Saturday, December 31, 2011

Darkness Under the Sun & The Moonlit Mind by Dean Koontz


Last post of 2011! Wow, so glad this year is over, the beginning pretty much sucked, the end has been better, and hoping that 2012 turns out really good, especially if it is the last year we have according to all those people who say the end of the world is coming. :-)
So, recently I was trying to figure out exactly what was the last Dean Koontz book I read. A couple years ago I just didn't have the money to keep buying his books when they came out in hardcover, and I can't quite remember when I stopped. So I got online and looked up a list of his boks in the order they were published. Well, I think I found my answer, but I also found 2 books that have only been available as e-books, and they were kind of companion novels to the last book, What the Night Knows, and the newest one that came out this week, 77 Shadow Street. Since they were both short, I'll include them both in one blog post.
First, Darkness Under the Sun, was written I think after the book it goes with, What the Night Knows. The main character in this is a boy named Howie. He is disfigured because his father tried to burn him over a custody dispute. Howie goes to the top of a building to watch the town around him without having to be a part of it. The day we read about at the start of this novella he is not alone when he gets up there. There is a man, a very tall, also pretty messed up looking man. This man is Alton Turner Blackwood, the killer from the book this goes with. Howie and this man become friends, so much that Howie invites him to come live in the room above their garage. The man says he has to think about it, but asks Howie to bring him pictures of the house, as well as his mother and sister. Howie brings the pictures and then leaves. When he comes back, the man is gone, the pictures have been torn, and Howie suddenly knows what he's done. He runs home to find the killer getting ready to attack his family. And he is able to scare him off. But it turns out he's now given the killer an idea of how he can kill and earn the fame he wants. Later on he sends a letter to Howie telling him this. Good story, not sure if it really leads me into wanting to read the book. In fact, it has the first chapter or so at the end, and now I'm not sure if I've read the whole book, or if I just read these two chapters at the back of whatever book came before it. It was a very Dean Koontz story, exactly what you'd expect.
The 2nd story, The Moonlit Mind, was available before the book it goes with was released this past Tuesday. And let me say, I REALLY enjoyed this one. It reminded me of some of the earlier works of Koontz that I really enjoyed. Like Twilight Eyes, Strangers, Watchers (all by Koontz), as well as Anouther Faust by Daniel Nayeri. Just something about it really was the type of book I liked. And now I'm really eager to read 77 Shadow Street. This novella is also with a young main character, a 12 year old boy named Crispin who has lived on the streets since he was 9. He ran away from his mother and step-father's house after his younger sister and brother disappeared. The way they disappeared was very mysterious. It seems as if there is a cult or satanic rituals going on in this house. And very strangely there is a miniature replica of the mansion that Crispin is really intrigued by. And it turns out that replica has a connection to all that is going on. Crispin has also made friends with the "Phantom of Broderick's" or as she calls herself, Amity. Amity works and lives at Broderick's department store. And Crispin, and his dog Harley, named after his younger brother, stay there nights as well. But Crispin can't stay in any one place too long, for soon the people from his past will come looking for him, and have caught up to him in the past. Amity also has a scary past. And together they will try to overcome them. This is a great lead in to the book, although the first few chapters of the book at the end of this novella, don't quite match the tone of the novella, but hopefully it will get back to what I liked about this.

Friday, December 30, 2011

TBR Pile Reading Challenge



Working part time at a bookstore, I get a lot of ARCs and also books that have stripped covers, and so I have lots of books to be read. I also see books I want as they come in, and then buy them with my discount. Not to mention for a year or two I belonged to a book club and I got some good deals on books that way. And finally, working as a teacher, those book fairs at school not only help the school library out, they have some darn good deals! So I have at least 300 books needing to be read sitting in my 2nd bedroom/office. I found through several blogs that I follow a link to this challenge which is being sponsored by Evie @ Bookish.
Basically I am setting a goal to read a certain number of the books from my TBR pile between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2012. The books have to have been published in 2011 or before, can't be any new books, otherwise they don't count in cleaning out the TBR pile! There are 5 different levels of how many books you think you will read. You can increase and go up levels if you think you'll read more, but you cannot back down. You can list your books in this post if you want, but I'm not going to do that. I'm going to pick the books up as they strike my fancy. So I will mention they're for this challenge when I review them, and then I will have a wrap up post at the end that lists them all.
Another cool thing is that there will be contests and giveaways with this challenge! To find out more about this, follow either of the links above, the picture, or the name of the host. I, personally, am choosing level 2: A Friendly Hug, as I am going to do my best to read at least 1 a month, for a total of 12 for the year. Not much of a dent in my 300 TBR pile, but maybe I'll get further. Here is a list of the awesome hosts for this challenge:
Angel @ Mermaids Vision

