Double Take Cover: Balthazar: An Evernight Novel by Claudia Gray

Holy Crap guys, look what I found today!!! Balthazar makes my top five list of literary love interests that didn't get picked by the main character but should have. Can't wait for this! It hits shelves March 6th 2012.

Plot:
For hundreds of years, the vampire Balthazar has been alone—without allies, without love.
When Balthazar agrees to help Skye Tierney, a human girl who once attended Evernight Academy, he has no idea how dangerous it will be. Skye’s newfound psychic powers have caught the attention of Redgrave, the cruel, seductive master vampire responsible for murdering Balthazar and his family four centuries ago. Now Redgrave plans to use Skye’s powers for his own evil purposes.

Balthazar will do whatever it takes to stop Redgrave and exact his long-awaited revenge against his killer. As Skye and Balthazar stand together to fight him, they grow closer—first unwillingly, then undeniably. Balthazar realizes his lonely world could finally be changed by her. . . .

In a story filled with forbidden love and dark suspense, one of the most beloved characters in Claudia Gray’s New York Times bestselling Evernight series will captivate readers with his battle to overcome his past and follow his heart.

Everneath (Everneath #1) by Brodi Ashton

Everneath (Everneath #1)

by Brodi Ashton 

Hardcover, 370 pages

Expected publication: January 24th 2012 by Harper Collins / Balzer + Bray 

Source: Netgalley

Plot:

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...

My Thoughts:

I just closed this book and felt compelled to write this review right away. There are so many paranormal books out there that sometimes they all seem to blend together. Then, when you least expect it, you begin a paranormal novel that is so different you can’t put it down. I love it when a novel is so out in left field, it defies ever rational thought I have about what the underworld is suppose to be like. Plus, anything that can tie in Greek mythology and make you wonder if some things could actually be true…is a fantastic book. EVERNEATH grabbed me by the arms and yanked me into it’s world. I could not put it down. I read it in, like, two sittings. It’s that good!

The Everneath is a place where immortals called Everlastings, take Forfeits, basically human sacrifices, to the Feed.  They feed off emotions. And when we meet our main character she is just coming out of the Feed, and things are a little confusing, but so interesting you’ll find that you can’t turn the pages quick enough to find out what’s going on and how things got to the point they are. This was so different. This was a completely new description of hell and what is like. And I’ve never met an immortal like these.

Another interesting thing about this book is the transitions. Often times I find myself skimming parts of the story on how a character gets from one scene to the next. Everneath there wasn’t a need to do that. There will just be a short italicized line that says: In my room, in my car, at Cole’s condo. That was really refreshing. I liked it because it cut to the chase and kept me hooked.

I recommend this novel to ANY paranormal lover. I cannot wait for book #2. I gotta know what happens. Nik and Jack’s love story tore me apart and I want more. It’s so great. This novel makes my top ten best books I read in 2011 list! Mark this one on your TO BE READ list immediately.

The Goddess Test

Synopsis:his novel was spot on. With so many authors jumping on the ePub bandwagon I've seen quite a distressing number of poorly edited novels. Which, even with a killer plot line and characters, the mistakes ruin the flow and kick me out of the story. I had no such troubles with this novel. I was fully suspended in Kate and Henry's world and loved every minute of it!

It's always been just Kate and her mo

m—and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate's going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear her mother won't live past the fall.

Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld—and if she accepts his bargain, he'll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.

Kate is sure he's crazy—until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she'll become Henry's future bride, and a goddess.

My Thoughts:

AMAZING!!!! A MUST READ! I DEVOURED IT IN 24 HOURS! From a reader stand point this novel pulled me in from the first page. I was fully engrossed and chasing the plot as fast as my eyes could scan the pages. A wonderful change of pace from the typical teenage angst novel. No annoying love triangle to contend with. Just a spectacular love story with a back drop of the Greek gods and goddesses. I loved the trials and tribulations the main character Kate had to face. The characters were fully developed, believable and most of all lovable.

From an editing standpoint t

I can't wait for the sequel!

by Aimee Carter

Paperback, 304 pages

Published April 19th 2011 by Harlequin Teen

ULTRAVIOLET by R.J. ANDERSON

Title: Ultraviolet
Author: R.J. ANDERSON

Goodreads

Amazon purchase here

REVIEW

I read this book in 3 hours! Could NOT stop! Ignored my husband, kid, dishes etc...

Wonderfully written, enticing, poignant, soulful. I was deeply tethered to Alison from beginning to end. Her plight is written with such honesty you can't help but be emotionally drawn in. As a reader I shared her experiences, felt her confusion; the soaring highs and desolate lows. A difficult task for any writer.

Anderson does an exceptional job of putting the honest, raw emotion Alison, the main character, experiences on display. From the betrayal of her parents to the mental acuities in the institution. A bonus for me is when I can't decipher the ending until ... the ending, this book has that covered. I was left guessing until the very end about what was real and what was imaginary.

