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!

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!

A Beautiful Evil by Kelly Keaton

This is the second novel in the Gods & Monsters series by Kelly Keaton.

My review of #1: Darkness Becomes Her.

WARNING - This review will contain spoilers from the first book! Be forewarned before reading any further!

Everything changed for Ari when she went into New 2 (New Orleans after a massive hurricane blew through 13 years ago). Sure, Ari was a freak outside of New 2 with her white/silver hair and teal eyes, but in New 2 she is normal - it's were all of the weirdo's are.

But that's not the weirdest thing. Ari found out that she is a direct relative of Medusa, the gorgon, whom Athena cursed centuries ago for her beauty.

And every female in Ari's family will have a daughter and die on their 21st birthday, when the curse comes into full effect. Except Ari is even more unique than her ancestors because she is starting to be able to control her curse at the age of 17.

Now Ari is learning how to fight and to control her curse to prepare to fight Athena. Because Athena took her father and Violet, the 8 year old who is fascinated with Ari, not frightened.

With the help of the Novem, the original 9 families who bought New 2 and have fought Athena 13 years ago, and her adopted family, Ari is trying to find information on how to defeat Athena while also trying to find a way to get rid of this curse.

Ari is also having to figure out how she feels about Sebastian, a warlock vampire who seems more distant toward Ari after finding out she will become Medusa in 3 1/2 years.

But when Ari meets Athena again, she's not nearly ready to defeat her. She just started training and learning about the Olympian history, so figuring out the way to defeat the Goddess of War is low on her learned list.

Can Ari figure out a way to kill Athena? Can she save her father and Violet from Athena's realm, or is that an impossible feat for Ari since she cannot get a handle on her curse yet? Read A Beautiful Evil by Kelly Keaton to find out!

My Thoughts/Reflections
I really enjoyed the first novel in this series, finding that I loved the different characters and what "species" they were, creating a very entertaining and information load novel. It was no different for this sequel!

Now that Ari knows what she is, she is determine to fight not only Athena but also herself and what she will become. But the first thing on her to do list is to get her father and Violet back, because both of them have never judged Ari, nor treated her like a monster when they found out what she was.

This novel did not disappoint in bringing randomness like the firs novel. Ari had to go to school to learn more about Athena, plus she went to another realm to Athena's turf and confront her.

I will admit, there were some parts I had to re-read just to make sure I understood exactly what was going on and other times I had to re-read because I could believe Keaton did that to her characters, but overall it was a great sequel that answered questions from the previous novel. But only to add more questions at the end of this novel.

I'm not sure if this is the last book in the series? I have a feeling that it's not because of the way this novel ended and the unresolved issues still to come. And I rarely say this, but I want more of this world and more of Ari learning about her curse! So far on Goodreads it just has these two novels listed as the series, but I'll keep my eyes out for installments!

I would definitely recommend this to other readers. I would state that I think everyone should read the first novel first, though, because this novel starts right where the first one ends. But it's a mix of topics that I think any reader could grab on to and and enjoy this novel.

Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton

This is the first novel in the Gods & Monsters series by Kelly Keaton.

Ari has always been different than everyone else. She grew up through foster homes since her mother left her at the age of 4, and some foster homes were worse than others. The current home is pretty fantastic because Bruce and Casey are bail bondsmen, so they go after the perps who don't make it to their court hearings. So now Ari can defend herself, whereas she wasn't able to when she was younger.

But the one thing that is the most unique about Ari is her appearance. She has white/silver hair to her waist and teal colored eyes. Those two features get her attention that she does not want.

However, when she goes to New 2, (what we know as New Orleans, but after a stage 2 hurricane demolished it and was slowly rebuilding), to search for answers about her parents, Ari is not the only weirdo around. In fact, she blends right in with other people who have abilities that humans do not have.

And now Ari is having to fight for her life. She gets attacked by a man that, after she wins the fight and stabs him with is own knife, he turns into dust when he dies. Ari knows that is not normal, but she doesn't trust too many people to figure out what exactly that means.

When Ari gets into New 2, she is fortunate enough to find a ride by a 12 year old named Crank. And she is staying with Crank and her friends, Violet, Henri, and Dub, along with her brother Sebastian. And each one is different from the average kid Ari grew up with.