List of books read and date:
The Slayer Chronicles:  First Kill by Heather Brewer
Death Cure (Maze Runner #3) by James Dashner
Torn (Trylle Trilogy #2) by Amanda Hocking.
Rebirth (An Aftertime Novel) by Sophie Littlefield
Dark Eden by Patrick Carman
Ghost Whisperer - Revenge by Doranna Durgin
Ascend (Trylle Trilogy #3) by Amanda Hocking
Dark Souls by Paula Morris
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
The Eleventh Plague by Jeff Hirsch
Dead Reckoning (Sookie Stackhouse #11) by Charlaine Harris
Frozen by Mary Casanova

Feature and Follow Friday #16

Feature and Follow Friday is a weekly event sponsored by Parajunkee and Allison Can Read. The purpose is to expand your blog following by a joint effort between bloggers. This week's question is:
The New Year is here - and everyone wants to know your New Years Blogging resolution! What are you going to try to revise, revamp, and re-do on your blog for 2012?
Well, that's a hard one. While I'm considering moving my blog or maybe re-doing the background (adding another dog to the header now that I have a puppy too), the main thing I want to do more of this year is scheduling blogs. I only learned about doing that this past fall. I know, I know, I'm behind. But I plan to use this to make sure that I am blogging once a week for sure. I can get my Waiting on Wednesdays set up ahead so that I know I will always have one once a week. Also, according to NetGalley, some of the publishers want you to wait until about a month before a book's actual release before you post a review. So I can use the scheduling for that, and actually already have one scheduled for a book that doesn't come out until August! So I've already started.
So, what are your resolutions for your blog?

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday - Underworld by Meg Cabot

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine where we get together to discuss upcoming books that we are eagerly awaiting.
This will of course be the last one of 2011! Yay! I have a hard time doing this some time because there are soooooo many books out there that I am looking forward to. So I scrolled through my Goodreads list for one I had on my to-read list that already had a picture for the cover.
My choice this week is Underworld by Meg Cabot, which is a sequel to her book Abandon. Here is the summary from Goodreads:

Seventeen-year-old Pierce Oliviera isn't dead. Not this time. But
she is being held against her will in the dim, twilit world between heaven and
hell, where the spirits of the deceased wait before embarking upon their final
journey. Her captor, John Hayden, claims it's for her own safety. Because
not all the departed are dear. Some are so unhappy with where they ended up
after leaving the Underworld, they've come back as Furies, intent on vengeance .
. . on the one who sent them there and on the one whom he loves. But
while Pierce might be safe from the Furies in the Underworld, far worse dangers
could be lurking for her there . . . and they might have more to do with its
ruler than with his enemies. And unless Pierce is careful, this time
there'll be no escape.
Can't wait to go on with this story. I just really enjoyed it! What is your WOW?

Everneath by Brodi Ashton

Everneath (Everneath, #1)Everneath by Brodi Ashton

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins, first off let me say I LOVED this book. I like the new take on the afterlife. This was a different paranormal romance, no vampires, werewolves, angels, fairies. There are immortal beings, and in a way, they are kind of like vampires. These immortal beings though live on the feelings or emotions of mortals. They can take it during events like concerts, like the band that Cole is in. Or they can take you to the Everneath where you will be right next to them for 100 years while they get the sustenance they need to last another 100 years. Now, this 100 years in the Everneath is much longer than how much time actually passes on the surface. And normally, after you've been here, you age too. But for some reason, Nikki, our main character, doesn't age after this 100 years with Cole. And she wants to go back, back to a face, a boy she knew. She went with Cole because she was sad, her mother had died, things with her social life were not at the greatest, and so she let him take the pain away. But by going back, instead of staying with Cole and doing what he wants her to do, to stay with him forever and maybe take over the Everneath, she now owes the shades, the creatures that connected them, and after a short time back, about 6 months or so, they will pull her back into the Tunnels, a horrible dark place she is told. But Nikki wants a chance to actually tell her family and friends goodbye this time. She needs to see the guy whose face she saw the whole time, Jack, at least one more time. Cole is there the whole time trying to win her back.

