But on the bright (if not sunny) side of the debacle, I’ve got a super-hot new boyfriend. And he just might be the perfect guy.
Well, if the perfect guy ghosts you for a month and then comes back to school with a new look, a pack of friends, and a secret. But we have bigger problems.
The Drainers are back. They’re singing a different song, but have they really changed?
Even worse, werewolves’ hearts are being ripped from their bodies—which is putting the people I love in danger. I need to figure out who is behind the murders before there’s an all-out vampire werewolf war.
No one is going to mess with my friends, even the ones who like to get wild and howl at the moon.
Sometimes, all a girl can do is grab her tiara and start kicking some supernatural ass…
This is the second book in the AFTERLIFE Trilogy and I love it! I was curious what could happen next and I did not see all this coming! We are back with our favorite characters, including Travis who I kind of like more in this book.
There were a lot of twists and turns in this book, but I don’t want to spoil them for people. I liked the development in the characters. The only wish I had was to see more of high school life, but with everything goin on outside of school, it made sense not to delve deep into HS life.
All in all, if you love vampires, I highly recommend this series! We have more types of creatures in this book, which was a lot of fun!
I didn’t even want to go to the party. I just wanted to stay home with my librarian-witch grandmother and her mystical book club. But my best friend Skyler begged me. So I went.
Not only was it the worst party of my life, it was the last party of my life.
I should have known there was something really strange about the band―especially when the lead singer bit me afterwards and then took off with my best friend.
Now I’m chasing down a band of dangerous vamps with my best guy friend, Vaughn. Who also happens to be the boy I’ve been secretly crushing on forever. And out on the road, anything can happen.
All I ever wanted was for things to change with Vaughn. For him to finally see the real me. But this isn’t exactly what I had in mind.
So be it.
Let the afterlife begin.
As a fan of anything vampires, I had to read this book! I ended up picking up the audiobook and really enjoyed Samara Naeymi’s performance for the book. Samara does a great job with all the voices throughout the book and I was able to tell who was talking even if there wasn’t any tags.
The book itself was really superb. The vampire antagonist feels a lot like THE LOST BOYS and that made it all the more enjoyable! I really enjoyed the main character Tansy. She is a strong character who is trying to save her friend from a band of vampires. Her love interest Vaughn is also a great supportive character and I really enjoyed the semi-slow burn romance they had.
The combination of vampires, witches, and other creatures later on the series makes this series stand out. It didn’t feel like any other vampire series I have read. If you enjoy vampire books, I highly recommend!
This month’s post is all about new beginnings for the new year! I decided that making a list of some YA LGBT+ reads I am excited for would be a great start of the new year! I am glad I did, because I found some super cool finds! And don’t forget to check the bottom of the post for links to everyone else’s blog posts and to enter the giveaway!
For fans of Vampire Diaries and dark academia, two queer teen bloodsuckers at an elite vampire-only boarding school must go up against all of Vampirdom when they uncover a frightening conspiracy on campus.
Kat Finn and her mother can barely make ends meet living among humans. Like all vampires, they must drink Hema, an expensive synthetic blood substitute, to survive, as nearly all of humanity has been infected by a virus that’s fatal to vampires. Kat isn’t looking forward to an immortal life of barely scraping by, but when she learns she’s been accepted to the Harcote School, a prestigious prep school that’s secretly vampires-only, she knows her fortune is about to change.
Taylor Sanger has grown up in the wealthy vampire world, but she’s tired of its backward, conservative values—especially when it comes to sexuality, since she’s an out-and-proud lesbian. She only has to suffer through a two more years of Harcote before she’s free. But when she discovers her new roommate is Kat Finn, she’s horrified. Because she and Kat used to be best friends, a long time ago, and it didn’t end well.
When Taylor stumbles upon the dead body of a vampire, and Kat makes a shocking discovery in the school’s archives, the two realize that there are deep secrets at Harcote—secrets that link them to the most powerful figures in Vampirdom and to the synthetic blood they all rely on.
OMG! I am so excited for this one!!! Dark academia, vampires, and F/F??? I’m sooooo excited for this one! I’m excited for all of them, but this is my jam right here! We don’t get enough F/F rep, so I am glad we are seeing more in publishing. I am going to devour (pun intended) this book when it comes out.
