Book Review: The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black

Title: The Darkest Part of the Forest
Author: Holly Black
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Date of Publication: Jan. 13 2015
Source: bought, hardcover, 324 pages, YA
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Book Synopsis:

Children can have a cruel, absolute sense of justice. Children can kill a monster and feel quite proud of themselves. A girl can look at her brother and believe they’re destined to be a knight and a bard who battle evil. She can believe she’s found the thing she’s been made for.
Hazel lives with her brother, Ben, in the strange town of Fairfold where humans and fae exist side by side. The faeries’ seemingly harmless magic attracts tourists, but Hazel knows how dangerous they can be, and she knows how to stop them. Or she did, once.
At the center of it all, there is a glass coffin in the woods. It rests right on the ground and in it sleeps a boy with horns on his head and ears as pointed as knives. Hazel and Ben were both in love with him as children. The boy has slept there for generations, never waking.
Until one day, he does…
As the world turns upside down, Hazel tries to remember her years pretending to be a knight. But swept up in new love, shifting loyalties, and the fresh sting of betrayal, will it be enough?

My Thoughts:

I love Holly Black!!!!!

I mean how can you not love her?? She takes these simple concepts, like fairy tales, that we have all read growing up and she flips them upside down to create something all new.
And scary.
I always feel so free and sophisticated reading her books; which I know doesn't make sense.  But her books just gives me these awesome feelings when I get immersed in her world building.
The Darkest Part of the Forest is simply beautiful!  I find myself slipping into my childhood memories wandering around in the woods behind my parents' house.  I remember pretending to  battle evil forces while riding my pretend white stallion as I rescued everyone that needed it.
Relating so strongly to the premise of this story, I found myself trying to savor each and every part of the story.  But being that I love the story so much I actually ended up reading through it within two days.

Holly Black does this amazing job of developing characters that can be so complex; so intriguing you wish they were real.  I adore Hazel and Ben; I think Jack is Prince Charming in a nutshell; and the Horned Boy is eerily seductive and mysterious.
She has this immense imagination and comes up with such creative creatures that it is hard not to wish there really was a Fairfield where magic happens all the time.  Black makes magic seem like it really can come true; even if it contains more of a darker side to it.

Besides doing a fantastic job of creating characters, Black has this incredible talent to paint a world that seems so real as if you could just reach out and touch it.  Her storytelling skills is unparalleled.  Through her imaginative storytelling she is able to make the words on the pages come to life and adds a more intimate dimension to the story.

The Darkest Part of the Forest channels some of our basic imaginations concerning fairy tales but then it delivers something else entirely.  It gives us the allure of the magic; but it also forces us to see the darkness the power can bring as well.  I love this book and I honestly wanted to read more and more with these characters.  I really hope that Ms. Black will take us back to Fairfield one more time in the future.
It is definitely a magical experience.

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Book Review: The Tethered Trilogy by Jennifer Snyder

Hey guys!  I want to thank Mrs. Snyder for the chance to review these three books and a huge thanks to AToMR Tours for the chance as well.  

I want to apologize for not getting this post up earlier; my Internet has been down all weekend and I have been stressed to say the least!  

Thanks again and enjoy!

Title: The Tethered Trilogy

Author: Jennifer Snyder

Catalyst Summary:

Sometimes who we really are lies buried just beneath the surface…
After learning she’s inherited a house in the beachside town of Soul Harbor, Georgia, Addison Harmon and her best friend decided to take a much needed vacation before the pressures of life after high school suffocate them too heavily.


But what Addison finds isn’t a chance to recoup from a bad break up and hang out with her best friend while she decides what she wants to do with her future. What she finds is Kace Sullivan—a sexy guy she can’t seem to get enough of—someone who with one touch reveals a seductive world full of magick and secrets Addison isn’t sure she’s ready to be a part of.

My Thoughts:

So, I seriously believe that Addison is a shadow of me???  I just moved from North Carolina to GA and I was actually from GA before I moved to NC to start with.  This is like my life here; except for the magick and all the fine young specimens on the beach.  But I digress...
I enjoyed the magical element to the story.  I found Addison an interesting character and I loved how she accepted the fact that she was different pretty easily.  I also enjoyed how there is this bad girl side to her but she is pretty level headed for the most part.
I love the town of Soul Harbor!!!  I have always thought GA has this insane magical element to it and I just love that  the author included that in the story.  I really felt the mysterious aura surrounding the small town that Addison moves to!
We have some interesting characters and I love Theo!  Yes, he seems like a bad boy but I would fall for him hands down every time, instead of Kace.

All in all, I  believe Catalyst is the perfect sexy love story to get you in the mood for summer or that one more summer fling before life comes back!

