Book Shelf: Risen (Blood Eternal #1) by Cole Gibsen

Fans of Vampire Diaries and Twilight will be thirsting for this latest vampire addiction…

My aunt has been kidnapped by vampires, and it’s up to me to save her. Only…I had no idea vampires existed. None. Nada. I’m more of a reader than a fighter, and even though I’d been wishing to escape my boring existence in the middle of nowhere, I’d give anything to have it back now if it meant my aunt was safe.

Then there’s the vampire Sebastian, who seems slightly nicer than most of the bloodsuckers I’ve run into so far. Yes, he’s the hottest being I’ve ever come across, but there’s no way I can trust him. He swears he’s helping me get answers, but there’s more to his story. Now I’m a key pawn in a raging vampire war, and I need to pick the right ally.

But my chances of surviving this war are slim at best, when the side I choose might be the one that wants me dead the most.

More info on Goodreads.....


Review: 

Risen is Cole Gibsen’s latest release and is a highly addictive and fast paced story of danger, romance and sizzling chemistry. Captivating from beginning to end, I can definitely see this becoming my new vampire obsession!

Seventeen year old Charlie wants nothing more than to escape the isolated cabin she shares with her Aunt Rachel and their dog in the woods. However, she certainly never expected the opportunity would arise only when her Aunt is kidnapped by vampires. Having no idea they even existed until they kicked down her cabin door, Charlie is determined to rescue her Aunt; if only she knew how. Trusting the vampire Sebastian seems like a bad idea, even if he is nicer than the other bloodsuckers she’s encountered and too good-looking for his own good. Yet doing so may be Charlie’s only choice. Sebastian swears he’s helping her get answers, but as she finds herself becoming a pawn in a century’s long conflict between rival vampire clans, will Charlie find herself a casualty of war? Or will the new abilities she seems to be welding change the fate of everything she thinks she knows?

As the first novel by Cole Gibsen I have read, I was really blown away by Risen! I seriously LOVED this novel. As someone who has read a lot of vampire novels in her time, I’m at a point where very few really manages to get under my skin any more, but Risen had me hooked by the very opening chapter!

Fast paced and told through the perspective of a sassy and brave young woman, Risen takes a lot of common vampire folklore and weaves it together with enough of a twist that the world Gibsen has created draws you in effortlessly. I’m not sure what I expected before I began, but the compelling chemistry between main character Charlie and vampire Sebastian, along with the forward moving storyline and sharp dialogue really won me over. Cole Gibsen had me refusing to put the story down—I was hooked.

Charlie was tenacious and brave as she faced this new world she found herself thrust into. While Sebastian who starts out as a threat and soon becomes an unexpected alley to Charlie truly was the swoon worthy love interest he comes across as. Not that she wasn’t prepared to look after herself but there was something so adorable about seeing Sebastian’s protective instincts kick in where Charlie was concerned as the novel progressed.

The two of them had a very sweet relationship and I loved how Gibsen built up the tension with each biting comment exchanged between them and the softer unexpected moments of assistance. Together alongside hunter Opal, Charlie and Sebastian expressed the kind of friendship and relationship that I feel shines in this genre of story.

With plenty of developments and questions having arisen, Risen is a fun but romantic story perfect for vampire lovers. I have an inkling where the parentage of certain characters is heading and I’m so freaking excited about the prospect of exploring this in the next novel. Bring on the sequel—I need it stat!

Rating:
Source: Sent for review by publisher via Netgalley (Thank you guys!)
Publisher: Entangled: Teen
Format: Kindle ebook via Netgalley
Release Date: March 27th 2018
Purchase: Bookworld | Booktopia | The Book Depository | Amazon
Final Thoughts: I HIGHLY enjoyed this novel--it was so much fun--and I can't wait for more!

Free Ebooks

Hello booklovers and happy Saturday. Here are some Amazon freebies I've snagged recently. Hope you check them out yourself :)

The Healer

Chasing Wishes

A Hero's Death 

Fury Frayed 

The Watchmaker's Daughter

Mother of Shadow 

Mother of Shadows

Star Destiny 

Purgatory's Angel

All the Dead Arising 

Hell's Angel

An Oathbreaker's Vow

Hope you managed to snag something new! 