This story was so good. I had to know what would happen. I loved the mythology in it, as well as the way those myths could be re-interpreted to fit this story. I'm so glad to see on Goodreads that there is a sequel, because I need to go on with this story. I'm not ready for it to end. And you won't be either.

And, isn't the cover beautiful!



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Tuesday, December 27, 2011

A - Z Book Challenge



So, I really only did one book challenge last year, the Debut Author Challenge hosted by

The Story Siren. And I'm now debating whether to do that one again this year or not. But this is a challenge that sounds really interesting and different. So I'm going to try it. I'm going to go with the "B" method, of just as I read adding titles to the the list. In order to make this list, what I'll probably do is make a post, and then just add to it as I add books to the list and update it. Not sure how else to keep a list on my blog right now. I'm not so great with all the design stuff. But if any of you have suggestions on how I can do it, I'd love it! I'm kind of at the mercy of using Blogger's little widgets right now.
If you're interested in participating, just click on the button at the top of this post and follow the instructions to get involved!

A- Another Jekyll, Another Hyde by Daniel and Dina Nayeri
B- Bloodrose by Andrea Cremer
C- Fever (Chemical Garden series #2) by Lauren DeStefano
D- The Death Cure by James Dashner
E- Revealing Eden (Save the Pearls #1) by Victoria Foyt
F- First Kill (The Slayer Chronicles) by Heather Brewer
G- Grave Mercy (His Fair Assassin #1) by Robin LaFever
H- Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo
I-  Incarnate by Jodi Meadows
J- Transcendence by C.J. Omololu
K- The White Oak (Imperfect Darkness #1) by Kim White
L- Rebirth (Aftertime #2) by Sophie Littlefield
M- My Soul to Take (Soul Screamers #1) by Rachel Vincent
N-  On Fire (Teen Wolf) by Nancy Holder
O- Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver
P- Pure by Julianna Baggott
Q- Rift (Nightshade preQuel #1) by Andrea Cremer
R- Ripper by Amy Carol Reeves
S-  Spellcaster by Cara Lynn Shultz
T- Torn (Trylle Trilogy #2) by Amanda Hocking
U- Suck it Up and Die by Brian Meehl
V-  Redemption by Veronique Launier
W- The Weepers (Other Life #1) by Susanne Winnacker
X- Truth (XVI #2) by Julia Karr
Y- Monument 14 by EmmY Laybourne
Z- The Kill Order (MaZe Runner prequel) by James Dashner

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Hallowed by Cynthia Hand

Hallowed (Unearthly, #2)Hallowed by Cynthia Hand

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I got to read the first book in this series, Unearthly as an ARC a few months before it came out the beginning of this year. So I'm glad I was able to get this egalley from Netgalley and HarperTeen. It means the amount of time between reading them is the same for people who wait for each book to come out, and I like that. This was probably the 2nd angel series I read, I gave it a try after I liked Hush, Hushand I enjoyed it as well. In this book we jump in about where we left off. Clara is with Tucker, the boy she decided to save in the book before, even though her purpose seemed to be directing her to save Christian, who it turned out was also an angel-blood. Tucker knows the basics about Clara being an angel. In this book though, Clara gets a new vision, and since she's sure she failed her purpose, she thinks that it will be someone she loves who dies. She soon finds out that it will be, but not who she first imagines. And when she finds this out, it leads to all sorts of changes in her life. But the Black Wing from the first book is back. But her father also comes back. And she learns all sorts of things about herself, as well as angels in general. And her brother is hiding something, we do find out what, but still unsure quite why he is acting the way he is, we are left wondering at the end.

Once I got back into the book and remembered all from the first book, I got sucked back in and it was a book I had trouble putting down. So I'm sure people who enjoyed the first one will be glad to pick this one up. It actually left me ready to read the next in the series, which I'm sure there will have to be.



