Queen of Zombie Hearts (White Rabbit Chronicles #3) by Gena Showalter

Expected Publication:  September 30th, 2014

Queen of Zombie Hearts (White Rabbit Chronicles #3)

By: Gena Showalter

Harlequin Teen

ISBN-13:  9780373211319

In the stunning conclusion to the wildly popular White Rabbit Chronicles, Alice "Ali" Bell thinks the worst is behind her.  She's ready to take the next step with boyfriend Cole Holland, leader of the zombie slayers...until Anima Industries, the agency controlling the zombies, launches a sneak attack, killing four of her friends.  It's then she realizes that humans can be more dangerous than monsters...and the worst has only begun.

As the surviving slayers prepare for war, Ali discovers she, too, can control the zombies...and she isn't the girl she thought she was.  She's connected to the woman responsible for killing -- and turning -- Cole's mother.  How can their relationship endure?  As secrets come to light, and more slayers are taken or killed, Ali will fight harder than ever to bring down Anima -- even sacrificing her own life for those she loves.

Review

     At the beginning of this book things have calmed down a lot since the last one.  Ali and her friends are easing back in to normal life, and her biggest worry is normal, nightly zombie patrol and whether or not Cole will let them go all the way finally.  Nana is supervising their every waking moment, so one night Ali sneaks in Cole's window for some late-night, naughty time.  In the middle of them making out, the house is attacked.  They soon learn that Anima has attacked ALL of their fellow slayers as well, killing four of them and gravely injuring or kidnapping others.  Another side plotline is introduced, with the Witness ghost of Helen, who gifts Ali with some of her own special powers to help in the fight.  She also has a secret connection to Ali's past that comes between her and Cole, due to Helen's betrayal of his mother.  It's an interesting way to create relationship conflict just when things were rock solid.

     The introduction of a street gang of zombie slayers, led by a guy named River, was an interesting addition.  I did feel like there was way too many characters at quite a few points, and got a little bit confused as to who had done what and been in the previous books.  The plot twists regarding Ali's new powers, the true goals of Anima and the connection with Helen weren't necessarily all that surprising, but the action moved at a really good pace in this one and I loved the finality of the conclusion.  The last big shock though (which I won't spoil) had me screaming in rage - in a good way!  The last Witness visit is going to kill you so hard!  All in all, a great end to an interesting series.  And for all you Cole and Ali fans, don't worry too much.  Their ending will make you happy!

VERDICT:  4/5 Stars

*I recieved 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 September 30th, 2014.*

Broken, Not Shattered

Published:  September 24th, 2013

The Mephisto Mark (The Mephisto Covenant #3)

By: Trinity Faegan

Pink Publishing, LLC

ISBN-13:  9781940431031

Raised by abusive relatives in Bucharest, Mariah learned to box up agonizing memories and put them in permanent mental storage.  Now almost nineteen, she's steadily overcoming her past, but when an enigmatic stranger walks into the pub where she works and the trajectory of her life changes yet again, she begins to wonder if she'll run out of mental shelf space.

The only females unafraid of the Mephisto brothers are the extremely rare Anabo, born without Original Sin.  Over one hundred years ago, Phoenix's Anabo was murdered by his oldest brother and enemy, Eryx.  Wrapped up in grief and guilt, Phoenix's only outlet is planning the takedowns of those who have pledged their souls to Eryx.  When Mariah is brought to Mephisto Mountain, he's torn between his instinctive, poweful need to pursue her, and his certainty that he can never have her.

Drawn into the world of the Mephisto, Mariah's mental boxes begin to fly open, and all that keeps her from slipping off the edge is her unlikely, sexually charged friendship with Phoenix.  He's incredibly screwed up; she's completely broken.  It would take a miracle for them to find happiness.  Then Eryx brings the war for Hell to a whole new level, forcing Mariah and Phoenix to make a choice that will bind them together for all eternity, or rip them apart forever.

