State of the ARC #13

STATE OF THE ARC MEME

State of the ARC is a monthly meme at Avalinah’s Books meant to motivate you to finish up all your long overdue ARCs (Advanced or Early Reader Copies). You can track your reading progress and link up with your own post. Most commonly it comes out on the 30th of every month.

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Hey friends! Today I have a State of the ARC meme post.

It’s been a while since I’ve last done an ARC update. I’m both nervous and kind of excited, I know that I started reading a couple of ARCs a couple of months ago, but since then I’ve honestly had no will to continue and finish them.

The Shadow Minds Journal, by Kia Carrington-Russell | {ARC} Book Review #391

**Disclaimer: I received an Advanced Reader Copy from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way impacted my review.**

Trigger Warning: Attempted Rape, Violence, Blood, Murder, Stalking

New Dark Fantasy Series from International Award Winning Author, Kia Carrington-Russell: The Shadow Minds Journal

In this world, there are creatures lurking in the shadows. As a child, I once played with them. As a teenager, I began to fear them and became victim to their attacks. As an adult, I now realize that no matter how much I try to escape the grasp of this world, I was inevitably born into it.

Now reborn as a Guardian in the year of 2986, Vivian Lair must uphold the treaty between Angels and Demons on the human world and city of Shabeah. Contracted to seven demons who she can shift into while taking direct orders from the Underworld Lord, Haymen, it wasn’t exactly her ideal rebirth. Involving herself with the Angel of War, Gabe is even worse.

Still fighting those who try to possess her during her sleep, Vivian must now record and try to hunt the Volv through the Shadow Minds Journal. Now stuck between the hatred and lust of two of the most powerful entities in all worlds, Vivian is involved inevitably in the upcoming conflict.

Blood. Lust. War. She must kill before being killed.

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Publication Date: August 06, 2018.

Please note that The Shadow Minds Journal is a Dark Fantasy, and is in no way shape or form, a Young Adult novel. 

I was attracted to this novel because of the cover. It’s been a while since I’ve seen a newly published book that looked like, or is similar to the cover for The Shadow Minds Journal. The…creature..person…thing looks like a doll and that’s another reason why I wanted to found out more about the book. 

A Wolf Apart, by Maria Vale | {ARC} Book Review #388

**Disclaimer: I received an Advanced Reader Copy from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way impacted my review.**

A Wolf Apart is the second book in The Legend of All Wolves series by Maria Vale.

Can a human truly make room in her heart for the Wild?
Thea Villalobos has long since given up trying to be what others expect of her. So in Elijah Sorensson she can see through the man of the world to a man who is passionate to the point of heartbreak. But something inside him is dying…

Elijah Sorensson has all kinds of outward success: bespoke suits, designer New York City apartment, women clamoring for his attention. Except Elijah despises the human life he’s forced to endure. He’s Alpha of his generation of the Great North Pack, and the wolf inside him will no longer be restrained…

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Publication Date: August 07, 2018.

I was genuinely looking forward to reading A Wolf Apart. I enjoyed reading The Last Wolf so I had high hopes for this second book in the series.

The beginning of this book had a rough start, for me personally. I knew right away that something was up with Elijah and it’s not until a later that you find out what’s been on his mind. I could tell that something was up with Elijah because he didn’t care about anything. Frankly his attitude was very poor and I didn’t like his character.

Somewhere along the line, Elijah meets Thea and very, very slowly, Elijah becomes Elijah again.

I thought that there’d be two points of view in A Wolf Apart. The synopsis hints at a view aside from Elijah. I would’ve enjoyed reading Thea’s view a lot. I can appreciate that we only had Elijah’s point of view though.

In the end, I liked that A Wolf Apart is Elijah and Thea’s story (mostly Elijah’s story, admittedly). Yet I can’t deny the fact that when my two favourite characters in The Legends of Wolves came around, I was super happy about that. I loved seeing Tiberious and Silver in this book. I loved that the worlds are colliding, but of course they’re colliding, because they’re in the same world. Seeing everyone together is great.

I give A Wolf Apart, 3.5 stars.

Happy Reading!
— Adele

Hide Me, by Lexi Scott | {ARC} Book Review #384

I received an Advanced Reader Copy of Hide Me by Lexi Scott, from Entangled Publishing LLC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way impacts my review.

