Quick Picks ~ Top 4 Reads

Number #1:
Forsaken (Demon Trappers #1)
By Jana Oliver

Rating: 5+

Demons are on the loose. 

And as a demon trapper's daughter it falls to Riley Blackthorne to learn the tricks of the trade.

These include the basics: how to find, lure, hunt and trap demons, but most importantly...how to stay alive whilst doing so. 

But things are no longer so easy. 

The demons are hunting as packs, the tools used for trapping them are impotent and they are far stronger than they should be. Worst of all, they seem to be after one trapper in particular.

Riley.

Full of sarcastic and witty banter, heartbreaking realisations, true friendships and true malevolence, this story has it all. With the help of Beck, Simon, Peter, and a combination of unearthly forces, Riley must keep the city safe and stay alive to fight another day.

She'll be forced reconsider the job she's always dreamed of and the chaos it causes. 

Can she save herself? The world? Those she loves? Or will she be forced to chose between them?


My thoughts on the book:

Thrilling. Genius. Amazing.

A world that, despite the dangers, I would love to live in! 

And as for Beck...southern drawls have a place in my heart alongside British accents! He's a great partner for Riley, even if he doesn't realise it yet.

A few of my favourite quotes:

#1:
'The guy behind the counter had been seriously adorable. Model-level cute. She had mentioned that, and Allan, her then boyfriend, hadn't taken it well.

That's when she'd learned that male egos and fruit had a lot in common: Both bruised easily.' 

#2: 
“Ozymandias controls not only the dead, but the living. He works the dark magics, and it is said he knows the paths between the worlds and walks them without fear. He wields the-"
"Stop! In English, okay?""

"In English?" she asked, throwing the empty wineglass into the picnic basket. Riley nodded. "You're in serious shit.”

#3:
“Riley. How bad has it been?"
"Just fabulous. The demonic kitten really made my night.” 

Number #2:

The Adoration of Jenna Fox 

By Mary E Pearson

Rating: 5+

“Some things aren't meant to be known. Only believed.” 

A story about what it means to be human, to be alive.

A story about what means parents would take to save their child.

A story about how far we'd go to hide the truth from ourselves.

And above all, a story about whether or not we have the strength to choose red over blue.


My thoughts on the book:

This book is magical and one of the best books I have read in a long time. 

I know I rate a lot of books 5 stars, but 5 stars felt like such an understatement when it came to this novel. Its quality is of so rare a grade, that I just feel so frustrated that I can't put into words how life changing and alive this book is! 

The style the author has used, the wording, the careful construction of such a human, fragile and broken protagonist, the characters with their own problems and the deep thought-provoking lessons learnt are simply stunning.

I highly recommend this to everyone, everywhere. This is one of those books you need to put on your bucket list to read at least once.

Number #3:

Caged (Talented #2)
By Sophie Davis 

Rating: 5

Talia's back.

Subjected to tonnes of medical procedures, Talia is physically fine. But there are some things science can't fix. 

Like the hollow feeling of unfulfilled revenge.

Forced to rest and remain in isolation, Talia grows restless. She jumps at the chance to get back in the field, after her failed mission attempt to kill Ian Crane. This time, her job is as a spy at the school. 

Because there is a spy is in Toxic's midst. A spy who was the reason for Talia's near-death experience. 

Talia is surprised to learn that Donavon will be at the school too. As an instructor. A less than perfect arrangement, but one that she'll have to put up with if she's to prove herself capable of professionalism. But at least there's the presence of Erik to ease the pain of Donovan's reappearance.

Find the spy. Get out. Simple, right?
But finding the spy isn't as easy as it sounds. Because the spy most likely isn't a stranger - a faceless nobody for Talia to uncover and hand over to Toxic for punishment.

The spy might be one of the people closest to her. 

Talia struggles with the weight of her responsibilities, and her deteriorating health. She's at war with herself, as everything she believes in starts to crumble, and as lie after lie begins to unfold. She's overcome by a sense of crippling weakness at how helpless she is.

And if there's one thing Talia hates, it is being weak.


