Goddess by Josephine Angelini

Oh. My. Goddess. This book was spectacular! If you haven't already, check out my review of the first book in the series, Starcrossed, right here! Goddess is the third and final book in the Starcrossed trilogy. I recieved Goddess Thursday at about five pm. I finished it by three pm today. I flew through those pages so fast, I couldn't tell one minute from the next. I'd say "I'll read one chapter" which is not a good idea unless I plan to read the entire book, I have learned. When the book arrived, it was like everything in the world had turned in puppies and rainbows, I was so excited. The book's an amazing read that you DO NOT want to miss.

The main character is Helen Hamilton. Over the course of the books, Helen's journey is clearly displayed. This book brings that journey to a close. She has shed the skin of weak, hiding behind her best friend Helen, and has stepped into a new one that I believe fits her much better. Helen has found the strength she's been lacking in the previous books. Her powers grow exponentially, which causes some fear in her friends and loved ones. As Helen grows more powerful, she gains new enemies. She is betrayed by someone she trusted most in the book, which literally killed my feels. I wanted to shout at the author for doing this to readers. She is extremely loyal, but to a fault. Even she has her limits when she knows that someone is too far gone. Helen views love, hate, betrayal, grief, and so much more in all their glory. Her new powers startle her, and she grows into them slowly. As she learns her limits and boundaries (which she has almost none of) Helen then pushes them until they break. She proves again and again that she will do anything for those she loves. Lucas, Claire, Orion, and all the others propel her to do things she wouldn't have even considered before. The gods don't stand a chance when Helen's there. She's completely kick-butt powerful and awesome. Awesomesauce doesn't even begin to describe this amazing heroin.

Much of this book felt a bit cheesy. Helen does and says things, especially with love interest Lucas, that just doesn't seem to fit in with the rest of the scene. They may be things that need to be said, but not in that exact moment. To be fair, when readers realize just how long they've been pining after each-other, readers will quickly and easily forgive them. Then of course, there's the final battle that the entire book is building towards. Helen makes a really hard decision that has it's repercussions. Let me say this, the final battle was WAY too easy. No matter how much I hate my favorite characters hurting, authors should not go easy on them. Helen has a brilliant idea that I can't fault, but dang it, I wanted more action. This will easily be one of my favorite books of 2013. I give the book five stars!

Series Sunday: Soul Screamers by Rachel Vincent

Just a warning, these books have adult content. This review should be spoiler free though.

The Soul Screamers series is really good. It actually took me a while to pick them up though. I saw them in the backs of a bunch of books I read and was like "Nah, I don't want to read that." I finally picked up the first book from the library and loved it. Seriously, it was awesome. I read the next couple books but then stopped reading them. The fifth book If I Die came out and I was really excited to read it. In the process, I realized that I had skipped the previous book. Whoops. I still haven't read it, but the plot wasn't confusing because I hadn't. I eventually figured out what I missed. The last three books (If I Die, Before I Wake, and With All My Soul) are infinitely better than the first three (remember, haven't read the fourth). I struggled through the first three, but plowed right through the rest. I've lost count how many times I've read Before I Wake, it's that good. Maybe it has something to do with the love interest...