Very awesome!

Conjure Summary:

Sometimes to understand the present you have to conjure up the past…
The last thing Addison Harmon needed was to become tethered to the broody, often seemingly cold, Theo Van Rooyen, but that’s exactly what happened.


Forced to partner up with Theo to figure out a way to break the tether, Addison soon realizes she may have bitten off more than she can chew.

My Thoughts:
Conjure really picks it up a notch in the fire (no pun intended) department!  Addison is so lucky (yes I said it!) to have been tethered to Theo but now she wants to figure out a way to break it.  We get to see a complex side of Theo.  He isn't just this bad boy we thought he was in the first book; but instead he is a very unusual Hoodoo artist as well.  
I can understand the emotions Addison is going through while interacting with Theo and Kace at the same time.  I had already figured some of the mysteries that are revealed in Conjure out already but I still enjoyed the deliverance of them too.  

I just really don't like Kace!  Sorry, he just seems so off.  And it is funny because his friend Adam is supposed to be the dick; but I just think Kace has this holier than thou attitude that I just can't get with.  
We learn a little more about Addison's power and more about the Hoodoo powers as well.  I found this very interesting and I would love to read some more books based off of these type of magical beings.  You can really tell the research the author does into the magick rules and explanations.  It is a very interesting genre and I love to read anything and everything about witches, Voodoo, Hoodoo, etc.  

I loved Conjure so much!  

Confined Summary:

Sometimes the things in life that seem to confine us most are often the ones that save us…
To Addison Harmon becoming initiated appeared to hold the answers to her every problem—all except what she would do after, when the tether was finally broken. But when the after Addison imagined isn’t the one unfolding before her, she finds herself tangled even further in a web of secrets, lies, and betrayal.
It’s not until Addison is captured by the last person she ever suspected would betray her that she’s forced to rely on herself for survival.
Questions will be answered. Trust will be misplaced. And hearts will be broken.

My Thoughts: 
Holy Crap!!  There has been a lot that has happened and I wasn't expecting the ending I got!  In a way,  I was hoping there was a little more action but then I think maybe it was better it ended this way.  Addison, I think, could have stood up a little more for herself in this one, but we do get to see Theo come to the rescue and that is always enjoyable.   
Who loved Theo's cousin?  I adored her and I would love to see a spinoff with her; maybe a prequel?  I think everything ends up the way it should, thank goodness!  I was actually a little sad to say goodbye to Soul Harbor and the gang!  Maybe we will get another novella just to see what is happening with everyone.  I would really like that!  We learn about betrayals, and we learn the sad truth with Addison's mom.  I would have also liked a way for Addison to meet her birth mother (maybe in a magical way with her ghost??) and that could have played an interesting role too!

But all in all, I enjoyed this series!  It gives us the sex appeal, as well as the magick and paranormal aspects that we need and love!  It has definitely put me in research mode because I want to learn everything about these interesting magick descriptions.    
If you are looking for a fun, sexy and witchy good time then The Tethered Trilogy is definitely up your alley!

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About the Author:

Jennifer Snyder lives in North Carolina were she spends most of her time writing New Adult and Young Adult Fiction, reading, and struggling to stay on top of housework. She is a tea lover with an obsession for Post-it notes and smooth writing pens. Jennifer lives with her husband and two children, who endure listening to songs that spur inspiration on repeat and tolerate her love for all paranormal, teenage-targeted TV shows.

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Quickie Book Review: Arclight by Josin L. McQuein {Arclight # 1}

Title: Arclight
Series: {Arclight # 1}
Author: Josin L. McQuein
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Date of Publication: April 23, 2013
Source: bought



Goodreads Synopsis:

No one crosses the wall of light . . . except for one girl who doesn’t remember who she is, where she came from, or how she survived. A harrowing, powerful debut thriller about finding yourself and protecting your future—no matter how short and uncertain it may be.
The Arclight is the last defense. The Fade can’t get in. Outside the Arclight’s border of high-powered beams is the Dark. And between the Light and the Dark is the Grey, a narrow, barren no-man’s-land. That’s where the rescue team finds Marina, a lone teenage girl with no memory of the horrors she faced or the family she lost. Marina is the only person who has ever survived an encounter with the Fade. She’s the first hope humanity has had in generations, but she could also be the catalyst for their final destruction. Because the Fade will stop at nothing to get her back. Marina knows it. Tobin, who’s determined to take his revenge on the Fade, knows it. Anne-Marie, who just wishes it were all over, knows it.
When one of the Fade infiltrates the Arclight and Marina recognizes it, she will begin to unlock secrets she didn’t even know she had. Who will Marina become? Who can she never be again?

