SERIES REVIEW: The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare

Series: The Infernal Devices
Books in Series: Clockwork Angel, Clockwork Prince, Clockwork Princess
Author: Cassandra Clare
Genres: Young Adult, Historical, Fantasy, Steampunk, Paranormal, Supernatural, Romance
Source: Amazon & BookOutlet

Cassandra Clare | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Clockwork Angel Summary:

In a time when Shadowhunters are barely winning the fight against the forces of darkness, one battle will change the course of history forever. Welcome to the Infernal Devices trilogy, a stunning and dangerous prequel to the New York Times bestselling Mortal Instruments series.

The year is 1878. Tessa Gray descends into London’s dark supernatural underworld in search of her missing brother. She soon discovers that her only allies are the demon-slaying Shadowhunters—including Will and Jem, the mysterious boys she is attracted to. Soon they find themselves up against the Pandemonium Club, a secret organization of vampires, demons, warlocks, and humans. Equipped with a magical army of unstoppable clockwork creatures, the Club is out to rule the British Empire, and only Tessa and her allies can stop them...

After I first finished The Mortal Instruments I didn't think there'd be any way possible for any other books set in this world to touch that feeling that they left me with. I knew everyone would always say that The Infernal Devices is so much better, it's their favorite, etc. But I felt so strongly over the fact that this wouldn't be the case with me. I mean I was on such a Shadowhunter high after I got done with City of Heavenly Fire it just seemed impossible.

I'm not afraid to admit when I'm wrong. (That was me admitting it...)

First off, let me just say, the emotional turmoil that I suffered throughout this series, most especially through Clockwork Princess, was just unreal. I can honestly say that I have never cried so much over a book as I did with that one. Do you think I can get Cassandra Clare to foot the bill for therapy? No? 

I love how this series was not only set in a different country but also it's a step back in time. Getting to see some of the history of these strong Shadowhunter families and how they've been entwined together over a century. Connecting events or people or objects from both the past and the present. Seeing family heirlooms from where they originated and the deeper meanings behind them. I found myself, well, giddy for lack of a better word whenever connections were made.

While I was completely obsessed with all the characters from TMI series, the ones in TID were just that much more for me. And I'm not just talking about the holy trinity that is Tessa, Will and Jem. I mean all of them. The ones who made me hate them and absolutely insane with rage. The ones who made me love them and experience their highs and lows with them. 

Of course I had my one character who stood out from the rest and I know that most people are very much Team Will, Team Herondale but...now I loved Will I truly, truly did...but I fell irrevocably and completely in love with Jem. Sigh. It was instant and unstoppable. I honestly see the appeal everyone has for Will because I truly felt that either direction that Tessa's heart went, had it been Will or had it been Jem, I would never have been too upset about it. Okay maybe just a little. But I would've been at peace either way.

The whole sort of steampunk aspect to this book was just the coolest. I loved the mix of clockwork things in a historical London setting. Plus it made for some truly "how in the heck are they gonna get out of this?" types of situations. I was on the edge of my seat...a lot.

It was also interesting, yet completely horrifying, to see or at least understand better a little bit of the history between the Shadowhunter world and the downworlders. To really understand where this hate and mistrust comes from between the different groups of supernaturals and the nephilim. Some of the stories made me absolutely sick and then hate some of the old school Shadowhunter generation myself!

I am thoroughly obsessed with the Shadowhunter world and this series has brought my obsession to a whole new level. I know there may be some people who will disagree with me but I do not want Cassandra Clare to ever stop putting out books set in this world. I feel like I'll probably go through a major bout of depression when she's finally done for good. Though thankfully that seems like it's not going to be for a while yet.

I loved this jump back in history. I loved the steampunk influence. I loved all of the connections between both series. Most of all I loved this new bunch of characters. And finally...Jem is everything. Your arguments mean nothing. :)

SERIES REVIEW: The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare

Series: The Mortal Instruments
Books in Series: City of Bones, City of Ashes, City of Glass, City of Fallen Angels, City of Lost Souls, City of Heavenly Fire
Author: Cassandra Clare
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance
Source: Amazon & BookOutlet

★★★★★ (5/5) Stars!!!

Cassandra Clare | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

City of Bones Summary:

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder― much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing―not even a smear of blood―to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know... 

Exotic and gritty, exhilarating and utterly gripping, Cassandra Clare's ferociously entertaining fantasy takes readers on a wild ride that they will never want to end.

I'm not even sure where to begin with reviewing this series. The Mortal Instruments quickly became my all time favorite series this January when I finally sat down and binged the entire thing. The world building, the characters (both those loved and hated), the storyline, the danger, the intensity, the keep you on the edge of your seat situations, just everything. It was all just so perfect. I feel like this is definitely one of those series where people are generally very firmly in one camp or the other. They're either completely in love with it, or can't stand it. As you can tell, I'm obviously in the former. I've given each book a 5 star rating and I can guarantee that it'll be a series I reread hopefully often.