Review

     I was fairly excited to read this book!  I had picked up the first two books in this series and the mythology has me intrigued.  But there were some issues I had with it as well.  For one, I was kind of disappointed by the fact that the story overlapped with the last book, The Mephisto Kiss.  I felt like it was bit of taking the easy way out, using that on the readers.  It was sucky, because for a new heroine I wanted a completely new story.  And yet, I suppose it was also good in way because it shows the events of the last book from Mariah's point of view - and shows us what a strong, bad-ass girl she is!  The whole story, as usual, centers on one of the Mephisto brothers whohas been waiting with the rest for an Anabo to save him.  The difference being, that Phoenix feels like he already had his chance with an Anabo named Jane and blames himself for her horrific death at the hands of the evil brother Eryx.  In the last book we met Jordan, who was adopted by the President of the U.S. from an orphanage in Romania.  This time around, the Anabo found is her older sister Mariah.  When they were little, Mariah left Jordan at an orphanage to get her away from their abusive Aunt and Uncle, who they were forced to live with after their parents died.  Mariah spent years being abused mentally and physically, with it advancing to sexual abuse when she was a teen.  Escaping when her Uncle died in mysterious circumstances, Mariah has been living on her own and staying away from people - especially men - ever since.

     I enjoyed the fact that the author portrayed Mariah as being a strong, decisive person who could take care of herself.  Abuse victims are not necessarily completely broken and unable to function as almost or completely normal (even if only on the surface).  Passing me on the street, you'd never know that I spent three years as the victim of sexual abuse as a child.  So it was gratifying to see that while Mariah has serious issues with men, sex, touching of any kind and personal boundaries/intimacy, that didn't completely define her as a person.  Mariah is a smart, willful, loyal, strong woman who takes no prisoners and doesn't tolerate anyone trying to bullshit her!  In fact, her and Phoenix spend most of the time butting head as she calls him on being a self-pitying, whiny crybaby (maybe not in quite those words).  It was however, devastating to see Mariah dealing with her issues of completely demolished self-esteem, and her attitude towards sex was also pretty harsh/depressing.  Watching her try to overcome those feelings and realize there could be good men in the world as she interacted with the brothers almost broke me sometimes!  That said, the whole thing with Mariah reading romance novels was adorable but I didn't like that it was a segue in the forward motion of her relationship with Phoenix.  Chick reads romance novels and they transform her attitude toward sex, after years of abuse?  Yeah, I could so see that happening (infer my sarcasm here).  

     The revelations of why Phoenix's relationship with Jane, his last Anabo, ended so tragically were pretty interesting.  I was not AT ALL expecting her to include Zee and Denys (two of the other brothers) in it and make it a case of mistaken identity!  That one definitely surprised me.  Probably the thing that disappointed me the most about this book, was the lack of interaction between Mariah and Jordan.  The scenes that they did have were interesting and played with my emotions, but for a book that started out focused on their relationship and shared past, it really didn't bother going in that direction at all.  It could have added more meat to the story, other than just a romance (as good as it was most of the time).  Also, the whole thing with Mariah, Jordan and Eryx near the end was just REALLY over the top to me.  And Jordan, who acted somewhat like a dumbass got away without any real consequences!  Mariah was the one who did all the suffering.  Overall, I think that Trinity did an extremely good (if graphic and somewhat uncomfortable) job of portraying the effects of abuse on a former victim.  The healing wasn't quite as realistic to me, but still okay.  I enjoyed the book and feel like it was good addition to the series, even with the issues I had while reading it.  Recommended if you're a fan already and have read the other two books.  It could stand alone, but might be slightly confusing.

VERDICT:  3.5/5  Stars

*I received an Advanced Reading E-book Copy from the publisher, Pink Publishing, LLC via NetGalley.  No money or favors were exchanged for this review.  This book was published September 24th, 2013.*

She's So High Above You

Expected Publication:  April 9th, 2013

The Rising (Darkness Rising # 3)

By: Kelley Armstrong

HarperCollins

ISBN-13: 9780061797088

Things are getting desperate for Maya and her friends. Hunted by the powerful St. Clouds and now a rival Cabal as well, they're quickly running out of places to hide. And with the whole world thinking they died in a helicopter crash, it's not like they can just go to the authorities for help.

