A Thousand Nights by E.K. Johnston

A Brief Summary: 
The women he marries die. Most don't last a night, some last longer. When a girl takes her sisters place, she expects to die quickly. When she doesn't she starts to notice strange things. Could it be she has to power to withstand him, and make the kingdom safe for young women once again?

My Review:

This is a retelling of 1001 nights with a magical touch. It has it's dark moments, after all Lo-Melkhiin is possessed throughout most of the story. Also the main character is never named, this causes a lot of confusion for reviewing purposes so I'll refer to her as Scheherazade, the name of the girl in the original 1001 nights.

Scheherazade is clever and very lucky. She discovers her words, her dreams have power, and uses this to both keep herself alive and to try and change the situation for other young girls like her.

This book switches POV quite a bit, from Scheherazade to that is possessing Lo-Melkhiin, helping flesh out characters and moving the story along.

I enjoyed this retelling it brings new life to a story that tends to be forgotten.

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

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.

Children of the Comet by Daniel Moffitt

A Brief Summary: 
Billions of years after all life on Earth is eradicated and it's inhabitants scattered to the stars, life is thriving on the comets. Enter Torris a young man who's about to take his climb, the rite to become a man in his village. While on his climb he sets events in motion that he never could have foreseen.

My Review:

I really enjoyed the variety of characters in the book. From the comet dwelling natives to the space travelers all of them are diverse and really help carry the story along. Some of them are a little flat, but the majority are quite dynamic.

I will admit there were times that I got confused by what was going on. This is mainly due to the fact that time jumps in random increments, making it hard to know when exactly things are happening. Also until later in the book there are two distinct story lines that don't seem related. With that aside I truly enjoyed the story. The description of life on the comets was particularly fascinating.

A good, easy read with plenty of suspense, and a touch of action. I highly recommend this for fans of the science-fiction genre, and also for sci-fi newbies.  

I received this book compliments of NetGalley and Open Road Integrated Media in exchange for my free and honest review.

Witches Protection Program by Michael Phillip Cash

A Brief Summary:
Witches are real, and it's the job of a Witches Protection Unit to protect the Divinas, the good ones, from the Willas, the not so good ones. When Wes Rockville is reassigned to this unit he has a hard time accepting his new reality. But he has no time to get adjusted there's too much at stake, a diabolical plan has been discovered and it's up to Alistair and Wes to put an end to it.
My Review:

I really loved this story. Our hero Wes is a dyslexic, disgraced cop on his last change, this makes him extremely relateable. A man that has his own issues that he's tried really hard to overcome. Then you have Alistair his new partner, a seasoned veteran of the Witches Protection Unit, who seems to have a personal issue with a Miss Bernadette Pendragon. Add in her niece Morgan who loves her aunt but wants her independence and you round out our merry band.

The books story line flows beautifully, with wonderful character and world development. I also enjoyed the brief history and the two types of witches, and the weapons used to handle the ones who go rogue.

I hope this develops into a series, I'd love to learn more about the unit. Maybe a prequel featuring Alistair?

I received this book in exchange for my free and honest review.

The Mage's Servant by Phillip B. Dillon

A Brief Summary:
Willem never wanted to be a hero, however, when Gothar brutally murders his master he has to take up the hero's mantel. With the help of Ryder a young thief, and an ancient hero who has long been thought dead, he has to stop Gothar and his legion of demons. Or you know die trying.

My Review:

I was wondering Imgur the other day and discovered the author was giving this book away for free. Being the type of person who can't turn down a free book I grabbed a copy, and I'm glad I did.

The characters are clever and well written, the way magic worked had a clever new twist, and the story was well written.

I loved Willem. He is so sweet, and has a big heart. Also he has a natural talent for magic and he and Ryder make a great team.

All in all great book, good for middle school readers to adults. It's a quick read and is well paced.

I received this book 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!

Eden's Wish by M. Tara Crowl

A Brief Summary:
There are rules for everything, including having a genie. You know the drill, no wishing for more wishes, no changing the past, and wording is everything. However being a genie has it's own rules, no leaving the lamp except for granting, you're until you've filled your wish quota of 999 wishes, after that you get a wish of your own and are able to leave the lamp for good. Most genies are more then happy with this arrangement but Eden longs to live in the real world. So when she finds a chance to escape the lamp she takes it. However her masters haven't told her everything that's going on outside the lamp. In particular a century's old feud surrounding the lamp and it's powers. Will Eden cast aside the people who have cared for her since she was born in exchange for her freedom and in turn put unlimited power in wrong hands?

