review:

HOORAY FOR THIS BOOK
Okay I had to say that first before I say I received an ebook copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
This book was great, I am an instant fan of this world and the characters in it and I can not wait for book 2, I want, no I NEED more because it was that good and to be honest it could have been much longer and I would not have cared, I am not happy that I have to wait for book 2 but of course I will but I hope it's not to long (Hint Hint Jaymin Eve lol).
Jessa is awesome and I want to be her, she is a powerful wolf Shifter with four superHOT and super powerful best-friends/bodyguards The compass brothers, yes I guess she has a lot of crap to deal with being Dragon Marked and all but she gets to have her boys and I think they would make it all worth it plus I think her having the Dragon Mark is kinda cool. So if you have not already guessed I have a giant crush on these four hotties, Maximus (Vampire), Braxton (Dragon Shifter), Tyson (Wizard), and Jacob (Fey) were fantastic and their relationship with Jessa was maybe a tiny bit cheesy at times but it was also beautiful and heart warming. Braxton is my favorite and I believe he is Jessa's as well, I loved how subtle the change in their friendship was but I know it will play a bigger role as the series continues at least I hope it does. Having the four brothers be different supernaturals was really neat it was a great way to introduce each one as an individual and also explain a lot about the rest of that group at the same time, in my opinion it was genius.
The ending was perfect it wrapped things up enough that I was not left hanging but it also left me with a lot of unanswered questions making me crazy excited for book 2 and beyond.
This book has it all action, corrupt councils, friendship, and lots of cool supernatural characters so pick it up today you wont regret it!!

Monday 4 May 2015

Read to Review- Fangs and Fur (The Life and Trials of Persephone Black Book 2)



Title:  Fangs and Fur (The Life and Trials of Persephone Black Book 2) 
Author: L.M. Miller
Rating: 4/5







Synopsis
Parallel universes, cannibalistic gnomes, and bird-riding street races can’t stop Seph and her friends… hopefully. 

After defeating a virgin-sacrificing vampire cult, Seph thought life at Monster Academy would go back to relatively normal, if a teenage vampire could have a relatively normal life. But things are never normal at Monster Academy. When Seph’s friends hear rumors about a parallel world hidden beneath the school, Abernathy and Linda just have to go and investigate it. Nevermind the rumors about a creature that none have seen the likes of before that rules this world with an iron fist. When the girls are captured by said beast, the rest of the gang have to save them, and that is only the beginning. Finding an intellectual gnome, some hippie-era wizards, and maybe a 300-year-old fire-witch, the friends can and will save the girls, whatever the cost


My Review

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. 

Well this was a delightful sequel but I must say that of the two so far I liked the first one a little bit more. I liked that this book had more of an external struggle, where book one had the characters fighting within their group and within themselves this one had a struggle against an evil that sort of brought them together and made them face some truths that may have otherwise been swept under the rug, it made things a little more action packed but there was also lots of character growth and discovery while each small group faced a different journey to reach the end. The new characters that they discovered in the alternate world were interesting and it will be cool to see how they fit in as things continue (I really hope there is a book 3) but my heart still belongs to the original six.
I feel in love with Rodney in book one but this time around he sort of bugged me and I do sort of understand that the whole magic sharing and blood drinking complicates things for him and Persephone but I thought he was better than that and I really hope he does a bit of growing up soon. I really enjoyed Persephone's journey she learned a lot about herself and under the circumstances I think she handled herself rather well and like I said before I really hope there is a book 3 cause I really want to know more about the world and about all these characters especially Persephone.
I highly recommend this series to fans of paranormal it is full of action and even more heart and in my opinion it is balanced very well and it had me engaged from the start and I am now a big fan
.

Friday 1 May 2015

Read to Review- Blood and Beasts (The Life and Trials of Persephone Black book 1)



Title:  Blood and Beasts (The Life and Trials of Persephone Black book 1)
Author: L.M. Miller
Rating: 4.5 /5

Synopsis:
Turning sixteen, Seph learns that true friends can handle accidental dragons, blood-chugging contests, and virgin-sacrificing cults. 

Seph thought she was the average teenager. She was raised in a foster home. She had a half-brother and half-sister. She had a few best friends. Then she turns sixteen, and she makes out with her best friend, bites him, and nearly kills him. Becoming a vampire isn’t easy. Now, filled with an insatiable urge for blood, she finds herself shipped to Monster Academy, which is filled with the rest of the freaks of nature, like her. Befriending a couple of witches, a wizard, and a few werewolves, this vampire with an identity crisis finds out that she’s not the only one with problems. As much as she may think she is a monster, she learns that what you are on the inside is what makes you a monster or not. She finds herself immersed in a world of fairy colonies, backstabbing brethren, and teenage romance, but in this whole new world of hers, a blood-crazed monster like herself might be just what it needs.


My Review:

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
The book starts and gets right to the point and I loved that, there is a lot of action and discovery in the first few chapters and it really drew me in, and the quick and easy pace kept me going, usually much longer than I should have, proving how fun it really is.
I very much enjoyed the large and loveable cast of characters but on the other hand it did take me a while to get some of them straight and to be honest there are still a few that still make me pause for a second to recall who they are but I guess that is to be expected when a boarding school of magical creatures is involved and their pasts are all very deeply explored giving you a ton of info. Speaking of the characters and their in depth pasts I really loved how so much of this book focused on their dark truths and how they all came together to heal. it was neat to see the union of vampires, werewolves, and witches and how they helped each other cope no matter their past or mistakes. My favorite part about this book was the freindships and how they grew with the characters.
I must confess that the fact that the focus was the issues these characters faced while trying to adjust to a new life of the magical world, the large threat that they faced at the end seemed rushed and sort of just thrown in there but it was also very action packed and it set up what I imagine will be a great sequel without being to cliff hanger like. 
I really really liked this book and anyone who enjoys a good paranormal read with a lot of emotion then I would highly recommend this one for you.
I am excited for book two and I hope it is as full of action and friendship as this one was I will even enjoy a little more heartbreak just to spend some time in this world

Book Review- Delirium (Delirium #1)

Title: Delirium (Delirium 1)
Author: Lauren Oliver
Rating: 3.5 /5


Synopsis:
Ninety-five days, and then I'll be safe. I wonder whether the procedure will hurt. I want to get it over with. It's hard to be patient. It's hard not to be afraid while I'm still uncured, though so far the deliria hasn't touched me yet. Still, I worry. They say that in the old days, love drove people to madness. The deadliest of all deadly things: It kills you both when you have it and when you don't.






My Review:

Well I finally read this and to be honest I had expected more, it was an okay book but I got a little bored. I found things did pick up at the end but not soon enough for my liking but also it did pick up enough that I am a little curious and I want to pick up the next book and see what happens, although I will admit I am not rushing out to get my hands on it.
I was not impressed by Lena she sort of annoyed me but I did like the romance she found and how it opened her eyes to a world of possibility. Lena's friend Hana I did enjoy she had a fun rebellious spirit that drew me to her and I would really like to read the novella about her more than the rest of the trilogy because I want to know more about her.
The idea of Love being a disease was interesting and it sure gave me some food for thought and it is definitely the thing that is keeping me interested in the series but as I read it is also part of the reason things were a little boring since a life without love seems extremely dull to me. I hope that things are a bit more light in the next book and I do want to find out where Lena goes from here. Overall this was not a terrible book but I had hoped for more and I think that my lesson here is to not expect to much from book 2 and maybe I can enjoy it a bit more
.