Chosen at Nightfall by C.C. Hunter

Goodreads Blurb

Kylie Galen's life hasn't been the same since her world was turned upside-down in Born at Midnight, Shadow Falls #1, and now an epic conclusion to her journey—not to mention a tough choice between two guys!—is brewing in Chosen at Nightfall:
When Kylie Galen left Shadow Falls, she thought it was the hardest decision of her life. Heartbroken and separated from everyone she loves, she has to embrace her abilities and what it means to be a chameleon. But as Kylie's journey comes to a close, she must return to the camp that started it all...and she must finally chose between the two boys who love her. The werewolf who broke her heart when he chose his pack over her, and the half-fae who ran from their intense attraction before they ever really had a chance. For Kylie, everything will finally be revealed and nothing will ever be the same.

For one of my well-liked series, this was a rather disappointing conclusion. 

We still have all of our gloriously hilarious and fun characters who I absolutely love to read about (Perry? My favorite character, ever.) and we meet a few (not many) new characters who I loved meeting! C.C. Hunter is wonderful with her characters and they're usually my favorite part of the books! Especially Kylie's fellow campmates and supernaturals!

Our love triangle was definitely done well in my opinion! I was so worried that Kylie would immediately forgive him once he showed his face, and I am unbelievably relieved that she didn't! If you've read my other reviews, I'm pretty sure you know how hard it was for me to choose a team on this, and I'll just say I was definitely happy with the outcome! (But seriously. Boy next door personality wise or bad boy turned sweet?)

Kylie's still talking to the ghosts and this time, we meet one who plays a rather...significant role in our final conclusion. I really love how C.C. Hunter always focused most of the plot on the new ghost, but this time, it was a bit of a bad point. 

As a final ending book, I expected most of our story to focus on stopping Mario and discovering more about Kylie's chameleon heritage, but we never really see him until maybe the last 50-100 pages or so. There wasn't as much tension as I'd expect considering, and I was definitely disappointed by that. 

Another thing was how *SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER* the entire thing ended in a HEA (Happily Ever After) where literally everyone ended up happy and didn't lose. It was basically a win/win/win/win/win/win situation. Everyone ended paired up and I was beyond frustrated by that. Not to mention the cheesy sayings which definitely had me groaning a bit. 

While Chosen at Nightfall wasn't completely horrible, it wasn't as amazing as I'd hoped and expected! I definitely recommend the series as a whole though! 

Pages:400

Genre: Paranormal

Series: Shadow Falls #5

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Release Date: April 23, 2013

Rating: 3.5--->3 stars

Phoenix by Elizabeth Richards

Goodreads Blurb

Weeks after his crucifixion and rebirth as Phoenix, Ash Fisher believes his troubles are far behind him. He and Natalie are engaged and life seems good. But his happiness is short-lived when he receives a threatening visit from Purian Rose, who gives Ash an ultimatum: vote in favor of Rose’s Law permanently relegating Darklings to the wrong side of the wall or Natalie will be killed.
The decision seems obvious to Ash; he must save Natalie. But when Ash learns about The Tenth, a new and deadly concentration camp where the Darklings would be sent, the choice doesn’t seem so simple. Unable to ignore his conscience, Ash votes against Rose’s Law, signing Natalie’s death warrant and putting a troubled nation back into the throes of bloody battle.

First, I must squeal for one paragraph. I am sorry.

OMG. THIS WAS SO....ACK!!! I CAN'T BELIEVE I GOT AN ARC OF THIS. AND HOW GOOD THIS IS. WOW. THE WAY THIS WAS...ACK. BE STILL, MY HEART. THIS IS SO AMAZING.

That was like 1% of it, but I thought I'd better get on with the review, yeah?

Okay, I absolutely have to acknowledge the romance in this. The action and the rebellion were amazing of course, but the romance! Ash and Natalie and Elijah...and Giselle, but she appears and disappears quickly. (Thank God!) My heart broke so many times for Ash and Natalie. There's a giant twist that just changes everything between all of them, and I swear my heart dropped all the way through the Earth and made a beeline for China. I just...can't imagine. Natalie and Ash are so devoted to each other, every few pages I had to stop and smack a friend on the arm (whoever was closest to me. They can prove it.) and squeal! It was just so amazing, the way you could clearly see how in love they were. It's like a less messed up Romeo and Juliet! And Elijah. Elijah. How could you?!

