ARC REVIEW: Clone Three (The Clone Chronicles #1) by Patti Larsen

Title: Clone Three
Series: The Clone Chronicles #1
Author: Patti Larsen
Publisher: Patti Larsen
Published: September 5th 2012
Format: eARC | Pages: 228
Genres: YA, Sci-Fi, Dystopia, Post Apocalyptic
Source: Publicist
★★★★ (4/5) Stars!

Patti Larsen | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

I haven’t a clue who I am. 

Clone Three wakes up in a decaying city she is sure doesn’t match the one she came from. If only she could remember it, that is.

She has a purpose, at least--she must find her fellow clones, and the statue whose image is embedded in her mind. But she is lost, surrounded by a dead and crumbling metropolis, faced with those who have been altered by the illness that has ravaged the world turning survivors into strange, vicious creatures. She must risk everything, including the safety of her only allies, in order to complete the task that has been laid out before her.

But one question plagues her: is she this crumbling world’s salvation… or the source of its downfall?

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

I don't think my feelings for a book have ever been quite so confusing to me. Ever. On one hand I feel like Clone Three was brilliantly unique, unlike anything I've ever read. It had this intriguing opening that grabbed hold of me, sunk it's claws in and didn't let go. Yet on the other hand there were times when the dialogue and character interactions were almost awkward in a sense. Like they didn't fit in the story and it brought on twinges of frustration. Just when I'd start to get lost in the beauty of this chaotic and horrific world, someone would say something or do something that just didn't feel right and momentarily break the spell that I was falling deeply under.

One thing that took me completely by surprise was how descriptively gruesome this book was at times. We're talking straight out of a horror movie or even The Walking Dead type of gruesome. Strangely it really fit. It added to the danger and intensity because it really painted a picture of knowing what could/would happen if the wrong group got their hands on you. Danger and intensity that is around every corner. It seems as if every time the little group we follow takes a significant step forward something jumps out from around a corner and two huge leaps are taken back. Moments of peace and relaxation are few and far between.

Cone Three, or Trio as the group that took her in started calling her, was just a brilliant character, well, for the most part. As a clone, I loved the childlike wonder she possessed. How things would seem so familiar to her and yet brand new all at the same time. Watching her struggle to figure out where she came from and what her purpose is in this world she wakes up in. Patti Larsen did such a good job in portraying her personality and making her believable and so full of depth. Once again, I should say, for the most part. Because she always had this way of walking away from everything without a scratch. I would have believed her more if things weren't so easy for her to pull through. If it wasn't just others that suffered the collateral damage in her wake, instead of it always being "well Trio walks away again."

There are lots of other fun, sweet, endearing and even rage inducing characters as well. A handful that I ended up loving instantly and others I couldn't stand in the same short amount of time. It made things very interesting and exciting.

Even though there were things that bugged me, I am totally invested in this story. While some of the details have been revealed and are becoming more clear, there are still a huge number of things that are left unanswered. I find myself dying to know these things and how the future, if there is one, will play out for these characters that I'm already deeply attached to. I can't wait to get my hands on Clone Two and Clone One and, hopefully, find answers to all of my questions. 

Is Clone Three, Trio, the worlds savior or it's destruction? I can only hope for the best.

A huge thanks to publicist Donna McCoy for the opportunity to read and review this book!!

REVIEW: End of Days (Penryn & the End of Days #3) by Susan Ee

Title: End of Days
Series: Penryn & the End of Days #3
Author: Susan Ee
Publisher: Skyscape
Published: May 12th 2015
Format: Paperback | Pages: 331
Genres: YA, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy
Source: Amazon
★★★★★ (5/5) Stars!!!

Susan Ee | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

End of Days is the explosive conclusion to Susan Ee’s bestselling Penryn & the End of Days trilogy.

After a daring escape from the angels, Penryn and Raffe are on the run. They’re both desperate to find a doctor who can reverse the twisted changes inflicted by the angels on Raffe and Penryn’s sister. As they set off in search of answers, a startling revelation about Raffe’s past unleashes dark forces that threaten them all.

When the angels release an apocalyptic nightmare onto humans, both sides are set on a path toward war. As unlikely alliances form and strategies shift, who will emerge victorious? Forced to pick sides in the fight for control of the earthly realm, Raffe and Penryn must choose: Their own kind, or each other?

