The Shadow Prince by Bree Despain

Pages: 512

Genre: Fantasy/Mythology

Series: Into the Dark #1

Publisher: Egmont

Release Date: March 11, 2014

Haden Lord, the disgraced prince of the Underrealm, has been sent to the mortal world to entice a girl into returning with him to the land of the dead. Posing as a student at Olympus Hills High—a haven for children of the rich and famous—Haden must single out the one girl rumored to be able to restore immortality to his race.Daphne Raines has dreams much bigger than her tiny southern Utah town, so when her rock star dad suddenly reappears, offering her full tuition to Olympus Hills High’s prestigious music program, she sees an opportunity to catch the break she needs to make it as a singer. But upon moving into her estranged father’s mansion in California, and attending her glamorous new school, Daphne soon realizes she isn’t the only student in Olympus who doesn’t quite belong.Haden and Daphne—destined for each other—know nothing of the true stakes their fated courtship entails. As war between the gods brews, the teenagers’ lives collide. But Daphne won’t be wooed easily and when it seems their prophesied link could happen, Haden realizes something he never intended—he’s fallen in love. Now to save themselves, Haden and Daphne must rewrite their destinies. But as their destinies change, so do the fates of both their worlds.

I'll admit, going into it, I didn't really know what to expect. From the synopsis it seemed like a typical, cliche paranormal story, but it's so much more than that! The Shadow Prince was actually quite the enchanting read and I actually kept reading until lo and behold, it was 7 AM.

The worldbuilding is the first thing that I noticed. Bree Despain takes Hades and Persephones' myth and twists it into her own creation, somehow making this retelling so much more fascinating. The Underworld had it's own hierarchy system with it's own backstory that set this book apart from all the other retellings. The world was dark and haunting and was quite fascinating. We got to see all the workings of the Underworlder court and how it came to be that way and it was all original and, by the way, a breath of fresh air when we learn that Orpheus plays a rather large role compared to Helen of Troy or Achilles.

As for our characters, I felt like Daphne was a bit flat at times, but she was definitely one of those stubborn and spitfire heroines! She doesn't really dive headfirst into impulsive decisions, but she makes rational choices and decisions, and that's what really won me over.
Haden was quite an interesting character, especially since he was in the mortal world. He was so adorably clueless, but you knew he had an arrogant and dangerous side--after all he was raised in the Underworld. But being in "our world" left him a bit helpless and it was so cute seeing him try to understand how the world worked. Or, more specifically girls.
EX: "My online research into "how to get a girl to like me" had suggested, time and time again, that to win a human girl over, I had to be mean to her. I'd spent the bulk of classes either ignoring her, contradicting her, or acting like a "bad boy", which I gather meant showing off my muscles and leaning back in my chair after saying something sexually derogatory." 
Yep, that sort of summed it up! It was hilarious seeing him navigate the minds of females--or rather, one female. Daphne.

Of course, that leads us to romance. The romance was a bit rushed and I honestly had no idea where it came from. I honestly think that without the romance, Shadow Prince may have been a lot better, but the sudden burst of "I love you" sort of ruined it. Though Haden and Daphne did have a rather interesting relationship that made me laugh out loud one too many times!

The Shadow Prince is told in alternating POVs and I really love how Bree Despain writes. She managed to capture two completely different voices into this story and it was unbelievably easy to see how different Haden's way of thinking was. His POV especially was brilliantly written, especially with the fact that we could actually see him slowly getting more human, bit by bit. That takes talent y'all!

The plot was filled with twists, though I do admit most of them were pretty predictable, but that didn't take away the thrill of figuring out you were right! There were so many little mysteries that weaved themselves into a bigger, more sinister plot, and it was enthralling, trying to untangle all the threads!

While the synopsis seems a bit overdone, the book is far from it and wonderfully executed too! The Shadow Prince was a mesmerizing read that had me on my toes for hours as I flipped through the pages anxiously.The Shadow Prince is  a book I'd recommend to any paranormal/fantasy fans and is definitely one to pick up!

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Promise of Shadows by Justina Ireland

Pages: 371

Genre: Greek Mythology/Fantasy

Series: Standalone

Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers

Release Date: March 11, 2014

Zephyr Mourning has never been very good at being a Harpy. She’d rather watch reality TV than learn forty-seven ways to kill a man, and she pretty much sucks at wielding magic. Zephyr was ready for a future pretending to be a normal human instead of a half-god assassin. But all that changes when her sister is murdered—and she uses a forbidden dark power to save herself from the same fate.
Zephyr is on the run from a punishment worse than death when an unexpected reunion with a childhood friend (a surprisingly HOT friend) changes everything. Because it seems like Zephyr might just be the Nyx, a dark goddess made flesh that is prophesied to change the power balance. For hundreds of years the half-gods have lived in fear, and Zephyr is supposed to change that.
But how is she supposed to save everyone when she can’t even save herself?