The main character is named Kaylee. She's pretty cool. Kaylee is a bean sidhe, AKA banshee. She screams when someone dies, which makes for some awkward situations. And as each book continues, she grows stronger, better, and more awesomesauce. If you compare her in book one to book seven, she's grown up tremendously. Kaylee has to deal with lots of things normal teenagers don't. For example, hellions, vengeful hellions, death (lots of it), and heartbreak. She keeps going strong despite all of that. Kaylee shows again and again that she'd do and give up anything for the people she loves. Her loyalty is fierce, and seems to have no end. She doesn't give up on people, no matter how deep they dig their holes. And trust me, some of those holes are pretty deep. While she holds grudges and sometimes acts petty, that's normal. Nothing bad sticks with her for long. She has learned to make the best of many situations. Many characters are introduced as the series goes on. You meet Nash, who has his eye on Kaylee from page one. Nash is also a bean sidhe. Then there's Sophie, Kaylee's younger cousin who's more than a tad mean, but truly does come around (love really does have the power to change people). There's Tod, Nash's older brother, who not so secretly has a crush on Kaylee (this creates problems later). Tod also happens to be dead. His sense of humor is hilarious though. Tod is easily my favorite character in the books. There's Sabine, Nash's ex-girlfriend who hates Kaylee with a vengeance.
Sabine is a mara, she feeds of nightmares. She also happens to know your deepest fears. You don't want her as an enemy to say the least. Kaylee's best friend Emma is awesome! She is the best human out there, and isn't afraid to admit when she's messed up. There's also Luca. Luca joins the books in Never to Sleep, the novella between If I Die and Before I Wake. Luca is pretty cool. He's a necromancer and is able to put up with Sophie. There are some pretty bad villains too. Avari, the hellion of greed, is introduced in book one. He is the main antagonist. There are lots of bad guys, but every one of them ties back to Avari and his evil schemes that are revealed in the final books. Mr. Beck is Kaylee's new math teacher in If I Die. Just a warning, never trust a math teacher. Turns out, they're just as evil and unforgiving as the subject (at least in fiction).

The Soul Screamer novels are filled to the brink with humor. I find myself laughing at everything Tod and Sabine say. For example, in With All My Soul, Sabine says something along the lines of "Here's what we've learned today. Nash and Kaylee are like the rocks cavemen used. Bang them together, and you get sparks." Easily one of the funniest lines in the book. The plot in these books is well done. The first few don't really seem to connect, but as you delve farther into the series, it becomes apparent just what is going on. So far, there also happen to be three volumes. Volume one has the prequel My Soul to Lose, My Soul to Take, and My Soul to Save. Volume two has the prequel Reaper, My Soul to Keep, and My Soul to Steal. Volume three contains If I Die, Never to Sleep (novella), and Before I Wake. I love these books so much and look forward to rereading them for years to come. The ending is a bit of a tearjerker, but don't worry too much. You won't regret reading these books. They get a full five stars!

Blood-Kissed Sky by J.A. London

Blood-Kissed Sky is the awesomesauce sequel to Darkness Before Dawn. If you haven't read it yet, check out my review of Darkness Before Dawn here. Blood-Kissed Sky was awesome. There is a love triangle in it, but it's the kind I like. I hate when a girl waffles between two guys for ages. Dawn (the main character) got to the point pretty quickly. Michael (her boyfriend from book one) finds out that she's in love with Victor (awesome vampire, but everyone hates vampires except Dawn) and says that they're done. Don't get me wrong, I love Dawn and Michael, but by getting rid of the romantic part of their relationship opens doors that couldn't have been opened otherwise. Michael has a very big brother attitude towards Dawn. I love that he thinks he, and can, protect her, but Dawn really doesn't need it.

Dawn is totally kick-butt. She *might* not realize it though. Dawn lives in a dystopian world where the fourteen vampire families have taken over the fourteen remaining cities. Vampires are supposedly evil (and many are), but Dawn meets Old Family vampires such as Victor, Faith, and Richard who begin to change her opinions. Funny how falling in love with a vampire will do that to a person. The evil vampire Sin who is known as a Day-Walker, self explanatory, has his sights set on getting Dawn. For what, no one knows exactly. Dawn faces down vampires with prowess. She is a spectacular fighter, in more than just the physical sense. She fights for what she believes in. Vampires, good and evil alike, are no match to her superior mind, skills, and wit. She can talk her way out of almost any situation with her diplomatic skills, and if she can't, she's got friends who will fight beside her. One of my favorite characters is Dawn's good friend Tegan. She has got spunk. Tegan has confidence off the wazoo, but isn't afraid to admit when she needs help.