My thoughts on the book:

The first book in the Talented series, Talented, was brilliant. I can admit that I thought "There is no way it could get better than this. Great plot. Well-explained concepts. Exceptional characters. Unseen twists and turns. Cliffhangers. How can you improve on that?" 

Well, Sophie Davis must be a magician because she has managed to do just that and more in her second instalment in the series, Caged.

The end of Talented left so much unanswered. I was confused over Erik, suspicious of Toxic in general - especially Mac, whose name brings to mind cheeseburgers - and heartbroken over the fact that Talia was probably dying before our eyes and Donavon was the one to find the letter. 

As such, the beginning of Caged had me hooked from the first word. The story suffers no drops in audience engagement and if anything it treats the audience to even more action than the previous book. 

And then there was Erik...

Ah. Erik. I swear, there need to be more people in real life like Erik. He was amazing in this book - I will admit, in Talented, I had some doubts about him, but in Caged he was the perfect balance of Will Herondale-like wit and innuendo, and Darcy-like consideration and chivalry.

Which = perfect guy. Just so you know!
When Talia finds out who the traitor is...be prepared to have a sob fest!

I was heartbroken, especially at the traitor's trial. I bawled my eyes out. I could literally feel Talia's heart breaking. Sophie Davis' ability to evoke an emotional response within readers is executed at its finest in Caged's conclusion.

And that leads me to what I love the most about Sophie Davis' writing - the realism.

Talia such a real heroine. Her emotions are so human and relatable. I know it probably sounds cheesy, but she is down to earth. She experiences, not the normal character echo-of-an-emotion brand of emotion, but raw emotion. Emotions as they feel in the flesh.

Her pain, her indecision, her reasoning, her heartbreak - all of it is raw and unadorned. I adore the way she views her slow descent into madness. That feeling of overload, too much to handle, hysteria. 

When she is at her lowest, Talia is at her most relatable. And that is a sign of a well-developed and brilliantly created character.

If you have not read this amazing book, or the series even, I suggest you do immediately! A world full of Talents, of mind manipulators, Brains, Telekinetics and, even better, Erik. It's the kind of world you'll fall in love with. I know I did!


Number #4:
Fearscape (The Devouring #3)
By Simon Holt

Rating: 4

Witness the Vours taking over mankind. 

Reggie and her friends must face the twisted Vours and their force once and for all. 

But with the battles taking their toll, will they manage to keep together or will they bring themselves as well as the Vours down? 

The best kind of thriller - the one that seems almost too real to be fiction...


My thoughts on the book:

Brilliant, freaky and addictive. 

I read it all in one sitting and now I'm kinda afraid of going to bed, seeing that it's cold and dark. 

Cold weather = Vours, now. Forever. 

This is why you read books in a well-lit daytime  environment when the birds are singing and everyone else is awake to help you fend off evil beings!

City of Lost Souls ~ Review

City of Lost Souls (The Mortal Instruments #5)
By Cassandra Clare

Rating: 5 


“You have a dark heart in you, Valentine’s daughter,” he said. “You just won’t admit it. And if you want Jace, you had better accept it. Because he belongs to me now.” 


Jace was freed from captivity and Clary left him in the firm belief that their days of separation and conflict with demonic forces, such as the malevolent Lilith, were over.

But when the other Shadowhunters arrive on the scene, they find no sign of Jace...or Sebastian. 

Clary fears the worse, as do Isabelle and Alec. Their dread worsens when the Clave fail to prioritise the search for Jace...and even go as far as suspecting Jace of being a traitor to the Shadowhunters. 

Clary realises they need to take matters into their own hands, no matter the cost.

But then suddenly, Jace reappears - to Clary. He begs her to come away with him, and Clary learns that he and Sebastian are ultimately linked. It's similar to a parabati bond,  except more parasitic - whatever one feels, so does the other. If you kill one, you kill the other also and no weapon on the earth can sever their connection. 

Clary longs to be with Jace, but reality is sinking in. He isn't her Jace anymore. 