The Haunting of Hill House meets Knives Out in a bid for an inheritance that will leave Helen Vaughan either rich…or dead.
Helen Vaughan doesn’t know why she and her mother left their ancestral home at Harrowstone Hall, called Harrow, or why they haven’t spoken to their extended family since. So when her grandfather dies, she’s shocked to learn that he has left everything—the house, the grounds, and the money—to her. The inheritance comes with one condition: she must stay on the grounds of Harrow for one full year, or she’ll be left with nothing.
There is more at stake than money. For as long as she can remember, Harrow has haunted Helen’s dreams—and now those dreams have become a waking nightmare. Helen knows that if she is going to survive the year, she needs to uncover the secrets of Harrow. Why is the house built like a labyrinth? What is digging the holes that appear in the woods each night?And why does the house itself seem to be making her sick?
With each twisted revelation, Helen questions what she knows about Harrow, her family, and even herself. She no longer wonders if she wants to leave…but if she can.
Another dark mystery, this one also sounds really fun and dark. I am a big fan of Knives Out and I read The Haunting of Hill House when I was very little (need to read it again because I do not remember it). So if you are a fan of horror and mystery, this one sounds eerie! Be sure to add it to your list!
A witchy, atmospheric lesbian contemporary romance set in Salem—from the acclaimed author of Fans of the Impossible Life. Perfect for fans of Nina LaCour and Becky Albertalli.
Seventeen-year-old Eleanor is the last person in Salem to believe in witchcraft—or think that her life could be transformed by mysterious forces. After losing her best friend and first love, Chloe, Eleanor has spent the past year in a haze, vowing to stay away from anything resembling romance.
But when a handwritten guide to tarot arrives in the mail at the witchy souvenir store where Eleanor works, it seems to bring with it the message that magic is about to enter her life. Cynical Eleanor is quick to dismiss this promise, until real-life witch Pix shows up with an unusual invitation. Inspired by the magic and mystery of the tarot, Eleanor decides to open herself up to Pix and her coven of witches, and even to the possibility of a new romance.
But Eleanor’s complicated history continues to haunt her. She will have to reckon with the old ghosts that threaten to destroy everything, even her chance at new love.
Improbable Magic for Cynical Witches is a romantic coming-of-age about learning to make peace with the past in order to accept the beauty of the present.
Another F/F that sounds beautiful and magical! This one caught my eye as someone who is of the witchy vibe and loves cute coming of age stories. I think this one will be a magical ride and heartwarming.
For as long as Sigrid could remember, she’s wanted to become a mighty, fearless valkyrie. But without a winged mare, she’s a mere stable hand, left wondering who her parents were and why she’s so different. So when the Eye shows her a vision where she’s leading a valkyrie charge on the legendary eight-legged horse Sleipnir, she grabs the possibility of this greater destiny with both hands, refusing to let go.
Too bad that the only one who can help her get there is Mariam, an enemy valkyrie who begrudgingly agrees to lead her to Helheim but who certainly can’t be trusted―even if she does make Sigrid more than a little flustered. As they cross the nine worlds, battling night elves, riding sea serpents, and hurtling into fire to learn the truth about Sigrid’s birthright, an unexpected but powerful bond forms.
As her feelings for Mariam deepen into something fiery and undeniable, Fate has other plans for Sigrid. What happens when the one thing you think you were meant to do might end the nine worlds?
Can’t say no to anything Norse Mythology! I am hoping with more Loki franchise, that there will be a surge of Norse Mythology-based YA like this (and that an agent will pick up my own manuscript based on Norse Mythology). If you love all things valkyrie, Norse, and F/F, be sure to grab a copy!
In Rosiee Thor’s lavish fantasy novel with a Jazz Age spark, a politically savvy teen must weigh her desire to climb the social ladder against her heart in a world where magic buys votes.
Flare is power.
With only a drop of flare, one can light the night sky with fireworks . . . or burn a building to the ground — and seventeen-year-old Ingrid Ellis wants her fair share.