I have no idea how I am going to write this review. It's so hard to find the words to say for a book at the end of a series, especially one that has just recently been released. There are so many things that I want to say but can't because I won't be that person. Now that I am finished, all I can think is that I feel like maybe I read them too fast. I should have slowed down and savored them. But that feeling, that drive to get to the end and see how everything would turn out wouldn't allow me to do it. Sigh. And now the only thing that's coming to my mind at the moment is...holy crap...that was amazing. I can be quite eloquent when I want to be no?

But the glorious elation ends too soon.

Through this entire series the one constant thing I could count on was the fact that for every minor good thing that happened, the terrible, heartbreaking and sometimes outright scary would always come back moments later in double doses. I'd feel brief moments of hope and joy only to be struck down with grief and despair in the blink of an eye. It kept me on the edge, never quite relaxing. Kept my mind spinning and captivated. Pushed me with the need to read faster, if only to see if there could be a way out of all the destruction and devastation and hopefully find a happily ever after.

"You won't always be fighting, Penryn. There will come a time when you'll be so bored that you'll wish you were fighting."

I'm really going to miss Penryn. I have no doubt that she is going to be one of those very memorable, ass kicking characters that I won't ever forget about. Her name will be one of the first ones I think of when talking about favorite characters. I mean, even when things were incredibly bleak and she would be thinking things like this is the moment I'm going to die, she didn't just roll over and let it happen. She fought and she fought hard. She is made of nothing but awesome!

Without his feathered wings, the angels won't accept him. And regardless of what kind of wings he has, humans won't accept him either.

Raffe's character was so bittersweet for me. I couldn't get enough of him but it was also heartbreaking the more I got to know him. He spends so much of this series outside of everything. Not fitting anywhere, well, except for maybe with Penryn but even that was a struggle more often than not. He was adrift and struggling with his sense of self and fighting his own battles to get all of that back. Raffe is fierce with a strong sense of loyalty, he's funny and sarcastic as hell. He was very complex in this very frustrating but good way that made it hard not to fall in love with him.

"A chick's a chick, man, regardless of her age. And an offer is an offer." Dum nods.

There is such a huge cast of characters that makes up this series, and you get to meet a whole bunch of new ones in End of Days on top of that. But it's such a vast variety as well. There are those that had me laughing more often than not like the twins, Dee and Dum. Yeah, you read that right. Think Fred and George Weasley in an apocalypse. They were favorites. Then there were the ones that were heart wrenching like Paige, who the thought of, days after finishing, still brings tears to my eyes. That girl is just as scrappy and tough as her sister. And a whole slew of the ones that had you feeling that burning hatred deep to your core. More of those than I want to try to count. It's quite a mix bag of love and hate.

"His brothers will keep him from falling."

What surprised me most as I made my way to the end of this series was the one death that I mourned and the one that I didn't. It was easy to think that by the time I made it to the third and final book that I would have a good grasp on each one of these characters and see how they tick. Feel secure in feeling one way or another about them. But then I sat here with tears streaming down my face over the death of someone I hated from the beginning, and it made me understand just how complex each one of these characters are. He was horrible and did terrible things and I guess I really wasn't necessarily mourning the loss of him as he was at the time of his death but who he could have been but wasn't able to become because of one tragedy after another. The other character I just felt indifferent to their death, equally surprising. It was just kind of an oh-that-sucks moment without even a twinge of feeling. A lot of unexpected in this series!

It's hard to believe that we used to live in a world where complete strangers would have given him medicine and hooked him up to machines to monitor his condition. They would have looked after him around the clock. Absolute strangers who knew nothing about him.

I should probably go ahead and wrap this up because this review is already way longer than I imagined I'd be able to get it. I guess I had more non-spoilery types of things to say than I first thought. I won't get into the did they or didn't they find a way to make things work on the relationship between Penryn and Raffe. That's something you're going to have to read about yourselves. Regardless of all of that I loved this series so much. It truly sucks that it's actually over. It makes it feel like something is missing from my life. Sigh. Susan Ee's writing has been beautiful and brilliant from beginning to end. I loved everywhere she took this series. All those incredible highs and dark and gut wrenching lows. This is a series not to miss and I cannot recommend it enough!

