Frostbite by Adrienne Woods

Losing Lucien McKenzie, the Prince of her heart and discovering her true identity has made Elena Watkins' life almost unbearable. However, new trials will test the 17-year-old's strength and push her to limits she didn't think were possible. Only a mysterious offer from Blake Leaf, the Rubicon and a dragon predestined for evil, reveals there may be a light at the end of Elena's dark tunnel. With the life she thought she knew crashing down around her, Elena will have to face a monumental decision about the fate of Paegeia. She can either make peace with Blake's demands or try once again to unravel the Queen's secrets that lie deep within her dragon, Tanya La Frey's, heart. 

This is literally the best thing I have read all month. I love this series so much that I just want to jump into the pages, become a character and never ever ever leave. Just, everything about this book makes me want to cry the entire time and sob over how amazing it is. I don't usually get dramatic like this but...you just have to read it. The first two books really introduce you to the characters and this one is where everything comes together to make the best thing in the entire world. All of the little secrets and conspiracies finally come to light and the way that they do just made me want to cry happy tears over how beautiful it was. Ok, I just realised how high I sound right now, but I'm not. Promise. Maybe I'm high off this book. Yer that's it. Anyway, the characters are all so vivid and life-like and the world-building just so original and awe-inspiring that if I were given a choice to live in any world and never return, I would choose Paegeia and it's world filled with amazingly unique dragons, magic and people. A heart-wrenching story of ultimate sacrifice, bravery and the courage to do what is right, the Dragonian series is a must read for all fantasy lovers, no matter your age. Can I please have the next one now? 

Rating: 5/5

Thunderlight (Dragonian Series Book 2)

Skin Deep by T.G. Ayer

*ARC received for an honest review, thank you!

Panther shape-shifter Kailin Odel just wants to be normal. Leaving her clan, and her Alpha responsibilities, to live with her grandmother in Chicago had been the best thing for her. Only then did she discover her ability to track and kill the soul sucking undead creatures called wraiths. Now she protects the humans, and has something to be proud of. But when discovers the body of a murdered shape-shifter, Kailin has to come to terms with the reality that her own kind are just as vulnerable as the humans. The closer Kailin gets to the killer, the more she has to face the intricacies of people. When the time comes, will she be able to accept who and what her real purpose is?

Told through several different Point of Views, Skin Deep is a roller-coaster filled with blood, terror, betrayal and family. The different POV's really worked well in this book, sometimes the plot tends to get lost in other stories with a lot of different perspectives, but in this one, it worked fantastically to build the tension and keep me on the edge of my metaphorical seat. Kailin is a kick-ass heroin and one who I loved going on this scary adventure with, just a bit disappointed that there weren't more fluffy moments between Kailin and fire-mage Logan Westin. The world-building was interesting enough, and the plot moved at an acceptable, if not a tiny bit slow pace, but I was never bored or wishing I could just skip to the action. The antagonist was creeeepy and the point of views from his victims kept me up and reading right up until I finished because who could go to sleep with horrific imagery like that in your mind. Bleh. But I digress, this story is an exciting, adrenalin pumping adventure that I thoroughly enjoyed. 

Rating: 3/5

The Decaying Empire by Laura Thalassa

*ARC received for an honest review, thank you!

When eighteen-year-old Ember Pierce wakes up in a Los Angeles hospital, she remembers only the basics: she's been trained by the government as a spy, she's sent on dangerous missions, and her last assignment-the one that landed her in the hospital-was a setup. 

Caden Hawthorne has spent the past ten months of his life grieving Ember's death. So when she shows up in his room like an apparition, he can't believe his eyes. But this Ember is different. Her hair is longer, her skin is paler, her gaze is haunted. She tells him what he has already begun to suspect: someone he trusted betrayed her.

Now, uncertain who is friend or foe, Ember and Caden face the toughest mission of their lives-to stay together and survive, as they run from danger toward an unknown future.

This book was tense! The anticipation and action was non-stop, face paced and completely heart-racing. Ember's and Caden's journey had me jumping out of my seat, cheering for them and biting my nails whenever they got into tough and terrifying situations. It almost felt like their story was real, and unlike most books I read, I was so nervous about them getting hurt even a single bit! I fell in love with Ember and Caden, even more so than in the first book 'The Vanishing Girl', I felt their emotions, all of their worries and anguish and happiness swept over me, making me laugh, smile and cry, sometimes all at the same time. It is so hard to dislike anything about this amazing and pulse pounding adventure, who doesn't love a bit of government corruption, some teenagers with altered DNA and a beautiful love story that will make your soul sing? 

Rating: 4/5 

Unseen by Amber lynn Natusch

Whispers in the darkness

From shadows on the wall,

telling of his wicked fate,

now echo through the hall.

The dead will soon be rising;

the mighty one doth pall.

The dead will soon be rising,

to see his kingdom fall

Welcome to the kingdom of Hades, where even its prodigal princess sleeps lightly. 

