Book Review: Pyxis: The Discovery by K.C. Neal

Title: The Pyxis: The Discovery

Author: K.C. Neal

Series: Pyxis, Book 1

Publisher: StoneHouse Ink

Release Date: October 2011

Format: e-book, ARC

Source: given by the author

My Rating: 4 stars 

Corinne lives an average teenage life working at her dad’s cafe, hanging out with her best friend, and trying to forget a falling-out with her almost-boyfriend Mason. Things take a strange turn when she uses her late grandmother’s food dyes for a bake sale, and her customers suddenly find her irresistibly alluring. Then she discovers she and Mason are haunted by the same dreams of a dark force that consumes everything in its path.

Pursued by shadowy figures and a crazy woman with secrets from the past, Corinne must find out who her grandmother really was. In her quest to unravel her family’s history, she learns she is destined to protect this world--and the dark world of her dreams. She races to find the answers she seeks before her nightmares break free.

I'm not sure what Pyxis is about even now that I've finished the book. I am a label type of girl, meaning I like to categorize my books by vampires, werewolves, etc. but for this one I had non. Well it's definitely a fantasy novel and a good one. 

I can tell you for sure it has nothing to do with your typical paranormal books. I would say it has more to do with magic but I would have to see about that after reading the next book. The story ends right where things start to get clear about Corinne and what her destiny is.

The book starts when Corrine bakes some cupcakes and uses some stuff that were supposedly food colouring, only they weren't. Weird stuff begin to happen and she starts to investigate what those colourful bottles are that she found inside a box called Pyxis.

Now the romance part- because you know how much I love my stories to be accompanied by love stories. 

I liked the fact that Corinne and Mason already knew each other and there was already the initiation from being friends into something more. It was so refreshing because no matter how much I love it, it's beginning to be a little tiring the whole girl meets boy and fall in love without really knowing each other. 

Mason was one of the main reasons I wanted to keep reading and not stop. I wanted to know what had happened between them and if they were going to end up together. The suspense lol! That and of course what the heck Pyxis is and what Corinne is and Mason. They may share mutual feelings but they have more in common than they think and an unbreakable connection.

Overall, I loved and I will keep reading the series. It's perfect for those who want something new and unpredictable.

Book Review: Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton

Title: Angelfire
Author: Courtney Allison Moulton
Series: Angelfire, Book 1
Publisher: Harper Collins
Release Date: 2011
Format: e-book, ARC
Source: Netgalley
My Rating: 5 stars

First there are nightmares.
Every night Ellie is haunted by terrifying dreams of monstrous creatures that are hunting her, killing her.
Then come the memories.
When Ellie meets Will, she feels on the verge of remembering something just beyond her grasp. His attention is intense and romantic, and Ellie feels like her soul has known him for centuries. On her seventeenth birthday, on a dark street at midnight, Will awakens Ellie's power, and she knows that she can fight the creatures that stalk her in the grim darkness. Only Will holds the key to Ellie's memories, whole lifetimes of them, and when she looks at him, she can no longer pretend anything was just a dream.
Now she must hunt.
Ellie has power that no one can match, and her role is to hunt and kill the reapers that prey on human souls. But in order to survive the dangerous and ancient battle of the angels and the Fallen, she must also hunt for the secrets of her past lives and truths that may be too frightening to remember.

This book was awesome! I'm always hesitant towards books that everyone seem to like and strongly recommend and I was glad to find out that all those people were right!

I love the aspect of reincarnation. In this book Ellie keeps coming back in order to fight demons. Not exactly what I would expect from a typical reincarnation book. I'm more of coming-back-to-life-for-love type of girl. But there is plenty of love in the air in this book.

Will is the one who brings her memories back or tries to couple of times and the attraction between them is clear but of course it wouldn't be that easy for them to get together and here comes the big and unexpected twist which I totally didn't see coming. Add more drama and tension to the love story and it's insta-love for me! What can I say? I love my characters to go through hell first in order to be together which I guess won't be far from the truth... in the next books.

Ellie as a person who has lived many lives, is filled with memories which she gradually gets back. Some flashbacks were terrible like the way she died, but others were little snippets of her and Will which makes you see the bond they share with each other and how strong it is. I hope though flashbacks continue on the next book.

Overall I loved it! Anglefire is a fast paced and action driven novel with a forbidden love that'll make you want to come back for more.

