Thursday 8 August 2013

After Daybreak by J. A. London

"I have faith in you," he tells me. "You'll impress the Council."
"And if I don't?"
"We'll have to overthrow them because they're obviously idiots."
~Victor & Dawn, After Daybreak 

 When we lost the war with the vampires, our world changed.The Old Family overlords trapped us in a few scattered cities and demanded our blood. Then Victor - the first vampire I've ever trusted, ever loved - came to power and I hoped for peace between our kinds. Only now a new type of monster, Day Walkers, has emerged, and their maniacal leader is threatening to destroy us all, human and vampire alike.
The Old Family Council is stubborn and proud, unwilling to acknowledge the danger. But once I claim my birthright as the last living member of the Montgomery line, they will have to listen to me.
Neither fully human nor vampire, I am the bridge between both. Even if I'm not sure where I belong anymore, I know that the only way any of us will survive is if we stand together.

Arya: When I first picked up the Darkness Before Dawn series, I was rather hesitant on it, thinking that it was rather like Twilight and wasn't going to be very different from everything else I read, which would just be boring. I was so proven wrong. Darkness Before Dawn introduces us to Dawn Montgomery, a delegate between humans and the vampire who lord over them after the war when the vampires became open with their existence. She fell in love with an Old Family vampire, Victor Valentine, but at the time of meeting, she hadn't known what he was and was dating one of her best friends - scandalous! Together, they're working together to create a new future where all can live together in peace.
After Daybreak picks up perfectly where Blood-Kissed Sky left off, after Sin revealed that he and she were the last in line of the Montgomery vampire line, the only one who could reproduce with humans! I found this book... honestly a bit disappointing. I'd been so excited for it, hoping for action and danger, and while there was a good deal of it, it all came off with a sort of safe feeling, that none of them were ever in any real danger. It lacked an emotional roller-coaster. Also, the ending seemed a bit too... what's the word? Sudden and neat. The fight against Sin could have been so much longer, so much more dragged out, with Victor's or Dawn's life threatened a bit more. So much more of it could have been drawn out to increase tension and suspense! This may simply be because I love me a good fight scene, but it was far too short, especially after making such a big deal about how 'all-powerful' Sin was. I did appreciate the addition of Crimson Sands though, and also the idea of the Lessers and Night Watchmen working together; that was a great idea!
And the sexy stuff? You all know I love that! I loved how the authors worked Faith and Richard throughout the whole novel; that part was definitely a masterpiece. The way they seemed to hold off wanting each other throughout the series even when their attraction was undeniable because Faith flirts a lot and she doesn't believe in vampiric love. At the end, it all turns out well and it is oh so cute! However, the immediate devotion she shows to him after they confess they love each other... it was a bit too extreme, and way too high a jump from where they were, seriously. Dawn and Victor... it seems to me for them that they didn't end. Are they going to be together? Are they not? They love each other, but it doesn't really seem like it plans on working out, so what? I wanna know what happens to them! Damn it, I really like Victor; he's realistic as hell, and while Dawn is just a bit too brave to be accepted, they do make a cute as hell couple! But their story doesn't really have an ending! It made me fume for about a minute. T-T
All in all, pretty good book, the romance was sweet, there was a lot of action, though it lacks the emotional impact that could have made it exceptional. The book just seemed a bit too toned down for my tastes.

The mind of Arya says...
Sorry! Better luck next time!

Info about the authors: 
For those who don't know, J. A. London is actually a mother-son team of Rachel Hawthorne who wrote the Dark Guardian series and her son Alex London. I'd tell you his books, but as of yet, I'm not very sure what he's written... Anyways, thanks for the awesome books and thanks to all those who have seen this! Much love, always!
~Arya 



Wednesday 7 August 2013

Midnight Frost by Jennifer Estep

"Have you met met Gwen?" Daphne sniped. "Because crazy is kind of her thing. Believe me, t his is mild compared to some of the stunts she's pulled."
~ Daphne Cruz pg.204 Midnight Frost
Here we go again … 

Just when it seems life at Mythos Academy can’t get any more dangerous, the Reapers of Chaos manage to prove me wrong. It was just a typical night at the Library of Antiquities — until a Reaper tried to poison me. The good news is I’m still alive and kicking. The bad news is the Reaper poisoned someone else instead. 