New 2 is run by Novem, a group of nine people who are not quite human. And now they want to meet Ari. She's a little hesitant to meet more strangers, considering she was attacked not too long before she got into New 2.

But when Ari is told that Athena, Goddess of War, wants her, things just start to get crazy. Who knew supernatural beings actually existed? And for some reason, all of them want Ari on their side. They know something about her that she is ignorant of, and she is determined to figure it out.

Why does everyone want Ari to be on their side? What is so special about Ari? Will Ari choose the right side, or will her decision costs thousands of lives? Read Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton to find out!

My Thoughts/Reflections
Wow! This book has a ton of subjects in here (look at the labels to see all of the crazy supernatural topics)! I knew that there had to be mythology roaming around because of the series name, but this novel surpassed my expectations for how much I would like it!

One thing that I was really intrigued about in this book was Ari's current foster parents profession: bail bondsmen. I think that would be an interesting subject to write about in regards to a teen's viewpoint, and even though the author didn't get too much into that, I still find it very interesting and it also helped Ari become a stronger and more resilient person.

While this has mythology in it, it is also a dystopian novel because New Orleans got destroyed by a massive hurricane. Also, Ari was born in 2009 and is now 17, so it a few years in the future.

I think Keaton did a great job with this novel. There were so many characters to keep track of and so many different plot lines that were barely discussed that I'm surprised it wasn't a massive amount of information jammed into this book. But somehow it worked enough that I kept up while reading and didn't get confused...well not to much!

I'm really glad that there is another novel following this, because it is about to get extremely interesting now that Ari knows what she is and why everyone wants her on their side. I'll more than likely have to spill it for the next novel's review, but for now you will have to read the book to find out what she is!

My favorite character, aside from Ari, is Violet. She's quite, has a likiness to reptilian animals, and loves wearing masks. She's a hoot and a half and, come to find out, she was a key character to the major ending scene! So I'm even more eager to find out what happens.

I think this book could be liked by multiple readers, because there is so much subjects in here. So I'm going to say that anyone who likes supernatural or mythology stories will really enjoy this novel, and so far there are two novels in the series - both published - so no waiting? Unless there is another following it? I'm not sure, but I'll try to find out as soon as possible!

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 :)

Half-Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout

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

My review of #0.5: Daimon.

After having watched her mother be killed by a daimon, Alex is on the run from a group who are, for some reason, tracking her down. When she was in a fight with three of them, reinforcements came to help - members of the Covenant who she used to know three years ago.

It was all well and dandy that Aiden, the crush she had for years before leaving the Covenant, came to rescue her, but Alex was not very appreciative at the time.

Now she's back at the Covenant, where she finds out that her uncle, Marcus, is the new dean at the school and her stepfather, Lucian, is one of the Ministers of the Covenant. And neither really liked her that much three years ago, so she was expecting some bad news.

With the help of Aiden and two other pure-bloods, they were able to convince her uncle to train over the summer and try to catch up so she can go to school in the fall. And her personal trainer for the duration?

None other than Aiden himself, who Alex has found out she still has a major crush on him.

Just when things were getting to be a routine, her stepfather decides to come visit - which did not make Alex overly happy. And she also found out that the Apollyon (the one half-blood who has all of the powers of a pure-blood and more aether than a pure-blood) was with him.

The minute Alex and the Apollyon, Seth, eyes meet, there is an instant connection. Not attraction, just a feeling Alex gets whenever he is around. And she sees tattoos. Tattoos that none of her friends can see.

With her stepfather comes bad news - her mother is alive. But she was changed into a daimon. And for some reason, she is coming back for Alex, and killing any pure or half-blood in her way to get Alex.

Now Alex, after finding out that she herself is the second Apollyon of this generation - something that caused a fuse the last time two were alive at the same time - has to deal with this news along with the idea that her mother is a daimon and might have to kill her so she won't kill anyone else.

Life for Alex is not all that grand lately. What will happen to Alex since Marcus and Lucian know she's the second Apollyon? What is the connection she feels with Seth, even though she's very much attracted to Aiden? Will Alex have to kill her mother, or is her mother stronger than Alex and will kill her first? Find out all of these answers by reading Half-Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout today!

My Thoughts/Reflections
This book was amazing. I was not bored once throughout the novel and read it in one sitting. There was also so much information and action in here that I was thrown for a loop time and again with the new content Armentrout shoved in here - very eloquently shoved, but still shoved.

