2013/12/22

Illusion(Chronicles of Nick #5)

Illusion (Chronicles of Nick, #5)Illusion (Chronicles of Nick, #5)Illusion Summary:
Be careful what you wish for… You just might get it. Nick Gautier is tired of his destiny. He doesn’t want to be the son of a demon who’s fated to end the world. Nor does he want to see another demon or other preternatural creature who wants to kill or enslave him. He just wants to be normal and have normal problems like everyone else. But normality isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. When he gets sucked into an alternate reality where his mother has married his mentor and his Atlantean god best friend has become a human geek, he begins to understand that no life is free of pain, and that every person has a specific place in the universe… Even the son of a hated demon. Most of all, he sees that his powers aren’t the curse he thought they were, and that the world needs a champion, especially one its enemies can’t imagine rising up to defend the ones he should destroy. Old enemies and new friends square off for a major battle that will either restore Nick to his real world, or end him forever.

Illusion Review
Traveling back in time we get to see how Nick's life would be if he came from a wealthy family, was a couple of inches shorter and a mouse compared to his attitude back in his own dimension. The opening was hilarious with Nick trying to figure out what the heck is going on and how he can get back to his home. Friends becomes foes, vice versa and we see Ash have a spectacular relationship with Artemis. All DH know how impossible that is!

Be careful what you wish for is the message throughout the whole book. Nick always wished he could have a normal life, but as can be seen throughout the book normal isn't what it is made out to be. It had a Dorthy and the Wizard of Oz feel because he has to get back home with some very interesting friends and foes along the way. It teaches us the important of relationships and to not take anything for granted because it can be taken away from you in an instant. And Nick learns an important lesson about accepting yourself to get back home. It was heartwarming to see the ways the characters interact with each other and even to see Adaraian being redeemed. You might wonder how is that even possible?! While it not in the normal sense, he does help Nick the best way he can from his grave. He hasn't redeemed himself by any means but he did become better in my eyes.

We FINALLY get to learn who Nekoda is and who she is protecting! We figure out what drove Nick to make choices and a little about Cherise. We learn a lot more about Caleb's relationships including with his wife and we get to see Nick as the Malachai (not fully)! It was back on with the epic action and we get a lot of close calls.

With a new array of characters and a whole set of questions unanswered, the next book is going to be epic!!

Overall 5 stars!

Inferno(Chronicles of Nick #4)

Inferno: Number 4 in series (Chronicles of Nick)Inferno (Chronicles of Nick, #4)Inferno Summary:
The heat is on, and a new threat to humanity has risen… Nick has his driver’s license and he’s not afraid to use it. But turning sixteen isn’t what he thought it would be. While other boys his age are worried about prom dates and applying for college, Nick is neck deep in enemies out to stop him from living another day. No longer sure if he can trust anyone, his only ally seems to be the one person he’s been told will ultimately kill him. But life spent serving the undead is anything except ordinary. And those out to get him have summoned an ancient force so powerful even the gods fear it. As Nick learns to command and control the elements, the one he must master in order to combat his latest foe is the one most likely to destroy him. As the old proverb goes, fire knows nothing of mercy, and if Nick is to survive this latest round, he will have to sacrifice a part of himself. However, the best sacrifice is seldom the sanest move. Sometimes it’s the one that leaves your enemies confused, and you even more so. And sometimes, you have to trust your enemy to save your friends. But what do you do when that enemy is you?

Inferno Review:
This book started off with a cliffhanger that happened in Infamous. After waiting almost a year for this book I finally got it and I'm happy with what happened in this book. The tension and suspense is really up there. Lots of secrets and revealed and loyalties were kind of tested. You see how all the characters tie together into this book and their motives behind their choices.

Nick get tested so much through this series, but I'm happy with what he does. He has a duty to protect but he still is a teenager boy and has to face the problem that come with that. I found that intriguing in this book. This book was by far the best book in the series because a lot happens and it leads to this really good cliffhanger. Nick has been constantly fighting everyone including himself from the very beginning of the series and wishing for a different life. He wanted a lot of people dead and wanted some good in his life and people to not want to kill him. People say you should be careful of what you wish for and Nick learns that first hand. Nick has a talk with Ash that explains the feelings and history of the Malachai. This conversation is important because explains things about Adrian and why he is so protective of Cherise.

We get to figure out things out about Kody and that sheds some light onto Caleb's and Kody's relationship. Cherise is such a small character but she is so important to Nick that she is his strength and also his biggest weakness. Casey is also a very big part of this book. She was always in the background, but with Nick's and Kody's rocky relationship, she slips in between the cracks. She has a hidden secret that plays a very important role against Nick's growth. I really wish the story hadn't ended where it was because that was a mighty big cliffhanger. The next book is coming out soon.