Book Shelf: Not If I Save You First by Ally Carter

Maddie thought she and Logan would be friends forever. But when your dad is a Secret Service agent and your best friend is the president's son, sometimes life has other plans. Before she knows it, Maddie's dad is dragging her to a cabin in the middle of the Alaskan wilderness.

No phone.
No Internet.
And not a single word from Logan.

Maddie tells herself it's okay. After all, she's the most popular girl for twenty miles in any direction. (She’s also the only girl for twenty miles in any direction.) She has wood to cut and weapons to bedazzle. Her life is full.
Until Logan shows up six years later . . .
And Maddie wants to kill him.

But before that can happen, an assailant appears out of nowhere, knocking Maddie off a cliff and dragging Logan to some unknown fate. Maddie knows she could turn back- and get help. But the weather is turning and the terrain will only get more treacherous, the animals more deadly.

Maddie still really wants to kill Logan.
But she has to save him first.

More info on Goodreads..... 


Review: 

Not If I Save You First is Ally Carter’s latest release and is a sharp and sassy contemporary YA set in the Alaskan wilderness and full of adventure, romance and survival against the odds.

Sixteen year old Madeline “Maddie” Manchester lives in an isolated cabin deep in the Alaskan wilderness with her former Secret Service father. There’s no phone, no internet and nobody around for miles. Maddie is used to the isolation and quiet but all that changes when her former best friend Logan is dropped off as punishment for disobeying his father. Maddie hasn’t seen Logan for six years and the son of the president of the United States has changed drastically from the ten-year old she used to know. Maddie isn’t sure if she wants to kill Logan or kiss him, but when the two find themselves stranded alone with a killer on their tail, Maddie will have to decide if she’s willing to forgive Logan long enough to keep them alive. Or will the two of them find themselves victims of the madman with a gun and the elements that are getting worse with every passing moment?

Ally Carter once again brings to life a sassy and highly entertaining story with Not If I Save You First. Unfolding through the varying prospective of main characters Maddie and Logan, something I hadn’t been expecting as I thought we would only see the novel unfold through Maddie’s eyes, Not If I Save You First was a very fun and easy to read novel.

Quick reading that still manages to capture your imagination, Not If I Save You First details a compelling and amusing wilderness survival tale that sees two estranged friends forced to rely on one another when they’re attacked and then stuck in Alaska’s snow ridden woods together.

Maddie and Logan both had sharp and charming voices with their personalities likable and easy to enjoy. Maddie especially was full of sass and flair; a normal teenage girl who had a sharp and intelligent mind and plenty of sarcasm. I loved that Ally Carter gave Maddie all the intellectual tools and resources to be able to survive in the wilderness. Seeing her adapt, plan and execute her rescue was entertaining and enjoyable to read.

As someone who seems to be a fan of wilderness survival tales Not If I Save You First ticked all the boxes for me. I enjoyed seeing the protagonists fight to survive in the great outdoors and the dialogue, adventure and hints of romance wrapped it all up nicely.

Ally Carter has created a fun story with Not If I Save You First that I recommend to those who love their YA contemporary with a bit of flair and adventure!

Rating:
Source: Sent for review by publisher (Thank you guys!)
Publisher: Scholastic Australia
Format: Paperback
Australian RRP: $16.99
Release Date: May 1st 2018
Purchase: Bookworld | Booktopia | The Book Depository | Amazon
Final Thoughts: A solid and enjoyable read.

Waiting on Wednesday #243

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking The Spine where you can spotlight an upcoming release that you're eagerly anticipating.

This week I'm waiting on.....  

Sky Without Stars by Jessica Brody & Joanne Rendell 

Releases on: April 2nd 2019

Add on Goodreads!

 

A thief. An officer. A guardian.

Three strangers, one shared destiny . . .

When the Last Days came, the planet of Laterre promised hope. A new life for a wealthy French family and their descendants. But five hundred years later, it’s now a place where an extravagant elite class reigns supreme; where the clouds hide the stars and the poor starve in the streets; where a rebel group, long thought dead, is resurfacing.

Whispers of revolution have begun—a revolution that hinges on three unlikely heroes…

Chatine is a street-savvy thief who will do anything to escape the brutal Regime, including spy on Marcellus, the grandson of the most powerful man on the planet.

Marcellus is an officer—and the son of a renowned traitor. In training to take command of the military, Marcellus begins to doubt the government he’s vowed to serve when his father dies and leaves behind a cryptic message that only one person can read: a girl named Alouette.

