You Can't Choose Your Family

Published:  March 18th, 2014

Wonder Woman, Vol. 4: War (Wonder Woman Vol. IV #4)

By: Brian Azzarello, Cliff Chiang (Artist), Goran Sudzuka (Artist), Tony Akins (Illustrator), Dan Green (Illustrator)

DC Comics

ISBN-13:  9781401246082

Wonder Woman's father, Zeus, has disappeared.  Her family - aunts and uncles, brothers and sisters, gods and demigods - form a pantheon of the most powerful beings in the universe.  Intent on seizing Zeus' throne, they will destroy anyone who can stand in their way -- including Zeus' infant son, who might just have the power to ignite the apocalypse.

But even as Wonder Woman and her few remaining friends scramble to protect the life of her youngest brother, her eldest has arisen.  Known only as the First Born, he has spent an eternity in exile, his might and malice growing by the millennium.  Now he will burn Earth and Olympus alike if it means he can be king of the ashes.

Reviews

       Not my favorite of the series. I really enjoyed the last couple of volumes (iffy artwork aside, especially Hades the person-candle and Poseidon the talking-fish dinner) and have been wondering how they were going to resolve the whole magic, world-destroyer baby plotline. In the last volume they brought in Zeus and Hera's son, the first-born of all the gods' children. He was banished from Olympus and buried beneath the Earth. His sister Cassandra unearthed him and got him started on the path to taking his birthright - Olympus. Of course all those idiots up on the Gods' Mountain Resort (that's what it's drawn like anyways) are still focused on the baby. In the last volume War helped Wonder Woman, Zola, Hera and Lennox get the baby back from Demeter and Hermes. In this one it's more of the same band-on-the-run bullshit.

Substitute Dawn's name for Zola's and you've got the picture.

       Some cool moments, such as the boom tube trip with Orion (who also pops back in from the last volume), a character death I wasn't expecting and one that was supposed to surprise me and didn't. Gotta say that ending was anti-climactic for me. I guess I was expecting more of a battle or something to resolve that storyline. The whole thing with Hera at the end was nice. But then again, it's always nice to see that our favorite bitch-queendoes have feelings, no matter how much she hides them. All in all this was very mediocre for me story wise and I'm really hoping that the next volume focuses more on Diana's newfound responsibilities and NOT the freaking baby or the power struggle for the Olympian throne!

VERDICT:  3/5  Stars

*No money or favors were exchanged for this review.  This book is now available in stores, online, or maybe even at your local library.*

Book Blitz & GIVEAWAY - Lover Divine by A. Star

Lover, Divine by A. Star
(Mythos: Gods & Lovers #1)
Publication date: February 25th 2014
Genres: Adult, Mythology, Romance

Synopsis:

For fans of the Oracle of Delphi series…and for those who aren’t…

Born into one of the wealthiest families in Ireland, Siobhan Law has status, privilege, and a secret: The Greek gods of Olympus and their kingdom in the clouds are real, and her family acts as one of their agents on Earth.

When the beautiful immortal celeste Liam Argyros shows up claiming to have come to Earth to deal in the affairs of the divine, Siobhan finds herself unable to resist his charms. New to the game of passion and seduction, she quickly ends up in over her head, sinking deeper with every attempt Liam makes to win her over.

But Liam’s divine mission is far more complex than she ever imagined and nothing is truly as it seems. Because Liam has a secret of his own: He is Apollo, Olympian god of the Sun, and his mission will never be complete until he has claimed Siobhan’s heart forever.

WARNING: For readers 18+ only. Contains adult language and sexual situations.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18629261-lover-divine?ac=1

Purchase: 

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Lover-Divine-Mythos-Gods-Lovers-ebook/dp/B00IN5MIWC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1394468923&sr=8-1&keywords=Lover%2C+Divine+A.+Star
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lover-divine-a-star/1118736292?ean=2940148196419

AUTHOR BIO

A. Star is a fan of dirty passion. She likes to read it, and she damn sure likes to write it. Her first adult romance/fantasy novella is called Invasion, an alien romance about sacrifice. Lover, Divine is the first release from the Mythos: Gods and Lovers series. Future releases under A. Star include, King, Desired (Mythos: Gods and Lovers #2), the Love & Steampunk series, the Purr, Inc. stories, and more.

Author links:

http://www.diantha-jones.com/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6896192.A_Star

https://www.facebook.com/dianthajones

https://twitter.com/DianthaJones

Giveaway!!!

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The Comeback Kid

Expected Publication:  February 17th, 2015

The Return (Titan #1)

By: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Spencer Hill Press

ISBN-13:  9781939392626

The Fates are cackling their bony asses off...

It's been a year since Seth made a deal with the gods that pledged his life to them.  And so far, the jobs they've given him have been violent and bloody - which is kind of all right with him.  But now Apollo has something else in mind for Seth.  He's got to play protector while keeping his hands and fingers off, and for someone who really has a problem with restraint, this new assignment might be the most challenging yet.

