Book Review: Everneath by Brodi Ashton

The third book I read was Everneath by Brodi Ashton. I really, really loved this book! I mean, look at the cover? Isn't the most gorgeous thing ever? Now see the overview from Goodreads:
"Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned- to her old life, her family, her friends- before being banished back to the underworld... this time forever.

She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen.

As Nikki's time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she's forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's..."

I started reading this book just to see what it was like. It sounded so good and I figured I could take a peek inside, and see how it was. But as I started reading, I couldn't just stop. No, really, I was unable to stop myself, and that hasn't happened for a loooong time. I just wanted to know what would happen, and even now I can't stop thinking about it. I just want the next book ahaha I read this one in a day. It's a really nice, interesting and quick read, without unnecessary details and boring parts. And we actually go between present and the past to get all the story, and you know what, that works perfectly! I wasn't even a tiny bit confused and it was much better than just dumping info on us.

Warning: SPOILERS from now on. It's true that I adore mythology, so everything related to it makes me extra happy. I like all the twists and turns here on the old myths. And now let's get to my favorite part: Cole. *swoon* Yes, he's like my perfect everything lol He's a bad boy and a singer, who just might feel something for Nikki, and even though he wants to use her for his most likely evil causes, he's not actually forcing her into anything, except maybe manipulating her emotions one time, but I think that emotion had to be there already and he only made it stronger. I believe her decisions were all her own. (Yeah, I'm going to try to defend my book boyfriends any way that I can XD). Cole does come through Nikki's window a few times (and so does Jack), which is a bit creepy, but at least he wasn't watching her sleep or change clothes or something lol I hope. And he actually honored the deal when she told him to stay away. I still can't help but wonder why he didn't just kidnap her or something, if it was all so important for him to make her a new queen. But all the scenes they shared...awww! And I'm still so intrigued about him and his world.

And to agree with Cole, I just don't see Nikki/Jack thing. Jack is just, I don't know, I have no idea why they love each other and why is he so desperate and depressed without her. He's like Bella. But he doesn't bother me actually like Shay from Nightshade does, so I see he and Nikki have this apparently epic mythological love story going on, and I guess they will end up together someday because, well, it's...epic, I guess. I don't mind that, but I want as more Cole moments as possible ahah and I'll just enjoy in that. I know Nikki/Cole thing doesn't feel real at the moment, but it could be. *cough cough* Because true love is always more epic when it brings something good out of people and not just because something is meant to be or written in the stars (gah, Secret Circle). Maybe I'll get it in the next book why Jack did what he did for Nikki. I know, love, but why? Well, I can't wait for the next book! And yeha, I'm a little bit disappointed we didn't get to see that underworld or whatever it is called. I hoped Nikki would just go with Cole and discover it, then she could epically come back or sth, but hey, I guess that's the twist. XD Oh, and of course I reccomend this! :D

Book Review: Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

The second book I read is Nightshade by Andrea Cremer. I mostly liked this book, but I had some issues with it, ok, actually one issue, a boy, to be exact. So yeah, this review might actually contain some SPOILERS, so you might not want to read my opinion on this one if you haven't read it. Oh, and this might or might have not turned into a rant about Shay, so if you like him, you might not want to read this. Just saying. Here is the summary from Goodreads:

"Calla Tor has always known her destiny: After graduating from the Mountain School, she'll be the mate of sexy alpha wolf Ren Laroche and fight with him, side by side, ruling their pack and guarding sacred sites for the Keepers. But when she violates her masters' laws by saving a beautiful human boy out for a hike, Calla begins to question her fate, her existence, and the very essence of the world she has known. By following her heart, she might lose everything- including her own life. Is forbidden love worth the ultimate sacrifice?"

I decided to read the book based on the overview and recommendations I got for it. And since all three books in this series are out, I figured I was safe because I could find out immediately what happens next. To be honest, I had expected something different. Actually, I would have enjoyed this book even more if it wasn't for the human boy, Shay. He just annoyed me so much that it soon became a struggle to read, but I continued because I really liked other characters. He is the only thing that didn't make sense to me.

