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!!

REVIEW: The Ruby Circle (Bloodlines #6) by Richelle Mead

Title/Series: The Ruby Circle | Bloodlines #6
Author: Richelle Mead
Publisher: Razorbill
Published: February 10th 2015
Format: Hardcover | Pages: 348
Genres: YA, Paranormal, Urban Romance, Fantasy
Source: Amazon
★★★★ (4/5) Stars!

Richelle Mead | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

The epic conclusion to Richelle Mead's New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series is finally here...

Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets—and human lives.

After their secret romance is exposed, Sydney and Adrian find themselves facing the wrath of both the Alchemists and the Moroi in this electrifying conclusion to Richelle Mead’s New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series. When the life of someone they both love is put on the line, Sydney risks everything to hunt down a deadly former nemesis. Meanwhile, Adrian becomes enmeshed in a puzzle that could hold the key to a shocking secret about spirit magic, a secret that could shake the entire Moroi world.

This is so bittersweet. I'm so happy to have finally read, well binged really, this series and fall completely in love with it. Yet now I sit here so sad that I've reached the end. I'm not ready for it to be over. I'm so happy that both Adrian and Sydney's characters had made enough of an impression and impact on us fans of the Vampire Academy series, enough of one to bring forth this whole new spin-off series resulting in Bloodlines. I wasn't always happy with every action or the way things went, but regardless I have to admit I've been more of a Bloodlines fan than I have VA and that's saying something because I freaking love VA.

If Sydney were here, I knew she'd tell me this was foolish, that I was frivolously using spirit I didn't need to and possibly damaging myself.

Like I said though I wasn't happy about everything. There were a few times when, in facing something dangerous and chaotic, things were resolved almost too smoothly. Sometimes with barely a scratch on them. Now I'm not saying I wanted death and destruction or anything, it just didn't feel real. Well as real as a story involving vampires, witches and humans can be. I didn't want to feel the loss and sorrow that I'd associate with losing a beloved character but I couldn't help the fact that after a big confrontation or escape or rescue or any sort of thing of that nature happened and everything would turn out, well, okay, I'd tend to skim back a few pages thinking....that's it? That's all that happened? I know that it may seem like such a silly and trivial thing to be negative about but I feel like that is my one great big complaint on an otherwise amazing series.

Everyone else had gone very still and very silent, as though sensing the gravity of what was to come.

I've loved a good chunk of these characters for years now. It's been fun to watch them evolve from characters I already thought were awesome into something even better than they were at the start. I loved that throughout Bloodlines characters like Adrian and Sydney were still able to shock me with their actions. Most of the time it was in good ways but there were times they brought on a whole new level of frustration that I'm surprised my books are still in one piece!

Later, when dinner had wound down and we were all around the table, I found myself gazing around and unable to believe this was how my life had turned out.

The close of this series, while once again going almost too smoothly, was still in many ways perfect in my opinion. I still feel like maybe there was at least one thing that didn't really get resolved fully and I'm still left wondering what is to come of it. But as far as the characters and relationships built, both in a romantic and a friendly way, all left me feeling very happy and blissful. All of these characters really came together like a family. A family that stretches into both series and I think that's what I loved most. Not just the Sydrian feels, which let me tell you it's been a couple weeks since I've finished this and I'm still feeling them. But it's that sense of family that this group of characters has created.

Sydney trailed her fingers down the side of my face. "That's because we're living it, Adrian. This is the only escape plan we need."

For someone like me who has a history of being disappointed with series enders I'm excited to say that this one was anything but disappointing. I love Richelle Mead's writing and the worlds and characters that she creates. They're so vivid and imaginative and the entire Bloodlines series is no different. I can't get enough of these characters and, just like with Vampire Academy, I will be rereading the Bloodlines series as often as possible for years to come. My favorite book in the series? The Fiery Heart hands down.

REVIEW: Silver Shadows (Bloodlines #5) by Richelle Mead

Title/Series: Silver Shadows | Bloodlines #5
Author: Richelle Mead
Publisher: Razorbill
Published: July 29th 2014
Format: Hardcover | Pages: 380
Genres: YA, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Romance
Source: Amazon
★★★★ (4/5) Stars!

