The Doom of Undal by Katrina Sisowath (Dragon Court #2)

Original Title: The Doom of Undal

Year Published: 2015

Published by: 5 Prince Publishing (an arc was kindly provided through NetGalley)

First Sentence: "'Shhh' said a childish voice in a faint whisper, 'It's time to wake up.'"

Goodreads Rating: 5/5

Plot:

The Dragon Court has ruled Tiamut uncontested for millennia, bringing knowledge and prosperity to all.

Yet all is not as it seems---far to the West in the land of Undal, mightiest of the nations, the Royal Queen and her children are struck with a mysterious illness and perish. Was the Dragon Court responsible? Or had the Queen had been experimenting with dark magic?

Her grieving son, trained in the dark arts by the goddess Eris herself, swears vengeance. When he defies the Dragon Court and they rescind their blessing on his royal house, he must turn to his mother's experiments and ancient blood rituals to achieve his aims. In his quest for truth, he will become the greatest threat Tiamut has ever known.

With details pulled directly from Plato (yes, THAT Plato), The Emerald Tablets of Thoth, Sumerian and Egyptian mythology, The Doom of Undal tells the story of the Fall of Atlantis.

My thoughts:

Wow. Just wow... This book is just so ... so... epic. I absolutely adored it and it has been safely and securely been added to my all time favourite books.

The Doom of Undal is the sequel to The Serpent Priestess of the Annunaki, and it picks up pretty much towards the end of the first book. Many characters from the first book are present in this one, which created a nice feeling of familiarity.

In this book, we get to follow three sisters on their journey from childhood to adulthood. The sisters, Sobekh, Hathor and Rhea, are all destined for different aspects of the society governed by the Dragon Court and, therefore, their journeys are vastly different. The plot is nicely divided between the three, with slightly more focus on Hathor and Rhea, which works wonderfully since they are two very interesting characters. So much happens to these characters and the character development deserves all the awards. You feel for the characters, smile in their time of joy and your heart will ache so bad during their hardships.

The antagonist is at first very unlikely, and then through fantastically written hints, it is easy to see how and why the antagonist becomes the antagonist. I will not say who it is because of spoilers! However, it is fascinating to see how the character slowly descends into madness. Amazing.

Egyptian and Sumerian mythology is seamlessly weaved into the plot and used perfectly through the book, just like Christianity was used in the first book. No, you don't need to know the mythology, but if you do you will easily find it in the book.

Sisowath have fixed the one thing that made The Serpent Priestess of the Annunaki hard to take in, which was the density of the book. In this one, there is much more dialogue which makes it flow so much better and is the one reason for why this one gets 5/5 when book number 1 did not.

The cliffhanger though is just pure evil. How can you do this to me Sisowath?! I need to know what happens next!

Do I recommend it? 

YES! Such an epic fantasy that will get its claws in you from page 1 and won't let go until the final page.

Life's a Witch by Elizabeth A. Reeves (Karma's Witches #1)

Original Title: Life's a Witch

Year Published: 2013

Published by: BHL Books

Number of Pages: 100

First Sentence: "The night of the eclipse, I wasn’t watching it."

Goodreads Rating: 4/5

Plot:

When life gives you lemons, some would say make lemonade.

Amber knows all about making lemonade. More than she wants to. But what do you do when you discover--out of the clear blue--that you've got a destiny you could have only imagined. 

As a writer, Amber's got quite an imagination--but even she didn't imagine what was to come!

What do you do when a sexy cop seems to be flirting with you? When strange things begin to happen? Strange objects show up? 

What do you do when you discover you're not the only child you'd always believed you were?

Things are about to change drastically for Amber. Sometimes, Life's a Witch!

My thoughts:

I thought this book was going to be really cheesy and no more than b-class. I found myself quite surprised, however. I actually really liked this book. Yes, it is quite short, only a 100 pages, but in those few pages it manages a lot. We actually get character development, something that books that go on for over 500 pages sometimes don't manage to do, and an actual plot which I honestly doubted when I saw how short it was. 

Amber is a 20-year-old, working at a bookshop (hello dream job) and trying hard to overcome the trauma of her past. One night she returns home to find a mysterious book on her coffee table. Through the book, she begins to unravel the mystery of her heritage. Amber is a lovely character and quite easy to like. In fact, apart from the very traumatic past, I did see a bit of myself in her. 