Alouette is living in an underground refuge, where she guards and protects the last surviving library on the planet. But a shocking murder will bring Alouette to the surface for the first time in twelve years…and plunge Laterre into chaos.

All three have a role to play in a dangerous game of revolution—and together they will shape the future of a planet.

Power, romance, and destiny collide in this sweeping reimagining of Victor Hugo’s masterpiece, Les Misérables.

Thoughts:

The first thing that caught my attention about this novel was the cover--it's stunning--then I started reading the synopsis and I was highly intrigued and then I read the last two lines of said synopsis and discovered its a retelling of Les Misérables and now nothing and no one will stop me from reading this book. It sounds FANTASTIC! I must have!

What do you think of Sky Without Stars?

What are you waiting on this week?

Book Shelf: Dragon Marked (Supernatural Prison #1) by Jaymin Eve

As a wolf shifter with razor-sharp senses, Jessa Lebron can perceive the slightest change in the air. And her lupine instincts go into overdrive right before her mother, who abandoned her years ago, returns to the pack bearing secrets that change everything.

The biggest secret of all: Jessa is dragon marked, a designation that places her in grave danger. The dragon marked are destined to resurrect the dragon king, a fearsome ancient warmonger. And they must be eliminated.

Soon Jessa is locked up in Vanguard, the notorious paranormal prison that houses criminal vampires, feys, and magic users. Thankfully, she’s not alone: Braxton Compass, her best friend and a dragon shifter, has her back. Jessa and Braxton must find a way to free themselves and the rest of the dragon marked. But can her pack mates help her stop the dragon king before his deadly return?

More info on Goodreads..... 


Review: 

Dragon Marked is the first novel in Jaymin Eve’s Supernatural Prison series, a paranormal New Adult tale that is an explosion of supernatural creatures, friendship and a storyline with plenty of twists and turns.

Twenty two year old Jessa Lebron is a wolf shifter, the daughter of an alpha and someone used to taking care of herself. Yet Jessa’s world changes when her estranged mother returns to the scene, bringing with her secrets that will change everything Jessa thought she knew about herself. With the recent revelations sending Jessa’s lupine nature into a spin, the only thing keeping Jessa sane are her four closest friends and quadruplets, the Compass brothers. Discovering she is one of the dragon marked, individuals hunted and killed, Jessa soon finds herself locked up in Vanguard, a prison for supernaturals. Thankfully Jessa isn’t alone; her best friend Braxton is by her side, but with various groups determined to bring Jessa and her family down, Jessa and Braxton will have to find a way to escape before the inmates within Vanguard silence them forever.

For me, Jaymin Eve is one of those authors whose novel’s I head into just know I’m going to enjoy. Her ability to create vivid and complex worlds with strong willed characters wins me over every time, and although Dragon Marked wasn’t my favourite of her novels, I still found it to be easy reading with a storyline that was very forward moving. There was a lot thrown into the tale and readers will quickly find themselves caught up in the story.

Dragon Marked introduces readers to determined, food obsessed and mouthy wolf shifter Jessa. Jessa has a very strong personality that comes across throughout the novel through her sharp and sassy inner monologue. There were a few occasions whilst reading where I felt Jessa’s personality did come on too strong for my own personal liking, but overall I found her to be easy to follow.

Jaymin Eve introduces a lot of characters to this novel including the four Compass brothers Braxton, Maximus, Jacob and Tyson. The closeness between Jessa and the brothers was sweet—they essentially consider themselves a pack but again, on occasion, I felt like there was too much thrown into the story. Their personalities and domination came across as excessive and I think the novel would have benefited a subtler approach in this respect. That being said, I did like them, as well as Mischa and Grace who I’m hoping to see more of.

Overall, I found Dragon Marked to be well worth a read. Jaymin Eve concludes this installation at the perfect moment to leave you wanting more and I find myself keen to see what happens to Jessa and her friends next!

Rating:  
Source: Read via Kindle Unlimited
Publisher: Skyscape
Format: Kindle copy but I also own a signed paperback
Release Date: November 17th 2015
Purchase: The Book Depository | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Final Thoughts: I think this series is very promising and am looking forward to reading more.

