Review: Paranormalcy - Kiersten White

Evie's always thought of herself as normal.  Sure, her best friend is a mermaid, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she's falling for a shapeshifter and she's the only person who can see through paranormals' glamours, but still.  Normal.

Only now paranormals are dying and Evie's dreams are filled with haunting voices and mysterious prophecies.  She begins to suspect that there is a link between her abilities and the sudden rash of deaths, and even worse, that she is at the centre of a dark prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.

Paranormalcy Series:
Paranormalcy
Supernaturally (2011)

Check out Kiersten White's website for more information

Review:
Evie was abandoned by her mother as a baby and spent her early years growing up in foster care before she was discovered by the IPCA (International Paranormal Containment Agency).  Evie has the rare ability to see through the glamours that paranormals use to hide their real identity from the human population making her an asset to the agency who tag paranormals to make sure they aren't breaking any rules.  Evie's life is anything but normal, she has grown up on the agency base with a mermaid for a best friend, her ex boyfriend is a faerie and she has a crush on a shapeshifter, but she wants to be like any other teenage girl.  Evie dreams of going to school and living in the normal human world but when someone (or something) starts murdering paranormals her dream seems to be getting further and further away from her.  After discovering that she is at the centre of a disturbing prophecy Evie's life will never be the same again.

I've been looking forward to reading Paranormalcy since I first saw it released in the US so I was really excited when I was sent a copy for review.  I was really impressed with this debut from Kiersten White and can't wait to see what she does with the rest of the series.

I liked Evie's voice from the very first page, she is such a fun character with her love of all things pink (including her taser!) and a snarky attitude that had me laughing out loud.  I found it nearly impossible to put the book down because I wanted to see what kind of trouble she'd manage to get herself into next.  I loved the relationship between Evie and her best friend Lish, they may not have much in common (after all Lish is a mermaid unable to leave her tank on the base) but they obviously cared for each other.  Someone else that Evie has a lot of contact with is her boss Raquel who is also a mother figure to her, I'm sure mothers and daughters everywhere will see themselves in the interactions between the two of them - they have their arguments but deep down they both love each other.

Kiersten White has created a detailed world with lots of unique and interesting supernatural characters, from those we see quite regularly in paranormal stories right through to ones I've not come across before.  I liked the way we were introduced to the history and mythology for all of the different species and I was glad that the author managed to put her own slant on even the most common creatures.  One of my favorite characters after Evie was Lend (the shapeshifter Evie has a crush on).  I can't go into too much detail here as I don't want to give any spoilers so I'll just say he wasn't at all what I was expecting and I loved him all the more because of it.  I really enjoyed the developing relationship between Evie and Lend but I was pleased that this didn't overshadow the rest of the story.  I think Paranormalcy had the perfect blend of action and romance.

Alongside the characters you will love there are also some great characters that you will love to hate.  The faeries (Reth in particular) are experts at manipulation and manage to turn everything around to suit themselves.  I love the fact that you're kept guessing about who can be trusted and who the real bad guys are right until nearly the end of the book.

Paranormalcy is a fun read and one which completely pulled me into Evie's world.  I wanted to spend more time with these characters so can't wait to read the next book in the series.  If you're a fan of YA urban fantasy and are looking for something a bit different to all the books we've seen recently I'd definitely recommend picking this one up.

Source: Received from Harper Collins in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Review: Lover Revealed - J.R. Ward

In the shadows of the night in Caldwell, New York, there's a war raging between vampires and their slayers.  There exists a secret band of brothers like no other - six vampire warriors, defenders of their race.  But now an ally of the Brotherhood is about to encounter his own dark desires...

Butch O'Neal is a fighter by nature.  A hard-living ex-homicide cop, he's the only human ever to be allowed in the inner circle of the Black Dagger Brotherhood.  And he wants to go even deeper into the vampire world - to engage in the turf war with the lessers.  He's got nothing to lose.  His heart belongs to a female vampire, an aristocratic beauty who's way out of his league.  If he can't have Marissa, then at least he can fight side by side with the Brothers...