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Saturday, December 17, 2011

Breaking Dawn Movie Review

Yeah, yeah, I know this is a book blog, but as Breaking Dawn is a movie based on one of my favorite book series, I think this works. I personally felt this was the best of all the movies so far. I do have a few complaints, as anyone would. First, one thing I loved in the book was the banter between Jacob and Rosalie, the dumb blonde jokes, and then when Rosalie made the bowl into a dog dish to bring Jacob his food. That was left out, and I was a bit disappointed. Second, a lot of people laughed at the part where the wolves were talking, but I didn't think that was bad. I mean, come on, we're talking a movie about vampires that sparkle and werewolves that can communicate telepathically. How else would they do that? I was okay. One part that made me cringe was when Emmett and Jasper came to take Edward to his "bachelor" party. The way they laughed and shoved each other around down below Bella's window was kinda dorky and stupid seeming. Also, I know Alice is supposed to be the "fashion" queen, and I know I'm not really a fashionista, but at the beginning when she's got on shoes that are a lighter color than the hose/tights she is wearing? I can't stand that look, it looks dumb to me. And the other part that really made me cringe was at the wedding the way they were showing Alice and Jasper dance as if it was really stunning and impressive, but it was only a little jump they did. Really? Kinda dorky.
Other than those complaints, I loved it! I know people have complained there wasn't much action, and I can see their point, but the movie ended at the EXACT point I wanted it to. Although not sure the dress Bella is in is really what was descrbied in the book, so may be a little disappointed in how the next movie starts. But we'll see. I've seen it 3 times, and know I'll see it at least 2 more times. If not more as usuall. And now, well, I've got to wait until next November to see the next one! Which sucks because that means I'll have to go to New York again to see it. :-)
Anyway, I'm looking forward to my Christmas break from teaching and actually getting some reading done! So that I can post more book reviews on here.

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Crossed by Ally Condie

Crossed (Matched, #2)Crossed by Ally Condie

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


First let me say that I need to take a cue from something I saw The Story Siren say, that she doesn't read other reviews. Because in the case of this book, I wonder how much of my dissatisfaction is because I read other reviews of people that were not completely pleased with this book. I also wonder how much is because it is the "sophomore" book in the series, which often aren't as good as the first. Let me be clear, it wasn't bad, it was a good story, but it just didn't live up to how much I loved the first book in the series,Matched. After thinking about it, here is why I think that is. I liked the whole society part of the first book, the 100 books, movies, songs, etc. I liked being a part of all that. This book took our characters out of that society and put them out in the wilderness basically. And while I do enjoy books like that, it just didn't keep up with where the first story went. It reminds me of my displeasure with Mockingjay, the 3rd in the Hunger Games trilogy. I think I didn't enjoy the 3rd book because there was no "hunger games" in it. It sounds as if the 3rd book in the Matched series may get back to the setting that pulled me in to the series in the first place. And I did like learning more about Ky, as well as about the people who weren't in the society, and why things became the society like that. All in all I believe it furthered the story, told us what we needed to know, but I'm ready to read on and hopefully get back into the society.



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Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday - Fear (Gone #5) by Michael Grant

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event sponsored by Jill at Breaking the Spine. This is where we share the books we are eagerly anticipating the release of.

This week I've chosen Fear (Gone Series #5) by Michael Grant. I first learned of this series when I was reading for the Truman nominees a few years ago. I was hooked and begin burning my way through them. And these are some thick books! But really quick reading, hard to put down. In the series all adults have disappeared, basically anyone above a certain age. Turns out that whatever did happen, the town is now inside a giant dome and they can't see what is outside. And when the kids turn that age, they can, but don't always have to, disappear as well. Inside the dome there are monsters and of course there are kids who are "bad" in the Lord of the Flies way almost. So here is a synopsis of this book from Goodreads:
This is a blood-pumping, white-knuckle sci-fi thriller of epic proportions. Night is falling in the FAYZ. Even though it's been nearly a year since everyone over the age of fifteen disappeared, the sun has continued to shine on the kids of Perdido Beach. Now, though, the gaiaphage has blotted out the sun and plunged the FAYZ into perpetual gloom. Divided and dispirited, the survivors face their greatest enemy yet - the darkness of their own minds ...



I can't wait to read this and continue on with the story. What book are you eagerly awaiting?



Friday, December 9, 2011

Feature and Follow Friday


Feature and Follow Friday is a weekly event that helps you expand your blog following by a joint effort between bloggers. It is sponsored by Parajunkee and Allison Can Read. This week's question is:


Keeping with the spirit of giving this season, what book do you think EVERYONE should read, and if you could, would you buy it for all of your family and friends?


