Book Review: Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake

Title: Girl of Nightmares (Anna #2)
Author: Kendare Blake
Format: Hardcover
Source: For review

It's been months since the ghost of Anna Korlov opened a door to Hell in her basement and disappeared into it, but ghost-hunter Cas Lowood can't move on.

His friends remind him that Anna sacrificed herself so that Cas could live—not walk around half dead. He knows they're right, but in Cas's eyes, no living girl he meets can compare to the dead girl he fell in love with.

Now he's seeing Anna everywhere: sometimes when he's asleep and sometimes in waking nightmares. But something is very wrong...these aren't just daydreams. Anna seems tortured, torn apart in new and ever more gruesome ways every time she appears.

Cas doesn't know what happened to Anna when she disappeared into Hell, but he knows she doesn't deserve whatever is happening to her now. Anna saved Cas more than once, and it's time for him to return the favor.

Girl of Nightmares is the second book in the Ana duology. It starts of where Anna Dressed in Blood left off. Following Cas's adventures, Girl of Nightmares is just as good as Anna Dressed in Blood; in fact a little better.

Girl of Nightmares is a fast-paced action-packed book. Fullof magic, suspense, and wonderful characters. From the first page, the book will leave its readers hooked. The mystery and the suspense are the shining factors in this story. Reader will want answers, wanting to know why Anna haunts Cas's dreams.

Character development in this story is also very well-done. There's lots of friendship, relationships, and drama. Cas is an interesting character. He is determined and is always motivating. His friends are very interesting characters as well. Thomas and Carmel; very interesting. Their relationship is real and captivating. Their friendship, all three of them, is very admiring and remarkable.

Finally, the world. The world is very interesting, full of magic. The idea of the athame is very interesting. Readers get to experience a world full of twists and unexpected things. Like readers, Cas questions his world. He gets to find answers along with the readers. That was a very unique story-telling technique. Everything is resolved and wrapped up nicely.

Overall, Girl of Nightmares is a very enjoyable and quick read. Readers will be left on the edge of their seats. If a reader wants something fun, exciting, nail-biting experience, then Anna Dressed in Blood and Girl of Nightmares is a book he/she definitely has to read.

Book Review: Fractured by Teri Terry

Title: Fractured (Slated #2)
Author: Teri Terry
Format: Paperback
Source: For review

How do you know where to go when you don't remember where you came from?

Kyla's memory has been erased,
her personality wiped blank,
her memories lost for ever.

Or so she thought.

Kyla shouldn't be able to remember anything. But she can - and she's beginning to realise that there are a lot of dark secrets locked away in her memories. When a mysterious man from her past comes back into her life, she thinks she's on her way to finding the truth. But the more she learns about her history, the more confusing her future becomes...

Set in a disturbing future world, FRACTURED is an engrossing, fast-paced read that establishes Teri Terry as a master thriller writer.

Thank you Hachette UK for providing me with a review copy for this book.

Fractured is just as thrilling as Slated, if not more. It starts where Slated left off. From that first page, Fractured will keep you hooked. You want to keep reading and reading, wanting to know what happens next. 

Fractured is a perfect sequel to Slated. Terry manages to create suspense, thriller, and even push MORE boundaries. In this book, Terry shows another side of Kyla. Terry manages to easily explain the complex character of Kyla. With every page, we realize how complicated Slating is and how conflicted Kyla is. Terry flawlessly develops Kyla's character and PERFECTLY explains the scientific/technological processes. What's very amusing is that the processes feel so real; you feel that it really happens in today's life.

Other than character development, Terry's writing style perfectly flows with the story. It is simple but engaging. It keeps you hooked. It makes you want to turn page after page after page. Kyla's voice is so refreshing and just like her, you want answers to many questions. With many new questions brought up in this book, I DO NOT know how this series will end. 
  
Fractured is more of a thriller book than dystopian in my opinion. This works very well. Fractured is a PROOF that books don't need to have action to be amazing. Fractured has a minimal amount of action; however, that does not stop you from enjoying the book.