The plot of the book is awesome. The pacing is a little slow though. From the beginning, there is some info readers can infer from what's happening to Dawn. Her friends actually throw the correct option out there, but it's immediately dismissed. Even by the end, there are some aspects that seem obvious but Dawn doesn't realize/accept. I'm okay with the fact that Dawn doesn't accept some of the things she's told over the course of the book. She struggles. From the first page though, Dawn's journey is building. There's not a super distinct ending I have in mind, but there are some things I'm wanting/expecting. The final book, After Daybreak, comes out in June and I really don't want to be disappointed. I have high expectations after the first two books. Blood-Kissed Sky is overall, really good. I have to give it five stars.

Series Sunday: Covenant Series by Jennifer L Armentrout

Wow. Just wow. This series rocked. My. World. It is amazing. I thought her other YA series Lux was good, but this is so much better. It dragged me in and wouldn't let me up for air. The most recent book, Apollyon, came out April 9. It was SO amazing. The first book is called Half-Blood, and let me tell you, you need to go to the bookstore and buy the book RIGHT NOW. And while you're at it, get book two, Pure, and book three, Deity. They are so worth it. Warning! These books may cause extremely loud squealing and/or swooning. Anyway, they are made of awesomesauce, as are all the characters.

The main character is Alex Andros, short for Alexandria. First off, how cool is that name? Awesome, I know. I cannot get enough of Alex. She is pure awesome. For readers of the Vampire Academy series, Alex is very much like Rose. Alex is not afraid to stand up for herself. She isn't afraid to look people in the eye and tell them exactly what she thinks of them, good, bad, or otherwise. She has slight authority issues, but to be fair, most of the authority figures in the book are corrupt or completely evil. Alex, like human beings, makes mistakes. She owns up to her mistakes and makes amends. Sadly, she gets blamed for a lot of things that are out of her control. Alex lives in a world with Half-Bloods, Pures, and Gods. It's greek mythology at its finest. Alex is a Half-Blood, which is not a good thing. Half-Bloods are the result of a Pure and a human. Pures and Halfs are forbidden to be together under the law of the Breed Order. Halfs are given to options in life, train to be a Guard or Sentinel (the best of the best fighters) or become a servant (AKA slave). Servants are doped up on this thing called elixir and forced to work for Masters, Pures who use compulsion to control them. Halfs are looked down upon and punished severely for everything and, when the Breed Order is involved, always get the worse end of the deal. This is something Alex is not happy and seeks to change, as do many others, some with better ulterior motives then others. Alex shows her strength again and again in the series, along with her courage. While she's not

fearless, when those she cares about (and even those she doesn't) are in danger, fear takes the second burner for a while. Then, there's Aiden St. Delphi. Oh. My. Gods. He's many things. He's a Pure. He's a Sentinel. He's amazing. He's hot. Aiden is the epitome of awesomesauce. Alex has had a thing for him since she was young. He's twenty-one when the series begins. Alex left the Covenant (where all the Halfs and Pures live) three years before the book begins and he's the one in charge of bringing her back. Once back at the Covenant, he agrees to train Alex to help her catch up to her classmates. Since he's a Pure, he has control over one of the elements. Aiden can control fire, and is extremely kick-butt. Pures have Aether in them, which daimons (the vampires of the story, so to speak) happen to love. As a Sentinel, Aiden hunts daimons for a living. Warning, he is extremely dangerous and swoon-worthy. No one can blame Alex for falling for him. I love the other characters in these books. There's Alex's best friend, Caleb. Caleb is extremely funny and always there for Alex. Aiden's younger brother, Deacon, is SO adorable. Seriously, he's like a highly caffeinated puppy.