The Lightwoods, Simon, Maia, Jordan and Magnus form 'Team Good' and start coming up with plans to bring Jace back. But their plans involve breaking many Clave rules, defying the Clave's orders, using unconventional methods of help and risking their lives and their souls in the process. Meanwhile Clary plans to see out her plan alone, taking the flimsiest of chances to bargain for Jace's freedom. 

But how far will Clary go to save the guy she loves? 

Sebastian plays the role of repentant sinner and long-lost brother far too well, and Clary tries to keep her sight focused on the line between good and evil - finding it blurry when it comes to the two guys...struggling to remain in control of her emotions and convictions. 

Utterly alone, what will Clary do when she discovers Sebastian's sinister plan - a plan that could ultimately mean the end of everything the parallel world, of Shadowhunters and Downworlders, have ever known? 

Can Clary save the world and Jace? Or will she have to choose between the two? 

My thoughts on the book:

This. Book. Was. Epic! 

But let me just say that I am 100% convinced that Will Herondale and Jace are somehow spiritually, mentally or just plain old linked. The evidence?

• Will hates ducks
• Jace hates ducks
• Will has a copy of A Tale of Two Cities
• Jace has a copy of A Tale of Two Cities
• Will likes apples
• Jace likes mangoes
• Will loves himself
• Jace loves himself
• Will has hair that curls
• Jace has hair that curls

I can think of plenty more, but I'll leave it at that for now - the duck thing had me in fits of laughter when Jace is like:

"I've always hated ducks. I don't know why." 

I think I do, Jace! 

But my favourite character in this book is unquestionably Chairman Meow. Here's to cat power!

To finish of this review, here is one of my favourite quotes:

'He grinned. It was a wicked grin, the kind that made the blood in Clary's veins run a little faster. "You want to go on a date?"

Caught off guard, she stammered. "A wh-what?"

"A date," Jace repeated. "Often 'a boring thing you have to memorize in history class,' but in this case, 'an offering of an evening of blisteringly white-hot romance with yours truly."
"Really?" Clary was not sure what to make of this. "Blisteringly white-hot?"

"It's me," said Jace. "Watching me play Scrabble is enough to make most women swoon. Imagine if I actually put in some effort.”' 

Quick Pick: Fey Fiction

STOLEN AWAY by Alyxandra Harvey

Rating: 4

'“You were at the party on Friday night, weren't you?" I didn't mentioned I'd followed him into the woods.

He leaned back in his chair, his legs sprawled out. His boots nudged the bottom ruffle of my skirt. "Aye."

Aye? Seriously? Could he be any hotter? 

Unless he had been looking for his girlfriend at the party.

Not hot.

"I was supposed to meet my cousin," he elaborated, "but I didn't find her,"

Hot again.'

Full of Fae action, good vs evil, dangerous quests and Fae guys, this book has it all - from the quirky friends of Eloise Hart and the hilarious one liners, to the pure conviction this girl has in what she believes is right. She may look shy and a little bit left of centre with her artsy tops, red lipstick and flowers in her hair, but you don't want to mess with Eloise Hart - Fey or not!!

The Killables by Gemma Malley ~ Review

The Killables (The Killables #1) 
By Gemma Malley

Rating: 5


“Imagination shows an ability to lie, to pretend the world is different than it is.”  


My thoughts on the book:

This. Book. Was. Amazing! 

The Killables, a definite must-read by Gemma Malley, came into my possession on one of my frequent trips to buy out my local Dymocks. I was searching the shelves for something good to read when...bam. There it was. 

I had read The Declaration (and loved it) and I was intrigued by the blurb, so I decided to give it a try.

And I did not regret it!

A great dystopian novel, this book was made all the better by its female protagonist. Evie's struggle for understanding becomes your struggle - as she has to come to terms with whether or not the laws and regulations of the society she has known her whole life, and the society itself, are truly as 'good' as they make out to be. 

She seems to be in a state of semi-conciousness. She knows that something is off about what is happening, but she has been conditioned to ignore that feeling and to doubt herself her whole life. 

