BOOK OF THE WEEK: Antigoddess by Kendare Blake

Title: Antigoddess

Author: Kendare Blake

Release date: September 10th 2013

Rating: 4.5 stars

Summary: Old Gods never die…

Or so Athena thought. But then the feathers started sprouting beneath her skin, invading her lungs like a strange cancer, and Hermes showed up with a fever eating away his flesh. So much for living a quiet eternity in perpetual health.

Desperately seeking the cause of their slow, miserable deaths, Athena and Hermes travel the world, gathering allies and discovering enemies both new and old. Their search leads them to Cassandra—an ordinary girl who was once an extraordinary prophetess, protected and loved by a god. 

These days, Cassandra doesn’t involve herself in the business of gods—in fact, she doesn’t even know they exist. But she could be the key in a war that is only just beginning. 

Because Hera, the queen of the gods, has aligned herself with other of the ancient Olympians, who are killing off rivals in an attempt to prolong their own lives. But these anti-gods have become corrupted in their desperation to survive, horrific caricatures of their former glory. Athena will need every advantage she can get, because immortals don’t just flicker out. 

Every one of them dies in their own way. Some choke on feathers. Others become monsters. All of them rage against their last breath.

The Goddess War is about to begin.

And why is this book BOOK OF THE WEEK? 

If you have read Kendare Blakes 'Anna Dressed in Blood' books, you'll be familiar with her amazing talent of writing some of the creepiest, yet amazing and mesmerizing books and unforgettable characters.

Antigoddess is her best work yet. The Twilight of the Gods has arrived. What is that you ask? Well the gods are dying in horrific ways. And slowly, which makes it even worse. What's causing it? Well, that remains to be seen.

This book is one of those heart-pounding books that you have to read at least once in your life. Greek mythology? Horrific deaths involving Greek Gods? An adorable couple? Mystery and soul-tearing, tear duct destroying ending? What else do I need to say that assures you that this book is one of the best books I've read this year so far? I have a special love of Greek mythology books, and this one is right near the top of that list. If you've never tried Greek mythology books, I strongly suggest you try this one. You will be blown away and left stunned by the ending. Specifically, the last line. Oh god that ending 

Cassandra is one kickass heroine. Aidan aka Apollo you will never forget.Athena and Hermes are now a former shadow of themselves, but all the more deadly.

The Twilight of the Gods is pretty crappy for the gods. But for us readers? It's the best thing ever.

Book two MORTAL GODS is out this year! Know what this calls for? A Misha Collins GIF

plus some 11th Doctor

...oh go on. And finally

I do, John. I do.

REVIEW: Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke

Name:  Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
Author: April Genevieve Tucholke
Published: April 15th 2013
Genre: YA
Stars: 4.5
Summary: You stop fearing the devil when you’re holding his hand…

Nothing much exciting rolls through Violet White’s sleepy, seaside town… until River West comes along. River rents the guest house behind Violet’s crumbling estate, and as eerie, grim things start to happen, Violet begins to wonder about the boy living in her backyard. 

Is River just a crooked-smiling liar with pretty eyes and a mysterious past? Or could he be something more?

Violet’s grandmother always warned her about the Devil, but she never said he could be a dark-haired boy who takes naps in the sun, who likes coffee, who kisses you in a cemetery... who makes you want to kiss back. 

Violet’s already so knee-deep in love, she can’t see straight. And that’s just how River likes it.

This book chilled me to the bone. It's that rare read that's straight from the era of dark Gothic classics. Tucholke can make you go from curious to downright scared in a matter of seconds, at times, just with a single line. Decadent and rich in mystery, this book is totally unputdownable. 

Is River West a demon? Or is he just a troubled boy with an equally as troubled past? These are all the questions readers ask themselves throughout the book. It's quite obvious later on that River isn't the Devil, but the word pops up now and again to catch the readers attention. 

River is twisted, that is obvious. But yet, his character still strangely appeals to the reader. At times, you feel pity for him, at others, you just want to scream at Violet to run as fast as she can away from him.

Violet and Rivers love is that you call 'instalove.' Quite literally. Within a day of meeting, you can see their connection and spy the twisted tones to it. River strikes you as a liar with a charming personality when you first encounter him. But as the book progresses, the lies unravel and the truth starts to come out. Disturbing truth I might add.

Violet seemed rather vague to me. Her friend Sunshine is constantly belittled and Violet doesn't strike me as a very nice person at times. Her brother is certainly one of those characters you dislike from the get go, but only because they've been made like that. Violet and River don't share a love connection, exactly, but something similar. Their relationship is complicated and disturbing to say the least.

When strange events happen around Violets home, of course River is to blame by the reader. I did too. 

It's still not clear what River is exactly, but from his deadly powers, it's easy to see why he could be called 'the devil.' But compared to a certain someone else in this book, he's positively shadowy rainbows and black butterflies. In fact, River isn't even his real name. River West is a walking lie.