Book Review: Cold Kiss by Amy Garvey

Title: Cold Kiss
Author: Amy Garvey
Series: stand alone book so far
Publisher: Harper Collins
Expected Release Date: September 20th, 2011
Format: e-book, ARC
Source: Netgalley
My Rating: 2.5 stars

"It seemed so right. Danny was mine, I was his, and that wasn't going to work if he was dead. So I would make him not dead, not anymore. I didn't think any further than what it would feel like to kiss him again, to wrap my arms around him and bury my head against his shoulder.That was my first mistake. It also turned out to be the biggest."
When her boyfriend, Danny, is killed in a car accident, Wren can't imagine living without him. Wild with grief, she uses the untamed powers she's inherited to bring him back. But the Danny who returns is just a shell of the boy she once loved. 
Wren has spent four months keeping Danny hidden, while her life slowly unravels around her. Then Gabriel DeMarnes transfers to her school and somehow, inexplicably, he can sense her secret. Wren finds herself drawn to Gabriel, who is so much more alive than the ghost of the boy she loved. But Wren can't turn her back on Danny or the choice she made for him-and she realizes she must find a way to make things right, even if it means breaking her own heart.

Cold Kiss was my first book about zombies and I found myself waiting anxiously to read it. Sadly I was dissapointed. When I heard it was about zombies my first thought was that the book will be filled with a lot of zombie action but found that the book was focused on Wren and her feelings for her undead dead boyfriend. See the zombie in this story is her boyfriend that she brought to life because she couldn't handle the loss.

Throughout the book we get glimpses of how their relationship was before Danny died and Wren realizing as the time passes that the Danny she brought back has nothing to do with the Danny she fall in love with. There wasn't really any action in it but it kept me reading in the hopes I would find some in the end. Needless to say I loved Danny's and Wren's relationship, at least the 'alive' Danny.

In this story we are being introduced to the new love interest named Gabriel. I couldn't see a connection between Wren and Gabriel unfortunately and just couldn't believe that those two were falling for each other. Wren acts selfish pretty much throughout the novel and Gabriel just stood there. If I were him I would be long gone.

Another aspect of the story was Wren's family and their magical abilities which was not explained at all in the book. By the end of Cold Kiss we know nothing about their abilities expect from the fact that the women do have magic but not their uses or where it came from and what kind of powers they have. 

Overall I liked the book. I was just expecting something else.

Frosy

Book Review: A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies

Title: A Beautiful Dark
Author: Jocelyn Davies
Series: Beautiful Dark, Book 1
Publisher: HarperTeen
Expected Release Date: September 27th 2011
Format: e-book, arc
Source: Netgalley
My Rating: 5 stars

On the night of Skye's seventeenth birthday, she meets two enigmatic strangers. Complete opposites--like fire and ice--Asher is dark and wild, while Devin is fair and aloof. Their sudden appearance sends Skye's life into a tailspin. She has no idea what they want, or why they seem to follow her every move--only that their presence coincides with a flurry of strange events. Soon she begins to doubt not just the identity of the two boys, but also the truth about her own past. 
In the dead of a bitingly cold Colorado winter, Skye finds herself coming to terms with the impossible secret that threatens to shatter her world. Torn between Asher, who she can't help falling for, and Devin, who she can't stay away from, the consequences of Skye's choice will reach further than the three of them could ever imagine.

This book is about Angels which I had no idea it would be about. Before I started reading it I hadn't read or heard anything about it and the synopsis doesn't give away much so I had no idea what there was there for me. But I'm glad I read it. I loved it! And the main reason was Skye. Skye was so enjoyable and loved her to pieces. She knows what she wants and even though she gets distracted and confused she manages to get back in track.

The writing was a breeze and well written. Jocelyn Davies captured me with her fast paced writting and couldn't just stop after a couple of chapters. I had to keep reading and I ended up reading until 3 AM which haven't happened for a long time. I'm lucky it's summer. :)

The romane came in pretty quickly but not that quickly. Does that make sense? Probably not lol. At first I couldn't see a connection with either of them but after a while I warmed up towards Asher. What can I say? I like my men dark and mysterious ;). Of course there is a love triangle in this book -I'm team Asher by the way- and I'm a sucker for those! I have read many books with love triangles and never get bored with them. I just love the tension and drama! There wasn't much drama as I would have liked and it became clear to me which one of the guys I was rooting for.

The plot was really interesting on how Angels actually affect people, manipulate them even and finding out that they are not all shiny and pure as they look like. There aren't a lot of romantic moments in this book and I wish there were but it didn't bother me much since there is another book coming after A Beautiful Dark. 

Overall, I loved this book. It's the first book about Angels that I loved and I recommend reading this if you like Angels and love love-triangles.

