Amy's Book Den

Finally having a normal life where she is just another teenager, Evie discovers that she misses being special and needed like she was when working for IPCA. So, going against her friends’ and boyfriend’s wishes, she goes back to working, and gets assigned a special non-faery guy to transport her around. Going back to her old life might not have been such a great idea, as she is constantly tempted to drain the paranormals who get in her way. The question is how far with Evie use her powers in the name of justice. Well, Evie continues having her blonde moments, but now I just take it in stride and don’t mind. Though I didn’t really like Evie being weak and reaching for her power when she knew she shouldn’t, but I guess that just made her more human since we all make mistakes. We get to find out more about how Evie was made and the reasons behind her making. We also learn her true name. The romance department takes the bench for the most part. Poor Lend has to go through a lot during this book, what with Evie’s lies and her new friendly friend. In the end he still is the warm and caring Lend I loved from the first book. I have to say I loved, loved, LOVED Jack from the beginning. He is like the definition for trickster faery. But I knew so much good and fun couldn’t come without a price. So sad :(Only one thing bothered me. There’s a part where Evie finds herself thrown in a river and holds her breath underwater for an unrealistically long period of time. So unless breathing underwater is a newly acquired power of her, I expected her too be dead.I can’t wait to read the Endlessly next year, the final book in this fantastic trilogy!

Bough it this morning. Sat down to read it. Finished now.Now I demand more of this from J. Lynn!

I feel like I need a t-shirt that say I ♥ Triptych :D

♥

Syrena FTW!!

YEEEESSSSSS ME WANTZZZSS

Holy alien babies everywhere I just read the blurb and died a little.

This is me reading the summary...Paragraph 1: Woooaaahhhh O__oParagraph 2: UhhhHHHHhhh *__*Paragraph 3: Aaawwwww ^__^Paragraph 3 (last line): AHDSGFRJSADJFSH x___x *dies* Publication date: ARRGGHHHHGGGG!!!!!

Read in one sitting. Stayed up until ungodly overnight hours and loved every second of it!

Scarlet’s memories are back! It’s time to find the Fountain of Youth and end their curse once and for all. In the mean time, though, Scarlet is pissed because of what Tristan has been trying to do. Not only that, but the curse has reversed and now she can feel Tristan’s emotions. The curse is getting worse and with ashmen and crazy witches getting in their way, it’ll take all their resources to get to the end. Avow is the final story of the Archer’s of Avalon. It is strong, full of emotion, and leaves you begging for more from Chelsea Fine! I’d been waiting for this book for a long time and when I finally got it and read it, I didn’t know how to feel about the way it was written. The thing is a huge chunk of the book is set in the past. Scarlet’s has her memories back, so we literally go back in time and get to read about all of Scarlet’s lives and what she did in them. The problem was that my mind kept up a constant reminder of “OMG what’s happening in the present?” That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy the story of their past, it’s just that it seemed like a completely separate book.Because of this, I was also worried that the ending wouldn’t be as powerful, but I was totally wrong. At sixty five percent the story-line turns back to the present and ohmygoodness the plot turns even more action packed and awesome.People are kidnapped, slapped around, and carried off by ashmen. You’d think it’d be a serious moment, but I just laughed through it all thanks to Heather’s comments. She and Nate are as hilarious as ever. There is also much abs and pec showing and the all around shirtless glory of the Archer men. They’re both serious book boyfriend material, and I’m kind of sad that this is the end to their story.I’d figured out the ending way back when they mentioned sacrifices and stuff. But then the ending came and someone unexpectedly got hurt and I was like “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooo” but then it turned out alright. So though I knew the sacrifice, it still gave me a heck of a scare when the time came. Any author that can catch me unawares like that is an author I will follow anywhere in any story he or she writes. Again, I can’t believe this is “the end” of The Archers of Avalon. That last line has me thinking there might be more. (Maybe with a different cast? So exciting!) Whatever comes of it, this series makes my top ten favorite series EVER list.

Loki is free and Gwen is ready to battle him. Or maybe not. The Protectorate has accused her of being the one who freed Loki, and everyone in school agrees with them! Only those close to Gwen know the truth and will try their best to help clear her name. But then Gwen suspects the Reapers have infiltrated the Protectorate. Jennifer Estep sure ramps up the tension and romance in this fourth book of the Mythos Academy series.Gwen Frost has certainly grown. She’s braver, not afraid to speak her mind or take action, smarter in making decisions and figuring out things, and so not the whiny girl we met in book one, the one who would pine away for a certain sexy Spartan. In this book we learn more about Logan’s family and his reasons for wanting to keep people away. He was totally swoon worthy here, even more so than in previous books. Sweet and caring, and always looking out for his Gypsy girl. The pacing of the book was spot on. There’s action at every turn and mystery and romance and did I mention the action!? Love the fight scenes and how Estep takes care of making the different fighter classes work together. That’s impressive. Speaking of…There were also more characters added and we’re introduced to yet another mythos class of fighter, the Bogatyr (Where does she get all this awesome ideas?). Alexei was also a cool addition to Gwen’s group and thank goodness he’s there to stay! Overall, the Mythos Academy series has been growing, improving, and it’s quickly become one of my favorites. Can’t wait to see what kind of trouble comes Gwen’s way next.*Arc copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley*

