Thief by C.L. Stone Review

Thief (The Scarab Beetle #1)
By C.L. Stone 

Rating: 4.4


'"We're the good guys, little thief. Stop talking like you're trying to figure out if we're not."

"Bad guys think they're good guys, too."

The corner of his mouth lifted. "Guess it depends on where your morals are, or which side of the law you're on. You've been on the bad guys' side too long."

"I'm not-" I stopped short, realising I was falling into what I was just telling him. "I had good reasons."

"There's always a reason."'


Kayli Winchester is a conundrum.

She's a thief with a conscience, picking her targets carefully. They're usually wealthy, confident, at ease in the world...people who wouldn't miss a few hundred dollar bills leaving their wallets. 

And they never do. Kayli's a natural pickpocket, stealing wallets with practised ease & disappearing into the crowd just as easily.

But she doesn't do it for thrills.

With a father whose only contribution to the family is stealing Kayli's hard-earned money so he can drink it all away at the nearest bar, Kayli pickpockets to keep a roof over the heads of her and her younger brother Wil - to allow Wil to stay in school and to secure a better future for him.

Pickpocketing is the easiest way...just as long as she's never seen.

But little does she know she's being watched.

Kayli's caught the attention of a team of young men living on the edge of the law. Marc, Raven, Corey, Brandon and Axel - each one gorgeous and each one equipped with a different set of talents. 

And all apart of The Academy, a mysterious organisation whose teams specialise in surveillance & espionage.

The boys offer Kayli a choice: to use her skills to help them with their latest job, or to face jail time. 

Intrigued despite her initial misgivings, Kayli agrees. The guys teach her a range of skills from shooting a gun to the art of playing video games. With the team beside her, Kayli has high hopes that their job will be successful and that her life is finally taking a turn for the better.

But danger lurks behind smiles and polite facades.

Who is the enemy? And what do they want? 

Kayli and the team must use every skill at their disposal in order to tell friend from foe before it's too late. But the further the team gets in their job, the more dangerous it is and the thicker the plot becomes. 

Their enemy has found a new target - Kayli. And not even a thief can stay hidden forever.

Get ready to fall head over heels for the Academy boys as they steal your heart as deftly as Kayli snatches wallets.

Thief is a brilliant addition to C.L. Stone's Academy world. With an addictive combination of reconnaissance, many-faceted characters and romance, this first book in The Scarab Beetle series is a YA novel you don't want to miss!

Thursday Quotables ~ Nobody by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Hosted by BookshelfFantasies

This Thursday's memorable quote comes from Nobody, a book by author Jennifer Lynn Barnes. 

The reason this quote stood out from the myriad of sentences I've read through during the week, is because of how easy it is to apply to our everyday lives. How often have we ever felt alone, unwanted or like we simply don't exist? Sixteen year-old Claire's wise words stuck with me and I'm excited to share them with you all.

The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson ~ ARC Review

The Kiss of Deception (The Remnant Chronicles #1)
By Mary E. Pearson

Rating: 5+


'I drew in a deep breath, a new breath, one I had never taken before.

I am only Lia, now. From this day forward.

It felt like a baptism. A deeper kind of cleansing. Water trickled down my face and dripped from chin. Terravin wasn't just a new home. Dalbreck could have offered that, but there I'd have been only a curiosity in a foreign land, with still no voice in my own destiny.

Terravin offered a new life. It was both exhilarating and terrifying.'


Move aside Daenerys Targaryen...a new badass princess is coming!



Kings throw away your crowns. Queens start practising your curtsey. Because Princess Lia is here to show you how being royal is supposed to be done - going on a journey that will tear her apart & put her back together again as she becomes the woman she was always meant to be.

She doesn't accept lies or deception. She wants to make her own destiny. And she's so badass it's not even possible to describe the insane amounts of badass-ery this girl has. Especially that part when she faces down a bunch of barbarian assassins & tells them to basically screw themselves.


And not only does this book have a brilliantly constructed plot, a badass heroine & a fantastic world of myth & magic, but to top it all off it presents us with not one...but two gorgeous men. Although, I do think Rafe is the more attractive of the two!