My Thoughts:

This is definitely one of those books that I wasn't sure I would love because of the assumption  I placed upon it before I even started reading it.  "This is a science fiction type story so obviously that's not my thing..."  was exactly what I was saying to myself before I even gave Arclight like my full attention.  
Yes, I bought it for the pretty cover.    I know, I know.  That is pretty vain.  But I just loved how the rays of light sparkled upon the paper and how it was gently raised as well.  
And I guess I was slightly intrigued by something called the Fade.  It just sounded ominous.  
But I was definitely not giving Arclight enough credit.  Just because it had the word "nanite" in it, I assumed it was going to be like the old Star Trek shows (my mom was a huge fan and I had to suffer through many a marathon of them) and I think that is where my brain wanted to shut it down before I even really gave it a chance to play. 

But you know what?  I strapped my big girl panties on and decided to get out of my comfort zone and jumped headfirst into Arclight.... and I am so happy I did!
Arclight jumps right into the action.  There is no lull in the story at all; you are just thrust from mind reeling scenes to intense scenes and back again.  I loved how the author gave us just enough of the world building to keep us from sitting there in the light scratching our heads, but not so much that it seemed like a system overload.  She also used the characters as our storytellers instead of just a bunch of rote information that took forever to read through.  
I hit it off very nicely with the main character, Marina, as we see how she suffers being the "one they saved" from the dark.  I instantly connected with Marina and it was hard not to root for her after the way her classmates treat her so harshly.  I liked that she wasn't the popular girl.  This book is a dark science fiction/YA story with some heavy consequences in it and I loved the fact that it wasn't so much about the social ladder in a school.  It was more comparable to just surviving among those who blame you for just about everything.  Many of us have been the outsider but never secluded as much as Marina is in Arclight.  It was a great way to show us that it can always get worse.  
Of course besides Marina, there is other great characters that play a major part in the story.  I am sure most everyone adored Tobin and I did really like him but I much preferred Rue.  Oh Rue!  He stole my heart the minute he materialized in the story.  
And I guess that clues you in that there may be a love triangle in it.  But this triangle is slightly off as you will discover as you read through the book.  
The antagonistic characters were downright frightening.  The levels this character was willing to go through just to protect themselves and hurt others was plain scary.  I really didn't see any remorse in their behavior after their terrible deeds and yet it was the strong belief they had that pushed them right over the edge into insanity disguised by power.  

The story lines were very intense, and like I said there was some very dark ideas throughout the book.  I really felt like this was a "good vs. evil" and "light vs. dark" situation right from the start.  How symbolic that the geographic area has the light, the grey, and then the dark when there are many characters in the story that can't be grouped in just the evil side but are no where to being labeled as the good guys either.  
I am a huge fan of the grey area in society and I love that it is immersed in the Arlight as well in many different ways.  
I did, however, pretty much clue in to the outcome of the book by the middle of the story but I was still hooked on the story till the very end.  It didn't get boring for me but I wished a tad bit that the twist had been hidden a little bit deeper.  I would have liked to stay in the dark (no pun intended) a little longer in the story.  
But overall Arclight was a great read!  It really taught me to that it is okay to step out of our comfort zone, or in this case, comfort genre, to find a new genre to fall in love with.  Especially if it is one that we wasn't really into to begin with.  
I gave Arclight four hearts!

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Book Review: Kindred by J.A. Redmerski (Darkwoods Trilogy)

Title: Kindred
Series: The Darkwoods Trilogy #2
Author: J.A. Redmerski
Publisher: CreateSpace
Date of Publication: July 20, 2012
Source: bought, ebook, 358 pages

Get your own: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | 

Isaac Mayfair is hiding a dark secret. And just when Adria Dawson thinks the worst of her life among the werewolf world is over, she learns the secret that can rip her and Isaac’s love apart. Adria must come to terms with what the truth means for her. What it means for her life and how much time she has left to live it. She must choose between two different fates, neither of which can offer life as a certainty.
As if Isaac’s betrayal isn’t enough, Adria learns that there are things out there older and more powerful than werewolves could ever be. An archaic entity known only to few as the Praverian, unlike anything Adria has ever known or heard of.
As Adria struggles with her own fateful dilemmas, she must also try to find out why the Praverian is so interested in her and do everything in her power to stay out of its way.
Due to MATURE YA content, this book is recommended for 17+. 

-from Goodreads description 

My Thoughts:

Did you ever think you could pick up a book, read its words, these words that are so powerful, you can actually feel your heart breaking alongside the protagonists' and find it physically hard to breathe?  

Well...I experienced this emotion firsthand with this book.  

J.A. Redmerski is a powerful author with this amazing talent to see the flaws in human nature (or even the supernatural) and still find the beauty within.  