Fate curses him with the very thing he wants.  When Butch sacrifices himself to save a civilian vampire from the slayers, he falls prey to the darkest force in the war.  Left for dead, he's found by a miracle, and the Brotherhood calls on Marissa to bring him back.  But even her love may not be enough to save him...

The Black Dagger Brotherhood Series:
Dark Lover
Lover Eternal
Lover Awakened
Lover Revealed
Lover Unbound
Lover Enshrined
The Black Dagger Brotherhood: An Insider's Guide
Lover Avenged
Lover Mine
Lover Unleashed (2011)

Visit J.R. Ward's website for more information

Review:
Butch is the only human who has ever been allowed to know the location of the Black Dagger Brotherhood and is as close to being a member as a human can possibly be.  He thinks of the others as his brothers and wants to join their war against the lessers to help protect the vampire race.  Things go horribly wrong from him when he tries to protect a civilian and ends up captured by the lessers, after suffering horrific torture Butch is left for dead.  Thanks to V he is discovered but can they save him and even if they do what will be the long term consequences of what the Omega did to him?

Lover Revealed is the fourth book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series and although it was my least favorite book in the series so far I still really enjoyed it.  If you're one of the few people who is new to this series then it is one I'd definitely recommend to paranormal romance fans but I would recommend reading the stories in order starting at Dark Lover so you get the most out of the full back story.

I have liked Butch since he was introduced in the first book so I've been looking forward to reading his story and he didn't disappoint me.  As an ex-cop Butch is as tough as they come but he also has a softer side that just makes you want to hug him.  Butch has had it tough never feeling like he fitted in with his family so it's nice to see him finally find acceptance with the Brothers.  I love watching him & V together, they have such a close friendship and strong bond.  The scenes with the two of them are some of my favorite in the book and for me V stole the show and left me really looking forward to his story.  I did feel that things came together a little too easily for Butch at the end of the book but I was pleased with the outcome so it didn't really worry me.  It's hard to say much without giving spoilers but I'm also very curious about his new ability and how that will change things throughout the series.

I've never been the biggest Marissa fan, I felt quite sorry for her in Dark Lover after the way Wrath treated her but I've never really cared much for her or been interested in reading more of her story.  I'll admit that she still isn't my favorite character in the series and I found her far too sweet and innocent for my tastes particularly at the beginning of the Lover Revealed but J.R. Ward did manage to improve my opinion of her by the end of the book.  There were things she did that irritated me but I felt she grew a lot throughout the book and by the end I actually admired her for the things she has planned (again I don't want to say more than that for fear of spoilers).

Overall Lover Revealed is a strong installment in one of my favorite paranormal romance series and one I would highly recommend reading.  I'm looking forward to getting stuck into V's story in Lover Unbound.

Source: Purchased

Other reviews of this book:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Cover Reveal - Passion by Lauren Kate

Have you seen the cover for Passion by Lauren Kate yet?  Isn't it gorgeous?  Although I love the covers for Fallen & Torment I have to confess I think this one is my favorite in the series so far!  This is the US version of the cover but RHCB have confirmed that the UK cover will be very similar (there will be some wording changes but the picture will be the same yay!).  I checked the release date on Amazon UK & it says 16th June 2011 (I'm not sure if that is for the US or the UK version though) so not too much longer to wait now.  I know I'm looking forward to getting my hands on a copy!

I've included the covers for Fallen & Torment too, which of the three covers is your favorite?

Review: Half Brother - Kenneth Oppel

We are the weirdest family in the world.

For his thirteenth birthday, Ben Tomlin gets an unusual present.  A baby chimpanzee called Zan.

Ben's dad is a hot-shot behavioural scientist, and Zan is part of a new experiment to find out if chimps can learn language.  But 'Project Zan' turns their family life upside-down.  For Ben, it's the beginning of an extraordinary relationship with his new half brother.

Though he's being raised as a human child, Zan is still a chimpanzee.  His chimp's instincts and rapidly-growing strength make him unpredictable, yet he remains heart-breakingly vulnerable in the human world.  And when the experiment starts to go wrong, only Ben can save him.

Half Brother is a story of tremendous excitement which asks big questions about family, humanity and love - and describes one of the most unforgettable friendships in fiction.