Infamous(Chronicles of Nick #3)

Infamous (Chronicles of Nick, #3)Infamous (Chronicles of Nick, #3)Infamous Summary:
Go to school. Get good grades. Stay out of trouble. That’s the mandate for most kids. But Nick Gautier isn’t the average teenager. He’s a boy with a destiny not even he fully understands. And his first mandate is to stay alive while everyone, even his own father, tries to kill him. He’s learned to annihilate zombies and raise the dead, divination and clairvoyance, so why is learning to drive and keep a girlfriend so dang hard? But that isn’t the primary skill he has to master. Survival is. And in order to survive, his next lesson makes all the others pale in comparison. He is on the brink of becoming either the greatest hero mankind has ever known. Or he’ll be the one who ends the world. With enemies new and old gathering forces, he will have to call on every part of himself to fight or he’ll lose everyone he cares about. Even himself.

Infamous Review:
Infamous is the third in the Chronicles of Nick. In this book you really feel the tension building up in this novel and not just for Nick. Nick finally tells his mom why he really fights in school and doesn't let her get a word until he's done telling her his mind. This was a good point for Nick because it helps rebuild the relationship between him and his mom. And this leads to a major event that causes his mom to breakdown and that was sad. I think it really did help build their relationship.

Ash is more prominent in this novel because he is starting to teach Nick how to drive a car. And let me say that doesn't turn up the best results. Who knew garbage cans and cars could be so funny. Kyrian isn't that big in this which I'm sad about but he's not nonexistent. They have this really witty humor between the three of them and your surprised Nick isn't dead yet. Kody, Caleb and Nick are becoming a lot closer and they don't hate each other including Caleb. Caleb comes out a lot in this book and you see why he is stronger than an average mid-demon.

This book poses a threat to Nick and his fellow classmates, but instead of only a demon in the ranks we get and actual human person who was out for blood. Bryanna is the first target in this and that shows how human this really is. The person who was the actual criminal didn't make that much sense to me because they didn't really have the best excuse for why they did what they did. The crime itself was good because it affected everyone in a particular area, showing that no one is safe and that you don't know what everyone goes through in their life. Nick manages to really get a grip on his powers and gets some really awesome powers. Overall, I did like this book mainly because of it's humor and showing a worthy side to Nick.

Invincible(Chronicles of Nick #2)

Invincible (Chronicles of Nick #2)Invincible (Chronicles of Nick, #2)Invincible Summary:
Nick Gautier’s day just keeps getting better and better. Yeah, he survived the zombie attacks, only to wake up and find himself enslaved to a world of shapeshifters and demons out to claim his soul. His new principal thinks he’s even more of a hoodlum than the last one, his coach is trying to recruit him to things he can’t even mention and the girl he’s not seeing, but is, has secrets that terrify him. But more than that, he’s being groomed by the darkest of powers and if he doesn’t learn how to raise the dead by the end of the week, he will become one of them...      

Invincible Review:
Invincible is just like the first book. It is awesome and epic just like the first book but it's not the exact same. There was an explanation of the previous book which was good but it didn't interfere with the story. Some of the characters that were in the previous book didn't make a lot of appearances or enough appearances that I would have liked. We get a bit more insight into Caleb and his master Adrian. Some people say he got meaner but I still like him because I understand where he's coming from so I don't judge him to harshly. I found Kyrian and Ash the same, but I wanted to see more of them. I was very surprised that a woman could write in such a way that it actually sounds like a teenager. 

The action is still there and Nick is as sarcastic as ever and he seems to have passed it to everyone else in the book. There is lots more humor in this I had to stop myself from laughing to loud. This book moves pretty fast than the first book and last at least a couple months. Also, Nick gets a new mentor, he still keeps Kyrian, but this one is a lot more frightening in ways everyone can understand. Ambrose is getting more bigger in this novel and turning himself into what Nick shouldn't be. Also Nick finally discovers the secret of Ambrose and where he came from. This kinda sucks cause it leaves the whole story at a cliff hanger. The two books after this get even better. Keep reading them.



2013/12/17

Looking for Alaska

Looking for AlaskaLooking for Alaska Summary:
Before. Miles "Pudge" Halter's whole existence has been one big nonevent, and his obsession with famous last words has only made him crave the "Great Perhaps" (François Rabelais, poet) even more. Then he heads off to the sometimes crazy, possibly unstable, and anything-but-boring world of Culver Creek Boarding School, and his life becomes the opposite of safe. Because down the hall is Alaska Young. The gorgeous, clever, funny, sexy, self-destructive, screwed-up, and utterly fascinating Alaska Young, who is an event unto herself. She pulls Pudge into her world, launches him into the Great Perhaps, and steals his heart. After. Nothing is ever the same.