Josie has no idea what this crazy hot guy's deal might be, but it's a good bet that his arrival means the new life she started after leaving home about to be thrown in an Olympian-sized blender turned up to puree.  Either Josie is going insane or a nightmare straight out of ancient myth is gunning for her.

But it might be the unlikely attraction simmering between her and the golden-eyed, secret-keeping Seth that may prove to be the most dangerous thing of all.

Because history has once again been flipped to repeat.

Review

       I was really kind of disappointed by how much I didn't love this one.  Not to say that I love EVERY book that JLA writes, but the good majority of hers that I've read have been four or five stars for me - pure enjoyment.  I kind of feel really bad about even reading it, cause once I realized it was a sister series to her Covenant books (which I have no interest in reading), I knew I wasn't going to be gushing about it's wonderfulness.  The funny part is, I liked Seth well enough.  I think that surprised me, but Jennifer definitely knows how to write a misunderstood, bad-boy hero sympathetically.  It's kind of a trademark of hers at this point (in a good way).  I even liked the way the story was going, with his mystery mission from Apollo and the whole "Titans on the loose" thing.  It was shaping up to be a great read, especially as I'm a mythology nut.  Then some things started to fizzle for me, until this turned into a mediocre experience.

       The first thing I didn't love was Josie, the heroine of the story, who is "special" and must be protected at all costs - the world depends on it!  Yup, felt really "speshul snowflake" to me and unfortunately for her, she reminded me of a slightly more competent Bella Swan.  Especially considering the fact of the insta-attraction/bordering-on-love that her and Seth share for each other.  Yes Seth, I get it.  You think she's hot, innocent and so much better than you.  Guess what: you've known her like two days.  Josie got on my nerves with how easily she accepted everything that was happening to her (I won't say exactly what her circumstances are so as not to spoil anything); girl, kick and scream!  Question "authority," even if that so-called authority (that you just met, btdubs) is a VERY hot guy that you want to get it on with!  Don't take everything at face value!  Even when some big, very grief-inducing and life-changing stuff happens later in the book, she STILL acts like its all okay.  There's autopilot and denial modes, but this came off to me as robotic and over it way too soon.  Didn't make me like her any better.  

       The double point of view didn't help either.  The plot was very slow moving, and the two of them spent most of them time trying NOT to jump each other's bones,while thinking about it 24/7.  Josie's thoughts were really shallow and I kept wishing JLA would pick a POV and stick with it (just Seth would have made more sense, because he IS the established character from the last series).  Also, the comparisons everyone makes between Josie and the girl from the Covenant series (Seth's unrequited love, Alexandra) got annoying.  Supposedly this can be read as a stand-alone, but I wouldn't attempt it.  Yes, you'll be able to understand the plot (what little there seems to be) but the allusions to past events might frustrate the un-indoctrinated reader.  Overall, not fun for me personally.  I think fans of the first series will enjoy it though, as it seems to be mostly written for them.  To me it was poorly written, with an annoying heroine and the plot moved glacially until almost the end of the book when it was setting up for the next one.  Honestly, it reminded me of a New Adult version of Twilight, mixed with Vampire Academy.  

VERDICT:  2.5/5  Stars (Most of this is for easy readability and Seth, who I really liked)

**I reviewed this book as part of Around the World ARC Tours, run by the lovely Princess Bookie.  No money or favors were exchanged for this review.  This book's expected publication date is February 17th, 2015.**

Romeo and Hamlet's Excellent Adventure

Published:  February 4th, 2014
Such Sweet Sorrow
By: Jenny Trout
Entangled Teen
ISBN-13:  9781622661589

Never was there a tale of more woe than this of Juliet and her Romeo...  But true love never dies.  Though they're parted by the veil between the world of mortals and the land of the dead, Romeo believes he can restore Juliet to life, but he'll have to travel to the underworld with a thoroughly infuriating guide.

Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, may not have inherited his father's crown, but the murdered king left his son a much more important responsibility -- a portal to the Afterjord, where the souls of the dead reside.  When the determined Romeo asks for help traversing the treacherous Afterjord, Hamlet sees an opportunity for adventure, and the chance to avenge his father's death.

In an underworld filled with leviathan monsters, ghoulish shades, fire giants and fierce Valkyrie warriors, Hamlet and Romeo must battle their way through jealousy, despair, and their darkest fears to rescue the fair damsel.  Yet finding Juliet is only the beginning, and the Afterjord doesn't surrender souls without a price.....

Review

     Romeo's poison didn't work quite the way it should have, and now he's alone dealing with the aftermath of Juliet's death.  He enlists Friar Laurence to help him find a witch who can tell him how to bring Juliet back from the dead.  The witch tells Romeo that he has to go North to a kingdom whose King has just been murdered.  By the time he reaches Denmark, Romeo meets Hamlet for the first time in a tavern.  And of course they pretty much hate each other on sight, which almost ends in a duel.  Then Romeo and Hamlet each learn about the other, resulting in them agreeing to work together.  Hamlet will let Romeo into the Afterjord, if he agrees to help along his quest to avenge his father's death, by telling Hamlet what he finds there.  Romeo of course, pulls Hamlet in after him and they are both thrown headfirst into battling mythical creatures and overcoming harsh tests, to prove themselves worthy of re-entering the world.  Can they save Juliet and make their way back aboveground, or will they be trapped in the underworld forever?

