Tuesday 26 May 2015

Lux Consequences - Jennifer L Armentrout

Lux Consequences (Opal and Origin) – Jennifer L Armentrout 

*Some spoilers from the first two books are included*




Lux Consequences, contains books 3 and 4 (Opal and Origin) in the Lux series by Jennifer L Armentrout. A series to which I completely love and cannot get enough of! There was a whole load of ‘What!’ ‘Huh!’ ‘NO WAY!’ and definitely a lot of ‘you sneaky little evil Hybrid!’ that passed through my lips throughout the entirety of this book!

I don’t think there was a point where I wasn’t shocked by various revelations; safe to say i had continuous jaw ache from it all...i mean seriously WHAT!



Opal
After everything, I’m no longer the same Katy. I’m different…and I’m not sure what that will mean in the end. When each step we take in discovering the truth puts us in the path of the secret organization responsible for torturing and testing hybrids, the more I realize there is no end to what I’m capable of. The death of someone close still lingers, help comes from the most unlikely source, and friends will become the deadliest of enemies, but we won’t turn back. Even if the outcome will shatter our worlds forever.

Origin
Daemon will do anything to get Katy back. After the successful but disastrous raid on Mount Weather, he’s facing the impossible. Katy is gone. Taken. Everything becomes about finding her. But the most dangerous foe has been there all along, and when the truths are exposed and the lies come crumbling down, which side will Daemon and Katy be standing on? And will they even be together?

Opal starts off shortly after where Onyx ended, putting you right back into the thick of things. There have certainly been some changes after the first two books. The loss of Adam, Simon, Katy’s mutation, evil Will, evil Blake, Bethany, Dawson….have I missed anything out?!?! As I feel like a lot has happened in those two books! We are slowly adjusting to those changes and we are nowhere near being out of danger.

Opal and Origin centre around two main topics, finding and rescuing Bethany from Daedalus, annoyingly trusting Blake yet again!!! Then uncovering that of what Daedalus is really all about, and just what horrors are going down within it.

I want to try my hardest to not contain too many spoilers in this review, obviously I have to mention certain things from the first two books, as mentioning characters could be a giveaway, but I really want to refrain from spoiling these next books for you, as I truly was not expecting some of the twist and turns Jennifer threw at us from every corner. But wow, they were incredible! Just when you thought you knew where the book was heading, BAM! Curveball right at ya!

We are introduced to some new characters as well as learning more about the old, we see Katy and Daemon, finally committing to the feelings they have for each other and pursuing a relationship. A relationship of which I absolutely adored, I loved the banter, the chemistry and most of all…who doesn’t want Daemon! Funny, brooding, protective, swoon worthy and a badass Luxen…*sigh*…



We see the change in Dee after the loss of Adam, and the friction it has caused between her and Katy. I was really saddened by this turn, as I loved Dee and Katy as a duo, the polar opposites of sorts that they were, really made them compelling to follow. I enjoyed the inclusion of Katy into that select group of Luxen, it almost felt like one dysfunctional extended family, that Katy was now a part of.

There was continuous action and drama throughout these books, it was jam packed with information and uncovering secrets and truths that I literally flew right through it and could not stop. We get an insight into the government finally and learn more about the Luxen, and the government’s theories of what they believe they have planned.

My main gripe with this book, well Opal to be exact is Blake….Seriously….dammit if I am not furious that the little sneak sucked me right back in again, despite my better judgement not wanting to trust him….OFFT, the rage I felt when I saw I, along with the other characters had been duped! Can you believe with the warning from Luc, my main thought was to not trust Dawson…Dawson...over Blake! 


There is so much that I want to say about this book, but I really, REALLY do not want to ruin the experience for anyone. I could not get over the endings and the cliff hangers that were sprung on us; I could not get over the twists and turns, and revelations thrown at us. I love Jennifer’s writing, her humour (Area 51 and the Extra-terrestrial souvenirs…brilliant!) and her plot and character development were just beyond amazing. I Just LOVED this book, and really love this series!

I honestly recommend this series, more than I possibly could. Jennifer L Armentrout is really becoming one of my top authors, and I am so happy I finally discovered this series...I don't want it to end!!!!