This book will not appeal to all readers, that I can assure you. It's one of those "love it or hate it" types with no inbetween. For me? I loved it immensely. River West seems to me to be the lovechild of American Horror Story's Tate Langdon and Cassandra Clare's Sebastian Verlac. Both twisted characters in their own right, yet still favourites of mine. 

There are others with River's powers, but they're named differently. You have River's 'Spark' and then you have the 'Burn.' Each one carries immense power and ability to inflict pain. It seems like the only decent enough one around here is Rivers brother of sorts, Neely. He's left alone with Violet when River leaves town at the end of the book, prompting the question: will any romance happen between the pair in BETWEEN THE SPARK AND THE BURN. Since Neely is Rivers brother, I'm not inclined to trust him. If one brother has a secret... does the other have one as well?

Story was 4 stars and cover 0.5 just because of how amazing it is. Cannot wait for the sequel. This book is one to be watched, because it will eventually creep up on you.

ALIENATED by Melissa Landers

Title: ALIENATED
Author: Melissa Landers
Published: February 4th 2014
Genre: Young Adult
First read on: 19th December 2013 as an ARC
Stars: 4.5
Summary: Two years ago, the aliens made contact. Now Cara Sweeney is going to be sharing a bathroom with one of them. 

Handpicked to host the first-ever L’eihr exchange student, Cara thinks her future is set. Not only does she get a free ride to her dream college, she’ll have inside information about the mysterious L’eihrs that every journalist would kill for. Cara’s blog following is about to skyrocket.

Still, Cara isn’t sure what to think when she meets Aelyx. Humans and L’eihrs have nearly identical DNA, but cold, infuriatingly brilliant Aelyx couldn’t seem more alien. She’s certain about one thing, though: no human boy is this good-looking.

But when Cara's classmates get swept up by anti-L'eihr paranoia, Midtown High School suddenly isn't safe anymore. Threatening notes appear in Cara's locker, and a police officer has to escort her and Aelyx to class. 

Cara finds support in the last person she expected. She realizes that Aelyx isn’t just her only friend; she's fallen hard for him. But Aelyx has been hiding the truth about the purpose of his exchange, and its potentially deadly consequences. Soon Cara will be in for the fight of her life—not just for herself and the boy she loves, but for the future of her planet

It has been a long, long time I found a YA book about aliens that I utterly loved from the first page. Hell, the first word. The genre has been rather dry lately when it comes to the extraterrestrial. With the Lux series coming to an end in 2014, a gap has opened up which many, many YA alien books have tried to fill with no success. ALIENATED is a brand new face on the block. Fresh, intriguing and damn amazing. A perfect blend of humor and romance that makes the characters feel very real. It is not ‘the next Lux,’ because that would imply that they are similar. They’re not. There are aliens on earth, but that is it. If Daemon and Aelyx met, Daemon would probably end up committing murder. Or a sassing competition that would result in Daemon receiving a bloodied nose when Aelyx got tired of his language. 

ALIENATED is a fantastic, unique YA alien book that is going to blow the socks off readers everywhere. Keep an eye on this one, people. You won’t regret it. I mean... alien exchange students? How brilliant is that?

The chemistry between Aelyx and Cara sizzles right off the pages. Without saying spoilers, you could say things get hotter than the surface of Venus. These planetary jokes doing it for you? No? Oh well, more coming right up. 

Cara is so human. It’s what makes her a fantastic protagonist. She may be exceptionally smart, which is why she was chosen for the L’eihrs project, but she’s still a teenage girl. And she proves that all through the book. Her witty and hilarious blog posts on Aelyx are what every girl would do, really. Also, like any girl, her heart can get broken quite easily. 

Aelyx is more human than he gives himself credit for. He makes mistakes that he instantly regrets. Throughout the book, our sexy ET proves he’s not just easy on the eyes; he is a good person, alien, whichever. When he was Googling information about humans he didn’t know, such as their reproduction and kissing, it was hilarious. Best bit of the book. He was like an inquisitive child. 

Does he get the chance to test his newfound discoveries on Cara? *brow wiggles* you’ll have to read the book yourself and find out.

4.5. Why not 5? Because you could see how it was going to end and a few bits frustrated me. The 0.5 is the cover, because it's gorgeous. But still, this book is fantastic, enthralling, out of this world. I can’t wait to read more of Aelyx and Cara’s story, because it’s going to be a memorable one that people won’t forget about easily.

Where can I sign up for the L’eihrs exchange project?! 

You can read this review on 

General reviews

(coming soon! Just sorting out basics!)

ARC Reviews

Will be constantly updated.

Wings by Elizabeth Richards
Fire & Flood by Victoria Scott

WINGS by Elizabeth Richards ARC review

Title: Wings
Author: Elizabeth Richards
Published on: June 12th 2014
Genre: Young Adult
Stars: 4.5
Summary: Following the cliffhanger ending of Phoenix, Natalie finds herself separated from Ash and unexpectedly reunited with her parents, including the father she thought was dead. But she can only think of Ash. She hasn't heard a word of him since she and Elijah were brought to the underground headquarters of the Sentry Rebellion. But she vows to find him.