Alex is amazing. Purely amazing. She had to leave her mother when she was murdered, fight off daimons after no training for three years, face her uncle and stepfather, not knowing the outcome, go to school and train with her hard-core crush, learned that her mother WASN'T dead, but turned into the thing she is training to kill, found out that she's the second Apollyon, when the last time that happened, they killed BOTH Apollyon's, AND still had time to break a few rules here and there.

She's amazing.

And there are so many boys! Ha, just kidding, but Aiden is very serious, and so is Seth though they are a different serious from one another. Caleb, Alex's best friend, is hilarious and her two elders (uncle and stepfather) are just plain weird.

Overall, this was a great book. There was a lot of information, but it was well spread out really well to give the reader enough time to get over one shock after another.

I cannot wait to read the next books in the series to see what happens with all of the characters. I think I'm going to enjoy this Covenant world very much :)

I think all should read this. It's different than other stories and has many twists and turns. The only thing I'm upset about is that not all of the books are out so I can read them back to back. Guess I'll get over that, though!

Daimon by Jennifer L. Armentrout

This is the prequel novella (#0.5) in the Covenant series by Jennifer L. Armentrout.

For three years, Alexandria, or Alex, has been living in the human world and trying to blend in like a human. Even though she's not. Far from it.

She's actually a half-blood: half human and half God. Her mother is a pure-blood and her father was human. Because of that, Alex has superstrength and speed. Before moving to the human world, she was being trained to protect all pure-bloods from daimons - half-bloods gone rogue.

Daimons one mission in life is to get the aether from pure-bloods - the essence that makes them a God, basically.

Alex doesn't know why her and her mother left the place where all God descendants live: the Covenant. She tried to ask but her mother never gave her an answer.

But one day, the daimons came to Alex's house. And they killed her mother when taking her aether. If that wasn't hard enough, for some reason they are also chasing after Alex, who has a smidgen of aether inside of her as she is only half-blood.

Now Alex has to decide what to do. Fight every daimon that comes after her, or go to the Covenant, the place where her mother has been running from for three years. Whatever Alex decides, it will change the life she knew for good. Read Daimon by Jennifer L. Armentrout to find out!

My Thoughts/Reflections
I'm glad I read this before the first two novels that I have staring at me right now because this novella really explained the setting and world that I'm about to dive into. I also got to meet Alex without the who love fest that will eventually happen, so I can remember her as an individual and not a love-couple.

I felt like somethings were missing, but I wasn't too concerned by it since I do have the next book to delve into. I really like Alex and think that I will keep liking her throughout the series.

I also like having the background story for one of the main characters.

Because it was such a short novella, I don't have too much to say. I would recommend this to any reader who is in love with Armentrout's works and who wants a very unique twist on mythology. If you want to know more about this series, I will have the review for the first whole book tomorrow, so come back and read it! There will definitely be more details about this unique world!

Destiny's Fire by Trisha Wolfe

This is the first novel in the Kythan Guardians series by Trisha Wolfe.

In 2040, Dez is fighting against her own people. She's a Shythe, a race of shape-shifters descended from the Egyptian pharaohs. At the age of 17, she gains her full Charge power and will be assigned to humans to protect them from any harm.

The enemy of Shythe's are Narcos, who are also shape-shifters but instead of having a Charge, they have Flame in order to produce steam, fire, and other substances of flame to help humans.

Together, they help the human race, but the Narco's have been killing the Kythan species for years. Now, it's  just the Narco's and Shythe's, who are still mortal enemies, but are now told from the council that they have to live together to keep their race alive.

While this is going on in the Kythan world, Dez is fighting her own battles. She was part of an experiment when she was conceived, and was the only one who survived.

She's half Narco and half Shythe, raised in a Shythe world. Her friends are Shythe. Her mother ran away when the creators of the experiment starting killing everyone, saying the procedure went wrong. So they came to Haven and changed their names, fitting in with the Shythe world.

But she doesn't know if she will have the Charge power, or the Flame power when her abilities come the day she turns 17.

Dez is starting to grow feelings for one of her best friends, Jace, who is a Shythe, and is also one of the council members son. But right when things might be looking up for them, a Narco comes barreling through when they are forced to live with Shythes: Reece.

For some reason, Dez is strangely connected to Reece - in a bigger way than she can imagine. When she turns 17 and gets her immense power, it's not Jace she turns to for help, but Reece.

