A Book Obsession..

Early Review: Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter

, by KT

Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter

The Goddess Test #2

Kate Winters has won immortality.

But if she wants a life in the Underworld with Henry, she’ll have to fight for it.

Becoming immortal wasn’t supposed to be the easy part. Though Kate is about to be crowned Queen of the Underworld, she’s as isolated as ever. And despite her growing love for Henry, ruler of the Underworld, he’s becoming ever more distant and secretive. Then, in the midst of Kate’s coronation, Henry is abducted by the only being powerful enough to kill him: the King of the Titans.

As the other gods prepare for a war that could end them all, it is up to Kate to save Henry from the depths of Tartarus. But in order to navigate the endless caverns of the Underworld, Kate must enlist the help of the one person who is the greatest threat to her future.

Henry’s first wife, Persephone.

Kate thought life would get easier now that she has faced her trials and won her immortality, but that couldn't be further from the truth. As she returns from her six month hiatus from the underworld she expects Henry to be as excited to see her as she is him, but he is cold and distant. Even so, she decides to continue on with the ceremony to make her queen, but Henry is abducted by the king of the Titans, Chronus, before they have a chance to finish. While the other gods are focused on finding a way to stop Chronus in his tracks, Kate knows she is Henry's only chance. She won't give up on him even if it means seeking out her biggest rival, the woman Henry still loves, Persephone.

It never ceases to amaze me just how amazing Kate is. Her integrity is nothing short of admirable as she never once gives up even when it seems like all hope is lost. At the drop of a hat she was willing to sacrifice herself for the people she cares the most about. I honestly do not think she possibly could have been more selfless. The only thing she ever seemed to want for herself was Henry's love, but who could blame her for that? With everything and everyone coming at her from all sides, she never once falters and manages to keep her head held high, no matter how painful it may be. Its a shame the rest of the gods couldn't come close to her level of integrity and selflessness. Perhaps they wouldn't have been in the nasty situation with Chronus if they had.

I was an emotional wreck the entire time while reading Goddess Interrupted, mostly passing between extreme anger, and sadness. Nothing affects me more than heartache. Even a hint of a potential emotional turmoil in the love department will cause me to tear up. I was more than a little frustrated with Kate and Henry's relationship or rather the lack there of. In the first book I had a hard time getting attached to the two of them as a couple, but I had the opposite problem while reading Goddess Interrupted. I felt so invested and emotionally attached to all of it, that everything cut me to the quick. I was so blind with anger towards Henry for his behavior and more than a little confused at Kate's determination to hold onto the relationship despite her extreme insecurities. However, I think a lot of that frustration stemmed from the fact that I knew most of their problems were due to a lack of communication, yet neither one could seem to see that. Then you add in the mess with Persephone (Who I have very mixed feelings about.) and everything just spelled disaster which left me feeling devastated more often than not.

I don't want to spoil anything, but I do want to put a word of warning out, as Goddess Interrupted has a cliffhanger ending that literally made me sick to my stomach. In all of the books I have read, and trust me, that number is quite hefty, I can only think of one other cliffhanger that killed me as much. Do I regret reading Goddess Interrupted? No. However, the wait for the final installment will be nothing short of agonizing. I both loathe and praise Aimee Carter for having the chutzpah to leave things hanging like this. Then again, my devastation shows just how attached I have become to the characters, so I will keep my grumbling to a minimum. All in all my socks were blown off by the depth of raw emotion Goddess Interrupted elicited, earning it a definite two thumbs up.

(Received a copy from Netgalley)

Rating:

Pre-order a copy from Amazon:
Goddess Interrupted

Other Reviews:

Previous Books:

The Goddess Test

I've Been Blurbed

, by KT

I picked up my copy of Magic Without Mercy to start reading it for review, and the front page caught my eye. My Review for Magic on the Hunt was quoted. I am so ecstatic because this is the first one I have found. Hopefully there will be many more to come :)

Here's a pic:

Seriously, words cannot express how exciting this is for me!

The Kingdom (Early Review)

, by KT

The Kingdom by Amanda Stevens

The Graveyard Queen #2

Deep in the shadowy foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains lies a dying town...

My name is Amelia Gray. They call me The Graveyard Queen. I’ve been commissioned to restore an old cemetery in Asher Falls, South Carolina, but I’m coming to think I have another purpose here.

Why is there a cemetery at the bottom of Bell Lake? Why am I drawn time and again to a hidden grave I’ve discovered in the woods? Something is eating away at the soul of this town—this withering kingdom—and it will only be restored if I can uncover the truth.