I have given this book 5 out of 5 stars














Tuesday 19 May 2015

Lux Beginnings - Jennifer L. Armentrout

Lux Beginnings (Obsidian and Onyx) – Jennifer L. Armentrout




I have to say I am a bit slow to reading this book series; however despite that I have been very aware of the series, and completely eager to get my hands on it to read. Safe to say I struggled finding this in any bookshop, and ended up finding it on Book Outlet via Amazon. To say I was excited to get stuck in is an understatement, and the fact I managed to devour this book (well two books if you think about it) within 2-3 days just shows the enjoyment I got from reading it.

Obsidian
There’s an alien next door. And with his looming height and eerie green eyes, he’s hot… until he opens his mouth. He’s infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, he marks me. Turns out he has a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal his abilities and the only way I’m getting out of this alive is by sticking close to him until my alien mojo fades. If I don’t kill him first, that is.

Onyx
Daemon’s determined to prove what he feels for me is more than a product of our bizarro connection. So I’ve sworn him off, even though he’s running more hot than cold these days. But we’ve got bigger problems. I’ve seen someone who shouldn’t be alive. And I have to tell Daemon, even though I know he’s never going to stop searching until he gets the truth. What happened to his brother? Who betrayed him?
And what does the DOD want from them—from me?


What drew me to this series was the concept of the ‘Alien next door’ I have done the vampire/werewolf thing numerous times, the Nephilim and Fairie topics as well as the witch/wizard world. So at last I was going to read a novel of the alien variety, which was not solely focused on an alien invasion taking over the world. I have always been dubious about books containing aliens, images such as ET and little green men come to mind. However this novel is a brilliant take on the topic, and the fact the main protagonist had the exact same thoughts as I did, made me instantly love this story, and even more so, the author and her humour.

Our main protagonist is Katy, she has recently moved to town with her mum and is trying to adjust and settle in, and rather begrudgingly may I add. I absolutely loved Katy’s character. She was funny, witty and what’s more, she had a book blog. I just loved how Jennifer was able to keep Katy’s sarcasm constant throughout this book, allowing her to have such chemistry with the other characters that it really was a joy to read. I found her character completely relatable and easy to like, granted she was incredibly stubborn at times, especially when it came to Daemon *swoon worthy* Black.

I absolutely loved Daemon’s character. He was an absolutely ass at times, but you just couldn’t help but fall for his charm when he was nice. He was the rugged, handsome, bad boy neighbour who is incredibly protective of his sister Dee. The chemistry between Daemon and Katy was brilliant, the banter they had between each other, and the constant sparring that took place was incredibly enjoyable to follow. As more time went on you could tell he did like Katy, and it was completely exciting and endearing, however both remaining in denial for so long, or falling out, or completely misunderstanding each other was infuriating! I mean just get together already! Blake can do one; I’m team Daemon all the way.

Dee was a breath of fresh air, she was happy and bubbly, despite what was going on and she seemed like a great friend for Katy, they both supported each other through so much. At first I didn’t trust her, as she seemed too in your face, and too eager to be around Katy. But when learning that she simply wanted to be her friend, and how much she cared about Katy, it was a really pleasant friendship, almost quite envious how close they were and they got to be next door neighbours, who wouldn’t love that.

The plot line was great, there were no slow moments that I was aware of, it was all constant, there was always something happening or going on, which made the book a quick read for me, as I really could not put it down. There was so much action and suspense, I didn’t know what twist or turn would occur next, but I thoroughly loved every single moment of it and I simply could not get enough of it. I honestly would recommend it to any YA fantasy lovers out there, especially if you love the odd bit of romance too.

Jennifer’s writing is amazing throughout this book, the humour and wit she brings, as well as the pain and suspense that break that all up. It was certainly a keep you on your toes and make you laugh sort of novel. Which has now pushed this up the ranks to be one of my favourite books of all time, and I cannot wait to read the next in the series. Jennifer has completely changed my opinion and expectations of a series involving Aliens, and I would be more than welcoming of someone like Daemon moving in next door to me!


I have given this 4.5 out of 5 stars

Thursday 7 May 2015

The Infinite Sea - Rick Yancey

The Infinite Sea – Rick Yancey


The Infinite Sea is book two in the 5th Wave series by Rick Yancey. Having only this week, reading and reviewing The 5th Wave, I was eager to get book 2. I was a little disappointed in how small the book was compared to the first one when it arrived, however knew it would be a quick read, which it is. I read The Infinite Sea easily within a day, granted I did nothing else and was off work that day, but it was quickly devoured in a matter of hours. I am a little undecided on my feelings with regards to this book, but I will get into that in a bit.


