Apollyon by Jennifer L. Armentrout

This is the fourth book in the Covenant series by Jennifer L. Armentrout.

My review of #0.5: Daimon.
My review of #1: Half-Blood.
My review of #2: Pure.
My review of #3: Deity.
My review of #3.5: Elixr.

WARNING - This will contain spoilers for all the previous books in the series! Proceed reading with caution!

Aiden has taken Alex off of the Elixr, and now all she wants to do is find her Seth, her First, and give him what he wants - her power.

Just when she was about to escape and try to find Seth, something triggered inside of Alex. When she saw the rose pendant on her necklace, all of her memories with Aiden came rushing back. And with Seth screaming in her head, she was finally able to find a way to sever the connection with Seth, bringing back the old Alex.

Now Alex needs to learn how to fight with her new found powers - since she's not crazy with Seth in her head or doped up on the Elixr, she can finally see what she has become: the Apollyon.

And she is also able to be with Aiden finally. With a war going on between Half-Bloods, Pures, the Gods and mortals, no one cares if a Half-Blood and a Pure date right now.

But dating is not the only thing on Alex's mind. She has to figure out how to stop Seth and Lucian from destroying the world. And they will, once Seth connects with Alex and is able to take her power. Then he will be the God Killer.

It also doesn't help that every God Alex has come across has tried to kill her. With Alex gone, the fear of the God Killer won't exist. Except now no one can kill Alex, save for Seth and her God relative Apollo. But that doesn't mean that can't rough her up a little bit...

Alex is on a mission to figure out how to stop Seth from being the God Killer. She is running from Seth only to kill time in order to find the answer.

And she does find the answer. But it's not what she wanted. In fact, it's the farthest thing she ever wanted to happen. Because it will be the end to either her or Seth. One cannot be alive when the other has the transfer of power.

So Alex will have a big decision to make. And it won't be an easy choice, because there will be lives lost and loved one broken. But she will need to decide soon, because innocent people are dying every day.

Read Apollyon by Jennifer L. Armentrout to see what happens!

My Thoughts/Reflections
I freaking love Jennifer L. Armentrout! I really do! I say this all the time and sound like a broken record, but she is amazing and writes the best worlds to get sucked into. The whole journey Alex and her friends traveled took me into another world where Gods were avenging something and daimons were feeding as often as they wanted to.

So, the book. I really like how Alex has grown. Sure, she was always thinking that everyone was with Alex because she was the Apollyon when really they were with her in order to make everything right. But for the most part, she learned how to hold her tongue and not lash out insults... well most of the time.

And we got to see Caleb again! I was so excited about that! He talked some sense into our dear Alex a few times, which she definitely needed and was too stubborn to listen to anyone else.

One of my favorite scenes in this novel was when Alex was fighting against the war machines outside of the college they were traveling to. She just snapped and her fifth power came into focus. She was so angry and protective that she didn't need to think twice about using her power - she just did and it was an amazing scene to read!

And the ending! We find out who Seth is related to, via the Gods and it was a shocker. I had no ideas ahead of time who it could be, because I knew it would be revealed sooner or later. But the way the God was revealed - amazing.

I cannot wait until the next, and final, book of this series comes out in December! I want to know how everything ends! Although I'll be sad to see this series concluded... It's a vicious cycle.

Obviously anything written by JLA is a high recommendation from me. I would say that you should read this book in order from the beginning to fully understand what is going on. But why wouldn't you want to read all of these books?!? Go! Now!

Hidden by Sophie Jordan

This is the third novel in the Firelight series by Sophie Jordan.

My review of #1: Firelight.
My review of #2: Vanish.

WARNING - This book will contain spoilers from the previous novels in the series. Continue reading with caution!

Even though Jacinda got away from the Hunters and wasn't forced to go to the laboratory  they did take Miram, Cassian's younger sister. And while Jacinda and Miram are not friends, she's not going to leave her there going through tests and experiments the rest of her life.

So instead of escaping to her new life with Will, she, Cassian, Will and Tamra are off to save Miram. No one has ever tried to escape IN before, so this out to be interesting.

The plan is simple: Jacinda will be the "captured" draki, she will find Miram when inside, and then everyone else will come rescue her.

Only that's not how things worked out. They started to experiment on Jacinda right away. And she also got to meet a unique draki - one that has metal spikes on his skin and who doesn't talk to any of the other draki's.

Just when Jacinda was giving up hope on Will, Cassian and Tamra to save her, they swoop in and cause quite a mess for the Hunters.

The good news is that everyone - even the other captured draki - get out. The bad news? They are stuck with the gray, spiky draki. And it seems that the Hunters are able to track them more easily now. Turns out, Miram had a tracking device implanted inside of her while she was captured.

So now Jacinda and everyone else need to get ahold of their pride and find a way to get the tracking device out of Miram before the Hunters find them.

But there is another problem. Once they get through this mess - if they get through this mess - Jacinda will need to pick who she wants to be with once and for all: Will or Cassian. She has reasons for being with both guys, but there is only one that she will pick.

Can Jacinda save her pride, along with figuring out which guy she is meant to be with for forever? Read Hidden by Sophie Jordan to find out!

My Thoughts/Reflections
The end of this series is here! I can't believe it! I flew through all three of these novels. Doesn't seem like it should end just yet...

I enjoyed this book. Not as much as the others, but that is because I had my own feelings on how things should end and it didn't go the way I wanted it to. Yes, I"m keeping this spoiler free, so I'm not going to tell you how it ended to make me sad. You'll have to read it for yourself and then figure it out!

Overall, I'm glad on how things ended. There was a lot of action and one particular plot line really shocked me.

Actually, quite a few plot lines surprised me on where it went during this last book.

I really think Jacinda grew a lot character wise throughout this series. At first she was spoiled and was treated like a princess because she was a special draki, but she soon got over her needs and realized that there are bigger things out there than what she wants or needs.

And Tamra. I had such a hard time with her. She drove me crazy! But in the end, she grew up as well, which I was very grateful for.

I'm not going to talk about Will or Cassian because that might give away something in this book and I'm bound and determined to keep this spoiler free!

So, overall, good. I would suggest this series to other readers wanting to read about a different world and if they want to read about dragons. Great series and definitely love Sophie Jordan's YA novels as much as her adult novels. Will there be any more upcoming YA's from her?!? I hope so!

Vanish by Sophie Jordan

This is the second novel in the Firelight series by Sophie Jordan.

My review of #1: Firelight.

WARNING - This will contain spoilers from the first novel! Continue reading with caution!

When Jacinda decided to go with Cassian, leaving Will behind in his little desert town, she was heartbroken.
But when she was confronted by his hunter family, one of whom saw Jacinda manifest into her draki, she knew they were in trouble and were about to manifest.

Only Tamra started to manifest. She's never been able to bring her draki out and everyone thought she was a defunt draki. However, it turns out she is one of the rarest draki's - a shader. She brings a mist and any human who touches it loses their memory of whatever the draki wants them to.

Now Jacinda and her pride are safe from the hunters because Tamra made them forget about knowing any of them. She even made Will forget about Jacinda, which tore a hole in her heart knowing that he will not come looking for her again or he won't recognize her if she sees him again.

When they all get back to the pride, things are extremely different. Jacinda used to be the most prized possession. Now, no one will talk to her except her sister and Cassian. Tamra, on the other hand, is treated like royalty and is learning how to be a shader draki.

Because Jacinda betrayed the pride, she is under surveillance and is treated like a traitor. Also, she is starting to get the feeling that the alpha of the pride, Cassian's father, only wants to have Jacinda start breeding more fire-breathers. And the two candidates for that job would either be Cassian or Corbin, his cousin and someone who makes Jacinda's skin crawl.