Going into Promise of Shadows, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. The cover was unbelievably eye catching and the premise sounded unique and completely riveting! 

Unfortunately, it wasn't as captivating as I thought it'd be. 

From the first chapter, I was fascinated by the worldbuilding--seeing a new twist on Greek mythology is always captivating! The world is my favorite bit of the book, managing to be completely original, something that's actually pretty hard with this genre nowadays. Learning about the Vaeter and the Aetherals was enchanting and it just pulled me into the world filled with harpies and Fates, Greek gods and the Nix. And, beyond the Greek gods, there wasn't much that tied the book to Greek mythology, something I found interesting and pleasantly surprising! 

We start out in Tarturus with Zephyr, making us hooked and enthralled. There's a sense of intrigue from chapter one, and you just automatically want to know more about what happened to Whisper, how Zephyr got thrown into Tarturus, and all of that. But after that, things started for a downward spiral. 

There were a lot of secrets revealed in the first few chapters, but Zephyr never seemed to be that surprised or that hurt, despite the fact that in years of knowing these people and that she just know learns of these things. She only seemed to be affected when it suited the plot--or when she wanted to be whiny.

Speaking of whiny...Zephyr wasn't exactly the best character. She didn't listen at all, and sometimes the characters went along with it, even if she was in the wrong and they were in the right. She was impulsive and ignored everyone's warnings, thought that she knew everything when she knew nothing at all, and she always did what she wanted, even though she knew perfectly well that it would put everyone she loved in danger. 

She was also hypocritical and seemed to always be itching for a fight. She was, really, just a terrible character and I wasn't exactly the biggest fan.

The other characters were a bit flat and didn't have much character. We never really got to know them well, besides the fact that they either worshipped, feared, or hated Zephyr. 

The plot was a bit predictable and a bit typical too, though it did manage to surprise me now and then. I wasn't a giant fan of the storyline, though it may have been overshadowed by my not so big love of Zephyr. It was a bit rushed, but it was still a bit fun. I do wish it was a bit more edgy and dark though, but I'm not totally unhappy with it! 

The romance was forced to me, and I really didn't feel like Tallon and Zephyr fit each other besides their affinity for erobos (essentially, the "darkness"). Although maybe they do since while Zephyr kept screwing things up and directly disobeying Tallon's instructions (that would've saved them a whole lot of trouble), and yet, Tallon kept on forgiving her, saying he was wrong all the time. It irritated me that he didn't seem to do anything besides support her the entire time or get grumpy. 

Promise of Shadows honestly wasn't my favorite book and I wouldn't necessarily recommend it. Though if you loved Justina Ireland's Vengeance Bound, you may love this one too! 

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Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

Pages: 352

Genre: Fantasy/Retelling

Series: Standalone

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Release Date: Jan 28, 2014

Since birth, Nyx has been betrothed to the evil ruler of her kingdom-all because of a foolish bargain struck by her father. And since birth, she has been in training to kill him.
With no choice but to fulfill her duty, Nyx resents her family for never trying to save her and hates herself for wanting to escape her fate. Still, on her seventeenth birthday, Nyx abandons everything she's ever known to marry the all-powerful, immortal Ignifex. Her plan? Seduce him, destroy his enchanted castle, and break the nine-hundred-year-old curse he put on her people.
But Ignifex is not at all what Nyx expected. The strangely charming lord beguiles her, and his castle-a shifting maze of magical rooms-enthralls her.
As Nyx searches for a way to free her homeland by uncovering Ignifex's secrets, she finds herself unwillingly drawn to him. Even if she could bring herself to love her sworn enemy, how can she refuse her duty to kill him? With time running out, Nyx must decide what is more important: the future of her kingdom, or the man she was never supposed to love.

Oh God, the love I have for this book! As I'm writing this, I literally just finished reading it in one sitting at midnight, so excuse me as I collect my thoroughly gasted flabber off the floor and turn it back into a brain. I wasn't quite sure what I was expecting when I dove into Cruel Beauty, but I know it wasn't this. And for once, that's a good thing!

So I'm a giant fan of retellings. And when I say giant, I mean giant. Add in Beauty and the Beast? It just got better and better! The tale as old as time is one of my favorites and one of the more commonly retold stories--but it's so, so, so hard to get right. But I can say with absolute certainty that Rosamund Hodge is a genius author whose brilliance can not go unheeded.