Looking for Alaska Review:
This book is one of the first books by John Green. it's actually pretty old. I was recommended this book by a friend and I was expecting great things. Unfortunately, this didn't meet all that because I guess my expectations were too big for this book. The charcaters were a good example of what kids are like in real life, but it is not like everyone. There are scenes in this book which I didn't like because it wasn't my type and as it might have suited the book, I didn't enjoy reading. The book is divivded into two parts, the before and the after. For me the before was better because it was longer and made more sense to me.

The before scene, I felt was more detailed and we saw a variance of emotions, and how they could be strong. Although, the after scene was good too, it was just so centered on the mystery that happens on the book, I kinda got bored. Also,  don't really like books like this and prefer some paranormal activity in the novel. There were some good points like Pudge and Alaska and the Captain. I zoned in some parts of this novel, because it wasn't that interesting for me. This is not say it's not a good book, I just didn't enjoy it as much. Maybe if I read it in a couple years it might be better.

2013/12/15

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

I'll try to keep this short. OH MY GOD!!! THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG WAS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. I loves it way way better than the first movie, cause this one had way more action and plot then the other movie. I HUGE fan of this and I wasn't much, better after this I love this. I already read the book and need to read the Silmarilion because the movie is also based on this because of the necromancer. The book was good but this was just plain awesome. The action was there from every perspective.

You see people LEGOLAS, BARD, TAURIEL and of course THE NECROMANCER. I can't believe what just happened through that movie. One of the bets parts of this movie was SMAUG!! He's got a voice and plays such a big role in this. He is a very evil character but he is totally cool and you just find him so cool. You see him breathe fire which I was waiting for very eagerly. Also the barrel scene which was very funny to watch ad made my heart nearly stop because of my favourite characters and the battle scenes. Also the elves. My goodness they were in this whole thing. I was sooo happy. Legolas was so cool in this but he was very cold.

The movie did have some humor. When Legolas looking at a picture of young Gimli, Legolas comments on how ugly and wretched he is, but in the Lord of the Rings Legolas and Gimli become close, so that was funny. Another funny scene was in the barrel scene. Of course it was Bombur and I couldn't stop laughing at Bombur being Bombur in all his epicness. The scene was absolutely hilarious and everyone was dying during this part!!! The movie does deter form the book in some sections which I will not say. You watch the movie. Back to Legolas. If you watched the trailer, and if you have heard of this movie you should know this, Legolas has a bit of a crush on Tauriel. This adds to the movie and it becomes a little bigger. You don't have to be an action fan to watch this movie you can watch just the romance but that won't last that long. Legolas gets his own fight scene which was really awesome because he's one of my two FAVOURITE characters. He is still as epic as in the Lord of Rings trilogy.

Next elf, Tauriel. She was never really mentioned in any book including the Silmarilion, but she is major character in this movie. She is really Kick-ass which I find refreshing because girl's never seem to have many fight scenes and are always portrayed as weaker than men. Also she plays a role in the romance, but I feel sorry if she does go deeper in the romance, if you read the book you would understand what and who I'm talking about. The graphics were AMAZING in this movie. I watched the Lord of the Rings and compared the graphics, and the hobbit beats it, but there were parts that you could tell were fake. Overall, the movie was amazing. I really want to see it again, but I'm broke right now. I really recommend you to watch this even if you didn't like the book or you think this is a geeky book. WATCH THE MOVIE YOU WON'T REGRET IT!


2013/12/09

Infinty(Chronicles of Nick #1)

Infinity (Chronicles of Nick, #1)Infinity Summary:
At fourteen, Nick Gautier thinks he knows everything about the world around him. Streetwise, tough and savvy, his quick sarcasm is the stuff of legends. . .until the night when his best friends try to kill him. Saved by a mysterious warrior who has more fighting skills than Chuck Norris, Nick is sucked into the realm of the Dark-Hunters: immortal vampire slayers who risk everything to save humanity. Nick quickly learns that the human world is only a veil for a much larger and more dangerous one: a world where the captain of the football team is a werewolf and the girl he has a crush on goes out at night to stake the undead. But before he can even learn the rules of this new world, his fellow students are turning into flesh eating zombies. And he's next on the menu. As if starting high school isn't hard enough. . .now Nick has to hide his new friends from his mom, his chainsaw from the principal, and keep the zombies and the demon Simi from eating his brains, all without getting grounded or suspended. How in the world is he supposed to do that?