There's also the Apollyon. The Apollyon is a Half-Blood who can control all the elements, plus Akasha (which is kinda like super-charged lightning). The Apollyon is named Seth. He has a huge ego, and I never liked him much. Sorry, he's just not likable in my opinion. I don't get why the character get all fanboy/girl about him. Alex's uncle Marcus is nice enough. He's tough on Alex, and she doesn't realize how much he cares about her. Other characters include Lea (she grows on you), Lucian (he gets worse), and Leon (love him!).

The books are awesome. The author constantly has references to real-life things and places, which gives the book depth. Characters and situations are constantly making readers laugh. The writing is fun and light. Not a so-called 'junk food' book by any standards, it's full of meaning, depth, pain, etc. Friends that I've recommended the books to have loved them. The plot is well laid and is full of action, romance, and everything else a novel needs. There are plot twists and turns and cliffhangers by the dozen. I adore these books and give them five stars.

Series Sunday: Delirium Trilogy by Lauren Oliver

Warning, this will contain spoilers for those who haven't read the books.

Overall, these books were really good. My favorite in the series had to be the first book Delirium. It was definitely the strongest in the series. I got bored while reading Pandemonium. The first book is told from the main character Lena's point of view. The second is still Lena, but past and present (in the book it's Then and Now). The third book, Requiem, is told from Lena and her best friend Hana's points of view. The first book was written perfectly in my opinion. As for the second, I would have preferred past or present, not both. Having both made the story kind of dull. Just as a big thing happened in one tense, the time would change. It may keep readers hanging, but it can get kinda annoying. I liked having Hana's POV in Requiem. I really did. But it was so much duller than Lena's. The two girls don't even see each other until the last few chapters. I would have preferred to have Lena be with Hana and find out everything a bit slower.


The main character is Lena. She lives in a dystopian world where people are 'cured' of the ability of love. In the first book, she breaks
the law and falls in love with a boy named Alex. She grew up believing love was a disease, but realizes it isn't in this book. On that note, this is the book that is the most powerful for me. At the end, Lena and Alex plan to run away from the walled in city that they live in. Just as they are about to escape into the Wilds, they are caught. Alex is killed and Lena barely escapes. The fact that she is able to get away after the boy she loves dies shows immense strength. Book two describes Lena as she joins the Resistance and her journey with another boy, Julian. I love Lena's work with the Resistance. And in the end of the story, she finds out that her mother, who she believed to be dead, is actually alive. As for Julian, I don't like him. He never proves to be evil,  but I just don't like him. Maybe it's because he's underdeveloped. By the end of the book, Lena has fallen in love with Julian. Why, I have no idea. Then as the last page comes, you find out that her first love Alex is still alive. Yeah, that's one way to end a book. So, the highly anticipated last book finally comes. Lena's journey is finally coming to a close. Meanwhile, you find out about Hana. Hana has been cured and is set to marry the up and coming mayor. She learns
that he's not what he seems to be and, with Lena's help (details to come) Hana leaves him. Then, her almost husband dies. The house he's in explodes. You never find out what happened to Hana. Lena just leaves her. As for Lena, she can't decide about her feelings. Alex has told her he never loved her (don't know why) and she doesn't have it in her to break Julian's heart because of her feelings for Alex. Personally, she seems very fickle for most of the book. Eventually, Alex tells her he actually does love her (big surprise, not). The Resistance breaks into the town Lena came from. Lena sees her cousin and Hana. She loses track of her mother while in the city. The end suggests that Lena and Alex end up together, but never says so outright. Lena is strong and brave, but just lacks something. I'm not sure what it is, but as the books go on, her character seems to get weaker. She's changed from book one to book three, don't get me wrong, but I have more trouble really feeling her. Overall, I like her character, but she's not my favorite. Oh god, the end. I want to smack Lauren Oliver upside the head for the way she ends the series. In a way, it doesn't even end. Lenais with Alex, declaring her love, then the rebels are suddenly 'tearing down the walls' around Portland (where she used to live). You don't know what happened to Julian, to her mother, the rest of her family, her friends, or even Hana. It just ends. Literally, she says "I will make a pact with you: I will do it if you will do it, always and forever. Take down the walls." Readers don't need a happily ever after, we just need an end. Either let the Resistance win and let change come, or kill everyone off. It's not a happy ending, but it's an ending. Show readers what happened to the characters. Give us an epilogue or SOMETHING! Don't just leave readers hanging. Just don't do it. All you had to do was put another page in there. That's all we need. But she didn't. Lucky for readers, the Delirium trilogy is possibly becoming a TV series. Yep, you heard that right. That means that, the TV show can develop what the book does not. We can see different character's POV's. We can get an ending. We can see what lies beyond the small bit of the world that the book takes place in. For this, I am extremely grateful. The story is really good. The world is amazing and intricate. It just simply lacks a few important aspects. I will definitely tune in when it airs. Overall, I like these books. They really are good. I recommend them to you. They have their faults, but you'll enjoy them more if you know that going in. I read the story not knowing what to expect, so I was disappointed. I will probably reread them. I know I'll read Delirium again. Anyway, when it comes down to it, I believe these books deserve three stars.

