More Conspiracies, Draped In Petticoats

Expected Publication:  November 5th, 2013

Curtsies and Conspiracies (Finishing School #2)

By: Gail Carriger

Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

ISBN-13:  9780316190114

Does one need four fully grown foxgloves for decorating a dinner table for six guests? Or is it six foxgloves to kill four fully grown guests?

Sophronia's first year at Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality has certainly been rousing! For one thing, finishing school is training her to be a spy (won't Mumsy be surprised?). Furthermore, Sophronia got mixed up in an intrigue over a stolen device and had a cheese pie thrown at her in a most horrid display of poor manners.

Now, as she sneaks around the dirigible school, eavesdropping on the teachers' quarters and making clandestine climbs to the ship's boiler room, she learns that there may be more to a school trip to London than is apparent at first. A conspiracy is afoot--one with dire implications for both supernaturals and humans. Sophronia must rely on her training to discover who is behind the dangerous plot-and survive the London Season with a full dance card.

Review

     When we last saw her Sophronia had just managed solve a mystery about a stolen device and a traitor within her school for girls training to be assassins/spies (and debutantes).  With a penchant for curiosity Sophronia is in trouble again, this time because she has become entangles in another mystery surrounding a valve that has malfunctioned in the school's testing machine - and why they are going to London.  The harmless class trip to see an event with a dirigible may not be everything it seems, especially when Sophronia uncovers some shocking things while sneaking through the teacher's quarters, eavesdropping and using situations to her advantage.  With the help of her friends Soap, Vieve, Dimity, Sidheag, and Agatha can she figure out what's going on before it's too late.  Also, when will Lord Felix Mercer learn to take a hint, that she is just not interested?  And what is Monique planning now, that could direly affect everyone aboard the ship?

     Don't mistake me: I enjoyed this book, just as I did the first one in the trilogy.  But I feel that it's written more for established fans of Carriger's Parasol Protectorate series than newcomers.  The feel of it is very established, in that I went in feeling like an outsider looking in through my little bookish lens.  Those kinds of books don't necessarily make a new reader feel like they are very easily approached.  That said, Sophronia is an amusing, precociously nosy young girl who has found her niche in training to be a spy, even if the horrendous debutante training is necessary right alongside it! :)  I found her to be very loyal, genuine.  I love her curiosity; there is nothing worse to me than lack of curiosity on the part of a heroine in a weird/off-kilter situation.  Don't you want to know what's going on?  Sophronia always wants to know, and it gets her into trouble sometimes.  When the teachers announce the progress report results of each girl out loud, Sophronia was ostracized which made for an interesting plot twist.  A decent portion of the novel is spent with Sophronia trying to solve the latest mystery all on her own mostly (with only help from boiler room friend Soap and inventive, little scamp Vieve).  It definitely helped the reader, as well as Sophronia, to realize that she is at her strongest when she has the help of her friends.

     Carriger also introduces the possibility of a love triangle between Sophronia, Soap, and semi-racist, classist (but entirely charming) rich Lord Felix Mercer.  It's an interesting dynamic to say the least.  Sophronia is only just starting to realize her own identity as person old enough to feel romantic interest in another.  Soap is from the opposite end of the class spectrum, works for her school and is of a different race as well.  Yet Soap challenges her and keeps Sophronia grounded in reality.  He's a true friend and she values him for it - precisely the reason she's trying to avoid anything beyond harmless flirtation.  She knows it would most likely lead to heartache.  Felix Mercer is intelligent in entirely different ways, has loads of social connections and is within reach societally.  But his family is also prejudiced against supernaturals and has opinions opposite of her on their civil rights.  It's the beginning of  a fascinating inner-struggle on the part of Sophronia to stay true to herself.

      The main storyline about the mysterious valve, the habits and politics of vampires, the attempted kidnappings of Sophronia's friends Dimity and Pillover, and the further exploration of everyone's true loyalties was really well carried out.  I did find myself losing interest a few times when it started moving fairly slowly, but it picked up again so I kept going.  I was not disappointed and liked the way the book resolved, even if there were a couple of lingering questions still to be answered (I assume in the final installment of the trilogy).  Overall, I had fun and got to stop thinking for a couple hours - and Carriger managed to keep me by staying light on the steampunk, of which I am NOT a fan.  I would recommend it to fans of supernatural adventures and spy stories (more middle grade than YA in my opinion), but I still feel fans of the adult series this is an off-shoot of would be better suited to truly fall into effusive declarations of love with it.