Visit Kenneth Oppel's website for more information

Review:
Ben's parents are both scientists but he is shocked when they announce that they are adopting a chimpanzee so they can try to teach it sign language.  He isn't keen on the idea and really doesn't want to have to move across the country to be nearer the university that is funding the experiment either.  When Zan arrives Ben is told to think of him as a younger brother, Zan is to be raised as a human child and the whole family must be involved along with several students from the university.  But what will happen to Zan if funding for the experiment runs out?

I have to confess that I was nervous about reading Half Brother, the idea of raising a chimp in a human family didn't sit right with me and I wasn't sure if this was a story I would enjoy.  There were a couple of things at the beginning of the book that made me really uncomfortable and I almost didn't continue reading but I have to say I'm glad I pushed through and gave the story a chance.  Both Ben and Zan stole my heart and this ended up being an incredibly emotional read that I thoroughly enjoyed.

When Ben first finds out that his parents will be bringing home a chimp and raising him as Ben's brother he isn't happy.  He doesn't like the idea of having to move to another part of the country and is worried about what his new classmates will think of him and his family.  When Zan first arrives he is determined to have as little to do with him as possible but it doesn't take long before Zan's big brown eyes and sweet nature start to grow on him.  He soon falls in love with his new brother and becomes very protective of him.  I loved watching the relationship develop between the two of them and found it sweet watching them together.  Watching Zan's progress as he grows older and starts learning sign language is fascinating, especially when you find out that the story is based on two real experiments with chimps that were carried out in the 70's.  Some of the things you will learn about animal experiments that have been held in the name of science are truly horrific.  I know humans are capable of some despicable acts but there is something that makes it even worse when it is against defenseless animals and done supposedly for the greater good of mankind.

Ben's father insisted on treating Zan like a member of the family and raising him so he thinks of himself as human but as a scientist he has always managed to keep emotions out of the equation.  This isn't so easy for Ben to do so when the experiment starts getting bad press and the money starts to run out Ben is worried about what will happen to Zan in the future.  This was where the story became completely heartbreaking.  It's hard to go into much detail without giving spoilers though so you'll have to read the book to find out what happens and how things turn out for both Zan and Ben.

Alongside Zan's story we also get to watch as Ben starts his new school and tries to fit in and make friends, this part is very much a coming of age story.  I found it interesting to see that as much as Zan was learning to become human Ben was picking up qualities that chimpanzees have in the wild as he tried to become the alpha male at school.  I did find 'Project Jennifer' - where Ben approaches trying to win Jennifer's heart as some kind of experiment - was a little odd but I think considering his background this was probably quite a natural way for Ben to look at things.

Half Brother is a book that raises all kinds of issues regarding testing on animals and animal cruelty but it never forces opinions down your throat, instead it gives you all sides of the story and allows you to make up your own mind.  It will also make you think about love, family and the rights of those who aren't able to stand up for themselves.  A thought provoking and powerful read that will take you through all kinds of emotions Half Brother is a book I'd thoroughly recommend, I guarantee you will fall in love with Zan.  This is the first book I've read by Kenneth Oppel but it definitely won't be the last.

Source: Thanks to RHCB for sending me this book for review

Other reviews of this book:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Books Read In 2010

~A~
A Girl's Guide to Vampires (Dark Ones book 1) - Katie MacAlister
A Hat Full of Sky (Discworld book 32) - Terry Pratchett
A Hunger Like No Other (Immortals After Dark book 2) - Kresley Cole
A Peyton Family Christmas (Southern Arcana book 2.5) - Moira Rogers (Short Story)
A Safe Harbor (Building Sanctuary book 1) - Moira Rogers (Novella)
A Sicilian Seduction - Michelle Reid
A Vampire's Kiss (Manigault Vampires book 1) - Laura Stamps Vol 1 / Vol 2 / Vol 3
Abela: The Girl Who Saw Lions - Berlie Doherty
Almost True (Sequel to When I Was Joe) - Keren David
Alpha (Shifters book 6) - Rachel Vincent
An Eye for an Eye (Noughts & Crosses novella) - Malorie Blackman (Novella)
Angel (Angel Fever book 1) - L.A. Weatherly
Ashes of Midnight (Midnight Breed book 6) - Lara Adrian
Astoroth: Her Final Sin (Keeper of Twilight short story) - Stella & Audra Price (Short Story)
At Grave's End (Night Huntress book 3) - Jeaniene Frost
Awakened (Guardian Legacy book 1) - Ednah Walters