Hodge is a wonder with words, something that you can easily see through her debut. I fell in love with the first chapter and couldn't let go after until I'd read everything and was clinging to my plush rabbit in agony. The most amazing part, I think, is the worldbuilding, which has it's feet set in the plot, the characters, and pretty much everything.
The world is a mix of high fantasy, paranormal, and Greek mythology, something I found extremely unusual, but undeniably enthralling. It was amazing seeing the world come to life in the pages and being told the world's history and background through snatches of folklore and tale and  absolutely fascinating, how the author pieces together bits of her fantasy world with that of Greece. Who knew demons and gods went together?

The plot, I realize, is actually rather slow, but you don't get bored at all. The tension between Nyx and Ignifex kept me laughing and giggling forever and you can't help but get sucked into the story once they meet. It's more than just the romance, of course. It's Nyx trying to defeat Ignifex, to avenger he mother's sacrifice, and to keep her promise. It's amazing how this goes about and there are still so many plot twists I can't accept. I refuse to accept.

Romance! There are hints of a love triangle, but I can't really say anything beyond the fact that, well, it's not really a love triangle and that I loved Ignifex from the moment we met him, with his snark and wit and charm about him!

Nyx is truly a badass character. She's not quite the assassin I was expecting, but she's tough, she's fierce, she's curious, but beyond all that, she's absolutely and brilliantly flawed. It's even stated in the book that her heart was threaded with darkness, and you can't help but relate to her sometimes. Not to her situations, of course (I don't know about you, but I don't know anyone engaged to a demon prince), but her feelings and her regrets. She's a broken character and it's just something you love about her.

The ending, I have to say, was absolutely perfect. And that's all I have to say about that.

So yes. Cruel Beauty is one of those books you can't help but fall in love with, and one of those books that'll automatically jump to your favorites list. It's gorgeously written with brilliant characters, a cutthroat plot, and a romance that'll set you on fire. It's like reading a fairy tale--there's honestly no choice but to get enthralled. I honestly can't recommend this book enough! So seven out of five stars it is! 

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Let the Sky Fall by Shannon Messenger

Goodreads Blurb

Seventeen-year-old Vane Weston has no idea how he survived the category five tornado that killed his parents. And he has no idea if the beautiful, dark-haired girl who’s swept through his dreams every night since the storm is real. But he hopes she is.
Seventeen-year-old Audra is a sylph, an air elemental. She walks on the wind, can translate its alluring songs, and can even coax it into a weapon with a simple string of commands. She’s also a guardian—Vane’s guardian—and has sworn an oath to protect Vane at all costs. Even if it means sacrificing her own life.
When a hasty mistake reveals their location to the enemy who murdered both of their families, Audra’s forced to help Vane remember who he is. He has a power to claim—the secret language of the West Wind, which only he can understand. But unlocking his heritage will also unlock the memory Audra needs him to forget. And their greatest danger is not the warriors coming to destroy them—but the forbidden romance that’s grown between them.

Okay, you know those books that you have such high expectations for, but they just fall flat? This was so not one of those. I officially love anything Shannon Messenger writes. I absolutely loved her MG book, Keeper of the Lost Cities and the same definitely goes for Let the Sky Fall! She's just a genius with worldbuilding and plot!

Seriously. Worldbuilding first. The world of the sylphs/Windwalkers was so completely vivid and so well thought out! It was stunningly real and beautifully breathtaking (pun intended). I probably wouldn't make a lot of sense if I tried to explain the complexities of the world, but trust me, you;ll get it when you read it! It was definitely took a ton of creative power though, I'll say that!

Audra was such a strong character. I know I say that a lot, but she really was. She took the blame for her father's death but she never, not once, wallowed in self pity. Instead, she honored her promise to protect a boy, who was unbelievably stubborn, with her life. She sacrificed her own wants and needs for him and always put Vane first. She's a hardworking character who, even though she belongs in the air, is actually pretty down-to-earth.
Vane was...a guy. Or, like the stereotypical guys you roll your eyes at sometimes. He made a few perverted jokes throughout the series that really irritated me sometimes, but he really came through in the end. If anything, he's loyal to a fault, but it's one of the best things about him!

The romance was a bit insta-lovey, honestly, but you can quickly forget that once you see how perfect Vane and Audra are! They just complete each other so well, but ugh, forbidden love strikes again! So much conflicting feelings on Audra's part! Like I said, majorly strong character here.

The plot. Oh God, this killed me. The ending. The ending. Talk about a twist! I never saw it coming. Actually, I never saw a lot of things coming! Shannon Messenger has a way of throwing things at you that you never see coming. I wanted to curl into a ball and cry for out main characters. It was horrible. 