First, with the characters.  Adria, our female protagonist, is someone I can relate to on many levels.  I know what it is like to hold on to that betrayal, the loss, and pain that you receive from a family member that you trusted with all your heart.  Adria is very strong, considering what she has been through, and I find myself wondering if I could have been as strong as she was in some of her situations she had to face....

Ah, and then I find myself thinking about Issac Mayfair.  What to say about him?  Is he handsome, well of course, he is a werewolf, is he not?  But with him it is more than just the beauty.  He is a force to be reckoned with, indeed.  He is so hard and yet where Adria is concerned, there is this fragility to him that makes you weep.  

You put these two together and we find ourselves looking at something that is more than what it seems but also one of the most beloved couples I have read about too.  

All of the characters in Kindred contribute to the story in different ways; some good and some definitely bad, but the Praverian are the most unique and intriguing in all.  I don't want to give anything away (and trust me you will be shaking your head and gasping at a lot of it) but these certain beings are truly mind-blowing.  

Even though this is an urban fantasy with creatures that don't exist, the  underlying hope is so strong; even as I sit writing this review days after finishing Kindred, I still feel my tears trying to take over.  

I think J. A. Redmerski wanted us to remember that even when everything seems lost, when everything seems worthless, always have hope.  Just that small tiny breath of hope will show you the light at the end of the very dark and scary journey.  

I absolutely loved Kindred with all my heart and soul!  I proudly give it five hearts!

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Book Review: The Queen's Betrayal by Cege Smith

Title: The Queen's Betrayal 
Series: Bloodtruth Book 2
Author: Cege Smith
Publisher: Self published
Date of Publication: Sept.3, 2012
Format: Kindle
Source: received from author for honest review
Get it: Amazon 
Goodreads Summary:
Newly crowned Queen Angeline Robart is in a world of trouble. With her father’s passing, enemies are rising from all sides. She needs allies, but doesn’t know who to trust. Connor, the handsome vampire who captured her heart, is caught in the middle when his coven’s death squad descends on the capital city unaware of his change in fealty. Malin, the man she is supposed to marry, is harboring his own secrets and seems to be eyeing a much bigger prize.

Angeline must save the capital city, control her own demon, and unravel the knotted threads of Altera’s bloody history before it’s too late. Somewhere in the past is the answer to her future.

My Thoughts:

I loved the first book in The Bloodtruth Series, Heiress of Lies, and you can find my review of it here.
I really enjoy period pieces, even if this is more of a fantasy of a different world sort, I would still consider it a historical fantasy fiction.  I know that is  a handfull but it is what it is. 
Let's look at the cover first: I love the drawing of the Queen on the cover with her long black hair. I think it represents Angeline perfectly.  This cover is very nice!
The Queen's Betrayal has a lot of different paranormal creatures involved including, vampires, witches, and even a few shifters too.   We even get to see a horror aspect to this story especially with the sick and twisted ways of some of the vampires in it.  But it isn't very gory; it is more the idea behind it.  
I do like our female heroine, Angeline, very much.  She is strong, smart, and loyal especially to her kingdom.  She is the perfect example of what a queen should be, but she also knows how to ask for help when things get entirely too rough.  Sure she has her failings, but if you was carrying the burdens she has, you would have failings too.  
I love our fellow gentlemen vampire, Connor.  He is one serious heartthrob in this book and I find myself praying for the cure he seems to hold out for.  I like the fact he wants to be good but he seems to have this inner struggle to find out what good really is.  He wants to protect Angeline but realizes he must make sacrifices to obtain this.  He is completely up front about how he is dedicated to Angeline yet there are times he tends to get a little sappy for my tastes.
The other lesser characters are helpful to get the plot twists underway.  Malin is still a puzzlement to me.  On one hand I want to like him but on the other he continuously ticks me off.  I think he crosses the ultimate line in this book and I don't see how he can come back from it this time.  
The  story and plot lines were creatively crafted to ensure we didn't get bored with the different twists and turns it took.  

I did. however, have a problem with some scenes tending to be repeated often.  For example, the telepathy scene was replayed from Angeline telling the story and Connor's side too.  There were other examples as well.  
It also seemed there was a lot of repeating the background information.  Which is fine to do that but lets' just do it once and not over and over again.  Sometimes I felt like I was reading a recap of the last book in a few pages each chapter.  
I also noticed many grammatical errors through out the story.  I did get a little confused at some of these mistakes but I was still able to enjoy the novel anyways.  
I think if you like the stories with Kings and Queens in them as well as vampires mixed in for added excitement you should give the Bloodtruth series a try.  There is a little bit of everything in it to make you happy.  
I give it four hearts!