When she gets angry at her parents? That's gotta be an evil inclinations and she should repent and try harder! 

When she has bad dreams? It must be her fault because she refuses to try and be good and she is evil!

It is a tiring life Evie lives and you empathise with her. You also want to shake her and show her the truth. 

So here is a 'crash-course' on The Killables:

• Evie lives in 'the City' where the Goods live. 
• Goods are people who are not evil, but have the capacity to be 'tempted' towards evil
• Outside the City live the Evils
• They are evil and long to lead the Goods to the 'dark side' (sorry...a little too Star War-sy, perhaps?!)
• The Good's society is strict, regulated and stifling. People are graded - A, B and C being acceptable. D means you are in Danger of becoming an Evil.
• Evie longs to come to terms with how she feels about her Society.
• She keeps having weird dreams about being carried to safety by a man and a woman
• She is to be engaged to a boy who has the emotional capacity of a Siberian wasteland and whom she does not love
• She is in love with that boy's brother who is trying to find a means of escape
• The City has eyes everywhere. No one is safe. It is all-knowing.
• There is a final grade. K. It stands for Evils, so they are told. Evils are given a New Baptism, to help them become good again. But really, K stands for Killable. Which means, they are to be killed without a moment's hesitation.

This book really makes us ask ourselves whether our identity is linked with our society and the environment we grow up in or whether we ourselves have to break away from the norm and discover our own identity. 

Oh, and I loved Raphael. And Lucas. Though, personally, I couldn't pick between the two if my life depended on it. It would be like choosing between books or chocolate...you just don't go there! XD

UNTIL I DIE (Revenants #2) by Amy Plum REVIEW

RATING: 4.9


Firstly - I'm in love with Jules. And yes, you can add him to the long list of guy characters who I am irrevocably in love with - but you can tease me later! I have just finished the second instalment in the series, and let me just Until I Die is TO DIE FOR!

Kate is as happy as any girl in love - the numa are a distant threat and with Vincent by her side, Kate is feeling good about their chances together. But being in love with a revenant is difficult for all involved. Vincent is trying to fight the urge to die for Kate's sake, and Kate is torn between asking him to stop and allowing him to continue to drain himself. Does she love him enough to put his needs before hers? And after seeing, reading, researching and thinking about the love between Humans and Revenants, Kate wonders whether it's worth it - for her to love Vincent and for him to love her when one say, she will die. Both of them secretly begin searching for cures, for ways out of the conundrum their relationship has turned into. 

But they're running out of time. The numa are attacking once again, robberies and break ins are frequent occurrences and Katie has a feeling that there is someone behind it all. Could it even be one of the Revenants she knows? Can she even trust those who are closest to her? The love story is in for a romantic rollercoaster on a journey that is one part thriller, one part paranormal and two parts romance! 

My favourite quotes:

- "Natural talent!" crowed Vincent, sweeping my sweaty self up into his arms and pacing across the room, holding me like a trophy. "Of course my girlfriend's got it. In truckloads! How else could she have slain a giant evil zombie, single-handedly saving my undead body?"

- "How about I take you to my studio? Much less dangerous. Plus, I need a model and you could sit for me."
"You want me to sit for a portrait?" I asked stunned.
"Actually, at the moment I'm concentrating on full-length nudes, in the spirit of Modigliani," Jules said. He was making an effort to keep a straight face. "Just kidding, Kates. You're a lady."
Jules was trying the guilt-trip method of attack. And it was working.
"Ok I'll pose for you," I conceded. "But under no circumstances will any article of clothing leave my body whilst I am in your studio."
"And if you're elsewhere?" he asked, breaking into a sly smile.
I rolled my eyes.

- "And I've got THIS," I pulled out the signum and held it up for him to see, "that says I'm kindred. And I've got THIS," I pointed at my head, "that says I'm as smart as you. And I have THIS," I held up my middle finger, "that says go to hell, you immortal bigot."
And with that I spun around and stomped out the door, filing the expression on Arthur's face in a mental folder labeled "Kate's Proudest Moments".