Ingrid doesn’t have a family fortune, monetary or magical, but at least she has a plan: Rise to the top on the arm of Linden Holt, heir to a hefty political legacy and the largest fortune of flare in all of Candesce. Her only obstacle is Linden’s father who refuses to acknowledge her.
So when Senator Holt announces his run for president, Ingrid uses the situation to her advantage. She strikes a deal to spy on the senator’s opposition in exchange for his approval and the status she so desperately craves. But the longer Ingrid wears two masks, the more she questions where her true allegiances lie.
Will she stand with the Holts, or will she forge her own path?
Rosiee Thor is an amazing author! I’m excited for this book as it has some ace rep, which doesn’t get much rep often. It sounds beautiful and having read some of Thor’s work, I know it is going to spark!
A ragtag band of misfits gets swept up in Holy Land politics in Travelers Along the Way by Aminah Mae Safi, a thrilling YA remix of the classic legend of Robin Hood.
Jerusalem, 1192. The Third Crusade rages on. Rahma al-Hud loyally followed her elder sister Zeena into the war over the Holy Land, but now that the Faranji invaders have gotten reinforcements from Richard the Lionheart, all she wants to do is get herself and her sister home alive.
But Zeena, a soldier of honor at heart, refuses to give up the fight while Jerusalem remains in danger of falling back into the hands of the false Queen Isabella. And so, Rahma has no choice but to take on one final mission with her sister.
On their journey to Jerusalem, Rahma and Zeena come across a motley collection of fellow travelers—including a kind-hearted Mongolian warrior, an eccentric Andalusian scientist, a frustratingly handsome spy with a connection to Rahma’s childhood, and an unfortunate English chaplain abandoned behind enemy lines. The teens all find solace, purpose and camaraderie—as well as a healthy bit of mischief—in each other’s company.
But their travels soon bring them into the orbit of Queen Isabella herself, whose plans to re-seize power in Jerusalem would only guarantee further war and strife in the Holy Land for years to come. And so it falls to the merry band of misfits to use every scrap of cunning and wit (and not a small amount of thievery) to foil the usurper queen and perhaps finally restore peace to the land.
As someone who loves Robin Hood, this remix sounds amazing! Another LGBT that sounds wonderful, with a great rep, and a fun cast of characters. I still need to read A CLASH OF STEEL, which is part of this classic remix series.
A fascinating historical novel about Hilde, a former orphan, who experiences Berlin on the cusp of World War II and discovers her own voice and sexuality and finds a family when she gets a job at a cabaret, by award-winning author Kip Wilson
After her eighteenth birthday, Hilde, a former orphan in 1930s Berlin, goes out into the world to discover her place in it. But finding a job is hard, at least until she stumbles into Café Lila, a vibrant cabaret full of expressive customers—and Rosa, the club’s waitress and performer. As the café and all who work there embrace Hilde, and she embraces them in turn, she discovers her voice and her own blossoming feelings for Rosa.
But Berlin is in turmoil. Between the elections, protests in the streets, and the beginning seeds of unrest in Café Lila itself, Hilde will have to decide what’s best for her future . . . and what it means to love a place on the cusp of war.
I saw this book when the cover was revealed and I am so excited that it will finally be coming out! I loved the series Babylon Berlin on Netflix (not for anyone under 18) and this book reminded me of one of the main characters. I think it is going to be a heart-wrenching read, and as any reader, I can’t wait!
In this voice-driven young adult debut by Andrea Mosqueda, Maggie Gonzalez needs a date to her sister’s quinceañera – and fast.
Growing up in Texas’s Rio Grande Valley, Maggie Gonzalez has always been a little messy, but she’s okay with that. After all, she has a great family, a goofy group of friends, a rocky romantic history, and dreams of being a music photographer. Tasked with picking an escort for her little sister’s quinceañera, Maggie has to face the truth: that her feelings about her friends—and her future—aren’t as simple as she’d once believed.
As Maggie’s search for the perfect escort continues, she’s forced to confront new (and old) feelings for three of her friends: Amanda, her best friend and first-ever crush; Matthew, her ex-boyfriend twice-over who refuses to stop flirting with her, and Dani, the new girl who has romantic baggage of her own. On top of this romantic disaster, she can’t stop thinking about the uncertainty of her own plans for the future and what that means for the people she loves.