Frosy

Book Review: Tris and Izzie by Mette Ivie Harrison

Title: Tris and Izzie
Author: Matte Ivie Harrison
Publisher: EgmontUS
Expected Release Date: October 11th 2011
Format: e-book, arc
Source: Netgalley
My Rating: 2 stars

A modern retelling of the German fairytale "Tristan and Isolde", Tris and Izzie is about a young witch named Izzie who is dating Mark King, the captain of the basketball team and thinks her life is going swimmingly well. Until -- she makes a love potion for her best friend Brangane and then ends up taking it herself accidentally, and falling in love with Tristan, the new guy at school.

My Review
I'm not familiar with the fairytale Tristan and Isolde although I may have seen the movie when I was little. Still can't remember what it was about it except from the fact that it's a love story between two star-crossed lovers... I think. So I jumped in to read this one since I always love me a good love story.

I'm not familiar with the author, haven't read anything else from her, but I liked her writing. It was simple and the story had a nice pace, without any boring moments. I wouldn't say the same for the plot though. Although I liked Izzie a little I found the story lacking a proper structure. The author doesn't give us time to know the characters and I ended up not caring about them. The scenes and dialogues between them seemed unrealistic. I mean how breaks up with his girlfriend and then after two minutes starts kissing his ex-girlfriend's best friend? Not really...

Tristan's and Izzie's love wasn't believable either. It was like they were forced to love each other or better Izzie was forced to love him... after leaving Mark. I was expecting swoon worthy moments from them but I was disappointed. Tristan was plain, one dimensional and I couldn't have cared less for him.

Sometimes Izzie would sound and act like a child. In a few scenes she sounded like those spoiled brads and I wanted to smack her head but then she would do something and change my opinion. Her attitude made me not care about her. I don't really have a problem with characters even when they are bad written as long as the plot is good. The plot or the idea behind it is good and could have been better if it was better developed.

Overall, I would say pass on this book. I didn't hate it but I didn't like it either. The cover though is amazing!

Book Review: Spellbound by Cara Lynn Shultz

Title: Spellbound

Author: Cara Lynn Shultz

Publisher: Harlequin

Release Date: 2011

Format: e-book

Source: Netgalley

My Rating: 5 stars

What's a girl to do when meeting The One means she's cursed to die a horrible death? Life hasn't been easy on sixteen-year-old Emma Conner, so a new start in New York may be just the change she needs. But the posh Upper East Side prep school she has to attend? Not so much. Friendly faces are few and far between, except for one that she's irresistibly drawn to—Brendan Salinger, the guy with the rock-star good looks and the richest kid in school, who might just be her very own white knight.
But even when Brendan inexplicably turns cold, Emma can't stop staring. Ever since she laid eyes on him, strange things have been happening. Streetlamps go out wherever she walks, and Emma's been having the oddest dreams: visions of herself in past lives—visions that warn her to stay away from Brendan. Or else.

Reading the synopsis I thought this book was something that was already done. Spellbound is about reincarnation and true love. I have read another two books with the same theme and I must say Spellbound is the winner among them. Cara Lynn Shultz managed to put in page and show us the connection Emma and Brendan have without being so blunt about it.

We see the connection right away between them but their relationship develops slowly... until they both realize that they have something more than a simple crush. Of course finding your true love couldn't have been that easy and they both come across a curse that they must find a way to fight or else Emma will end up dead... again. 

I liked Emma. She was fun, confident and stood up for everything she believed. We get a small glimpse of her old troubled life and that helped enhance her character more. It was just a merely glimpse but I thought it was just enough not to overflow the story. Brendan was nothing like I was expecting him to be. I would simply put it this way... he's a good boy. He cares about Emma and from the first moment he laid eyes on her, his instinct was to protect Emma form anything that threatened her. He looks calm from the outside but when the moment comes we see his slightly tempered side. He is fiercely protective about Emma. 

Although we see instant connection between them, Emma realizes that she loves Brendan towards the end of the book. The author doesn't stop at the my-true-love connection between them and gives them the time to know each other. The way they act around each other at first brought me giggles as the author managed to capture the feelings of teenage first love.

The writing was easy to follow and wasn't at all slow. There was always something happening which made the pace more quick. From the title you expect this to be a paranormal book but aside from the reincarnation thing there isn't much to it. The characters and the plot of this book made up for it and I didn't mind at all. 

Overall I loved it! I would definitely recommend reading this if you love YA romance with a touch of paranormal. Cara manages to compine swoon worthy romance with a hind of magic enough to spellbound you to it. 

PS: The cover makes total sense after you've read the book.

