Unraveling Words

This was a cute fun read with a slight supernatural twist to it. So if you were looking for something more serious, you won't be finding it here, but I found exactly what I was looking for.This book was more about Xylia and Landon finding themselves than it was about the whole dying at being brought back with a kiss. I was a tad disappointed that the supernatural aspect was just slightly there. I kinda wanted more in depth from that, but I still liked it.This was really about Xylia learning to deal with her issues about her mother's death and to learn to live with herself and to accept and forgive. She does this with the help of Landon, another troubled teen, but in this case it's someone who has to deal with a crushed dream and learning to come back from that. While it dealt with heavy issues, it was done in such a way that it was neither depressing nor insensitive. It was handled with just the right amount of tact and humor and to be able to pull it off.The romance was a little to fast since it all really happens in the span of a few days. I wasn't real happy about the speed in which it happened but the interaction between them was very sweet so all is forgiven xDAll in all it satisfied my cravings for a fast cute read with some supernatural aspect still thrown in perfectly.

Was provided a copy by the author in exchange for an honest reviewTechnically I should have loved this book. It had all the elements that make it a great fantasy, and yet for some reason it just didn't do it for me. I don't know if it was my mood or certain aspects or just a combination of both that would not let me get into the book.This was the story of a people who lived in the Shadow. It wasn't just the story of Amos, of a certain character or characters, or of their journey. It was a story about beliefs and trust. And it was truly a great story that was told, but I just could not really get into it. I read faithfully till about 1/3rd of the book till I finally gave up. While the idea behind the whole thing was interesting it just wasn't keeping me invested. I kept finding myself dropping the book and doing something else every few minutes. Felt liked I had ADD, but it was just me finding something else to keep myself occupied because the book just wasn't doing it. Which is a shame really.As I mentioned before this book contains all the elements that should have made it an easy read. It was well written, it was original. It had a great background with a lot of it's mythology and a very distinct culture that was shared by different groups of people while still being slightly different between each.But in the end I couldn't finish it so I instead skimmed it very quickly just to find out the high points, because it truly is a unique story.

This is a review for the whole trilogy:4.5 StarsI had already come to the conclusion that I loved anything written by Sanderson after having just read 2 of his short stories. Mistborn was the first full length novel I read from Sanderson and it didn't disappoint in the least.That blurb is incredibly vague so I can't really go into much detail about the plot. Suffice it to say the plot was genius. From start all the way till finish, it took me on a ride that never let up. You would think you had it all figured out then something unexpected would happen and there went all your theories, and this happened multiple times during each book. It was so much fun! xD I live for books that keep me guessing the whole time, there aren't enough of these types of books out there.Besides the plot being awesome, there were the characters. Starting with Kelsier, Vin, Elend, and Sazed, the whole crew, Ruin and Preservation, the Lord, the Inquisitors, and ending with the last ska. They were ALL so incredibly well though out. Each and every single one of them was unique in their own right. There was never any character that didn't feel real nor alive. When anything happened to one of them it was a blow. You felt their fears, doubt, insecurities and paranoia. And there was a lot of paranoia to go around xD That was Vin's m.o. pretty much, which served her very well all things considered lol. My favorites were Kelsier, just cause he was awesome, and Vin, same reason :P And Sazed, but only till the third book, cause then he just annoyed me for most of it, right up till the end.As most of you are aware, if you have been reading my reviews for some time, characters make it or break it for me. I can forgive a crappy plot and half-assed world-building, but not flat characters. But in this case, Sanderson not only managed to deliver amazing characters and one hell of a plot, but also one phenomenal world. It was so intricate. Sure it was confusing at the start because of all the new terms and the politics of it, but you get the hang of it quickly enough. There were so many different races, all with their own unique way of thinking and doing things, all with their background stories and explanations as to why they are the way they are, and none of it felt like info dumps at any time. It was all expertly woven together with the characters and the plot themselves to form one amazing trilogy.I have been very vague with this while review because I really don't want to spoil it, even just a little, for anyone. I want everyone to get the full experience of reading this book. I was that blown away by them. If you are a fan of any kind of fantasy, I urge you to read Mistborn. It's a must!