And Cassian has been spending a lot of time with Tamra, now that she is a rare draki and all. Maybe the chance that Jacinda once had. But she's happy that he might be interested in Tamra, since she's had a crush on him for years. On the other hand, he's always around and she feels something toward him that she thought she could only feel for Will.

Then the impossible happens. Will remembers Jacinda and everything they mean toward one another. Which is impossible since he was surrounded by the mist Tamra created. But with the draki blood in his system, he is more than human, even if he isn't fully draki.

Now Jacinda has to decide who she belongs with: Will or Cassian. And if she chooses Will, she will have to leave her friends and family behind forever. Before she can decide though, hunters find her and another draki. When the other draki is captured, she has to return and save her, otherwise she will never be found again.

Read Vanish by Sophie Jordan to find out what happens!

My Thoughts/Reflections
So glad I had this book! I flew through it - basically finished it in one sitting.

I have to admit this: I'm team Cassian. I loved him and Jacinda and want them to be together rather than her and Will. There less whining and complaining when she is with Cassian, and he is always trying to protect her. I just think they are better together than her and Will, but that's just my thoughts.

And Tamra. I had such a hard time with her in the first book because she was always "poor me, I never get anything". Well, I still have a rough time liking her because now she has this rare draki ability and now she's like "look at me, look at me!" and still treats Jacinda like she's trying to take her spotlight.

I dunno, for some reason she rubs me the wrong way and I don't know how Jacinda can stand living with her.

But there were times when they got along and I didn't roll my eyes when she was in the scene. Like when they got to fly together for the first time. I really liked that scene.

During the book, someone was following Jacinda, but she couldn't see them. I definitely knew who it was and why she as doing it, but the ending did throw me for a loop. I didn't see it coming and am very excited to continue reading to see what happens.

I doubt my happily ever after of Cassian and Jacinda will work out, but a girl can hope right?

So far I'm really enjoying this series, with the exception of Tamra, and the books are very easy to read and they fly by when there is action scenes.

I would definitely recommend this series to other readers, but I would strongly recommend that the readers read the novels in order. This book started right where the first book ended, so it might be confusing to start out of order for readers. Now, on the next one! :)

Firelight by Sophie Jordan

This is the first novel in the Firelight series by Sophie Jordan.

Jacinda is not a normal 16 year old girl. A major difference is that she is a draki, a descendant of dragons where she can shape shift from her human body into her draki skin. But even in the draki world she is unique because she is a fire-breather, the first one born in numerous generations.

So she has always been watched by the leaders in her pride. And she is also expected to mate with the "to-be" alpha of her pride, Cassian. Even if Jacinda doesn't want to be with Cassian, she is expected to try and get more fire-breathers in the pride, by having children.

But when Jacinda and her friend shape shift into their draki's during the daylight, she gets a punishment worse than death. A punishment so horrifying, that her mother takes Jacinda and her twin sister Tamra away from the pride.

And they go to a town in the middle of the desert, where Jacinda has a hard time changing into her draki. She needs moisture and mist - not dry humid air where she is slowly suffocating and can't feel her draki most of the time.

But she can feel it when she is around a particular person: Will. Who also happens to be a hunter, a person who kills draki's for a living. And he is also the hunter that let Jacinda go when she manifested into her draki the day at the lake.

With Will, she feels her draki come to life. For some reason, she is attracted to Will, and so is her draki. She can't control her feelings and she almost manifests when she is around him. Which would be horrible, since Jacinda knows he will kill her if he finds out what she is.

Things are about to get complicated, though, when Cassian comes and finds Jacinda in her town. He wants her back. Not because she is a fire-breather, but because he misses having her around. But Jacinda can't go back to pride, not if they want to clip her wings.

And Jacinda also has to worry about Will and his family of hunters. Because the more she is around him, the more risk there is of him learning her secret. But Jacinda is not the only one with a secret - Will is also hiding something from her. Something that could put Jacinda in a horrible situation.

Can Jacinda find a way to be with Will even though she is a draki? Will Jacinda have to choose between her life with Will or Cassian? Read Firelight by Sophia Jordan to find out!

My Thoughts/Reflections
I have always had a fascination with dragons, so I was extremely excited when I found these books and that the series was complete! Of course I had to get it and, with no surprise, I loved this first novel!

There were times that I got annoyed with Jacinda or her sister Tamra. Not everything is life or death if they don't have the right clothes (Tamra) or if they don't have any friends (Jacinda). I do have to say, Tamra was not my favorite person. The amount of complaining she did drove me up the wall and I just wanted Jacinda to slap her.

Thankfully, it was Jacinda's point of view, not hers. Otherwise I wouldn't have been able to finish this book!

I was slightly confused as to who Jacinda liked: Will or Cassian. I got the impression she didn't like Cassian but when he came back for her, she said she could vision herself with him at the pride. Maybe this ending will be more complex than I thought when I first started reading!

Also, I definitely knew something was up with Will. He couldn't be just a normal hunter - not with the strong attraction Jacinda felt for him from the moment they met. So I was glad that happened, because now Jacinda really needs to decide what to do between the two men in her life.

Overall, I really did enjoy this book. I read Sophie Jordan's adult romances, so I knew I would like her writing style and had no hesitation picking up this book!

The best part is the trilogy is over with and I have the second book in hand! No waiting after that horrible cliff hanger and I can delve right into the next part of the story!

I would definitely recommend this to readers who like fantasy aspects, especially dragons. I think it's more suited to female readers because it's Jacinda's story, but I really enjoyed it and think other readers will too!

Undeclared by Jen Frederick

This is the first novel in the Woodlands series by Jen Frederick.

*I received this as an eARC by the author in exchange for a review.*


During the four years of high school, Grace Sullivan wrote to Noah Jackson, a Marine in combat. What started out as a class assignment lead into a close relationship where Grace and Noah told each other things they never talk about to anyone else.

But when Noah left the Marines, Grace thought that she would finally meet the man that she fell in love with during the four years. However, Noah stopped communicating with her for two years.

So Grace was thrown when she saw Noah at Central College during her junior year. Even though she was excited to finally meet him, her anger came out at him for ignoring her for two years. Two years in which she expected him to call, write, or come see her.

She already had enough of her plate at school, not knowing what to major in and knowing if she didn't find something soon, her uncle would stop paying for her education. But she was too scared to go to the Fine Arts program to show them her photography. Adding Noah into the mix was going to be a lot to handle right now.

And Noah knew that he would not be in Grace's good favors. In fact, Noah knew that even though he'd been in the Marines, which is hard work, getting Grace to talk to him again would be 10 times harder than what he endured in the Marines.

But Noah has a life long goal. And Grace is the last thing on his list. He doesn't want to be her friend. He fell for her and thought of her so often during his being a Marine. He knew no one would ever be like Grace and didn't want to try to find anyone else.

So when they first see each other, things are difficult. Noah has perfected the art of covering his feelings. And Grace has no idea what Noah wants, so they try to be friends. But that doesn't work well and they finally let the other in, seeing that they both want to be in a relationship because the feelings from two years ago didn't fade. Not really.

But can Grace let Noah back in? She doesn't want to get hurt again by Noah; it took her a long time to get over Noah when she was talking to him via snail mail. How hard would it be if he broke her heart after she left him in in person?

Can they re-salvage their relationship and gain the trust back? Read Undeclared by Jen Frederick to find out!

My Thoughts/Reflections
Just a forewarning, this is a NEW ADULT novel, which means that it's a little bit more mature and graphic than a YA novel but not too racy like an adult novel. Mainly, New Adult (NA) novels are set in college and are about characters who are starting to grow up, but still do things that are immature.

I LOVED this book! It is so much more than the New Adult novels that I've been reading, yet exactly the same!