     So, the synopsis of this book led me to believe it would be one of two things: a hot mess, or an awesome retelling.  While a little bit of both, it was more of the first by a landslide.  This book just has way too much going on in it!  It not only tries to incorporate Hamlet AND Romeo and Juliet, but tries to bring in multiple types of mythology such as Greek, Norse, Celtic, etc.  I appreciate what she's trying to do, but it gets overwhelming in the scope.  I never really felt like the characters or the plot were fleshed out enough to give a new persepective to some old stories.  While reading, I just had such an odd feeling towards the entire book.  Juliet was nothing like her Shakespearian self and as other readers have pointed out, it was nice to see her be an ass-kicking, sword-wielding warrior girl.  But how exactly (and when) did that happen, when she's spent her whole time alive as a pampered noblewoman and her whole death chained up and unawares?       Romeo spent most of the book as a complete douchebag, with a hair-trigger temper and a serious problem listening to directions.  Hamlet was a jerk too, but at least him being the original emo, loner dude made that somewhat believable.  Also, how in the Hell did Friar Laurence and Romeo get all the way from Italy to Denmark?  Isn't this supposed to be somewhat medieval?  It's not like Romeo could just book a flight to Denmark and how did he find out where he was supposed to go?  The witch didn't even tell him an exact location, just told him to go to a kingdom with a murdered king!  All in all, especially with a cliffhanger ending that hints towards this being a series, this just wasn't the book for me.  Maybe if there had been more focus on building the plot, and less jumping from myth to myth I could have connected to it more.

VERDICT:  2.5/5 Stars

*I received this book from Entangled Teen, on NetGalley.  No favors or money were exchanged for this review.  This book was published February 4th, 2014.*

Let Me Choose My Fate

Published:  February 11th, 2014

Fates (Fates #1)

By: Lanie Bross

Delacorte Press

ISBN-13:  9780385742825

One moment.  One foolish desire.  One mistake.  And Corinthe lost everything.

She fell from her tranquil life in Pyralis Terra and found herself exiled to the human world.  Her punishment?  To make sure people's fates unfold according to plan.  Now, years later, Corinthe has one last assignment: kill Lucas Kaller.  His death will be her ticket home.

But for the first time, Corinthe feels a tinge of doubt.  It begins as a lump in her throat, then grows toward her heart, and suddenly she feels like she is falling all over again -- this time for a boy she knows she can never have.  Because it is written: one of them must live, and one of them must die.  In a universe where every moment, every second, every fate has already been decided, where does love fit in?

Review

     Why the FREAKING HECK do I do this to myself???  I took one look at this book, and knew from the start that barring a miracle, it wouldn't be higher than a three star rating for me.  But being the eternal optimist, I went ahead with it anyways.  Predictably, it was a complete and total mess of a book.  Let's see what I can unravel for you in this "review" of mine.  The book centers around Corinthe, who was one of the Fates in a place called Pyralis Terra.  She sorted the Fates of the world, until she committed a horrible mistake in the name of curiosity.  Exiled to Earth, for the last ten years Corinthe has been trying to earn her way home by carring out the will of the Universe.  Or at least that's what she's been told by her "guardian", Miranda.  In reality, Miranda has been using Corinthe for her own purposes for the last decade and is an enemy of the Fates.  She tells Corinthe that her last assignment is to kill a boy named Lucas Kaller.  It will set off a chain reaction of events, that will bring Pyralis Terra crumbling down.  Then the Radicals (Miranda's faction of beings) can take over everything.  But when things spiral out of control, and Luc ends up on a quest to save his sister alongside Corinthe, the fate of her world hangs in the balance.  Can they do the right thing and still save their hearts?

     From what I managed to gather, there are a bunch of different realms and the way in is through the crossroads.  I was completely unsurprised by any of the "major" plot twists in this book (Miranda being evil, Luc's sister being kidnapped, picking the magical flower they need equaling death, etc.).  The whole thing was entirely confusing with terms like Radicals, Unseen Ones, Fates, and Executors being used with no real explanation ever given.  I guess she was expecting the plot to explain them.  Well, it freaking DIDN'T!  More than half of the book was spent in our world with Corinthe drifting around, closing out fates (getting people killed in accidents, breaking up couples, etc.), and whining about how much she wants to go home again.  I was able to empathize a bit more with Luc, who has a home life similar to my own growing up.  Alcoholic father, out of control younger sibling, and absent mother (mine was just emotionally absent).  It puts the pressure on, to get as much done as possible, bring in money, and save everyone around you.  