2.5 StarsThis was by no means a bad book. The MC was nice, the romantic interest was alright after a while and I liked the side characters.I am a sucker for books about witches. I just love books about magic, and ghosts, and this one had both, so there was no way I was passing it up. Bryn is a Keeper Witch. She is in charge of 'good' lost souls, protects them till their are ready to move on. With this job come certain powers that make it easier. We are told that Bryn is a very strong witch, specially for someone at her age. But I couldn't really see that. I mean they tell you what the norm is, but it seemed to me that if a basic keeper witch couldn't do what Bryn did, then they must suck at the job, cause honestly I just don't see it happening. One of Bryn's charges is the soul of Johnny Shaw. I didn't like the guy at first because he was a close minded a-hole. Actually he keeps being incredibly suspicious and close minded to the point of it being silly. It got on my nerves. It's always good to have a healthy amount of suspicion, but my god man! That was just ridiculous. Thankfully we only see this side of him 1 more time after the initial introduction. From then on it was mostly smooth sailing.I found the world-building a bit lacking. If there are Keeper witches there must be other kinds of witches, right? But we are only told of 2 magical beings and the other was simply described as 'evil'. How many kinds are there, what do they do? Do they all communicate between each other? Do they have some kind of formal authority? We simply don't know, because sadly, this aspect was just not explored.The plot in and of itself was good enough. With plenty of twists and turns to keep you reading the whole time. I won't say anything else since I don't want to spoil it for anyone. But what I really liked about this book was Bryn.Bryn was both a typical and not typical MC. She was shy, a bit of an antisocial but she was good, but not the perfect goody-two-shoe that would have put me off. She actually came of as sincere. She went through a lot of crap at school but she still helped the people that made her life hell. Why? Because it was the right thing to do. And once she was out of the school zone, she stopped taking crap from anyone and stood up for herself. I really liked her and admired her for that. I also liked the relationship she had with her mom and grandmother. It felt real and genuine to me. They were pushy and always nagging, but trusting and loving.So sure this book had it's flaws, but what book doesn't? And even with it's flaws it was still ultimately entertaining.

I usually like dystopian, but this one just wasn't doing it for me. I don't know if it was the over done plot line of it, although I can't say if it had some major twist later on, or if it was simply the way it was written. I couldn't connect to Thalli at all. Didn't find their romance believable nor intriguing and could care less about the whole world The Scientist had built. I just simply could not get into it.

2.5 StarsI usual don't pick up books like these. Only once in a blue moon, and it was Siege's turn this time. I picked this one up because I thought it would be really suspenseful and I'm a sucker for awesome thrillers. With a line like this:"Shots ring out. Some guests panic. Others text their loved ones. A few try to escape. All are united by their desire to live. And at the center of it all is one man who has information so dangerous that it must be kept safe—at any price." How could I not pick it up?Unfortunately it didn't quite live up to my expectations. While I was still fully engaged in the book and the story that was being told, it somehow lacked that suspense I had been craving. Maybe it was all just too predictable? I could tell there would be no real tragedies, no real out of control moments where it would all go to hell. Because even though it did have it's moments it all felt entirely too choreographed. The plot line about the man with dangerous information felt cheap. It was over and done with so quickly that Kernick might as well not have put it in at all. So for a book that was supposed to bring about a sense of suspense and thrill it fell short. But this isn't just about a cheap thrill. It's supposed to be about the terror these people felt and about how one seemingly incongruous decision could completely alter their lives. How they were able to eventually overcome their terror and save themselves and learnt to truly live. But, somehow, it fell short again. Yes it did convey this message at the end, but the feelings weren't quite there. The terror and worry that I was supposed to feel towards all these people just wasn't there. I just couldn't muster much of anything towards these characters except a sense of irony towards the wannabe suicide victim. Actually the whole thing was pretty ironic, because if it weren't for the outcasts of society, none of them would have made it out. I just found that to be pretty funny.So, for a book that's categorized as a thriller, I'm gonna have to say it failed at it. Not completely, but not enough either. It was still an interesting and engaging read nonetheless.