My Review:
I really loved this book. Eden is such cute heroine. She's extremely book smart but because of her unusual upbringing she's quite naive. Throughout the book she struggles to accept who and what she is, making this a charming growing up tale with a magical twist.

I also really liked the villain of the book Sylvana, and the entire power struggle surrounding the lamp. The loyalists vs. Sylvana's crew, both extremely powerful in their own right.

I'd really like to learn more about the alumni of the lamp and Eden's relationships with the mortals she meets. In other words I'd love a sequel. I could very easily see this blossoming into a series series.

This book is scheduled to be published on September 1st so be sure to look out for it!

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

A Whole New World by Liz Braswell

A Brief Summary:
We all know the story of Aladdin, but what if Jafar got the lamp first? Becoming the Sultan, ruler of Agrabah and the most powerful sorcerer in the world are just his first two wishes. It can't get any worse then that, or can it?



My Review: 
I absolutely love fairy-tale remakes, seeing new takes on an old story. This particular twist follows Disney's version of Aladdin, until the moment Jafar gets a hold of the lamp and with it Genie's powers. Meaning up to that point a good chunk of the dialogue is the same as in the movie. This may bug some of you, but for me it made sense given the premise of this new series.

One thing that surprised me was how dark the fate of some classic character was. While I prefer not to give spoilers I will say one or more characters don't make it to the end of the book.

My favorite addition to the classic story is Genie's back story. In the movie, Genie don't really get much of a history, A Whole New World gives him one, a very nice touch in my opinion.

This book is set to release on September 1st and it's definitely one to look out for.

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

Rae of Hope by W.J. May

A Brief Summary: After a tragic fire that killed that destroyed her childhood, Rae is taken to live with her aunt and uncle. Her parents history was left buried only to be unearthed when Rae is invited to attend Guilder, a prestigious boarding school that until this year was males only. Now she has to live down a legacy that she didn't even know that she had.

My Review:
I really liked this story. You have a girl who has no idea of her history, but everyone else does. She's judged and feared because of her father. Now on the verge of getting her tatu (her power) she's treated as sort of an experiment.

The tatus themselves were really neat. Some are extraordinarily useful, whereas others are kind of so-so. When Rae discovers hers she decides to help everyone realize how special each tatu truly is.

I also liked the relationship dynamics in this story. None of them are  forced so everything flows really well and feels very natural.

This was a part of the Arcane Forest Anthology that has the first books of several amazing series. If you're a fantasy lover I highly recommend checking it out.

Stitching Snow by R.C. Lewis

A Brief Summary: 
Running away from a stepmother that wants to kill you is completely understandable. However, when you're the heir apparent things get a little more complicated. Meet Essie, aka Snow, she has lived most of her life on Thundra a cold mining planet. Where she spends her days stitching her drones, and fighting to earn credits. Once Dane crashes on her planet her simple life is gone, now she has to decide if she's going to face her heritage or run and hide again.

My Review:
I loved this book! A brand new take on Snow White. No longer purely a damsel in distress, Essie can fight, code, and just generally take care of herself. I also enjoyed the take on prince charming. A once one dimensional character is now a fully fleshed man that you can really root for.

The fact the the mining drones were a call back to the dwarves was adorable. I particularly liked Dimwit, the call back to Dopey. Dimwit tries to be helpful but has a tendency to muddle things up. He's a super sweet comic relief character.

All in all I loved this book. It pays homage to the original, while managing to develop a story all it's own. The characters are dynamic and unique. Best of all no damsel in distress! She can handle her self beautifully and it's wonderful!

The Legend of the Light Keeper by Kelly Hall

A Brief Summary:
Moving to the middle of nowhere when you're a teenager is never fun, add in blending two families and a spectral light and things can't help but get interesting. The light that so many come to see only a few can truly understand. Lilly is one of those few, and she, Talon and they're new friends need to figure out what happened that causes the light.

My Review:

• I really enjoyed this book. Lilly is a wonderful protagonist that goes after what she wants. Be it love or information that she needs,  she won't stop until she has it.

Another thing I enjoyed was the dynamic between Lilly and her mom's boyfriend. It's a bit tentative but then again he's the first real father figure she's ever had. 

I also really liked her and Talon's relationship. It progresses very naturally and it's extremely easy to root for them despite their circumstances.