     I get that Luc's intrigued by the crazy looking chick (Corinthe) when he first sees her, in the midst of a car-wreck.  But you don't go directly from curiosity, to hatred, and to dreamy, unexplainable insta-love!  The romance in this mad absolutely ZERO SENSE!  Honestly the more intriguing romance was the star-crossed one between Miranda and Rhys.  I adored the whole matching compass thing with the archer and the ballerina.  Their love kind of made me want to cry.  That said, their love story and the reasons they were apart were confusing as well, because what they were (Radicals) was never really explained.  Why do they do the things they do Lanie?  I WANNA KNOW!!!  The entire conflict with the blood nymphs, Luc's sister Jasmine being kidnapped and given to them, and the gnome who almost kidnaps Corinthe for good, felt like they belonged in a completely different book.  They were high fantasy/mythology, when the rest of this book was boring, slow-moving, contemporary insta-love.  Overall, this book was a gigantic mess.  The ending was a poorly done cliffhanger and I am definitely NOT reading the next one!  I don't recommend it unless you like being extremely confused and pissed off by badly plotted story, riddled with holes.

VERDICT:  1.5/5  Stars

*I received this book as part of Around the World ARC Tours, run by the lovely Princess Bookie.  No favors or money were exchanged for this review.  This book was published February 11th, 2014.*

Chaotic, Messy Life

Expected Publication:  September 10th, 2013
The Chaos of Stars
By: Kiersten White
HarperTeen
ISBN-13:  9780062135926

Isadora's family is seriously screwed up.

Of course, as the human daughter of Egyptian gods, that pretty much comes with the territory.  She's also stuck with parents who barely notice her, and a house full of relatives who can't be bothered to remember her name.  After all, they are going to be around forever -- and she's a mere mortal.

Isadora's sick of living a life where she's only worthy of a passing glance, and when she has the chance to move to San Diego with her brother, she jumps on it.  But Isadora's quickly finding that a "normal" life comes with plenty of its own epic complications -- and that there's no such thing as a clean break when it comes to family.  Much as she wants to leave her past behind, she can't shake the ominous dreams that foretell destruction for her entire family.  When it turns out there may be truth in her nightmares, Isadora has to decide whether or not she can abandon her divine heritage after all.

Review

 

     Isadora lives in Egypt with her extremely crazy.  An outside observer might think they are crazy, religious extremists.  In a way that's true -- they're the Ancient Gods and Goddesses of Egyptian myth!  But Isadora herself is only human and has nothing but anger and feelings of betrayal from her parents.  So when she gets the opportunity to escape and live with her older brother in San Diego, she takes it eagerly.  Forced to work in a local museum by her controlling parents, Isadora reluctantly becomes friends with rambunctious Tyler (whose Aunt runs the museum), Ty's boyfriend Scott and their good friend Ry.  Of course, there are feelings other than just friendship building between Ry and Isadora, there is someone trying to steal something from the new Egyptian museum exhibit they're assembling, and Ry has his own, complicated family history.  Can Isadora leave behind her cynical outlook in life and learn to let love in for once?  Will she be able to save her parents and her friends from certain destruction, or will her stubborn anger ruin them all?

     I haven't read anything written by Kiersten White before and was curious to see if I would like it or not.  I have friends who love her 'Paranormalacy' series, but I've been kind of hesitant to get into another series that has vamps, weres, etc. in it.  Well, let's just say I won't be seeking out any books by White in the near future.  I am a mythology nut, for Egyptian mythology especially.  But this book wasn't really about mythology, as much as it was about a teenage girl with Mommy and Daddy issues, who doesn't believe in true love (or that it would even be worth it).  What little mythology was involved in the plot was woven in clumsily and the tidbits at the beginning of each chapter were hit or miss.  I was pretty positive of who the 'villain' was before even the halfway point of the book and the hints White kept bashing me over the head with were unnecessary by far.  Most of the book was spent with Isadora being an abrasive, judgmental bitch to everyone while trying to assimilate to life in America.  Ooohhh, Isadora like interior decorating, Coca Cola and hates boys.  Okay, whatever. 

     Isadora spends most of the book treating everyone else like complete crap and yet Ry for some inexplicable reason really likes her romantically anyways.  The revelation about his heritage and prior connection to Isadora was so obvious, that I found myself rolling my eyes more so than gasping in 'shock' over it.  The bits with the dreams just downright confused me and had me skimming over them to get through the rest of the book.  The majority of the book had no conflict and while I do enjoy contemporaries with paranormal elements thrown it, when I go in expecting mythology that's where I want the focus to be!  The romance between Ry and Isadora just wasn't enough to save this book for me, and the 180 her character does at the end of the book pretty much alienated me completely.  Kudos to White for keeping me reading till the end, but honestly wouldn't recommend it unless you're already a fan of hers. 