VERDICT:  3.5/5  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's expected publication is November 5th, 2013.*

Wishin' and Hopin', Thinkin' and Prayin'.....

Published:  June 18th, 2013
The Pirate's Wish (The Assassin's Curse # 2)
By: Cassandra Rose Clarke
Strange Chemistry
ISBN-13:  9781908844286

After setting out to break the curse that binds them together, the pirate Ananna and the assassin Naji find themselves stranded on an enchanted island in the north with nothing but a sword, their wits, and the secret to breaking the curse: complete three impossible tasks. With the help of their friend Marjani and a rather unusual ally, Ananna and Naji make their way south again, seeking what seems to be beyond their reach.

Unfortunately, Naji has enemies from the shadowy world known as the Mists, and Ananna must still face the repercussions of going up against the Pirate Confederation. Together, Naji and Ananna must break the curse, escape their enemies — and come to terms with their growing romantic attraction.

Review

 

     Ananna and Naji are trapped on a misty island, and stuck together with a curse that is nearly impossible to break.  But unless they do, Naji's well being is dependent on Ananna's safety.  To break the curse that ties them together, Naji will have to accomplish three 'impossible' tasks.  Number 1: Experience true love's kiss.  Number two: hold a princess' starstones in his hands.  Number three: create life out of violence.  While still on the island, their Wizard ally is killed by a manticore that he has been keeping captive.  Ananna makes a deal with the manticore, who accompanies them on the ship her pirate friend Marjani brings to rescue them.  Once off the island, they set about completing the tasks, all while trying to avoid the attentions of those in the Mists that want to kill Naji and trying to come to terms with who they are/their feelings for each other.  Will Ananna's love for Naji stay unrequited?  Can they break the curse and lead separate lives ever again?  And will they both make it out alive after confronting their enemies?
     I was impressed with The Assassin's Curse, the first book in the series.  That said, I think that I enjoyed this one even more which is a rare thing in a sequel!  It starts where the previous novel left off, with Ananna and Naji stuck on the island and trying to find a way off so they can break the curse.  So, they are surprised when Ananna finds the dead body of the wizard who lives there and the manticore that killed him.  Being who she is (someone who isn't necessarily careful of consequences) Ananna makes a deal with the manticore.  Ongraygeeomryn (the manticore) is a bad influence on Ananna and an absolutely hilarious character in her own right!  It's her that convinces Ananna to kiss Naji while he's sleeping and fulfill the first task.  This makes things twice as awkward between the assassin and the pirate girl, because now she has to work even more at hiding the fact that she's in love with him.  This book has plenty of adventure with battle not being an out of place occurrence.  It definitely wasn't just another romance masquerading as a high fantasy novel. 
     I loved the additions of Marjani as a more important character in this one and her backstory, along with her lost love.  Queen (nee Princess) Saida was definitely not your average royal and the quest to get to her starstones (along with the revelation of who had stolen them) was a nice touch.  The growing relationship between Naji and Ananna was well done and unlike a lot of the people who complain that he never actually tells her that he likes/loves her, (or that he was wrong) I felt like it was very true to his character for him to behave that way.  For him to just start kissing her and decide to be with her and not actually make the decision out loud was so 'Naji' that I could really picture it happening that way.  The ongoing conflict with the Mists and the Hariri clan are resolved and the battle scenes are epic.  Also the visit to the King of Salt and Foam (and his underwater kingdom) were completely epic!  Talking SHARKS YOU GUYS!!! :)  I liked the way this book ended and thought that it had pretty great resolution for the situations of the different characters and that Clarke avoided a lot of the awkward maneuvering we normally see in second books with her decision to make this a duology instead of a trilogy.  The angst was a bit overdone sometimes, but with romances that begin one-sided that's kind of a given.  Overall, highly recommended for fans of high fantasy who would like to read something out of the normal direction for the genre.  It does read a little mature, so I would say it's a cross between adult and YA in its content. 

VERDICT:  4.75/5  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 was published on June 18th, 2013.*

Where There Are Sparks, Electricity Follows

 

Expected Publication:  September 24th, 2013

A Spark Unseen (The Dark Unwinding # 2)

By: Sharon Cameron

Scholastic Press

ISBN-13:  9780545328135

 

When Katharine Tulman wakes in the middle of the night and accidentally foils a kidnapping attempt on her uncle, she realizes Stranwyne Keep is no longer safe for Uncle Tully and his genius inventions. She flees to Paris, where she hopes to remain undetected and also find the mysterious and handsome Lane, who is suspected to be dead.