Let the Sky Fall was absolutely captivating from start to finish. I never wanted to put it down and throughout the entire thing, I was both dreading and anticipating the ending. (Which, again, nearly killed me.) With the ultimate sacrifices, the ultimate betrayal, this one's going to send you in an explosion of feelings. Trust me. I've been there.

Also, couldn't Raiden (that's his name, right) just google Vane Weston? He never changed his name and it's rather...unique.

Pages: 416
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Let the Sky Fall #1
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release Date:  March 5, 2013
Rating: 4.5-->5 stars

Thin Space by Jody Casella

Goodreads Blurb
Ever since the car accident that killed his twin brother, Marshall Windsor has been consumed with guilt and crippled by secrets of that fateful night. He has only one chance to make amends, to right his wrongs and set things right. He must find a Thin Space—a mythical point where the barrier between this world and the next is thin enough for a person to step through to the other side. 
But, when a new girl moves into the house next door, the same house Marsh is sure holds a thin space, she may be the key—or the unraveling of all his secrets.
As they get closer to finding a thin space—and closer to each other—Marsh must decide once and for all how far he’s willing to go to right the wrongs of the living…and the dead.

Thin Space, while absolutely wonderful and making me tear up at the end, made me have a lot of rather...mixed feelings. It did get off to a rather rough start, but it only got better from there! In fact, I absolutely loved the second half.

The main problem I had in the beginning was Marsh's personality. He was just obsessed with thin spaces, neglecting everything. He was just so desperate and while I understand that it'd be the way anyone would be, it just irritated me. He was such a tool, using Maddie just to get in the house. And then...he just gave up. After all that.
But I absolutely loved Maddie. She was such an easy character to relate to. Maybe it's because I didn't grow up with a dad, but I could definitely identify with her. She was a strong character and I loved her attitude and her perseverance. And, well, she sort of reminded me a little of myself. Just a little.
Both characters were fabulously broken (I feel a bit sadistic here) and I loved reading about them, more about their pasts and, for Marsh, the night that changed everything.

The writing was absolutely gorgeous and I loved the voice of Marsh. It was powerful and it was realistic, bitterness and guilt mixed into a desperate and sad atmosphere. Marsh was sort of an outcast, not that he was trying. He'd basically pulled away from society looking for thin spaces to do one last thing for his brother. It was sort of heartbreaking.

And the plot and pacing was absolutely amazing. I loved how the story progressed and the twists! I was not expecting them at all and I had no idea whether a thin space was just a wish or real in this story. I loved the ending and I teared up a lot (surprisingly!) You can slowly piece together everything from the hints dropped around and the result was...not what I expected.

Thin Space was an enjoyable read that definitely got better as the story progressed! With beautiful prose and flawed characters, it's definitely a great read! While the main character did annoy me, the mysterious atmosphere kept me reading and I ended up loving it!

Pages: 256

Genre: Contemporary/Paranormal (or is it)

Series: Standalone 

Publisher: Beyond Words/Simon Pulse

Release Date: Sep 10, 2013

Rating: 3.5

The Chaos of Stars by Kiersten White

Goodreads Blurb

Isadora’s family is seriously screwed up.
Of course, as the human daughter of Egyptian gods, that pretty much comes with the territory. She’s also stuck with parents who barely notice her, and a house full of relatives who can’t be bothered to remember her name. After all, they are going to be around forever—and she’s a mere mortal.
Isadora’s sick of living a life where she’s only worthy of a passing glance, and when she has the chance to move to San Diego with her brother, she jumps on it. But Isadora’s quickly finding that a “normal” life comes with plenty of its own epic complications—and that there’s no such thing as a clean break when it comes to family. Much as she wants to leave her past behind, she can’t shake the ominous dreams that foretell destruction for her entire family. When it turns out there may be truth in her nightmares, Isadora has to decide whether she can abandon her divine heritage after all.

Let me say this now: I will read anything Kiersten White writes. Especially when it has mythology (Egyptian mythology to boot!) and the daughter of two gods. Ummm yes!

The way The Chaos of Stars was written was definitely it's selling point. In the beginning of each chapter, we get a little bit of Egyptian mythology retold by Isadora. It's brilliant and fabulous, not to mention the darker dreams that our main character had, and mentioned, in the beginning of every other chapter or so that added a scene of intrigue to the entire plot.
Not to mention we have White's humor and laugh out loud tendencies and a depth to the book I definitely didn't expect!