~B~
Beautiful Dead book 1 - Jonas - Eden Maguire
Beautiful Dead book 2 - Arizona - Eden Maguire
Beneath A Darkening Moon (Ripple Creek Werewolf book 2) - Keri Arthur
Beneath A Rising Moon (Ripple Creek Werewolf book 1) - Keri Arthur
Best Friends Forever - Jennifer Weiner
Bitten (Otherworld book 1) - Kelley Armstrong
Black Legacy (Black Opals book 1) - Juliana Stone (Short Story)
Black Swan Rising (Black Swan book 1) - Lee Carroll
Blood Bound (Mercy Thompson book 2) - Patricia Briggs
Blood Lust (The Preternaturals book 1) - Zoe Winters
Blood Promise (Vampire Academy book 4) - Richelle Mead
Bloodlust - Larissa Ione (Short Story)
Bloodlust & Initiation (Vampire Beach books 1 & 2)- Alex Duval
Blue Diablo (Corine Solomon book 1) - Ann Aguirre
Bone Crossed (Mercy Thompson book 4) - Patricia Briggs
Boys Don't Cry - Malorie Blackman
By Midnight (Ravenwood Mysteries book 1) - Mia James

~C~
Cape Storm (Weather Warden book 8) - Rachel Caine
Cattitude - Edie Ramer
Chasing Brooklyn - Lisa Schroeder
Chasing the Shadows (Nikki & Michael book 3) - Keri Arthur
Circle of Death (Damask Circle book 2) - Keri Arthur
Circle of Desire (Damask Circle book 3) - Keri Arthur
Circle of Fire (Damask Circle book 1) - Keri Arthur
Claire de Lune (Claire de Lune book 1) - Christine Johnson
Comfort Food - Kitty Thomas
Conspiracy Game (GhostWalkers book 4) - Christine Feehan
Covet (The Fallen Angels book 1) - J.R. Ward
Crossroads (Southern Arcana book 2) - Moira Rogers
Crux (Southern Arcana book 1) - Moira Rogers

~D~
Dancing with the Devil (Nikki & Michael book 1) - Keri Arthur
Dangerous Games (Riley Jenson book 4) - Keri Arthur
Dark Life - Kat Falls
Dark Lover (Black Dagger Brotherhood book 1) - J.R. Ward
Dark Prince (Carpathians book 1) - Christine Feehan
Dark Visions (The Strange Power, The Possessed & The Passion) - L.J. Smith
Darkness Calls (Hunters Kiss book 2) - Marjorie M. Liu
Dead If I Do (Garnet Lacy book 4) - Tate Hallaway
Dead Sexy (Garnet Lacey book 2) - Tate Hallaway
Deadly Game (GhostWalkers book 5) - Christine Feehan
Dear Dylan - Siobhan Curham
Demon Hunts (Walker Papers book 5) - C.E. Murphy
Demons of the Ocean (Vampirates book 1) - Justin Somper
Desire Unchained (Demonica book 2) - Larissa Ione
Destined for an Early Grave (Night Huntress book 4) - Jeaniene Frost
Dido - Adele Geras
Drawing, Doodling and Colouring for Christmas

~E~
Embraced by Darkness (Riley Jenson book 5) - Keri Arthur
Eternal Kiss of Darkness (Night Huntress World book 2) - Jeaniene Frost
Ex Appeal (Hunk De Jour book 2) - Cari Quinn (Novella)

~F~
Fallen (Fallen book 1) - Lauren Kate
Fire In His Eyes - (Dragon Elementals book 1) - Stella & Audra Price
Firestorm (Weather Warden book 5) - Rachel Caine
First Drop of Crimson (Night Huntress World book 1) - Jeaniene Frost
First Howl (Granite Lake Wolves short story) - Vivian Arend (Short Story)
Forbidden - Tabitha Suzuma
Forget-Her-Nots - Amy Brecount White
Forget You - Jennifer Echols
Frostbite (Vampire Academy book 2) - Richelle Mead
Full Moon Rising (Riley Jenson book 1) - Keri Arthur