 

VERDICT:  2/5  Stars

 

*I received this book as part of Around the World ARC Tours, run by the lovely Princess Bookie.  No favors or money were exchanged for this review.  This book's expected publication is September 10th, 2013.*

This Inheritance Sucks

Expected Publication: February 26th, 2013

The Goddess Inheritance (The Goddess Test # 3)

By: Aimee Carter

Harlequin Teen

ISBN-13: 9780373210671

Love or life.
Henry or their child.
The end of her family or the end of the world.
Kate must choose.

During nine months of captivity, Kate Winters has survived a jealous goddess, a vengeful Titan and a pregnancy she never asked for. Now the Queen of the Gods wants her unborn child, and Kate can't stop her--until Cronus offers a deal.

In exchange for her loyalty and devotion, the King of the Titans will spare humanity and let Kate keep her child. Yet even if Kate agrees, he'll destroy Henry, her mother and the rest of the council. And if she refuses, Cronus will tear the world apart until every last god and mortal is dead.

With the fate of everyone she loves resting on her shoulders, Kate must do the impossible: find a way to defeat the most powerful being in existence, even if it costs her everything.

Even if it costs her eternity.

Review

     Kate Winters has spent nine months as the hostage of Calliope (a.k.a Hera) and Cronus, while they wait for her baby to be born.  Now, the Queen of the Gods is going to take her son away from her - unless she accepts a bargain with Cronus to belong to him.  He says that he'll spare the human race and let Kate hang onto her son, Milo.  But all the other gods and goddesses are going to be destroyed no matter what Kate decides.  Is there a way for her to save Henry and the others, keep her son and defeat Cronus and Calliope for good?  Or will the entire world be destroyed in the crossfire of a final showdown between the Gods and the Titan who fathered them?  This was the last book in a series that started out great and got mediocre in my opinion.  So I was hoping that it would get better and that Carter would give me a good enough ending, with a decent resolution to all of the problems.  The book picks up when Kate is about to give birth to Milo, leaving out the entire nine months that passed beforehand which disappointed me.  The betrayal of Ava (Aphrodite), who gave Kate over to Calliope under false pretenses has caused some major friction among the Gods and Kate doesn't know that Walter (Zeus) set up the whole thing.  Kate spends the entire book trying to martyr herself, so she can 'save' everyone else.  She refuses to listen to anyone else, or even consider a plan that would endanger Henry, her Mother or her son in any way.  Kate is always crying, upset and making half-assed attempts at decisions.  There was almost no interaction with Henry, which didn't make her character any more sympathetic to me as a reader.  I felt like the pacing was extremely slow with short bursts of action and a really rushed, poorly written ending.  I still want to know what happens to James and the others now that Calliope is gone and Cronus is in Tartarus again.  Maybe she'll do a side series that will make up for the insipid nature of this ending.  Overall, a mediocre ending to a pretty good series.  I would recommend that fans of the other books read it, if only to see how it all ends.   

VERDICT:  2.75/5  Stars

*I received an Advanced Reading E-book Copy from the publisher, via Edelweiss. No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book's expected publication date is February 26th, 2013.*

Josie Griffin Is More Kickass Than A Vampire...But Not By Much

Published:  September 13th, 2012
Josie Griffin Is Not A Vampire
By: Heather Swain
Speak
ISBN-13:  9780142421000

A hilarious take on the paranormal trend--Twilight meets The Breakfast Club!

When former good girl turned rebel Josie Griffin gets busted for what was in her mind perfectly acceptable revenge on her cheating dog of a boyfriend, she lands herself in anger management therapy. It could be worse: it could be juvvie, or she could be a zombie cheerleader like the rest of her former friends. But there's something strange about therapy--these are not normal kids. There's the wannabe ladies man with a weird accent, Johann; the blindingly gorgeous Helios; Avis with his wild dreads; and Tarren, the sprite of a girl with a wicked temper. And all of them keep talking about "powers." Josie knows that has to be impossible, but strange things start happening, and nothing weird ever happens in Indiana. After all, there're no such things as vampires, werewolves, Greek gods, or fairies . . . right?

Review

 

     Josie Griffin had the perfect boyfriend, great best friends and was living the teenage dream as a popular high school cheerleader.  Than she found her boyfriend kissing one of her BFFs - and found out the other supposed best friend knew and didn't say anything.  So you can't really blame a girl for busting out his windshield...right?  Except now she's court ordered to attend anger management therapy and do community service.  Not so bad, except when she lands in a group where everyone believes they're a mythological creature.  There's a vampire, a shapeshifter, a fairy, and what might be a Greek God.  Then girls from the shelter that Josie is working off her community service at begin to disappear.  It's up to Josie and her new friends to figure out what's going on, before it's too late for the girls that are still left.  But can Josie fit in with these kids, even though she's just a human?  This book started off very promising and I was laughing during the first few chapters, at Josie's fun personality and cheering for her continued strength.  It didn't last.  Josie stays consistently okay as a lead character, but is very shallow for the entirety of the book.  She never undergoes any real character development and neither do any of the others, especially her love interest Helios.  I felt like the more interesting characters in this were Tarren (the fairy) and Kayla (one of the girls from the shelter).  It was very predictable, in a Saturday night B-movie kind of way.  I smiled a few times, but overall I really did not connect with this one at all.  The resolution to the mystery was very obvious throughout the whole book and it made me groan at the cliche of it all.  A cute read, but nothing deeper below the surface. 