Things are not as they seem, though, between the Narco's and the Shythe's. Peace is not the only thing they are striving for, and Dez is caught right in the middle of this battle between two races.

Can Dez find a way to contain her massive power of both Narco and Shythe? Can she do it in time to save the ones she loves? Read Destiny's Fire by Trisha Wolfe to find out!

My Thoughts/Reflections
Now I know I have a lot of labels for this book review that don't make sense, like Supernatural, Dystopian, Science Fiction, but for me, this book had all of these genres! It was amazing!

I haven't read too many Sci Fi novels lately - especially YA novels - so it was great to get lost into another world with different rules than I'm used to.

And I found the way the author wrote this novel was fantastic! She didn't overly explain things but gradually let the reader figure out how this world was with the rules and the setting. It wasn't a whole paragraph where it was narration to the reader of what was going on - we have to read it longer than a chapter to figure everything out, which I found refreshing.

Dez is amazing. She has been keeping this secret for years and is scared to death as to what is going to happen when she receives her full power. And then, when she does get it, she's able to use some of it before it gets out of control.

Now, the first scene, directly when the reader starts, is HOT. But then it gets hotter with another boy.

As much as I liked Reece, I think the acceptance of him that Dez gave him was a little odd. He's supposed to be her mortal enemy and after revealing the truth about himself, she trusts him with her life? Yeah, not very realistic or smart, I think.

I think Wolfe did an amazing job with this novel. It sucked me into another world, gave me a different viewpoint on different topics, and kept me wanting a lot more throughout the novel and at the end. It's not a cliffhanger, but the reader will definitely know that there is more to this amazing world.

I cannot wait until the next book comes out. Unfortunately, I can't find any information on Goodreads about the sequel, but I'm hoping that I won't have too long of a wait for it?!?

I would definitely recommend this to any female reader who wants an other worldly novel to read and one with a kick a$$ female lead character to read about! I won't be forgetting this world any time soon!

Embers and Echoes by Karsten Knight

This is the second novel in the Wildefire series by Karsten Knight.

My review of #1: Wildefire.

Note - This review will have spoilers of the first novel, so be forewarned before you continue reading!

After everything that happened at school, Ashline was excited to get on the road with Colt and enjoy some down time with him. Nice, normal everyday activities that didn't involve resurrected Gods and Goddesses.

Yeah, so not what happened.

Instead, she finds out that Colt isn't human. He's actually Kokopelli, the Hopi Trickster reincarnated. Colt thinks that Ashline will be excited so now she doesn't have feel like the only reincarnated Goddess around, but instead, she takes it personally that he lied to her and made her believe that he was going to die a few times.

When in fact he can't die at all.

So she leaves in stranded in the Northwest and heads out to find her youngest sister, Rose. Who happens to be the Goddess of War and can make portals to other dimensions, specifically the Netherworld.

Ashline has another vision about Rose and finds out that she's going to Miami with other reincarnated Gods, so Ash makes Miami her next destination.

Once she gets there, she just happens to stumble upon another reincarnated God: Wes, otherwise known as the Atzec God of the night. With his help, along with another goddess, Ashline slowly makes her way to finding her youngest sister.

With the exception of fighting through a band of reincarnated gods known as the Four Seasons. Four Gods who have the ability to change the weather either mimicking winter, spring, summer and fall.

And want to keep Ashline as far away from her sister as possible.

Now Ashline has a lot more on her plate than saving Rose and seeing if she could get Eve out of the hell she sent her to. And she's also having flashbacks from her previous life, ironically with Colt as her husband, and conflicting feelings she starting to get toward Wes.

Will Ashline be able to save her sister, Rose, from the horrors that the Four Seasons are cooking up? Can she figure out what to do with Colt and Wes? And what will she do when she learns about a certain attribute to the Wilde sisters? Read Embers and Echoes by Karsten Knight to find out!

My Thoughts/Reflections
Ahh!! I loved this book! It's over 450 pages long and I finished it in one day. I couldn't put it down!

Even though it's been a little while since I read the first novel, I fell right back into Ashline's story and got lost in the ride that is otherwise known as her life.

Again, I adore Ashline. She is extremely tough, thinks of plans under pressure, and is extremely dedicated to her family and friends. She's always looking out for them and trying to keep them out of trouble, even if it means bad news for her.