Isadora's not just trying to get away from her family--she's dealing with the fact of knowing that she'll be replaced, that her parents have prepared for her death, that her parents just maybe don't care for her at all. It makes her an understandable character, but Isadora...well, she still irritated me. She whined throughout the book about her family, how she didn't want to fall in love, but was falling for love interest Ry anyways, and about why she'd wanted to be her older brother's only family. And when her mother warns her of bad dreams, and she gets some, she fails to mention them as a little "rebellion" even though they could put her in serious danger. What? Not to mention she was so completely and utterly pessimistic which kicked my optimistic side in the stomach.

I loved the reluctant romance in here though! Ry was so sweet and caring and I loved his little quirks. He was a swoony love interest and was just adorable around Isadora! The relationship between them was so cute and I was just in love with the idea of them as a couple and feel free to imagine me as the Sebastian (Little Mermaid) for the two! I really hope you guys get that reference.

The plot was...well, rather slow. Nothing really happened until the last three chapters or so and it was rather dull, although I was still interested with Isadora's life and, of course, the romance! But that didn't help the fact that what we mainly saw was Isadora adjusting to regular American life and that sort of bored me. The last few chapters were definitely explosive, though, and I loved it! I did expect a certain twist about Ry that I found a bit obvious, but the plot twists? Shocked!

Kiersten White, in typical Kiersten White style, has created a hilarious, gorgeously written novel that I loved! With interesting characters, a curious plot, and a character who's trying to figure out who she is, The Chaos of Stars is one I would recommend to anyone who loved White's previous work or wants to start her books!

Pages: 288

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Series: Standalone

Publisher: Harper Teen

Release Date: Sep 30, 2013

Rating: Possibly the one and only 3.75 rating

Blog Tour: Antigoddess by Kendare Blake

Hey guys! Super excited to be on this tour! I loved it so much! After my review, I have a mini interview for you! (And a giveaway of course!)

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Review
Can we just say right off the bat that Kendare Blake is a literary goddess? She has a way with words that just makes you fall in love with her novels, and Antigoddess is no exception.

Usually, as y'all know, I'm not a fan of multiple POV's, especially when it's third person, but Blake manages to pull it off with two kickbutt characters--both not (quite) human and both in dangerous situations. Athena and Cassandra are such different characters, but you can't help but fall in love with them, even as they opposed each other for a short time.

And the fun thing about dual POVs?

Dual romances.

We all know this author can write swoony romances and she does it again in Antigoddess! While Athena's story doesn't focus much on the romance, you can't deny that Odysseus (yes, that Odysseus) and Athena's dynamic isn't brilliant. Athena seems to melt whenever her hero (literally, since she's his patron goddess) is near and Odysseus is so absolutely loyal and sweet around Athena. Plus, I always did like those kind of snarky love interests! He seemed to love Athena for a while too, and it broke my heart whenever she pulled away.

As for Cassandra, well, I can't really say anything about that (spoilers, m'dears!), but let's just say that their relationship made me squeal, smile, giggle, and cry. Emphasis on cry.

Blake did a brilliant job bringing the gods and goddesses of legend to YA form and it was always amazing seeing our weary characters slip into their more powerful personas. And, as sadistic as it sounds, I did love the irony in how each god was dying...as much as it hurt my heart.

While there wasn't as much worldbuilding as I'd hoped, what was there was absolutely enchanting and her penchant for horror definitely played a role in some of the creepy crawly bumps in the night. Like most Greek mythology based books, things seem to revolve around the Trojan War and seeing the characters' flashbacks was exciting since I always did love new takes on it!

The plot was thrilling and I, honestly, got chills at times. There wasn't a slow moment and it was a never ending battle of trying to be a step ahead of someone who's already winning the game. Seeing it from Athena and Cassandra's perspective only made things all the more exciting and I couldn't help but be sucked into the story! If I have to say only one thing about this book, it's that it never let's you down!

I've said it before, but I'll say it again. Kendare Blake is a genius with her words, weaving them into an un-putdown-able novel that'll keep you anxious for ages. She raised expectations with her name alone and delivered it all in one pretty package! It's amazing how brilliant this story is and I honestly can't stop recommending it!

Recommended for fans of Anna Dress in Blood (because Kendare Blake, y'all) and Starcrossed!

Pages: 333 

Genre: Fantasy/Mythology

Series: Goddess Wars #1

Publisher: Tor Teen

Release Date: Sep 10, 2013

Rating: 5 stars

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Fiction Freak: If you were to die in some ironic, morbid way, how would it be?

Kendare Blake: Ironic? Electrocuted by my keyboard? Or perhaps if I was murdered and came back as a murderous ghost, and then Cas murdered me. Or maybe if I died by getting a feather stabbed through my eye.

FF: Suppose you were a Greek goddess--what would you be the goddess of/what existing goddess would you be?

KB: I would be Athena. Or at least I would be friends with her. She’s always seemed the coolest. But if I could invent a goddess of dairy products and hamburgers, I would be that.