ARC REVIEW: World After (Penryn & the End of Days #2) by Susan Ee

Title: World After
Series: Penryn & the End of Days #2
Author: Susan Ee
Publisher: Skyscape
Published: November 19th 2013
Format: eARC | Pages: 320
Genres: YA, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy
Source: NetGalley
★★★★★ (5/5) Stars!!!

Susan Ee | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

In this sequel to the bestselling fantasy thriller, Angelfall, the survivors of the angel apocalypse begin to scrape back together what's left of the modern world.

When a group of people capture Penryn's sister Paige, thinking she's a monster, the situation ends in a massacre. Paige disappears. Humans are terrified. Mom is heartbroken.

Penryn drives through the streets of San Francisco looking for Paige. Why are the streets so empty? Where is everybody? Her search leads her into the heart of the angels' secret plans where she catches a glimpse of their motivations, and learns the horrifying extent to which the angels are willing to go.

Meanwhile, Raffe hunts for his wings. Without them, he can't rejoin the angels, can't take his rightful place as one of their leaders. When faced with recapturing his wings or helping Penryn survive, which will he choose?

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

If I thought that Angelfall was dark and disturbing, it really has nothing on World After. I'm now torn between allowing my heart and my mind time to recover before picking up End of Days and desperately needing to just jump right in and see how this all comes to an end. It's almost a given that the latter will win out in the end.

It was such a roller coaster reading this book. Things would be absolutely grim one moment and all of a sudden something good would happen. I'd have moments of joy and allow a smile to break out on my face, and I do mean moments, only to have something else come crashing down, sometimes literally, and knock that happy moment into the dirt. Worry and dread slowly ate away at me and I was almost permanently perched on the edge of my seat through the entire book. But I loved it. I loved feeling all of those things.

I've talked before about how much I sometimes love reading all things cute and fluffy. But there's that other side of me that enjoys the darkness and being shocked nearly to my core. And that's exactly what I've been getting with this seres. I mean, the angels do some horrible, horrific things to the humans. There's torture and a lot of bloodshed. A lot. It's graphic and so brilliantly written. I fully admit to having some pretty freaky angel dreams after these first two books. The kind that make you sit up, heart pounding and praying it was all just a dream.

Besides being scary and intense, it has also ripped my heart out on more than one occasion. For instance, Penryn's sister Paige's story is absolutely heartbreaking. Just about every moment she was in a scene she ended up bringing me to tears. Just thinking about Paige right now makes my eyes well up with tears. And then there's Raffe and all the things he's going through with his wings and his loss of self. Even though Raffe is part of team angel I have grown very attached to him. Oh who am I kidding? I love the guy. Err, angel.

It isn't all doom and gloom though I should probably point out since that's all I've gone on and on with to this point. Penryn is still a kickass heroine and I freaking adore her. She's actually more like the reluctant heroine. All she really wants is to get her family together and keep them safe and yet, even though she hesitates and argues with herself and says she won't do anything, she can't seem to not help others she stumbles upon that are in trouble. Even if it puts herself in the path of danger and risks that end goal she has for herself and her family in doing so. I love that about her. She tries so hard to be selfish and to her very core she ends up being selfless. Plus she's sarcastic and funny and tough as nails. Just very well rounded.

I must say some of my favorite scenes happen between Penryn and Raffe though. I feel like I need something to happen between these two like I need air to breathe. The possibilities of what could be are what keeps my heart beating. The problem is I'm not sure how in the heck that is even going to be possible. It's like the ultimate forbidden romance and Raffe is the ultimate rule follower. My heart can't help but want it wants though. But it isn't just the feels or possibility of romance because even if it doesn't happen I will live. It's their connection and understanding, the sense of teamwork and the way they push each other's buttons that make me crave their scenes together.

I feel like I've probably droned on enough and I'm itching to start End of Days! So, in a nutshell, I loved this book. It was intense, heart pounding, horrific, heartbreaking, funny...just so many different things. The writing and the characters are brilliant. And I can't wait to see how this series comes to an end. I'm sure things will get much worse before they get better and I'll be just as much on the edge of my seat as I've been up to this point and I can't wait!