Although this book serves as an introduction to a series it still manages to be a good read. Yes, it is still slightly cheesy and clichey but it doesn't really matter. In fact, it got me really intrigued and I will most definitely read the other two parts. It is a collaboration between three different authors, but if the other two are just as good as Reeves then the other two books will be just as worth reading. 

Do I recommend it? 

Yes, I do. If you want a short but still interesting read than this book is for you. It is a book that although can be seen as a very easy read actually has substance.

Cronin's Key by N.R. Walker (Cronin's Key #1)

Original Title: Cronin's Key

Year Published: 2015

Published by: Self-published

Number of Pages: 263

First Sentence: "Detective Alec MacAidan ran through the dark, wet back streets of New York City."

Goodreads Rating: 4/5

Plot:

NYPD Detective Alec MacAidan has always been good with weird. After all, his life has been a string of the unexplainable. But when an injured man gives him cryptic clues, then turns to dust in front of him, Alec's view on weird is changed forever. 

Cronin, a vampire Elder, has spent the last thousand years waiting for Alec. He'd been told his fated one would be a man wielding a shield, but he didn't expect him to be human, and he certainly didn't expect that shield to be a police badge. 

Both men, strong-willed and stubborn, are still learning how to cope with the push and pull of being fated, when fate throws them another curveball. 

Rumors have spread quickly of turmoil in Egypt. Covens are fleeing with news of a vampire who has a talent like no other, hell-bent on unleashing the wrath of Death. 

Alec and Cronin are thrown into a world of weird Alec cannot imagine. What he learned in school of ancient pharaohs and Egyptian gods was far from the truth. Instead, he finds out firsthand that history isn't always what it seems.

My thoughts:

I bought this book only because the cover caught my eye. Then the plot summary didn't seem too shabby so I figured "why not?". And I have not regretted that. It's actually the first book I have read with the main character being gay, and sometimes during the book it felt like the romance was a little bit forced. It might be because the author is a woman and put a heterosexual filter over the characters behaviour. Don't know, and it doesn't really matter. 

The plot itself was really good. Vampires can be difficult to write since there are so many different versions, but Walker has done a good job. The way vampire society is portrayed in this book was really interesting, and the idea that the ancient Egyptian gods actually were vampires and not gods was a new take on vampire lore for me. One that I really liked. 

There is a mix of great characters, but to me they seem to be a little flat at times. There is no real character development and the little there was seemed rushed. Despite this, the characters were likable and interesting to read about. 

Do I recommend it? 

Yes. It is a good book and well worth reading. 

Awaken by Meg Cabot (Abandon #3)

(Yes, that is my cat. Say hi to Kattla)

Original Title: Awaken

Year Published: 2013

Published by: Macmillan Children's Books

Number of Pages: 348

First Sentence: "In school they told us to follow the rules."

Goodreads Rating: 4/5

Plot:

Seventeen-year-old Pierce Oliviera knew that by accepting the undying love of John Hayden she’d be forced to live forever in the one place she’s always dreaded most: the Underworld. The sacrifice seemed worth it, but now her happiness and safety in the realm are threatened. The Furies have discovered that John has broken one of their strictest rules and revived a dead soul. If the balance of life and death isn’t restored, both the Underworld and Pierce’s home on Earth will be wiped out by the Furies’ wrath. Pierce has already cheated death once . . . can she do it again?

My thoughts:

This is the final book of the Abandon trilogy. It was a good ending to the trilogy, but it also made me want more books with these characters. It picks up right after book number 2, which left us in the Underworld facing chaos. There is a really unexpected and dramatic start to this book which I can't go into detail of since it would only mean spoilers for you. In fact, there isn't really possible to do an in-depth review of the book without spoiling it. 

I will tell you this though. There is a lot of action going on, and all the loose ends are being tied up. We get to learn a lot more about Isla Huesos history, and a lot more background information which leads to so many aha moments. That is actually the main reason for why I gave this book a 4 instead of a 3. Because, to be honest, there are lots of things in these books that can be seen as quite bad (I mean, it's not the Princess Diaries). However, I really enjoyed them, hence the 4 rating. 

Do I recommend it? 

Yes, I do, along with the first two books. It is an enjoyable trilogy and worth reading. 

Emerald Green by Kerstin Gier (The Ruby Red Trilogy #3)

Original Title: Smaragdgrün

Year Published: 2014

Published by: Square Fish

Number of Pages: 480

First Sentence: "'That's going to leave a nasty scar', said the doctor, without looking up."

Goodreads Rating: 5/5

Plot:

Gwen has a destiny to fulfill, but no one will tell her what it is.