Richelle Mead | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

In The Fiery Heart, Sydney risked everything to follow her gut, walking a dangerous line to keep her feelings hidden from the Alchemists.

Now in the aftermath of an event that ripped their world apart, Sydney and Adrian struggle to pick up the pieces and find their way back to each other. But first, they have to survive. 

For Sydney, trapped and surrounded by adversaries, life becomes a daily struggle to hold on to her identity and the memories of those she loves. Meanwhile, Adrian clings to hope in the face of those who tell him Sydney is a lost cause, but the battle proves daunting as old demons and new temptations begin to seize hold of him. . . .

Their worst fears now a chilling reality, Sydney and Adrian face their darkest hour in this heart-pounding fifth installment in the New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series, where all bets are off.

Oh what a rollercoaster this book has been. As much as I tried to avoid seeing people discuss their feelings on this book after they read it, sometimes things like that are just unavoidable. I never saw anything spoilery, like I said, it's all just been about feelings. It was enough though to have me really afraid to start reading it. After finishing it, my own feelings are very mixed. The first half of the book was heartbreaking and torturous. The second half had me on the edge of my seat with both excitement and frustration.

She could've done the extraordinary. I couldn't even handle the ordinary.

I feel like from beginning to end there was nothing but one form or another of frustration. Frustration with the characters, frustration with the situations they were in. With Adrian and Sydney being ripped apart at the end of The Fiery Heart, you had to realize that the beginning of this one wasn't going to be pretty. The only outcome of Adrian losing Sydney would be his dark slide into depression and all his old habits. Even though I knew it was coming I couldn't help but be so disappointed in him throughout quite a good chunk of it. He eventually turns things around but it still hurt to see him so out of control especially with what was going on with Sydney at the same time.

I woke to darkness.

Sydney was a whole other form of frustration and heartbreak all together. Unlike with Adrian where it all stemmed from his character, with her it was the situation and what she was going through. Having to read the things she was forced to endure brought tears to my eyes. Her strength and resilience though, completely blew my mind. The average person would have cracked early on but no matter what they put her through rock star Sydney would not break. I swear this girl is my new hero. I never thought I'd grow to love Sydney's character as much as I do.

And so, it was more than a little surreal when I stepped into the store and saw Sydney... 

...and time as I knew it suddenly froze.

I feel like I'm making it sound like all I ever wanted to do was throw my book across the room and that wasn't the case. There were still moments of the humor we've come to expect from these characters. As well as there being plenty to swoon over...eventually, in the most unexpected and surprising of ways. It was more than I had ever hoped for and my feels are still all over the place.

And that's when things went bad.

There was definitely more of a darkness to this one, so much action and danger. Every time I would start to relax something would happen and get my heart racing again. At five books now we have already been through so much with this series and yet...it's not over. There's one book left and still so much left unfinished. And that cliffhanger just added one more huge loose end into the mix. Though this was my least favorite book in the series I still, by the end of it at least, loved it. I just hope that this feeling will stay to the end.

REVIEW: The Fiery Heart (Bloodlines #4) by Richelle Mead

Title/Series: The Fiery Heart | Bloodlines #4
Author: Richelle Mead
Publisher: Razorbill
Published: November 19th 2013
Format: Paperback | Pages: 420
Genres: YA, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Romance
Source: Amazon
★★★★★ (5/5) Stars!!!

Richelle Mead | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

In The Indigo Spell, Sydney was torn between the Alchemist way of life and what her heart and gut were telling her to do. And in one breathtaking moment that Richelle Mead fans will never forget, she made a decision that shocked even her. . . .

But the struggle isn't over for Sydney. As she navigates the aftermath of her life-changing decision, she still finds herself pulled in too many directions at once. Her sister Zoe has arrived, and while Sydney longs to grow closer to her, there's still so much she must keep secret. Working with Marcus has changed the way she views the Alchemists, and Sydney must tread a careful path as she harnesses her profound magical ability to undermine the way of life she was raised to defend. Consumed by passion and vengeance, Sydney struggles to keep her secret life under wraps as the threat of exposure—and re-education—looms larger than ever.