I am usually, more so than the world or storyline, hugely drawn in by characters. Characters can really make or break a book for me. You can write the most beautiful story, the story to beat all other stories, but if I don't like your characters, there are no words in the world that will make up that difference or make me like your book. This series has that perfect blend of characters that I loved or that I loved how much Cassandra Clare made me hate them. Hating a character isn't always a negative thing. Especially in this case.

Does that mean I liked every single character from the very beginning? No. In fact the first time I read City of Bones way back in 2012 and once again this past month I found Simon, Isabelle and Alec all to be absolutely annoying. I know! I'm sorry! Don't hate on me! But I did and now I look at my past self and wonder what on earth I was thinking. That's the thing though, it just goes to show the incredible growth and changes, the evolution of all of these characters from the series start to the series end.

(If I had to pick a favorite character from the series? Easy. Magnus Bane. With Jace and Alec nipping closely at his heels.)

What I really loved was how on edge this series kept me. Every time I would stop and think that things couldn't possibly get any worse Cassandra Clare would show me just exactly how wrong I was. These books constantly kept me guessing or second guessing the story. Any time a new character would make an appearance I was filled with dread because sometimes the evilest of intentions would hide behind a charming smile. But I loved that. I loved that my feelings were in a constant state of chaos that had me doubting my first, second and even third impressions of people.

I loved how even though the romances, yes that is plural, were huge parts of the story they were done so that it didn't overshadow everything else that was going on. On that same note what I also loved was how there was this incredibly intensity to the way all these characters felt towards one another and how so often love was used as a weapon against them, whether it was a romantic love of more of a familial love. It made for some very messed up situations and times when I had to wonder how on earth can everything turn out okay in the end and still allow me to have everyone I love still alive. How is that even going to be possible?

I really feel like I should probably stop here and just leave this review as is. I mean there are like a bunch of little things that I'd love to gush and talk about but sometimes even the smallest of things would or could spoil something for someone so I'm not exactly sure where to go from here. I'm obsessed with the Shadowhunter world and I'm ready to read every spin-off/prequel/what have you both that's already out there in the world now or to come in the future.

Yep. I'm a total fangirl and I'm not ashamed to admit it. And now I'm off to keep myself immersed in Shadowhunter land and start on The Infernal Devices! Eeep!

ARC REVIEW: Baby's Got Bite (Take it Like a Vamp #2) by Candace Havens

Title: Baby's Got Bite
Series: Take it Like a Vamp #2
Author: Candace Havens
Publisher: Entangled Covet
Published: July 28th 2015
Format: eARC | Pages: 166
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Romance
Source: Publisher
★★★✩ (3.5/5) Stars!

Candace Havens | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Some consequences bite . . . big time.

Bennett Langdon has a firm no-relationships policy. Still, it doesn't stop her from hooking up with a super-sexy bad boy at her best friend's wedding. After all, it's only one night—what harm could it do? Ten weeks later, a pregnant Bennett has her answer...

Linc Monahan can't believe it. This wasn't supposed to happen. He's a werewolf, and shouldn't be able to father a child with a human. Now Linc has to find some way to tell Bennett that not only do werewolves exist, but she's about to have a baby with one.

But when word of their surprise conception gets out, the fur hits the fan. There are people who don't want this baby to be born—even if it means killing. Now Bennett and Linc aren't just fighting each other . . . they're fighting for their lives.

I received a copy of this book, from the publisher, in exchange for an honest review. In no way did this sway either my review or my rating.

Werewolves, and vampires, and accidental pregnancies oh my! Well the first book in this series, Take it Like a Vamp, has been sitting in my Kindle for what seems like forever. But when Baby's Got Bite came along, I knew after reading that blurb that I needed to put my procrastinating to an end and at least read this one. I had quite a bit of fun reading this book. Though most things did work well for me, I will say there were one or two that didn't.

This book basically had me from the very beginning. The opening was the perfect mixture of absolutely hilarious and deliciously steamy. Bennett and Linc have a really great antagonistic type of chemistry. The kind where it seems like the only thing they would ever agree on would be the undeniable attraction between them. Oh how I love relationships that start out like this!

Linc is every bit the alpha male you would expect from a werewolf/shifter. He's the fiercely protective lone wolf. I loved how he comes off as very upbeat and playful but when you dig beneath the layers there's also  a bit of sadness and loneliness to him as well. He was quite surprising and swoon worthy.

Bennett on the other hand I both liked and disliked. She had lots of moments when she was funny and sweet and adorable, the kind of chic I'd even love to be friends with. Then there were the things that bugged me. Like the fact that all the supernaturals in the book spoke in a very polished manner. I mean, I guess it's also from the fact that most of them have been around for hundreds of years, but it's the fact that the two "humans" in the story, Bennett and her best friend Casey who's from the first book, both came off as, well, less than polished. Sure, Bennett's "potty mouth" was part of her character and how she was trying to clean up her act now that she was pregnant. I thought that was actually cute and funny at first but when every thing was "eff off" or "shove it up your a" it got less funny. And Casey was nearly as bad. I just thought it reflected negative on the human aspect and, to me at least, it screamed humans were white trash compared to all the sups.