So Calla is an alpha wolf, even though it mostly doesn't seem so. She is destined to be mated to Ren and there's nothing she can do except follow the rules. On top of that, she has to remain "pure" while Ren can sleep with whomever he wants. I know some of the readers had issues with all of that, but I didn't. I mean, I couldn't help but admire how good the position of women in that kind of society was shown. First you have the girl who is apparently given equality, the title of alpha, but the decisions of the male are still more important; men are still the center of everything. And I think this exactly is still the problem in our world. We apparently have the same rights, but why in most countries men are still better paid and hold more important positions? I see male presidents, still more males in the government and so on. True, some women are also there, but it's still annoying when you go to a job interview and they ask you if you plan to have kids, because, you know, you won't get the job if you plan to get pregnant. *face palm*

But let's get back to the book. So Calla is supposed to stay a virgin until the union (no, I'm not going to get into it how annoyed I am that women still get to be insulted because of this and men are like heroes or something) and this whole oppression thing leads to tons of sexual frustration. You see what you get when something is forbidden and shouldn't be lol Her sexual frustration is so great that it can be cut with a knife and she's basically attracted to both Ren and Shay. I just had a feeling the girl wanted to jump somebody's bones, and it wouldn't even matter whose. And I was like, wow, cool, this shows that women shouldn't be oppressed, and I liked that.

Now comes the issue of Shay. *sigh* I developed an instant dislike for him, and as the story progressed, I liked him less and less, especially when he started appearing all the time. The problem I had with him is that I just don't feel he's real and I don't feel the thing between him and Calla. She would basically throw herself at anything male, and I got the feeling she wanted him just because he was forbidden. I was annoyed how he seemed to be brave one moment and the next he's almost pissing his pants. Even though he's supposed to be hot, I kept imagining him like someone small, bony and twisted looking lol. And he's like so super smart, apparently learned how to use a whip by reading and pretending to be Indiana Jones. Great, then I'm a super spy and totally know how to use a gun, you know, because I pretended to be that when I was young and read about it. No, don't you dare shatter my illusion lol I'm a spy!

Not to mention he's a great dancer, but apparently a loner who moved a lot and didn't have much friends. So, with whom did you dance? A doll? lol That reminds me of a movie. XD If he went to dance classes, wouldn't he have met someone? Then he constantly makes Calla break rules, I guess that's his way not to be too perfect or sth? (Where is that 'we have a badass in here' meme when you need it). I mean, he's the chosen one! There's a book about him! Aaaaaah! I don't know. Maybe I'm the only one who had a problem with this, who knows? But I just couldn't stand him from the moment when he got to the class and started insisting that they should study Hobbes or someone, I'm not good at Philosophy lol but when would a teenage boy, especially as a new student, ask so much to study about something? I mean, you can be interested in something, but wouldn't you then study it on your own or ask the professor about it after class and not embarrass yourself in front of your new class? lol Maybe my logic is messed up, but I saw this as a sort of a social suicide :P

As for Ren, he can sometimes be a jerk, but I have a feeling he doesn't know any better. I mean, he was raised to believe his behavior is the right one, so I can't blame him for it. And yes, I like him actually. He cares for Calla and even tries to be nice. I really loved other characters, like Ansel and Bryn, because their stories were very interesting and sweet. I guess I could read just about them and their lives. The whole book would be awesome if there wasn't for Shay. All that doesn't include him is basically perfect. I loved the rest of the Calla's world and it would have been awesome if she and Ren somehow together decided to break free of the rules. I even went to read the short novella from Ansel's point of view and loved it, and too bad it was so short. I'd like to read the next book in this series, but I don't think I'm ready for more of Shay. He's become like my reference for guys I don't like in a love triangle lol Now I'm like, no, the guy's fine, he's better than Shay lol

Anyway, this was a quick read and I found myself coming back to it to read more. The plot was mostly interesting, there weren't any slow, boring parts, and in the end, I did enjoy this book. You may or may not agree with my opinion on this one, but that's perfectly ok. Books can be interpreted in thousands of ways and the beauty of it all is that we all see things differently. So if you like this boy whose name I don't want to say, take him, it's yours lol XD Oh, and yes, despite all of this, I'd recommend people to read this book because it's really fun.