As Nike’s Champion, everyone expects me to lead the charge against the Reapers, even though I’m still hurting over what happened with Spartan warrior Logan Quinn. I’ve got to get my hands on the antidote fast — otherwise, an innocent person will die. But the only known cure is hidden in some creepy ruins — and the Reapers are sure to be waiting for me there 


Arya: When I first picked up the Mythos Academy series, I'd known I wanted to read it right away; not only was the cover pretty cool, but I have an extreme love for books that set themselves in academies. Two months ago, I started reading the series, and by the time I was finished with the one I was reading - Dark Frost at the time - I was scrambling for the rest of the books! They were amazing! When I'd finished them, I was groaning and crying that I'd have to wait so long for Midnight Frost, especially since Logan Freaking Quinn had left Gwen in Crimson Frost! As can be expected, I had high hopes when I started reading this.
However, as much as I loved it, this book was not as well written as I'd hoped. It isn't to say that it had little action, but the plot itself was not as heart-gripping as the previous books. This one lacked the 'oomph' factor that made all the other books so amazing, even though I could barely put it down the entire time I was reading it. 
The part that I DID love though, was when Logan reappeared to Gwen. The way he did it? Love!!! Yes, I have a weakness for dramatic entrances... I would very much like to spoil it, but I won't, because that would be mean. However, another fact is thrown out in our faces: Gwen's own father was a Reaper! Surprised? I sure as hell was! I was in love with the plot twist Jen threw in here, but it didn't cause as much disruption in the story as I'd hoped. Sure, she ran off a bit and she connected with her cousin, but it didn't really cause any change in the story at all - everything still went rather smoothly. Still, there is appreciation on finding out more about our favorite Gypsy girl's background!
I'm always a sucker for books with romantic drama, even though that's usually more up Kay's alley. I felt that in certain parts, Jen could have put a few more details concerning the relationship between Gwen and Logan. There was a lot of heartache and mushiness, that's for sure, but it lacked the sweet dialogue, the words from our sexy blue-eyed Spartan to make the reader melt with cuteness. As a result, while the scenes were moderately cute, they weren't really that great.
Still, the plot was fun, it was new and exciting, with the poisoning of Nickamedes, but at the same time, it felt a bit too simple. Some parts of the story were easy to predict, especially with Covington, and while other parts were a shocker, especially the father part, there was far too little emphasis on it. While a good story, and a good book, it also does not particularly live up to the expectations left by Midnight Frost.


The depths of Arya's mind say...

The next book of the Mythos Academy series, Killer Frost - awesome title isn't it? xD - is set to come out around March next year. I'd post teasers, but none are up yet... And so, until then, keep reading and discovering new worlds! Much love,
~Arya

Tuesday 6 August 2013

Short Bit on Dimitri's Point of View! (Vampire Academy)

Have you ever wondered what Dimitri had thought when he had first met Rose? Well, if you haven't read it yet... RICHELLE MEAD WROTE IT!