Never more at home than when she is in a cemetery, Amelia's latest job is to restore an old cemetery. Asher Falls is hidden away, surrounded by water, and accessible only by ferry. At the bottom of the lake lies an old graveyard, but that is only the start of strange and creepy things going in this town. Amelia knows she should be running as far away as she can, but she feels a strange pull that seems to be holding her there. The only hope she has is to get to the bottom of the secrets this town holds and expose them all.

I knew almost from the start that this mystery would hit very close to home for Amelia. There was such a sense of impending doom that latched onto her. There was so much build up and mystery behind the creepy town, with the landscape holding just as many secrets as the people. There were several times when I wanted to yell at her for being a fool and not running from that town like her legs were on fire. Of course I think a lot of the reason she stayed had to do with her own innate need for answers. There also was the pesky issue of the extreme draw she felt to the town, and I have to agree with her belief that she just couldn't escape it. I'm still wondering whether or not that issue is really resolved, and if not how much of a role it will play in the next book. I'm honestly not sure how much more of that horrible place I can take.

I was a little let down at Devlin's role in The Kingdom being nothing more than a "ghost" haunting Amelia with a love she cannot have. I find it a little ironic that she has to stay away from him because of his ghosts due to their draining nature, yet emotionally he has become exactly that to her. Even with all the time and space between them, he never seems to stray far from her thoughts or heart. However, in The Kingdom, we meet Thane who slowly starts to crack into the shell of her broken heart. Granted there really isn't much romance considering everything else that is going on, but what was important about what did happen was that it helped Amelia get a little clarity on her attachment to Devlin. As far as whether it drew her closer to him by realizing he really was the one for her or further away as she got some distance, you'll just have to read The Kingdom to find out for yourself.

I'm a huge ninny when it comes to anything scary, and to be honest, if I had known ahead of time that the previous book would have been so creepy, I never would have read it. Which honestly would have been a shame because then I would have missed out on this awesome series. Even so, I found myself putting off reading The Kingdom because I never seemed to have time to read during the daytime, and I absolutely refused to at night. Now that I have finished it, I am more than glad that I had that sense of caution. The creepiness and pure terror factor in The Kingdom makes the events in The Restorer look like child's play. My poor nails are bitten to the quick. However, despite the fear, I was so thoroughly sucked into the story and I cannot wait until I can dive into the next installment. If you enjoyed The Restorer, then be prepared to have your socks rocked off in The Kingdom. Trust me, it is that good.

(Received a copy from Netgalley)

Rating:

Pre-order a copy from Amazon:
The Kingdom (The Graveyard Queen Series)

Other Reviews:

Previous Books:

The Restorer

Waiting on Wednesday (86)

, by KT

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights an upcoming release we are greatly anticipating.

My pick this week:

Sacrificial Magic - Downside Ghosts #4

by Stacia Kane

Publication Date: March 27th, 2012

Amazon Pre-Order: Sacrificial Magic

When Chess Putnam is ordered by an infamous crime boss—who also happens to be her drug dealer—to use her powers as a witch to solve a grisly murder involving dark magic, she knows she must rise to the challenge. Adding to the intensity: Chess’s boyfriend, Terrible, doesn’t trust her, and Lex, the son of a rival crime lord, is trying to reignite the sparks between him and Chess. Plus there’s the little matter of Chess’s real job as a ghost hunter for the Church of Real Truth, investigating reports of a haunting at a school in the heart of Downside. Someone seems to be taking a crash course in summoning the dead—and if Chess doesn’t watch her back, she may soon be joining their ranks. As Chess is drawn into a shadowy world of twisted secrets and dark violence, it soon becomes clear that she’s not going to emerge from its depths without making the ultimate sacrifice.

Spellcaster (Early Review)

, by KT

Spellcaster by Cara Lynn Shultz

Spellbound #2

Finding your eternal soulmate - easy.

Stopping a true-love-hungry evil - not so much…

After breaking a centuries-old romantic curse, Emma Connor is (almost) glad to get back to normal problems. Although...it's not easy dealing with the jealous cliques and gossip that rule her exclusive Upper East Side prep, even for a sixteen-year-old newbie witch. Having the most-wanted boy in school as her eternal soul mate sure helps ease the pain-especially since wealthy, rocker-hot Brendan Salinger is very good at staying irresistibly close....