Ash, meanwhile is back in Black City; it's the perfect place to hide from the Sentry government. But not for long. He won't give up on Natalie or bringing an end to the terrible reign of Purian Rose.

Thank you to the author for sending me an advance copy!

First of all, have you seen that cover? It's literally eyeporn. Also, it's very relevant to the story. Once you've read it, you'll certainly look at it with new eyes.

WINGS was a thrill ride with twists and turns I never could have even imagined in Black City and Phoenix. The secret of the Ora is revealed, and I tell you right now, you won't believe half of what you read.

Also in WINGS, there is a new POV! His name is Edmund and his POV is set 30 years, and that is all I'm saying. Prepare for screaming, book throwing and jaw dropping where he's concerned. Ash and Natalie POV is, of course, included again. Separated at the end of PHOENIX, Ash is carrying on looking for the Ora while searching for Natalie along the way. Natalie is stuck in the Sentry rebel stronghold, going out of her head wanting to search for Ash with Elijah in tow.

For me, this book was messier than the other two. Things were wrapped up somewhat nicely throughout the book, but there's still something about it that I didn't like.Certain parts seemed thought up at the last moment rather than thought out since the beginning. Not my favourite book of the trilogy, but still an amazing read and the fact there will never be another Black City novel saddens me immensely. There is so much more that could happen after the ending of WINGS. Questions I had throughout the book sadly didn't get answered, which did frustrate me, because they're the questions all fans will be wondering when they finish WINGS.

The story itself is 4 stars and the cover gained a 0.5 stars all by itself. Amazing book and this, sadly, marks the end of the Black City trilogy

(a more detailed review will come when the book has been published)

FIRE & FLOOD by Victoria Scott ARC review

Title: FIRE & FLOOD
Author: Victoria Scott
UK pub date: March 6th 2014
Genre: Young Adult
Rating: FIVE STARS
Summary: Tella's brother is dying. He's got cancer, and Tella is helpless to save him. Or so she thought. When an invitation arrives for Tella to compete in the Brimstone Bleed, a deadly competition that will lead her through treacherous jungle and scorching desert, she doesn't think twice. Because the prize is a cure to any illness. But Tella will be facing more than just the elements

First of all... new blog account! It's strange moving over from Goodreads to here after so long. Let's christen this new account with an ARC review.

Secondly, thank you to Chicken House Publishing for supplying me with an early copy!

So let's begin.

I. Loved. This. Book

Right. You take the Hunger Games, strip it down to the bare foundations, toss in over a hundred people competing for a prize that will cure any illness, add in a sprinkling of magical animals (yes, I just said that) and a dash of romance and some guys you just wanna punch in the nuts and viola! You have the recipe for Fire & Flood! Plus have you seen that cover? Just when the US cover can't get any sexier, the UK one comes out!

This book is a breath of fresh air in the YA category. It was so unlike anything I’ve ever read before. There’s love, family and did I mention the magical animals named Pandoras? They are kick ASS. Yes, the caps lock WAS needed there. I mean… animals that hatch from eggs, then grow like BOOM and are capable of some pretty amazing feats? What could be more amazing than that? Team Pandoras all the way. I would very much like a tiger Pandora.

Set in parts, each part of the book covers each stage of the Brimstone Bleed. In every section, new challenges kick off, some more deadly than others. One moment you can be trekking through dense forest, the next, tossed into a scorching desert with next to no water. In the Brimstone Bleed where everyone is competing for the same prize, who can you trust? It's a tale of survival as well as competition. I first thought this book was going to be similar to The Hunger Games, but it is completely different. FIRE & FLOOD is mesmerizing.

Tella, our feisty heroine, is competing for the cure to save her dying brother. I instantly fell in love with Tella. She’s such a likable character. To go into detail would be to spoil the book before it's even out, so nope. Not spoiling it. But her attitude to Pandoras and especially her (adorable) own, is amazing. She’s a rare individual in the Brimstone Bleed and I love her. Frizzy, crazy hair included. Incredibly well thought out and such a strong individual who isn't shy about kicking some ass when the time comes.

Guy, Tella’s love interest, is quite the wild card. The revelations and reason he’s in the competition certainly made me love him more. I can’t wait to read more Gella (yes I shall be giving them this ship name, the cuties) He's mysterious, his motives are so intriguing. 

And I want more Madox! YES. MORE MADOX. Who is Madox you ask? Well… you’ll have to read the book to find that out! 

Basically, if you love action, animals, hot guys and romance, pick up this book. It will shatter you at times, break you at others, make you sniffle once or twice and you will laugh like hell all the time. The scene with the cheetah and the finger. I have never laughed so hard in my life. That is all I’m saying on that matter. 

This is a dystopian novel with bite. Victoria Scott has done it again.

This is me waiting for news about the second book.