- The Meeting

“Dimitri!”
I turned instantly at the sound of my name, shooting a glare at the guardian approaching in the darkness. What was he thinking?  Everyone out here tonight knew how essential secrecy was.  It didn’t matter that he was young and simply excited about his first big mission.  We had no room for errors, not when this was the only break we’d had in over a year.  Realizing his mistake, he grew apologetic, though not nearly enough.
“Sorry.” He dropped his voice to a stage whisper and tapped his ear.  “Headset’s not working.  We checked the house, and they’re already gone.  They must have had warning, maybe a perimeter of spies on the streets.”  As his excitement returned, the young guardian—Laurence—began speaking rapidly.  “I was thinking about it. They probably have a whole network of people working with them!  It makes sense, right?  How else have they managed to stay ahead of us for so long?  There’s no telling how deep this conspiracy goes!  We might be facing an army tonight!”
I said nothing and showed nothing as I mulled over his words.  It was something of a mystery how a couple of teenage girls had managed to escape detection for two years, especially when one of them was a privileged Moroi princess and the other a delinquent dhampir with a disciplinary file so long that it broke school records.  When I’d joined the teaching staff of St. Vladimir’s last year and learned of the princess’s case, I’d honestly been surprised the girls hadn’t slipped up sooner.  Being in league with others might explain how they’d remained hidden …and yet, in all our data gathering, we’d never once had even the slightest hint that they had oneaccomplice, let alone “a whole network” or “army.”
My silence made Laurence nervous, and he no longer smiled.  “It’s irrelevant now,” I told him.  “And there’s no point jumping to conclusions when—”
“Dimitri?”  A female voice crackled in my earpiece.  “We’ve got visuals on them.  They’re approaching the intersection of Brown and Boudreaux, from the north.”
Without another word to Laurence, I turned and headed toward the streets indicated.  I heard him running after me, but his stride was shorter, and he couldn’t quite keep up.  I tried to force calm as my heart rate increased, but it was difficult.  This was it.  This was it.  We might finally have her: Vasilisa Dragomir, the missing princess, last of her line.  Although I knew all guardian work was honorable—including the instruction of future guardians—part of me had longed for something more at St. Vladimir’s.  When I’d learned about the Dragomir princess and how she’d escaped the school, I’d made finding her a personal project, pushing leads that others had said were hopeless.
Me?  I didn’t believe in hopeless.
I slowed my pace as the intersection neared, allowing Laurence to catch up.  A quick scan revealed the dark shapes of other guardians lurking in shadows and behind objects.  This was the spot they’d chosen for the interception.  Quickly, I stepped off the road and hid in the cover of a tree, urging Laurence to do the same with a jerk of my head.  We didn’t have to wait long.  As I peered around the tree’s edge, I saw two female figures approaching, one practically dragging the other along.  At first, I assumed it must be the stronger dhampir helping the princess, but as they grew closer, their heights and builds revealed that it was exactly the opposite.
I had no time to ponder this oddity.  When they were about six feet from me, I quickly stepped out from the tree and blocked their path.  They came to a halt, and whatever weaknesses the dhampir girl had now vanished.  She grabbed the princess roughly by the arm and jerked her back, so that the dhampir’s own body served as a shield keeping me away.  Around us, other guardians fanned out, taking defensive positions but not advancing without my command.  The dhampir girl’s dark eyes made note of them, but she kept her attention focused squarely on me.
I didn’t entirely know what to expect from her, maybe that she’d try to run away or beg for her freedom. Instead, she shifted into an even more defensive position in front of the princess and spoke in a voice that was barely more than a growl: “Leave her alone.  Don’t touch her.”
The girl was hopelessly outmatched yet still defiant, as though I were the one at a disadvantage.  In moments like these, I was glad my old instructors in Russia had grilled me into concealing my feelings—because I was surprised.  Very surprised.  And as I took this dhampir girl in, I suddenly understood with perfect clarity how they’d eluded us for so long.  A network of accomplices?  An army?  Laurence was a fool.  The princess didn’t need a network or army, not when she had this protector.
Rose Hathaway.
There was a passion and intensity that radiated off of her, almost like a palpable thing.  Tension filled every part of her body as she regarded me, daring me to make a move.  She possessed a fierceness I hadn’t expected—that no one had expected, I realized, most likely because they couldn’t see past that delinquent record of hers.  But there was a look in her eyes now that said this was no joke, that she would die a thousand times over before she let anyone harm the princess at her back.  She reminded me of a cornered wildcat, sleek and beautiful—but fully capable of clawing your face out if provoked.
And yes, even in the poor lighting, I could see that she was beautiful—in a deadly way—and that struck me too. Her pictures hadn’t done her justice.  Long, dark hair framed a face filled with the sort of hard-edged beauty a man might easily dash his heart against.  Her eyes, though filled with hatred for me, still managed to be alluring—which only added to her danger.  She might be unarmed, but Rose Hathaway was in possession of many weapons.
I didn’t want to fight her and held out my hands in a placating gesture as I took a step forward.  “I’m not going to—”
She attacked.
I saw it coming and wasn’t surprised by the action itself so much as that she’d even try it with the odds stacked against her.  Should I have been surprised?  Probably not.  As I’d observed, it was clear that Rose was willing to do anything and fight anyone to protect her friend.  I admired that—I admired that a lot—but it didn’t stop me from striking out to block her.  The princess was still my goal tonight.  And although Rose might have passion and defiance, her attack was clumsy and easy to deflect.  She’d been gone too long from formal training.  She recovered badly and started to fall, and I remembered how she’d stumbled earlier.  Out of instinct, I reached out and caught her before she could hit the ground, keeping her steady on her feet.  That long, marvelous hair fell away from her face, revealing two bloody marks on the side of her neck.  Another surprise—but it explained her fatigue and pale complexion.  Apparently her devotion to the princess went beyond just defense.  Noticing my scrutiny, Rose knocked some of her tangled hair forward to cover her neck.
Despite the hopelessness of her situation, I could see her lithe body preparing for another attack.  I tensed in response, even though I didn’t want this brave, beautiful, and wild girl to be my enemy.  I wanted her as…what?  I wasn’t sure.  Something more than an outmatched scuffle on a Portland street.  There was too much potential here.  This girl could be unstoppable if her talents were properly cultivated.  I wanted to help her.
But I would fight her if I had to.
Suddenly, Princess Vasilisa caught hold of her friend’s hand.  “Rose.  Don’t.”
For a moment, nothing happened, and we all stood frozen. Then, slowly, the tension and hostility eased out of Rose’s body.  Well, not all of the hostility.  There was still a dangerous glint in her eyes that kept me on guard. The rest of her body language said that although she hadn’t exactly admitted defeat , she had conceded to a truce—so long as I gave her no cause for alarm.
I didn’t plan to.  I also don’t plan on ever underestimating you again, wild girl, I thought, momentarily locking eyes with her.  And I’ll make sure no one else ever underestimates you either.
Satisfied that she was pacified—at least momentarily—I dragged my eyes from her dark gaze and focused on the princess.  After all, runaway or not, Vasilisa Dragomir was the last of a royal line, and certain protocols had to be followed.  I bowed before her.
“My name is Dimitri Belikov.  I’ve come to take you back to St. Vladimir’s Academy, Princess.”


