Review: The Darkest Edge of Dawn

The Darkest Edge of Dawn (Charlie Madigan, Book 2) by Kelly Gay

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Edition Reviewed: Paperback
Amazon: Paperback | Kindle
Goodreads: The Darkest Edge of Dawn

It takes a strong woman to keep the peace in a city of endless night. . . .

Deep beneath Underground, a cunning bid for power and revenge has begun—one that threatens to make Atlanta the new battleground in the ultimate confrontation between good and evil. The powers of hellish Charbydon have the upper hand after plunging the city into primordial night. And under the cover of darkness, a serial killer targets the most powerful Elysians in the city, the angelic Adonai. For Detective Charlie Madigan and her siren partner Hank, tracking deadly predators is all in a day’s work . . . but this case will test the limits of their strength and friendship as it draws them into a deadly world of power plays, ancient myths, explosive secrets, and a race against time that risks all that Charlie holds dear.

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Review:

I’ve decided that the Charlie Madigan series reminds me of the Anita Blake books.  However, where the Anita Blake books are morbid and sharp like a pale white skeleton, Charlie’s world is well fleshed out and has meat in all the right places. Even though the magic of the Madison series is more far out and there’s three worlds in different dimensions here, if asked I’d say the Madigan story could happen over the Blake books. Gay is just that talented.

Charlie is back and the world is already smacking her down and abusing the ones she loves. Her daughter is growing up and put a stake out for a little independence. Some of Rex’s true past life is coming forward, and Charlie may have just found away to get her husband back. Bryn is suffering side effects from the Ash addiction that actually caused me to cry like a little girl. DEoD just beats the crap out of all the characters and every word off the page punch’s the reader in the gut with the emotional weight.

Doom and gloom isn’t all that fills the pages of DEoD, not by a long shot. Things evolve between Charlie and Hank that I hadn’t quite seen coming. In fact, the heat that comes off of these two reminds me of Kate and Curran from the Kate Daniels series. Unlike the Kate/Curran romance I can instantly fall into the emotional connection the two have. In a fan girl approach to this review, Hanks hotness level just hit record highs!

DEoD really puts into play the mythology behind “Heaven and Hell” and mixes in a little dose of Christian mythology. It’s great seeing how the three plains all effect each other. A dark revolution for the Jinn and hell, a war between the Nobles of Heaven and Hell is just on the brink. Charlie and Hank are on a fight against time with seemingly all powerful villains continuously popping up. Things just keep heating up in the Charlie Madigan series.

Sexual Content: Some sexual talk and humor, brief nudity, still really clean though.

 
5/5- Fabulous, a beautiful obsession!

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Previous book(s) in series:
Reviewed on BW:	Amazon:	Goodreads:
The Better Part of Darkness (1) The Darkest Edge of Dawn (2) The Hour of Dust and Ashes (3) Shadows Before the Sun (4)	Paperback | Kindle Paperback | Kindle Paperback | Kindle Paperback | Kindle	The Better Part of Darkness (1) The Darkest Edge of Dawn (2) The Hour of Dust and Ashes (3) Shadows Before the Sun (4)

Review: The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, book 1) by Suzanne Collins

Genre: Young Adult Dystopian
Edition Reviewed: Paperback
Amazon: Paperback | Kindle
Goodreads: The Hunger Games

Could you survive on your own, in the wild, with everyone out to make sure you don't live to see the morning? In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister’s place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before—and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that will weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

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Review:

The Hunger Games has probably been the most popular series since Twilight and Harry Potter. It’s hard not to hear what people are saying about them at this point. A lot of people think their just an excuse to write about kids killing kids. A chance to spin a love triangle for another “silly YA romance.” In all honesty the reason I’ve put off reading them is simply because popular books usually tend to let me down. Well I can definitely say this book is an exception.

The world that The Hunger Games takes place is a futuristic look where the USA no longer exists, the land is different now, Panem is the new power. The Capital runs the country and the people of the 12 districts are ruthlessly controlled. Starvation is a common thing to die from and people rarely make it to old age. Once a year two children of each sex is drawn to participate in The Hunger Games, where they will fight to the death. The Capitals reminder that rebellion against them is futile and that the people should be grateful to have such a government.

HG is a shocking look into the type of government system that every human fears. Where one wrong word or action could be taken as rebellion against the government, when it was only an act of survival. It’s amazing hearing the indifference of the Capital population about the slaughter of innocents, kids between the ages 12-18. The world is well thought out and a cold slap. One that I thick every reader should experience.