ARC REVIEW: Angelfall (Penryn & the End of Days #1) by Susan Ee

Title: Angelfall
Series: Penryn & the End of Days #1
Author: Susan Ee
Publisher: Skyscape
Published: August 28th 2012
Format: eARC | Pages: 288
Genres: YA, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy
Source: NetGalley
★★★★★ (5/5) Stars!!!

Susan Ee | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

It's been six weeks since the angels of the apocalypse destroyed the world as we know it. Only pockets of humanity remain. 

Savage street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. 

When angels fly away with a helpless girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back...

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

Brilliant. Gripping. Intense. Dark, Amazing. Heart pounding. Twisted. Heartbreaking. You want words to describe how I feel about this book? I have them all right here, tons of them. Now, stringing those words and phrases together to form coherent sentences to describe all the feelings inside me right now...that's the real problem. You guys I have read some truly awesome books this year so far. But none of them have come quite close to what I just went through with Angelfall over the last 12 hours. Consider me fully and and deeply enchanted with this story.

I made the rookiest of mistakes when I picked this book up and started reading it. I decided it would be a great idea to start it when I really should have been in bed at 11pm. Even under normal circumstances, if I just plain like a book, I have difficulty putting it down and going to sleep if I'm really into it. The thing about Angelfall is that it's not just your normal circumstances type of book. There is no slow world/character building and introduction. None of the slow and burning build of intensity that suddenly bursts out with an explosion of adrenaline and chaos. No. With Angelfall you start smack dab in the middle of intensity. You're immediately sucked into something so intense and dark and it was absolutely brilliant. Once that intensity grabs hold of you though there is no way it will let you go. So, sleep be damned, I could not put it down. No regrets.

I love, love, love angel books/series. But...I am extremely picky and particular about the ones I will even attempt to read. Angelfall is not your normal paranormal angel book. The angels aren't fluffy or cuddly. They aren't here on some vital mission for the greater good of mankind. They aren't fallen celestial beings to be romanticized or swooned over (well not all of them at least.) They are darkness, destruction and devastation. This is truly a dark and twisted book and I think that's what really drew me to it. I love a book that will make me sit here as I read it and think to myself, "What in the actual eff?..." This one did that plenty and surprised me in good, frightening and heartbreaking ways.

Penryn is seriously my hero. That girl is a freaking rock star. Even when on the inside she was truly scared to death that girl had enough backbone and determination for ten men twice her size. Even when she was scared she was amazingly strong and tough. I have no trouble saying that Penryn has got to be one of my favorite heroines of all time.

I don't even know what else to say except how much I loved it. I mean, if you like angel paranormals and you also like the darker more twisted side of things I highly, highly recommend starting this series. Seriously, like I said I started reading it at 11pm and I quite literally did not sleep until I was done. Yes, you heard that right! Did. Not. Sleep. I made an attempt around 3am and put the book down for about 30min but the story just kept tumbling around inside my brain and wouldn't allow me to sleep, plus it zapped all the sleep right out of me. Next thing I knew it was just turning to 11am and I was done sitting here wondering how on earth that happened. I am hooked. Thankfully I had the foresight to request World After as well because just sitting here attempting to write this review is complete torture. I must go now. I need to find out what happens next!! Go get this book! Now!! 

REVIEW: Divergent (Divergent #1) by Veronica Roth

Title/Series: Divergent | Divergent #1
Author: Veronica Roth
Published: February 28th 2012
Publisher: Katherine Tegan Books
Format: Paperback | Pages: 487
Genre: YA, Dystopa
Source: Amazon
★★★★★ (5/5) Stars!!!

Veronica Roth | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue--Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is--she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are--and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, Tris also learns that her secret might help her save the ones she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

When dystopia is done right there is nothing like it in the world. All of the contemporary, paranormal, historical, even epic fantasies will never measure up to how I feel when I get lost in these worlds. It is my all time favorite genre. So why has it taken me so long to finally read Divergent? I'm always afraid, almost doubly so when it comes to books that are surrounded by a lot of hype, what if this is one that disappoints me? Is it just going to be like all the rest?

The other factions celebrate birthdays, but we don't. It would be self-indulgent.