~G~
Gale Force (Weather Warden book 7) - Rachel Caine
Generation 18 (Spook Squad book 2) - Keri Arthur
Generation Dead (Generation Dead book 1) - Daniel Waters
Guardian of the Dead - Karen Healey

~H~
Half Brother - Kenneth Oppel
Halfway to the Grave (Night Huntress book 1) - Jeaniene Frost
Halloween Fantasies - Katie Salidas (Novella)
Hand of Fate (Triple Threat book 2) - Lis Wiehl with April Henry
Hard Magic (Paranormal Scene Investigations book 1) - Laura Anne Gilman
Heavenly - Jennifer Laurens
Hearts in Darkness (Nikki & Michael book 2) - Keri Arthur
Her Dark Angel (Her Angel book 1) - Felicity Heaton (Novella)
Her Fallen Angel (Her Angel book 2) - Felicity Heaton (Novella)
Her Heart's Divide - Kathleen Dienne (Novella)
Her Warrior Angel (Her Angel book 3) - Felicity Heaton (Novella)
Hex Hall - Rachel Hawkins
High Stakes & Hunted (Vampire Beach books 5 & 6) - Alex Duval
His Darkest Hunger (Jaguar Warriors book 1) - Juliana Stone
Honeymoon of the Dead (Garnet Lacey book 5) - Tate Hallaway
Howling at the Moon (Tales of an Urban Werewolf book 1) - Karen MacInerney
Hush, Hush - Becca Fitzpatrick

~I~
I Married A Demon (Para-Mates book 1) - Beverly Rae
I Married A Dragon (Para-Mates book 2) - Beverly Rae
I Shall Wear Midnight (Discworld book 38) - Terry Pratchett
Immortal Remains (Weirdsville book 2) - Rook Hastings
Immortalis Carpe Noctem (Immortalis book 1) - Katie Salidas
Impossible - Nancy Werlin
Iron Kissed (Mercy Thompson book 3) - Patricia Briggs

~J~

~K~
Kiss Me If You Can (Bachelor Blogs book 1) - Carly Phillips
Kiss of Crimson (Midnight Breed book 2) - Lara Adrian
Kiss of Life (Generation Dead book 2) - Daniel Waters
Kiss of Midnight (Midnight Breed book 1) - Lara Adrian
Kiss the Night Goodbye (Nikki & Michael book 4) - Keri Arthur
Kissing Sin (Riley Jenson book 2) - Keri Arthur
Kitty and the Midnight Hour (Kitty Norville book 1) - Carrie Vaughn

~L~
Last Sacrifice (Vampire Academy book 6) - Richelle Mead
Leader of the Pack (Tales of an Urban Werewolf book 3) - Karen MacInerney
Leaving Paradise - Simone Elkeles
Lex Trent versus the Gods (The Lex Trent Chronicles book 1) - Alex Bell
Linger (The Wolves of Mercy Falls book 2) - Maggie Stiefvater
Lonestar Homecoming (Lonestar book 3) - Colleen Coble
Lost - Lori Devoti (Short Story)
Lover Awakened (Black Dagger Brotherhood book 3) - J.R. Ward
Lover Eternal (Black Dagger Brotherhood book 2) - J.R. Ward
Low Red Moon - Ivy Devlin

~M~
Memory Zero (Spook Squad Trilogy book 1) - Keri Arthur
Midnight Awakening (Midnight Breed book 3) - Lara Adrian
Midnight Rising (Midnight Breed book 4) - Lara Adrian
Mind Game (GhostWalkers book 2) - Christine Feehan
Mistress by Midnight (Courtesan Court book 2) - Maggie Robinson
Mistress by Mistake (Courtesan Court book 1) - Maggie Robinson
Monster High (Monster High book 1) - Lisi Harrison
Moon Called (Mercy Thompson book 1) - Patricia Briggs
My Name is Memory - Ann Brashares

