Book Review: Demonic Dora by Claire Chilton

Sep3

Dora is born to heavily religious parents but is unfortunately stuck with quite the personality. Cursed by her love of black and desire to summon a demon from Hell, Dora’s parents attempt to burn her at the stake outside their house.

For once Dora is saved by a successfully summoned Demon Lord. As he whisks her away from her crazy parents and neighbours, Dora has only one choice to follow the demon back where he came from.

But it can be difficult to survive in a world where a fresh soul like Dora’s is the national currency. There’s treachery afoot. Even her demon lord might not be able to save her. Everything comes down to one final battle in the bowels of Hell between whom else? Dora and her demon lord….

The Good: All the interesting bits were about the citizens and structure of Hell. I really loved how Chilton went for the story and took me as a reader on a hilarious ride. Her writing is funny and it’s refreshing to have a book make me laugh out loud. Pooey is definitely my favorite character and I loved how Dora is a strong willed. And she still loves her parents even they try endlessly to kill her!

The Not So Good: For a story that held a lot of promise I’m a bit disappointed with how…rushed everything was. The characters are fun, the personalities of Hell’s occupants are witty, but everything breezes through where I wished the author had lingered. I also wished that the characteristics of Hell had more differences than the modern world. It’s pretty 50/50, and it bugged me that Hell could be so like current day life. There were plenty of other really creative bits, and using something obvious was a bit of a letdown.

I am curious to see where the series goes. It’s different, short and unusual.

I was provided this book in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to the publisher Ragz Books and the author Claire Chilton for allowing me to review the book! Best of luck with the series and I look forward to reading the second book.

Book Review: Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor

Aug27

Please note: This is the second book in the Daughter of Smoke and Bone series and does contain spoilers.

Check out my review for Daughter of Smoke and Bone (1).

Karou has found a way home, but there is nothing left.

Akiva has returned to his flock. Hiding his distraught over losing Karou again, he puts his efforts toward finishing what their love started.

Two sides battle against the other in a different world. Yet Karou is now mixed, she is part of her own world, but she is also of Earth now. The small fact brings new opportunities and worse dangers to her fight.

As each side fights for what they believe is right, how can survival prevail?

I have been hording this book for a while. I knew it wouldn’t disappoint and man, it was just as miraculous as the first book. The blending of fantasy with reality is spectacular, as is the hardship and the grief. Taylor doesn’t hold back and she ploughs full force into this next exciting chapter in her well-crafted series.

If you have read the first book but not this one, DO SO IMMEDIATELY.

I can’t wait for the final book, although I’m sad to say it’s scheduled for publication in 2014, called Dreams of Gods & Monsters.

Book Review: The Girl with Borrowed Wings by Rinsai Rossetti

Aug25

What would you do if you believed that love was a weakness?

Frenenqer Paje was created by her father. Everything she does and who she must become is destined by his vision of her.

Yet, she feels the beat of wings under her shoulder blades, aching to burst free from her cage whilst flying away to worlds unknown.

One day when at the markets of the Middle East, Freneqer rescues a cat near death.

This cat is not an ordinary cat at all.

Together, Freneqer and Sangris – a Free Person, a shapeshifter, a boy, journey around the world and inside themselves.

When one has their life cast for them, is it possible to break free?

I really enjoyed this story. It’s definitely off the beaten path and there needs to be more YA like this. Exploring other cultures and creating stories about growing up that teens of all races can relate too.

What a refreshing read with a main character that isn’t Caucasian! Finally a setting where English isn’t the main language! It’s written beautifully and true of the surrounding cultures. At times it can be harsh but this is not America and it’s brilliant to read about how other families function.

It’s such a touching love story, and doesn’t relate at all to traditional YA. The emotions are real and genuine. You feel the characters learning from one another. Not lusting after each other, but developing feelings based on similarities and longing for a true place to call home. As it’s also a standalone and quite short, it’ll make you thirsty and feeling the pulsing sun through your modest clothing.

Book Review: Dance of Shadows by Yelena Black

Aug20

Vanessa Alder has been haunted since her older sister Margaret’s disappearance. Three years later she finds herself in Margaret’s place as a standout freshman at the New York Ballet Academy. As the handsome Zeppelin Grey catches her eye and head choreographer Josef hints Vanessa could be up for the lead in the winter ballet, she’s easily caught up in the movements.