She’s only recently learned that she is the Ruby, the final member of the time-traveling Circle of Twelve, and since then nothing has been going right. She suspects the founder of the Circle, Count Saint-German, is up to something nefarious, but nobody will believe her. And she’s just learned that her charming time-traveling partner, Gideon, has probably been using her all along.

My thoughts:

I loved this book, and I thought it was an excellent conclusion to the trilogy. All the loose ends are tied up in a very good and satisfying way, and I put the book down with a happy little sigh. No really, I did. I even squealed happily and did a little mini-dance. Like I said, I loved it.

The mystery deepens but secrets are starting to be revealed, slowly but surely. We get to learn more about the history of the guardians, and also a little bit more about the other time-travelers. Lucy and Paul's history finally gets revealed and it is both beautiful and heartbreaking. Gwen starts to get a grip on the whole time-travelling business but struggles with her feelings towards Gideon, especially since she has found out that he has played her on the Count's instructions. Gideon himself also comes to some conclusions that change things drastically.

Sadly enough, I don't feel like I can do a proper review of it, because I don't want to spoil it. However, it is a fantastic ending to the trilogy like I said before, and the whole trilogy is just magical.

Do I recommend it?

Yes, I really do. Like I've said, many times now, this is a great trilogy and I would recommend it to anyone. 

Underworld by Meg Cabot (Abandon #2)

Original Title: Underworld

Year Published: 2013

Published by: Macmillan

Number of pages: 309

First Sentence: “Pierce keeps having the most terrible nightmares.”

Goodreads rating: 3/5

Plot:

Seventeen-year-old Pierce Oliviera isn't dead.

Not this time.

But she is being held against her will in the dim, twilit world between heaven and hell, where the spirits of the deceased wait before embarking upon their final journey.

Her captor, John Hayden, claims it's for her own safety. Because not all the departed are dear. Some are so unhappy with where they ended up after leaving the Underworld, they've come back as Furies, intent on vengeance . . . on the one who sent them there and on the one whom he loves.

But while Pierce might be safe from the Furies in the Underworld, far worse dangers could be lurking for her there . . . and they might have more to do with its ruler than with his enemies.

And unless Pierce is careful, this time there'll be no escape.

My thoughts:

This is the second book in a trilogy of three. I liked the first book and I liked the second one as well. But that is about it. There is no wow feeling when reading these books. Yes, they are entertaining and worth reading, but they lack that umpf-feeling.

Pierce, once again, finds herself in the Underworld. This time there seems to be no way out. So she slowly starts to learn more about her new home and the other inhabitants there. I liked Pierce, although she can come off as whiny and selfish. Other than that, she is an okay main character.

I also have to say that I've come to realise when reading the second book that I have issues with the male main character. He is over-controlling and dominant, which is for Pierce's safety. He also literally tricks her into doing the one thing that will keep her in the Underworld. Come on! Do all YA-writers have to make their guys like this? There is nothing romantic about it, it is just someone who wants to control every step you take and that is verging on abuse. Write male characters who want to protect, yes, but also allow the woman freedom to make her own choices.

Despite this, the book is good. It is a really interesting take on the Hades/Persephone myth, and the whole basic idea of the book seems really great. It is too bad that the execution is rather lacking.

Do I recommend it?

Well, yeah, although you could probably find other books that are much better than this. It wasn't a complete waste of time though and I did find it really entertaining at times.

Sapphire Blue by Kerstin Gier (The Ruby Red Trilogy #2)

Original Title: Saphirblau

Year Published: 2012

Published by: Square Fish

Number of Pages: 354

First Sentence: "The streets of Southwark were dark and deserted."

Goodreads Rating: 5/5

Plot:

Gwen’s life has been a rollercoaster since she discovered she was the Ruby, the final member of the secret time-traveling Circle of Twelve. In between searching through history for the other time-travelers and asking for a bit of their blood (gross!), she’s been trying to figure out what all the mysteries and prophecies surrounding the Circle really mean.

 

At least Gwen has plenty of help. Her best friend Lesley follows every lead diligently on the Internet. James the ghost teaches Gwen how to fit in at an eighteenth-century party. And Xemerius, the gargoyle demon who has been following Gwen since he caught her kissing Gideon in a church, offers advice on everything. Oh, yes. And, of course, there is Gideon, the Diamond. One minute he’s very warm indeed; the next he’s freezing cold. Gwen’s not sure what’s going on there, but she’s pretty much destined to find out.