The dystopian Chicago world that Veronica Roth has created is definitely unique, unlike any others I've read so far. It was interesting to learn a bit about the 5 different factions, a few more so than the others at this point, and also see how they interacted in a mixed setting like the high school in the beginning of the book. The way they all carry themselves and behave are so vastly different. I was fascinated by it all and it had me thinking, in the beginning, when I just had those brief first impressions, what faction would I choose? It felt like there was a bit of a benefit with each one, though I'm not sure I'd have survived Candor. 100% honesty at all times? I'm not one for lying and dishonesty but sometimes letting someone off easy instead of brutal honesty just feels better. Yeah I would not survive Candor. But the rest initially seemed to be groups I'd enjoy being around. That idea didn't stick around for long.

"Just because we're in the same faction doesn't mean we get along."

As with books of this nature there are going to be characters you love and characters you all out despise. This book has both types in spades. And then there were those that flipped a switch on me before I finished, both in good ways and bad ones. It wound up making me cautious and start to doubt who I trust and who I don't. I adore Tris, she kicks some major ass. She's definitely one of my favorite female heroines. So strong and so smart. In a lot of ways this girl comes off as being full of confidence but underneath that there's a bit of fear and vulnerability even a bit of doubt within herself that helps her feel more real and more likable. And Four had me intrigued before I even opened the book. I mean if you've heard about this series then you've heard the girls are crazy about Four. I can see why. It's a very slow process learning about this guy and what's underneath the tough guy that everyone sees him as. He's definitely a mystery. Still don't know everything about him but he's already been placed up there with all my other book boyfriends. I can't wait to dive into Insurgent and find out what's next for these two.

"A kiss is not something you do in public."

I am a romantic at heart and I love a good love story like the next person.  But what I love about Divergent, so far at least, is that any sort of romance is really just sort of a side story and it's not the main focus of the book. All the kissing of the boys and the swoons and the fluttering of the heart are all awesome, but when I read dystopia I want creative worlds and conflicts and action and uprisings, rebellions. I want everything to fall apart and I want to be stressing out wondering how in the hell these people are going to come back from everything that's happened. I want all the things! And this book is full of all that, or at least beginnings of them in some cases. Jumping off moving trains and rooftops. Wars between factions. Shootings. Death. Friendships. Betrayals. It has it all and it was amazing. I am irrevocably in love with this series so far and you can bet once I type the last word in this review I'm picking up Insurgent, which is sitting right next to me, and you better not even think about disturbing me!

REVIEW: The Human (The Eden Trilogy #2) by Keary Taylor

Title/Series: The Human | The Eden Trilogy #2
Author: Keary Taylor
Publisher: Keary Taylor
Published: June 18th 2013
Format: eBook | Pages: 270
Genre: YA, Dystopian, Sci-Fi
Source: Author in exchange for an honest review
★★★★★ (5/5) Stars!!!!

Keary Taylor | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

The city of New Eden is cleared, but it won’t stay that way forever. The Bane continue to advance in horrific ways that will wipe humanity from the face of the Earth. A storm is coming, one none of them could have dared imagine. 

When a group of outsiders come to the city, everyone is on edge. They have too many questions and not enough answers about where they are from or what they want. Just because they are human doesn’t mean they can be trusted.

Eve made a choice–one that could have deadly repercussions. Desperate hearts bring about desperate actions. Now she must make another decision as her world continues to crumble: come to terms with who she really is, or risk her sanity. She thought she had unlocked all the secrets from her past, but there are truths still buried that leave her questioning what is real and what is not.

Since this is book 2 in the series there may be spoilers for book 1 so if you haven't read it please turn away now. I can't guarantee I won't reference something from the previous book, even though it may be small I hate doing that to people so you've been warned...

I received an eBook copy of this book from Keary Taylor in exchange for an honest review. It's been a few days since I finished The Human and I'm still trying to recover. There is no grey area for me when it comes to Dystopia. I either abso-freaking-lutely love it or I don't care for it at all. The Eden trilogy would fall under the former category. I fell in love with The Bane instantly and couldn't wait to move on to The Human. Of course there's always a bit of worry moving on from the first book in a series no matter who the author is. Especially when it ended on such a high for me. Can it live up to it's predecessor? My answer is unequivocally yes and then some.