Infinity Review:
Infinity was a very refreshing novel. It hardly have any romance or the romance was not a major major part of the novel. It's pretty hard to find a YA novel that doesn't have a main factor of romance in the novel. Other than that, the main character is a guy which is also very rare, at least for me. The guy was sassy for once which never seems to happen, the sass is saved for the girls. The girls in this novel are not weak, not the main and if they are they have the high school popularity attitude to make them seem strong.

I love all the characters in this book and I like how everyone acts tough but they are all softies inside. There are a lot of characters in the novel and sometimes I would get messed up on all the character names and forget some as the characters progressed. Don't worry though you really won't forget the main character names. I really Kryian and Ash and how much they mean to Nick and vice versa. They really did help Nick grow up and without them I don't think he would have gotten as far as he did. The older version of Nick, I really didn't like him because he wasn't anything like Nick. Caleb was really awesome him being almost a double agent. His motives are unclear like Nekoda, but that just makes it more interesting. Nekoda is interesting because she's also like a double agent, and I found the romance between her and Nick cute. They didn't do major romance so I'm happy for that because there are many books that have enough of that. Cherise was kind of annoying in this book because she really didn't trust Nick and wouldn't let him defend himself. Otherwise she was a completely loving woman and you see how much she truly loves him when she took care of him since he was 14 and won't let anything happen to him. Nick was witty and very humorous. He knew how to joke around and acted like a normal high school kid even after all he has been through. It's funny to watch his mom beat Nick when she's way shorter and weaker than Nick.

The plot was really good and it kept you very interested. The books after this are going to be as good as this if not better. Interesting idea with the Greek mythology and traditional folklore. The Dark-Hunter series is supposed to be like this as well but for adults so you can try that out if you want.

2013/12/08

Dawn of Eden (Blood of Eden #0.5)

Dawn of EdenDawn of Eden Summary:
Before The Immortal Rules, there was Red Lung a relentless virus determined to take out all in its path. For Kylie, the miracle of her survival is also her burden-as a doctor at one of the clinics for the infected she is forced to witness endless suffering. What's worse strange things are happening to the remains of the dead the and by the time she befriends Ben Archer she's beginning to wonder if a global pandemic is the least of her problems....

Dawn of Eden Review:
Dawn of Eden is set around the very beginning of the Red Lung virus when the Red Lung had it's first outbreak. It follows Kylie and Ben Archer with Kanin mixed in. If you have read the Immortal Rules you will remember Ben Archer from the wild boar attack when Zeke and Allie end up saving him. This got me super excited about the book. I still have to read the novel but I have a huge waiting list so it's going to take some time. You can read this novella when every you want because even if it is a prequel it doesn't give anything away. I can't wait to read this book and to get a bit more history on the virus that ruined the world and how it started to infect the vampires with the help of Kanin.

The Forever Song (Blood of Eden #3)

The Forever Song (Blood of Eden, #3) The Forever Song Summary:
VENGEANCE WILL BE HERS.

Allison Sekemoto once struggled with the question: human or monster? With the death of her love, Zeke, she has her answer.

MONSTER.

Allie will embrace her cold vampire side to hunt down and end Sarren, the psychopathic vampire who murdered Zeke. But the trail is bloody and long, and Sarren has left many surprises for Allie and her companions—her creator, Kanin, and her blood brother, Jackal. The trail is leading straight to the one place they must protect at any cost—the last vampire-free zone on Earth, Eden. And Sarren has one final, brutal shock in store for Allie. In a ruined world where no life is sacred and former allies can turn on you in one heartbeat, Allie will face her darkest days. And if she succeeds, triumph is short-lived in the face of surviving forever alone.

The Forever Song Review:
After The Eternity Cure ending in one of the worst cliffhangers in the world(in a good way) waiting one year to get the next book The Forever Song is driving me insane. Everyone is hoping for a happy ending for Allie and Zeke and that might come true or maybe not with the last sentence in the summary," And if she succeeds, triumph is short-lived in the face of surviving alone." If you have read the Eternity Cure you know what this is about so you can understand the pain of waiting for the book to come out.

It will be released in early April so that isn't too bad, but we still have to wait 4 months for this book to come out. This book will have the final showdown between Allie, and Sarren and I'm not sure how that will turn out. We don't know what's happened to Zeke but everyone is looking at the only possible good ending. Can't give anything because of spoilers. I want to see a lot more of Jackal and Kanin in this because even if they were in the first and second book and main characters they weren't that mentioned and we don't know them that well.