As the weeks wind down and the boundaries between friendship and love become hazy, Maggie finds herself more and more confused with each photo. When her tried-and-true medium causes more chaos than calm, Maggie needs to figure out how to avoid certain disaster—or be brave enough to dive right into it, in Just Your Local Bisexual Disaster.
So glad to see some bisexual rep! This book sounds fun, full of love, coming of age, and a lot of real world feels. High school brings a lot of new feelings, and when feelings for friends change, it is always a hard decision. I am looking forward to this book!
Max Remus couldn’t care less about finding his mate-unlike the rest of his fate-obsessed pack. He totally prefers hanging with his bestie, eating his dad’s steak sandwiches, and drawing in his trusty sketchbook.
But all that is about to change at the Blue Moon Festival-a summer camp where Elite Pack wolves go to find their mates. The festival is a right of passage for every teen werewolf, and this year’s festival will be one to howl home about. The alpha’s son, Jasper Apollo, is attending for the first time.
When Max finds himself inexplicably linked with the exceptionally handsome but totally jerk-faced heir, he’s forced to grapple with the unexpected feelings clawing at his soul.
If Max rejects his destiny, will fate’s bite be worse than its bark?
Netflix’s Young Royals meets Teen Wolf meets Twilight–the first instalment in a thrilling new series, The Alpha’s Son is a heart-wrenching Young Adult, Boys Love, wolf shifter romance; full of yearning, comedy, and adventure.
I guess we got to give werewolves some love too 😛 If you love werewolves, or wolves in general, and some M/M rep, this sounds like your type of book! I am pretty excited for this books as it sounds very heartwarming, a little different than most werewolf books, and a great read.
Sixteen-year-old Dylan Highmark thought his winter was going to be full of boring shifts at the Dairy Queen, until he finds himself in love with a boy who’s literally too hot to handle.
Dylan has always wanted a boyfriend, but the suburbs surrounding Philadelphia do not have a lot in the way of options. Then, in walks Jordan, a completely normal (and undeniably cute) boy who also happens to run at a cool 110 degrees Fahrenheit. When the boys start spending time together, Dylan begins feeling all kinds of ways, and when he spikes a fever for two weeks and is suddenly coughing flames, he thinks he might be suffering from something more than just a crush. Jordan forces Dylan to keep his symptoms a secret. But as the pressure mounts and Dylan becomes distant with his closest friends and family, he pushes Jordan for answers. Jordan’s revelations of why he’s like this, where he came from, and who’s after him leaves Dylan realizing how much first love is truly out of this world. And if Earth supports life that breathes oxygen, then love can only keep Jordan and Dylan together for so long.
THE TEMPERATURE OF ME AND YOU is the story of first love, and the lengths we’ll go to figure out our hearts. What starts as an electric, chance encounter at a Dairy Queen quickly evolves into a heated romance, a journey of trust and identity, and a ticking clock for survival.
I’m excited to see what surprises are in this book! It sounds a little like Superman (or maybe his son :P) in high school trying to keep his powers a secret. Is this going to be superheroes? Or will it be aliens? I don’t know, but I really want to find out!
Sleeping Beauty meets Indiana Jones in this thrilling fairytale retelling for fans of Sorcery of Thornsand The Cruel Prince.
Fi is a bookish treasure hunter with a knack for ruins and riddles, who definitely doesn’t believe in true love.
Shane is a tough-as-dirt girl warrior from the north who likes cracking skulls, pretty girls, and doing things her own way.
Briar Rose is a prince under a sleeping curse, who’s been waiting a hundred years for the kiss that will wake him.
Cursed princes are nothing but ancient history to Fi—until she pricks her finger on a bone spindle while exploring a long-lost ruin. Now she’s stuck with the spirit of Briar Rose until she and Shane can break the century-old curse on his kingdom.
Dark magic, Witch Hunters, and bad exes all stand in her way—not to mention a mysterious witch who might wind up stealing Shane’s heart, along with whatever else she’s after. But nothing scares Fi more than the possibility of falling in love with Briar Rose.
Set in a lush world inspired by beloved fairytales, The Bone Spindle is a fast-paced young adult fantasy full of adventure, romance, found family, and snark.