The Fiery Heart was both my favorite book in the series thus far and the hardest to read. When I opened the book and saw the first chapter was in Adrian's POV I had an initial burst of excitement and then my stomach dropped because if you're at all familiar with this series and Adrian Ivashkov than you're familiar with his bouts of depression and the vices he uses for coping mechanisms. It's one thing to witness his self-destruction secondhand as you're reading either from Rose or Sydney's POV as we've done up to this point. And it is an entirely new experience to be inside his head when he hits those really low spots and watch his mind spin out of control when in the grips and aftermath of spirit. I was brought to tears and it really hit home just how fragile his mind is.

"I'm not your concierge. Neither is Sydney. I don't know why she always takes care of that stuff for you. She should be dealing with things that are essential for your survival. Ordering pizza isn't one of them."

I knew there was going to be a lot of frustration while reading this book, due to the arrival of a certain character at the end of Indigo Spell. The level of that frustration, though, really took me by surprise. The temptation to throw my book across the room hit me hard on more than one occasion. I knew before I even started reading exactly where things would eventually lead just from seeing her name appear on the page. Yet even that predictability and frustration didn't take anything away from how insanely good this book was.

"And don't think for an instant that I wouldn't do terrible, unspeakable things if it could save someone I love."

The more I get into this series the deeper my feelings go for these characters. Whether it's ones I never thought I'd feel anything for really like Ms. T, Wolfe, Angeline and Trey, who I now find myself excited to get to the next scene they'll appear in. Or characters that I've loved since I first met them like Adrian, Sydney, Jill and Eddy. I can't get enough. They've all made changes since the start of the series. Some in very small ways and others so drastically that if you went back and started at the beginning again you'd hardly recognize them.

Whereas Angeline's antics made me want to pull out my hair sometimes, he found them endearing.

I swear sometimes Angeline didn't even have to be in a scene for you to be laughing at her antics. One character would relate to another what zany thing she'd recently done and I would burst with laughter. Because it was all just so sweet and endearing and they're things that are basically common knowledge to you and me but she comes from a different world and doesn't know any better, like when she went on about how the meerkat wasn't really a cat...I went from being so leery of having her added to the storyline to wondering, like Adrian had at one point, what their lives would have been like without her. She was definitely a bright spot of comic relief to lighten up things when they were either frustrating or sad. Just about everyone had their moments of humor but I adored Angeline's the most.

Everyone said I concealed my feelings, but he always seemed to know how I felt.

Oh my word and things have really heated up between Adrian and Sydney. If this were any other series and any other set of characters I probably would blame my love for all things Sydrian on the fact that we're dealing with a forbidden romance because, let's face it, I'm all about the taboo when it comes to reading romance. While I do love that extra little something it adds to the story, I really do just love both of these characters so much. Just a discreet shared look across a room full of people is enough to set me into a swoon frenzy when it comes to these two. I'm not sure I've ever shipped anything so hard before.

"Things have fallen apart," I said, finally taking the dragon. "The center didn't hold."

There's only two books left for me at this point. I'm feeling a mixture of excitement, nerves and sadness. I'm so excited to see what will come of these characters, all of them, and this world that they live in. I'm nervous for many reasons. One of them of course being that crazy cliffhanger, once again something to reinforce how glad I am I waited until all the books where out before I started! Another just the worry of seeing everything come together and the, hopefully, closure of everything going on with all these people from both Vampire Academy and Bloodlines both since the storyline affects everyone. Plus my track record with being happy with series endings is a bit shaky. And I'm sad because that's just it, it's going to be an ending. But until then I just need to make it through Silver Shadows...

REVIEW: The Indigo Spell (Bloodlines #3) by Richelle Mead

Title/Series: The Indigo Spell | Bloodlines #3
Author: Richelle Mead
Publisher: Razorbill
Published: February 12th 2013
Format: Paperback | Pages: 401
Genre: YA, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Romance
Source: Amazon
★★★★★ (5/5) Stars!!!

Richelle Mead | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets--and human lives.

In the aftermath of a forbidden moment that rocked Sydney to her core, she finds herself struggling to draw the line between her Alchemist teachings and what her heart is urging her to do. Then she meets alluring, rebellious Marcus Finch--a former Alchemist who escaped against all odds, and is now on the run. Marcus wants to teach Sydney the secrets he claims the Alchemists are hiding from her. But as he pushes her to rebel against the people who raised her, Sydney finds that breaking free is harder than she thought. There is an old and mysterious magic rooted deeply within her. And as she searches for an evil magic user targeting powerful young witches, she realizes that her only hope is to embrace her magical blood--or else she might be next.