‘How do you rid the Earth of seven billion humans? Rid the humans of their humanity.

Surviving the first four waves was nearly impossible. Now Cassie Sullivan finds herself in a new world, a world in which the fundamental trust that binds us together is gone. As the 5th Wave rolls across the landscape, Cassie, Ben, and Ringer are forced to confront the Others’ ultimate goal: the extermination of the human race.

Cassie and her friends haven’t seen the depths to which the Others will sink, nor have the Others seen the heights to which humanity will rise, in the ultimate battle between life and death, hope and despair, love and hate.’


The characters within this story were still great, Cassie was a strong Female protagonist, however in this story that is split between her and Ringer, who gets her own narrated section in this book. Rick covers the majority of the characters viewpoints in this novel, which allows us to learn more about the individuals themselves. I greatly enjoyed this with Ringer, who I didn’t really like in the first book and yet grew to love in this one. One thing that irked me a lot was the group sticking to that militant mind-set, I understood they had been in those camps and trained in that way, however I really struggled with little Sam wanting to shoot Vosch in the face, even worse the rejection towards the teddy. This was my own personal problem though, as it is cleverly written to highlight how people have had to change and adapt to the situation to hand, no matter what age. But I missed the complete innocence of Sam and with his Bear.

I struggled with staying focused on this story, I felt it lacked a little from the first one, which seemed to keep me constantly engaged with information and action and what was happening. This all seemed a bit slow until the end where it really picked up. I was disappointed in how little Evan appeared in the story, especially with how the first book ended, and what took place between Cassie and him. For him to then turn up in this book, practically falling apart, and yet she was completely ruthless towards him. The story like I said was a little more difficult to follow, it was lacking that certain something which caused it to drag, and I think if it weren’t for the ending I would have given this a lower rating than I have.

I am still completely invested in this series, and I am eager for book three to be released later this month. Rick Yancey’s writing is truly incredible, and his characters remain brilliant, with their unique and fiery characters. I am hoping that the final book in the series will be a much stronger instalment than this one. So I would still recommend giving it a read and seeing how it pans out. As I know I certainly will be.



I have given this book (only just) a 4 out of 5 star rating





Wednesday 6 May 2015

A Court of Thorns and Roses - Sarah J Maas



A Court of Thorns and Roses – Sarah J Maas


I love Sarah J Maas as an author; she is vastly becoming one of my favourite authors at the moment, with her ability to create amazing worlds and stories with such brilliant and unique characters. I truly cannot get enough of her work, and each time I finish a novel of hers, I am clinging and desperate for more. Well the same has happened with the start of her new series A Court of Thorns and Roses. I finished this book in under 24 hours of receiving it...yes that did mean staying up until half 1 at night, but was it worth it....100%! 

‘When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

Sarah has done it again with this novel; she has intricately created a world filled with magic and mystery, and horrors too. She has created such a detailed world that you are instantly drawn in and lost within its pages. I absolutely loved this book, I cannot stress enough how much I enjoyed it, and how gutted I am that I have finished it and have to wait until next year for the second book.

The characters in this book were brilliant, and unique, Feyre was a great protagonist, and a strong lead for this book, not only being strong and independent, looking after her family in order to keep them alive, but she has that vulnerability too, the pressure of having to look after others, and no one look after her or to appreciate her. The lasting promise to her mother, to take care of her family no matter what, still haunting her each day. I felt this added great depth to her character, and made her a joy to read and watch develop. I felt for her dad, he had lost everything, and his injury and almost depression it seemed, left him incapable to help look after his daughters the way a father should have. Feyre's two sisters Nesta and Elain, were interesting. Nesta was not one of my favourite characters; she seemed selfish and materialistic, putting her own desires ahead of that which may benefit her family as a whole. My favourite characters of course were from Prythian, that of Lucien, Tamlin and even Alis. These characters were so greatly detailed, and each back story was slowly learnt through the book, creating so much depth and opportunities for more of these characters pasts to come up in further books in the series. Especially that of Lucien and his brothers, which I’m sure we will be seeing again. I loved the relationship that Feyre had with these characters, from loathing, to a friendship developing; it was a bumpy journey, but an enjoyable one none the less.