Frosy

Book Review: HEX a witch and angel tale

Title: Hex, A Witch And Angel Tale

Author: Ramona Wray

Publisher: Create Space

Release Date: 2011

Format: Paperback

Pages: 242

Source: given to me for a BLOG TOUR

My Rating: 5 stars 

Synopsis

Like most girls at Rosemound High School, seventeen-year-old Lily Crane is acutely aware of Ryder Kingscott. Hands down the cutest guy in school, Ryder is cool, mysterious, and utterly untouchable-especially for Lily. 

For when she touches someone, Lily instantly learns all about their lives. And while such a skill might seem nifty, in truth it is wrecking Lily's life. 

So she socked when Ryder asks her out-and even more shocked to discover he has a rival. Lucian Bell is the gorgeous new kid who can't take his eyes off of Lily. Being pursued by two hotties should make a girl happy, but Lily is skeptical. 

The boys act as if they've met before, hating each other with a passion that could only be rooted in a dark, dangerous past. A past full of terrible secrets. The kind of secrets that could get a girl killed.

Review

First of all I must say, when I got this book I had no idea what to expect. The cover doesn't do the story justice. Don't be afraid to pick it up because of the cover. You're going to love it if you want a lot of swoon worthy romance and enough action to make you want to pull you hair.  Believe me when I say that. I almost did. *scratches head*

Lily was really enjoyable as a character and loved her way of thinking. She was witty and confident even though she was treated as the freak of her school. She wasn't afraid of what she was and embraced it no matter what anyone else said. I loved J her best friend and her little fashion statements. I wish I had a friend like that! It would be so much fun. It was a relief actually to have such a nice friend for once. Most YA books have their main characters befriended with some really horrible people and I have no idea why. So don't be afraid you're going to love her!


And now to the love interests! Oh Ryder....... what can I say about him? Whatever I say isn't enough. Ryder totally makes my top 10 fictional crushes/love interests. You can't not love him! He has the look of a bad boy, I mean he has a motorcycle and wears leather jacket! That screams bad boy! But behind that look he is so sweet and caring that you can't not just fall for him. Lucian on the other hand is just yummy! I know I shouldn't lust for two boys at the same time but damn was it hard to choose! Now that I think of it I still can't choose. 


In this book you don't have your typical love triangle where the girl can't choose between two boys. Instead you have Ryder and Lucian falling for the same girl. Isn't that every girl's dream come true?


**Side Note: Have you read a book with a love triangle between two girls and a boy, where the boy can't make up his mind? Now THAT would be interesting!** 

Overall I loved this book and it's now one of my favourite books. I would recommend it to anyone who loves a swoon worthy romance. This book left me breathless and wanting for more. 

Frosy

Buy this book at Amazon (Format paperback)

and Amazon (Format e-book, kindle)

Savannah Grey >> Book Review

Title: Savannah Grey

Author: Cliff McNish

Publisher: Lerner Publishing Group

Release Date: Expected to be 1st April 2011 

Format: e-book

Pages: 272

Source: NetGalley

My Rating: 4 stars

Synopsis
Savannah Grey needs to keep moving. She doesn't know why, but she can't let herself get ties down by too many people. It's almost like she's being chased by something. And now something strange is happening with her neck-with her throat. 


Then she meets Reece-a guy who seems to know to understand her needs. He even knows about her neck. The same thing is happening to him. It s as if their voices are becoming weapons, warming up for some kind of attack.


Nature has been preparing for battle with the universe's ultimate monster for millennial. The time to fight is almost here.


The weapon is Savannah Grey.


My Review
It's going to be a very difficult review to write without spoiling the book to you but I must say that I haven't read anything like this before.


Savannah is very enjoyable as a character and I got to like her from the first pages. Her throat at the beginning crept me out like it did her. She did everything she could to fix her throat and learn more about it. I liked that when she learned that the thing inside her throat was a weapon intended to kill something, she didn't back down and came to terms with what she had to do. 


Reece is the only person who understands her and is somehow similar with Savannah. Together they try to understand what is in their throats before Ocrassa can find them.


Ocrassa is the bad guy or monster I would say of this story and the book contains chapters from it's point of view which I enjoyed. You can see and understand what Ocrassa is and what it did to stay alive and destroy everything around it. The Nyktmorph was the only thing that I liked from the beginning, even though it was bad it was somehow good too. 


I found myself guessing constantly what will happen next and I never saw the big twist coming! I'm thinking about the book and I can't believe I never saw it! That's a good thing. 


The book started slowly but then picked up really quickly and it left me turning pages so eagerly that I don't believe and haven't realized how it ended!


This book is unique and different and definitely creepy, combining horror with paranormal.
Totally suggest reading this.


Frosy 


Buy the book at Amazon | Book Depository (Format Hardcover)
Amazon | Book Depository  (Format Paperback)