I think Knight did an amazing job keeping the story entertaining, action packed, and had a steady flow of information coming toward the readers. Not once did I find myself bored or skipping a few pages to find a more action packed scene.

The only bad part about finishing this novel is that I have to wait a WHOLE YEAR for the next book. I'm not sure if I'm okay with that.

I think that readers should definitely read this series. And I just found out that these two books by Knight are his first novels! I never would have guessed that after reading them!

I will definitely be waiting with open arms for the third novel come Nov. 2013 to see what's in store for Ashline. Because we were left with a mighty big teaser at the end of this novel and I cannot wait to see how vengeful Ashline will be in the next novel!

Go pick these novels up and read them today! You'll definitely get a different idea of reincarnated Gods and Goddesses after reading Knight's novels!

Valkyrie Rising by Ingrid Paulson

Having a protective older brother as a sophomore is horrible. Having her brother's best friend, who is extremely good looking and knows it, and also having him be overly protective of her isn't any better.

So when Ellie gets to go to Norway for the summer to visit her grandmother, Ellie is excited. No protective older males to boss her around and scare all of the boys away before she can get five words out.

Except Graham (brother) and Tucker (friend) decided they are going to come out for a few weeks in the summer too, disappointing Ellie just a little bit.

But when she gets to Norway, things are different than 2 years ago when she was there last. The locals are giving her stares and dirty looks, telling her to go back home, that they don't want her there.

And guys, 18 or older, are starting to disappear. They will be with a group of friends and then a minute later, they are just gone. Some have seen a group of guys following strange, beautiful girls to an SUV, so they know that the guys are getting kidnapped in public, though the group of friends they were with don't remember them leaving.

When Graham gets taken, Ellie decides she has to find out the big secret her grandmother has kept from her, and why everyone in Norway hates her on sight.

Turns out that Ellie is half Valkyrie, an ancient Norse Mythology story where the Valkyrie's would take the dead soldiers from battle to join Odin's army.

And now Ellie needs to hone into her Valkyrie heritage in order to save her brother. Though there are, obstacles ahead to getting her full powers that Ellie needs to overcome.

While struggling with this task, Ellie is also finding herself falling for Tucker's flirting. The only thing is, Tucker does this to any female within five feet of him, so she shouldn't take him seriously. But it's very hard when it seems like Tucker is being serious about his feelings...sometimes.

Can Ellie figure out how to save her brother? And what is the secret that Tucker is keeping from her? Read Valkyrie Rising by Ingrid Paulson to find out!

My Thoughts/Reflections
This was a great book! I wasn't sure what to expect but found myself reading this book in one sitting - it was that good!!

I'm an older sister of two, so I can't compare myself to Ellie's situation with having an older protective brother, but I can imagine that Ellie's experience was dead on.

And I was so envious of her going to Norway! The way the author described the area made me want to go myself!

The action scenes from when Ellie was fighting the other Valkyrie was really well written as well. And even though I'm not up to date on my Norse Mythology, I felt like I've been studying this subject for awhile with the way I was able to understand the myth of Odin and Loki.

The best part was with Tucker, though (well for me anyway). He's such a player but acts differently around Ellie. One, because of Graham but also because he can talk to her and not have to act like a player when around her.

I really, really enjoyed this novel. And it's Ingrid Paulson's first novel! She is extremely talented and I will be looking out for more of her works when they come out!

I'm not sure if this is part of a series?! I know that there is a short story called Valkryie Symptoms from Tucker's point of view that is before the setting of this novel. If you want to read it, it's at this website now for a limited time.

I recommend this to everyone! It's a really great novel, written extremely well and I loved every minute of it. I think others will too! And, again, I will be keeping Paulson on my radar for future novels!

Wildefire by Karsten Knight

This is the first novel in the Wildefire series by Karsten Knight.

Back in New York, Ashline Wilde witnessed a horrible accident. Even though she didn't commit it, Ashline still feels responsible for what happened so she moves to California to a boarding school in the middle of nowhere.

Things were going fine until she got paired up with other "unnatural" students who are at Blackwood Academy: Raja, Rolfe, Ade, Lily, and Serena.