I think that my biggest complaint though, would have to be the fact that there was so much build up and alluding to danger for Linc, Bennett and the baby for very good and very intriguing reasons. Allusions that, sadly, went no where. I was practically on the edge of my seat waiting for something to happen. Almost craving something to happen but nothing really did. 

Regardless of those few disappointments, I'd have to say I still really enjoyed this book. I love how there's a huge mix of supernaturals in it. I'm talking shifters, vampires, fae, witches, etc. It definitely scratched the paranormal/supernatural itch that's been nagging at me for a while now. Can't wait to see what else is in store for this series!

Thanks to Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book!!

BLOG TOUR: Atone (A Fairytale Trilogy #2) by Jessica Grey ARC REVIEW + GIVEAWAY

Title/Series: Atone | A Fairytale Trilogy #2
Author: Jessica Grey
Publisher: Tall House Books
Published: June 30th 2013
Format: eBook | Pages: 230
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Romance
Source: ARC provided for blog tour
★★★★★ (5/5) Stars!!!

Becca Ward knows that magic is real…

Two years ago not only had she and her best friend Alex found a real-life Sleeping Beauty in the middle of Los Angeles, they also discovered that they were powerful in their own right. They’ve managed to keep both their fae powers and their friend Lilia’s identity as a medieval princess a secret and live a normal life. Now their normalcy is threatened by the return of their former adviser at the Gem and Mineral Museum—and Becca’s least favorite person, Nicholas Hunt.

…and she’s about to find out that more than one fairy tale is true.

Nicholas has been obsessed with proving Lilia’s identity and the existence of magic. While working on an archaeology dig he discovered an ancient fae artifact—a mirror that is imbued with a powerful protection spell that twists his obsession, and his body, until he is more beast than man. In order to protect her friends, Becca is forced to help him, and she is surprised to find that in spite of his outward appearance, Nicholas is no longer the beast she remembers. Will she let herself be the beauty that breaks the curse, or will she let her prejudice against him stop her from discovering true love?

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I basically read the books in this series blindly. When the email came in to sign up for the Atone blog tour, I pulled the book up on Goodreads and I pretty much got to where I saw it was "A Fairytale Trilogy" and I didn't even go any further, I just signed up. After receiving my review copy I then realized it was book two so I immediately went to Amazon and downloaded Awake.

See, I always jump at the chance to read a fairytale retelling. The fun, the excitement, the romance, the new spin on the old classics. They can be real hit and miss though, and up to this point all the ones I've read and loved have been mostly set in historical romances, until now. Jessica Grey has, twice now, left me feeling completely enchanted after reading her brilliant spins on both Awake book 1, my first read of a spin on Sleeping Beauty, and now with Atone, a modern day Beauty and the Beast. Not only has she written what are now two of my absolute favorite retellings to date, she has also preformed the near impossible that very few authors have been able to do with me. She took me from greatly disliking (hate is such a strong word..) a character, Nicholas, in Awake, let's face it if you read it you know he was a tool, to falling completely in love with him in Atone. I guess the book lives up to it's name.

Atone also had one of my other favorite ingredients added to it. The enemies to romantic interest twist. When I first realized that Nicholas was going to be Becca's love interest I thought no way. For one I couldn't stand him and I knew Becca wasn't his biggest fan. This is going to be impossible and I'm going to hate it! But I really wanted to give it a chance. It didn't take long before I was sucked into their story and praying for what I thought was the impossible, for Nicholas to grow a heart.

I loved having all my favorite characters back. Well Alex, Lilia and Becca I should say. I did miss Luke being around, he was mentioned quite a bit though. I was happy to see, since this book is set 2 years after the events in Awake, that the three girls were still close and stronger than ever, in both their magic and their relationships with each other. And I love the way they look out for each other and keep the others grounded and sane. Not only can Jessica Grey weave a story that will have you captivated and not want to put it down but she has created some very strong, realistic and likable characters.

If, like me, you love a good fairytale, this series is a must read. Though I feel like Atone could standalone fine on it's own, I still highly recommend reading Awake first. It'll give you a deeper appreciation for this one. Plus it was so much fun! I can't wait to read Lilia's book and figure out so many questions I have. Some of which being things like, duh, what's her fairytale going to be? Which one of the two possible guys that I've met to this point will be in her happily ever after? There's one I'm hoping for but we'll see! I'm also sad to get to it and bring this series to a close. I've enjoyed it so much so far and I don't want it to end! Add this series to your reading list, you won't regret it! They're fun, sweet and tug at the heart strings. What more could you ask for?

About the author:

Jessica Grey is an author, fairytale believer, baseball lover, and recovering Star Wars fangirl. A life-long Californian, she now lives in Montana with her husband and two children where she spends her time writing, perfecting the fine art of toddler-wrangling, and drinking way too much caffeine.

Jessica Grey | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

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