SIIIGH... I wish she'll write a whole book on Dimitri's point of view. I love finding out on the guy's point of view! 

MOVIE IS COMING OUT SOON! CASTING IS DONE ... NOW WHERE'S THE TRAILER ! ? 

View more stuff on http://richellemead.com/

Happy Reading Guys! -Kay 

Sentinel and Origin Teasers!!!

By now everyone should know what a huge fan of Jennifer Armentrout I am xD I promise I'll start finding other things to post, just after I get over my gaga on how awesome she is. Anyways, for those who don't know, Sentinel is the final book of the Covenant series, which I absolutely adore! The books go by 
Daimon (novella prequel)
Half-Blood
Pure
Deity
Elixir (novella from Aiden's pov)
Apollyon
Sentinel
When I first read Half-Blood, I immediately fell in love with it, so now, I can share teasers with you until the actual book goes on sale! Fingers crossed it comes out earlier! You can find the links to buy them here:

Teaser 1
“That’s okay,” Apollo replied, smiling at him in a wholly creepy' hide your kids' kind of way. “When you least expect it, I’m going to turn you into a a pink flower that smells like cat pee.”

Teaser 2
“Poor Persephone.” He stared down his nose at the god. “That must be hard on her if that’s what gets you off.”
I wrinkled my nose. 
“If her name drips from your forked tongue one more time, I will rip it out,” Hades promised, voice deadly low.
Was his tongue really forked?
His lips curled up on one side. “What? You don’t like me talking about your wife?” He looked over at the three of us. “Is abduction as a means of marriage still all the rage these days?”
Seth arched a brow. 
“Uh… no,” I said, shaking my head. “It’s really frowned upon.”
Hades cheeks deepened in color. “You’re really pushing me.”
“I haven’t even begun to push," the Titan replied. 
Aiden sighed and said under his breath, “Well, this conversation has really digressed.”
“Yeah,” I muttered, crossing my arms as I watched the two try to out snark each other. 
This is going smoothly. Seth’s voice filtered through my thoughts.
I kept my eyes on the Titan. He’s not that… bad. I mean, all things considered, right?
His answering chuckle tugged at my lips. I sort of like him.
Of course.