But something dark and hungry is using Emma and Brendan's deepest fears to reveal damaging secrets and destroy their trust in each other. And Emma's crash course in über-spells may not be enough to keep them safe…or to stop an inhuman force bent on making their unsuspected power its own.

After the happy ever after of finding her soulmate, Brendan, Emma though her life would be a lot calmer than it has been in recent months. Never mind her budding powers as a witch, she just wants to be a normal sixteen year old going to prep school, with a yummy boyfriend to boot. However, she should have known things wouldn't have stayed so easy. A malevolent force who makes Emma's witch skills look like parlor tricks, has set its sight on Emma and Brendan. It will stop at nothing to rip them apart to steal their power for its own dark purpose.

The previous book was rather mediocre to me, there just wasn't anything that grabbed a hold of me. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it, but in the end it wasn't something that would leave an impression on me. However, when I saw there was going to be a sequel, I knew I would still like to check it out to see where the characters went next. Unfortunately they didn't really get far at all, as there didn't seem to be enough forward momentum or point to really warrant anything. I guess I am just disappointed because I feel the story wasn't really added to with this installment, so I have to question the necessity of it all.

Several times throughout reading Spellcaster I became quite exasperated at the characters' behaviors. Emma and Brendan were both so protective of the other that they kept trying to keep the other one out of danger, and only wound up hurting each other instead. A lot of the angst in this book could have been prevented if they had of only opened up. Then you add in Emma's witch friend Angelique who takes Emo to a whole new level, yet she somehow gets all giddy happy in the face of danger. I also had a hard time believing in the strength of the threat since the girls were so emphatic about keeping Angelique's mother out of things, but then again it really doesn't surprise me as they are teenagers, and with maturity comes the wisdom to know when to ask for help.

I found myself easily distracted while reading Spellcaster to the point where I had a lot of difficultly picking it back up, and I almost didn't finish it. To be honest, while I would still read something else from this author as I see a lot of potential there, I highly doubt I will continue on with this series if there are anymore installments. That being said, if you liked Spellbound more than I did, then Spellcaster will probably be pretty enjoyable as well, and you will definitely want to check it out.

(Received a copy from Netgalley)

Rating:

Pre-order a copy from Amazon:
Spellcaster (Harlequin Teen)

Other Reviews:

Previous Books:

Spellbound

Bookshelves Update

, by KT

Updated Bookshelves Pics!!!

3/12/12

Shelf #1 holds all my adult books:

(Click on the images to see larger)

Here's a closer look of shelf #1:

Top:

Middle:

Bottom:

Bookshelf #2 holds most of my YA books:

Closer looks:

Upper Left:

Lower Left:

Middle:

Upper Right:

Lower Right:

Bookshelf #3 holds the remaining YA books:

(Also, the shelf with the most open room, but somehow I doubt that will last.)

Tada! :)

(My Bookshelf circa 8/2011- can you see how much things have changed?)

New Bookshelves Pics

, by KT

My grandparents are redisigning their living room, and they had asked if I would like their hutch cabinet. Of course I jumped at the chance because I love having my books in these types of shelves, and quite frankly, I had run out of room on my other cabinet and shelf. On my Monday wrap-up posts, I had been promising pics, so here they finally are. (Note that this does not include my pile of review copies that are waiting to be read. Those are sitting on my end table in an extremely tall teetering stack.)

Shelf #1 holds all my adult books:
(Click on the images to see larger)

Here's a closer look of shelf #1:

Top:

Middle:

Bottom:

Bookshelf #2 holds most of my YA books:

Closer looks:

Upper Left:

Lower Left:

Middle:

Upper Right:

Lower Right:

Bookshelf #3 holds the remaining YA books:

(Also, the shelf with the most open room, but somehow I doubt that will last.)

Tada! :)

(My Bookshelf circa 8/2011- can you see how much things have changed?)

It's Monday What Are You Reading (86)

, by KT

It's Monday! What Are You Reading, hosted by Book Journey, is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week. It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.

Here's what I read this past week:

A Perfect Blood by Kim Harrison (Review)
By a Thread by Jennifer Estep (Review)
My Soul to Save (Re-Read Review)

This week was super awesome because I got to read two new installments in two of my favorite series, as well as a re-read of another.

A Perfect Blood was really enjoyable, but bittersweet as it is obvious the series is starting to wind down in preparation for the finale.

I loved By a Thread, which definitely was a relief because I was quite worried where things would go now that the big threat for the past 5 books was gone.