Like I said, the action was definitely amazing itself. What Black City lacked, Phoenix definitely made up for it! There was definitely a lot more moving around than in Black City and there was definitely a lot more danger--and that's saying something! With President Rose a looming threat and both Sentry, Lupines, and citizens looking for them, Ash and Natalie were definitely in a fix. And yet, they somehow managed to survive it...until a giant betrayal I could never have expected!

Bringing me to another thing. There were a lot of betrayals I couldn't imagine, but with their lives' on the line, I guess some people forget to be selfless! But the first betrayal was a bit predictable. The second? Well. I think I may have died on the spot!
Phoenix was a book that while, at first was a bit slow, but quickly went uphill after the first few chapters or so! It's pacing was brilliant and I absolutely adored it!

Definitely not experiencing Sequel Syndrome or anything like that, Phoenix definitely surpassed my expectations and definitely beat Black City in the long run! Anyone who loved Black City will definitely adore this! Just like it's first book though, it's definitely one of those dystopias that the word dystopia perfectly describes!

Pages: 368
Genre: Dystopia/Romance
Series: Black City #2
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Release Date: June 4, 2013
Rating: 5 stars

Whispers at Moonrise by C.C. Hunter

Goodreads Blurb

At a camp filled with vampires, werewolves, and fairies, Kylie Galen has always struggled to figure out what she is. Now she finally knows the truth—but she's left with more questions than answers. She doesn’t have a clue what her heritage means or how to harness her newfound powers. All she knows is that she needs to sort out her feelings for Derek, the sexy half-Fae who just confessed his love, and Lucas, her werewolf boyfriend who seems more committed to his pack than to their relationship. All the while, Kylie's dealing with a group of underground rogues who want her dead and a mysterious grandfather who makes it clear he doesn’t trust the FRU . . . or Shadow Falls. Soon Kylie will have to choose: Will she stay with the new family she’s formed at Shadow Falls, or will she leave with her grandfather and embrace her destiny?

Kylie knows what she is now, but not what it means. She’s a chameleon? She’s a lizard? She has no idea what’s going on now and has more questions than answers. And to add to that, why did that ghost have Holly’s face? Holly isn’t dead yet…but does that just mean that she will? (ok, so there’s a spoiler in my review which means if you don’t want to know this tiny spoiler, avoid all paragraphs with a *) Not to mention that even though Kylie’s finally chosen Lucas, she can’t deny her feelings for Derek or that Lucas is hot one second, cold the next. What’s a not-so-human girl to do?

*I think this was definitely my favorite book out of all of them. It was different in the way that it wasn’t action-y and was more a mystery. This was basically the book where most of our questions were answered while at the same time, Kylie and the rest of the gang were trying to figure out who killed Holiday’s twin sister. And jeez! They went one some awesome traces/leads and I loved guessing who killed her, why, and everything else. As morbid as it sounds, this was definitely my kind of book!

What I didn’t like? I didn’t get why Kylie didn’t tell Holiday about the ghost with her face. It just seemed weird. I mean, sure it would’ve scared her but Holiday had the right to know plus it would’ve been easier and faster to figure out why the ghost had her face if Holiday had known. It just really annoyed me to hell and back. But hey, that only lasted 1/3 of the book!

While Kylie was a little annoying when it came to romance in the beginning you’ll eventually forgive her when it’s clear she’s literally torn apart between her feelings for Derek and the ones she has for Lucas. I mean, they’re both awesome guys and honestly? While I’m Team Lucas, I did fall for Derek. He’s the complete opposite of Lucas and I was just as torn as Kylie was. DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW SWOON WORTHY THESE TWO GUYS ARE?

Characters? This is going to be long…

You guys, my favorite character absolutely has to be Della! She’s so snarky and fun that you just have to love her! If possible, she’s more snarky in this book than in any other! And she was an amazing friend besides, no matter WHAT she says/acts like. Miranda was too! And I loved how she kept squealing about Perry after they (finally) got together! It was too cute!

I’m not even going to mention the boys. That would take too much squealing. Sigh. I’m totally crushing on too many book boyfriends.