But the search for Lane is not easy, and Katharine soon finds herself embroiled in a labyrinth of political intrigue. And with unexpected enemies and allies at every turn, Katharine will have to figure out whom she can trust--if anyone--to protect her uncle from danger once and for all.

 

Review

 

     Katherine Tulman has recently been through quite a lot: she has gained an eccentric Uncle, foiled an attempt by opposing governments to use one of her Uncle Tully's toy designs as a weapon of war, and fallen in love with a young man who is involved in espionage.  Oh, and she has also become an independent heiress in her own right!  But the governments haven't given up quite yet and when strange men break into the estate and attempt to kidnap her Uncle Tully, Katherine is forced into drastic measures.  After faking Tully's death and fleeing to Paris to avoid England's grasping hands, Katherine finds herself dealing with another set of dangers, including figuring out what has really happened to Lane, her Uncle's former assistant and the young man she loves, who has gone missing.  Can she figure out a way to get them all safely out of Paris and uncover the plot to steal her Uncle in a way that will end things once and for all?

      I read the previous book in the series warily, for I am by no means a fan of the steampunk genre and it is marketed as falling under that title.  As with the first book, this one proves that really the only steampunk thing about this book is the mentions of Uncle Tully's unique inventions.  I enjoyed the mystery of the first book, uncovering all of the characters' individual motivations and schemes.  This book felt like it was trying very hard to capture the espionage feeling of the previous novel, but never quite made it into that sphere.  It dealt with espionage of the international sort to a much greater extent, but I felt disconnected from Katherine and her troubles as an individual.  I did admire the ingenious way that she protects her Uncle (the mode of his transport to France was absolutely inspired!) but the quest to find Lane, the boy she supposedly loves fell extremely flat.  His mysterious disappearance felt like it was only included in the novel as a way to further along the kidnapping plot of the book.  Also, their interactions once she found him felt very formal and wooden to me as a reader.  I just didn't believe they were a great romance, and honestly would have preferred if the book had focused more on the espionage side of things and developed that storyline more than just 'We're on the run from the bad guys, we're hiding out from the bad guys.  We're confronting the bad guys, we're moving on with life.'  Easy peasy sure, but kind of vanilla and on the boring side of the line.  The side characters didn't provide any relief, as they were majorly two-dimensional.  And I am NOT a fan of anything to do with spies so my stance on this even surprised me!  The 'resolution' of the novel's plot(s) leaves things somewhat open for a third book, but also hints that this was possibly the series conclusion.  If that's the case, it was a cute series but somewhat underdeveloped and with the promise it showed, that was quite disappointing.  I won't so anymore so as not to spoil, but it's recommended more for fans of 19th Century Gothic romance books than steampunk adventures.

 

VERDICT:  3.5/5  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's expected publication is September 24th, 2013.**

Evil Never Truly Wins

Published: April 2nd, 2013
Dark Triumph (His Fair Assassin # 2)
By: R.L. LaFevers
Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
ISBN-13:  9780547628387

Sybella arrives at the convent’s doorstep half mad with grief and despair. Those that serve Death are only too happy to offer her refuge—but at a price. Naturally skilled in both the arts of death and seduction, the convent views Sybella as one of their most dangerous weapons.

But those assassin’s skills are little comfort when the convent returns her to a life that nearly drove her mad. Her father’s rage and brutality are terrifying, and her brother’s love is equally monstrous. And while Sybella is a weapon of justice wrought by the god of Death himself, He must give her a reason to live. When she discovers an unexpected ally imprisoned in the dungeons, will a daughter of Death find something other than vengeance to live for?