4.5 StarsLet me start off by admitting that I'm a cover snob. I KNOW! Horrible of me! But I can't help it! I have been doing better and trying to not judge books by it's cover but there are just some that yeah...Anyway! Point is, I really don't like the model they used in this cover. He does not nearly resemble what you could call the Hot and Hotter Twins. I'm not being mean, really! It's just that well, they are supposed to be hot...and well the dude in the cover is just not...I'm kinda disappointed about that. I really wanted to see who they would pick as one of the Hot and Hotter Twins.I should start talking about the book now, right? Right! Ok, then. I love this series! It's one of the best Adult UF series out there in my opinion. Cole is an amazing writer her characters are each unique and incredibly vivid, not to mention the intricacies of the Lore and the plot itself. Each character has a job to do that at the end will all come together in the Ascension. It's like Nix is playing chess with everyone's lives, getting them all in their positions so when the time comes they have a chance of winning. Something tells me it's not going to even be nearly that mundane either though. I'm expecting some other huge twist by the end of this series.With that said, this book fell a bit short in that aspect. It somehow suffered the middle book syndrome, even though it's really not? Unless, of course, there are going to be 26 books in the series then it would fit right in! xD There is always an immediate plot in each book and then the underlying one that threads through all the books, but in this case the immediate one was pretty much nonexistent. It was all about Will getting over his issues enough to be able to accept his mate. Yes there is some progress with the underlying plot thread, but not much. I'm sure it'll all make more sense later and the impact will be huge, but for now it was all just very NOT impressive.Even with it's faulty plots I still really liked the book. Why? Because I'm a sucker for a tortured hero. So watching Will struggle through the whole book, seeing him making his mistakes, and boy there were quite a few, and then finally getting it together for Chloe was entertaining enough for me. Some people might not like this or think it's enough, but for me, it was just fine. Plus I loved how Chloe handled the whole thing when she was just thrust into this new world and with a mate right off the bat as well."So my new feeding m.o. is to roofie men, then get them hooked on me like heroin, so they'll keep coming back to the dealer? That's just messed up."I'm a character person and Cole never fails at delivering great characters which is why I didn't mind this book at all. If you are fan of this series, you should still read this one because there are certain points that will come into play later on, and if you haven't read this series yet, what in the world are you waiting on?!

Oh boy, this book...I have been seeing so many amazing reviews for it everywhere. Actually I have yet to come across a rating of 3 stars or less, which is saying something. Usually there is always the odd person with the low rating but apparently not for this one. This time I'll be the odd one.I read Killing Sarai when I was in the mood to read books about assassins. I read multiple series and started and didn't finish others, all about assassins in various settings. All of which I loved, except this one. Here is the thing. After reading so many books about assassins, my expectations were high. I had already found great books dealing with the subject so I wasn't going to settle for anything less. And that's exactly what happened here. Killing Sarai didn't measure up to any of the numerous assassin books I had already read.I shouldn't really be drawing such close comparisons but I just couldn't help myself in this case. They were so similar that when I first came across the book I thought it was a spin-off series of the other series I had loved and somehow missed it's announcement. I then double checked and that's when I realized it's from different authors. What's so similar you ask? Killing Sarai's series name is called In The Company of Killers, Evenfall is called In The Company of Shadows. They are both about equally messed up people one turns assassin the other one already is, and "this is their story". I adored In The Company of Shadows so of course I was expecting great things for Killing Sarai, unfortunately that wasn't the case.Killing Sarai ended up being a very water downed assassin book. After all the messed up crap I had read about in the other books and how the characters dealt with it reading Killing Sarai was very meh. I couldn't connect to the either Sarai or Victor. I couldn't really care about Sarai's predicament much, nor Victor's for that matter. But my biggest issue was with the romance. I would have been fine if it had stayed as just sex, because that's what Sarai needed at the time and well Victor was just there, but it didn't just stay as sex. It somehow changed into a budding relationship and I just don't see how that's possible. First of all this all develops in a few days, then there is the problem with the characters personalities. I just don't see them having any kind of relationship without some major issues and how could they possibly just develop one that quickly? It was all just too unbelievable for me. And that was ultimately the problem.The book in and of itself isn't bad, the writing was great. I mean I did actually read the whole thing and not just mark it as DNF, but it wasn't that great either. I guess if you aren't into books about assassins and thefore haven't read much about them, you will more than just like this book. If on the other hand, you do read quite a bit about assassins, this one isn't anything special.