Turns out that all six of them are gods/goddesses. Raja is the Egyptian Goddess of the Dead; Rolfe is the Norse God of Light; Ade is the God of Thunder; Lily is the Goddess of the Blossom; Serena is a siren. But for some reason, Ashline doesn't know which Goddess she is - only that she is special just like the other five.

Oh, and Ashline's older sister Eve is also a goddess - the Goddess of Weather. And she doesn't use her powers for good all of the time...

Now the teen gods/goddesses are finding out that others are trying to capture them for their unique talents. But Ashline has no idea what hers is... Until it erupts out of her - quite literally. She has a knack for fire, but her real title is the Volcano Goddess.

Then Eve comes back after the horrible accident in New York. And she is starting to cause trouble for Ashline in California as well.

Before, Ashline couldn't stop Eve, but now that she knows her power, can Ashline figure out how to use them in time before Eve strikes again? Or will it be too late and Ashline will be haunted by more of Eve's destruction when she is finished? Read Wildefire by Karsten Knight to find out!

My Thoughts/Reflections
Another book about Gods/Goddesses! Normally I wouldn't be excited for the same topic, but Knight did a wonderful job bringing a new tale and a very different journey with this subject that I was kept very entertained and intrigued throughout this first novel.

I felt for Ashline when she was devastated by what her sister had done in New York. But she toughed it out and moved across country to start over and try to live as normal as possible. Which of course, wasn't that normal when she found out she was a goddess in a mortal body.

I really liked her though. Not only is she a kick a$$ goddess, but she's sporty! She plays tennis and is quite good at it - a way to release the anger inside!

And it wasn't as romantic as it could have been. Sure, there were romantic scenes, but Ashline wasn't one of those girls that needed to have a guy around to save the day.

In fact, Ashline was pretty good at taking care of herself. And there were a lot of fighting scenes in here as well!

This is the first book in a series (so far I know of 3 books in the series - not sure if that is all or if there is more to come though). And the second novel, Embers and Echoes is already out in print! I've ordered it and will hopefully get it soon from the library.

For anyone who is a Percy Jackson fan or fans of mythology, I would definitely recommend this to you! It is told through Ashline's point of view, so there will probably be more girls than guys reading it, but I think guys might enjoy this story as well!

Everneath by Brodi Ashton

After 6 months, Nikki has returned from the Everneath, an underworld where she has been for the past 100 years (Everneath time, that is).

Now Nikki has 6 months before she is dragged back to Everneath. Unlike last time, she gets a second chance to connect with her friends and family, and with her boyfriend Jack.

But how can she tell them what happened? No one would believe that she’s been in the underworld this whole time, and they certainly wouldn’t believe her if she said the person who took her there was rock-star musican Cole.

The hardest person to reconnect with is Jack. He took her leaving really hard and hasn’t found a way to get over her yet.

Nikki doesn’t think that getting back together with him would be a good idea. She’ll be leaving in 6 months, which will put him right back where he was.

And not only does Nikki have to figure out how to live on Earth again, Cole followed her from Everneath, trying to get her to come back with him.

Nikki has some hard decisions to make. Will she go with Cole to a world where she will lose her soul or spend her last days on Earth with a guy she’ll eventually break his heart again? Read Everneath by Brodi Ashton to find out!

My Thoughts/Reflections

Oh my, the story about Persephone and Hades has grown quite popular in the last couple of years in Young Adult literature! (For example, I've reviewed Radiant Darkness by Emily Whitman and Abandon by Meg Cabot.)

This story was unique to other rewrites of Persephone and Hades so it was set apart from the other novels that have come out.

But for some reason I didn’t get into this novel as well as the other ones. Maybe it was the atmosphere of the story or the fact that Nikki had a hard time figuring out exactly what she wanted. I felt like the characters didn’t really grow as much as they could have throughout this novel either.

It was hard to tell who Nikki would pick between the two boys: Cole and Jack. And at times, both guys were part good and evil, so it was a toss-up. But I never had a person who I wanted to win out in the end, like I usually do in a love triangle, which was weird for me.

It almost seemed like this novel was bland for me. Not a lot of action, not a lot of romance, not a lot of growth.

For anyone who likes the Persephone and Hades story, I would definitely suggest reading this novel to see if you enjoy it more than I did. Maybe I’m just tired of this storyline because it’s been written so often, but it just wasn’t my cup of tea this time.