Even though Collins first entry into the series is small and her writing style simple, everything is felt. Every time Katniss avoided death I was their experiencing it, I could believe in her no nonsense character. Each character comes across exactly as the author painted them, caring, frivolous, loving, scary, deadly, and sad. What’s more is the love triangle in her is phenomenal. Katniss is girl who doesn’t want love or the consequences of bringing a child into such a horrible world. Love is nothing she’s pondered about, she has more important things to worry about such as keeping her family alive and fed. This causes the love story to become enchanting as it creeps up on Katniss.

The Hunger Games is well worth all the buzz. It’s raw and haunting, leaving readers to ponder the story long after they’ve read that last page. The romance is beautiful and subtle—and I can count on one hand how many love triangles I’ve read that I can actually say felt real, and I wanted to continue. The first book sparks a fire within to see the Capital fall and the people freed—rebellion. This book played so well with my emotions I know that I’ll follow this series to whatever end.

Sexual Content: Some kissing and stuff. There’s a lot of human cruelty in here.

 
4/5- Great! Really enjoyed it.

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Previous book(s) in series:
Reviewed on BW:	Amazon:	Goodreads:
The Hunger Games (1)  Catching Fire (2) Mockingjay (3)	Paperback | Kindle Paperback | Kindle Paperback | Kindle	The Hunger Games (1) Catching Fire (2) Mockingjay (3)

Review: The Binding

****This was received for an honest review by the author.****

The Binding (The Velesi Trilogy, Book 1) by L. Filloon

Genre: Paranormal New Adult
Edition Reviewed: eBook
Amazon: Paperback | Kindle
Goodreads: The Binding

Two nights after her eighteenth birthday, Lily is attacked while out jogging, but is saved by Tharin Lunar, a Sidhe prince. When she discovers that her attacker is her own brother, Lucas, who disappeared four years ago, Lily refuses to believe that her brother would truly hurt her and becomes determined to find Lucas and bring him home. Lily finds that Lucas’ disappearance is somehow tied to Tharin; so when he informs her that she is his betrothed and must return with him to Velesi, fulfill a treaty between their families and unite the two strongest clans through their marriage, Lily agrees. However, she’s not going to Velesi for a wedding, but to bring home her only family, Lucas.

On their journey to the borders of Velesi, the realm of the Thirteen Clans, they’re pursued by a Sidhe assassin group call the Ange, meet with an ogre crime lord that ends badly, deal with a sleazy troll motel manager, and when they discover that there’s a bounty on their heads, they must keep one step ahead of every assassin, bounty hunter and low-life criminal in Velesi.

Protecting Lily has become the biggest challenge of Tharin’s life. Lucky for him he has help in the form of his twin brother, Tolan, Lily’s best friend Julia and his three bodyguard cousins.

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Review:

When I read a self published/indie title I always hold it up to the same standards of "professionally" published work. Some readers state it is not fair. However, in my mind I think it's perfectly fair. I've read a number of great self published books that have been five star reads for me. It doesn't matter where the book is coming from. With that said I really wanted to give The Binding a higher rating. Truly. The problem was I kept hinging my review on the fact that this was a self published work, but then it hit me if this was from a big publisher I would not hesitate to give it the rating I did.

The idea behind the world of The Binding is a ton of fun. The idea of elves, the way they're connected to the earth and our modern world was soooooo addictive. The characters were easy to enjoy, they're the same kind of characters you could find in any number of paranormal story. The difference is The Binding is a New Adult so there's a sweet innocence to the romance. Even if some of the male love interests are really, really old. The side story romance is fun. Though some of the "filler" muscle of the other elves are really hard to tell apart.

What I couldn't shake about this story was that every time I stopped reading I kept thinking "this feels like a rough draft." It wasn't anything like bad spelling, or punctuation. The writing here is so much better--and mature--than the writing found in The House of Night series. The rough draft feel permeating the book was from the feeling that the author didn't know when there needed to be a paragraph break. The writing repeats a lot of ideas and thoughts that had been explained a mere sentence ago. Also another big thing was that the characters were "the same kind of characters you could find in any number of paranormal story." I didn't feel the connection emotionally with the characters or the story.

Clearly Filloon has a great idea here, but she needs more work on her writing. There needs to be an organization to the writing. With Filloon's talent I'm sure she'll find a balance and with more practice the emotions will eventually mix into her writing. For now I can't really recommend this book to anyone. A number of my Goodreads friends really enjoyed this book, but what can I say . . . I'm a picky reader.

Sexual Content: Lot's of kissing and making out. Pretty clean, definitely a YA type read.