 

My thoughts:

Book number two is just as good as book number one. It picks up immediately after the first book.

 

Gwen is slowly getting used to her new powers as a time traveler, but it is not easy. There is so much she needs to know about how to behave, what to say and how to navigate society in the past, so she does not get caught and their secret revealed. It also becomes more and more obvious that the Guardians are keeping secrets from her, even information that she should probably know.

 

Gideon is not helping matter much either and confuses poor Gwen by being hot and cold (just like the Katy Perry song). It doesn't help that he is also very open about his distrust in her loyalties which only angers Gwen.

 

The rest of the book is just as good as the first one. It keeps you engaged and interested in what will happen next.

 

My thoughts:

I loved it and if you've read the first book then you should definitely read this one as well.

Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier (The Ruby Red Trilogy #1)

Original Title: Rubinrot

Year Published: 2012

Published by: Square Fish

Number of Pages: 322

First Sentence: "As she fell to her knees and burst into tears, he looked all around the park."

Goodreads Rating: 5/5

Plot:

Although I had never seen him before, I recognized him immediately. I'd have known his voice anywhere. This was the guy I'd seen on my last journey back in time.

Or more precisely, the one who'd kissed my doppelganger while I was hiding behind the curtain in disbelief.

Sixteen-year-old Gwen lives with her extended - and rather eccentric - family in an exclusive London neighborhood. In spite of her ancestors' peculiar history, she's had a relatively normal life so far. The time-traveling gene that runs like a secret thread through the female half of the family is supposed to have skipped over Gwen, so she hasn't been introduced to "the mysteries," and can spend her time hanging out with her best friend, Lesly. It comes as an unwelcome surprise when she starts taking sudden, uncontrolled leaps into the past.

She's totally unprepared for time travel, not to mention all that comes with it: fancy clothes, archaic manners, a mysterious secret society, and Gideon, her time-traveling counterpart. He's obnoxious, a know-it-all, and possibly the best-looking guy she's seen in any century . . .

My thoughts:

I loved this book! It was so good. I really loved the idea of time travel and the way it was used in this book. The fact that there is a whole secret society dedicated to the time-travelers and the accuracy of the times they could travel to. It's just brilliant. I loved the writing as well, it was fast paced, funny and overall entertaining. 

Gwen is a great main character. She is put in a situation she is totally unprepared for but braves it anyway. She is funny and compassionate and I just really loved her. 

The rest of the characters are just as intriguing as the book itself, and help create the amazingness that is this book. There are so many secrets and so much mystery, but not too much, that it will have you itching to read the next two books (as I am writing this I am reading the third and final book). 

Do I recommend it?

YES! If you want to get away from vampires and werewolves and the rest of mythology that young adult fiction has honestly bled dry (although there are many good books with these themes) then this book is definitely for you. Actually, you should read it anyway. Just go... read... now!

Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

Original Title: Attachments

Year Published: 2012

Published by: Plume

Number of pages: 323

First Sentence: "Would it kill you to get here before noon?"

Goodreads Rating: 5/5

Plot:

Beth Fremont and Jennifer Scribner-Snyder know that somebody is monitoring their work e-mail. (Everybody in the newsroom knows. It's company policy.) But they can't quite bring themselves to take it seriously. They go on sending each other endless and endlessly hilarious e-mails, discussing every aspect of their personal lives.

Meanwhile, Lincoln O'Neill can't believe this is his job now- reading other people's e-mail. When he applied to be "internet security officer," he pictured himself building firewalls and crushing hackers- not writing up a report every time a sports reporter forwards a dirty joke.

When Lincoln comes across Beth's and Jennifer's messages, he knows he should turn them in. But he can't help being entertained- and captivated- by their stories.

By the time Lincoln realizes he's falling for Beth, it's way too late to introduce himself.

What would he say . . . ?

My thoughts: 

I loved this book. Rainbow Rowell has after only two books (that I've read) become one of my favourite authors. She is brilliant and her characters are charming and oh so lovable.

This book centers around Lincoln, a man in his late twenties who has no idea what he want's to do with his life. The job he managed to score is not what he thought it was and it gets him down on a daily basis. His love life is non-existent, and why would he want love after Sam? Lincoln is a very charming character and it was lovely to follow him, his thought process and what he felt in certain situations. He is also awkward and unsure, which stems from his lack of self-confidence, but that only endears him even more to the reader. He struggles to find his own place in life, and the meaning of his life, just like we all do. In the end I didn't care how he found it, I just wanted him to be happy.

