Chosen Thief by Scarlett Dawn

Caroline Jules knows death is imminent. She's only 22, but as an inmate of death row in the most secure Mystical jail, what else could her future hold? Caro has no idea. Her solitary, transient life is about to get flipped on its head when it is revealed that she is the new Elemental Prodigie, and she has responsibilities and ties that she can't ever escape. Caro is attempting to run from a brutal past, but the rulers have other plans for this thief's future. But the transition from a self contained existence to life with the other prodigies, the Kings and Queens, and even the Elders was never going to be easy, and Caro has secrets she's loathe to share. Suddenly she has friends, mentors, lovers-and they all want to know more about her than she is willing to reveal. Can she learn to thrive in the role of a future leader, or will the obligations scare her into disappearing again-this time forever?

This series just keeps on getting better and better. Chosen Thief welcomes a new group of characters into the spotlight, all the while keeping us up to date with past characters who we will never get enough of. The new prodigies are very different to the now Kings and Queens, we have a terrified Mage, a snob of a Shifter, a Vampire with questionable clothing choices and an Elemental with a vast criminal record who are next in line for the thrones. I just love this series so frickin much I don't know where to start! Sin's and Caro's relationship just made me wish for something like they have and the fact that Caro is bi just made my day, finally getting some recognition of other sexualities besides straight and gay in the Urban Fantasy genres, yayayay!!! But stepping away from the characters because I could go on about how fantastic they are all day. The humour in this series never fails to make me cry and grasp my stomach in pain, through awkward sex talks and bad-mouthing of very important people on live radio, I just needed a break from the constant laughter! The world-building continues to grow along with the characters, and this definitely has to be one of my favourite series out there today. It just has everything I could want in a fantasy series: amazing five dimensional characters who are all fantastic in their own unique ways, an original world where anything can happen, humour that will make you pee yourself and a plot that will never leave you bored.

Rating: 5/5

The Forever Evoremore Series by Scarlett Dawn

Koven by Vanessa Skye

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review, thank you!

When Celeste was kidnapped and turned a century ago by a cruel vampire fighter, she expected to spend her doomed eternity chained in darkness and questioned her ability to survive. But things don't always go as expected. Just ask her kidnapper. He never expected Celeste to learn how to fight. He never expected Celeste to become the best warrior he had ever seen. And he certainly never expected to become a victim of his own sword. Tormented by her past and dreams she can't explain, Celeste romans the earth slaying creatures she loathes and seeking revenge against those who harm innocents in the name of bloodlust. Until she crosses paths with Striker, the handsome vampire leader weighed down by his own tortured story. In his quest for answers about Celeste, Striker finds out more than he could have ever thought possible-about himself, his origins and his destiny. 

While I did enjoy this book and loved the characters, there were just a bit too many comparisons between this story and J.R. Ward's 'Black Dagger Brotherhood' series. For example, in Koven the letter 'K' is used a lot in names and places where it shouldn't be, while in Ward's series, the letter 'H' is used in names such as Rehvenge and Rhage, another one is that Striker is the leader of a small group of exceptional warrior vampires, just as Wrath is. 'Koven' just didn't feel very original, but in saying that, I still loved the main character Celeste and her story of revenge, love and finally being able to move on from a horrific past, and while Striker's and Celeste's love story felt a bit rushed, I still managed to be happy for them without rolling my eyes. This is a hard book to rate for me, I was never once bored while reading, but I wasn't fully engaged either, and while I will read the next in the series if I have time, I will not be actively searching relentlessly for it. 

Rating: 2.5/5

Engage by Erica Crouch Cover Reveal

      

Engage: An Ignite Novella by Erica Crouch
Series: Ignite #2.5
  Published by Patchwork Press on May 5, 2015
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult Goodreads 

Kalaziel is a terrible guardian angel: her temper’s shorter than she is, she swears, she’s missing a wing, and she sees no problem with letting man make their own choices—no matter how questionable. That’s what free will is all about, right? Her overseers disagree. After she mishandles an assignment, Heaven strips Kala of her title and throws her back into training, hoping to reinforce the covenant of vows she swore to uphold as a guardian. But the angels’ motives aren’t as pure as they appear: they want to eradicate any opinions that conflict with Heaven’s code. With a mass cleansing on the horizon, Kala discovers she is not alone in her insubordination; there are other angels who are restless with the stasis of Heaven and ready for change. Progress doesn’t come easily, though, especially when it means uniting ancient enemies to fight for a common cause.

The day is finally here! We are so thrilled to finally share the cover reveal of Erica Crouch's Engage, the next instalment in the Ignite series. Engage follows Kala and Ana’s story before the events that unfold in Incite. Engage comes out May 5th. You can preorder the ebook now on Amazon so you can get it the moment it’s out! Sign up to participate in the RELEASE DAY BLITZ! We're in love with the cover -- the feathers! Kala! ANGELS FALLING FROM HEAVEN??? -- but we want to know what you think! Let us know in the comments!

ABOUT ERICA CROUCH

Erica Crouch is a young adult and new adult author from Baltimore, Maryland. She has a strange blended aesthetic of cute and spooky, and her books reflect her ever changing mood. (You may find romance, you may find gore—sometimes both in the same book, but probably not at the same time. Probably.) Erica is the cofounder of Patchwork Press, an author-powered publisher of middle grade, young adult, and new adult titles. She is the head of editorial services and design, with nearly fifty projects to her name.

Website • Blog • Twitter • Facebook • Goodreads

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