Review

 

     Sybella has dealt with many horrors in her short life, but being forced back into the household of the depraved Lord D'Albret is almost more than she can bear.  She joined with the other daughters of Mortain to escape from things she can't allow herself to think about.  The Mother Superior has promised her that she will be able to kill him as soon as he's marked by Death - so Sybella returns to the house of the man she always thought was her Father.  When a battle occurs and D'Albret takes a very unexpected prisoner, his life may be in Sybella's hands.  Can she help him escape and aid the Duchess of Brittany, while escaping from the evil machinations of the man who has destroyed Sybella's happiness for most of her life?  I went into this one having truly liked Grave Mercy, and being beyond excited to read about Sybella who intrigued me through minor mentions in the first novel.  I though Ismae had a rough life prior to the convent and being trained as an assassin for Mortain.  That was before I met Sybella and had my heart smashed to pieces by her traumatic life experiences!  Her Father was a complete monster and her 'relationship' with her brother Julian was such a horrifying disaster.  After managing to heal herself even a little bit, I was super pissed that the nuns had decided it was okay to make her a spy in D'Albret's household.  I loved the character development on her part and the slow reveal of her backstory, as devastating as it was.  But I have to say that as a reader, I was entirely unconvinced of any romantic feelings between her and the Duchess' soldier, the Beast of Waroch.  Their interactions had absolutely NO spark for me and seeing how he spends most of the book unconscious or recovering from some wound or another, how strong of feelings could they have really had?  Also, I felt like the plot and pacing of action in general really dragged for the first half of the book.  It seemed like nothing really happened until Sybella rescued the Beast from her Father's dungeon, and even then it was slow going.  I've seen other people complain that Grave Mercy had a slow start, but I never felt that way reading it.  With this one, I did.  The dark sense of humor, constant wavering of faith and unshakeable belief in justice really made me love Sybella.  This was a good second book in a series and managed to avoid the dreaded sophomore slump, and the battle at the end of the book definitely had my heart pounding and my blood churning.  Overall a good book, especially for fans of high fantasy or medieval fiction along the lines of Tamora Pierce, Kristin Cashore, and Maria V. Snyder.  But I felt like something was missing for me personally while reading it.

 

VERDICT:  3.75/5  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 on April 2nd, 2013.*

Posioned With Good Intent

Expected Publication: March 12th, 2013
Poison
By: Bridget Zinn
Disney-Hyperion
ISBN-13: 9781423139935

Sixteen-year-old Kyra, a highly-skilled potions master, is the only one who knows her kingdom is on the verge of destruction—which means she’s the only one who can save it. Faced with no other choice, Kyra decides to do what she does best: poison the kingdom’s future ruler, who also happens to be her former best friend.

But, for the first time ever, her poisoned dart . . . misses.

Now a fugitive instead of a hero, Kyra is caught in a game of hide-and-seek with the king’s army and her potioner ex-boyfriend, Hal. At least she’s not alone. She’s armed with her vital potions, a too-cute pig, and Fred, the charming adventurer she can’t stop thinking about. Kyra is determined to get herself a second chance (at murder), but will she be able to find and defeat the princess before Hal and the army find her?

Review

 

     Kyra has only ever wanted to be a potions master, and ignore her other special qualities - especially the spark of Sight she has in her that she keeps quashing down.  That is until the Sight shows Kyra a vision of the kingdom brought to utter ruin by the marriage of her best friend.  So when the only solution seems to be to kill her friend, Kyra makes the hardest decision of her life to go through with murder.  Oh yeah, and her friend Ari just happens to be the Crown Princess!  So when Kyra's attempt fails, she is forced to go on the run with the Royal Army chasing after her.  Kyra knows she has to try again, and with the help of charming wanderer Fred and a tracking pig named Rosie she might succeed.  But does she really know the whole story?  Or is something far more sinister brewing in the Kingdom just under the surface?  Disney-Hyperion is a mixed bag for me as a reader.  They usually tend to publish YA that is either too melodramatic for my taste, or too young.  So I went into this book not knowing what to expect at all.  I ended up loving it for the sweet, funny piece of fluff that it was.  Poison is almost the baby, Bieber-obsessed sister of Graceling by Kristin Cashore (but in the best possible way)!  I thought that Kyra was not very developed as a character, but that the majority of the focus was on the plot so it didn't distract me too much.  Fred was sweet, funny and sounded like just the kind of boy every girl wants to fall in love with.  I loved the conflict with the notorious thief who has his own agenda for the Princess' death and wants to make things as hard for Kyra as possible.  Rosie the pig and Fred's dog were too cute for words.  But this book also has an undertone of snark and more mature humor (nothing to deter parents of the younger set unless they're really strict) such as allusions to marriage and lingerie jokes.  My one complaint was that while this book reminded me of the childhood novelty of books like Ella Enchanted, the plot was lacking true, defined structure.  The plot was original and the start of the book with the heroine already on the run was something not often done.  But there were a lot of things told and not shown, which gets a little bland after awhile (and that's if the author is a really good writer - otherwise it gets boring and truly angering).  A lot of the plot twists were pretty predictable and the resolution of the book came far too fast for my liking.  The loose ends were tied up too neatly, with not enough real struggle.  Also, the romance felt extremelt paint-by-numbers, with both Hal AND Fred.  Which kind of defeated the purpose of Fred being more 'exciting.'  The last revelation about Kyra's parentage was one that I never saw coming and I definitely give Zinn props for that ides.  Overall a read that felt like it didn't quite know whether to be middle-grade or YA to me, but worth it all the same.  It made me smile and laugh, without resorting to cheap tactics.  That's a rare and precious thing these days.