So if you're ready for the adventure of a lifetime...be sure to grab yourself a copy of The Kiss of Deception when it's released! :)

Heir of Fire by Sarah J Maas ~ Cover Reveal

Want to know what I thought of Heir of Fire? Check out my review here

The Throne of Glass series by author Sarah J Maas is known for its brilliant content both on the covers of its books, as well as inside of them. 

And the latest addition to the series Heir of Fire (TBR September 2014) is sure to be no different. The book's cover was officially released today and has made quite the impression with Throne of Glass fans worldwide.

If you haven't seen the much-anticipated cover yet - or, you want to take another look! - check out the images below: (both the US & UK versions)

What do you think of the covers? Are you excited for the release of Heir of Fire? Let us know below!

Undertow by K.R. Conway ~ Review

Undertow (Undertow #1)
By K.R. Conway

Rating: 4.2


'I wanted answers instantly.

Come to think of it, answers would have been helpful before I moved to this cursed strip of sand.

Why couldn't Mr. Talbot have said, "Oh yes, the home is lovely. There are some sea monsters with hands like Schwarzenegger and your eyeballs may start to glow in the dark, but other than that, the place is great."'


Sweet dream...or a waking nightmare?

For Eila Walker, inheriting a million dollar Cape Cod home is a dream come true. Her and her legal guardian Mae can have a fresh start - putting behind them the hardships of the past. Mean cheerleaders & weird neighbours aside, the whole thing seems too good to be true.

That is, until Eila realises she's inherited more than a house. She's also inherited a deadly legacy. 

The present and the past collide.

Finding out her great-grandmother was a kind of magical warrior is the least of Eila's worries. Because the evil that her great-grandmother sacrificed herself to destroy is still out there, lurking in the shadows one-hundred and sixty years later. 

And it'll do anything to get its hands on Eila. The last of her kind...and the key to limitless power. 

With the darkly handsome and protective Raef O’Reilly - plus her friends Ana and MJ and Raef's brother Kian - by her side, Eila must unravel the mystery surrounding her great-grandmother's death if she's to save the lives of those she loves. 

But at what cost?

Undertow is an intensely thrilling paranormal tale that will pull you into its depths from the very first chapter.

With clever plot construction and a great cast of characters, this book has all the makings of a great YA novel. It will be interesting to see how Kate Conway develops the concepts in Undertowfurther as the series progresses :)

A new heroine rises in a darkened corner of the world. Join her on her journey today.


**A big thank you to Netgalley for the chance to read and review this title**

Everlasting by Candace Knoebel ~ Review

Everlasting (Night Watchmen #1)
By Candace Knoebel 

Rating: 4.4


'"I have to say, Middleton, I didn't think you'd have it in you." 

He's looking me over, and I know what he meant was that I don't look the part. I'm too frail. Too small.

"Maybe you shouldn't think then," I retort.'


Kick-ass action, magic and romance combine to form an addictive tale that will have readers on the edge of their seats.

Although life has its inconsistencies, every coming-of-age novice within the Primeval Coven knows one factor will remain constant: the annual Culling ceremony. The day when they're revealed to be either a Hunter or a Witch.

The day when their purpose in life - and their place within the Coven - are secured.

But for Faye Middleton, no other factor in her life could be more uncertain.

Whilst other novices prepare for their future as either a Hunter or a Witch, Faye prepares for a life as a Defect. 

It's a fact she's had to deal with her whole life - one that ultimately means banishment and a life amongst humans, away from those she loves. And as the Culling looms closer, Faye's fear becomes stronger. 

Yet even though her clairvoyant mother saw her future a long time ago, Faye can't help but cling to a tiny sliver of hope. Destinies aren't set in stone - there has to be a way to change her own destiny. There just has to be.

All she needs is a miracle.

Going from a Defect to an Everlasting could be considered an upgrade. Or...not.

When the Culling doesn't go to plan (i.e. stuff explodes, plus screaming and general panic ensues), Faye is faced with the startling revelation that she isn't a Defect. Far from it. She's an Everlasting - neither Witch, nor Hunter, but a mixture of both. 

And although being an Everlasting may come with a lot of perks and power, it also comes with a great amount of danger - danger not only for her, but for the people around her. 