The Human picks up a few months after The Bane ends. Life's a bit different from how it was in the first book and everyone is trying to figure out how to adjust. Especially Eve. She's going through a major struggle. Going through adjustments to lessen her emotional blockers and become more..."human" get to be overwhelming. Having no previous memories of life before the Evolution, living in the city isn't something she's cut out for and she feels imprisoned in a way, but she won't abandon those she views as her family. West's situation has become a drain on her mentally. She feels herself slowly starting to crack.

While the first book was more about the world building, I found this one to be much more intense and action packed. Especially after the arrival of a group of armed strangers shows up at New Eden and turns their lives upside down. In a world with so very few humans left, the Bane don't seem to be the only threat to survival. We also find out some new and interesting twists about Eve and her past. Just when she thinks she has herself figured out, she gets blindsided by new information.

There is unforgivable betrayal, in my opinion, and from someone I cared a great deal about from the series start. It brought forth a lot of frustration and anger. More secrets, more danger, more action. It was a heart pounding, perfect second installment to the Eden trilogy. And the ending...are you kidding me? I think my jaw hit the floor. It doesn't so much as leave you hanging as it leaves you absolutely dying to get your hands on The Eve. It definitely set the scene for what's sure to be an explosive finale. I. Can't. Freaking. Wait.

REVIEW: The Bane (Eden Trilogy #1) by Keary Taylor

Title/Series: The Bane | The Eden Trilogy #1
Author: Keary Taylor
Publisher: Keary Taylor Books
Published: June 6th 2011
Format: eBook | Pages: 422
Genre: YA, Dystopian
Source: Purchased Amazon
★★★★★ (5/5) Stars!!!

Keary Taylor | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Before the Evolution there was TorBane: technology that infused human DNA with cybernetic matter. It had the ability to grow new organs and limbs, to heal the world. Until it evolved out of control and spread like the common cold. The machine took over, the soul vanished, and the Bane were born. The Bane won't stop until every last person has been infected. With less than two percent of the human population left, mankind is on the brink of extinction.

Eve knows the stories of the Evolution, the time before she wandered into the colony of Eden, unable to recall anything but her name. But she doesn't need memories to know this world is her reality. This is a world that is quickly losing its humanity, one Bane at a time.

Fighting to keep one of the last remaining human colonies alive, Eve finds herself torn between her dedication to the colony, and the discovery of love. There is Avian and West – one a soldier, one a keeper of secrets. And in the end, Eve will make a choice that will change the future of mankind.

The Bane is The Terminator meets The Walking Dead with a heart-twisting romance.

Previously published as Eden, due to reader demand it has been revamped and rereleased as The Bane: book one in The Eden Trilogy.

The description "The Bane is The Terminator meets The Walking Dead with a heart-twisting romance" could not be more accurate. Though not so much a fan of The Terminator myself, I found I was completely caught up in the world of Eden. I started reading, feeling like only 5 minutes had past and find I was at 25%, then 60%, then 80% and next thing I knew I was done. There was no hesitation in picking this up, already being a fan of Keary Taylor's work. I knew she could write Contemporary, having read and loved "What I Didn't Say" and I knew she could write Paranormal having also read and loved "Branded (Fall of the Angels #1)". It left no doubt in my mind that when it came to my "go to" genre, Dystopia, that I wouldn't be disappointed, and I wasn't! 

The post-apocalyptic world that Keary Taylor presents us with is both amazing and pretty scary. It's 5 years after the TorBane virus took out basically the entire population. Those who aren't infected, the "survivors",  take to the countryside, far off from the cities that The Bane are so attracted to. Houses, electricity, plumbing all the things that we take for granted daily are things of the past. Cities are avoided because a single touch from a Bane spreads the infection and you're turned into a half human half machine type of thing with inhuman speed, strength and so on that craves spreading the virus.

Stepping into Eve's world was so interesting. She doesn't remember anything of her existence before the Evolution. Just her name. She knows nothing of the way things used to be before being found and brought to Eden, the community of about 30+ survivors. She's tough and all she knows is survival. She's doesn't feel emotions like the rest of us and in many ways she's very childlike. Things that are so natural and common sense for us she doesn't know what they are or understand the meanings. Like the first time she hears the word restroom she whispers to a friend to ask what it means and even after it's explained she's even more confused as to why it's called a restroom. She's so endearing.

