Hunter by Mercedes Lackey

A Brief Summary:
Joyeaux has been a hunter since she was a young girl. Now she must travel to Apex City to join the best hunters and help protect the Cits. What she is yet to realize things are worse then she's been lead to believe. More and more Othersiders have been attacking and when a terrible price is paid Joyeaux decides to do something drastic to try and sway the status quo.
My Review:

Absolutely loved this book. It's gripping with a ton of action, magic, and complex relationships. I fell in love with Joyeaux, she's incredibly talented and intelligent. Granted she is almost too perfect, I personally enjoyed her but she may not be everyone's cup of tea.

This book also has a tendency to info-dump, if you can get past the first quarter of the book you get a lot more action I promise. While I personally prefer to get a lot of world-building background in the first book of a series, I'm aware some people find it tedious. That being said the world is incredibly well built. You have a semi-detailed history and a solid understanding of what's changed since the Diseray.

This had better be the beginning of a series I have too many unanswered questions for it not to be. I would recommend this to everyone. Aside from a risk of information overloading, it's a solid book that I hope will develop into a great series.

I received this book courtesy of NetGalley and Disney-Hyperion  in exchange for my free and honest review.

Omni by Andrea Murray

A Brief Summary:
In a caste system there are people who are loved and adored the artists, the healers, the intelligent ones, and then there are the ones that do the work that no one else wants to do, the drudges. In Omni, you only associate with people inside of your caste, or stratum as it's called. However when a drudge saves an extremely popular artist, things begin to change. Pierce, the drudge, is given a choice of his stratum instead of waiting for the test on his 18th birthday. However choices don't come without consequences, and whatever he chooses could destroy those he cares about.

My Review:
I loved, loved this book. The fact that is was based on the story of Paris and Helen of Troy. That there is an incredibly complex history, wonderfully crafted world, and complex characters. All of my big potential pet peeves were exceptionally well taken care of.

Pierce is my hands-down favorite characters. He's driven, he's a good guy, he's willing to defend someone he's never met, he's considerate, and he cares about his friend. I know I'm gushing, but he's so well written that I just can't help it. I also really enjoy his relationship with Harmony, it slow physically but goes deeper romantically, emotionally, quite quickly.

All in all it's a really good book and I can't wait to read the next one in the story.

Don't forget to check my last post to get in on a giveaway about Omni!

The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau

Cia as one of the top of her class has been selected to participate in the testing. The chance to leave her colony and to become a leader to help the revitalization of her nation. But things are rarely as easy as they seem. Cia's father had participated and passed the testing, and remembers none of it. What he does remember comes in the form in nightmares. Cia will have to watch who she trusts, and keep her wits about her if she's going to survive the testing.

Cia is a strong, quick thinking, and compassionate individual. She has dreamed of escaping the Five Lakes colony since she was a young girl. The testing is her way of doing just that. She and three others are the first people to be selected from Five Lakes in a very long time. Over 100 children have been selected but only 20 will pass and attend the university. Slightly under a 1 in 5 chance.

The testing was absolutely fascinating. Each phase was unique and creative and kind of terrible. I loved it, the tension felt real, all of the emotions felt real. It was exceptionally well done.

So much love for this book. My friend's little sister recommended this book. I'm so glad that she did I binge read the entire series, in one night starting at about 7 and finishing the series at about 2:30 A.M., it was completely worth it.

If you  like dystopian fiction read this book. You won't regret it.

Devoured by Jason Brant

Book bio from GoodReads:
"Life isn’t kind to Lance York. A full-time job has eluded him for years, his wife loathes the sight of him, his bank accounts are empty, and his wealthy father-in-law revels in his failures.

After he lunges in front of a car to save a sick and disoriented woman, Lance awakens in a quarantined hospital. A devastating plague is spreading worldwide, driving those infected with it insane. Their bodies begin to mutate into horrors that have haunted mankind’s nightmares for centuries.

The world descends into chaos as death holds sway in the streets.

With the help of an unlikely ally, Lance must navigate through the collapsing city of Pittsburgh, striving to escape the madness of the Apocalypse that unfolds around them"

 This was a captivating novel about the breakdown of society in the event of a mass epidemic. Well this epidemic makes people eat other people. It transforms them into pretty much vampires. They hate the sun, but no word on garlic and crosses though.

I personally enjoyed that the main "hero" was an every-man. Someone anyone can relate to. He has the struggles that so many people in the world have. Failed relationship, lack of a job, broke classic stresses. All of that however, falls by the wayside when he has to fight for his life.

This is the start of a series, that while fascinating I'm not sure if I'll read. If only because a zombie apocalypse isn't my favorite type of book. It's a very good book don't get me wrong.