FF: How was writing Antigoddess different from writing Anna Dressed in Blood--and whose situation would you rather be stuck in?

KB: I would rather live through ANTIGODDESS, I think. It’s more on the road, and big, big strong hero types. No wait. I would rather go on the road with Cas. No wait. Don’t make me choose.

Antigoddess was definitely harder to write until I figured out how to tell the story and what the story was.

FF: What did you like better--writing about ghosts and exorcism or Greek gods that died in morbid ways?

KB: I don’t know which I liked better…I love them both!

FF: If you would pick one place where the world would end, where would it be?

KB: Well, it should start inside the checkout line at WalMart. That should definitely end first.

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Antigoddess Blurb
The Goddess War begins in Antigoddess, the first installment of the new series by acclaimed author of Anna Dressed in Blood, Kendare Blake.
Old Gods never die…
Or so Athena thought. But then the feathers started sprouting beneath her skin, invading her lungs like a strange cancer, and Hermes showed up with a fever eating away his flesh. So much for living a quiet eternity in perpetual health.
Desperately seeking the cause of their slow, miserable deaths, Athena and Hermes travel the world, gathering allies and discovering enemies both new and old. Their search leads them to Cassandra—an ordinary girl who was once an extraordinary prophetess, protected and loved by a god. 
These days, Cassandra doesn’t involve herself in the business of gods—in fact, she doesn’t even know they exist. But she could be the key in a war that is only just beginning. 
Because Hera, the queen of the gods, has aligned herself with other of the ancient Olympians, who are killing off rivals in an attempt to prolong their own lives. But these anti-gods have become corrupted in their desperation to survive, horrific caricatures of their former glory. Athena will need every advantage she can get, because immortals don’t just flicker out. 
Every one of them dies in their own way. Some choke on feathers. Others become monsters. All of them rage against their last breath.
The Goddess War is about to begin.

Author Bio

Kendare Blake is an import from South Korea who was raised in the United States by caucasian parents. You know, that old chestnut. She received a Bachelor’s degree in Business from Ithaca College and a Master’s degree in Writing from Middlesex University in London. She brakes for animals, the largest of which was a deer, which sadly didn’t make it, and the smallest of which was a mouse, which did, but it took forever. Amongst her likes are Greek Mythology, rare red meat and veganism. She also enjoys girls who can think with the boys like Ayn Rand, and boys who scare the morality into people, like Bret Easton Ellis.

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Mini Freak Out: Goddess by Josephine Angelini

Mini Freak Out

Goodreads Blurb

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.

So I haven't done these in a while! Basically, a MFO is where I record my reactions while reading the spotlighted book then writing a fairly short review after.

There is cussing. Just sayin'

Page 12: OH YES. Love these kind of scenes! *bounces*
Page 16: OMG. LOL. Too adorable. I just can't.
Page 21: Oh my God. This is horrible. YET I LOVE THESE FLASHBACKS TOO MUCH
Page 22: I really really love Aphrodite right now.
Page 36: O_O *backs away*
Page 50: Oh you've got to be shitting me. CRAP.
Page 64: War makes everyone colder, Claire. (Reflection after I finished:...foreshadow. FORESHADOW)
Page 66: Oh God. I really really really love these.
Page 77: This is cracking me up. Oh gosh.
Page 92: Orion, you are so unbelievably dense.
Page 94: CRAP. WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE. Oh God. You're...oh God.
Page 102: Oh fudgin crap. I have a bad feeling about this.
Page 128: BAD FEELING. BAD FEELING. Shit. This is not happening.
Page 134: Did I mention that I HAVE A REALLY BAD FEELING ABOUT ALL THIS.
Page 148: Oh crap. Yeah, I definitely know who's who. I'm getting bad feeling shivers.
Page 156: Oh my God. The Fates are such itchy bees. DON'T SMITE ME
Page 161: Oh. My. God. Yes.
Page 169: Not so make-believe after all, huh?
Page 190: OMG NO WHAT ARE YOU DOING DON'T DO THIS WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS.
Page 206: Oh fudging crapness in shizzling twizzlers.
Page 211: Oh I hate you so much. How can you say that?
Page 223: Oh God, he knows. I was so hoping he didn't, but I can't be in denial any longer, can I.
Page 234: I am scared. Terrified. This is all going to Hades. (metaphorically)
Page 241: Oh my God. Ari...you can't...but I agree, I CAN'T BELIEVE ANY OF THIS.
Page 250: Everything's really just a cycle. FASCINATING (and really really horrible)
Page 256: LISTEN TO HIM. OMG LISTEN TO HIM. WHY WON'T YOU LISTEN? LISTEN TO EVERYTHING HE SAYS, NOT JUST THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG. THERE ARE MORE BETRAYALS THAN YOU--*muffled sounds*
Page 300: I really really love Aphrodite, you know. Irony. But omg, why aren't all the gods like her?
Page 307: SKLJDHFKAJSHDLKCJNBKLANFLJKSNBDCJNASJDNFHJKSDCKJNDFKJASDNCKJBNSKDJBFKSDBKFJDNSF SDJFHSDJKFKJDSFASD I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S COME DOWN TO THIS DEAR GOD. OMG HELP ME. *whimpers*
Page 310: Oh my God. Do I cry or laugh? I AM CRAUGHING. Oh God. I can't take this. My heart is plunging into my stomach acid and slowly disintegrating.
Page 321: LIES LIES LIES DON'T DO THIS TO ME. WTF ARE YOU DOING. LIES. I CALL LIES. BS ON YOU. Oh God this is not happening.
Page 327: I am dying right now. Just dying. Too many favorite characters going poof. Excuse me while I find an empty ocean to fill.
Page 352: WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU THINK WAS GOING TO HAPPEN. THAT THEY'D BE ALL LA-DI-DA?
Page 376: She deserves all the freakin' pain in the world.
Page 386: Seriously. Dense. Orion.
Page 403: Do I laugh or do I scream my guts out.
Page 407: YOU GO GIRL. LOOPHOLES FTW.
Page 410: Totally different Poseidon than in Percy Jackson *sniffs* Guess which I like better.
Page 420: What do you MEAN. Of course I'm not crying. There's just a speck of dust in my eye. Or a twig. Or a stick. Or a branch. Or a trunk. Or a forest.