One thing that I absolutely loved was that Noah was in the Marines. When he came back to go to school and see Grace, he knew he had to get himself back as a civilian and not a soldier, which took a lot of time and patience. He learned to contain his emotions and appearance, except when he was around Grace.

And even though Grace was financially stable because of her rich uncle, she had no clue where she was going in life. She couldn't even pick a major; how could she decide if she wanted to give Noah another chance?

Another thing that I loved was Bo, Noah's best friend and fellow Marine soldier. Bo didn't think Grace was good enough for Noah, and made his thoughts very clear. Bo was usually very silent, but when he wanted to say something, he made it clear what his thoughts were.

I think Frederick nailed it about being a college student. It's hard figuring out what one wants to do for the rest of their life. I remember a lot of students going to their senior year and realizing they don't want to do the career they've been majoring in for the duration of their college years. So I can completely understand Grace's struggle with career/major options.

A third thing I loved about this book was that Grace was a student worker in a library. I did that for four years and that's why I became a librarian. Reading the scenes where she was at work brought me back to those years and made me smile.

And snail mail. Who does snail mail anymore? And who would keep contacting one person whom they've never met for four years with snail mail? That alone should be given an award, because most lose the time, patience, and ambition to keep up with that!

I was lucky enough to get an eARC by Frederick after being introduced to her work via Twitter. (And thank you so much for letting me read it! So glad I didn't have to wait longer!) This eBook will be released May 1 - under a month! - and I think it will be a really big hit among New Adult book lovers. It's very edgy, but also realistic.

I would most definitely urge other NA readers to grab this book when it becomes available! And I want more by Frederick already! Her writing kept me reading into the middle of the night and I was very sad when the book had to end.

So, May 1. Just a little under 3 weeks. Mark it on your calendar and buy this eBook!

Walking Disaster by Jamie McGuire

This is the second novel in the Beautiful series by Jamie McGuire.

My review of #1: Beautiful Disaster.

When Travis Maddox was 3, his mother passed away. Before she died, she made Travis promise him three things, one being that when he found the right person, he would fight for her, no matter what.

But the Travis in college doesn't do relationships. He only has one night stands and enjoys living the bachelor way.

The minute he sees Abby Abernathy, though, everything changes. He can't get her out of his head. Not because she is a model or any of those reasons, but because of what he sees beneath the surface. He knows that Abby is not who she is pretending to be, and Travis wants to find out who she really is.

But Abby is definitely not like the other girls on campus. She wants to stay as far away from Travis as she can. Fortunately for Travis, Abby's best friend, America, is dating his cousin and roommate, Shepley, so Abby is at their place quite a bit.

When Travis goes to a fight, he makes a bet with Abby - he won't let his opponent touch him. If he succeeds, Abby will stay at his place for 1 month. If he fails, he has to go 1 month without sex.

So Abby ends up staying at Travis's place for one month and they become closer. First, Abby was just a really close friend, but he can't deny his attraction toward her. And Travis is getting bigger ideas for their future - together.

Abby and Travis's relationship is anything but easy, though. Because of Travis's jealousy and big future ideas, there are just as many times they are apart as they are together.

But when they go to Vegas to win money to get Abby's father out of debt, things hit rock bottom. Travis was only thinking about their future when he was debating about becoming a fighter, but Abby could not live that life.

And as much as Travis tried to talk to her, he might not be able to get through to her and win her back. But Abby is his life, the one that his mother told him that he needs to fight for. And Travis will do everything he can to get the One back in his life.

Will Travis and Abby always be a beautiful disaster, or can they find a way to be together, through every obstacle that comes in their path? Read Walking Disaster by Jamie McGuire to find out!

My Thoughts/Reflections
Just a forewarning, this is a NEW ADULT novel, which means that it's a little bit more mature and graphic than a YA novel but not too racy like an adult novel. Mainly, New Adult (NA) novels are set in college and are about characters who are starting to grow up, but still do things that are immature.

Technically, this is the first novel written through Travis's point of view, not the second in a sequel.

I have been waiting for this book to come out since I first heard about it! And boy, it did not disappoint! I loved reading Travis's thoughts about how he met Abby and what he thought about during all of the times he and Abby weren't together.

I wouldn't say that I liked this novel better than BD, but with equal amount of love and adoration. Both characters have captured my heart and never gave it back to me.

One thing that I absolutely loved was the scenes with Travis and Shepley. Shep knew exactly what was going on with Travis and made sure to give Travis some crap about it as often as he could.

And the scene at Travis's place when they were playing poker? Priceless!

But the one thing that I loved above everything was the epilogue. It went further in the future than BD!! We got to see what happened with Abby and Travis years down the road, rather than what we read in BD!

That was the best surprise of this book. That. Scene.

I love this book. I love this author. So of course I'm going to recommend this to anyone I talk to. I wouldn't say that one would need to read BD before WD, but it would probably be better. They could both be standalones.

LOVED it! So glad I got it! Can't wait for more by Jamie!

Soulbound by Heather Brewer

This is the first novel in the Legacy of Tril series by Heather Brewer.

Kaya has grown up living with the Unskilled - humans who known nothing about the Barrons and Healers who are in a 100 year war. But Kaya knows enough about them since her parents are both Barrons.

The only problem is that Kaya has not been introduced to that world. She has been told that she is a Healer by her parents, but because her mother and father are both Barrons, they broke the rule where they could not marry one of their own. It needs to be Barrons married to Healers.

Because her parents did that, they have been hiding with the Unskilled and have made sure that Kaya has stayed out of trouble.

But when a Graplar comes into her town, a creature that's soul purpose is to kill humans, and kills Avery, Kaya's best friend, the location of Kaya and her parents was revealed. Now, Kaya got an "invitation" to go to the Shadow Academy to be trained as a Healer. Only in the invite, it basically said that if Kaya doesn't go, her parents will pay the punishment.

Now Kaya is stuck in a place where Healers are snobs and Barrons are cocky. She has a guard, since Healers are not allowed to fight and are "weak" unless they have a Soulbound or a Bound where they can protect their Healer.

Kaya is not having it. She wants to learn how to take care of herself instead of waiting for someone to save her in a fight. But that is against Protocol. No one is willing to teach her how to protect herself, except for maybe one person.

Darius.

But for some reason, Darius, who is the only Unskilled at the Academy who trains all of the Barrons to fight, seems to hate Kaya on sight. And Trayton, Kaya's Bound who she is to be with at all times in case he gets hurt and needs Kaya to heal him, won't help her because it is his responsibility to protect Kaya if she is in trouble.

Somehow, though, the Graplars are able to come inside of the walls protecting Shadow Academy. And Kaya keeps getting caught by them. She will find a way to defend herself, even if it is against the law at Shadow Academy.

But can Kaya find a way to protect all of the ones she's come to care about at the Academy before it is too late? Read Soulbound by Heather Brewer to find out!

My Thoughts/Reflections
I have not yet had a chance to read any of Heather Brewer's novels, but I really loved this first novel of her new series! I wasn't sure what to expect going in, but after reading the synopsis about a girl wanting to find someone to train her to fight, I knew I would like it!

And I just have to say, once I met all of the characters I knew exactly where this was going to go. Especially because of the tension and the intensity with both male characters in Kaya's life, I knew exactly what was going to happen and I was waiting at the edge of my seat for it to occur.

But to have it happen on the last page?!? Gah, it just about killed me. I cannot wait until August to find out more of Kaya's adventure! Should have waited until closer to August before grabbing this and falling in love with this storyline.

So, as you can see, I really did like this novel. Actually, I liked it more than I thought I will.

Kaya is a great character. She knows she is a Healer and is anxious to learn more about Healing, but she also wants to learn how to protect the ones she loves. After seeing her best friend get attacked in her village  she never wants to be defenseless again.