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

The Soul Keeper series box set by L.A. Starkey

A Brief Summary:
Two soul mates, one prophecy, and a whole lot of complications. Join Marcus and Nick as they try and understand the prophecy binding them and how to deal with sharing a soul mate. As Sam tries to understand the craziness of the world she's been thrown into.

My Review: 
I absolutely loved this series. It's fast paced with characters that you fall in love with. Sam is an incredibly strong willed girl who takes everything that happens pretty well. Only one major freak out in the entire series and you cant really blame her for it considering the circumstances.

Nick and Marcus are two sides of the same coin. I favored Nick, but I also really liked Marcus. They compliment each other extraordinarily well.

Also you get another perspective on most of the Greek Pantheon of Gods. Personally I loved how Hades was portrayed. I'd love to know more about him. Some of the Greek mythos was reworked but I really enjoyed it and it truly added to the story.

The first two books end in major emotionally charged cliffhangers so having the full box set is incredibly convenient.

This is a series that is defiantly worth a read! Don't forget to check out my last post to get in on a giveaway for the box set!!!! Click here to get in on this amazing opportunity!

Dark Hope by H.D. Smith

A Brief Summary:
Claire hates her job, but I really can't blame her considering she's the devil's assistant. Where devil means devil as in Lord of help, so you really can't blame her. Her life takes a turn for the worse when she's implicated in the murder of Junior, the oldest hellspawn. Now she has to contact four of the most deadly hellspawn to save Junior's life, and her own. If that wasn't enough to deal with she's been claimed by Queen Mab, and threatened by the Druid Kings mafia. Life is never boring when you work for the devil.

My Review:
I absolutely loved the premise of this book, and the execution exquisite. The heroine is strong, without being ridiculously stubborn something that is rarer then it should be. Along with Claire you have several other well developed characters. Such as Mab, The Druid King, and the Devil, aka the big three. And the quads, the four extremely powerful hellspawn, we're some of my favorite characters. Powerful, dynamic, and unique from each other.

The world building is incredible. You have three distinct kingdoms, hell, purgatory, and the Paradise. Each ruled by one of "the big three".  Claire is also desired by all three, because she is the center of several prophecies.

This was a great introduction to an incredible series that I highly recommend!

Valan Playboys by Scarlett Dawn

A Brief Summary:
Lana grew up thinking that she was weird but human. I mean when yo can control lighting you're not what most people consider normal. So when she meets people who are like her she gets pulled into the world of the valan, her world.

My Review:
I enjoyed the first 90% of this book. The last 10% however felt really rushed. It wasn't tied up nicely, just sort of thrown together and the relationship between and the two kings and Lana needed more development.

That being said I absolutely loved the world. With witches, valkyries, vampires, angels, demons, shifters, mermaids, and warlocks, the valan are incredible. I'd be up for reading more stories set in this universe. Especially if we could learn who Lana's parents were.

The Moon Tells Secrets by Savanna Wells

A Brief Summary:
For most of her son's life all Raine has done is run. But what she's running from is about to catch them and now it might be time to make a stand.

My Review:
I really liked this book. Primarily how it ties it's supernatural element, the skin-walkers, in with the history of the Navajo. It's nice to have a book that tries to get their history right. I also enjoyed how the relationship between Raine and Cade develops. Starting out as a desperately needed friendship then veering into something more.

Davey was another character I really liked. He's trying so hard to grow up, to be strong enough to face what threatens them, but he's still a kid. You see him changing and getting stronger, getting smarter. He's ready to face what he must, even if it means never being normal, or having a normal child.

I also really enjoyed the story. It's not your cookie-cutter shifter novel. It's a tale of growing up, of fear, and of moving on in your life after a devastating loss.

This book is set to be published on March 24, 2015. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

I received this book courtesy of NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin in exchange for my free and honest review.

The Beautiful Ones by Lori Brighton

A Brief Summary:  Every month the beautiful ones come. They choose some of us, to take away from here forever. We tell ourselves it our reward for our good behavior. But what could someone as beautiful as they want with us?

My Review:
I love that the heroine questions everything. She doesn't just go with the flow like the others taken with her. She fights and wants to know whats going on. Bonus points she's a bookworm!

Thanatos is a mysterious beautiful one. He's not exactly like the others, but we don't know much about him.

All in all this is a tantalizing glimpse into a new series. For only 67 pages a lot is packed in, and makes you crave the first book in the series. To tie up loose ends and to see what happens to our main characters.