 

VERDICT:  3.85/5  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 will be available for purchase on March 12th, 2013.*

We Are Young, Let's Set the World on Fire

Expected Publication: October 2nd, 2012

The Assassin's Curse (The Assassin's Curse # 1)

By: Cassandra Rose Clarke

Strange Chemistry

ISBN-13: 9781908844019

Ananna of the Tanarau abandons ship whenever parents try to marry her off to an allying pirate clan: she wants to captain her own boat, not serve as second-in-command to her handsome yet clueless fiance. But her escape has dire consequences when she learns the scorned clan has sent an assassin after her. 

And when the assassin, Naji, finally catches up with her, things get even worse. Ananna inadvertently triggers a nasty curse — with a life-altering result. Now Ananna and Naji are forced to become uneasy allies as they work together to break the curse and return their lives back to normal. Or at least as normal as the lives of a pirate and an assassin can be.

Review

   Ananna has much bigger plans for her life than her parents do.  So when they arrange a marriage with a fellow pirate captain's son, she makes a break for it.  Planning on eventually becoming the captain of her own ship, she's willing to take the risk of striking out on her own - even if it means that her fiance, Tarrin of the Hariri, and his parents will send an assassin after her for the insult.  Which of course they do and when Ananna finds herself on the end of Naji's blade she thinks her death is certain.  But then she saves his life from a deadly snake and they are bound by an impossible curse that appoints him as her protector, however unwilling.  Is there a way to break an impossible curse, or will the pirate and the assassin be stuck together forever?  Also, are the Hariri clan the only enemies on their trail or does a secret in Naji's past hold a far deadlier resolution?  I thought that this book would end up disappointing me like the last assassin book I read, Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas, did.  I however was pleasantly surprised by this one.  It has a lot more action and adventure than I expected, with only a slight hint of unrequited romance near the very end.  This book was ride, starting with the prison break of Ananna at the beginning from her arranged marriage to a man she knows won't treat her as an equal.  I love that she is such a strong character, very honest and witty in a normal sort of way.  She never hesitates to say what she's thinking or to do what she believes is right.  Plus, she has a lot more common sense than a lot of YA heroines do.  And she freaking USES IT!!!  How rare is that?  Naji is a kick-ass assassin, but he's also a sensitive and oblivious young guy who doesn't understand friendship and leads a really messed up life.  The two of them together are absolutely hilarious and the side characters like the bitchy Leila were a great addition to the sometimes slowly moving pace of the plot.  The authentic speech on the part of Ananna surprised me - not a lot of authors throw in that particular detail and it was nice addition that a girl raised by pirate parents actually talked like one too.  Overall this was a fairly satisfying book, even if the majority of it was setup and world-building without a dramatic cliffhanger or climax at the ending.  I am looking forward to what should be non-stop action and adventure in the sequel.  Highly recommended to fantasy, pirate and adventure fans who want a book where romance IS NOT the driving force for once! :)

VERDICT:  4.35/5  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 date is October 2nd, 2012.*

Not Tough Enough

Expected Publication: August 7th, 2012

Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass # 1)

By: Sarah J. Maas

Bloomsbury USA Children's

ISBN-13: 9781599906959

After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin.

Her opponents are men—thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the kings council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she’ll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom.

Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she’s bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it’s the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best.

Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.