 

VERDICT:  2.75/5  Stars

 

*I received this book as part of Around the World ARC Tours, run by the lovely Princess Bookie. No favors or money were exchanged for this review.  It became available for purchase or at your local library on September 13th, 2012.*



Tainted Legacies

Expected Publication: July 31st, 2012
The Goddess Legacy (Goddess Test # 2.5)
By: Aimee Carter
Harlequin Teen
ISBN-13: 9780373210756

For millennia we've caught only glimpses of the lives and loves of the gods and goddesses on Olympus. Now Aimee Carter pulls back the curtain on how they became the powerful, petty, loving and dangerous immortals that Kate Winters knows.

Calliope/Hera represented constancy and yet had a husband who never matched her faithfulness....

Ava/Aphrodite was the goddess of love and yet commitment was a totally different deal....

Persephone was urged to marry one man, yet longed for another....

James/Hermes loved to make trouble for others-but never knew true loss before....

Henry/Hades's solitary existence had grown too wearisome to continue. But meeting Kate Winters gave him a new hope....

Five original novellas of love, loss and longing and the will to survive throughout the ages.

Review

   Hera was once a loving, loyal and happy goddess - time and Zeus' unfaithfulness changed that.  Aphrodite saw love as something that is shared by many, not tied down by committment.  Was it so wrong to love Hephaestus and Ares both, just in diffferent ways?  Persephone grew up destined to be with the man her parents chose for her, thinking that they knew best.  But she never loved him and only grew to feel trapped and resentful.  There is a man she could love, however it might be too late for a happy ending.  Hermes was a mischief-maker, but when he became involved with an indepent and spirited human girl, a tragic ending may shatter his heart.  Hades had given up on life after Persephone chose to be with someone else.  His siblings have an idea that might save him.  Will he allow them to carry it out or will he fade into a mere memory?  I enjoyed the revelations that came from Hera/Calliope's novella.  It gave a lot of insight into why she became scorned and angry at everyone in the family.  Plus it explained her unreciprocated attachment to Henry/Hades.  Ava/Aphrodite's novella was definitely one of the more interesting ones, but I honestly felt like she was a tramp/whore who was just looking for an excuse to not have to choose between Hephaestus and Ares.  Her erratic 'romantic' behavior really spoiled any enjoyment I had for her story.  I was bored and annoyed at Henry's novella because I felt that it was totally unneccessary.  Everything had already been told by that point and there was no good reason to have yet another telling of how the tests for the next Queen of the Underworld came about.  My absolute favorite novella was the one for Hermes/James.  I adored his attitude which was quirky and sarcastic as always.  I loved the Robin Hood type setting for the plot that unfolded.  The way he connected with the band of orphans and the slightly tragic romance with their leader was heartrending.  He is definitely my favorite character now, hands down!  One major complaint is the soap-opera behavior and situations of the gods and goddesses.  But then again, Greek mythology is rife with that sort of drama.  Still got really old.  I would recommend reading this before the other books actually, since it's more of a prequel, if you're new to the series.  If not, you should read this for the background it gives.  Overall a decent prequel.

VERDICT:  3/5  Stars

* I received an Advanced Reading E-book Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book's expected publication is July 31st, 2012.*

Walking On Water

Published: October 4th, 2011
The Son of Neptune (Heroes of Olympus #2)
By: Rick Riordan
Hyperion Book CH
ISBN-13: 9781423140597

Seven half-bloods shall answer the call,
To storm or fire the world must fall.
An oath to keep with a final breath,
And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death.

Percy is confused. When he awoke from his long sleep, he didn't know much more than his name. His brain fuzz is lingering, even after the wolf Lupa told him he is a demigod and trained him to fight with the pen/sword in his pocket. Somehow Percy manages to make it to a camp for half-bloods, despite the fact that he has to keep killing monsters along the way. But the camp doesn't ring any bells with him. The only thing he can recall from his past is another name: Annabeth.

Hazel is supposed to be dead. When she lived before, she didn't do a very good job of it. Sure, she was an obedient daughter, even when her mother was possessed by greed. But that was the problem - when the Voice took over her mother and commanded Hazel to use her "gift" for and evil purpose, Hazel couldn't say no. Now because of her mistake, the future of the world is at risk. Hazel wished she could ride away from it all on the stallion that appears in her dreams.

Frank is a klutz. His grandmother says he is descended from heroes and can be anything he wants to be, but he doesn't see it. He doesn't even know who his father is. He keeps hoping Apollo will claim him, because the only thing he is good at is archery - although not good enough to win camp war games. His bulky physique makes him feel like an ox, especially infront of Hazel, his closest friend at camp. He trusts her completely - enough to share the secret he holds close to his heart.