And the love interest in this book! I definitely have a favorite and hope it goes in that path because I think they were made for one another.

Now I will have to look into Brewer's other series to see if they are as good as this novel. Maybe I will get a new favorite author!

I would definitely recommend this novel to young readers and try to explain the amazingness of this book to them! Can't wait for the sequel to come out!

Elixir by Jennifer L. Armentrout

This is #3.5 novel in the Covenant series by Jennifer L. Armentrout.

My review of #0.5: Daimon.
My review of #1: Half-Blood.
My review of #2: Pure.
My review of #3: Deity.

WARNING - This review WILL contain spoilers from the previous novels. Do not continue reading if you have not read the previous novels, else you will find out exactly what has happened throughout the first four books!

When Alex became the next Apollyon, Aiden wasn't sure what was going to happen. But the minute he saw her eyes, he knew that the girl he was holding was no longer his Alex. Now she was connected to the First, to Seth, and she wanted to be near Seth instead of Aiden.

But Aiden is going to make sure that it doesn't happen. He already knows that Seth is taking over Alex, so they had to knock her out and moved her to another location where she didn't know, while also trapping her in a cell that will keep even Apollyon's from escaping.

Ever since she was put in the cage, though, she hasn't been eating or drinking. It's going on four days and she is starting to weaken.

Then Aiden is confronted with a choice. Apollo is able to kill Alex because she is part of his lineage, and Apollo could do it if he thought it was necessary.

Or they could put her on the Elixir - a liquid made to put half-bloods in a comatose reaction where they become slaves to whomever compels them. Alex has always been afraid that she will become a slave - it is her worst nightmare.

Aiden cannot do either option to Alex, but if they don't do something to dull the connection between her and Seth, she will end up dying while giving Seth the ability to become the God Killer.

No matter what decision Aiden chooses, he knows he will never be able to live with himself again. Because both options break the trust he has with Alex.

Which evil will Aiden choose? Can he forgive himself for what he is about to do to the love of his life? Will his choice end up making the situation better or worse? Read Elixir by Jennifer L. Armentrout to find out!

My Thoughts/Reflections
Wow. This novella was really emotional! This is the first time we've read through Aiden's point of view (for a novella that is) and boy did JLA throw a punch into our stomachs after reading about Aiden's inner struggle with this choice!

I tried to give away as few spoilers as possible - for this novel - and I think I did alright. The gut reaction Aiden had when he was given his two choices was very emotional and I would never want to be put into his shoes right then.

The whole novella was really good and I think JLA did a great job with the whole thing! It definitely helped me since I was left with that horrible ending of Deity so at least I was able to find out what happened after Alex turned 18 and became the Apollyon.

So, yes, this is a short review and short thoughts/reflections, but it was also a short novella so I'm okay with that.

I will say that anyone who has read this series MUST read this novel as it is very important in the series and will probably have a great impact on the next novel. It's free on one website and only $0.99 on Amazon. I got it off of Amazon because I wanted it on my Kindle, so I was okay with spending less than a dollar on it.

One of these days I'm going to buy all of these books in paper versions because I love them that much!

Can't wait for the next novel and anyone who is a devoted fan of JLA needs to read this ASAP!!

Deity by Jennifer L. Armentrout

This is the third book in the Covenant series by Jennifer L. Armentrout.

My review of #0.5: Daimon.
My review of #1: Half-Blood.
My review of #2: Pure.

WARNING - This book will contain spoilers from the previous novels. Continue reading with caution!

After what happened in New York with the daimons and the furies, Alex just wants a break from everything Apollyon. Unfortunately, that's not going to happen since her 18th birthday is right around the corner and she will turn into the second Apollyon.

And now she has to go back to classes. Without Caleb. Everyone is looking at her with weird looks - either because of the upcoming Apollyon or because she has been in a lot of incidents lately, but either way she just wants to get away for awhile.

Then Alex has her own personal problems that include Seth and Aiden. Alex chose Seth, even if they aren't technically dating but are just hanging out a lot, but she can't forget Aiden, especially since he is always around protecting Alex from some threatening group trying to harm her.

And Seth is acting very odd. He seems to want to be with Alex, but she can't figure out if he wants to be with her because of the odd connection between them or if he actually likes her, or if he just wants to speed up the process where she becomes the Apollyon.

Everyone is saying that Seth just wants Alex to be the Apollyon so he can be the next God Killer, but Alex doesn't think so. Seth is different around her and actually cares about her, but lately he's been around her step father, Lucian, a lot and that is never a good thing.

The situation with Aiden becomes unclear. Alex can't stop thinking about him, even though she's decided that they can't be together for more than one reason. But the attraction between them is growing stronger and stronger - almost to the point of not being able to avoid it any longer.

Another problem Alex has is Major Telly wanted Alex dead. He's tried over and over to figure out a way to ensure she doesn't complete the transition to being the Apollyon because no one wants the second God Killer to awaken.

And it it wasn't for Apollo, Alex would be dead, after being stabbed. So now she needs to fight for what she has to do, but the deciding factor will but what will happen when she turns 18.

Can Alex figure out what is the right thing to do? What will happen when she turns 18? Will Seth keep his promise to protect her, or will it go horribly wrong? Read Deity by Jennifer L. Armentrout to find out!

My Thoughts/Reflections
It's been awhile since I read the previous books in this series, but I still found myself sucked into the Covenant world with Alex having a difficult life. And I loved it!

There was a lot of down time in this novel compared to the others, but I don't think that was anything wrong. Stories need down time and Alex needed to figure out what she wanted. Sure, she's going to be the Apollyon but she can also enjoy making out with a boy here or there.

So yes, Alex did chose a guy and she did get deceived by another boy.

The part that I really enjoyed during this book was getting to meet more Gods. We met Apollo and Artemis, we read about Poisiden and also met Hades for a bit. It was also very humorous with the Gods when they interacted with one another.

Before, I did have a guy that I hoped Alex would end up with, but now I'm not sure who she should be with. There are good and bad things about both of them and I kinda just want a new hot guy to come in and sweep Alex off of her feet and there will be nothing bad about him. But I know that won't happen, haha.

I really enjoyed this novel and the ending was very interesting... I'm excited to see what will happen for Alex after she becomes the Apollyon and what will occur with Seth as the "God Killer".

If anyone wants to read this, I would definitely recommend that you read the first books in the series. Even after I read them, it took me awhile to get into this world, so I could never imagine someone just jumping in with this book!

For devoted fans of JLA, you must read this book! And for anyone who likes mythology, I would definitely recommend this series!

Wait for You by J. Lynn (Jennifer L. Armentrout)

Avery moved from Texas to West Virginia to get away from what happened at home 5 years ago. No one at her college knows the rumors that spread like wildfire at home, and she can finally be at peace - well mostly. She doesn't trust guys and is very much a loner, but she likes it like that.

And she even made some new friends at school - something she didn't have at home after the incident. So life was going well, until she ran into the most beautiful guy she's ever seen.

Cameron Hamilton. And yes, she literally ran into him before class. That was before she ran away from him just as fast.

Only getting away from Cam isn't that easy, especially when he decides he wants to be around some more. So not only do they have the same class together, they were made partners for that class. All semester. And the best part? He's across the hall in her apartment building.

The more Avery's around Cam, the more relaxed she gets around him, which is weird because she is never relaxed around guys. And now she's doing things that she swore she wouldn't do, like to go parties or drink. Because everything relates to that one Halloween night 5 years ago. And she won't go back to that dark place.

But Avery is not the only one that is hiding a dark past. Cam also has a secret he is keeping from Avery, something he is not proud of, but would do again in a heartbeat if it happened again.

When Avery's past comes back to haunt her, she needs to make a decision. Can she confront it and retell it to Cam, who has become a huge part of her world, or will it forever haunt and terrify her to the point where she can't tell Cam, and might lost him for good? Read Wait for You by J. Lynn to find out!