This is the first in a series, so maybe it will get better in the next novel, Everbound, that comes out January 22, 2013. I may grab it and see if it gets better depending on my mood for this storyline, who knows!

Abandon by Meg Cabot

At the age of 7, Pierce met a mysterious, dark man who was able to bring a bird back to life.

At the age of 15, Pierce hit her head and drowned in her pool, causing her to die and go to the underworld. There, she saw the mysterious man and sought his help to go back home.

While he didn't help her escape, he gave her a rare necklace that tells Pierce when evil is near. Then she ran away and went back home.

Now, at the age of 17, Pierce has had more horrible events happen to her than she prefers. Her best friend died, she was cornered by a teacher and a jewelry shop owner, and she's now moved to her mother's homeland, the name which translates to "Island of Bones".

And Pierce's mysterious man? He's on that island as well.

The more Pierce learns about John, the more bad things start to happen around her. But she also feels a connection with him - and she wants to help him because he seems troubled.

Pierce is always helping any living thing, but will this time kill her again...and keep her dead?

Read the first in Meg Cabot's new trilogy, Abandon, to find out!

My Thoughts/Reflections
I absolutely love Meg Cabot's books! I have been reading them since I was little and I'm glad she is still writing amazing novels today for me to read!

I also love mythology, so this book could not have been more perfect for me to read!

This is the story about Persephone and Hades, and if you look at the characters names (Pierce and John Hayden) we can see that there is a connection. A little bit.

Pierce is very selfless. When she died at 15, instead of being concerned about her own safety, she confronted John and told him that he should give everyone else in line warmer clothes, fix their phones, etc.

I also loved how she wanted to help John, especially when he had scars and she wanted to fix it somehow.

This was very beautifully written and I was sucked into the story almost immediately! I've read another Persephone/Hades story rewritten (Radiant Darkness by Emily Whitman) which I really enjoyed, but this story is very unique and I can't wait to read the other 2 novels in this series!

(I actually don't mind that there are more novels to come - which is saying something since series are starting to get tiresome for me!)

As soon as I can order the second novel from the library, I will be reading it immediately and will just have to be impatient until the third one is released.

I would definitely recommend this series to others, especially teen girls and older. Pierce is a strong female character and there's enough romantic tension in here to keep most readers happy and entertained!

Nobody's Prize by Esther Friesner

After her first adventure in Nobody's Princess (click here to see my review), Helen has decided to go off on another adventure at the beginning of this sequel novel. Helen's brothers went off to search for the Golden Fleece, so naturally Helen wanted to be a part of the search and see heroes capture their prize.

In order to travel with them without being recognized, Helen once again dressed like a boy and was a weapons servant with her friend, Milo.

What Helen didn't expect before her journey was that

1. she would develop a crush on another weapons servant, Hylas 
2. the great Herkules would fall in love with her boy self on the trip
3. she would meet a jealous, crazy princess who would stop at nothing to get what she wanted - including Helen's death
4. she would attract the attention of a power-hungry prince who would kidnap her and prepare wedding vows without Helen's parents permission
5. her monthly cycle would start in the middle of the adventure, ruining her image as a boy

Things are never easy when it comes to adventure for Helen.

However, with everything that came toward Helen, she took it in stride and somehow found a way out of every situation in order to get back to her destination: Sparta

My Thoughts/Reflections
I really enjoyed Helen's adventures in the first novel, but I found this book to be lacking...

Don't get me wrong, I love the stories that were told and the situations that Helen got into that she had to get herself out of again. It just wasn't as good as the first novel.

I honestly think that Esther Friesner could have ended Helen's story after Nobody's Princess and it would have been a great ending to a perfect adventure.

However, in this novel we were able to see Helen as a woman. She got her first crush, she got her time of the month, and she got more creative in her stories to get out of trouble.

Whereas the first book went through 4-5 years of Helen's life, this was just a few months from start to finish. It let the reader see how mature and grown up Helen became in just a matter of short time, which I was happy to see.

I would recommend this book to teen girls. There was a lot more about becoming a woman in here so teen guys probably wouldn't want to read it. However, if anyone reads the first novel and likes where it ended, I don't think you'll be missing too much if you decide to skip this novel.

BED4 Day #10: Mythology

When I was younger, I was obsessed about Mythology stories. It didn't help that I read book series revolved around Mythology (Daughters of the Moon by Lynn Ewing and T*Witches by H.B. Gilmour and Randi Reisfeld).