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

I'm utterly content - I've managed to make some headway with my LONG to-read list!! I am steadily moving through the books I told myself to read! Here's another one to add to YOUR to-read list!


Seraphina by Rachel Hartman
Rating: 4.5


“Sometimes the truth has difficulty breaching the city walls of our beliefs. A lie, dressed in the correct livery, passes through more easily.”


Rachel Hartman has created a twisting, mind-boggling world that is reminiscent of Tamora Pierce's Tortall, except with the interesting inclusion of a centuries-old mistrust between the race of humans and the race of dragons. The kingdom of Goredd is a kingdom wrapped up in the illusion of peace, the dragons doing their best to stick to their human forms and to earn the respect of the humans. And Seraphina Dombegh is no different.


From birth she has been urged to remain 'unseen' and inconspicuous, lest her true nature be revealed. Not quite human and not quite dragon, she lives an oppressed life, only finding solace in her music. Unnaturally gifted, she attracts the attention of those in higher stations and upon the mysterious murder of a member of the royal family, Seraphina finds herself in the midst of a dangerous plot to overtake the throne. But can she help whilst keeping her secrets to herself? And what will happen to her if they are revealed?


This book was full of emotion, descriptive narration that has you vividly picturing Seraphina's world - it's essence wavering before you like the notes produced by her mother's flute -, a lesson that teaches us the difference between race fighting race and those who long for peace fighting those who long for war and a brave heroine who whilst holding tightly to her her bitter secrets, manages to touch the lives of those around her through her, words, her music and her awe-inspiring presence.

Heartbreak and Loss ~ The Beginning of After Review

The Beginning of After
By Jennifer Castle

Rating: 4.9


'Sometimes my life here felt like a cage where I could never escape the pain. At other times it felt like the only firm ground on earth.'

Laurel is a typical teenager living a typical life. 

She has a mum. She has a dad.
She even has a little brother. 
She goes to school. 
She has a best friend, Meg.
She gets straight As.

She does everything right.

One evening, when Laurel's family and the Kaufman family are having a dinner, Laurel does what she normally does. 

Sits. Eats. 


Smiles politely whilst trying to avoid the eye of David Kaufman, her childhood friend who's probably forgotten all their history together and is far more interested in his gangster friends than her. 

Teases her brother. 

It is on this evening that Laurel makes a life-changing decision. 

She tells her mother she wants to study and is going home early. Alone. David decides to leave too. As Laurel leaves, she waves to her family as they pile into a car with the Kaufmans to go out for icecream. 

That was the last time she ever saw them alive.

An accident. A decision. Time slipping through her fingers. 

Laurel's world comes tumbling down when she learns of the death of her family, and the heart-wrenching truth about Before, Now and After. How it takes one thing to turn your life into a Before. 

Before the dinner. 
Before the hug. 
Before the smile. 
Before the wave goodbye. 

Before she walked away. 

All there is is Now. An endless Now that stretches out too far for a teenager like her to see. Sorrow fills every part of Laurel as she tries to face a world without what she used to take for granted. 

Love. Togetherness. Family. 

Laurel learns how everyone grieves in their own way. And she finds herself torn on the subject of David Kaufman, whose father - the only survivor - lies in a coma he may never awake from. David's father could be the reason Laurel's an orphan. 

But David could be the reason Laurel finds the strength to take her future into her own hands.


My thoughts on the book:

I personally loved the writing style. 

It was descriptive, quirky and from the heart. True, it lacked poetic finesse, but this wasn't what the story was about. It was about loss. Rawness. Truth. How sometimes our own thoughts can be so simple and average that they tear us apart...we long to feel something but in order to do that we have to let the floodgates down. 

I really think you need to have experienced some kind of loss to understand this book on a deeper level.

Sad, lingering and aching with loss and yet with a bittersweet touch of first love, The Beginning of After takes you by the hand and shows to you like never before the cycle of human existence, and how fleeting true happiness is.

But, above all, it shows us that we have the ability to make it love last, and to hold it forever in our hearts.