Wednesday, October 17, 2012

[Review] Enshadowed (Nevermore #2)


Author: Kelly Creagh

Publish Date: Aug. 28, 2012 by Atheneum, 429 pages

Get it here: Barnes & NobleAmazon

Rating: 3.5/5


I read the first book in this series "Nevermore" shortly after it came out in 2010. After I put it down I can honestly say I was dying for the second book of the series. It was the first series in a long while that I didn't forget about a few months down the road only to remember it when I saw the next book in stores.

Here's what I loved about it: For one, it was a unique storyline about the mystery surrounding the death of Edgar Allen Poe. Sure, it had the typical good girl falls for bad boy theme but I thought this was well done and not over drawn. The best part is it was dark enough to make it unpredictable and keep me on the edge of my seat but it wasn't bat shit crazy dark (if you know what I mean).

Months before it's scheduled release date I had it mark as to-read-as-soon-as-I-can-get-my-hands-on-it. And that's exactly what I did. I'm pretty sure I went as far as to pre-order the ebook (and I never do that).

When it finally came out I was beyond excited to read it. Unfortunately, as I read each chapter I kept waiting for something to happen. I waited and waited and waited and then the book ended. As much as I love Creagh, her writing and her fresh ideas, I was severely disappointed with the second book in this series.

Varen, one of the main characters of the series is barely in "Enshadowed" until the last few chapters. While you find out some useful information the book is obviously a segway into the third. To be honest, when the next one is published you probably can skip the second one entirely and move on.

So even though I was a bit let down by "Enshadowed" I still have high hopes for the third book. Let's just hope it's not another filler to make more books (*coughcough*) and money.

Happy reading.

Don't forget to sign up on the right hand side of the page to get entered in to win a free copy of the book of your choice. 

Saturday, October 6, 2012

[Review] Dark Descendant


Author: Jenna Black

Publish Date: April 26, 2011 by Pocket Books, 325 pages

Get it here: Barnes & NobleAmazon

Rating: 5/5


I started this blog not too long ago with the intention of updating it every few days. Suffice to say, I've sucked at it. Mostly it's because I work horrendous hours and barely have a day off every once in a while. Now, there's good news! I've gotten a new job. One where I won't have to spend sleepless night worrying over. Now I should be able to update this blog much more often. Let the victory dance commence.....

Okay, now that it's out of my system I'll get to the good stuff. I've read so many books recently that I don't even know where to start. There have been a few I've been waiting months for, some that surprised me and even a few that let me down. 

Hmmm... How about I'll start off with a surprise. First I have to explain a little something to you folks out there reading. I'm a big fan of anything related to Greek history, mythology and anything else Greek. You could say I'm a freak for Greek. It's an obsession of mine that I have no explanation for, it's just always been there. My two kittens are even named Artemis and Athena after the goddesses. 

Some of my favorite books are those that take ancient Greek mythology and bring it in to modern day. Authors like Rick Riordan with his Percy Jackson series and Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunter novels are among my favorite. 

Recently I've spent a lot of time on Goodreads.com (there's a plug for you) because it's just a huge database of books, reviews and recommendations. One handy little feature they have is called listopia where people put books with similar subjects in different lists for other people to find. Happily I was able to find a list for Greek mythology. 

I picked out a book called "Dark Descendant" by Jenna Black because it looked like a good read and it was a couple bucks cheaper than most e-books. It took me about three pages before I was hooked. I stayed up all night reading it and then got up early to read the second book in the series. (Now I'm anxiously awaiting the publication of the third book. Hurry up and get here already!)

Not only does the book have some Greek mythology, it's got Egyptian and Norse as well. It takes a nice spin on the immortality of the gods and those descended from the gods, but it's not too over the top. 

One of the best things about this book is that it doesn't have a heroin that takes everything at face value. Nikki Glass, a descendant of the Greek goddess Artemis, is totally kick-ass, not afraid to question what she's told and she's not too trusting either. There are lots of secrets, mysteries and sneaking around.

Another point I loved about this book is that there's a little romance but it wasn't like the typical book you see today where pretty girl meets handsome boy and boom they are deeply, madly in love within the span of thirty second. Nope, not in Nikki's case. She more concerned with staying alive than finding a boyfriend. That's one thing I'm starting to hate about many of the recent books that came out. 

Now that this post has gone on way too long I'll just give you a glimpse into what I'm books I'm thinking of doing next but I haven't decided anything for sure:
Enshadowed (Nevermore #2) by Kelly Creagh
Blackwatch by Jenna Burthenshaw

The Assassin's Curse by Cassandra Rose Clark
The Gathering Storm by Robin Bridges
Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas

Happy Reading!