Into the Fire by Ashelyn Drake

Seventeen-year-old Cara Tillman's life is perfectly normal until Logan Schmidt moves to Ashlan Falls. Cara is drawn to him, though she's not exactly complaining. As the two grow closer, everything is near perfect, except for one tiny little detail. Cara isn't a normal high school girl. She's part of a small group of special people who are descended from the mythical phoenix, and her time with Logan is running out. Her first rebirth is nearing where she will be consumed by fire, but reborn from her own ashes, the only problem is that she will forget her previous life, and everyone in it. Cara will forget Logan and everything they mean to each other, but that may not be the last of her worries. A phoenix hunter is on the loose, and he's determined to put an end to the lives of people like Cara and her family. 

Arg the blurb for the book sounded so promising and interesting and something I could really get into, but alas, all my dreams went up in a burst of flame (ha get it? phoenix's). It started off really great and had me believing that this was the perfect young adult story about phoenix's, but by the time that Logan came and in a couple short days they were already desperately in love, I just found it ridiculous. (maybe I'm just getting more mature? Nah) The characters just didn't do anything for me, I felt that the author really didn't put much thought behind some of their personalities, especially Logan, she gave him a sad backstory, wrapped an obviously symbolic leather jacket on him and sent him off. Don't get me started on Cara either, she is an annoying girl who blushes way too much and had to have other minor characters tell the reader that she is the most caring person ever to get her traits across. The writing didn't engage me much either, I was honestly bored most of the book until the last ten pages where stuff actually happened, and I was admittedly cheering for the bad guy. I don't think I will bother with the next book in the series, it just didn't hold my attention and draw me into the story. I guess I have to keep looking for that perfect Phoenix book. 

Rating: 1.5/5 Titans

Quote of the Day

"Be careful boy. In some tales, the hero gets eaten by the monster after all."

~The Iron Knight, Julie Kagawa 

Broken Soul by Faith Hunter

When the Master of the City of New Orleans asks Jane Yellowrock to improve security for a future visit from a delegation of European vampires, she names an exorbitant price, but Leo is willing to pay. That's because the Eurovamps want Leo's territory, and he knows he needs Jane to prevent a total bloodbath. Leo, however, doesn't mention how this new job will change Jane's life or the danger it will bring her and her team. But Jane has much more to worry about than some greedy vamps, there's a vicious creature stalking the streets of New Orleans, and its agenda seems to be ripping Leo and her to pieces. Now she just has to figure out how to kill something she can't even see. With the added bonus of a group of lunatic vampires closing in and dark secrets being hidden in the deepest levels of Vamp HQ, Jane's life just got much more dangerous for her, and everyone she loves. 

As much as I love the 'Jane Yellowrock' series, I can never seem to concentrate one hundred percent when I am reading them, it's not the writing that does it, it's just that the story gets so complex and mind-boggling that I have to re-read some passages in order to fully grasp everything that is happening, lets just say that if you haven't read the previous books, you would never be able to understand anything that is happening within the pages. Jane is one of my favourite heroins, she's a kick-ass lady with a whole heap of guns, knives, leather, claws and a tragic past filled with desolation, hunger and survival. She bows to no-one, not even Leo, the Master of New Orleans who would see her under his command and control. Nothing is ever obvious, there is never a straightforward answer to any problem or catastrophe and you can never guess at what is going to happen next, and this is why I love it so much, it keeps me guessing and on the edge of my seat/bed the entire time. When it comes to Urban Fantasy, Faith Hunter is the one to crawl to for all your shots of badass protagonists and psychotic creatures of the night. 

Rating: 3.5/5 Titans 

Books in the 'Jane Yellowrock' series

Skinwalker

Blood Cross

Mercy Blade

Raven Cursed

Death's Rival

Blood Trade

Black Arts

Broken Soul

Dark Heir (coming 2015)

Quote of the Day

"There are things we want, and things we may have...Sanity lies in knowing the difference."

~Death's Mistress, Karen Chance

Exquisite Captive by Heather Demetrios

Nalia is a Jinni of tremendous ancient power, the only survivor of a coup that killed nearly everyone she loved. Stuffed into a bottle and sold by a slave trader, she's now hiding on the Dark Caravan, the lucrative Jinni slave trade between Arjinna and Earth, where Jinn are forced to grant wishes and obey their human master's every command. Nalia would give anything to be free of the golden shackles that bind her to Malek, her cruel human captor and his lavish Hollywood lifestyle. Raif is the leader of Arjinna's revolution and Nalia's sworn enemy. He promises to free Nalia from Malek so that she can return to her ravaged homeland and free her imprisoned brother, all for a price. Nalia isn't sure she can trust him, but Raif is her only chance at escape. With dangerous enemies on the hunt for the last surviving Jinn of royal blood, Earth has become more perilous than ever. Battling a dark past and harbouring terrible secrets, Nalia soon realises that her freedom may come at a price too terrible to pay. 