I really admired how Fractured wasn't just a filler like most other books. It has a well-organized plot AND builds up for the final book. Authors should do this more often.

Overall, I haven't said much about this book because I don't want to spoil anything, but if you've read Slated, you will NOT be disappointed with Fractured. If you haven't read Slated, then pick it up as soon as possible. Terry has done many things this time. She has added unexpected twists, took more risks, and pushed more boundaries. The plot is so complicated right now that NO one can guess what happens next, only Terry can. Terry is a talented author with an engrossing story, memorable characters, and well-crafted world-building. 

 

Book Review: The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

Title: The Immortal Rules (Blood of Eden #1)
Author: Julie Kagawa
Format: Ebook
Source: Netgalley

To survive in a ruined world, she must embrace the darkness….

Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a walled-in city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten. Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them—the vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself dies and becomes one of the monsters.

Forced to flee her city, Allie must pass for human as she joins a ragged group of pilgrims seeking a legend—a place that might have a cure for the disease that killed off most of civilization and created the rabids, the bloodthirsty creatures who threaten human and vampire alike. And soon Allie will have to decide what and who is worth dying for…again.

Enter Julie Kagawa's dark and twisted world as an unforgettable journey begins.

The Immortal Rules is the second book of its genre that I have read. It's a vampire book set in a dystopian setting. The first one was The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda that had the same genre. While I enjoyed both, I think I enjoyed The Immortal Rules a little bit more.

The Immortal Rules is the first Julie Kagawa book I've read. I'm very happy I read it.

The Immortal Rules was very enjoyable for many reasons. So, I'm gonna split this review into three categories: characters, story, and writing style.

1-Characters: The Immortal Rules had some of the best characters. Usually with YA books, I get very annoyed with some characters (both male and female); males for being so obnoxious, rude, or so called "bad boy", and females for being so weak and dreamy. However, with The Immortal Rules, this wasn't the case.

a) Allison: She was strong, likeable and different. Always putting herself in danger for others, Allison managed to have an impact on me as a reader, and I believe she's one of the best characters I've come across in YA literature. Afterall, she's the Asian girl with Katana. NOW THAT IS SOMETHING :)!

b)Kanin: Kanin was definitely a character with all the wits. While he might sound depressed and everything, he's always there, whatever he says haunts Allison because they're so true. Definitely an amazing character, I'm looking forward to seeing Kanin more in The Eternity Cure.

c)Zeke: The male protagonist of the story. I liked Zeke for his care towards his family and for his bravery. However, Zeke had some very annoying moments. He was judgemental, too judgemental at times.

In general, I liked how the characters came from different points of view and how there was suspicion throughout the story.

2-Story: The story progressed in a very organized way. I liked how the book was split into several parts, with each part significantly changing the story somehow. I liked how throughout the story we were reminded that Allison is a  vampire and how she struggled to minimize her senses. That was very well done. I liked how it was full of action, adventure, and even mystery. I loved the story.

3-Writing style: The writing style was FANTASTIC! Julie Kagawa has her own unique voice when writing. Allison's character and how she behaves strikes you and has an impact on you. Julie Kagawa's writing flawlessly flows with the story and characters. Her world building is great as well. However, the best part of her writing is conveying emotions. She really knows how to make you emotional. There's death, and some unexpected ones. WELL DONE JULIE KAGAWA! However, the book felt really long. For some reason, the beginning felt extremely slow. I struggled getting through pages 100-200 pages but got better around 280 pages through the story, and that's why I removed one star from my rating.

Overall, this is a unique YA books. It managed to wow you, and makes you think about it after you finish reading it. I can't wait to read the next in the series, The Eternity Cure.

The Fear Collector by Gregg Olsen Blog Tour

"YOU'LL SLEEP WITH THE LIGHTS ON AFTER READING GREGG OLSEN."

--Allison Brennan

Throughout his career, Gregg Olsen has demonstrated an ability to create a detailed narrative that offers readers fascinating insights into the lives of people caught in extraordinary circumstances.

A New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Olsen has written eight nonfiction books, eight novels, a novella, and contributed a short story to a collection edited by Lee Child.