Sleeping Beauty and Indiana Jones? Hello! This sounds like another great mix of legends with some bada** female characters! I am not sure who I am in book crush love with more yet, Fi or Shane… Can’t wait for this read and find out!
Carry On meets Arthurian legend in this funny, subversive young adult fantasy about what happens after the chosen one wins the kingdom and has to get married to keep it…and to stay alive.
Arek hadn’t thought much about what would happen after he completed the prophecy that said he was destined to save the Kingdom of Ere from its evil ruler. So now that he’s finally managed to (somewhat clumsily) behead the evil king (turns out magical swords yanked from bogs don’t come pre-sharpened), he and his rag-tag group of quest companions are at a bit of a loss for what to do next.
As a temporary safeguard, Arek’s best friend and mage, Matt, convinces him to assume the throne until the true heir can be rescued from her tower. Except that she’s dead. Now Arek is stuck as king, a role that comes with a magical catch: choose a spouse by your eighteenth birthday, or wither away into nothing.
With his eighteenth birthday only three months away, and only Matt in on the secret, Arek embarks on a desperate bid to find a spouse to save his life—starting with his quest companions. But his attempts at wooing his friends go painfully and hilariously wrong…until he discovers that love might have been in front of him all along.
As a fan of Carry On, and a lover of Arthurian Legends, this book also looks like a fun read! It sounds like a cute read and I can’t wait to see if he finds true love, and what fiascos will happen on the way.
Order from your local Comic Book Store or Buy Here
Description:
The newest horror series from the artist of The Walking Dead! Get ready to be bitten from the first full color page…
Terry Fisher is a young soldier on the verge of being sent away for active military duty, and is going to meet his friends at the top of the Empire State Building for a farewell party. But suddenly a legion of vampires attacks the skyscraper and massacres its occupants. Hounded in the 102 floors that have become a deadly trap, Terry must take decisive action to save himself and his friends – and the city of New York – before the army of abominations, and the terrible vampire god within, walled in the building since its construction, spill into the city…
Collecting the hit 4 issue series into one handsome hard cover volume. Includes behind the scenes material, cover gallery, sketches, designs, and more!
*I received an ARC through Netgalley for my honest opinion*
The art from this series is quite well done and is in the same fashion as The Walking Dead (as it is the same artist). Adlard is a very talented artist that can create a horror-genre style that is still similar to a Marvel or DC comic. I definitely feel the art is done well and fits the vampire story.
The story, however, was confusing and I didn’t really care for the characters. The idea of vampires being stored somewhere in the Empire State Building was really interesting, but I didn’t know more than that. So of the stunts the main character did were also not physically possible, which also made me lose interest quite fast. I finished the graphic novel, however, and did like how it was all finished in one book. There were still a lot of unanswered questions, but if you are looking for something short and of the horror genre, you might enjoy it more than I did.
A love story between a vampire and a werewolf by the creator of the enormously popular Sarah’s Scribbles comics.
Vamp is three hundred years old but in all that time, she has never met her match. This all changes one night in a bar when she meets a charming werewolf. FANGS chronicles the humor, sweetness, and awkwardness of meeting someone perfectly suited to you but also vastly different.
*I received an ARC through Netgalley for my honest opinion*
I have been a big fan of FANGS since it first came out on Tapas. I love vampires, and sometimes werewolves, and this lighthearted comic did not disappoint. It is about a vampire and werewolf who fall in love and have to deal with situations that they might not be accustomed to. It is funny and sweet and I can’t get enough of it.
Some of the conversations these two have are perfect. It is totally something that would happen if a gothic vampire girl and a down-to-earth werewolf. I really like how the werewolf is more of a nature-loving dude instead of a buff, alpha-male type. I felt it would be more real, if werewolves did exist.
I also love how the vampire is portrayed as well. I love vampire and feel this could be me if I was indeed undead (lol). She is consistent in how she acts and follows a lot of the general vampire rules (no sunlight, garlic, etc.).
The hardcover version is definitely something I am going to preorder. The ARC had more panels than tapas and some of them were quite funny and I want to support this clever and amazing artist. I definitely recommend her work and hope you check it out and enjoy!