We are all hoping for a spectacular ending and I know it will turn out this way because Julia Kagawa's Iron Fey series turned out very good as well. So the waiting ifs going to kill me but the book is going to be so awesome I hope it was worth the wait and suspense. No cover yet also waiting on that.

2013/12/03

The Longest Night(Drake Chronicles #6.5)

The Longest Night Summary:
The Longest Night is a book in eformat that takes place in 2015, several years after Blood Prophecy. This will feature new characters but with lots of cameos from Lucy and Nicholas.

The Longest Night Review:
THERE IS ANOTHER ONE. I'M SOOO HAPPY RIGHT NOW. THE DRAFT IS FINALLY DONE FOR THIS BOOK. The book will be in E-format which I'm sad about because I wanted a full-fledged book. Also the characters are gonna be different so I’m not sure how to feel about that, although I know it will be good. Lucy and Nicholas will be in this so I'm crazy excited about it. Alyxandra said that there might be a Lucy spin-off series so that will be exciting! Can Not Wait!

Starcrossed City(Starcrossed #0.5)

Starcrossed City (Starcrossed #0.5)Starcrossed City Summary:
A spin-off from Josephine Angelini’s irresistible Starcrossed series. Mysterious demi-goddess Daphne meets the totally hot Ajax for the first time in sultry NYC. This is where it all begins.

Starcrossed City Review:
When reading the Starcrossed series everyone was always wondering what really happened with Daphne and Ajax, neither of them would spill. Was it Daphne who killed him or did she truly love him. All the questions were supposed to be answered in this book. Unfortunately, they weren't because she is writing the story while publishing chapter by chapter. She is still on chapter one so this might take a long time. I expected this series to be like a repeat of what Helen and Lucas went through but it's different even from the start. It seems Ajax already knows about Daphne before they even meet and that the Fates are still a big part in this book. Daphne’s struggles with her power are so much like Helen that you could think they were almost the same people. It was just that Daphne handled it differently. I loved this book when I expected it not be that good. Everyone should give it a try and you don't need to read any of the other books to read this book. There are only 9 pages right now, but it's good. You can read it here: http://www.josephineangelini.com/blog/2013/03/writing/starcrossed-city/ Waiting for more!



Goddess(Starcrossed #3)

Goddess (Starcrossed, #3)Goddess Summary:
After accidentally unleashing the gods from their captivity on Olympus, Helen must find a way to re-imprison them without starting a devastating war. But the gods are angry, and their thirst for blood already has a body count. To make matters worse, the Oracle reveals that a diabolical Tyrant is lurking among them, which drives a wedge between the once-solid group of friends. As the gods use the Scions against one another, Lucas’s life hangs in the balance. Still unsure whether she loves him or Orion, Helen is forced to make a terrifying decision, for war is coming to her shores. In Josephine Angelini’s compelling conclusion to the masterfully woven Starcrossed trilogy, a goddess must rise above it all to change a destiny that’s been written in the stars. With worlds built just as fast as they crumble, love and war collide in an all-out battle that will leave no question unanswered and no heart untouched.

Goddess Review:
Goddess was a really good conclusion for this thrilling series. The war eminent war on between the gods and scions is bringing the tension all the way up. The little group of scions and mortals and breaking up their group and picking sides mainly because of the threat who everyone thinks is Orion.

Unfortunately, to make matters worse, Helen is gaining her powers and can't seem to control the power or her emotions and that is causing people to back away from her. Her almost killing a bunch of people and hiding a bunch of important secrets also does not help matters. But there is a good side. Every person seems to get into a relationship; it might not always turn out good, but everyone get s a few moments of happiness. There is a lot more battles in this novel mainly because the gods are now out of Olympus thanks to Helen, Lucas and Orion.

Helen is has become more of a strong character but is kind of annoying because she makes a lot of choices that could have been different. Otherwise she was a really good character and has become a lot more serious and mature since the first book. This book shows what tension can do to a person and is a lot more realistic than other books, but also the consequences of doing the right thing. Hades is a VERY important character in this book and I’m really happy about this. He finally shows his face and you learn how he is connected to all the characters. Hecate makes an appearance in this novel and that leads to some serious stuff and will give you heart attacks.

It's incredible how some of the fights, resembles the exact fights that happened in the Trojan War. Also, you get a history lesson on the Trojan War to see what happened if you didn't know. It had a really good ending that did make you said because of all the choices people made, but I was waiting for something to really happen like a lot more people dying or not getting what they want. Not in an emo way, just a bit more excitement. But it was a really good ending and a great way to end of such a series. I am very sad this series is over but there is supposed to be short story still in the writing so I'm waiting on that.