Teaser 3
“Other than the fact I just spewed out two gods like a drunk college chick? I’m feeling fabulous.”

Teaser 4
Startled, my head jerked up and my eyes met his. They were a furious shade of gunmetal gray, and they were so open. Raw pain flowed from them, and I wanted to look away from that, to take the coward’s way out.
“My heart stopped when that damn door closed on me. I could hear you two fighting. I could hear him taunting you, and I could hear him breaking your bones. And there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it.” He placed his hands on either side of my legs. Tension rippled through the muscles in his arms. “You never should’ve faced something like that alone.” 
“But you would’ve died.” 
“And because I love you, I am willing to die to save you from that. Don’t you dare take that decision from me again.”

That last one is my personal favorite, simply because it's so adorable xD Aiden is one sexy beast, or at least he is for me. So, fingers crossed this comes out sooner rather than later! I can't wait to read it and die of happiness!

After the successful but disastrous raid on Mount Weather, he’s facing the impossible. Katy is gone. Taken. Everything becomes about finding her. Taking out anyone who stands in his way? Done. Burning down the whole world to save her? Gladly. Exposing his alien race to the world? With pleasure.
All Katy can do is survive.
Surrounded by enemies, the only way she can come out of this is to adapt. After all, there are sides of Daedalus that don’t seem entirely crazy, but the group’s goals are frightening and the truths they speak even more disturbing. Who are the real bad guys? Daedalus? Mankind? Or the Luxen?
Together, they can face anything. 
But the most dangerous foe has been there all along, and when the truths are exposed and the lies come crumbling down, which side will Daemon and Katy be standing on? 
And will they even be together?

And because I'm so forgetful, I didn't remember to put up Daemon until now... so many apologies for that! But I do have teasers! Origin comes out the 30th of August, and I for one am going to get my hands on it as quickly as I can! Still want to buy it? Find them here!

Shadows (Dawson's novella)
Obsidian
Onyx
Opal
Origin
Lux 5, lacking title at current moment

Oh yeah, for those who don't know this, Origin is in the perspective of both Katy and Daemon xD We finally get to know what goes on in that twisted, albeit very sexy head of his!

Teaser 1
All the pent up, helpless rage formed a wrecking ball inside of me. Maintaining human form was near impossible. I wanted to hit something—destroy something. I needed to.
“Daemon, no one—”
“Shut up,” I said, turning to where Matthew sat in the corner of the room. Right this moment I wanted to destroy him. “Just shut the hell up.”

Teaser 2
“As close as you’re riding me, man, I feel like I need to take you out to dinner or something. At least, I should get your name.” He punched in a floor number, smirking. “People call me Archer.”

Teaser 3
A certain bone-deep understanding occurred and my hand tightened around the smaller one I held. It weren't stars we were staring at. The sky was falling.

Teaser 4
“We can’t lose you,” she said after a few moments of awkward as hell silence. “You have to understand that we aren’t doing this because we don’t care about Kat. We’re doing this because we love you.”
“But I love her,” I said without hesitation.
Dee’s eyes widened, probably since it was the first time she’d heard me say it out loud, well, about anyone other than my family. I wished I had said it more often, especially to Kat. Funny how that kind of shit always turns out in the end. While you’re deep in something, you never say or do what you need to. It’s always after the fact, when it’s too late that you realize what you’ve should’ve said or done. 
It couldn’t be too late. I knew that. The fact that I was still alive was testament to that. Like Dee said, though, there were worse things than death. 

Teaser 5
“You have no idea…” I ran out of words at that point. Her being this close after so long was the sweetest kind of torture. Each breath she took, I felt in every part of my body, in some areas more than others. Really inappropriate, but she always had a powerful hold over me. Common sense jumped out the window.

Again I rather like the last one best. Who knew Daemon had a heart? xD Anyways, more teasers some other time closer to the release date! We're almost there everyone! Just a few more weeks left! Until then, much love and happy reading!

~Arya