Amarantha, well what can I say about her, what a nasty piece of work she is. Obviously I have to keep detail to a minimum so as to not ruin anything in this story for you, but she certainly is no one to like in this story. I feel the only good thing to come out of meeting her was that of meeting Rhys. His mysterious character will certainly be a great one to learn more about, and I am more than certain that will happen within the next book, although personally, I really hope no love triangle forms involving him, I am team Tamlin all the way.

Some of the creatures Sarah creates within this story is truly creepy, the invisible but deadly Bogge, the Attor and even the Naga. All created in such detail that they incite fear when reading. You will Feyre on to make sure she doesn’t look at the Bogge regardless of its voice in her head and her curiosity, you will her to run as fast as she can and shoot the Naga before they can catch her. You really become absorbed into the story and the terrors within it.

The storyline was brilliant and flowed perfectly, ensuring we remained engaged and clinging to any and all information we were given, there were no ‘maybe I should skip this page to get to the action’ moments at all, as each page gives you something, be it about a relationship, history to the High Fae or some action or situation Feyre has put herself in.

Having read Sarah J Maas Throne of Glass series, I was truly looking forward to reading A Court of Thorns and Roses, and it is safe to say I wasn’t disappointed. I don’t really know how much more i can write to express how much I loved this book...any book that Sarah has produced. But you would be crazy to not pick it up and give it a read, as you will truly be missing out. It is a great fantasy world, with some elements of new adult in their too. It is truly a great start to the series and I cannot wait to see what more is to come. I guess the only thing to get me through this long wait now until 2016 is book 4 in the Throne of Glass series. 



I have given this a 5 out of 5 star rating

Tuesday 5 May 2015

The 5th Wave - Rick Yancey



The 5th Wave – Rick Yancey


I stumbled across The 5th Wave on one of my daily peruses of good reads, and YouTube videos of book hauls.  After seeing so many reviews, and then hearing this was to become a film starring Chloe Grace Moretz, I just knew I had to pick it up and give it a read. Safe to say I wasn’t disappointed and I am already hooked on the series, with book 2, Infinite Sea, due to arrive tomorrow.

‘After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker.

Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother—or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.

This is the first novel I have read by Rick Yancey, and had no expectations when going into it. I have never read a sci fi YA book involving alien invasions or encounters before, and I have to say I am glad this was my first. This has set a marker now to which all other sci fi alien invasion books will be put against, as it was truly brilliant.

I loved Yancey’s writing style and the voice he had with Cassie as the main protagonist, I thoroughly enjoyed the switch in POV’s through the book, from Cassie, Evan, Ben and Sammy. All giving various views of the world and this situation they are all in. It really allowed a greater picture to be drawn throughout, and a better understanding and knowledge of each of the characters. 

The 5th Wave was a truly suspenseful story, with heartbreak, fear and agony continuously felt through the book. You as a reader didn’t know what was going to happen, who you could trust, you were really with these characters on this ever bumpy and dangerous ride. This was by no means a light hearted book; it was full of action, death, mayhem and despair. The position that some of these young survivors were put into were truly horrific, and even imagining yourself in that situation, how would you cope? Some of these children were as young as 5/6 with no families left, and all alone in this big, scary, dangerous world, it truly is terrifying.

The overall plot to this story was brilliant; I felt Cassie was a great protagonist. When put in this situation she had two options, hide or fight, and I feel she is truly a fighter, a fighter to get to her brother back, to save him and somehow save herself, even when put in some of the most testing situations, she somehow manages to come out of it. I can’t really say too much about the plot, as it would give away too much of the story, that you really need to read to get the full effect. But it truly is testing and yet such amazing writing, that the detail creates this dystopian world, full of destruction and death. I honestly loved this story and the action within it, just thinking about how our world would cope with an alien invasion, and an assortment of waves to eliminate the disease that is, in their eyes, us, human kind.

I really cannot wait to get into the second book in this series called Infinite Sea, I have high hopes that it will be just as brilliant as the first, with so many unanswered questions, and answers I need from how things were left in the final few chapters of The 5th Wave.

I would honestly recommend this YA, sci fi, dystopian series. I feel this a lot darker than most, which makes it truly unique within this genre category and must read to anyone.

I have given this book a 4 out of 5 star rating.