The award-winning author has been a guest on dozens of national and local television shows, including educational programs for the History Channel, Learning Channel, and Discovery Channel. He has also appeared on Dateline NBC, William Shatner's Aftermath, Deadly Women on Investigation Discovery, Good Morning America, The Early Show, The Today Show, FOX News, CNN, Anderson Cooper 360, MSNBC, Entertainment Tonight, CBS 48 Hours, Oxygen's Snapped, Court TV's Crier Live, Inside Edition, Extra, Access Hollywood, and A&E's Biography.
In addition to television and radio appearances, he has been featured in Redbook, USA Today, People, Salon magazine, Seattle Times, Los Angeles Times and the New York Post.
The Deep Dark was named Idaho Book of the Year by the ILA and Starvation Heights was honored by Washington's Secretary of State for the book's contribution to Washington state history and culture. His Young Adult novel, Envy, was the official selection of Washington for the National Book Festival.

Olsen, a Seattle native, lives in Olalla, Washington with his wife, twin daughters, three chickens, Milo (an obedience school dropout cocker spaniel) and Suri (a mini dachshund so spoiled she wears a sweater).

Links:

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Goodreads

To view the tour schedule, click here. 

Buy The Fear Collector from the following retailers simply by clicking on them.

    

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Book Review: Oblivion by Anthony Horowitz

Title: Oblivion (The Power of Five #5)
Author: Anthony Horowitz
Format: Paperback
Source: Bought

Having escaped from Hong Kong, the five gatekeepers - Matt, Pedro, Scott, Jamie and Scarlett - are scattered in a hostile and dangerous world. As they struggle to re-group and plan their next move, the malevolent King of the Old Ones gathers his forces in Oblivion: a desolate landscape where the last survivors of humanity must fight the ultimate battle.

I've been waiting for four years for this book to be released. With a very painful cliffhanger at the end of the fourth book, Necropolis, I have finally finished reading the conclusion of this wonderful series by Anthony Horowitz. I was quite ecstatic when I finally bought a copy of this book and had it in my hands. A book you've been waiting for a very long time in your hands. I'm sure you know how I had felt that instant.
  
Oblivion starts off exactly where the previous book ended. With the Old Ones in full power, the five have a very long and dangerous journey ahead. 

I was completely sucked into this book from page one. With the introduction of a new character/narrator from page one, I found myself very much reliving the details of the previous books in the series. The world this book (specifically) is set in is very interesting. It actually is realistic because it shows turmoil and destruction as it is in real life. Corruption, poverty, famine, crises everywhere. Horowitz FLAWLESSLY managed to picture this and it stood out for me. You don't always get a realistic world building with everyday issues in a fantasy story.

The book is split into several parts, revolving around the five main characters. Each character had enough time to show his/her significance. As you might expect, I love all the characters. What's remarkable about these five Gatekeepers, Scott, Jamie, Pedro, Matt, and Scarlett is that they all have flows. Even though they are represented as heroes, they're not perfect. Each character could make mistakes at any instant. Each character has a specific adventure to fulfill until they finally all the five get together.

I won't reveal much about this book's ending, but as you probably expect, it is not a happy one. And no, this isn't a spoiler. When I met Anthony Horowitz back in 2008, he said that he likes book endings not to be perfectly happy, but to have have glints of hope. Oblivion has death, lots of death. And most importantly, it has sacrifice. The ending is great, it is well-crafted and unexpectable.

Overall, The Power of Five series has been a long journey. I've been following this series for years, and Anthony Horowitz has managed to give us fans a perfect ending. Something we've been waiting for many years. It has definitely been worth all these years. Finally, give an applause, "'To the Five,' I say." You will know what I am talking about once you finish reading the book. I just had to include that here. This series has been going on for many years, and it feels like Harry Potter all over again. I have cherished and will ALWAYS remember the memories I've had with Anthony Horowitz, the Power of Five series, and the Alex Rider series. A stupendous series to be remembered for a long time and passed on for generations. Thank you Anthony Horowitz for this amazing series for I have had unforgettable memories and great time with these characters.