~N~
Nation - Terry Pratchett
Nauti Boy (Nauti book 1) - Lora Leigh
Nearly Departed (Weirdsville book 1) - Rook Hastings
Need (Need Pixies book 1) - Carrie Jones
Night Game (GhostWalkers book 3) - Christine Feehan
Nightshade (Witches War book 1) - Andrea Cremer
Nina Jones and the Temple of Gloom - Julie Cohen
No Rest for the Wicked (Immortals After Dark book 3) - Kresley Cole
Noah Barleywater Runs Away - John Boyne
Noughts & Crosses (Noughts & Crosses book 1) - Malorie Blackman

~O~
On the Prowl - Anthology
On the Prowl (Tales of an Urban Werewolf book 2) - Karen MacInerney
Once Bitten, Twice Shy (Jaz Parks book 1) - Jennifer Rardin
One Foot in the Grave (Night Huntress book 2) - Jeaniene Frost

~P~
Passion Unleashed (Demonica book 3) - Larissa Ione
Penumbra (Spook Squad book 3) - Keri Arthur
Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson book 1) - Rick Riordan
Perfect Chemistry - Simone Elkeles
Playing Easy To Get - Anthology
Playing With Fire (Fire book 2) - Henning Mankell
Pleasure Unbound (Demonica book 1) - Larissa Ione
Prey (Shifters book 4) - Rachel Vincent
Pride (Shifters book 3) - Rachel Vincent

~Q~

~R~
Raised by Wolves (Raised by Wolves book 1) - Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Restoring Harmony - Joelle Anthony
Rising Shadow (The Soterians book 1) - Jacquelyn Wheeler
Ritual & Legacy (Vampire Beach books 3 & 4) - Alex Duval
Rogue (Shifters book 2) - Rachel Vincent
Romancing the Dead (Garnet Lacey book 3) - Tate Hallaway
Rules of Attraction (Perfect Chemsitry book 2) - Simone Elkeles (Review Coming Soon)

~S~
Second Howl (Granite Lake Wolves short story) - Vivian Arend (Short Story)
Secret Lives (Darke Academy book 1) - Gabriella Poole
Sex and the Single Vampire (Dark Ones book 2) - Katie MacAlister
Sex, Lies and Vampires (Dark Ones book 3) - Katie MacAlister
Sex Magick (Rune Witch book 1) - Laura Stamps (Novella)
Shade (Shade book 1) - Jeri Ready-Smith
Shades of Midnight (Midnight Breed book 7) - Lara Adrian
Shadow Days (Witches War prequel) - Andrea Cremer (Novella)
Shadow Game (GhostWalkers book 1) - Christine Feehan
Shadow Kiss (Vampire Academy book 3) - Richelle Mead
Shadow of the Vampire - Meagan Hatfield
Shadows (Dark Touch book 1) - Amy Meredith
Shift (Shifters book 5) - Rachel Vincent
Shiver (The Wolves of Mercy Falls book 1) - Maggie Stiefvater
Silver Borne (Mercy Thompson book 5) - Patricia Briggs
Simon's Cat: In his very own book (Simon's Cat book 1) - Simon Tofield
Sing Me To Sleep - Angela Morrison
Siren's Call (Dark Tides book 1) - Devyn Quinn
Some Girls Bite (Chicagoland Vampires book 1) - Chloe Neill
Soul Love - Lynda Waterhouse
Speak - Laurie Halse Anderson
Speak of the Devil (Morgan Kingsly book 4) - Jenna Black
Spirit Bound (Vampire Academy book 5) - Richelle Mead
Stolen (Otherworld book 2) - Kelley Armstrong
Storm Born (Dark Swan book 1) - Richelle Mead
Strange Angels (Strange Angels book 1) - Lilith Saintcrow
Stray (Shifters book 1) - Rachel Vincent
Succubus Blues (Georgina Kincaid book 1) - Richelle Mead
Succubus Dreams (Georgina Kincaid book 3) - Richelle Mead
Succubus Heat (Georgina Kincaid book 4) - Richelle Mead
Succubus Nights (Georgina Kincaid book 2) - Richelle Mead
Succubus Shadows (Georgina Kincaid book 5) - Richelle Mead