Beginning at the "other" camp for half-bloods and extending as far as the land beyond the gods, this breathtaking second installment of the Heroes of Olympus series introduces new demigods, revives fearsome monsters, and features other remarkable creatures, all destined to play a part in the Prophesy of Seven.

Review

   Percy Jackson has gone missing from Camp Half-Blood, but that might not be the biggest problem.  He barely remembers his own name, has no clue he's a half-blood anymore and can only recall Annabeth's name - nothing else.  He manages to fight his way to Camp Jupiter, a haven for Roman demigods.  Percy is seen as a bad omen because he is a son of Neptune and is treated with distrust.  But Mars decides that Percy, klutzy demigod Frank and mysterious Hazel have to go on a quest to free Thanatos (Death) from Alaska, the land beyond the reach of the Gods.  Will they make it in time or will all be lost?  Is Hazel who she claims to be or is she hiding something, and what does Nico D'Angelo have to do with it?  I honestly loved this book!  I was supper excited that Percy was back in the game after not being part of The Lost Hero, although I really liked Jason, Piper and Leo a lot.  This book was so mutli-layered that it honestly made me an even bigger fan of Riordan's writing.  I thought Hazel's back story was awesome - I won't say anything more than that for fear of causing spoilers for those who haven't read the book yet.  I really liked Frank, who in the end proved to be great person and exhibited some major change.  The quest was fun, but it made me miss Annabeth and Grover.  I really hope that the next book unites everyone and manages to keep up the pace.  Also, I hope Riordan doesn't drag the series out too much.  I love Percy and his friends, but I don't want this to go the way of other series that don't quit while they're ahead and end in the most mediocre ways ever.  All in all, a wonderful thrill-ride of a book.  Highly recommended for fans of the first book in the new series and if you haven't read ANY of the Percy Jackson books, what the heck are you waiting for????? :)

VERDICT:  4.25/5  Stars

*No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book is now available in stores and online.*

Everneath, Yet Above Expectations

Published: Jauary 24th, 2012
Everneath
By: Brodi Ashton
Harper Collins / Balzer + Bray
ISBN-13: 9780062071132


Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned- to her old life, her family, her friends- before being banished back to the underworld... this time forever.

She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen.

As Nikki's time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she's forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's...

Review

  Becks has been away for awhile...the equivalent of a 100 years in the Underworld.  She has agreed to go back forever and lose herself in the Tunnels (basically becoming a mindless power source) in exchange for six more months with her friends, family and Jack - the guy she left behind.  But that means dealing with the destructive aftermath of her unexplained disappearance.  Becks tries to come to terms with the fact that she's going to have to leave again, all the while trying not to cause any more pain than she already has.  Plus she has Cole, the everliving who spirited her away to begin with, following her around and trying to get her to spend eternity with him as Queen of the everlivings' High Court.  Becks doesn't love him like he wants her too because she still loves Jack with all her heart.  Can she find a way to stay with her family and Jack when the Tunnels come to claim her as Forfeit?  Or will she decide to choose spending an eternity with Cole?  This book was fun, in that it retold equal parts Orpheus and Eurydice, with Persephone and Hades.  I am a love of Greek mythology and this was fresh, interesting take on a myth that honestly hasn't been overdone (quite yet anyways).  The characters were interesting and the day-by-day format after Becks is returned from the Everneath (a.k.a. the Underworld) made things go fairly fast, yet last awhile at the same time.  Jack wasn't as one-dimensional as your average 'goody-goody', normal human love interest normally is.  Cole also wasn't one-dimensionally evil and had depth to his personality.  At the same time, it was annoying that Cole continually went after Becks, even though she obviously didn't want him at all.  Overall this was worth the read and I will be looking forward to the next book in the series, especially after the cliffhanger ending! :)

VERDICT:  4/5  Stars

*No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book is now available in stores and online.*

Goddess in Training

Expected Publication: March 27th, 2012
Goddess Interrupted (Goddess Test # 2)
By:  Aimee Carter
Harlequin Teen
ISBN-13: 9780373210459


Kate Winters has won immortality. But if she wants a life with Henry in the Underworld, she'll have to fight for it.  Becoming immortal wasn't supposed to be the easy part. Though Kate is about to be crowned Queen of the Underworld, she's as isolated as ever. And despite her growing love for Henry, ruler of the Underworld, he's becoming ever more distant and secretive. Then, in the midst of Kate's coronation, Henry is abducted by the only being powerful enough to kill him: the King of the Titans.  As the other gods prepare for a war that could end them all, it is up to Kate to save Henry from the depths of Tartarus. But in order to navigate the endless caverns of the Underworld, Kate must enlist the help of the one person who is the greatest threat to her future.  Henry's first wife, Persephone.