It amazes me how different the experience is the second time around reading a book. All that extra knowledge from subsequent books makes things quite interesting. I was pretty surprised at how I felt towards Tod in My Soul to Save, because I had come to really love him. However I was pretty angry and almost disgusted with him in this book. Should be interesting to see how long it takes to calm down.

Also, if you haven't already, make sure to check out my Kim Harrison Giveaway and signing post. It ends tonight.

P.S. I finally got the pictures of the new bookshelf up along with updated ones of the old ones :)

My Upcoming List:

Spellcaster by Cara Lynn Shultz (Early Review)
The Kingdom by Amanda Stevens (Early Review)
Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter (Early Review)

Re-Read Review: My Soul to Save by Rachel Vincent

, by KT

My Soul to Save by Rachel Vincent

Soul Screamers #2

(Re-Read Review)

When Kaylee Cavanaugh screams, someone dies.

So when teen pop star Eden croaks onstage and Kaylee doesn’t wail, she knows something is dead wrong. She can’t cry for someone who has no soul.

The last thing Kaylee needs right now is to be skipping school, breaking her dad’s ironclad curfew and putting her too-hot-to-be-real boyfriend’s loyalty to the test. But starry-eyed teens are trading their souls: a flickering lifetime of fame and fortune in exchange for eternity in the Netherworld—a consequence they can’t possibly understand.

Kaylee can’t let that happen, even if trying to save their souls means putting her own at risk..

Just like my first re-read review in this series, I feel the need to start off with a warning that this post is NOT a traditional review, and will be quite spoilery. Also there will be a whole lot of ranting and bashing. I'm participating in the Soul Screamers Reading Challenge hosted by Fiktshun. You can either read the books for the first time, or re-read them, and I am doing the latter. I thought it would be fun to do a post of my thoughts about things the second time around with all of the knowledge of the following books. So again, I really would not recommend reading this review if you are not caught up in reading books one through five. You have been warned. ;)

Most of my ranting in the previous book's re-read review was centered around Kaylee's father and my general dislike for Nash. While her father will still be receiving a dose of my ire, Nash actually will be getting a reprieve as Tod is now on my crap list. Surprisingly even though I know where things are headed with Nash, I couldn't be angry with him quite yet as he was nothing but supportive in My Soul to Save. Tod, however was quite horrible to be honest. I had completely forgotten just how single-minded he was about saving Addison, even at Kaylee's expense. I just wanted to smack him upside the head. I understand just how much he wanted to save Addy, but he should never have let things go that far in putting Kaylee at risk. She almost died for goodness sakes! I have a feeling it is going to take me a while to forgive him again for this. But then again maybe not since the messy stuff with Nash should be coming soon. These boys sure are trouble!

As far as Kaylee's father goes, well I still have a pretty big problem with the way he acts towards Kaylee. I kinda feel like he gave up his rights to control her a very long time ago. I realize that Kaylee was in a whole lot of danger, and he just wants to protect her. However, Kaylee isn't the type of person who could live with herself if she didn't do everything she could to help someone. So her dad should realize this and be supportive of her, and protect her by helping her rather than trying to chain her down. Then again I guess none of us really see things clearly when it comes to protecting our children, so I guess I'll have to give him a little leeway.

Going to the Netherworld and meeting Avari was every bit as chilling as the first time around, perhaps even more so now that I have the knowledge of just what can happen. I seriously cringed multiple times throughout My Soul to Save, and I think that shows just how good this series is as it was able to affect me that much even the second time around. I can't wait to see what my re-read of the next installment will show.

Waiting on Wednesday (85)

, by KT

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights an upcoming release we are greatly anticipating.

My pick this week:

Starters - Starters #1

by Lissa Price

Publication Date: March 13th, 2012

Amazon Pre-Order: Starters

HER WORLD IS CHANGED FOREVER Callie lost her parents when the Spore Wars wiped out everyone between the ages of twenty and sixty. She and her little brother, Tyler, go on the run, living as squatters with their friend Michael and fighting off renegades who would kill them for a cookie. Callie's only hope is Prime Destinations, a disturbing place in Beverly Hills run by a mysterious figure known as the Old Man. He hires teens to rent their bodies to Enders—seniors who want to be young again. Callie, desperate for the money that will keep her, Tyler, and Michael alive, agrees to be a donor. But the neurochip they place in Callie's head malfunctions and she wakes up in the life of her renter, living in her mansion, driving her cars, and going out with a senator's grandson. It feels almost like a fairy tale, until Callie discovers that her renter intends to do more than party—and that Prime Destinations' plans are more evil than Callie could ever have imagined. . .