All sides need her. All sides want her. And all sides fear what she will become.

Faye is pushed to her limits as she's trained to be both a Hunter and a Witch. Isolated from the others, she finds solace in the company of trainer and protector Jaxen - a handsome guy, with a deadly secret dictating his actions and his heart. 

But Jaxen's not the only one keeping secrets. The Coven isn't as honourable as it would like its people to believe, and Faye finds herself stuck in its web, trapped between her duty and what is right. With Faye being the most sought-after chess piece on the board, the question remains: is she the one fighting? Or is someone else calling the shots?

Is she a player...or a pawn?

Be prepared for a heroine who isn't afraid to face up to her own flaws.

Unlike many female protagonists, Faye Middleton acknowledges her shortcomings - and the shortcoming of most YA/NA females - and she strives to be her own woman and make things right. One of the most potent scenes is the one where she realises that she shouldn't try to be someone else to get a guy's attention:

'"You're being absurd," I tell myself, shaking my head. But even with admitting this, I still manage to brush my hair out and braid it from one side of my head to the other, giving it some form of cuteness.

I could be a stereotype. I could fall into the trap of trying too hard. I could be someone other than myself for him.

And I don't like it.

I undo my braid and run my fingers through my hair, straightening it back out. I want to look as plain as possible. I need to.'

This is an important message - a message that tells its female audience that the person the guy should get to know/date/fall in love with, should be you - the natural you. The you without the constant primping. The you whose voice doesn't go several octaves higher when you talk to him.

It doesn't condemn looking good - far from it. But what it does reinforce is that it's very, very easy to be a stereotype and to hide behind that facade. But it takes strength to be yourself - to allow someone to see the real you.

Be prepared for a heroine who isn't afraid to talk back, or blurt stuff out.

A cross between Rose from Vampire Academy and Anna fromFrozen, Faye is a complex character who lets slip trivia when she's nervous...and on the can other hand call someone out on their behaviour with all the fierceness of a mama bear. 

And it's refreshing to also meet a guy character who gets nervous around girls like a normal guy would!

Jaxen is hot (there's no denying it). He can kick ass like a pro. But he still gets nervous when he's faced with a situation involving:
i.) Talking
ii.) A pretty girl

And it's not the kind of nervous where you stutter/freak out/sweat. But it's the sweet kind of nervous - a nervousness they both share as they start to discover and explore the bond that grows stronger between them with each day. 

And it's nice that Faye isn't afraid to stick up for herself, or tell Jaxen he's being stupid. Right here is the kind of female protagonist we need more of!

So if you like pointy weapons, sizzling kisses and plenty of angry demons, pick up Everlasting today :)

Hauntingly Beautiful ~ Our Song by Jordanna Fraiberg Review

Our Song
By Jordanna Fraiberg

Rating: 4.4


'Their red beaks let out what sounded like a distress call, a discordant, screaming cacophony, as if they were at war with the swaggering hunk of brass. But as they dispersed into the open sky, their squawks became less urgent, blending into a harmonious song they belted out in unison. With their bright green wings, they glided through the clouds as one, singing at a pitch I'd never heard before.

(...) "You know what that is," Nick said, looking up at the sky. "That's the sound of freedom."'


They say near-death experiences change you. But no one ever said 'for the better'.

Olive Bell had a near-fatal car accident. Yet there was nothing near about her experience. Olive died. Her heart stopped beating for almost three full minutes.

But paramedics brought her back to life - forcing her to face a world she's no longer sure she belongs in.

'It felt like I was looking at a tableau frozen in time before the accident. As if a thin layer of gauze had fallen over the entire neighbourhood, enshrouding it from the rest of the world like a cocoon. This must be what a parallel universe is like, I thought. Everything looked the same, but I suddenly felt like it wasn't. Like everything had been taken apart, brick by brick, flower bed by flower bed, and put back together in the wrong order. Like me.'

How can you move on when you're stuck living in yesterday?

Our Song is a story about adapting to change. About second chances. And about realising who you are and accepting what you find.

Olive's world turned upside down after the accident. And the situation only becomes worse as she continues to live in 'Olive World' - the world of yesterday, where she's the perfect daughter, gets good grades, and has an amazing boyfriend who she adores. She doesn't realise that everything has changed.