Every time I get to the end of one of these books, so far at least, I'm left sitting here thanking the book gods that I waited to have each one in my hand so that I could do a binge read. I mean, they aren't huge cliffhangers but it's just enough to where I know that the waiting would have driven me crazy. I'm becoming obsessed and if I'm not sleeping or eating my nose is stuck in which ever book I'm reading at the moment. Sometimes I even forget to do both of those! I'm hooked and I'm torn between wanting to be able to find a way to read them even faster and trying to slow down and just savor them.

"Don't look so panicked," Rose said, eyes shining. "It was nice seeing a human and a Moroi look like they belong together."

I had assumed before I finally started this series that everything would come down to all the Sydrian feels for me. Nothing else would matter and all I'd want was to get to that next moment, next kiss, next whatever. The reality has become that, while I do love those moments between Sydney and Adrian, I'm just as drawn in to everything else that's going on within the story, and there's a lot. With the VA books we had to deal with Moroi, Strigoi, dhampir and the Alchemists. With this series you have all of those things plus you add secrets and lies, magic and witches, an ancient society that goes back nearly as far as the Alchemists and rebellions and spies everywhere you turn. The excitement and danger seems to never end.

It brought back all my ingrained fears about the wrongness of magic.

The thing that I enjoyed the most with The Indigo Spell was how much it focused on the magical aspect of this world. I was fascinated by it. Obviously there's been magic throughout both of these series but the focus there has been on vampire magic. With the magic in this book we also get to explore the world of spells and witches. And of course Sydney's struggle with staying true to everything she's been taught to believe and the pull of the magic world. I'm really enjoying how it's all being handled and I especially like that it is a struggle with her. That everything is a struggle with her really. These are things her people have been drilled for centuries to believe in and if she were to have just rolled over and accepted everything easy I think I would've been bored.

"I'm done with the pouting," he said. "Done with being moody―well, I mean, I'm always a little moody. That's what Adrian Ivashkov's all about."

Adrian continues to blow me away every time he's on the page. He doesn't seem to do what I expect him to do anymore. I fell so hard for the Adrian of the past. The one full of vices and snark. The guy who attempted to live up to everyone's expectations of him, and by that I mean all the negative ones. There was just something about Adrian that I found completely irresistible. Yet here he is in Bloodlines flipping every thought and feeling I had for him upside down, in all the best ways and I can't believe he's the same guy and yet I'm also not surprised. I love seeing this side of him. The passionate, loyal, ambitious and reliable side. I mean he's shown signs of some of those things before but I love that now...he has a purpose.

But he made no demands on me, not like the Alchemists or Marcus. Even Jill and Angeline tended to preface their requests with, "You have to..."

Something that really didn't dawn on me until this book was the tremendous amount of pressure Sydney is under. I mean, I knew it was there coming at her from so many different angles, but I suppose that like a lot of the people in her life I just sort of took for granted that Sydney would just handle everything. In Indigo Spell it really hit me just how crazy it must be to be Sydney with all the conflict and issues with loyalty and people pulling at her from all sides. Making demands on her time and in some ways using her to their own advantage. I always found her affinity for order and rules and logic to be very endearing. After finishing this book though I almost see how with every direction she's being pulled in, with magic, loyalty, friendship, family and beliefs, that it's kind of a necessity to be able to compartmentalize everything to stay sane. I have so much more respect for her at this point.

I went upstairs, a feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach.

Though I should, in a small way, be excited with how this book ended, it actually filled me with quite a bit of dread. It's like every time we take a baby step forward in this book something jumps in front of us and we have to take a huge leap back. Everything was in such a blissful state right there in the end until the final events of the book threw cold water in my face and gave me a hard dose of reality. I'm both dreading and excited to start The Fiery Heart and see where this goes. I suppose this has been enough procrastinating now, so...