Alexandria’s eighteen birthday is getting closer, and she’s so not ready to become the Apollyon. To make matters worse, every time she and Seth train another mark appears on her body, bringing her closer to her Awakening. If that’s not enough, the Order of Thanatos is out to kill her and at any moment the Council might discover what she did in the Catskills. Troubles come to an all-time high when a revolution springs in their midst and the gods start walking among them. Jennifer L. Armentrout’s Deity comes full of action, intrigue, and much swoon inducing romance. The Covenant series keeps getting better and better. Alexandria is trying to deal with the fact that she will turn into an Apollyon soon. She puts on a brave face, when the fact is that she’s scared. Then a note comes with news that leave her reeling. For a moment a worried that Alex was still going to be the hardheaded, impulsive girl who rushes into things. But she’s grown, and though she still has the impulse to charge into battle, she realizes she has to stop and think first. Of course, a warning from Aiden it’s all it takes to calm her down. The romance in this book made the pages sizzle with tension. After a deadly close call, Aiden realizes there’s no way he can live without Alex. There’s really no turning back when he finally admits her love for her. Then there’s Seth… OMG, Seth is really such a douchenozzle. I can’t believe I fell for him in Pure. But like Alex, I still think there’s something worth saving. The Covenant series has just won top shelf honor on my bookshelf. It’s the twists and turns in the story that keep it moving, and the characters that stand out and shout out of those pages. Of course, it’s a Jennifer L. Armentrout novel so you can expect no less.

Check out my review here: http://amarilysacosta.wordpress.com/2012/11/21/ready-player-one-yep-im-ready/

Scent of Magic picks up right where Touch of Power left us, with Avry and Kerrick recently reunited but still on the run from Tohon. Now that people believe she’s dead Avry wants to use that to her advantage. She wants to infiltrate Estrid army’s camp, and learn all she can before Ryne arrives with his own troops. But it means separating from Kerrick for who knows how long. As fate would have it, it turns out to be a long time indeed. Kerricks meets with Ryne only to hear the kingdoms in the north have been invaded by the northern tribes, it is now up to Kerrick to stop them. Avry has a hard time keeping her identity secret in the war camp, and with Tohon’s spies infiltrating the camp it isn’t easy to tell friend from foe. In this riveting sequel to the Healer Series, Maria V. Snyder brings on the action, the humor, and the romance to whole new levels. With both Avry and Kerrick’s POV in the mix, this book is seriously unputdownable. Avry is as resourceful and clever as ever. One thing I remember loving from Snyder’s Study Series was the ‘army humor’ and the close bonds between the characters. And that happens here too, as Avry has to win the troops and the other sergeants trust as she trains them. But though she shows a brave face to the world she’s also scared of Tohon and keeps having nightmares about him. She knows she’ll be in big trouble if he ever finds her again. I can’t even begin to tell you how ecstatic I was when the narrative suddenly changed to Kerrick’s POV. I squealed a bit, swooned a bit, and I think it made this sequel that much more exhilarating. The only bit that I didn’t like, is that the timelines don’t match. Like, for example, on one side we leave Avry on day four of her adventure, but when it switches to Kerrick he’s still on day two, and so on. It took a little brainwork to keep the timelines straight, but honestly, I was way into the story for it to become a major bother. Anyways, Kerrick was just awesome in this book. He’s brave, and just, and still learning that just because he orders it to be so, it doesn’t become so. Haha. Dany and Zila certainly are a handful. Secondary characters worth mentioning, aside from the regular crew of the first book, are: Ursan and Saul, two sergeants of Estrid’s army who become friends with Avry. Dany, who disobeys Kerrick but turns out to be a great asset with the northern barbarians. And Great-Aunt Yasmin, because at ninety she still kicks ass. A lot happened in this sequel, lots of things put in motion than I’m sure will be touched upon in the next book—like the northern tribes strange magic, and the Skeleton King on the south, but a whole bunch of other things. That ending chapter...Well first, it left me reeling. I could not believe that twist. I’m talking jaw dropping, cursing out loud, and reading the paragraph five times kind of event. I did not see that coming and for a moment I thought everything was lost. Then the ending-ending, meaning the very last page, broke my heart. Waiting for book three is going to be torture!*Arc copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley*