The world building of this book is beautifully seductive and powerful in it's wonder. Even though we don't get to see much of the Jinn's homeland Arjinna, it still feels like I have lived there thanks to varoius flashbacks from Nalia's horrifying past and the way in which the characters communicate and interact on Earth. Arjinna is a land of caste, power, revolutions and magic, and because of the several different POV's throughout the novel, you get to see and understand how each caste of Jinn survived their world while is was pillaged of hope for some, and filled with glory for others. I immensely enjoyed this book because the characters were all so uniquely different in every aspect-race, gender, equality and freedom, they made me loathe and love in different spades and needless to say, I was disappointed when the book finished.  This is a heart-wrenching story of love, freedom, destiny and the hope and journey to redemption. 

Rating: 4/5 Titans

"Freedom is power."

The Kindred Series by Nicola Claire

Vampyres, Shifters, Ghouls and Faeries all abound in a world where the Norms, (those humans without magical abilities) are ignorant to the creatures of the night and the supernatural wars waging around them. Lucinda Monk is a bank-teller by day, Vampire hunter by night, but she wasn't always a part of this world. Thrown into a heady mix of powerful and sensual beings, she's had to find her way blindfolded, but she's a capable and practical kind of girl. Her motto: Never show fear. Never give an inch. Always stay on guard. But there is change afoot, a Prophecy that whispers of powers that will unite the light with the dark. Is Lucinda the one? Or is she just another cog in a wheel moulded by those more powerful, hungry and bloodthirsty than her? From the urban streets of cities all over the world, to the dark alleys and sinful bars that promise a wickedness a girl from the farm has never been exposed to. And even if she is the Light that the prophecy has spoken of, her life will still be intimately entwined with the Dark. 

Just finished re-reading one of my favourite series of all time which is why I haven't posted in a while. Once you open up that first book and read that first line, you have to finish the whole series. Nicola Claire is absolutely one of my favourite authors of all time, she really knows how to provide a beautiful mix of action, romance and the supernatural, and having read all of her series and loving them all, I feel that I can say that 'Kindred' is my favourite, and having just finished them all for the second time I'm sure you can tell I'm not being my usual sarcastic self. I adore Lucinda, Michel and their gang of kick-ass friends, I almost feel like I know them personally, and that's always a good sign when reading a book. Not only do I love the good guys, but sometimes I just can't help but loving the bad ones too, because Claire always makes sure that you know them almost personally and also that they are not just some malevolent force always prevalent in the background of a plot. The world building is beautiful and takes you all around the world, from Auckland, Paris, London, Rio and then to other worlds entirely. A very special combination of Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance that you just can't help but love. 

Overall Rating: 4/5

"The Light will capture the Dark and hold it dear"

Books in the Kindred Series

Kindred
Blood Life Seeker
Forbidden Drink
Giver of Light
The View from Here (Michel POV)
Dancing Dragon
Shadow's Light
Entwined with the Dark
Kiss of the Dragon
Dreaming of a Blood Red Christmas (Michel POV)

Liar by C.L. Stone

Kayli Winchester can finally let go of her pickpocketing past and for once is walking on the right side of the law. But her brother Wil is still missing. On the hunt for him, she discovers something worse than a missing sibling: Marc, Raven, Brandon, Cory and Axel. But these aren't scoundrels with hearts of gold, they're flat out criminals, but criminals who need her. In a ruse to draw them away from her brother and learn more about The Academy where the boys all come from, Kayli joins them on a mission to Florida in search of a missing girl. Kayli will do anything to make sure her brother is safe, she'll find their leader, discover their intentions, and infiltrate their ranks. But when these five Adademy boys all contend for her heart, her resistance starts to crumble. 

I had hopes for the second book in the 'Scarab Beetle' series, but 'Liar' really let me down. I really did not appreciate the constant winging and self depreciating attitude of Kayli, it was incessant and unnecessary and really annoying. Oh no, I can't differentiate my feelings between six boys, even though one is gay, and they are all such nice people even though they are all criminals who go around saving kidnapped little girls. But Marc is so beautiful! Cory is sooo nice! Raven has hawt tattoos! Brandon is a damaged soul I must be the one to save! Axel makes me feel so comforted and safe! And Blake is rich and sexy!!

But apart from all of that nonsense, there was still hardly any action or very interesting scenes, not even many plot twists. A boring and trashy novel overall, but if you're into that then this would be the perfect book! 

Rating: 2/5 Titans