That she has changed.

Sometimes we as human beings need to take a step back from our lives and gain a different perspective. To re-assess where we stand, who we are, and what we're doing. People tended to suffocate Olive, pressuring her to be the Olive they all knew. The whole Olive. The happy Olive. The Olive who had never experienced true loss or true pain.

Sometimes we need someone to guide us...to show us the way through the darkness and into the light.

Nick is that 'someone' for Olive. He has no expectations of her - he sees the new Olive, and likes her for who she is. Nick gives Olive the chance to view the world as never before - showing her the little things like hidden places, different facets of society, the thrill of adventure, the beauty in the world around us and the magic in the simple moments. 

And Olive in turn begins to see that perhaps the accident wasn't the end for her. That maybe she was given a second chance at life for a reason.

"It's just that, do you ever wonder what if things happened differently? Like, what if we actually died and there was nothing near about it? What if we weren't supposed to come back?" I'd avoided thinking of my accident and the events leading up to it for so long that I'd barely thought about what would have happened if it had all really ended that night.

He was quiet for a second. "All the time."
"Then sometimes I think we must have survived for a reason. But what are we supposed to do with that?"
"Nothing."

Music is a healing force - soothing both mind and heart.

The story also has snippets of a gorgeous song, whose melody I would simply love to hear one day. The lyrics are interwoven through the storyline, bringing our two characters, Nick and Olive, closer together.

'I see your face all over the place
Like a haunting from above
The only way for this to pass
Is to let go of your love.

Your voice is like an angel
I can hear without sound.
My leaden heart starts floating
Whenever you're around.

When I wake I see your face
Even through the fog that leaves no trace
I will hear you long after you're gone
Mingled with the earth your heart beats on.

On the infinite horizon
Where you and I belong
As the silver moon is rising
That's when they'll play our song.

Read more about Olive's journey and pick up a copy of Our Song today!



Booknut's Song Pick: White Lines & Red Lights by Between the Trees

Claire's Song by Ashley King ~ Review

Claire's Song
By Ashley King

Rating: 4.5


'This girl will either be the death of me or be the very reason I breathe.'


Everyone has a story. Some are just darker than others.

Claire's Song is an oxymoron - a book that is one of the saddest books you'll read, and yet also one of the sweetest, at the same time. There is no other way to describe it but as bittersweet. Fragile moments of happiness intertwined with times of pain and sorrow. Raw, emotional and a balm to the heart, this novel is refreshing as it ditches stereotypes and provides readers with reality.

What is reality you may ask?

Reality is pain. Or more correctly, reality is the understanding that there will be pain and you can't escape it. But you can get through it.

Often novels try to give readers the illusion that mental illness was created by Hans Christian Andersen. It's tragic, but it's a fairytale. People can fight through it on their own, and if they sink deeper into it, they have no one to blame but themselves. 

Or, worse, they show mental illness to be something you can cure with the wave a magic wand.

But that's not reality. The reality is that we need to ask ourselves a very important question:

Why do we so often forget the people side of things?

Yes, things like depression are an illness of the mind. But they're affecting a person's mind. And that person has feelings, a past, emotions and as many rights as any sane person does. 

Claire's Song warns its 21st century audience about the dangers of judging.



I think that was one of parts of this book that stayed with me most. How Claire was so, so close to moving on from what had happened. But she was confronted with it every day. Which was thanks to the immature people around her - hateful, spiteful people who hide behind their ignorance so as to come out on top in an imaginary power struggle. It shows how every person had an obligation to treat others with respect, and to never judge someone lest you be pushing them further down an already rocky path.

Love music? This book is for you!

This book not only gives readers a great story, but one of the best playlists ever! Claire and Ryder have amazing taste in music, and the songs they listen to throughout this book are great picks to listen to at any time - or even whilst you read this book :)


A journey of self-forgiveness, Claire's Song is another classic example of an NA novel that delivers what it promises, and will find its way into readers' hearts.

An UpTown Girl & A Backstreet Guy ~ These Broken Stars Review

These Broken Stars (Starbound #1)

By Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

Rating: 4.4

'Uptown girl
She's been living in her uptown world
I bet she never had a backstreet guy
I bet her mama never told her why...'