Needless to say, I just absolutely died when I read Goddess. I've been a giant fan of this series since the first book (one of the first YA books I've read actually!) and seeing these characters grow from innocents to warriors, it was sort of heartbreaking. Seeing them die or losing loved ones or being betrayed? Even worse because you can't help but fall in love with all these characters along the series. Saying goodbye is always super hard, but I just absolutely adore this series and that makes it all the harder. (I think my heart has broken too many times because of ending series this year.)

The plot is absolutely fantastic and Josephine Angelini just has a way of making you die inside with every word. There were no end to the betrayals and the twists and, like I said. Absolutely heartbreaking. I had no idea what to expect and shed more than a few tears.
I definitely loved how Angelini managed to basically rewrite the Trojan War into the series. She used the idea of a "cycle" and just brilliantly wrote her own version. The multiple POVs, instead of annoying me, just made me even more antsy and anxious, building the suspense. Until, of course. it just blew up. Right in my face. Oh God.

An absolutely brilliant ending to a brilliant series, I can't help but wish we could watch these characters grow even more, but loved the epilogue and where it left off. It's heartbreaking and unpredictable, exactly like our characters. Filled with betrayals and secrets, Goddess is one of the best sequels I've read, and I definitely recommend the series to anyone and everyone.

Pages: 421
Genre: Mythology/Fantasy
Series: Starcrossed #3
Publisher: Harper Teen
Release Date: May 28, 2013
Rating: 4.5

Gameboard of the Gods by Richelle Mead

Goodreads Blurb

In a futuristic world nearly destroyed by religious extremists, Justin March lives in exile after failing in his job as an investigator of religious groups and supernatural claims. But Justin is given a second chance when Mae Koskinen comes to bring him back to the Republic of United North America (RUNA). Raised in an aristocratic caste, Mae is now a member of the military’s most elite and terrifying tier, a soldier with enhanced reflexes and skills.

When Justin and Mae are assigned to work together to solve a string of ritualistic murders, they soon realize that their discoveries have exposed them to terrible danger. As their investigation races forward, unknown enemies and powers greater than they can imagine are gathering in the shadows, ready to reclaim the world in which humans are merely game pieces on their board.

Gameboard of the Gods, the first installment of Richelle Mead’s Age of X series, will have all the elements that have made her YA Vampire Academy and Bloodlines series such megasuccesses: sexy, irresistible characters; romantic and mythological intrigue; and relentless action and suspense.

OKAY, so even if this is a YA (once in a while NA) review blog, how could I pass up Richelle Mead? So I decided to finally start my first adult read. And it was...a bit disappointing. I guess I finally realized jsut how big the difference between YA and Adult is!