The arrival of West to their family like community stirs things up within Eve. She starts to feel things for the first time and discovers that he may have the answers to the questions of her past. He lets his feelings show for her, but he also hides things, keeps secrets and she struggles to trust him even though he makes her feel alive. Then there's Avian who also makes her feel things once her emotions are awakened. Avian has been there for her from the beginning. He's sweet and caring and takes on a lot of responsibility for Eden as a doctor of sorts. She feels things for both but finds it hard to make the distinction between her feelings for the two and what love really is. With everyone's feelings out and obvious they both let her know she had to decide because she couldn't have both. I can tell you I wavered back and forth between the two all the way up to the end. My heart feels like she made the right choice and swooned like crazy.

But the love story is just a portion of what makes this book amazing. It's fast-paced action and had me on the edge of my seat. Every free moment I had I used to absolutely devour this book. The action was intense and really got my heart pounding. The increasing boldness and aggression of the Bane begin to cause survival issues with the people of Eden who are forced to make tough choices. 

Everything seems to wrap up quite nicely by the end. You could almost stop right there and be satisfied. There are still lingering questions and things left open for the next book. But you aren't left dangling with a major cliffhanger. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I'm really excited to move on to The Human and see what's in store for everyone. 

REVIEW: Phoenix (Black City #2) by Elizabeth Richards

Title/Series: Phoenix | Black City #2
Author: Elizabeth Richards
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Expected publication: June 4th 2013
Format: Paperback | Pages: 350
Genre: YA, Dystopian, Paranormal, Romance
Source: First Reads win thank you Penguin!!!
★★★★★ (5/5) Stars!!!!!

Elizabeth Richards | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Weeks after his crucifixion and rebirth as Phoenix, Ash Fisher believes his troubles are far behind him. He and Natalie are engaged and life seems good. But his happiness is short-lived when he receives a threatening visit from Purian Rose, who gives Ash an ultimatum: vote in favor of Rose’s Law permanently relegating Darklings to the wrong side of the wall or Natalie will be killed.

The decision seems obvious to Ash; he must save Natalie. But when Ash learns about The Tenth, a new and deadly concentration camp where the Darklings would be sent, the choice doesn’t seem so simple. Unable to ignore his conscience, Ash votes against Rose’s Law, signing Natalie’s death warrant and putting a troubled nation back into the throes of bloody battle.

I'm so excited about winning this off of Goodreads. (Big, big thanks to Penguin for doing it! I heart you guys mucho ♥!)  I've entered giveaways on there so many times before but this was my very first win. Could it have been any better than this? Nope! The Book Gods were truly smiling down on me that day. (I'm such a dork haha)

I will start off by admitting that, yes. This book frustrated me beyond all reason. I was angry and upset and characters were just pissing me off. Had I been able to reach inside the book there probably would be no need for a book 3 because most of them would be dead right now! And yet I sit here completely hooked. I mean I devoured these books. I started Black City on the evening of May 28th and here I am in the wee early hours of the 31st done with Phoenix, going a bit crazy over the fact that I have to wait until sometime in 2014 for book 3!!! Ugh. Sigh.

 

Most of my frustration fell within the love story. It started out nearly perfect. I was swooning over the engagement and things were so good. (Not a spoiler it's in the blurb!) Of course it was only about 50 pages in so you know something was going to shatter it all to pieces. And it did. A lot. My heart broke so many times through this book. It seemed every time I turned a page some force was pulling or attempting to pull Natalie and Ash apart. It wasn't just people either. A huge twist has me so torn up and worried, still. Sometimes it was just so hard to read.

Phoenix has quite a bit more action because we're thrust into the rebellion for the majority of this book.  Which was intense and exiting. Then there's the other side of it, the loss and sadness, and quite a bit of betrayal. Some of it from people I grew really attached too and I didn't see it coming. I was pretty angry and felt pretty betrayed myself! But a good part of all of that was that we get to see more of the United Sentry States. There was quite a bit of travelling and we got to learn more about their world. And meet new characters along the way. Some good. Some bad. And some...a little bit of both.

I'm emotionally spent after reading this and I have become thoroughly captivated by this world and these characters. Phoenix definitely kicked it up a notch from Black City and I cannot wait to see what book 3 has in store for me. I'm still siting here trying to process the 2nd twist that was thrown in there at the end. Is it 2014 yet? Yeah...thought not... :(

REVIEW: Black City (Black City #1) by Elizabeth Richards

Title/Series: Black City | Black City #1
Author: Elizabeth Richards
Publisher: Speak
Published: May 7th 2013
Format: Paperback | Pages: 374
Genre: YA, Dystopian, Paranormal, Romance
Source: Purchased Amazon
★★★★★ (5/5) Stars!!!!!