New York Times bestselling author Renée Ahdieh returns with the second installment of her new sumptuous, sultry and romantic series, The Beautiful.
Following the events of The Beautiful, Sébastien Saint Germain is now cursed and forever changed. The treaty between the Fallen and the Brotherhood has been broken, and war between the immortals seems imminent. The price of loving Celine was costly.
But Celine has also paid a high price for loving Bastien. Still recovering from injuries sustained during a night she can’t quite remember, her dreams are troubled. And she doesn’t know she has inadvertently set into motion a chain of events that could lead to her demise and unveil a truth about herself she’s not ready to learn.
Forces hiding in the shadows have been patiently waiting for this moment. And just as Bastien and Celine begin to uncover the danger around them, they learn their love could tear them apart.
The Damned, Renée’s latest installment in The Beautiful series is just as decadent, thrilling, and mysterious as her last, as she continues her most potent fantasy series yet.
This book was nonstop magical! From page one I was hooked! I finished the first book a couple of months ago (see book 1 review here) and I enjoyed it a lot, but this one was all that and more!
*Warning, Book 1 spoilers below*
Book 1 leaves off with Celine having her memories of Bastien wiped and Bastien having been turned into a vampire. Instead of starting off with Celine, whom was the main character for the first book, this story mostly takes place from Bastien’s POV and other vampires in his group. I loved this duality, so we finally see what is going one behind the series. The first book was a little slow, although there is something to be said about slow paced books to really set the mood, but this one is nonstop. We learn a lot more about the folklore behind vampires and the werewolves. I won’t spoil any more, but this a mythology that is well weaved together and left me wanting more. I really want to read book 3 right now!
If you didn’t care for book 1, I highly recommend still picking this book up to read. You will not be disappointed!
The first book in L.J. Smith’s New York Times bestselling Vampire Diaries series, the basis of the hit CW TV show starring Nina Dobrev, Paul Wesley, and Ian Somerhalder.
Elena Gilbert is a high school golden girl, used to getting what she wants. And who she wants. But when the boy she’s set her sights on—the handsome and haunted Stefan—isn’t interested, she’s confused. She could never know the real reason Stefan is struggling to resist her:
Stefan is a vampire, and Elena’s in danger just by being around him. What’s more, Stefan’s dark, dangerous vampire brother Damon has just arrived in town. And wherever Damon goes, trouble always follows.
Fans of The Vampire Diaries TV show will find this book packed with the same kind of heart-stopping suspense, fierce romances, and jaw-dropping surprises that they know and love, all brought to life by New York Times bestselling author L.J. Smith.
I am a fan of The Vampire Diaries TV show and finally got around to reading this book. By the first chapter, I noticed a lot of differences from the show, which I totally understand as telling stories on TV is a lot different than with a book. So I treated it as a completely different story.
But that being said, I did not enjoy this story at all.
First off, I did not care about Elena whatsoever. She was a B**** to everyone around her. First, she walks down the hallway of school and just feels all the boys wanting her (even her uncle makes a comment about her dress before prom). It is implied all of them want to or have dated her. Currently she is dating Matt but the moment she sees Stefan, she tosses Matt to the side and goes after Stefan. She starts rumors about Stefan so no other girl will go out with him. Then prom comes, Stefan is ignoring her because he realizes she looks like Katherine, and he doesn’t want to hurt her. He ends up going with someone else and Elena, who has Matt help her by trying to make Stefan jealous, find him with someone else so she runs off with another guy to go party in the cemetery, where her parents are buried, and leaves her friends behind without telling them where she went.
Yeah, no. I don’t care about this main character. She never realizes her mistakes, doesn’t care she makes others worry, all she cares about herself, and it doesn’t ever get better. I do not recommend this book. I am glad they changed Elena in the TV series.
New York Times bestselling author Renée Ahdieh returns with a sumptuous, sultry and romantic new series set in 19th century New Orleans where vampires hide in plain sight.