3.5 Stars

 

I had my doubts about this book at the beginning. The whole rich club, invisible staff thing was getting on my nerves at first and I never really got over the whole setting exactly but I was able to enjoy the book nonetheless.So yeah the setting and just the whole thing felt a bit ridiculous at times. I mean they all 'knew' what had happened and yet NO ONE spoke up. I'd like to believe that if they all had gotten together right there and then and actually told the truth it could have gone a different way, and idk I think that could have been handled way differently all the times everything was covered up.

 

But then again if it hadn't been like that there would be no book. Then there is the whole $25,000 at the start of their little club. I'd like to know how they took out so much money and NOBODY said anything about it? They can't just withdraw that much without raising some red flags specially when they are all underage. So I didn't really buy that and just tried to ignore it and keep going with the story.

 

The book is told in the perspective of the 4 girls. Each one has their own section and at the end their memories of that night are told. I really liked how that was done. Each section would give you a piece of the puzzle while still telling the story of how they were going to ruin the boys lives. All 4 girls were very different and each had their own unique personalities. I think the only one I didn't like from start to finish was Madge. All the other girls I could understand and somewhat sympathize but Madge? What she was trying to do and how she basically knew the truth from the start and yet went ahead with the whole thing the way she did was seriously messed up. I just couldn't forgive that even knowing how much crap the boys got away with.

 

All the twists and turns that occurred kept it interesting and going at a steady pace. The suspense and thrill was definitely there but that's probably causeI always knew that James hadn't actually killed anyone so seeing all the girls lining up to destroy him for something he didn't commit...well I just kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, and omg when it dropped it was a freaking bomb. Very well done. I loved seeing how the Captain was able to manipulate everything to make it how ever he wanted it to. It was creepy really the way the girls ended up feeling so completely powerless and hopeless after every failed attempt because of how good he was at it.

 

The ending was definitely something I hadn't seen coming. They started something without truly knowing the full consequences and the way it would affect everyone, not just their little community.All in all, this was a very enjoyable read. If you are looking for a quick thrill and suspense story, this is the book for you.