Elizabeth Richards | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

A dark and tender post-apocalyptic love story set in the aftermath of a bloody war.

In a city where humans and Darklings are now separated by a high wall and tensions between the two races still simmer after a terrible war, sixteen-year-olds Ash Fisher, a half-blood Darkling, and Natalie Buchanan, a human and the daughter of the Emissary, meet and do the unthinkable—they fall in love. Bonded by a mysterious connection that causes Ash’s long-dormant heart to beat, Ash and Natalie first deny and then struggle to fight their forbidden feelings for each other, knowing if they’re caught, they’ll be executed—but their feelings are too strong.

When Ash and Natalie then find themselves at the center of a deadly conspiracy that threatens to pull the humans and Darklings back into war, they must make hard choices that could result in both their deaths.

This series is very likely going to become a full blown book obsession of mine. It takes two of my most favorite subjects to read about and swirls them together. Dystopia and Vampires. My inner fangirl is screaming on the inside. If only you could hear her... I found this series during one of my late night Goodreads giveaway entry binges. (I prefer these to the NetGalley ones ha!) I saw Phoenix (Black City #2) listed in the Dystopian section and the cover was so pretty I just clicked on it and didn't even look it up and...then forgot all about it. So imagine my happy surprise a couple weeks ago when I check my email and it says I'm a winner! (We all knew that though...*cough* kidding...) So I look it up and realize it's a book two in a series and quickly find book one. That's when I see those two words to the right of the page of shelves it's listed on. I didn't hesitate to buy this that same day. I am so glad!

We're sucked into a dark segregated world. Quite literally, divided with walls to section off the Darkling ghettos from the humans. With the only Darklings allowed on the other side of the wall being basic slaves. Ash being an exception as he's only a half-blood and lives with his human father. Since there's now a law, post-war, excluding humans and Darklings from being together he's become a rarity and quite alone. Until he meets Natalie. A human. But not just any human. The Emissary's daughter. *Dun dun dunnnnn* Ha! There was no love at first sight but there was some loathing.

There was a lot of division within the community. The government, the religious nuts and a majority of the human world wanting to maintain the segregation and of course do even worse. There was also quite a good number of humans fighting for unity among the races.

Ash isn't the best person at first, I mean he even starts off with us giving a not so good first impression. But there was still something about him that I wasn't ready to write off that soon. And we quickly get to see a different side of him. Even realize that sometimes people do desperate, horrible things for family and/or people they love. I could go on and on about how amazing I think Ash is. Yeah he screws up. He's flawed. I stand by my amazing comment, especially at what he does over the last 30 pages that had me sniveling uncontrollably.

On the opposite side of the tracks....literally, we have Natalie who's mother is the Emissary of Black City. So she's kind of got a sort of sheltered outlook on their world. She always seemed sort of on the fence to me, though at times she did lean more towards one side than the other and it was quite back and forth for a bit there. I think her seeming to waver was due to the fact that her house was pretty divided before her father passed. You have a high official, very political mother and her father was very much an advocate for Darklings. But her transition, actually better yet the transition of both Natalie and Ash was perfect. They were both flawed. They both made mistakes. They were vulnerable. They were real. And their growth from start to finish was huge.

The supporting cast was really good too. You had those that you loved and brought more depth to those around them. And then there were others. The ones that had me so infuriated that there were times I wanted to rip my book in half and throw it across the room! I mean this all in a good way too, I love having something stir that kind of fire in me.

Overall, it was fascinating, it was heartbreaking, it was infuriating at times. It evoked all those emotions within me that a really good Dystopian always seems to do. It was truly unique and though some stuff I figured out pretty quickly there were still plenty of things that hit me out of nowhere and all I wanted to do is scream "NO! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING TO ME?!" It definitely inspired my passionate reader side and became an instant favorite. I can't wait to open up Phoenix and dive back into this intense, intriguing, yet a little bit dark and dingy world and see where Ash and Natalie take me next.