The Mind Readers by Lori Brighton

A Brief Summary:
Anyone who learned about Cameron's ability thought she was a freak. After all she could read minds, so she kept the ability under wraps until she Lewis, a boy who shared her strange ability. He might be her only way to learn how to control her abilities. However will getting caught up in a vendetta be worth it?

My Review:
I loved the premise, an otherwise normal girl with the ability to read minds. In particular I liked how normal peoples thoughts were handled, you had crazies, vapid teen girls, horny teen boys, and then there's Lewis. As a fellow mind reader he learned to block his thoughts.

Another thing that I enjoyed was everything isn't black or white. Something much bigger and more complicated is going on beneath the surface.

Personally I liked Cameron she has a strong sense of right and wrong, even if she doesn't always act on her instincts. She's curious and spunky and I can't wait to see what happens to her in the future.

Lewis however is sketchy. I don't like him, I don't trust him, I foresee him being a problem in the books yet to come.

The Girl at Midnight by Melissa Grey

A Brief Summary:
Two ancient species locked in a seemingly never ending war. When one little pickpocket is sent on a mission to try and find the one thing that can end the war. Echo has been raised by the Avicen and now she's ready to risk everything for the family she's claimed for her own.

My Review:
This book was amazing!! The plot revolves around finding the firebird, a mythical creature that will end the war between the Avicen and the Drakhain. The Avicen are a human/bird race, and the Drakhain are dragon/human race. The two have been fighting for millennia, and an end to the war will only come in on of two ways. One or both sides are obliterated, or the firebird brings peace.

The world building is incredible. You have two completely unique species, with abilities, magics, politics and lore. I personally feel that only the surface of this subject has been scratched and I really hope to learn more about both cultures in the coming books.

Echo is the lone human in the party. She has her best friend from childhood Ivy, Jasper a fellow thief, Caius the Dragon prince, and Dorian Caius's captain of the guard. All of these characters we get to know pretty well, between switching POV's and impressions that we get from the others. We also get a couple of love triangles. Bonus points for adding an endearingly sweet gay relationship. It develops beautifully throughout the story and I can't wait to see where it goes in the rest of the series.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for my free and honest review.

Parallel by Claudia Lefeve

A Brief Summary: There's alternate dimensions that are parallel to the one that Etta lives in. Now she's being taken back to the dimension she was born in, and discovering that she has powers that nobody else possesses. The reason she has these abilities and why she was hidden in a different dimension is going to become clear very soon and when it does, it's not going be pretty.

My Review:
I love the idea of parallel dimensions. Where every decision no matter how minor creates a new dimension. It's fascinating, the idea that every relationship you've ever had ending badly and succeeding, every bad grade being a perfect one, all at once just in different dimensions.

I didn't love that the author didn't play with it more. That there's vague time jumping but not very much about the alternate dimensions. Granted this is the first book in a series so I hope the author will play with it more.

Overall the story was really good. The characters while most of them aren't fully fleshed out the have good potential. The one "good guy" I'm not a huge fan of is Cooper. His relationship with Etta is weird, I can't explain without major spoiler but I'm not a fan. At very least it should've been explained differently.

Witch's Brew by Hedi R. Kling

A Brief Summary from Goodreads:
Once soulmates, the witch and warlock covens of the California coast have been estranged for a century. Raised to hate each other, their teenagers meet in the Solstice Stones, a magical battleground where they draw energy from each other to maintain their balance. 16 year olds Logan and Lily have spent years training for their first Stones…only to discover just days before that the enemy may not be what either of them had thought.

In Witch’s Brew, Lily is torn between her feelings for Logan and her coven’s need to know who—or what—he is. The young lovers race against time, their distrust for each other, and the powerful influence of their elders, to unravel the mystery of their pasts before their future is destroyed.

My Review:
I loved that this was a choose your own destiny. Getting to choose what happens at pivotal moments, so you can avoid yelling at a fictional character because they do something stupid. It's a nice feeling when you get to make some of the choices.

I liked the lore that's been created. Witches and Warlocks separated and rivals. Only to encounter the other at the gleaning. Where they fight for the magic that the desperately need.

I also liked Lilly she sweet and curious. Her curiosity gets her into all sorts of trouble and introduces her to Logan her warlock counterpoint. He's interesting, and mysterious and slightly brainwashed, but then again so is Lilly.

I'm intrigued by this series and will probably look into it further.