Sweet Peril by Wendy Higgins

Holy cow. This. Book. Rocked. Warning, there is adult content in this book and is not meant for young eyes. If you look here you'll see my review of the first book in the Sweet Trilogy, Sweet Evil. To say the least, the first book was hot. Sweet Peril? It gives hot/sexy a whole new meaning! The book is packed to the breaking point of tense, steamy moments that readers can't get enough of. It's full of action and romance. Yet at the same time, the contains ethics and morals. It's not just a story. Sweet Peril has lessons in it. They may not be obvious, but they're there. It shows just how far the characters are willing to go to protect those they love, as a well as the fact that you can always find redemption.

The main character is Anna Whitt. She falls hard for bad boy Kaidan Rowe in the first book. And as Anna falls for Kaidan, Kaidan falls for Anna. By the end of the first book, they know they can't be together. Sweet Peril takes place a few months after the end of Sweet Evil, and Anna still hasn't gotten over Kai, not that I can blame her. *Important Fact* Anna is the daughter of a demon. Her father the demon is Belial, which is the demon of substance abuse. Because of that, she feels a pull towards drugs, alcohol, etc. She is also expected to work for her father, meaning, she is supposed to get people to drink and basically do things they might not usually do. BUT! Anna is also the daughter of an angel. Because of this, she is given a Sword of Righteousness to someday fight the demons with. *Important Fact* Thought you might want to know, Kaidan is the son of a demon as well, the demon of lust to be exact. Anyway, Anna has to go against her basic nature (which is to help, not hurt) and work for the demons. If she doesn't, she dies. Simple as that. Anna has taught herself not to cry. She is amazingly strong for what she has to go through. Anna has some horrible stuff thrown her way in this book. Yet, somehow, she is able to stand back up and keep fighting. Anna has to make choices and do things she never thought she'd have to do before. But she also is able to look evil in the metaphorical eyes and say "Bug off!" She's given a quest of sorts, and will do whatever she can to protect the ones she cares about. She shows amazing courage and proves again and again the lengths she'll go to to do what needs to be done.

When I got the book, I just about screamed. I've been waiting since last spring for Sweet Peril and was not disappointed. My only complaint, it was too short! I need more Wendy Higgins. I swear, the author likes to torture her readers. I'd add another twenty... or maybe fifty more pages to the book. Not that it wasn't amazing, I just simply don't want to leave that world. I sigh every time I open the book. I cannot get enough of Wendy Higgins or the Sweet books. The plot is amazing. There is never a dull moment in the book. One scene at the end felt *slightly* drawn out, but it added to the feel of the end. It built up suspense to say the least. In the first books, some of the events didn't really seem to connect. They were all important, but just one little thing was off or not quite needed. There was a slight feel of that in this book, but because Anna was given a certain quest at the beginning of the book, events are able to connect better. I definitely give this book five stars!