Again, this is a really hard question this week! I think that I would actually have to pick a book that really touched me because of what I personally deal with in my own life, as well as family members I've had do this. The book 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher. I especially want to recommend it to all middle school age kids. I know it is really about high school students, but I see my students saying these mean things to each other all the time. And I think the way the girl in the book describes how these little things that people say affect her, after all she's been through, is very realistic. It's so easy to just let your bad mood cause you to be rude or short with another person, not thinking about how it affects what they're already dealing with in their lives. And I guess along with this book, I'd also recommend the book How Full is Your Bucket by Tom Rath. This taught me a long time ago to think about how when another person doesn't say hi when you walk by or smile, or whatever, it's not necessarily anything to do with you, so don't take it personal, and also, realize how what you do or say can be taken personal by someone else, and do your best not to fall into these traps. I think the 2nd book is something to help you live by, and the first is good for those who are either suffering from depression, or who maybe are bullying, to see what they are actually doing to someone.


Okay, I think this post is kind of depressing for me today! Sorry about that! What books did you pick?

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Epic Giveaway by author Beth Revis!


You have got to go enter this contest! Not only are there a ton of prizes available, as explained in the video below, but she is donating $1 per entry (up to 1000 entries) to charity!

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Under the Never SkyUnder the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I got Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi from Netgalley. I have to admit when I first started reading it, I had a few thoughts I wasn't going to really enjoy it. The dystopian future seemed a bit too out there at first. And I'm not sure why, because a lot of the technology they started with in this book is similar to what is in other books like Bumped and even Skinned, the 2nd of which is one of my favorite series. I guess the part where they went into the pod where all the plants were dead, and the way the guys with the main character, Aria, acted about the fire and all that. But when Aria was betrayed because what happened with the fire was caused by a high ranking official's son, and sent out into what they called The Death Shop to make it on her own, I was hooked. I knew as soon as she went to talk to the official that was probably going to happen. Just had a feeling. She meets up out there with the Outsider who had saved her from the fire that night. The outsider has what I'd consider a mutation, probably caused by whatever had driven so many people to live in the Pods. He has what she needs to try to find her way to where communication was lost with her mother in another Pod. He needs this eye piece tech as well because he believes he can use it to get his nephew back, who was kidnapped by the Dwellers he assumes so they can get the information Aria recorded on there of the Official's son. Out in this wilderness they come across all kinds of "real" nature, something that Aria has only experienced as what would be called virtual reality. Her body also starts reverting to its natural state. And in one thing that to some people may be TMI, to me, I wasn't sure how she got by in the clothes she had, she got her period, but didn't know what it was. Not sure how she dealt with it either. Call me crazy, but I wanted to know for sure. Other than that, the relationship between her and the outsider Perry develops in a fair way I felt. And as we got to the end, where once again we were left hanging, I found myself wanting to read on, and sad that it was over and I'd have to wait to learn more. I think this will be a good new dystopian series.



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Waiting on Wednesday - Darkness Falls (Immortal Beloved #2) -Cate Tiernan

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly awaiting.

This week I've chosen Darkness Falls by Cate Tiernan, the sequel to Immortal Beloved. It is set to be published January 2, 2012.

From Goodreads.com:

Nastasya has lived for hundreds of years, but for some reason, life never seems to get any better. She left her spoiled, rich girl life to find peace at River's Edge, a safe haven for wayward immortals. There, she learned to embrace River's Edge, despite some drama involving the sexy Reyn, who she wants but won't allow herself to have. But just as she's getting comfortable, her family's ties to dark magick force her to leave. She falls back into her old, hard partying ways, but will her decision lead her into the hands of a dark immortal? Or will it be her first step to embracing the darkness within her?

I got the first book on sale when Borders was going out of business. I really enjoyed it, and am now eager to move on and find out what happens next in the story.






What is your most anticipated book this week?

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Deadly Little Secret by Laurie Faria Stolarz

Deadly Little Secret (Touch, #1)Deadly Little Secret by Laurie Faria Stolarz

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I know this book has been out for awhile, but I've seen it at the store and picked it up and thought about reading it. However NetGalley offered a free download of it in preparation for the latest book in the series being released, so I went ahead and downloaded and read it. Okay, so first I have to agree with some other reviewers that this starts out JUST like Twilight. The mysterious boy saves the girl from a car crash. This boy is hot and cold toward her. Yet his touch and something about him just mesmerizes her. The girl is Camelia, the boy is Ben. Well, Ben has a history, it is rumored he killed his girlfriend, but the police found him innocent, so he didn't get charged with it. But everyone at school believes the rumors, and gives him a hard time. Now, Ben is the new one at school. Turns out he wants to go back to a normal life, public school, as he's been homeschooled since his girlfriend died to deal with these same kind of issues. Camelia is intrigued as I said, but about this same time she also seems to have picked up a stalker of some sort. And she doesn't quite know who it is. It begins with a picture of her left in her mailbox. And it goes on to creepy phone calls, and more violent things such as someone breaking into her room and tearing things to shreds, like a gift this same stalker left at her windowsill. And to top it all off, Ben has a power, and it seems this power can help Camelia, but could also be what caused his girlfriend to die.