Sometimes it’s easier to run…

Ripped apart by guilt and grief, nineteen-year-old Whit Conrad grabs her stuff and runs from her super-conservative home and family in Pennsylvania and hauls ass for sunny California. All she wants is escape. Now she has a craptastic apartment, a job at a tattoo parlour, and even a friend-who’s-mostly-benefits. Then she meets a sexy, inked, surfer-dude who has the potential of capsizing everything…

Deo Beckett is adrift. Underemployed and over-boozing, Deo knows he should be doing something more with his life. Being something more. All it takes is a pin-up hottie with a smart mouth—and a bruised soul—to force Deo to start looking below the surface. To wonder if there’s more to life than being a beach bum. Now he’s falling for Whit…and hard.

But Whit ran from home for a reason, and she’ll go to any lengths to keep Deo from learning the truth…

*previously released under Lengths in 2012

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Publication Date: July 07, 2015.

Hide Me proved to be a book that I wasn’t expecting at all. I had this preconceived idea of what Hide Me was about and when that proved not to be the case I was very happy.

Hide Me has two differing points of view that for the most part alternate with every chapter. The first point of view we read from is Deo who seemed to be the guy that everyone knew and was friends with, but let very few people in. Whit we soon learn is very secretive and protective of her past and guards it fiercely. We also learn that Whit is extremely grumpy in the morning; according to Deo. 

City In Embers, by Stacey Marie Brown | {ARC} Book Review #383

I received an Advanced Readers Copy of City In Embers by Stacey Marie Brown from Mark My Words Book Publicity, via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way impacts my review.

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS.

Trigger Warning: Sexual Abuse Mention, Child Abuse Mention, Rape Mention, Blood

Zoey Daniels has been tossed from foster home to foster home, where she grows up fast and tough. When she is placed in her “last-chance” home, she finds a reason to stay and turn her life around: her foster sister, Lexie, who is paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair. Zoey will do anything to keep her safe.

After high school, Zoey is hired by a special government agency, the Department of Molecular Genetics (DMG), where she meets the other reason to remain: Daniel, her co-worker. The man she loves.

But there is something unique about Zoey. She can see fae. Because of this, the DMG hires her to work as a Collector: catching, researching, testing, and using the fae to save human lives. The work never registers on her sympathy radar. She was raised to think of fae as beasts that feed on humans and want to destroy them.

When devastation hits Seattle, Zoey’s whole world is turned upside down. The electric storm connects her to a ruthless fae, a Wanderer named Ryker, whose dealings expose them to even more trouble and danger. They embark on a journey, running and hiding from both the government and fae, both of which threaten their lives and those they love.

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Publication Date: February 04, 2015.

What initially drew me to City In Embers was the fact that this book is a New Adult Sci-Fi/Fantasy. Now I don’t know about you, but it is difficult for me to find a New Adult Fantasy novel. So I decided to give this book a try.

I’m not going to lie to you: I had incredibly high hopes for City In Embers.

Save the Date, by Morgan Matson | {ARC} Book Review #362

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for allowing me to read Save the Date by Morgan Matson, in exchange for an honest review.

Charlie Grant’s older sister is getting married this weekend at their family home, and Charlie can’t wait—for the first time in years, all four of her older siblings will be under one roof. Charlie is desperate for one last perfect weekend, before the house is sold and everything changes. The house will be filled with jokes and games and laughs again. Making decisions about things like what college to attend and reuniting with longstanding crush Jesse Foster—all that can wait. She wants to focus on making the weekend perfect.

The only problem? The weekend is shaping up to be an absolute disaster.

There’s the unexpected dog with a penchant for howling, house alarm that won’t stop going off, and a papergirl with a grudge.

There are the relatives who aren’t speaking, the (awful) girl her favorite brother brought home unannounced, and a missing tuxedo.

Not to mention the neighbor who seems to be bent on sabotage and a storm that is bent on drenching everything. The justice of the peace is missing. The band will only play covers. The guests are all crazy. And the wedding planner’s nephew is unexpectedly, distractingly…cute.

Over the course of three ridiculously chaotic days, Charlie will learn more than she ever expected about the family she thought she knew by heart. And she’ll realize that sometimes, trying to keep everything like it was in the past means missing out on the future.

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Publication Date: June 05, 2018.

I was so excited to read Save the Date. I’ve read two previous works of Morgan Matson before and I enjoyed those novels, so when there was a chance to read Save the Date, I took a leap and requested this novel. I’m so glad I took that leap!