I'm not quite sure which story was my favorite. There are so many, ranging from: Medusa; Hercules; Zeus and Hera; Aphrodite; Apollo and Artemis; Hades and Persephone; Cupid; etc.

Today there are a lot of young adult novels being published that are a rewrite of Mythology stories. I've done one review of Hades and Persephone in the novel, Radiant Darkness.

I would have to say that the most well known Mythology story that I know is Hercules, because of the movie. But my favorite story is Apollo and Artemis.

Do you have a favorite Mythology story? Or am I the only nerd here? haha

Nobody's Princess by Esther Friesner

Growing up as a princess with three other siblings in Sparta can be intimidating. For Helen, the 3rd child of 4, it meant that she would someday rule Sparta as their queen. Instead of her older brothers ruling, it will be her as the Queen of Sparta rules with her husband by her side.

When Helen found out that she was to be Queen, she at first didn't want to. It was too much responsibility and she had no idea how to rule a kingdom.

However, at the age of 10, she decided to take her own fate in her hands and become a leader. Women were supposed to learn how to weave and spin gold into gowns.

Instead, Helen confronted the weapons teacher who taught her older brothers, Glaucus, that she wanted to learn to fight. Helen started training, running barefoot into the woods to get faster, hunting meat with her mother for dinner, and learning how to handle a sword and spear.

Helen did this in secret, since it was not allowed for women to do these events. When her twin sister, Clytemnestra, traveled for her wedding ceremony at age 14, Helen went with to comfort her.

Little did Helen know, though, that she would be on an adventure of a lifetime, hunting boars, visiting holy cities, and running around town dressed as a servant boy to follow her brothers on yet another adventure.

Life is definitely not boring for Helen of Sparta.

My Thoughts/Reflections
I love mythology stories! This one is about Helen of Troy before she could add the "Troy" to her name. This is when she was a little girl who was just trying to found out who she really was. Everyone always called her the "pretty" sister, which Helen was not flattered by.

Instead, she wanted to take care of herself. The thought of having to have a husband for that purpose did not settle too well with Helen.

Helen was a great character, I thought. She was tough. Even when she was sweating, panting, and had rubber arms, she did not give anyone the satisfaction of seeing her quit. She pushed through everything her trainer gave her and finished what she started.

I was a little shocked at how young she was at the beginning of the story - around 9 or 10 years old. However, as the story continued the reader was able to see how mature Helen became and just how responsible she was - which is why she became such a great ruler when she got older.

This is the first book of a two book series. We are left with Helen on another adventure to catch up to her brothers - Helen doesn't like to be left behind when there is more to see and experience. I'm excited to see what will happen in the second, and final, book of Esther Friesner's books.

I would definitely recommend this to any young girl who wants to read about a girl who takes chances, doesn't take no for an answer, and is willing to learn. It's a great adventure and I think any teen girl will enjoy it.

Radiant Darkness

Greek mythology was always fascinating to me when I was younger. I didn't get into too many of the original stories because, honestly, I found them somewhat boring (this was when I was 10, by the way, and reading on my own). I wish I would have gotten more into the stories, though, because when I was reading this book, Radiant Darkness, I found that I didn't quite know the story of Persephone.

This is basically a retelling of how Persephone went to stay in Hell with Hades, her husband. Unlike the original story (from what the author talked about at the end of the novel), this Persephone went willing with Hades because she wanted to live her own life and she loved Hades for the man that he was, not the evil God that everyone knew him to be.

The inner struggles that Persephone went through when she left her mother, Demeter, and her feelings for Hades were very real and it showed how much Persephone cared for everyone around her. She wanted the right thing to happen in both Hell and Earth, and she certainly was not afraid to tell Hades what she thought of his ruling in Hell!!

One thing that did sort of bother me at the beginning of the story was that Demeter always called Persephone a child. With this being said, I started to see Persephone as a child and when Hades started to see Persephone, it was a little weird because Hades has a beard - which shows that he is certainly not a child!

Otherwise, this story was amazing! I want to go and read all of the original Greek mythology stories because it seems to be the new trend in today's society to rewrite/revamp Greek mythology stories and I want to know how right/similar they are to the original story.

Oh, and one more great thing about this novel? It's a stand alone!! I don't have to wait impatiently for the next novel to come out!