In 1872, New Orleans is a city ruled by the dead. But to seventeen-year-old Celine Rousseau, New Orleans is a safe haven after she’s forced to flee her life as a dressmaker in Paris. Taken in by the sisters of the Ursuline convent in the middle of the carnival season, Celine is quickly enraptured by the vibrant city, from its music to its fancy soirées and even its danger. She becomes embroiled in the city’s glitzy underworld, known as La Cour des Lions, after catching the eye of the group’s enigmatic leader, Sébastien Saint Germain.
When the body of one of the girls from the convent is found in Sébastien’s own lair–the second dead girl to turn up in recent weeks–Celine battles her attraction to Sébastien and suspicions about his guilt along with the shame of her own horrible secret.
After a third murder, New Orleans becomes gripped by the terror of a serial killer on the loose–one who has now set Celine in his sights. As the murderer stalks her, Celine finally takes matters into her own hands, only to find herself caught in the midst of an age-old feud between the darkest creatures of the night, where the price of forbidden love is her life.
At once a sultry romance and a decadent, thrilling mystery, master storyteller Renée Ahdieh embarks on her most potent fantasy series yet.
I don’t know if you all know this, but I love vampire books 😛 So when I saw this book, I had to pick it up. Then @PenguinTeen was having a readathon with this book so I had to join.
Taking place in the beautiful area of New Orleans during the 1870s, this gem of a book (with the second book coming out in July) kept reading for hours on end. I needed to know what was going to happen next, and couldn’t put it down. It is gorgeously written and the prose is excellent. Celine is a very witty character and I love all her development. I also loved Bastien and found him to be an awesome character.
The only problem I had with this book was that it didn’t quite explain everything that happened or tie up some loose ends. Although there is going to be a second book, where it left off made sense for the second book, but we don’t have all the answers for what was happening in the first first place.
I definitely recommend this book if you love New Orleans and vampire stories. I definitely can’t wait for the second book!
NOBODY MESSES WITH HIS LIBRARIAN. . .
Who killed Michael Vanderhorst’s maker? It’s a darn good question. But when the trail brings Michael to hellishly sunny Phoenix, Arizona, his biggest problem soon becomes a cute little librarian he can’t seem to stay away from. He’s never met a bigger danger magnet! Even her book cart has it out for her. And is that the drug cartel following her around, too? “Dear God, woman! What have you gotten yourself into?”
Things go from bad to worse when local vampires won’t play nice.
Can this four-hundred-year-old vampire keep his librarian safe and himself out of hot water? Can he bring his maker’s killer to justice? Yesterday, he would’ve said yes. But yesterday, he didn’t have a strange connection with a librarian. Yesterday, people weren’t trying to kill her.
This series is phenomenal! I could not put it down! If you love vampires, I highly recommend this series. It is one of my favorites now, and I can’t wait for the last book in the series!
Book 1 review:
We are introduced to Michael and find he is visiting Phoenix to pick up his friend, and maker’s, ashes. Right away, we are given a mystery: who killed him? Why was he murdered? There are many questions running through Michael’s mind, and since he is a vampire, he always loves a good mystery. It keeps life interesting.
Then he meets the librarian. She is like a damsel in distress and keeps falling into those weird situations. Poor poor Miriam. Michael has to figure out how all of it is connected, and to kill the people who killed his friend. Luckily he calls in his friend, Lulu, who is my favorite character, to help him figure this out.
The book ends on a cliffhanger, but it wraps up what is going on nicely, but you have to read more…
Don’t read below this line unless you want spoilers!
When you’re working with the Roman god of chaos, things can always get worse.
Bacchae, the supernatural creatures that spawned vampire lore, are real. For the last several thousand years, they’ve kept to the shadows. Until now…
This is the second book of the series and I found that it definitely pushed the story forward. I really like how Mirro weaved together a lot of different mythologies. As someone who got a degree in anthropology, I really love with different folklores are intertwined like this. And I love vampires, so it was a win-win.
The only problem I really felt with this story was that Theo was keeping too much from Sera. I hate when characters aren’t straightforward when they are going against the big bad, though I know I do it in my own writing as well. I also felt that there needed to be more with deal with the death of another character in the first book (I won’t spoil that) but everyone handles that different, and she had to stand up to face the big bad. I also wished we got a little more information with the gods that they did come across, as I felt it was a little too light.
All in all, I definitely recommend this series for anyone who loves folklore and vampires!