My Thoughts/Reflections
Just a forewarning, this is a NEW ADULT novel, which means that it's a little bit more mature and graphic than a YA novel but not too racy like an adult novel. Mainly, New Adult (NA) novels are set in college and are about characters who are starting to grow up, but still do things that are immature.

I put in the title Jennifer L. Armentrout because J. Lynn is her pen name for adult and new adult novels, and I want to make it very clear that I love this author no matter what name she uses! So, yeah, it's the same amazing writer for all of the reviews that I've done for her novels - just to make sure everyone knows that!

I loved this book. Avery is a tough cookie. She went through a horrible ordeal and came out a survivor, if not a little wounded by it.

But Cam - he's hilarious and sexy and protective. He's everything one could want in a classmate/class partner/neighbor across the hall.

So, yes, this is a lot like the other New Adult novels that have been released, but I think the author put enough new content in to make her own novel in this "new" genre.

My favorite part is the Sunday morning breakfasts. That is such a small detail in a college student's life, but the author made it a big deal and it was also the way that Avery and Cam got to relax around one another without a crowd around to make Avery nervous or self-conscious.

Oh! And Raphael! Cam's turtle! Hilarious introduction at the apartments with his turtle. Just little things like that really make this novel come to life and unique, while also having me laugh out loud while reading.

And the dark pasts for both Cam and Avery made me understand the characters even more. But what happened to Avery, after I found out, really made my jaw drop. I knew something along the lines happened, but not that!

So yes, I would recommend this novel to other New Adult readers. It's a must read and I think a lot of people will like the small things that happen between Cam and Avery!

Gravity by Melissa West

This is the first novel in The Taking series by Melissa West.

It's the year 2140. A lot of things have changed, including an invasion against the Ancients - otherworldly people who participated in World War IV. Otherwise known as aliens.

After most of the population died, a treaty was formed between the rest of the humans and the Ancients: they will stop fighting if the humans will allow the Ancients to "take" certain supplements from the humans when they are asleep.

It's called The Taking.

And the one rule is: never peek.

When 17 year old Ari lost her patch - a smooth cloth that clings to the persons face, not allowing them to move, see or feel - she has to go through the Taking very much alert.

And she couldn't help but peek...just a little bit.

Turns out, her Ancient is none other than Jackson Locke - a classmate who competing her for the top spot in  Force Training.

He's supposed to be human, but he is very much not. Instead of reporting Jackson to her father, the Commander, Jackson talks to Ari and she realizes that another war is about to occur. So either Ari helps Jackson stop the war, or she jump starts it by telling her father.

Now Ari is between two worlds, trying to figure out which way is the right decision for everyone she loves and cares about.

But the government doesn't see it the way Ari does, and they go to drastic measures. Ari needs to decide what to do, but either way she will get hurt in the end by losing someone she cares about.

Can Ari find a way to save both humans and Ancients? Or will another war wipe out all of mankind this time? Read Gravity by Melissa West to find out!

My Thoughts/Reflections
Another alien novel! Seems this is going to be a topic to write about now? Not that I'm complaining - I really love the Lux series by Jennifer L. Armentrout and will definitely take more sexy aliens.

This novel is a little different though. It's dystopian and more "governmental" than some others, making it almost realistic because the reader can see this happening with the amount of detail West put into the description of the world in 2140.

Ari is amazing. Growing up as the Commanders daughter, she got no slack and was expected to one day take her father's places as the new Commander. She got up every morning to fight and train with her father, making her one of the best in her class as a Force Training.

She also has a clear head and can see both sides, rather than her father who only sees the world where humans are concerned.

So yeah, I really liked Ari. She stood up for what she believed in rather than what was expected, and I really like female roles that do that.

Jackson is very mysterious and kept a lot of information to himself, making it hard for Ari to trust him. Even at the end of the novel he was still being mysterious! Which is a little aggravating after awhile!

This was definitely set up to be part of a series, and I'm glad because I want to go back to this world and see what happens after this ending! (Read it if you want to know the ending :P)

Unfortunately I have to wait until August 2013!! Way too long for me, but I will get it as soon as it's released.

If you want a governmental, dystopian, alien filled novel to read, this one is for you. I would highly recommend it!

Deceiving Destiny by Nadège Richards

This is the second novel in The Bleeding Heart Trilogy series by Nadège Richards.

My review of #1: Burning Bridges.

Now that Echo and Ayden are running from the king, everything is a little more intense than it used to be. And that was when they were sneaking around!

The king is destroying Echo and Ayden's home, now that she has broke his laws by seeing a Hunter and is also not the king's biological daughter. Everything is upside down now and Echo is only just seeing the beginning of a revolution.

When her and Ayden run away from New Haven, they get a group of followers as well. Many are friends of Ayden's who he grew up with, but all of them have decided that Echo is their leader. She is the Princess, though she doesn't think that way, and what she says goes.

Well, all but a few who have decided to hate Echo for their own personal reasons...

It is decided that they will go to another town ruled by another king to try to get his rule as their ally. The more to revolt against Echo's pretend father, the more they might win against this war of power.

But along the way, Echo is having visions and dreams of a mystery man. The only thing she knows about his is the color of his eyes: amber/gold/yellow. The dreams seem so real to Echo, though, and she is very disturbed by the feelings she gets when she wakes up.

She doesn't know what these visions mean. She doesn't know who the man is, but he sure knows her and secrets that she couldn't have imagined herself.

There are many complications on the way to the other land, and with a group of children and adults, it becomes a struggle to keep going. But Echo is able to keep everyone afloat and figure out a way to give the hope.

But will they make it in time? And will they get the help they need, or will their travels and hardships be for naught? What is happening to Echo? What do the visions and events mean? Read Deceiving Destiny by Nadège Richards to find out!

My Thoughts/Reflections
I was given this eBook by the author to edit and review, since I also did the same for her first novel, and I'm glad I got it! It started right where Burning Bridges ended and even though it's been a few months since I read the first novel, I dove right back into the story without problems to continue Echo and Ayden's story of fight and survival.

Also - side note - I have to say that I LOVE the cover of this book!! Kudos to the artist!

Okay, back to my thoughts! I really think Ayden and Echo's character developed in this novel compared to the first.

Echo is a very caring person and hates the thought of hurting anyone, but when it comes to survival and protecting the ones she loves, she's now realizing that she will do whatever it takes to keep them safe. Even if it means a troubled conscience later.

And the banter between Ayden and Echo is adorable, as always, but now that they are in love with each other, they do it out of habit and to keep the other in line, rather than fighting the attraction between each other.

Of course, not everything is butterflies and sunshine - especially when Feven and Adamo come into the picture. They seem to have a grudge against Echo for obvious reasons and it's always interesting to read about those characters in regard to Echo.

Again, the ending leaves the reader wanting more, but it's not necessarily a cliff hanger. More of the next chapter in the series, so while the reader doesn't know what's going to happen, no one died or anything extreme happened at the end to curse the author for making me wait so many months for the conclusion to the story line.

So yes, I enjoyed this story and really got into it. Wish it wasn't so short! Can't wait for the third, and final, novel in this series to come out in April 2013!

For anyone looking for a dystopian novel about a war and fighting to survive, with a twist a mystery and forbidden love, I would recommend you pick this up ASAP. I would pick up the first novel first, though, so you have the complete story. Also, for the month of January both novels are only $0.99 on Amazon! So hurry!

Opal by Jennifer L. Armentrout

This is the third novel in the Lux series by Jennifer L. Armentrout.

My review of #1: Obsidian.
My review of #2: Onyx.

WARNING - There may be spoilers from the first two novels in this series. Proceed with caution!