Beth and Jennifer are the two main female characters. We, as well as Lincoln, get to know them through a series of e-mails. The e-mails are hilarious although they sometimes deal with very serious issues. Beth is in a relationship with a guy who is in a band, and she feels that she isn't all that important to him most of the time. She still loves him and he does have his moments.Jennifer is married to this amazing man, but the subject of children is something that is grating on her. Her husband want's them, Jennifer do not. The women feel real and were just like Lincoln, very charming and easy to love.

There is a group of other characters that are just as charming and help creating the easy atmosphere of the book. There are some embarrassing moments in the book, just like we have embarrassing moments in life, and there were moments of loss and love, happiness and sorrow. Overall it was an amazing book and one of my favorites.

Do I recommend it?

Oh yes! It is a proper feel-good book and you will put it down with a smile on your face and a happy sigh (at least I did).

Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble by H.P. Mallory

Original Title: Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble

Year Published: 2010

Published by: Self-published

Number of pages: 304

First Sentence: "It's not every day you see a ghost."

Goodreads rating: 1/5

Plot:

A self-deprecating witch with the unique ability to reanimate the dead.
A dangerously handsome warlock torn between being her boss and her would-be lover.
A six hundred-year-old English vampire with his own agenda; one that includes an appetite for witches.
The Underworld in a state of chaos.
Let the games begin.

Life isn’t bad for psychic Jolie Wilkins. True, she doesn’t have a love life to speak of, but she has a cute house in the suburbs of Los Angeles, a cat and a quirky best friend.

Enter Rand Balfour, a sinfully attractive warlock who insists she’s a witch and who just might turn her life upside down. Rand hires her to help him solve a mystery regarding the death of his client who also happens to be a ghost. Jolie not only uncovers the cause of the ghost’s demise but, in the process, she brings him back to life!

Word of Jolie’s incredible ability to bring back the dead spreads like wildfire, putting her at the top of the Underworld’s most wanted list. Consequently, she finds herself at the center of a custody battle between a villainous witch, a dangerous but oh-so-sexy vampire, and her warlock boss, Rand.

My thoughts:

I really wanted to like this book. However, I can't say I do. The basic premise of this book is good although perhaps not so original. The execution of it is not so good. Jolie is an ok character and I even liked her alongside her friend Christa. The rest is not so good.

All the men are overly dominant and try to control the women at every step. I suppose this was done to show that, in this case, the men know better and are only trying to protect the women, but it was ridiculous and just annoying. Just like a lot of the plot was ridiculous and somewhat annoying. I actually just skimmed the last chapter because I felt obligated to finish the book, but had no interest in the outcome.

Do I recommend it?

No.

Bound to Remember by Lola James (Book 1 of the Spellbound Series)

Original Title: Bound to Remember, A Paranormal Romance

Year Published: 2011

Published by: Self-published

Number of Pages: 116

First Sentence: "Another meeting, I thought as I sat down in the conference room of the ER."

Goodreads rating: 1/5

Plot:

Vampires and Witches and Myths, oh my!

Toni is a young doctor with a past she can't remember and a deadly reason for forgetting it. 

Ben is a nurse who has his own tragic past and transfers hospitals after an act of heroism forces his secluded life public. 

Ben can’t believe his eyes when he meets Toni, she has an uncanny resemblance to an old friend of his, and Toni can’t help but find Ben irresistible. 

Enter Kevin, Toni’s sexy but arrogant Ex. Kevin’s jealousy of Ben blinds him from his main objective, Toni. 

A dangerous secret is revealed and a magic spell seems to be a quick remedy, but the witch that helps has a little more than magic up her sleeve…

My thoughts:

This book was horrible! I liked the basic idea of it and reading the summary made it seem somewhat interesting. I was so wrong. This book is just one cliche after another. 

Toni is supposed to be an ER doctor but behaves like a 14-year-old girl. I'm not saying that a doctor can't let loose and have fun, but any adult behaving like a child is just embarrassing. The fact that she also "falls in love" and wouldn't be against actually marrying a guy after only knowing him for two days is just so awkward and people who actually behave like this in real life should be locked up (no I do believe in love at first sight, but this isn't it). 

The plot is another disaster. I've read fanfics that are a thousand times better. In fact, think of the worst fanfiction you've ever read. This will be worse. Trust me. I'm not even going to say anything more.

Do I recommend it?

NO!