Review

   Celaena Sardothien has been an assasin of high repute for almost half of her life.  Then she was caught and sentenced to the salt mines of Endovier, with no one expecting her to survive the harsh and almost impossible conditions.  Then, a year later, the Crown Prince Dorian comes to offer her freedom on the condition that she be his champion in a competition between assassins.  It turns out that his Father is searching for a royal 'champion' and if she beats the others Celaena will serve him for three years - after that she'll be free.  Out of shape, Celaena spends every day training with Captain Westfall, who is suspicious of her every action.  She also spends some time with Dorian and finds herself attracted to him against her better judgement.  But then the champions begin turning up dead one by one and Celaena seems like she's next on the list.  Can she find the assassin before becoming the newest victim?  And will her destiny lead her more places than she's ever imagined?  At first I was really intrigued by the premise of this book.  Plus, it started out as a story on www.fictionpress.com a website for original stories by beginning authors.  I love the website, so I was excited to see someone from there make it big.  I liked Celaena's sarcastic, realistic attitude and her refusal to be anyone's ornament.  Captain Westfall was slightly dreamy, but his attitude annoyed me even though I understood it.  Prince Dorian was one of the characters that I absolutely HATED.  What a sanctimonious, privileged, womanizing, prig!  The fact that he actually appeals to Celaena caused me to seriously disrespect her by the end of the book.   The mystery with the murder of her fellow competitors was fairly obvious.  I pretty much knew who the killer was, although the magical twist to things surprised me.  I honestly can say that my favorite character in the whole book was side character, Princess Nehemia.  She has basically had her kingdom taken over by Dorian's Father, been forced to leave her home as an 'ambassador' and is still a kick-ass warrior girl with a major stubborn streak.  I would have liked to read her story.  Celaena was too much lost little girl and not enough bad-ass assassin for my liking.  I was hoping for someone similar to Katsa from Graceling and got an egotistical, wishy-washy teenager who loves clothes and playing the piano.  Not the book for me but I seem to be outside of the vast majority who have fallen in love with it.

VERDICT:  2.5/5  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 August 7th, 2012.*

Touched By An Angel...

Published: September 30th, 2010

Angel Burn

By: L.A. Weatherly

Candlewick Press

ISBN-13: 9780763656522

In a world where angels are beyond redemption, Alex thinks he’s found one that might deserve mercy. 

Alex is a ruthless assassin—of angels. Forget everything you’ve heard about them before. Angels are not benign celestial creatures, but fierce stalkers whose irresistible force allows them to feed off humans, draining them of their vitality until there is barely anything left. As far as Alex is concerned, the only good angel is a dead angel... until he meets Willow. 

She may look like a normal teenager but Willow is no ordinary girl. Half-angel, half-human, Willow may hold the key to defeating the evil angels. But as the hunter and the hunted embark on an epic and dangerous journey and Willow learns the dark and terrifying secrets of her past, Alex finds himself drawn to Willow... with devastating consequences.

Review

   In the world at large, Angels are real and everyone believes that they've been sent to help mankind.  In reality they feed from human energy and make humans diseased and weak, even killing them.  Willow Fields has always been different from other kids.  She is psychic and can read people's futures.  Things take a turn for the worse when Willow reads a popular girl from school's future.  It turns out that Beth is being fed on by an Angel and it's slowly killing her.  But when Willow tries to warn her, she's seen as hostile to the Church of the Angels (an organization used by the Angels to acquire energy sources at the expense of the humans) and is hunted by them.  Also, Willow finds out that the reason for her psychic abilities is that she is half-angel.  Enter Alex, an AK or Angel Killer who is working for the CIA and gets orders to kill Willow.  Then he begins to question his orders and it turns out that the CIA's Project Angel has been compromised - the Angels are the ones giving the orders and they want Willow dead.  Because apparently she's the only one with the power to stop them.  Alex and Willow go on the run, determined to stop the Angels from infiltrating Earth even more in any way they can.  Will they be able to fix things or is it too late?  And will they find love and redemption in one another along the way?  This was a new concept to me - Angels as the bad guys.  I loved the idea because it was different and I'm tired of reading the same old things over and over again.  Willow was a strong heroine, who didn't take crap from anybody.  Her ability to fix cars was cool and I liked that she  never hesitated to do the right thing, even when it might not be what she wanted.  Alex was for want of a better term, a bad-ass.  He is a motorcycle riding, tattooed, angel killing, tortured hero with a painful past.  Plus, he was willing to question everything he'd been taught to figure out the right thing to do.  There was a lot of action and fight scenes that were well-done and kept me on the edge of my seat.  This was a thrilling action/adventure/romance novel and I'm excited to read the next one in the series.  My only complaint it the descent into lovey-dovey near the end of the book.  I highly recommend it.

VERDICT:  4/5  Stars

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