Kylie is definitely a great MC. She wasn’t as stupid as some other characters; she figured (most of) the things out and I loved that she would give the benefit of a doubt and that she always, always, understood. Err…well, most of the time!

OMG. You guys! The ending. The ending! AGH! Can I choke someone? You could hear my jaw drop half way around the world. I was not expecting that at all and loved that this book could surprise me right when I had things figured out! I can honestly say that I’ve never been more surprised! And I’ve never read a more cliffhang-y cliffhanger.

As stunning as the first three, C.C. Hunter writes an amazing fourth installment that will answer some questions, but raise even more. A thrillingly satisfying read, Whispers at Moonrise will keep you guessing until the last page, leaving you shocked and aching for Chosen at Nightfall!

Pages: 400

Series: Shadow Falls #4

Genre: Paranormal/Romance

Publisher: St. Martin's

Release Date: October 2

Rating: 5 stars

Authors are Rockstars! Marissa Meyer!

Hey guys! I'm thrilled to be part of the Authors are Rockstars Tour and even more excited to have Marissa Meyer, author of Cinder and it's sequel, Scarlet, on! Cinder was absolutely amazing and I can NOT wait for Scarlet!!!

As for why she's a rockstar, it should be insanely obvious, but if you've been living under a rock...
Fist off, she wrote Cinder. You guys, that book was amazing!!! Wait. Redundance. But it really was! She creaed an awesome character, a...hmm...not sure if the world was great or creepy with the disease and the Lunars...huh. Also, she's a fan of anime. Seriously. tha multiplies her awesomness b, like, a million. *stares intently*

The Big, the Bad, and the Wolfish: My Top 10 Fictional Wolves

By Marissa Meyer

Hey everyone! I’m super excited to be rocking out during the Authors are Rockstars tour and want to thank all the awesome bloggers for hosting it!

When I told Jaime from Two Chicks on Books that I hadn’t decided what I was going to guest post about, her response was: “maybe a Wolf post” – followed by TWO winking emoticons. And I thought, well, the girl wants wolves, so let there be wolves!

Following are my Top 10 Favorite Wolves from pop culture. I realized in writing this list that it’s somewhat lacking in picks from the YA paranormal realm, so I’m hoping all you well-read readers will add your own favorites in the comments.

Note: I’ve tried to avoid spoilers where possible, but regarding #3—if you haven’t read Harry Potter yet, you deserve to be spoiled.

1. Brid (Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride)

Yes, I’m starting the list out with a chick, but in the world of kick-ass werewolves, she deserves to be right up top. She’s smart, feisty, proud, unapologetic, and has no problem talking smack to crazy necromancer Douglas, even after he locks her up in a cage made especially for her. I want to high-five the book every time she shows up.

2. Wolf (The 10th Kingdom miniseries)

I know I’m not the only one who remembers how totally awesome this miniseries was, with its epic fairy tale corniness, and Wolf stole the scene every time he appeared. He’s caught between true love and the whims of a wicked queen, and the way he struggles with hiding his wolfishness while also trying to woo Virginia makes for one of the most adorable romances (and proposals!) ever to hit the little screen.

3. Professor Remus Lupin (Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling)

He’s smart. He’s gentle. He’s patient. He’s noble. He’s a raving bloodthirsty werewolf every full moon. What’s not to love?

4. The Fenris (Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce)

Here I am, trying to make good on that promise to avoid spoilers. I love this book and how Jackson Pearce made Little Red Riding Hood into a modern, scarred, hatchet-wielding werewolf hunter. Much of the book revolves around the two March sisters, Scarlett and Rosie, trying to track down an unknown “Potential” before a pack of cruel Fenris finds him and turns him into one of their own, making for lots of exciting escapades… and there’s also a really swoon-worthy love story and… oh, you just have to read it.

5. Inuki (from X/1999 by CLAMP)

Although I don’t think I ever finished reading the entire X/1999 manga, one image from this series has stuck with me since I was a teenager and is probably responsible for 95% of my love for wolves and 100% responsible for my desperate desire for an invisible wolf pet. Inuki is an inugami (dog-spirit) who follows and protects young Yuzuriha Nekoi. He’s also a shape-shifter and turns into a sword in the middle of a battle. Ummmm, can I have one please?