When I first read the blurb for this book I thought 'Awesome!' It's a premise that hasn't really been explored and I was all eager to get started. Then I started seeing quite a few reviews on the negative side and started getting a bit disheartened, but I decided to just read for myself and find out. I'm glad to say that I actually did enjoy this book :)At first I wasn't very keen about Katie. The way she responded to Diana, made me want to slap her sometimes. She would come across as such a sullen teenager towards her all the time that it was grating on my nerves. My problem wasn't just that, though, it was that she acted like that only with her as if to ascertain that she was indeed a teenager therefore has to be a b**tch towards the only parental figure she has. The rest of the time she acted perfectly alright. Good thing there was some character growth and she stopped being so rude to Diana and treated her with the respect that she deserved. Another thing was I never really understood why she had to keep her relationship with Tomohiro a secret from Diana. I get why to her friends, which found out pretty quickly anyway, but why Diana? It's not like she would have known his reputation unless she explicitly told her, and Diana already thought she was going out with someone...so I didn't get it.There was also an issue with the pacing. At the start it dragged some but once it hit that halfway mark it really got going. The first half of the book was all really about the romance. The budding relationship between Tomohiro and Katie, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy reading about it. It was just so sweet and goofy that I had a silly grin pasted on my face half the time. Katie did come off as a bit of a stalker but honestly I kinda would have done the same. There was weird crap going on and it was all linked to him so I found it understandable. She was proactive. I liked that about her.The second half was when the action part really started making an appearance and it came just at the right time, cause as much as I liked seeing their relationship develop it was getting a bit boring by then. We start seeing more of Tomo's powers, some answers about the Kami and a bit about their history as well as a hint about Katie's roll in this whole thing, and we are also introduced to the major sides in the conflict. On one side we have the Yakuza who are obviously the villains, and on the other we have the Kami who technically speaking should be the good guys, but as Katie pointed out, they are just like the Yakuza only with a different reasoning but same means. I really liked that for once there truly isn't a clear cut good guy or bad guy. They both want to use Tomo and by association Katie and they are both willing to do whatever it takes to make that happen. I can't wait to find out how the couple is going to handle both of these threats, not to mention Katie's involvement and Tomo's out of control powers.So, sure we don't get nearly enough answers to really satisfy me, but it's a series so I'll let that one go. I loved the sprinkle of Japanese words thrown throughout the conversation (and they were translated right after like it should be) and the details that came with the Japanese culture. All in all this was a solid start to the series and I'm looking forward to the next one.

I'm sure most of you noticed from the cover this book is an Adult one, not YA this time. So just a fair warning. It's dark, it's gritty, and it's sexy.The best way I can describe this book is by making a comparison to KMM series, Fever. This book is about Fae, and not the pretty, glittery ones that just like to twist your words around. Oh no, these Fae, are big, bad but still quite hot xD They are by no means the same, but they do have that same sense of dark atmosphere to them. One that I hadn't come across again since then, specially not in regards to Fae.The world that Hutchins has built here is quite complex. It has all the different Fae creatures, the politics, and beliefs, and an intricate magical world. While the main focus is obviously the Fae, we also have on the other side the witches and warlocks. With their own kind of magic. We also have the vamps and their own politics. All to make one hell of an intricate world.But the world building wasn't the only great aspect of this book, no, it was the characters as well. We have Syn, our MC, Adam, the best friend, and Ryder. All the characters are very well fleshed out. Syn is of course the best at what she does and has some serious hidden magical powers that we are just learning about now. Then there is the mysterious Ryder, who kinda reminds me of a shapeshifter what with his really weird PoV, but I appreciated it. It gave him more depth as a character. Then there is Adam, who is the best friend, but so much more than that as well.There is also a pretty great plot that ties all this together quite nicely. It is one hell of a murder mystery, and this is were Syn shines even more. She isn't just a smart when she wants to be kind of gall. She knows her shit, and watching her work around a crime scene and gruesome murders was a joy. That might be a bit morbid, but there aren't enough well written investigator types to appease me. They always seem to miss the most stupidest things. I won't say much more about the plot, don't want to inadvertently spoil it for anyone.Between the intricate world-building and the great characters, and the awesome plot, this is a book that you won't want to miss.