Katy is a hybrid - human who now has alien powers thanks to Daemon healing her and transferring a part of himself to Katy's DNA. Which is not the best thing that has happened because now Daemon and Katy are connected together. And that also means if one of them dies, the other will too.

Not exactly the relationship they wanted, but there's nothing they can do about it.

Besides their connection, and their budding romance now that they are both admitting their insane attraction to one another and are starting to date, there is a ghost who has walked back into their lives: Dawson - Dee and Daemon's twin (triplet?) brother.

Only this isn't the same Dawson the Black's remember. He's more reclusive and solidarity. And he is on a mission to get his one true love out of the clutches of the DOD - no matter if it costs his life in the process.

And with the recent death of Adam, Dee's boyfriend, things are very tense around the West Virginia area. Especially since Dee is not talking to Katy, because Katy did sort of spare the life of Adam's killer, Blake, and was a little bit responsible for Adam's death in the first place.

But Blake has come back with a proposition: he can get Beth back, along with his friend Chris from the DOD, but they all need to work together. Which is a problem since everyone wants to kill Blake for the events that unfolded around Adam's death.

So while they are all planning a rescue plan, Katy is also trying to keep her alien powers under control and is practicing them so she won't slow the aliens down. She doesn't want to be a hindrance to them; she wants to help them.

However, things are not going as planned and Katy has a suspicion why. As much as she trusts and loves Daemon, there are some things she can't tell him because it would cause him to murder Blake.

Will the rescue mission work? Can they get both people of out the DOD's clutches and everyone will live happily ever after? Or will something go wrong and another person will be lost from Katy's life? Read Opal by Jennifer L. Armentrout to find out!

My Thoughts/Reflections
NOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!! Why?!? I cannot handle this cliffhanger!! I need to find out what happens next - like now - and it better be good and not bad news!!!!

Seriously?! The last 4 pages had me in shock, terror, sadness, anger, and the LAST PAGE?!? I was crying. It was heartbreaking. My heart broke and I have still not gotten over the shock and utter despair that I feel right now.

Okay, okay... I need to breathe and wipe away my tears and talk about my thoughts of the WHOLE book and not just that horrible ending.

I absolutely and ridiculously love Jennifer L. Armentrout. There, I've said it. I've read 7 of her novels and have starred every single one of them 5 stars. And I've read all 7 of them in the past two months. That is pretty impressive for my ratings!

This book went above and beyond what I could have expected from this series. Now that Katy and Daemon admit their attraction for one another, there's less hate-hate relationship going on and more kissing and steamy romantic scenes. Don't get me wrong, I love both of those scenes so it was a win/win situation for me.

I loved the scenes with Daemon, Dawson and Katy. Katy was able to chip away Dawson's remorse and bring out the old Dawson a little bit, which made Daemon happy. Extremely happy and he was more than willing to reward Katy in a certain way...

So yes, I loved this book. The ending was a torture chamber. Knowing what was going to happen but not being able to take my eyes away from the book and reading each excruciating word was amazing and heartbreaking.

And now I have to wait 7 whole months until the next one comes out. That is going to feel like forever. I'll have to go through my favorite scenes over and over to make me happy again.

If you haven't read this series, or even this author, you are missing out!! I don't know what else to tell you. This series is amazing. This author is amazing. If you want great characters, great writing, and a great story line, please pick this up!!

In the meantime, I'm going to go build a time machine and fast forward to July so I can continue this roller coaster of a ride in the Lux world! ;-)

My Favorite Mistake by Chelsea M. Cameron

Starting sophomore year for college in Maine, Taylor is excited to be rooming with Darah and Renee. But she has to room with a new person because one of their friends decided to room off campus.

So it was a huge surprise when she answered the door to Hunter, with tattoos, buzzed hair cut, and a guitar case. Who just so happened to be Taylor's new roommate. And by roommate, it actually means that he and Taylor will be sharing the same bedroom.

Taylor is not having it. She calls the housing residents only to find that they are closed on opening day (really?) and cannot find anyone that will fix this situation. Sure, her college is co-ed rooming  That doesn't mean that Taylor wants to be one of those housing units.

After drawing a name out of a jar to determine whether Taylor, Darah, or Renee will room with him, it just so happens he draws Taylor's name. She's stuck with him.

And then he propositions her enough to make her punch him in the face and kick him where it hurts. It's going to be a wonderful semester living with this bad boy attitude, guitar playing, and shockingly good cook.

But Hunter makes a bet with Taylor: prove to him that she sincerely hates him, or loves him, and he will move out that day. Sounds easy, right? Except that Taylor can't really hate him. Sure, she hates what she reminds her of, a dark time 8 years ago that she never wants to remember. But as for hating Hunter alone? She really doesn't.

Then Taylor finds out that she has a class with him: human sexuality, oh joy. She also gets a job at the library, only to find out that Hunter will be working there as well!

Looks like Taylor better get used to Hunter being around constantly, and always making ensuendo's to her that make Taylor blush every time she thinks about them.

Taylor has a good reason not to trust the male gender. Something horrendous happened to her 8 years ago and she has never been able to get over it. But somehow, Taylor gets the feeling that Hunter may be the one person to block all of her walls that she's built.

But the unthinkable happens - the man that terrifies her the most in the world may be coming back into her life. And Taylor cannot handle that.

Will Taylor be able to have a true friendship/relationship with Hunter? Can both Hunter and Taylor get past their tortured histories enough to let the other one in, or will they forever be doomed to stay in the dark memories of their past? Read My Favorite Mistake by Chelsea M. Cameron to find out!

My Thoughts/Reflections
So, just a forewarning, this is a NEW AGE novel, which means that it's a little bit more mature and graphic than a YA novel but not too racy like an adult novel. Mainly, New Age (NA) novels are set in college and are about characters who are starting to grow up, but still do things that are immature.

Ahh!!!! I. Loved. This. Novel!! Loved, loved, loved it!

Okay, on to the review portion. So, I was hooked from the first chapter. And after Taylor punched Hunter, I fell in love with this novel. And I still had 200 + chapters to go!

Taylor is a girl who can take care of herself. After what happened to her when she was younger, she made sure she would be ready for anyone that threatens her at any given time. And Hunter made her feel feelings that she didn't want to feel, which made her feel uneasy and she wanted to express what she thought of that.

Hunter loved it.

Now, I know a few reasons why I fell in love with this novel. One, Taylor was known as the "Ice Queen" in high school because she stayed away from boys, completely ignored them, read a lot of books, and was very anti-social. I was like that in high school, only my name was a bit nastier.

Second, she starts working in a library. I worked in a library and still do today.

Third, she was very determined to stay away from Hunter. It was actually quite successful that I was on my seat waiting for the two of them to finally kiss!

The dark pasts for both Hunter and Taylor were very horrible. I can completely see two people today in real life acting the way Hunter and Taylor did because of what happened to them. And if you want to know what it is, you're going to have to read the book ;)

I loved this book. Maybe not as much as Beautiful Disaster, but it is a very close second.

I would definitely recommend this to any older young adult reader, since it is a New Age novel. But I will most certainly be telling everyone I know to read it right away, because I want everyone to experience this wonderful novel!

Also, I think I read somewhere that there is going to be a sequel?!? If so, I will most definitely be getting it! I wonder what Cameron will write about with the sequel. I don't care who/what it is about, I will have it in my collection.

So, what are you waiting for?!? Go get this book!! :)

Taken by Storm by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

This is the third novel in the Raised by Wolves series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes.

My review of #1: Raised by Wolves.
My review of #2: Trial by Fire.

WARNING - This book will contain spoilers from the previous two novels in the series. Proceed with caution!

Bryn has had to make some tough decisions as alpha of her pack. The latest one was having to kill a wolf she took in her pack, only to have him challenge her. And once an alpha is challenged, there is no going back. They have to fight. To the death.