Getting past the part that was so identical to Twilight, I really got sucked in. There were so many people that could have been the stalker. The author set the clues and false clues up so well. I won't spoil it and tell you who it was, but I will list all the people I thought it could be as I read, Ben of course, her friend Wes, her ex-boyfriend Matt, the guy she worked for at the Pottery shop, the guy her best friend had a crush on, and even her best friend Kimmie, all stood out at times as possibly being the stalker. Was it one of them? Like I said, I won't spoil it for you, you need to read it yourself. It was really creepy trying to figure out who it was. I guess I'll now have to go on and read the other books in the series.



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Friday, December 2, 2011

Follow Friday #14

Feature and Follow Friday is a blog hop that helps expand your blog following by a joint effort between bloggers. It is hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read. This week's question is:

What is your biggest pet peeve when it comes to books? Maybe you don't like love triangles or think plots. Tell us about it!

Wow, this is kind of a hard question this week! Just because I'm not sure what pet peeves I have with books. I either like them or I don't. I know that with realistic type fiction, I have trouble when I can't relate to the main character, especially if there is any romance. As someone who is in their late 30's and single, never been married, it is hard for me to read about women who are unhappy in their marriages. I'm not saying I don't think those kind of stories aren't realistic, they just don't speak to me. So, not sure if that is a pet peeve, but that is something that I do think about a lot when it comes to choosing books to read.


What are your pet peeves? Surely you have better, more thought out ones than I do.

The Katerina Trilogy, Vol. I: The Gathering Storm by Robin Bridges

The Katerina Trilogy, Vol. I: The Gathering StormThe Katerina Trilogy, Vol. I: The Gathering Storm by Robin Bridges

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I got this as an e-book from Netgalley. I normally wouldn't enter the Goodreads contest to win a copy of a book I've already read, but I did really enjoy this, and since it is part one of a series, I'll want to have it to re-read before the next one comes out probably. I really liked the story to begin with. The characters really grabbed me, and it was fun to kind of read about "royalty" in a way. To read about girls who were supposed to only get married and be good wives. Yet our main character, Katerina, doesn't want that kind of life. She wants to be a doctor. Now in her country, women have been banned from going to medical school. Her father supports her, along with another doctor, and says he will help her to go to a school that does allow women. But this is not the main storyline, although it is a big part of her life. Katerina can see a light around people, a light that tells something about whether they are close to death or not. And she soon finds out, this may be because she is a necromancer. In this world there are vampires, and fairies, and zombies, and all kinds of magical things, ghosts, etc. And it is a world of it. The light and dark sides. Katerina is needed by both sides. One needs her for a ritual to help their son ascend, and then they want her powers for other things later on. The other side needs her to be able to raise a creature that can save them from the dark. The one side, the son says he's in love with her, but Katerina doesn't trust his family, or him. The other side has a soldier/royal son who irritates her, and he doesn't trust her because he can tell what her power is. But soon, a spark grows between them as they continue to be thrown together in all these dangerous situations. But Katerina may have to deny her true feelings, as the other side threatens her friends and family if she does not marry their son and do as they ask.

Now, as I've said, I really enjoyed this book. When I picked it up, I had trouble putting it down. The story was very thought out, all the background of the families and all the paranormal situations and entities. It ended at a point that I'm very eager to read on past and find out what happens, and that's the problem with reading advanced readers copies, since it isn't even published yet, now I have to wait until it's published, plus probably another year before I'll get to read on. I wish when I got an ARC of a series, I could just get all the rest early too. But I'm sure all readers feel that way. Anyway, my only complaint with this book has to do with some of how it was so involved. I feel like the book just started in with some of the paranormal stuff, but didn't really explain it well until later, which was a bit confusing. Also, Katerina didn't know she was a necromancer, or that vampires were real, but she did know there were fairies? Seems weird to know about that and not the rest. But all in all, a great book, and I totally got past that once I got into the story.



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