After fighting Soul Stealers in Detroit, Khara hoped to return home to find answers in her father's realm. But the land of the dead offers little information, and far too much tragedy. Now cut off from her brothers, and left only with her dark and unreliable companion Oz, Khara must navigate the centuries-old webs of deceit and betrayal, all the while eluding the underworld's most depraved inhabitant. But she soon finds an unexpected ally in her adopted sister Persephone. Together, they endeavour to right a terrible wrong. And as Khara soon discovers, there's more riding on her success than she ever thought possible. 

So much better than the first book in the series! Khara was kind of a boring character for the first book because she feared nothing, not even dying, she was as emotionless as a rock and the way she talked was really old fashioned, stiff and boring. But in 'Unseen', she is so much more relatable, she is finally figuring out what feelings are, and there are actual things that worry her! I get that living in the underworld will most likely desensitise you to certain things, but it was kinda ridiculous and annoying. Anyway, rant over. I loved the second book, it was exciting and intriguing, trying to navigate betrayals and work out the truths from the lies. Definitely my kind of series, and I cannot go past a Ms. Natusch book either. But...there wasn't much action, I love me some sword fights, and there was hardly any *cries*. I need the next book now because I can tell that whole book was one huge buildup to an epic third one *Grabby hands*. 

Rating: 4/5

Omega by S.M. Reine

*ARC received for an honest review, thank you!

Ten years ago, Deirdre Tombs died. When she was reborn the next day, Deirdre had became a shapeshifter who can't shift shapes. No body knows what animal she's supposed to be. She's definitely not a werewolf. The Alpha, Riley Gresham, can't force her to transform like other members of her pack. Now Deirdre is considered an Omega, the weakest shapeshifter in the pack-a vulnerable position when Everton Stark demands tribute from Riley. He want to be the dominant Alpha. The only Alpha. And he plans to make her pack submit whether they want to or not. Stark can make every shifter obey him by force of will alone. Every shapeshifter except Deirdre. The shifter who can shift is the only hope for Riley to win the war against Stark. It will take everything Deirdre has to survive undercover in his den. But can an Omega's will be stronger than that of a charismatic, deadly Alpha like Everton Stark?

I enjoyed this adventure very much, and the ending had me in shock and begging for the next book, but I was a little bit lost at the start as I hadn't read the series that this one had come from. But after piecing some things together, like the end of the world and that Riley and Abel were actually in fact characters from the 'Season's of the Moon' series, I began to really get into the book. I don't really know if I liked it or not to be honest, Deirdre was an awesome character, but I think the author really needs to let go of Riley's character...she's had like three series written about her now. The world-building was boring, sadly. It is the same world that the author has used in almost all of her series, it just wasn't original enough for me. But that being said, I enjoyed the plot, the mystery behind Deirdre's shapeshifting form (which I still haven't found out so I'm going to have to read the next book) and the not-quite-there relationship between Deirdre and bear-shifter Gage. Despite some disappointments, I will still be impatiently waiting for book two of the 'War of the Alpha's' series. 

Rating: 3/5 

You Are Mine by Janeal Falor

*ARC received for an honest review, thank you!

Serena knows a few simple things. She will always be owned by a warlock. She will never have freedom. She will always do what her warlock wishes, regardless of how inane, frivolous or cruel it is. And if she doesn't follow the rules, she will be tarnished. Spelled to be baled, inked, and barren for the rest of her life-worth less than the shadow she casts. The her ownership is won by a barbarian from another country. With the uncertainty that comes from being owned by a new warlock, Serena questions if being tarnished is really worse than being owned by a barbarian, and tempts fate by breaking the rules. When he looks the other way instead of punishing her, she discovers a new world. The more she ventures into the forbidden, the more she learns of love and a freedom just out of reach. Serena longs for both. But in a society where women are only ever property, hoping for more could be deadly. 

Yer, ok, this blurb really makes the book seem like a smutty bondage type scenario and plot, but it is the furthest thing from it, seriously, there is not even a single bit of fluff in here. Falor's world is scary. That is really the only word that jumped out at me while reading this. Women are treated as slaves, subjected to beatings by their husbands and fathers. They are possessions, so damaged that they can barely think for themselves. The only real value they hold to this society is as a way for warlocks to enhance their power by feeding off of theirs! It was SCARY! But it was also a fantastic world for a great heroin to flourish. Serena was a great main character, selfless, caring and a little bit of a rebel, despite having been subjected to unimaginable suffering and pain, even more so being the oldest of fourteen sisters and always taking the blame for everything they did. 'You Are Mine' was a fantastic and worthwhile read, it was heavy, but it was an eye opener because you are reminded that there are women all around the world who are dealing with this kind of draconian brutality...minus the warlock and magical powers aspect. While the story was great, it really needs a new blurb and maybe even a new cover, I just don't feel like they convey what this story is actually about. 

Rating: 3.5/5