*Takes a deep breath...and jumps in*

REVIEW: The Golden Lily (Bloodlines #2) by Richelle Mead

Title/Series: The Golden Lily | Bloodlines #2
Author: Richelle Mead
Publisher: Razorbill
Published: June 12th 2012
Format: Paperback | Pages: 418
Genres: YA, Paranormal, Romance, Urban Fantasy
Source: Amazon
★★★★★ (5/5) Stars!!!

Richelle Mead | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets—and human lives.

Sydney would love to go to college, but instead, she's been sent into hiding at a posh boarding school in Palm Springs, California–tasked with protecting Moroi princess Jill Dragomir from assassins who want to throw the Moroi court into civil war. Formerly in disgrace, Sydney is now praised for her loyalty and obedience, and held up as the model of an exemplary Alchemist.

But the closer she grows to Jill, Eddie, and especially Adrian, the more she finds herself questioning her age–old Alchemist beliefs, her idea of family, and the sense of what it means to truly belong. Her world becomes even more complicated when magical experiments show Sydney may hold the key to prevent becoming Strigoi—the fiercest vampires, the ones who don't die. But it's her fear of being just that—special, magical, powerful—that scares her more than anything. Equally daunting is her new romance with Brayden, a cute, brainy guy who seems to be her match in every way. Yet, as perfect as he seems, Sydney finds herself being drawn to someone else—someone forbidden to her.

When a shocking secret threatens to tear the vampire world apart, Sydney's loyalties are suddenly tested more than ever before. She wonders how she's supposed to strike a balance between the principles and dogmas she's been taught, and what her instincts are now telling her.

Should she trust the Alchemists—or her heart?

Though I absolutely loved Bloodlines, I feel like The Golden Lily was so much...more. More action, more intensity, more feelings, more...everything. While the first book was sort of easy to figure out what was going to happen next in a lot of ways, this one was less obvious. It took me almost as long to piece things together as it did the characters. I spent a lot more time on the edge of my seat and quite literally couldn't put it down until I was finished. By 1 a.m. I noticed I only had about 100 pages left and was at a point in the story where I knew there was no way I'd be getting any sleep until I reached the end. I'll be paying for it later today but it was totally worth it!

I couldn't stand disorder.

I am loving Sydney's character. She's brilliant in a book-smart kind of way, in every other area of her life she's absolutely clueless. If she can't learn it from a book she doesn't have the slightest idea how to read a situation or people. It's actually very endearing to me and all of the friends she's made. It's funny to watch them react to social queues going way over her head and trying to get her to understand whatever it is she's missing. Even her very logical, organized and orderly manner and approach to things were endearing to me. Those types of characters usually drive me crazy (*cough*Brayden*cough*) but not with Sydney.

I hated to admit it, but he was more good-looking than he had any right to be.

I feel like out of all the books set in this world, both the Vampire Academy series and the two I've read from this one up to this point, The Golden Lily is my favorite book with Adrian Ivashkov. The best and sometimes it was also the hardest so far where he's concerned. On more than one occasion my heart was absolutely aching for him. When I wasn't in pain his humor had me cracking up and his artistic and passionate sides left me in awe and maybe a little breathless. If there was any piece of my heart left that he hadn't owned at this point, and that's a very big if, he stole it here.

For one second, her words inspired me―that I might somehow play a greater role in the fight against evil and possibly even stop it.

But it's not just the Sydrian feels that kept me up until the crack of dawn trying to finish this book. I found myself drawn to everyone's story. Jill and her trying to find a place and blend in to the human world and her issues with her self worth and how she viewed her worth to others. Eddie and his fierce protectiveness and internal struggles especially the unworthiness of his feelings in his eyes. Angeline and her crazy, rebellious, outspoken ways and trying to adjust to a more civilized world. Along with a couple of other staples from the VA series, Sonya Karp and Dimitri Belikov, they all made for an interesting group dynamic.

"Nothing's ever as harmless as it seems."

Things have really built up with this book. It's not just Strigoi or rebel Moroi to be afraid of anymore. There's a new big bad and I can feel the war brewing. It's thrilling and exciting, and also quite a bit scary. I often wonder, as I'm turning the pages, will everyone that I've grown to love come out of this in the end? There's been plenty of close calls already and the series has barely begun, things don't look to hopeful in that area. How many more betrayals do I have to look forward to? And how will everyone's loyalties lie? So many questions! The Golden Lily was even better than Bloodlines and I hope that, for me at least, they continue to get better as I go.