6. The Big Bad Wolf #1 (“Li’l Red Riding Hood,” performed by Sam the Sham and the Pharoahs)

I have adored this song since I can remember my grandparents playing it when I was itty-bitty, and now that I’ve written a Little Red retelling, I love it all the more. It gives such a sweet-yet-sultry account of the fairy tale, all from the Wolf’s POV. “What a big heart I have—the better to love you with. Little Red Riding Hood, even bad wolves can be good.” Awww! *melts*

7. The Big Bad Wolf #2 (from Liar by Justine Larbalestier)

Did you have any idea there was a werewolf in Liar when you picked it up? Me either!! But then {SPOILER} and I was like {SPOILER} and holy cow, what did {SPOILER} and did it just {SPOILER}?! Gosh, I loved this book.

8. The Big Bad Wolf #3 (from ABC’s Once Upon a Time)

If you’re not watching this show, why the heck not? It’s such a fun mix of fairy tales and folk tales, including, of course, “Little Red Riding Hood.” But oh, the twist they made to the classic tale was one I never saw coming and I can’t wait to see what they do with the Wolf next season—in both Storybrooke and the Fairy Tale world.

9. The Boys from Teen Wolf

I’m cheating a little now because I’m running out of favorite wolves. But after months and months of hearing that I must watch this show, I was finally able to see an episode, like, two nights ago. And it seemed really good even though I had no idea what was going on. So for help, I asked the Twitterbrain who their favorite werewolf is in this new paranormal drama and here’s what they said:

@laboyden: come on it's Scott. He's awkward, headstrong and knows what's right. And he's smokin' #sorrynotsorry

@aisazia: LOL Can I say my favorite non-werewolf? I love Stiles! I love his wit and humor. Otherwise I suppose Scott. He's normal. :) I might like Derek if they ever show why he's the way he is. Dark and moody. XD

@novelsounds: not a wolf but Stiles is GREAT! love Lydia because she's a secret genius. Scott is dumb but his heart is in the right place.

@rklipman: DEREK! Because he has an epic bitch face and I'm pretty sure he is secretly in love with Stiles, which = good taste.

@RegicidalDwarf: probably Derek? ...the why being that he fails at everything and his face is beautiful.

 

Cinder Synopsis

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless Lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

Short Author Bio

Marissa Meyer lives in Tacoma, Washington, with her husband and three cats. She’s a fan of most things geeky (Sailor Moon, Firefly, color-coordinating her bookshelf . . .), and has been in love with fairy tales since she was given a small book of them when she was a child. She may or may not be a cyborg. Cinder is her first novel.

Contact

Marissa Meyer's Goodreads

Marissa Meyer's Website

Marissa Meyer's Blog

Marissa Meyer's Twitter

Marissa Meyer's Facebook

Rift by Andrea Cremer

Goodreads Blurb

Chronicling the rise of the Keepers, this is the stunning prequel to Andrea Cremer's internationally bestselling Nightshade trilogy!

Sixteen-year-old Ember Morrow is promised to a group called Conatus after one of their healers saves her mother's life. Once she arrives, Ember finds joy in wielding swords, learning magic, and fighting the encroaching darkness loose in the world. She also finds herself falling in love with her mentor, the dashing, brooding, and powerful Barrow Hess. When the knights realize Eira, one of their leaders, is dabbling in dark magic, Ember and Barrow must choose whether to follow Eira into the nether realm or to pledge their lives to destroying her and her kind.

With action, adventure, magic, and tantalizing sensuality, this book is as fast-paced and breathtaking as the Nightshade novels.

The Main Characters

 Ember was a strong heroine who was stubborn and independent and she always stood by her decisions no matter what. But something that annoyed me was that she always seemed as if she thought herself high above others, a bit snobby, maybe. She got offended a lot and was too hardheaded (which can sometimes be a good thing) to listen to others even when it may have risked a friend's life. Her attitude made me frustrated a lot of times and I often found myself wanting to strangle her. But Ember did have her strong points so...eh.

Eira, our antagonsit, was a perfect villain. She never meant to be evil per say, she was just swayed by her desire to do what she thought was better for her friends and family. But in the process, she lost what she thought were her goals and wanted to become more powerful than anyone. And that just makes the perfect antagonist. She didn't mean to become the villain it just happened, and the way Andrea Cremer shows the transit form good to bad was amazing, the way she blurred the lines between the two!