~T~
Taken by Midnight (Midnight Breed book 8) - Lara Adrian
Tall, Dark & Dead (Garnet Lacey book 1) - Tate Hallaway
Tempting Evil (Riley Jenson book 3) - Keri Arthur
Texas Tangle - Leah Braemel
The Alchemyst (Nicholas Flamel book 1) - Michael Scott
The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove - Lauren Kate
The Body Finder (Body Finder book 1) - Kimberly Derting
The Chosen One - Carol Lynch Williams
The Crescent (The Crescent book 1) - Jordan Deen
The Darkest Kiss (Riley Jenson book 6) - Keri Arthur
The Demon's Covenant (Demon's Lexicon Trilogy book 2 - Sarah Rees Brennan
The Demon's Lexicon (Demon's Lexicon Trilogy book 1) - Sarah Rees Brennan
The Devil Inside (Morgan Kingsley book 1) - Jenna Black
The Devil You Know (Morgan Kingsley book 2) - Jenna Black
The Devil's Due (Morgan Kingsley book 3) - Jenna Black
The Devil's Playground (Morgan Kingsley book 5) - Jenna Black
The Eternal Ones (Eternal Ones book 1) - Kirsten Miller
The Fallen Volume 1 (The Fallen books 1 & 2) - Thomas E Sniegoski
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Hitchhiker's Guide book 1) - Douglas Adams
The Iron Hunt (Hunters Kiss book 1) - Marjorie M. Liu
The Island - Sarah Singleton
The Long Weekend - Savita Kalhan
The Prophecy (Peach Child Trilogy book 1) - Gill James
The Rest Falls Away (Gardella Vampire Chronicles book 1) - Colleen Gleason
The Trouble with Spells (Of Witches and Warlocks book 1) - Lacey Weatherford
The Wee Free Men (Discworld book 30) - Terry Pratchett
Thin Air (Weather Warden book 6) - Rachel Caine
Thorn Queen (Dark Swan book 2) - Richelle Mead
Tide of Terror (Vampirates book 2) - Justin Somper
Torment (Fallen book 2) - Lauren Kate
Total Eclipse (Weather Warden book 9) - Rachel Caine
Trash - Andy Mulligan

~U~
Undone (Outcast Season book 1) - Rachel Caine

~V~
Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy book 1) - Richelle Mead
Vampire for Christmas - Felicity Heaton (Novella)
Veil of Midnight (Midnight Breed book 5) - Lara Adrian
Victoria Gardella: Vampire Slayer (Gardella Vampire Chronicles prequel) - Colleen Gleason (Short Story)
Viola in Reel Life - Adriana Trigiani

~W~
Weaved for Pleasure - Stella & Audra Price (Short Story)
When I Was Joe - Keren David
Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night (Immortals After Dark book 4) - Kresley Cole
Wild Card (Elite Ops book 1) - Lora Leigh
Winterborn - A.D. Roland
Wintersmith (Discworld book 35) - Terry Pratchett
Witchfinder Dawn of the Demontide (Witchfinder book 1) - William Hussey
Wolf Flight (Granite Lake Wolves book 2) - Vivian Arend (Novella)
Wolf Games (Granite Lake Wolves book 3) - Vivian Arend (Novella)
Wolf Signs (Granite Lake Wolves book 1) - Vivian Arend (Novella)

~X~

~Y~
You Against Me - Jenny Downham
You Burn Me (Eververse series) - Stella & Audra Price (Novella)

~Z~

Number of novels read = 217
Number of novellas read = 15
Number of short stories read = 11

Not a bad year I don't think & I'm pleased that I managed to review nearly everything I read (just a couple more reviews to come in the next few days that I'll add links for when they've been posted).  I wonder if I'll be able to beat these totals in 2011?  I don't think it's very likely!

Walker Undercover Reads & Long Reach Book Trailer

Last November I was lucky enough to be invited to attend Walker's blogger event where they told us all about their new Undercover Reads campaign and some of the exciting new books they will be releasing this year. You can read my event report here for more information about the titles we were given a sneak preview of & I have to say I'm really excited about all of them!