All they have is the name and number of someone who might be able to give them a few answers. Answers to why they're so valuable, and why their supernatural powers are getting more and more out of control.

But Maya is unprepared for the truths that await her. And now, like it or not, she'll have to face down some demons from her past if she ever hopes to move on with her life. Because Maya can't keep running forever.

Old secrets are revealed and unexpected characters make a surprising return in this stunning conclusion to Kelley Armstrong's New York Times bestselling Darkness Rising trilogy.

Review

     Lets just start off with this statement: I am Armstrong's biggest fan for her other YA series, Darkest Powers.  That said, the first two books in this series had filler syndrome and mostly failed to impress me in any real lasting way.  I went into this one kind of fuzzy on the characters and happenings of her last novel, but it wasn't too difficult to refresh as it started right where the other one left off.  Maya, Daniel and Corey are still on the run from the St. Clouds and all of the rival Cabals who would like to use the kids to their own advantages.  With the rest of their friends either missing or kidnapped, time is running out for Maya and the boys to think up a solution and finally get some answers once and for all about who/what they are.  But can they all survive the journey to the answers?  I thought that this book wrapped up the series quite nicely and tied up all the loose ends.  My only major complaint stems from all of the terminology involving Cabals and their people.  I felt like I'd been dropped inside of a series I hadn't been reading from the start and while fans of her adult novels may have been familiar, I wasn't.  It was jarring to say the least.  Maya still seemed pretty cold as a character to me and the resolution to the love triangle between her, Daniel and Rafe surprised me but didn't make me jump for joy like in Darkest Powers with Simon, Chloe and Derek.  Speaking of my fave characters from the other series, it was wonderful to see them get some play in this conclusion because they way their series ended was fairly abrupt.  I know I felt like they still had stories to be told.  The action in this one is non-stop, which was a nice change from all of the build-up in the other two that left me antsy and bored as a reader more than once.  Overall, I wouldn't recommend this series to anyone who isn't a die-hard fan of Armstrong's but at the same time it was far from the worst I've read.  And this last book was definitely the strongest.  If you've read the other two books, you should finish the series to get some true closure! :)

VERDICT:  4/5  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 April 9th, 2013*

Princesses Dancing In a Row

Expected Publication:  December 11th, 2012

Princess of the Silver Woods (Princess # 3)

By: Jessica Day George

Bloomsbury USA Children's Books

ISBN-13:  9781599906461

When Petunia, the youngest of King Gregor's twelve dancing daughters, is invited to visit an elderly friend in the neighboring country of Westfalin, she welcomes the change of scenery. But in order to reach Westfalin, Petunia must pass through a forest where strange two-legged wolves are rumored to exist. Wolves intent on redistributing the wealth of the noble citizens who have entered their territory. But the bandit-wolves prove more rakishly handsome than truly dangerous, and it's not until Petunia reaches her destination that she realizes the kindly grandmother she has been summoned to visit is really an enemy bent on restoring an age-old curse. 

The stories of Red Riding Hood and Robin Hood get a twist as Petunia and her many sisters take on bandits, grannies, and the new King Under Stone to end their family curse once and for all.

Review

     Petunia is the youngest of the twelve daughters of King Gregor of Westfalin.  As such she is being smothered by her family, who insist upon overprotecting her after the nightmare with the King Under-Stone and the dancing shoes.  But that has been over for years and Petunia is ready for her chance at adventure, romance and excitement.  She gets her wish, when on her way to visit an elderly Duchess she met in the Russakan court, Petunia is waylaid by notorious highwaymen.  They are known as the Wolves of Westfalin and refuse to leave without jewels, money and anything of value.  The wolves are led by Oliver, the much beleaguered son of an Earl, whose fortunes were lost when the Andalusian War ended and his family's lands were divided/given away to foreign nobility.  Now to keep his family and his people alive, Oliver leads a band of thieves.  Sparks fly and Oliver finds himself unable to let Petunia go when the opportunity arises - especially when it appears that the new King Under-Stone and his Prince brothers have found a way to haunt the dreams of their prospective brides.  Looking for a way to come into the real world once and for all, it's up to Petunia, her sisters, their husbands and Oliver to prevent this from happening.  Can they work together to keep themselves free from the darkness of the Kingdom Under-Stone?