While Bryn won the fight, and killed Lucas, she lost another member of the pack: Maddy. She was in love with Lucas and could not look at Bryn afterward without feeling anger at her for killing the one she loved.

So Bryn let Maddy go and now she's living on her own in the No-Man's-Land.

Let's just say things were going pretty rough for Bryn.

Now she's training with Jed, another human like Bryn who has a psychic ability to go feral, or rabid but without shifting into a wolf. They lose control of what their body does and they fight to survive any threat that tries to kill them. And almost always they get out of the situation somewhat unscathed.

Things can't keep staying normal for Bryn, though. Shay, the alpha of the bordering territory has called for an alpha meeting. He reveals that there is a lone, rabid wolf roaming around killing animals and humans, brutally. Local police are starting to notice.

But the part that intrigues all of the male alphas is that the rabid wolf is FEMALE. Female wolves are very rare and every pack, besides Bryn's, wants their own so they can breed more children and make their pack larger.

Bryn needs to find this wolf before everyone else because she is the only one that won't force the female wolf to join her pack just to use her as a breeding tool. She will allow the wolf to be free, just letting her join her pack to steer clear of the other alphas.

But the mysterious killer wolf is not what Bryn's pack thinks. And Shay is not a wolf to underestimate. Because he usually has an ultimate goal that Bryn doesn't see coming. And everything is about to become 100 times worse before she can see any brightness in her future. Will Bryn be able to help this female wolf and figure out who is attacking innocent humans and animals? Read Taken by Storm by Jennifer Lynn Barnes to find out!

My Thoughts/Reflections
Wow. I was a little leery when down to the last 20 pages and it was still mid story, but Barnes did a wonderful job creating this ending to her series!

And I'm going to say it: it was bittersweet and heartbreaking. I was very teary eyed and couldn't believe all of the things Barnes did in the last 50 pages of this book. I was angry, I was sad, I was satisfied, but I was devastated.

All in all, I went on a rollercoaster ride and, even though I know I loved the ending, I'm still trying to get past all of the emotions that I went through.

Unfortunately, I can't tell you why I went through all of those emotions, because it would give away the ending and I'm so not a spoiler reviewer. Let's just say that some characters die and if you want to know who, you'll have to read the series to get attached to them just to lose them.

Ironically, I read many reviews saying that this was the best YA werewolf story ever written. I'm not sure if I would go that far, but I did really, really like this storyline. There was so much randomness and multiple topics thrown into this series that I felt satisfied with how Barnes pulled it off.

I would definitely recommend this novel to werewolf fans, and also supernatural fans since there's a little bit more going on than just werewolves. Also, if you've read the first two novels, you HAVE to read this story to find out what happens!

For those who want to read this series but only have the third novel, I would advise you to find the first two because it will make the story so much better and you would also understand a lot more by the third novel.

Great series, Barnes! I was made a believer by the very last page of this book that this series is a great story and beautifully written! Now, I'm going to hunt for more of Barnes's books and see if she will entrap me again with her story telling!

Trial by Fire by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

This is the second novel in the Raised by Wolves series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes.

My review of #1: Raised by Wolves.

Warning - This book will contain spoilers from the first novel. Proceed with caution after this sentence!

After saving a group of humans turned werewolves, Bryn has now found herself their alpha, even though she's only human and can't transform like everyone else.

But she set them all free from the Rabid and they decided that they wanted Bryn to be their leader. She's not just human; she has a power that no other werewolf has and they feel safe with her. Devon and Lake, her two best friends since childhood, have also joined her pack, being her guards and protecting her.

Things aren't necessarily going to work out right away though. In fact, because Bryn is human and a female, many of the other alphas don't like what she is doing. They can't do anything about it, though, because they are a democracy and go by rules, rather than judge on their feelings.

The one alpha that hates Bryn with a passion is Shay - who just happens to be Devon's older brother. He is ruling his own pack on the other border next to Bryn's and is definitely trying to get a reaction out of Bryn's pack.

When a werewolf shows up on her doorstep, beaten and bloodied and shifting from human to wolf, Bryn gets her first duty as alpha. Lucas is part of Shay's pack. But Shay tortures and abuses his wolves, so Bryn doesn't want to send Lucas back there.

However, she can't keep him since he is still Shay's wolf. So now she has to figure out a way to save Lucas without going against werewolf rules.

And to top it off, there is a coven in town - a group of humans who have extraordinary powers and are after Lucas. They hate werewolves and follow so such rules that Shay and Bryn have to follow from the werewolf council.

But things are not what they seem to be and Bryn has only a week to figure everything out before she could lose her entire pack. Can Bryn save everyone, including Lucas, or will she find herself without a pack right after she just got them? Read Trial by Fire by Jennifer Lynn Barnes to find out!

My Thoughts/Reflections
A great sequel to the first novel in this series!

We jump right back into the story following what happened at the end of the first novel, and boy is there no rest for the weary! Bryn just got used to being a sophomore in high school and also being an alpha to a bunch of rowdy teenage or younger werewolves. She has a lot of things to balance.

I don't know what it is about these novels. There's just something different about them that leaves me satisfied but also a little bit disappointed. Don't get me wrong! I really enjoyed both of them and gave them both 4 stars out of 5.

Well, one, there isn't as much romance, which is unique in YA  literature and also a little refreshing.

And two, there is a lot of inner dialogue that Bryn shares with her packmates, so that might be throwing me off a little bit when reading.

And, third, there is just so much in this novel that is unique to any other novel I've read, so many aspects and plot lines that actually go together real well.

So yeah, I liked this novel. We got to see more of Bryn growing up, learning from mistakes, and having to make tough decisions before she's ready for them. But she does it thinking about her pack, thinking about others instead of herself.

I think others who are a werewolf fan will really enjoy this series and that they should pick these up now! There is only one more novel in the series, so I'm hoping that it will end well. And now I'm going to go and read it :)

Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

This is the first book in the Raised by Wolves series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes.

Bronwyn Alessia St. Vincent Clare. Well, that's her full name, anyway. And Bryn only hears that when she's in serious trouble by her "guardian" Callum.

Who also happens to be a werewolf and alpha to his pack. But Bryn has been living among werewolves for 11 years, so she's pretty used to their oddities and short tempers. Though that doesn't mean Bryn is used to their run every full moon. And she basically just steers clear of them when tempers run through town.

Thankfully, Bryn grew up with Ali, another human like Bryn and treated her like her own daughter. So there was so normality in her life growing up. Well as normal as being raised by wolves can get.

When Bryn was 4, her mother and father were brutally attacked by a Rabid wolf, one that follows no rules and has no alpha. And this wolf was on a killing mission. Bryn was able to escape, though, when Callum rescued her just in time.

But Bryn still has nightmares about that wolf, and remembers that he called himself that "Big Bad Wolf", making Bryn very wary as to who she gets close to.

Plus, Bryn is unique even among humans. She is able to connect, or stay disconnected, to the wolves. She can feel their energy when they are emotional. And after years of training, she can run fast and fight against wolves. She's not as good as them, but she knows what to do in order to run away to survive.

Bryn finds out that Callum is keeping another stray wolf locked up in the basement. However, Chase is no ordinary werewolf. He was changed human, got bit by a werewolf, and was change. Biting a human usually results in killing them, so seeing Chase alive and well was startling.

Bryn wanted to get to know Chase. She feels a connection with him almost from the minute she saw him. Then she finds out that the wolf who bit him? Was the same wolf who has been haunting Bryn's dreams for 11 years: "Big Bad Wolf", or, as Chase calls him, "Prancer". And now Bryn has been betrayed by everyone she loves since they didn't tell her the truth all of these years.