Black Dawn, by Mallory McCartney | {ARC} Book Review (SPOILERS) #361

Thank you to Clean Reads Publishing, via Netgalley for allowing me to read Black Dawn by Mallory McCartney in exchange for an honest review.

This review contains spoilers. 

Trigger Warning:
Blood, Blood Mention,
War, & Torture

The end of an Empire, The rise of a Queen

Emory Fae enjoys leading a quiet, normal life. That is until two mysterious, and handsome soldiers show up at her apartment, and the life she knew is instantly whisked away. Memphis Carter and Brokk Foster come from the magical and war ridden world of Kiero, and upon Emory’s arrival she will discover she is the long lost heir to the Royal Line and is thrown into the Black Dawn Rebellion with a dynamic role to ignite the rebels and reclaim her throne.

With both men being darkly woven in her past Emory uncovers hidden secrets, a power held long dormant, and will soon realize there are worse things than supernatural humans, love, loss, betrayal, and a Mad King.

Some things are better left in the shadows.

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Publication Date: February 14, 2017.

The cover is the first thing that drew me into checking out what the book was about. I’m drawn to dark and pretty book covers! I soon found out that Black Dawn was a YA Fantasy and hand to get my hands on a copy. I’m quite happy that I was approved an ARC for Black Dawn, especially so since I believed that Black Dawn is a Fae novel.

The Traitor God, by Cameron Johnston | {ARC} Book Review #360

Thank you Angry Robot Books, via Netgalley for allowing me to read The Traitor God by Cameron Johnston in exchange for an honest review.

A city threatened by unimaginable horrors must trust their most hated outcast, or lose everything, in this crushing epic fantasy debut.

After ten years on the run, dodging daemons and debt, reviled magician Edrin Walker returns home to avenge the brutal murder of his friend. Lynas had uncovered a terrible secret, something that threatened to devour the entire city. He tried to warn the Arcanum, the sorcerers who rule the city. He failed. Lynas was skinned alive and Walker felt every cut. Now nothing will stop him from finding the murderer. Magi, mortals, daemons, and even the gods – Walker will burn them all if he has to. After all, it wouldn’t be the first time he’s killed a god…

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Publication Date: June 05, 2018.

What drew me towards The Traitor Gods was initially the cover; I mean, it’s beautifully illustrated, and it’s so interesting. There’s so much to look at! The second thing that drew me towards this novel was the title: The Traitor God.  The title alone sparks my imagination.

State of the ARC #4 | May ’18

STATE OF THE ARC MEME

State of the ARC is a monthly meme at Avalinah’s Books meant to motivate you to finish up all your long overdue ARCs(Advanced or Early Reader Copies). You can track your reading progress and link up with your own post. Most commonly it comes out on the 30th of every month.

I told myself that I wouldn’t request any arcs this month… I already have enough to last me a long while, and believe me, I am working on it. This ARC pile I have is continuing work in progress. Yet there are too many interesting books out there! Too many! ..So I ended up requesting a few books. The ARCs I happily received this May are:

(DNF) Endangered, by Dani Hoots | {ARC} Book Review #359

Thank you to Victory Editing, via Netgalley, for allowing me to read Endangered (Daughter of Hades Book 1) by Dani Hoots, in exchange for an honest review. 

Chrys has been in the Underworld for thousands of years, hidden away by her father, Hades, from all the other gods. He’s afraid that if someone finds out about her, that they will destroy her because of the dichotomous power that she holds, the power of life and death. So she has remained in the Palace of Hades all her life, making very little friends and always bored out of her mind.

Huntley would have never guessed that after he died that he would wake up with a beautiful girl standing over him. And that she would be the Dark Lord of the Underworld’s daughter. Yet, for some reason, she keeps him around as her tutor, as if he knows anything about the world. But Huntley knows that all she really wants is a friend; being trapped in the Underworld can get pretty lonely.

That is, until Chrys decides that she wants to run away to the human world after a big fight with her mother Persephone. Chrys claims that her father is over reacting and that nothing bad will come of it. There’s no way that the gods will notice she’s there for only a couple of days, right?

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Publication Date: May 13, 2016.
DNF’d at 59%

Immediately, when I knew that this book was part of the mythology genre, I was slightly interested in reading this book. When I found out that Endangered is from the point of view of Hades’ daughter, my interest was piqued and then I requested the novel.

I was very excited about Endangered, and I was truly looking forward to it.