2.5 Stars

Being back in Ivy Granger's world was a nice treat. The world-building was what initially made me like the book. With this sequel there are a couple of other aspects that will keep me coming back for more.While the Ivy Granger series is an urban fantasy this one is much more focused on the Fae than any other creature, and I don't mean the usual Fae and their customs, I mean every kind of creature. Starting with how our main character is actually half wisp, is pretty awesome. There aren't that many books out there were the main focus are all the more obscure Fae. Stevens has done a great job in coming up with this world and all the creatures that go with it as well as their lore and their interactions between each type of Fae. It's always fun finding out the different spins that authors put on Fae lore and this one isn't an exception.In the first book I had been a bit iffy about Ivy because she came across as a bit weak since A) she couldn't fight and B) how she became a total mess with her visions. I had wanted her to get a grip and get some serious mental fortitude and I'm glad to say that she did advance in this book. She is starting to accept more, bit by bit, her powers and her heritage. Not to mention that she can totally kick ass now thanks to her training. So there was some deifnite growth to Ivy's character and I'm sure there will be more as the series goes on.For me the highlight of the book was Ivy coming into her powers and Torn. I loved Torn! He is an awesome character! He is a Cat Sidhe who can shift to human form, he can blend with the shadows (think Cheshire cat here) and he is a total badass and has the whole mysterious thing down pat. As I mentioned in book 1 I do not like Ceff nor do I like his relationship with Ivy at all. Why? I have no clue I just don't like the man and while their relationship has progressed in a normal pace it just isn't doing anything for me. So when the big battle scene came up and Ceff had to fight, was it wrong of me If I was hoping he would die just to get him out of the picture? Probably, but oh well, I can't help it. I never liked the guy and now that Torn is in the picture he is just in the way xD Disclaimer: Even though I'm gushing about Torn there has been no indication of a love triangle nor do I think it's going to come up. I'd love for Ivy to switch her attentions to Torn but as of now I don't see that happening.The plot was pretty straight forward although I was a bit confused about the involvement of the lamia with the rest of it. It did get addressed and it does make sense now, or as much sense as anything about that chick will ever make anyway. This is another thing I really like about this book. They don't beat around the bush. They get right to it with their investigating and no running around like a headless chicken that tend to make the book drag while in your head you are shouting in frustration about how slow the characters are acting. In this book there were actually 2 plot threads going on at the same time and Stevens did a nice job setting everything up for the third book.All in all this was a nice addition to the series and I'm looking forward to reading the next book and finding out more about Ivy and her heritage.

2.5 StarsNice read.

1.5 StarsA copy was provided through NetGalley and the Publisher in exchange for an honest reviewI was excited to read this book, the concept of someone being completely unfeeling and numb was very intriguing. The problem was I was never able to connect to the MC and it wasn't because she was unfeeling, although that obviously didn't help, it was her full on denial that did me in.This is the story of Elizabeth, a girl who changed and became a person who can't feel any emotions. During the whole course of the book Elizabeth is supposed to be trying to figure out why she is like that and what made her like that. Perfect! We have a mystery and a hot guy who is helping her out. But it turns out that Elizabeth sucks at research, and not because she actually sucks at it, but because she is in denial. She actually doesn't want to find out. Her pretending and always affirming that she wanted to know why she was like that but then not actually doing much about it was incredibly annoying. Therefore the whole book was quite a dud in that sense. and then to find out all she had to do to remember was actually just you know, remember, was freaking retarded. ALL of that time she could have just gotten the answers right away but nooooo just drag it out till the last second. Whatever. I was not happy with that revelation.She was also an idiot. Fear is trying to help her, so what does she do? She antagonizes the man and treats him like an ass. She is specifically told NOT to go somewhere cause she is in danger, so what does she do? She makes damn sure she goes there. I understand her reasoning behind this but it was still stupid, specially because if she hadn't gone there, there would no longer be anymore of a story. She is being bullied in school, and what does she do? She pretends that it affects her...WHYYYY. She for once actually doesn't give a shit what they do to her, but instead of rubbing that in their faces (which would have made them leave her alone, cause then really what's the point?) she pretends it does!! I just don't get it. I did however like the whole world-building. How Emotions are actually sentient beings and there are the Elements as well and how they affect people and such. Thought that was actually pretty awesome, too bad the plot wasn't that great. The none mystery didn't do it for me, the big reveals weren't exactly that big and by the time we got to them I just didn't really care anymore. And the whole romance with Fear? It just made me not like Elizabeth that much more. What the hell was that at the end?! It's like she was making problems out of thin air just for the purpose of making more conflict when really there should have been none. The whole foundation of the plot was flimsy at best.Wow, ok so I realize that was a pretty negative review, but I hadn't recognized how mad I was at Elizabeth and the whole book in general. This book had potential, but the plot was weak and the mc was beyond annoying for me.

Only got to like 20% and just couldn't be bothered to keep going. Couldn't stand Merrin and the weird romance that was starting between her and Elias.