Today I had an email from Walker saying they have launched their new Undercover Reads website where they will be posting all of the latest information about the books and their authors. Every month a new title will be spotlighted and they have a really exciting range of different books - something for everyone no matter what your tastes are.  If you want to be kept up to date about these fab books you really should head on over & check out the blog.

The first Undercover Reads title is Long Reach by Peter Cocks, this is Peter's debut solo novel but he also co-wrote the Triskellion Trilogy with Mark Billingham.  Long Reach is the first book in a new YA crime thriller series set in the London East End and starring character Eddie Savage as he goes undercover with a London gang trying to discover how his brother died.  We got to see a preview of the book trailer at the Walker event but I'm really excited to be able to share the finished version of the trailer with you now:



I absolutely love the trailer - it looks more like an advert for a new TV series than a book trailer don't you think?  Long Reach was actually released in the UK on the 3rd of January so you should be able to find a copy in your local shops now.  I'm actually just about to start reading my copy so I'll be posting my review in the next couple of weeks.

Review: Secret Lives - Gabriella Poole

'True graduates of the Darke Academy take life by the throat, Cassandra, remember that!'

The Darke Academy is a school like no other.  An elite establishment that moves to a new exotic city every term, it's students are impossibly beautiful, sophisticated and rich.  And the more new scholarship girl Cassie Bell learns about the Academy, the more curious she becomes.

What sinister secrets are guarded by the Few - the select group of students who keep outsiders away?  Who is the dark stranger prowling the corridors at night?  And what really happened a year earlier, when the last scholarship girl died in mysterious circumstances?

One thing Cassie will discover is that a little knowledge may be a dangerous thing, but knowing too much can be deadly...

Darke Academy Series:
Secret Lives
Blood Ties
Divided Souls

Gabriella Poole is a pseudonym for author Gillian Philip, you can find out more about The Darke Academy series and her other books on her website here

Review:
So far life has been tough for Cassie, she has spent most of her life in a children's home since she was abandoned by a mother who couldn't cope.  When she wins a scholarship to the elite Darke Academy she is determined to make a fresh start of it but she knows it won't be easy to fit in with the wealthy students.  Arriving at her new school she finds herself ignored by most of the other students, in particular by a group who call themselves the Few.  Students in the Few seem to run the school, skipping lessons as they please and ignoring curfews which immediately catches Cassie's attention, she is determined to find out what secrets they are hiding and why they are allowed to break all of the rules.

Secret Lives is the first book in the Darke Academy series and was a quick and easy read.  I'm not always a big fan of prologues but this one had me completely gripped.  After the prologue the story did seem a little slow to get started but the pace does pick back up again and it made for enjoyable reading.  One thing I really did struggle with was the number of students we were introduced to in such a short space of time.  I was desperately trying to remember all of the different names because I wasn't sure who was going to be important to the storyline.  I think we could easily have been introduced to less characters without losing any of the story or if they had been introduced over a longer period we would have been able to get to know them all a bit better.

What I really loved was getting to read a young adult urban fantasy with a British main character and I found myself really liking Cassie.  Life in the children's home wasn't easy and she quickly learnt how to stand on her own two feet which makes her a feisty character and one who won't let the other students push her around even if they do have a lot more money than she does.  I loved the way she didn't let anyone get away with bullying her and didn't let it show that she found the others intimidating.  She is a tough cookie and you wouldn't want to end up on the wrong side of her.

The other students come from all over the world and although they do tend to pretty much follow the standard stereotypes I liked the fact that a mixture of cultures were included.  It made it more interesting than stories where all of the main characters come from the same background.  My favorite characters alongside Cassie had to be her roommate Isabella and the other scholarship student Jake.  Isabella is a fiery Argentinian who is funny and likable and made me smile with the way she was constantly mixing her metaphors while Jake is the all American boy who has his own secrets to hide.

I knew going in that this was a vampire story so I had expectations before I started reading but Gabriella Poole (Gillian Philip) managed to completely surprise me with her unique twist on the genre.  I'm very curious to see where the story will take us in Blood Ties so will definitely be continuing the series.  If you're looking for something with a great British heroine I would recommend giving Secret Lives a try.

Source: Library

Other reviews of this book:
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