Note to readers: that was not an actual quote from this book!

As much as it would have amused me to have read about Tarver Merendsen singing a rendition of Billy Joel's Uptown Girl, that's not at all what happened in These Broken Stars. 

But those lyrics basically summarise the underlying issues in this story.

Love. Social hierarchy. 'Her dad doesn't think I'm good enough' drama. Basically, if you watched Titanic you'll understood 65% of this book.

Except, no boats sink. Instead a spaceliner is yanked out of hyperspace and plummets into the nearest planet. No icebergs involved!

Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen - who met at a party and got along until Tarver realised she was the daughter of the richest man in the universe - are now stuck on a planet. Together. All alone. 


They need to survive. And, more importantly, find a way off the planet. But how can they do that successfully when random stuff keeps happening to them? Stuff such as:

- Random wild creature attacks
- Random spotting of dead people
- People going psycho
- People almost-dying-but-not-quite
- Lilac complaining about ration bars
- People almost-dying-but-not-really

And after every catastrophe I was just like:


But no. 

Lilac tends to act like a selfish brat who doesn't realise that there is more to life than worrying over her rich daddy trying to off her potential boyfriends. 

I mean, you're stuck on a foreign planet and a smexy-as-hell guy with soldier training is stuck with you and if you don't lighten up you're going to die, so snap out of it, sweetheart! Honestly, Lilac:


And then there were the Tarver scenes...




I mean, if Lilac doesn't want him...I'd be more than happy to have him! 

All in all it was a great book with unique concepts. It's just that the love story was a 'tale as old as time', so to speak. But I enjoyed it anyway :)

If you're a fan of Alienated or Across The Universe, These Broken Stars is another great YA sci-fi novel to satisfy your bookworm desire for intergalactic travel, cool gadgets and relationship drama.

Death Sworn by Leah Cypess ~ ARC Review

Death Sworn (Death Sworn #1) 
By Leah Cypess

Rating: 5


'"Pretty, isn't it?" he said. "Didn't the Elders tell you about this?"

"Of course," Ileni said stiffly, letting the magelight vanish. 

What they had said, actually, was 'Parts of the caves are very beautiful, but don't let that distract you from the evil within them.''


The good thing about losing everything, is that you've got nothing more to lose.

Ileni had everything - her magic, her society, a future, and even love. And like anyone, she expected those things to be permanent.

Until the day they weren't. Until the day she lost her magic.

Faced with such a crippling revelation about her abilities, Ileni was given an ultimatum by the Elders: to live a purposeless life shunned by society, or to become a magic tutor to a secret sect of assassins.

Enter a whole new world where death is a part of everyday life and each and every person has more than one weapon up their sleeve.

Willingly, Ileni leaves behind the only life she's even known to tutor assassins in the ways of magic. But that isn't her only task. Two of Ileni's predecessors died beneath the assassin's caves under mysterious circumstances, and Ileni is determined to discover why...and by whose hand.

Secrets will come to light...but which ones?

Ileni tries to balance staying alive with solving the mystery before her, whilst keeping her own secrets safe. But nothing that goes on beneath the assassin's caves is truly secret...not from the Master of the Assassins. And he is not someone Ileni wishes to have as an enemy - not when his words hold such sway over the assassins. Even assassins like Sorin.

Unlikely allies can be found in the darkest of places.

Against her better judgement, Ileni is drawn to Sorin - a skilled assassin, who is all the more dangerous due to his hidden streak of independence. Walking a fine line between obeying the Master and embracing freedom, Sorin offers Ileni his protection and his aid in discovering the killer of the previous tutors.

Yet, when loyalties are tested, will Sorin choose Ileni...or the life of an assassin, the only life he's ever known?

Dangerous. Addictive. Stunning.

Death Sworn is as sharp as a sword, with a twisting plot that readers will not be able to tear their eyes and imaginations away from. A cross between Sarah J Maas' Throne of Glass and Maria V Snyder's Poison Study, it is another fantastic tale filled with bravery, wicked weaponry and exemplary characters who will not disappoint.