     I have read the other two books in the series (each one centered around an older sister - Rose and Poppy) Princess of the Midnight Ball and Princess of Glass.  They were pretty good and I didn't mind the fact that there was a sequel.  This one was unnecessary to the series.  Yes, it resolved things with an actual sense of finality, but at the same time a lot of parts left me extremely bored.  I felt like Jessica tried to cram in too many scenes, where-are-they-nows, and asides with previous characters.  That didn't leave much room for character building Petunia or Oliver, who are supposed to be the main characters.  Just as much time was spent split between Rose & Galen's and Poppy & Christians' relationships.  I was annoyed at how well Petunia took being robbed at gunpoint while on the road in her carriage.  She's tough, but I think she would have been at least a little freaked out.  Also, Petunia and everyone else's emphasis on the Nine Daughters of Russaka thing made me want to bang my head against the wall after the first couple of times.  It was unnecessary and quite frankly somewhat insulting to shove it in my face like I was too stupid to figure out the connection.  That sort of things makes me murderous as a reader.  The whole thing with the King Under-Stone and the Princes just felt like the same old stuff rehashed for a new book.  Not very thrilling and the ending was very predictable and cliched.  Overall, a very mediocre and disappointing end to what started out   as a decent series.  

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 date is December 11th, 2012.*

I Was Under Your Spell...

Published: March 13th, 2012
Spell Bound (Hex Hall # 3)
By: Rachel Hawkins
Hyperion Book CH
ISBN-13: 9781423121329

Hailed as “impossible to put down,” the Hex Hall series has both critics and teens cheering. With a winning combination of romance, action, magic and humor, this third volume will leave readers enchanted.

Just as Sophie Mercer has come to accept her extraordinary magical powers as a demon, the Prodigium Council strips them away. Now Sophie is defenseless, alone, and at the mercy of her sworn enemies—the Brannicks, a family of warrior women who hunt down the Prodigium. Or at least that’s what Sophie thinks, until she makes a surprising discovery. The Brannicks know an epic war is coming, and they believe Sophie is the only one powerful enough to stop the world from ending. But without her magic, Sophie isn’t as confident.

Sophie’s bound for one hell of a ride—can she get her powers back before it’s too late?

Review

   Sophie Mercer didn't want to be part-demon at first, but she was finally getting used to that part of herself.  Then the Council took away her powers against her will.  Sophie manages to find her way to her Mother, having lost her Dad, Jenna, Archer and Cal.  It's there that she finds out her Mother is one of the infamous Brannicks, one of the feared warrior women that hunt down the sipernatural.  At least that's what Sophie was told, but it's not quite the truth.  Sophie might be the key to stopping a war of epic proportions but will she be able to do it without her magic?  And will she choose Archer or Cal to be with romantically in the end?  I really enjoyed most of the first book in this series, but the ending left me pretty pissed off.  I decided to give the second book a chance and really thought it struck just the right balance of action, romance and drama.  I had high hopes for this book, the last in the trilogy - especially after the second book's cliffhanger.  But I ended up feeling pretty lukewarm about this one.  I was intrigued by the Brannick storyline, but I never felt like things were explained to my satisfaction.  The love triangle between Cal, Sophie and Archer reached ridiculously melodramatic heights in this novel, which made it seem like a joke.  Seriously, I felt like Sophie turned into Bella from Twilight, stringing both guys along because she 'loves' them both sooooo much.  C'mon, give me a break!  There wasn't enough of Jenna for my satisfaction in this particular story.  Also, the ending made me Hulk angry.  Why the HELL did Hawkins think that was a necessary conclusion to a pointless love triangle???  Overall I was really disappointed in the writing, plot development and resolution of this book.  The characters fell quite flat for me as well.  A dissatisfactory ending to a mostly enjoyable series.

VERDICT:  2.25/5  Stars

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