Karou has found out the truth about the elusive emptiness inside her. She is a revenant, a reincarnation of the chimera once known as Madrigal. Now that the Seraphim have destroyed the chimera capital, killing hundreds of her kin including her family, Karou searches for the best way to help the chimera get their vengeance. But what if revenge isn’t the answer? What if the world she and Akiva once dreamt of is still a possibility? Will she ever be able to forgive him?Laini Taylor’s Days of Blood and Starlight has without a doubt been the best sequel I’ve ever read. Ever.I gave Daughter of Smoke and Bone a rating of five. I want to give a 10 to this one! This is not improvement, it is evolution into something made of undiluted awesomesauce. If you loved Karou and the chimera, we get more. If you loved Akiva and the seraphim, we get more. If you loved the funny humans Zuzana and Mik, we get more! More, more, more!Karou has made some decisions based on the goal of saving the chimera race, but she’s put herself in the position of following order from the White Wolf. Oh yes, be prepared for some major Thiago hating. There are few villains who manage to push my buttons, but he does! That dude deserves to die a slow and painful death, seriously. In the first book, Karou learned the price of magic and now in her new role as resurrectionist, she’s paying it the hard way. I get it that she thought this was the only way to help her people, but I just wanted Karou to have more spine, to snap and stop Thiago’s injustices and cruelties. She doesn’t and I just wanted to slap some sense into that blue-haired head of hers. I guess I was so annoyed because we got strong, fighter Karou at the end of Daughter of Smoke and Bone, then we get weak, lets-herself-be-manipulated Karou here. It didn’t make sense.On the other hand, we have Akiva being all heroic and stuff. If you weren’t convinced of his ultimate goodness and loveableness, then you sure will now! His ultimate battle was beautiful! And his brother and sister were just perfect. OMG. Like, I can still close my eyes and visualize it. This deserves a small quote of the scene:Hazael and Liraz wielded their longswords two-handed, such power in their strikes as had rent the armor and hide of countless revenants. Decades of battle, hands black with their terrible tally, and their onslaught caught the guards like a force of nature. They weren’t two fighting off eight. They were two cutting through eight.I loved that Taylor didn’t leave Zuzana and Mik behind. They are the comic relief amid all the blood and death, and I couldn’t have read this story in one sitting if it wasn’t for them. We also get a few new POVs and characters. There’s Kiri, a chimera from Madrigal’s tribe. I thought he was very sweet and brave. I’m sure he’ll play a bigger role in the next book and I can’t wait! Akiva’s sister and brother, Liraz and Hazael, aren’t POVs but I grew to like them a lot. I know right? They’re totally hateable in the first book, but wait ‘till you meet them here. The last POV belonged to Svevas, a chimera. I didn’t care for her scenes or her, and mostly skimmed the parts. Don’t know if she and her sister will play a more interesting part later on.If you loved the first book or if you didn’t love the first book, read this sequel. I urge you.

KJ’s always been fascinated by the wolves around Yellowstone. When the town starts a campaign to get rid of them, KJ knows she can’t be the quiet little outcast anymore. She starts a column about wolves in her school’s newspaper, and gets to work with the handsome new transfer Virgil, who is as mysterious and fascinating to her as the wolves. But the campaign against wolves turns violent, and a serious misunderstanding pushes Virgil away. Kristen Chandler’s Wolves, Boys, & Other Things that might Kill Me is a great coming of age novel. Books are my escape, so I usually don’t like to read novels about real people with real problems. But every once in a while I do, and they’re gems in my bookshelves. This is one such book. I loved KJ’s growth through the novel, how she goes from being a quiet, ‘let things be’ kind of girl, to an outspoken, ‘I’ll fight for what’s right’ young woman. And she’s not only dealing with her teenage problems, but also with something bigger—the Wolf Reintroduction Program. We get to hear both sides of the arguments, with the environmentalists on one side, and the ranchers on the other side. Then we have KJ, who starts viewing the wolves as people. The parallel she makes between herself and the Cinderella wolf added an interesting layer to the story; about how wolves are hunters and killers and people are too. This is how she learns not to back down. There are romantic tones to the story, but they take a backseat to the bigger problems. Virgil is a new student at KJ’s school, and she’s totally smitten by him from the moment she sees him. They get to work together on the wolf column for the school’s newspaper, and have some interesting times. But then she makes a mistake, and he pulls away. This leaves her feeling quite alone, as her father is usually off camping and guiding tourists and stuff. What I loved about Virgil is that he didn’t give up. He still continued to help KJ, even though he was upset about her misconception. The ending was the part I didn’t like. It was too ‘real’ as in no happy endings for me. But the quote below was great. This comparison of wolves and humans is a big theme that is carried throughout the book, and I loved it. Overall, it’s a fun and quick read, with a nice environmentalist message that add deeper meaning to this YA novel.