REVIEW: Bloodlines (Bloodlines #1) by Richelle Mead

Title/Series: Bloodlines | Bloodlines #1
Author: Richelle Mead
Publisher: Razorbill
Published: August 23rd 2011
Format: Hardcover | Pages: 421
Genre: YA, Paranormal, Romance, Urban Fantasy
Source: Amazon
★★★★★ (5/5) Stars!!!

Richelle Mead | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

The first book in Richelle Mead's New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series

When alchemist Sydney is ordered into hiding to protect the life of Moroi princess Jill Dragomir, the last place she expects to be sent is a human private school in Palm Springs, California.

Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, Bloodlines explores all the friendship, romance, battles, and betrayals that made the #1 New York Times bestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive--this time in a part-vampire, part-human setting where the stakes are even higher and everyone's out for blood. 

Oh, Adrian. How have I missed thee? Let me count the ways...

As I drove away, I decided the Alchemists needed an entire department devoted to handling Adrian Ivashkov.

You know, you'd think with how much I am indeed obsessed with Adrian Ivashkov I would have started this series sooner right? Well much to the dismay of at least one of my friends, I put my procrastination skills into overdrive on that one. I'm really bad with waiting when it comes to a series. Once I get to that last line of the last chapter I need to know that the next book is sitting there waiting for me. I live for the binge read, having all those books piled up next to me and burning through them. So even though I kept hearing things like, OMG read them already!...somehow, someway I held out until the release of The Ruby Circle. And now for the binge to commence!

I'd been raised believing that both races of vampires, Moroi and Strigoi, were dark and wrong.

It is so good to be back in this world and be with so many familiar characters whom I've loved again. I love Richelle Mead's spin on the vampire world. It's very unique and not just the same old thing done again and again. Of course there are still all the standard staples to every vampire story. The fangs, the diet, the inhuman beauty, the aversion to sunlight. It's the perfect mix of the old and familiar blended with the new and interesting. I've already read the Vampire Academy series twice since I discovered it and can't wait to continue on with Bloodlines and add them to the lineup.

The Alchemists had been playing Men in Black for centuries, long before humans dreamed of life on other worlds.

The reality of this spin-off series happening had me completely over the moon. I think you can tell from my review opener exactly why that may be. I feel like I'm going to be in this small minority, probably of one haha, among my friends most especially when it comes to just how into this series I will be since I've always been more Adrian over Dimitri. I mean, don't get me wrong, I adore Dimitri and there's no one more suited for the other than Rose and Dimitri...but my heart still belonged to, and was broken for, Adrian. He needed closure and I needed it for him! I found Sydney and the Alchemists extremely interesting in VA as well and I couldn't wait to find out more about her and her heritage. Plus the idea of a forbidden romance brewing had me all kinds of excited. Bring on the Sydrian feels because I kind of think I'm going to need them like I need air.

Because with those words, I began to put together a fragile theory of what he might be talking about.

While I will say that there were quite a few things that, at least for me, I found predictable. Well more so that I figured them out early on. I had tons of wild theories and I'd feel confident in saying that probably half of them turned out to be right. I don't really feel as if this was a bad thing, for me at least. I get equally excited about puzzling something out as I do being completely surprised or thrown for a loop. This book did very well at accomplishing both of these things for me and even the stuff that I did figure out didn't lessen my enjoyment because it was easy to see where it was going.

It was more like the kind of touch that simply said, You aren't alone. It was really the only thing he could offer. And in that moment, it was enough.

This was such a great start to this series. Plenty of favorite characters from VA made appearances, even if only briefly, plus there's a whole new set of people to both love and hate. And I do mean hate, I even wished a very slow and painful death on one of them. I'm really pleased with the storyline thus far. It's open to so many possibilities. Mystery, betrayals, magic, action, violence and swoons. I was already on the edge of my seat wishing I could figure out a way to read faster and figure out what the heck was going on! I've heard mixed and not so positive feelings about the books I've yet to read, but I'm trying to remain hopeful that this positive feeling from finishing Bloodlines isn't just a one time thing.