However, Vanessa isn’t there to dance. Her main goal is to find her sister. Reported as a runaway, Vanessa is positive that Margaret is lurking somewhere in New York. Yet as the pressures of dance begin to overwhelm her, Vanessa wonders if she is starting to hear and see things. There are secrets hidden within the NYBA and Vanessa will do whatever it takes to discover what happened to her sister.

This book was a real letdown. The cover? Fantastic! The blurb on the back? I need to read this now! The verdict? BOOOOOOO.

Let’s go over the reasons why. 1. The romance not only doesn’t make sense, but it makes the plot clunky and derails from a possible interesting plot. Zeppelin Grey? The name annoyed me so much I hated every scene he was in. 2. It wasn’t executed well. 3. The ending is blurry, and there are bits and characters that are completely forgotten about. This is a first in the series, but there was no alluding to ‘there’s more that lies ahead’ until the last page. 4. Vanessa as a whole is one-dimensional and her heart and soul for finding her sister isn’t followed throughout the book. It’s a mistake that could have changed the outcome of the book.

I really wanted to like this book; it had such promise. I was excited from the prologue and cover, but this was not carried through with each chapter. I loved the idea of a dark mystery surrounding an elite dance school in New York. The beauty and grace of ballet flitting through the pages. Perhaps someone else can give it a go. I won’t be continuing the series. There isn’t enough intrigue for me to want to know what happens, but kudos to the Bloomsbury marketing team! They did a standout job! I just wish someone had held the author to the same standard as the cover design. It really could have been a perfect match.

Book Review: Finale by Becca Fitzpatrick

Aug13

Please note: This is the fourth book in the Hush, Hush series and does contain spoilers.

Check out my review for Hush, Hush (1), Crescendo (2) and Silence (3).

Nora Grey is not your average seventeen year old. In the past six months she’s had her life threatened, almost died multiple times and fallen in and out and back in love with her destined to be fallen angel Patch.

Now Nora is the leader of the Nephilim army, but there are darker sources at work. The battle is coming to a head and Nora’s wish for peace is a million miles away. To claim her destiny, her life and her love, she’s going to have to fight for a side. But when Patch is on the opposite end, is choosing a side truly the answer?

UGH………..WHAT A LETDOWN………..GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR.

I am obviously not a fan of this book. TERRIBLE. HORRIBLE. Make it stop it hurts my eyes!

I really, really, really hated the ending. One of the worst endings I have read in a long time. A waste of my time and for a series that had a promising beginning, I had no idea it would go so far astray. I’m sure romance lovers will love this finale, but for me I hated it because it was only about the superficial love aspect.

The plot that had so many different directions got lost, into the ether. The romance took dominance and everything else just closed into an easy box. Nora dissolves into a whiny little brat that can’t, and won’t do anything without her man. This is not ok! As a leader of an army, Nora needs courage and bravery, but instead she became a hunk of mouldy cheese.

It’s such a shame, the marketing team truly have done a fantastic job on the series book cover and I just the writing matched.

Book review: Scorch by Gina Damico

Aug10

Due to the first book being a mystery-thriller, I don’t want to spoil the ‘who dunnit’ at the end of Croak. There will be no summary, only my response to the book.

For information on the first book in this series: CLICK HERE.

My thoughts:

Love, love, love, love, love, love, love!!!!!!

You know that feeling when you’re reading Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins? Well, that is exactly how I felt when reading this action packed, high speed sequel!

Damico doesn’t hold back and there are brilliant new settings and shocking events that will make you wonder if you just read that chapter right. I poured over this book in two days and I can’t wait for the third and final book to come out next month! I’m dying (!!!) to know what happens next!

Picking up where she left off, Damico does an amazing job of continuing this amazing story and keeping her readers on their toes. I’ve fallen in love with this series and I hope my expectations of the last book aren’t to high, but I’m pretty confident that Damico can finish her series in style!

If you haven’t read either book, go do so (RIGHT NOW!)! We’ll have long chats over tea until the third book, Rogue comes out September 10th!