The Plot

The plot was awesome! I found myself on the edge of my seat waiting to see what happened and tearing at my hair when something unexpected happened. Which was a lot. The plot twists were those that you think are going to happen, but doubt it. Which, of course, makes everything moree surprising. Am I right? The plot was action-packed and full of secrets! But at times, I sometimes felt as if it was a bit too...redundant at times. But that might've been just me!

The Romance

You could kind of see how the romance was steadily growing, but I still think that when the big kiss scene came, it was still sudden, still too fast. Especially when it almsot hit the next level. It honeslty surprised me when they did kiss, but I guess it was to be expected.



Pages: 448
Series: Nightshade Prequel #1
Genre: Paranormal/Romance
Publisher: Philomel
Release Date: August 7
Rating: 4 stars

"Ember brought her sword down without warning and her aim was true. Her blade whistled through the air, hitting its mark and smoothly halving her adversary."

Taken at Dusk by C. C. hunter

Goodreads Blurb

Step into Shadow Falls, a camp for teens with supernatural powers. Here friendship thrives, love takes you by surprise, and our hearts possess the greatest magic of all.

Kylie Galen wants the truth so badly she can taste it. The truth about who her real family is, the truth about which boy she’s meant to be with—and the truth about what her emerging powers mean. But she’s about to discover that some secrets can change your life forever…and not always for the better.

Just when she and Lucas are finally getting close, she learns that his pack has forbidden them from being together. Was it a mistake to pick him over Derek? And it’s not just romance troubling Kylie. An amnesia-stricken ghost is haunting her, delivering the frightful warning, someone lives and someone dies. As Kylie races to unravel the mystery and protect those she loves, she finally unlocks the truth about her supernatural identity, which is far different—and more astonishing—than she ever imagined.

I received Taken at Dusk from St. Martin's Press/Griffin, including Born at Midnight and Awake at Dawn, book one and two in the Shadow Falls Series, since I hadn't read the series then. But I can promise you, that I devoured this series in two days (three books in two days!) and absolutely loved it.

This is a popular series among paranormal junkies out there, but when I first heard of it, I decided not to read it. Why? Because at the time, I had been reading Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins, and the blurb sounded suspiciously like that of Hex Hall. Once all the starred reviews started pouring in though, I regretted it, so I'm glad to have a chance to read the entire series!

Taken at Dusk starts immediately where Awake at Dawn left off, Kylie about to meet her adoptive parents, the ones who just might have the clue to finding out exactly what she is. But when she gets there, her "adoptive parents" and her barely get ten minutes before they're ushered out and it looks as if the couple weren't her adoptive parents, but were, instead, imposters. Shocking! And then animals are suddenly protecting her. An eagle that suddenly catches a snake mere inches from her feet, a deer jumping in front of her just before lightning strikes the spot she would've been in if not for the deer. But why? Taken at Dusk raises more questions than it answers, leaving readers shocked and mystified.

I fell in love with our characters in book one, wanting to hug the life out of them in book two, and started crying for them  in book three. Kylie had that strong personality we love in heroines, Holiday had that older-sister feel, helping Kylie along the way, Burnett was like Kylie's protector, and he was absolutely adorable when it came to Holiday! Lucas was edgy and dangerous, while Derek was sweet and caring. And I loved the ghosts! I don't know why, but I've always loved ghost-paranormal stories. No matter how much they creeped me out. And we finally meet the dreaded Ellie whom I loved!
This third installment of the Shadow Falls series was absolutely breathtaking, and I enjoyed every page! Kylie has fully accepted her paranormal blood and she's learning, slowly, to trust her father again. The ending scenes had me flipping to the end and leaving me shell-shocked. And to those who have read Taken At Dusk, what do you think a chameleon is? I have a theory. But I'm not sharing it!


Summary: The writing is beautiful, the characters are even more wonderful, and I don't think I can wait until Whispers at Moonrise comes out! This is definitely a paranormal romance that Fiction Freaks should read, whether or not its your thing.

Pages:380
Series: Shadow Falls #3
Genre: Paranormal/Romance
Rating: 5 stars

"Jane swerved toward Catherine and held both her fists up in front of her face, her body tight with fury. 'How many times do I have to tell you that I'm not Berta! I did not kill my own child. I would never kill my baby. I loved my baby.'"