Review

   Kate Winters thought that once she married Henry and took over as Queen of the Underworld, all of their problems would pretty much be solved.  Imagine her surprise that upon arriving home from a summer spent in Greece with her best friend James (a rival of Henry's for Kate's affection) that things are still unsettled.  Henry is more distant than ever and there still needs to be a ceremony inducting Kate as a ruler of the Underworld before things are official.  Oh and she's developing powers, beginning with creepy visions that she doesn't quite understand, but give her a really bad feeling.  It turns out she was right to be nervous, when Henry and the other 'big six' are taken by Kronos who is working with Hera (who is still looking for revenge against Kate for 'stealing' Henry from her).  Kronos isn't yet powerful enough to surface in the world, but without the original six to stand in his way when he does the world will most likely end.  It's up to Kate and the rest of the gods are refusing to help her.  Wanting to save Henry, she has to find the entrance to Tartarus.  The only other person who knows is the one person Kate wishes she could forget about - Henry's first wife Persephone, Kate's sister.  Will they be able to work together in time to save Henry and the others, while stopping Kronos from rising.  I liked this book quite a bit, but I felt that it never reached the level of the first one.  The side characters were far more one-dimensional in this book and the focus on Kate and Henry's romantic predicament did nothing special for me personally.  It was all angst and despair on Kate's part, with a side of emotional turmoil and cruel subconcious desires on Henry's part.  The amount of time that Aimee Carter spent on the will-they, won't-they (when they're already FREAKING MARRIED!!!) detracted from what could have been a truly intriguing adventure.  It instead became a subplot that depended on the romantic heroine saving the day.  The cliffhanger on this book TRULY pissed me off!!!  Seirously, yet more angst.  Kate just can't catch a break, which is too bad.  Because when she's away from Henry she's a pretty interestng character.  I don't think that I will be reading the third book in the series.  I honestly just don't care anymore.  But I will probably read the short story between books one and two, for more about James and Kate's vacation.  Not recommended too highly, unless you're a big fan of extremely gushy and angst ridden romance with little plot to go with it.

VERDICT:  2.25/5  Stars

*I received an Advanced Reading E-book Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. No money or favors were exchanged for this review. The expected publication for this book is March 27th, 2012.*

2012 YA Mythology Challenge

   So peeps, I'm really excited about this challenge that I've signed up for on this blog called For Those About to Read!  It's a challenge to read 10 YA or Middle-Grade books that have any type of mythology woven into the story (Greek, Norse, Egyptian, etc).  If you want to find out more about it, click here.  Happy reading my friends! :)

Deadly Sweet

Published: September 6th, 2011
Sweet Venom
By: Tera Lynn Childs
Katherine Tegen Books
ISBN-13: 9780062001818


Grace just moved to San Francisco and is excited to start over at a new school. The change is full of fresh possibilities, but it’s also a tiny bit scary. It gets scarier when a minotaur walks in the door. And even more shocking when a girl who looks just like her shows up to fight the monster.

Gretchen is tired of monsters pulling her out into the wee hours, especially on a school night, but what can she do? Sending the minotaur back to his bleak home is just another notch on her combat belt. She never expected to run into this girl who could be her double, though.

Greer has her life pretty well put together, thank you very much. But that all tilts sideways when two girls who look eerily like her appear on her doorstep and claim they're triplets, supernatural descendants of some hideous creature from Greek myth, destined to spend their lives hunting monsters.

These three teenage descendants of Medusa, the once-beautiful gorgon maligned by myth, must reunite and embrace their fates in this unique paranormal world where monsters lurk in plain sight.

Review

   Grace moves to San Francisco to attend a prestigious private school that will better her chances of attending a major college.  She has had a great life with her adopted parents and brother.  Gretchen was kicked around by her parents and lived on the streets for awhile.  That is, until Ursula found her and traine her for her destiny - hunting mythological monsters because she's a descendant of Medusa.  But she's also a teenager and she wishes it wasn't just her job.  Greer is a social whirlwind living a the high and extremely orderly, planned life.  She has no room for monsters or sisters.  I really enjoyed this book!  I liked that it was told from all three girls' points of view alternately.  It WORKED, because each girl has a distinctive voice and personality.  They don't bleed together.  I hope Greer plays a much bigger narrative part in the next book because she was barely in this one at all, and I would like to see more of her.  There is some sweet romance subplot with Gretchen and Nick, the new boy in school and also Grace and Milo, her brother Thane's friend from the soccer team.  The girls have to fight extra hard because a bounty has been placed on their heads.  Someone is trying to get rid of them and they ARE NOT playing!  Thane had some mystery surrounding him as well and near the book he goes off on his own, refusing to tell anyone where he went.  Grace's wimpy, effusive nature does sort of get annoying every once in a while, as does Gretchen's toughness that can turn mean-spirited occasionally.  But overall this was a cute, enjoyable read for people who like mythology and good YA.  I would recommend it for those people.  Also, don't go in expecting brain food, but brain candy and you'll go away satisfied.

VERDICT: 4/5  Stars
Book#9 of Challenge COMPLETE

*No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book is now available in stores and online.*