SYNOPSIS

Once upon a time there was a girl who was special.

This is not her story.

Unless you count the part where I killed her.

Sixteen-year-old Alison has been sectioned in a mental institute for teens, having murdered the most perfect and popular girl at school. But the case is a mystery: no body has been found, and Alison's condition is proving difficult to diagnose. Alison herself can't explain what happened: one minute she was fighting with Tori -- the next she disintegrated. Into nothing. But that's impossible. Right?

Paperback, UK , 416 pages

Expected publication: June 2nd 2011 by Orchard

The Undertakers: The Rise of the Corpses by Ty Drago

Title: The Undertakers: The Rise of the Corpses
Author: Ty Drago

Published April 1st 2011 by Sourcebooks Jabberwocky

Synopsis:

On a sunny Wednesday morning in October, a day that would mark the end of one life and the beginning of another, I found out my grouchy next door neighbor was the walking dead. When you turn around expecting to see something familiar, and instead see something else altogether, it takes a little while for your brain to catch up with your eyes. I call it the 'Holy Crap Factor.'A" Forced to flee his home and family, twelve-year-old Will Ritter falls in with the Undertakers--a rag-tag army of teenage resistance fighters, who've banded together to battle the corpses.

Do you see the living dead?

It's bad enough that Will Ritter discovers his next-door neighbor has become a walking, talking corpse. But when his assistant principal and math teacher also look like something from a horror flick, he begins to seriously questions his sanity --- until the Corpses attack.

Don't call them zombies. Zombies are slow and stupid. These things aren't To make matters worse, only a few people, like Will, can actually see them. Forced to join a ragtag army of teenage resistance fighters called the Undertakers, Will finds himself in the middle of a war against an invasion of the living dead. And in this war, the Undertakers aren't just the first line of defense --- they're the only line of defense.

Goodreads

My Thoughts:

My first reaction to reading the back cover of this novel was pure intrigue. This novel is such a deviation from the norm of what I read but, completely to my surprise, peaked my curiosity to such a point that I had to spend the afternoon reading it. I am surprised at how much I enjoyed the unique world created by Mr. Drago. I'm more of a romance and mystery kinda gal but I couldn't resist the creative unfolding of Will Ritter's unusual circumstances. While there is a very slight hint at possible romances in later books, our hero is after all only twelve years old. The natural chemistry between all the characters shines through. I was only a few chapters in when I realized I was emotionally invested in the plight of these rebel Undertakers.

Mr. Drago does an exemplary job of slowly unfolding the connections between past and present events. He doles out the information as a reader I am craving to know while simultaneously keeping our main chracters in the dark just long enough that I'm fairly screaming at them to catch on...There is a complexity to the story that strongly reminds me of the Pendragon Series by DJ McHale.

I thoroughly enjoyed jumping on board the hero train and going for a very long ride. I cannot wait for the sequel to find out how the rescue of our planet by a ragtag bunch of teens turns out.

----Michele----

After Midnight (The Youngbloods #1) by Lynn Viehl - ARC Review

Title: After Midinght (TheYoungbloods #1)
Author: Lynn Viehl
Paperback, 336 pages
Expected publication: May 8th 2011 by Flux
Source: ARC

Plot:

Sophomore Catlyn Youngblood is used to the nomadic existence she and her two older brothers have shared since the death of their parents. When they settle down for good in the sleepy backwoods town of Lost Lake, Florida, Cat thinks they might finally fit in. Instead, they're shunned by the locals.


While riding her horse late one night, Cat meets an enigmatic and handsome boy named Jesse Raven. Even more strange than her overpowering attraction to him is Jesse's apparent aversion to the sun. As their attraction intensifies, long-kept secrets come to light. Cat learns that the Ravens are a centuries-old vampire clan . . . and worse still, that she and her brothers are descendents of Abraham Van Helsing, the world-famous vampire hunter. Mortal enemies by blood, the two families do all they can to keep them apart. But Cat and Jesse will risk everything to be together—including death.

My Thoughts:

If you've read my past reviews, you know I am a serious sucker for paranormal romance. This book is full of it. Yes, I will tell you parts of the this relationship feels rushed. They become too gah-gah for each other a little soon. However, I still love it when two characters are willing to do anything for each other. Abandon their families, chance dying or whatever it takes to be together. It totally adds to the romance.

There really isn't any elements that make it stand out among other YA paranormal romances I've read, but that didn't keep me from enjoying this one. The element that makes Cat and Jesse mortal enemies was a nice touch though. I love the VanHelsing story as well as the movie with Kate Beckinsale and Hugh Jackman.

Read this one if you like paranormal romance.

Series Spotlight! The Hourglass Door Series

I read The Hourglass Door a while back and adored it. I haven't gotten a chance to read the second book in this series, The Golden Spiral, but is looks awesome! Looks like book three, The Forgotten Locket, hits selves May 30, 2011. Guess I better get on book two quick!