Book Review: Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

I finally found some time to read, so I immediately started reading tons of books. Ha ha. Yeah, I usually can't just start reading one book; I need to start like 5 or 6. Check my Goodreads currently reading page if you don't believe me. :P Anyway, I felt compelled to share my opinion on some of the books here, so here it goes. I'll divide this in three posts, each about one book since I realized this would be too long if I put it all in one post. lol There might be a way to put a page break or something, but I haven't figured it out how that works yet, so... it will be just fine like this, I guess. XD

The first book I finished reading was Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare. I have read the first three books in the Mortal Instruments series, and I figured Infernal Devices could be interesting too. Here is the summary from Goodreads:
"Magic is dangerous--but love is more dangerous still.

When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.

Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What's more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.

Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by--and torn between--two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length...everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world...and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all."

I really enjoyed this book! It was awesome from the beginning to the end. I just had to keep reading. It was also great because I'm usually not a fan of books with a historical setting, like the time of Queen Victoria, since I find them boring, and sometimes I'm annoyed by the way people used to behave at that time, but this book wasn't boring for even a second and the characters were awesome. For the first time I found myself unable to decide if I liked Will or Jem more. I usually pick one of the male characters in a triangle really fast, almost as soon as they are introduced, since one is usually more my type, but here I'm just not sure. Will is the bad boy with a secret (I know, instant swoon, right? XD) and Jem is the good, nice boy, yet he is interesting too, and doesn't make me roll my eyes every time he gets a scene. I guess that's because he isn't thrown at the heroine in some epic love story that doesn't make sense lol He actually feels real. I liked Tessa too. The girl likes to read, so how can you not love her, right? :D She cares for people around her and she's brave. She didn't exactly have any moments that wanted me to hit her in the head, so I guess I really liked her. As for the plot, I flowed rather nicely, without any boring parts. I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll just say this is a wonderful book and you should definitely read it. I'm currently reading the second book, so we'll see how it goes.

Small Update on Runaway (Element Preservers Series, Book 2)

I know some people are wondering when the next book in Element Preservers series will come out, so I decided to post this small update. If you know me, then you know I'm bad with dates and deadlines, so as usually, I can't give you the exact date yet, but I'm planning to publish the book somewhere in August this year, which would be exactly a year from the day Dangerous was published. Now before you start throwing something on me, I'll tell you that I'll try my best to finish everything sooner, but I don't think that will be before June. I'm currently writing Runaway, so after I finish writing, it will take me some time to send it to my betas and to get everything done. So it doesn't only depend on how busy I'll be, but also on how busy the people who are helping me will be. Anyway, I already have the cover for Runaway, but I won't be showing it to you just yet. I can only say that I love it! :D I will be posting more updates, so if you don't want to miss anything, you can follow this blog, my twitter or facebook account. Once again, thanks to everyone who has read Dangerous! It means the world to me. *hugs*

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! I hope you're having a nice day! My day hasn't started so well, mainly because the noise from the street woke me up way too early, but then I found out there was a short story Julie Kagawa wrote for Valentine's Day about Meghan and Ash's date. And omg, loved it, loved it so much! I adored Iron Fey series and this short story was so great. Anyway, if you are a fan of Iron Fey series too, go to this page (if you haven't already) and check it out: An Iron Fey Valentine I can't stop grinning like an idiot now. I just love Ash. :P No one would mind spending a day with him ahahah. Well, I hope you have fun today!
For those hoping to hear some news about Runaway, the second book in Element Preservers series, I might have some information for you very soon, so stay tuned. :)