Breeder by Ashley Quigley

Ariet lives in a world where your health is everything. You have daily scans, weekly medicals skipping any of them mean that you will face dire consequences. On her way to her last medical before she's of mating age, she gets, well kidnapped. She has a unique gene mutation and because of that she has been selected for the breeding program. Meaning she has even less freedom then before. Her mate has been chosen for her, and any children who look like they won't express the gene will be terminated. Also if she and Mason (her mate) fail to produce a viable offspring they will be terminated. Hows that for pressure?


This was a book that sparked a debate between my boyfriend and I. I took the side of the one, and he took the side of the whole. Basically I took Ariet and Mason's side, and he took the side of the scientists. However after discussing it with him, I've accepted that his point of view is best in this case. In this world the human population has been decimated and given the nature of the gene it's understandable to want the gene to be expressed and developed further. But being as the book is first person you start to feel for Ariet and all that she goes through.

With all of the current advancements in technology something like this happening is actually kind of worrying. With the human genome project we already know some of the genes that are desirable, and some the very much aren't. While we haven't had a human mass extinction, the need to control population may cause us to use gene therapy for this exact reason.

The only downside that I saw was the ending. To me it seemed rush, and seeing as this is a trilogy it really didn't have to be. I will definitely look into reading the other books to see where Ariet and Mason's story takes them next.

The Lotus Effect by Bridget Ladd

Lilly has been slated to become the Mistress of Science since she was born. It's supposed to be a position of power and honor, to create designs to help shape the City Prosper. Supposed to at least now it's just a figurehead of a position. So on her coronation day she turns down the roll to instead fight in the Barrage. The Barrage being a fight between the sectors to change the law. Something that hasn't been done in over eighty years. She must fight side-by-side with Zander, a engineer from her sector who may just be able to safe her life.

I loved loved loved this book. Lilly and Zander have officially become two of my favorite characters of all time. They are intelligent, resourceful, and incredible designers. I honestly would love to see, what their armor looked like, maybe someone will make some fan art. The Barrage is one of my favorite parts. It's something that I'm sure will be compared to the Hunger Games, if only that it's a game where people fight for peoples amusement. However there are some key differences.

Such as:
Barrage: you fight as a team, you win or lose together.
Hunger Games: You fight for you, there is one winner

Barrage: You fight for the right to change the law
Hunger Games: You fight for your life

Barrage: You are free to come and go as you wish
Hunger Games: You're trapped in the arena

Barrage: One sector is chosen to fight for the council and they get special stuff
Hunger Games: People can send you gifts

Barrage: You can not win and survive.
Hunger Games: Unless you win you die.

It was a wonderful engaging story and I can't wait to read the squeal.

Prison Nation by Jenni Merritt

Millie 942B is about to be released into the Nation after eighteen years of imprisonment. The reason she was in prison is because she was born there. Her parents are the criminals, but as a jail baby she's in the system until her eighteenth birthday. In the Nation the good, and the strong are free, now Millie is to be released and join them. However she doesn't know if being free is really all it's cracked up to be.

Truth and the distortion of it is one of the main themes of this book. How Millie is told that the truth is what will keep her  out of prison and free. But the truths that are told to her are distorted, and changed.

A book that makes you think, is a book you will remember. And this is one that I will definitely remember. If the U.S.A. ever gets to this point. I don't think I'd stay.


This book makes you stop and think. What is freedom? Is the truth what will set you free?

Concealed in Shadows by Gabrielle Arrowsmith

Set roughly 19 years into the future where America has been divided into counties, where once you're in you don't leave. Due to the chips everyone receives and the barrier that shocks everyone who attempts to cross it. Our protagonist Sydney is one of the few that risks her life to get out of the county to see the world but now she has to be careful as she's trying to gain custody of her sister. When it looks like everything is going her way the only thing that could happen is something go wrong.

Loved loved loved this book! I immediately got the equal and loved it as well (just a note as it would be hard to talk about without revealing spoilers I won't be doing a review on it here). This book shows an interesting family dynamic through clever dialogue and flashbacks. And the world that has been created is phenomenal. With complex governments and incredible technology it's somewhere that would be terrible but amazing to live in. It shows that most people are okay with almost anything if it's easy and convenient for them, where very few will challenge the status quo.

I got off on a little rant there but let me know what you think. Do you think most people follow the crowd and just accept or do they challenge and do what they have to to just be themselves?

I Am Alive by Cameron Jace

In this post apocalyptic story children are ranked when they turn sixteen those who rank lower than five are considered monsters, above five they are segregated by their number the higher the number the higher the status and wealth they are awarded. These monsters have to battle it out in the monster games where no one has ever survived... yet. This year is the 10th anniversary of the games and everything is getting changed around and Decca, Leo and Woo are at the center of it. How they are all tied together and how it all ends up, well I guess you're going to have to read and find out.

For anyone who is a fan of The Hunger Games, or Divergent you are going to love this story. It's full of rebellion and challenging what you are indoctrinated to believe. The characters are strong and unique and plans are placed on Decca and well they don't go the way anybody intended. I loved this story and I can't wait for the next book in the series!