Now, Bryn is on a mission to kill Prancer. He ruined her life and is still out hunting humans; he must be stopped. But Bryn is part of a pack - even though she is human. Can she stray away from the only family she has ever known to kill another being? And who will join her on this murder hunt? Read Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes to find out!

My Thoughts/Reflections
Another werewolf story! I seem to be on a streak lately :)

This was really different than other werewolf stories I've read in the past. Especially because it's Bryn's viewpoint we are reading, who is one of the few humans in this society, and she's not exactly like anyone else in the story.

I liked it. There were some parts where I felt it dragged a little bit and I started skimming, but overall it was a good story and I was anxious to find out what was going to happen at the end of the novel.

I'm also really glad that this is a trilogy and that all of the books are published. In fact, I have all three of them in my possesion so there is no waiting around to find out what happens with all of the characters.

The romance in here was very bland compared to most YA werewolf stories, I thought. Chase and Bryn have a connection. They can talk to one another through their thoughts and can sense each others emotions. And, if I didn't miss anything through my skimming, there was only ONE kissing scene. That is very low key compared to other novels!

So, yeah, it was a good book. I'm excited to see what happens in the second novel because of the way this one ended (no, not really a cliffhanger, but something major does happen to Bryn that changes everything for her).

I would recommend this to anyone that wants to read about werewolves and about redemption, because once Bryn found out about her parents killer, she was all about revenge.

And there are a lot of plot lines that I didn't talk about that happened in this novel, so you just might be surprised as to what else unfolds throughout this novel.

Now, I'm off to read the sequel! Come back tomorrow for that review, because I will have finished it by then :)

Covet by Melissa Darnell

This is the second novel in The Clann series by Melissa Darnell.

My review of #1: Crave.

Note - There will be spoilers of the first novel. Just to forewarn you before you continue reading!

Savannah's life sucks. She's half vampire, half witch and is in love with a boy that she cannot be with - according to both The Clann council and the vampire council.

So when Tristan was taken by the vampires to perform a test with Savannah, she promised to break it off with him so it wouldn't cause an outright war between the witches and vampires.

But Tristan didn't like that idea and wanted to still see Savannah. She made it clear, though, that she wasn't going to continue seeing him and they separated on bad terms.

Right after that, Savannah's vampire side kicked in and now she can't eat human food and has a lot more abilities than she did before. And she has no one to talk to about it because her friends are human and she's not talking to Tristan anymore.

Because Savannah's grandmother died, all of the magic that had been helping Savannah with her vampire side faded away. Then Savannah had to go live with her father because the bloodlust that comes with being a vampire would be too strong to stay with her witch mother, whose blood is very tempting for vampires.

One bright side in Savannah's life, which there aren't many, was that when her grandmother died, Savannah got possession of her magic books/journals. Now Savannah is teaching herself how to control magic, but keeping it quite from The Clann because they don't want her to know anything about using magic against them.

Meanwhile, there are supposidly vampire attacks happening over the world, and one hits close to Tristan's family, causing a rift between The Clann members and Savannah and her father - the only vampires near them in Jacksonville, Texas.

Will both Tristan's clann and Savannah and her father figure out what is really happening with the attack on Clann members before an outright war come between the two species? And will Tristan and Savannah ever be able to figure a way to be together, or will they forever love each other but have to stay separate to save the other's life? Read Covet by Melissa Darnell to find out!

My Thoughts/Reflections
Wow. This was a great novel!

Now, I thoroughly hate it when the characters are not together and keep insisting that they are better apart to save the other's life. I always think that there can be another way around that and they should fight to be with each other.

But Savannah and Tristan? They really do have to be apart from each other, looking at a distance at the one person they truely love. And I actually didn't mind that, so good job Darnell for giving me an actual reason to like the characters being separated!

Also, I think I didn't mind because both Tristan and Savannah had a lot of things they needed to work through and that kept them busy, even though they were missing the other like crazy.

I was really happy that Savannah got to learn how to do magic. I think it's appropriate that if she is half witch she should do magic, no matter what The Clann thinks about it.

This is told through both Savannah and Tristan's point of view, which I really liked, especially when they were separated from each other.

And, also, I really didn't notice the length of this book! It's 470 pages and when I came to find final paragraph, I wanted more!

The only bad part about this novel is the ending! Why?! Why a cliffhanger?!? I hate them and now I have to wait until 2013 to find out what happens. Because, let me tell you, it was one heck of a cliffhanger and left me wanting a lot more!

Guess I'll have to be patient and wait for it...

I loved this book and think everyone should read it! I would start with the first novel, though, because it will help explain a lot in this novel. So, what are you waiting for? Go get 'em!

Pure by Jennifer L. Armentrout

This is the second book in the Covenant series by Jennifer L. Armentrout.

My review of #0.5: Daimon.
My review of #1: Half-Blood.

Warning - There will be spoilers from the first two books in this series. Continue reading at your own risk!

Being back at school isn't all Alex thought it would be. Now she gets cracks from not only her classmates, but also from her pure-blood teachers who think she's only at the Covenant because of her connection with her uncle and stepfather.

Also, she now has to hide her tags from the daimons that tried to change her - bite marks all up and down her arms and on her neck. But that doesn't stop the stares from everyone around her.

While also doing school stuff, Alex has to train with BOTH Aiden and Seth, alternating days and weekends with them. It's a lot of testosterone going around where Alex is concerned.

To make matters worse, now that everyone knows half-bloods can turn into daimons, a daimon attack happened on campus, and everyone is looking at Alex and Caleb since they were the latest victims on getting attacked by daimons.

Now Alex has to prove to everyone that she is not involved in the daimon activities happening around the Covenant - which is a little hard since she tends to get defensive when that topic is brought up - especially when it concerns her mother.

Seth has decided to start hanging around Alex more and more, while Aiden has been pushing her away. And to top off everything, her and Seth are connecting a heck of a lot more. Seth can feel Alex's emotions as if they were his own and sometimes Alex can feel certain things about Seth...things she'd rather not know about.

As if Alex hasn't been through enough, her and Caleb were attacked on campus by daimons, and Caleb didn't make it. The grief Alex feels from both her mother and Caleb's death takes the toll on her, causing Alex to act rash - more so than usual.

When Alex goes to the Council to do a statement about what happened with her mother in Tennessee, she knew that she would get grilled. But the council members have it out for her and want her to go into servitude instead of fighting daimons.

Can Alex find a way to convince the council that she is becoming mature and responsible? And what is going on between the trio: Seth, Alex and Aiden? What will happen as it gets closer to her eighteenth birthday, when she will Awaken with her Apollyon powers? Read Pure by Jennifer. L. Armentrout to find out!

My Thoughts/Reflections
There is so much packed into this novel! I love it!

Okay, this series just gets better and better. If I thought I loved Alex before, she grew on me even more during this novel.

I also have to say that I am really enjoying Seth. I know some are all "Aiden!" because he is sacrificing his love for Alex to keep her safe, but Seth is such a tool but a clown around Alex that I can't help but love him. And saying that will not spoil anything as I have no idea who Alex will pick in the end between the love triangle :)

I feel like I've been on an adventure throughout this novel, but the one thing that broke my heart was losing Caleb. Alex's reaction to his death was spot on for any best friend losing their other half (friend half) and I don't blame her one bit for all that she went through after that horrendous fight.

Armentrout is amazing to be able to come up with so much in this different world from ours and keep it simple so the reader won't get lost in all of the madness and blame fest. I truly enjoy reading this series and am very upset that I have to take a pause and wait until another library lets me check it out (it just came out this month, so it's too "new" to send to me - boo!).

I will be continuing this story, though, and I may just have to buy the series when they are all released to have my own copy.

I urge everyone (well female readers would appreciate it more, I think) to go read this series now! I have fallen in love with it and I think others will too :)