Gameboard of the Gods was so slow for me. I was bored so many times and the twists were completely predictable. While there were plenty of developments and action scenes, my attention slowly withered away and, I admit, I may have started skimming a bit without realizing. (NO I DID NOT SKIM THE WHOLE BOOK. Maybe 25 pages.). From the first mention of ravens, I already guessed the big "surprise" at the end and that was sort of ridiculous, considering it was so obvious. Same goes for the mystery goddess too. They were (SEMI SPOILER) pretty much the most written about gods, excluding Greek. (SPOILER END)

Richelle Mead is always great with characterization and this time was no exception. They were all flawed characters who were still likeable, to a point, though it did take some time to get to know them. Though I do have to admit, Mae is a lot better than Justin  in my eyes. I think that's mainly since she was so kickbutt!

I liked the dystopian world in this story and it was captivating from the first description. Everything fit together and every question I had about the world was eventually explained. It was a creative concept that I enjoyed reading about and one that's definitely pure Richelle. It was such a complex world!

I didn't really enjoy the alternating POVs, though. It was random and often confused me. and I mean often. I'm not really a fan of alternate POVs, though, so that may make me a bit biased! Each section did advance the plot though and I did enjoy, at times, seeing the story from a different character's view.

Fans of Richelle Mead's work are sure to like this one (if they generally read adult, that is!). It brings a new idea to the table and a story that's pure genius. People who usually avoid dystopian should definitely try this one since I'm pretty sure it'll coax a great reaction out of readers! 

Pages: 464

Genre: Dystopian/Mythology

Series: Age of X #1

Publisher: Dutton Adult

Release Date: June 4, 2013

Rating: 3.5--->3 stars

Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter

Goodreads Blurb

Kate Winters has won immortality.

But if she wants a life in the Underworld with Henry, she’ll have to fight for it.

Becoming immortal wasn’t supposed to be the easy part. Though Kate is about to be crowned Queen of the Underworld, she’s as isolated as ever. And despite her growing love for Henry, ruler of the Underworld, he’s becoming ever more distant and secretive. Then, in the midst of Kate’s coronation, Henry is abducted by the only being powerful enough to kill him: the King of the Titans.

As the other gods prepare for a war that could end them all, it is up to Kate to save Henry from the depths of Tartarus. But in order to navigate the endless caverns of the Underworld, Kate must enlist the help of the one person who is the greatest threat to her future.

Henry’s first wife, Persephone

i got this book from the publisher, thanks to NetGalley, and I am proud to say that Goddess Interrupted was my very first eARC! I had just finished Goddess Test the day I recieved this so the timing was great. Anyhow, on with the review:

As the 2nd book to Goddess Testm many of us readers had high expectations for Goddess interrupted, and I am pleased to say it did not dissapoint. Back from her summer in Greece with James, Kate is expecting Henry to welcome her back with the love she's not so sure is there. But Henry seems distracted, cold, and distant. Soon, Kate starts to doubt his love for her, and with that doubt comes her insecurity. After all, no matter where she goes, she feels like she's second-best in everything, reminded of Persephone, Henry's first wife, wherever she goes. To make matters worse, her coronation ceremony is interrupted by a creature so powerful, it is one of the only things able to kill the gods. And who but Calliope can be in charge of this plan? When Henry gets kidnapped, Kate is willing to do anything to save him, even if it means losing him. Oh, Kate...

Just by reading the prolouge, I felt shaken and worried for everyone in the book. The beginning just hooked you in, making sure that you would get sucked into the story. It was great seeing what the gods acted like when they weren't pretending to be someone else. But I did grow annoyed with henry. Sure, he's expected to be cautious because of Persephone, but he should realize that Kate wants to be there, with him.Of course, he is trying to protect Kate as well, but when Kate doesn't know that, it does seem as if he doesn't care anymore.

Aimee Carter's writing is just as great as in Goddess Test, if not more so. She takes the words of Greek Mytholygy and twists it into a new "history" so that it flows well with the story, backing up every action and detail. Every author has their talents, I guess this is Aimee's.

So my reactions to the story...I pratically ripped my hair out at the aloof scenes between Kate and Henry, screaming in annoyance. I almost cried along with Kate, heartbroken. I cheered, I yelled, I spouted profanities. And the ending? It made me stare at the book for what seemed like years, not believing any of it. It was such a sudden twist that made so much sense!

Goddess Interrupted was fast-paced, but not so much that it was action after action after action. This pace made me turn the pages quicker instead of making me go over each word so that I could understand what was happening. this book has everything we love in a book--Wonderful, descriptive writing, a protagonist we can relate to, a broken heart, action, drama, jealousy, confusion, romance, and a world of unknown.

Pages: 304

Series: Goddess Test #2

Genre: Romance/Greek Mytholygy

Rating: 4 stars

"I had to do this. For Henry’s sake-for my mother’s sake. For my sake. Because in the end, without Henry, I didn’t know who I was anymore.“