Owl Post #220

Inspired by The Story Siren's In My Mailbox, Owl Post allows us bloggers to showcase the books we've bought, won or received throughout the week and is hosted by Brodie over at Eleusinian Mysteries. We all know that the Owl Post is the fastest way to send and receive mail and they certainly make me happy every time they drop a book off.  

Hello book lovers and welcome to this weeks Owl Post :)

  For Review:

From Allen & Unwin: - Smoke and Iron by Rachel Caine  I absolutely LOVE The Great Library and I can't wait to begin this fourth installement! I have no doubt it's going to be as brilliant as it's predecessors and will be looking to begin this soon.    ....Thank you team!     What did the owls bring you this week?  

 

Book Shelf: Two Dark Reigns (Three Dark Crowns #3) by Kendare Blake

One Crowned, Two Exiled, A Revolution Rising.

The battle has been fought, blood has been spilt and a queen has been crowned, but not all are happy with the outcome.

Katharine, the poisoner queen, has been crowned and is trying to ignore the whispers that call her illegitimate, undead, cursed.

Mirabella and Arsinoe have escaped the island of Fennbirn, but how long before the island calls them back?

Jules is returning to Fennbirn and has become the unlikely figurehead of a revolution threatening to topple Katharine's already unsteady rule.

But what good is a revolution if something is wrong with the island itself?

Kendare Blake's Two Dark Reigns is the heart-stopping third book in the bestselling Three Dark Crowns series. Discover more about Fennbirn and the three queens in the thrilling start to the quartet, Three Dark Crowns, and its sequel One Dark Throne.

More info on Goodreads.....


Review:

Two Dark Reigns is the thrilling and explosive third novel in the Three Dark Crowns series by Kendare Blake and once more draws readers into a treacherous world of danger, magic and a land on the brink of war as a rebellion rises and a Queen struggles to retain her crown.

Queen Katherine has been crowned. The battle is over with blood spilled and Arsinoe and Mirabella escaping the island of Fennbirn. Even though Katherine now sits on the throne whispers still follow her and as the mist rises up and begins to take the lives of her people, the rumored undead queen will have to justify her reign. Far away on the mainland Mirabella and Arsinoe try to let their past go but as a series of dreams seem to call Arsinow back to the island, she, Mira and Billy must decide if they will return. As a rebellion rises and the mist rebels, all three sisters face another fight, once again for their very lives....

I have to say that that Kendare Blake truly does electrify with Two Dark Reigns, the third instalment in the Three Dark Crowns series, bringing once more to life her deadly and darkly dangerous would of Fennbirn. This series is so addictive; drawing you into a world of danger and featuring harrowing voices and characters who are complex and layered.

After the last novel, Two Dark Reigns picks up with Katherine now the Crowned Queen and her sisters living in the mainland having fled the island with Billy in order to survive. Yet the island isn’t going to let Arsinoe and Mirabella stay away with forces already conspiring to send them back as Kendare Blake brings to life new aspects of the series.

Two Dark Reign was as exciting as its predecessors but also has somewhat of a fresh feel with this the first novel where the Ascension is not the focal point; the sisters are no longer solely focused on killing each other and are instead facing other challenges. I really enjoying this aspect of the novel. Arsinoe and Mira are developing (or reconnecting I should say) such a sweet relationship as sisters and it’s nice seeing them care for each other while Katherine is coming into her role as Queen. She’s in no way perfect but there is still her own brand of kindness and innocence to her even if she has been twisted by the dead queens.

As Jules role in the storyline continues to develop, all the characters I’ve come to love play an important role within the novel. Arsinoe and Billy's romance is a highlight for me, but I do enjoy all the characters, even the "villains" and poisoners including Katherine and Pietyr. Blake explains and explores some interesting history of Fennbirn in this installment and manages to offer up some explanation to queries I’ve had even as she posed more questions.

Two Dark Reigns races to a climactic and heart-racing conclusion that leaves me dying to see what Kendare Blake has in store next. I can’t wait until I can get my hands on the next novel to see what happens to these diverse and dynamic individuals and the world they live in.

Rating:
Source: Sent for review by publisher (Thank you guys!)
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
Format: Paperback
Australian RRP: $17.99
Release Date: September 25th 2018
Purchase: Bookworld | Booktopia | The Book Depository | Amazon
Final Thoughts: Another great book with a thrilling ending; I can't wait for the next one to be released!