 
1/5- I couldn't finish it or wish I hadn't

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Previous book(s) in series:
Reviewed on BW:	Amazon:	Goodreads:
The Binding (1)  The Drifting (2)	Paperback | Kindle Paperback | Kindle	The Binding (1) The Drifting (2)

Review: The Darkest Whisper

The Darkest Whispers (The Lords of the Underworld, Book 4) by Gena Showalter

Genre: Paranormal Romance
Edition Reviewed: eBook
Amazon: Paperback | Kindle
Goodreads: The Darkest Whisper

New York Times bestselling sensation Gena Showalter returns with her long-awaited next installment of the Lords of the Underworld series…

He is the keeper of Doubt and his entire world’s about to be rocked.

Bound by the demon of doubt, Sabin unintentionally destroys even the most confident of lovers. So the immortal warrior spends his time on the battlefield instead of the bedroom, victory his only concern…until he meets Gwendolyn the Timid. One taste of the beautiful redhead, and he craves more.

Gwen, an immortal herself, always thought she’d fall for a kind human who wouldn’t rouse her darker side. But when Sabin frees her from prison, battling their enemies for the claim to Pandora’s box turns out to be nothing compared to the battle Sabin and Gwen will wage against love…

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Review:

It was clear that Sabin's love story was going to rock! Come on a guy who basically says that nothing is more important then his war, and doesn't want some woman to turn him into a simpering boyfriend, is going to be gleefully fun to bring to his knees.

The book starts out where the last one left off, the Lords breaking into a Pyramid where Danika's last vision/painting sent them to look for the latest artifact. What they find is even more evil wrong doing by the hunters. Mythical woman are being held and used as "incubators" to make the next superhuman generation of Hunters. Showalter's show of good and evil is refreshing as readers can make up there own mind by seeing the actions taken by both the Lords and the Hunters. It's a mind teaser seeing the Hunters—who think they are the good guys—blame every evil in the world on the Lords and then hurting children and women.

Gwen was a great character! She's a Harpy, a being who is so powerful that even bad girl Anya respects them and at one point she wishes she was one them. They love battle, blood, and all things dangerous. Of course, Gwen doesn't. She's Gwen the Timid! She likes safe boring, things, and wouldn't hurt a fly! Now that part was annoying, seeing a woman with so much strength afraid of herself. Yes, that was the journey of the book. Gwen finally being able to accept herself and deal with her blood thirsty ways. Her fears of her Harpy half are the true causes of her "accidents."

Sabin was an ass, and watching him fall in love really made my day. Seeing him finally come to the realization that he would step away from his all consuming battle with the hunters to be with Gwen was a great touch. Though the twist of who Gwen's father was is such an obvious plot twist that it killed some of the momentum for me.

Again the side stories here are amazing! Paris, Areon, and Torin take time to flesh out the story. Surprisingly, I really enjoyed it when Gideon gets some page time to tell the story. He's going to be a fun character to read later on. Before this I wasn't very interested in him. Areon's Angel starker is clearly going to be tons of fun, especially with his little minion tagging along.

In the end it's decision time, and the results are . . . worth reading. The first book was awful (yes, I keep saying that), but once it's overcome the series reveals it has more to offer than "pairings". The battle of good and evil isn't black and white here, the Lords aren't saints. The Darkest Whisper is just what any reader needs for a nice dose of passion and action (of both kinds).

Sexual Content: Standard PNR love scenes. There are women that have been imprisoned and rape, while it’s never explicitly got into.

 
3/5- Adored it, just a few minor details held it back.

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Previous book(s) in series:
Reviewed on BW:	Amazon:	Goodreads:
The Darkest Night (1) The Darkest Kiss (2) The Darkest Pleasure (3) The Darkest Whisper (4) The Darkest Passion (5) The Darkest Lie (6) The Darkest Secret (7) The Darkest Surrender (8) The Darkest Seduction (9) The Darkest Craving (10)	Paperback | Kindle Paperback | Kindle Paperback | Kindle Paperback | Kindle Paperback | Kindle Paperback | Kindle Paperback | Kindle Paperback | Kindle Paperback | Kindle Paperback | Kindle	The Darkest Night (1) The Darkest Kiss (2) The Darkest Pleasure (3) The Darkest Whisper (4) The Darkest Passion (5) The Darkest Lie (6) The Darkest Secret (7) The Darkest Surrender (8) The Darkest Seduction (9) The Darkest Craving (10)

Wednesday Wishes

It just hit me that my Goodreads’ friends now out numbers my blogger followers by few hundred. It’s so magical! I know I should feel weird that it’s that way, but my GR friends are so awesome that I just love it!

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Ever After by Kim Harrison 

Get it: Amazon | Goodreads
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: The Hollows, Book 11

The ever after, the demonic realm that parallels the human world, is shrinking. If it disappears completely, so does all magic. It's up to witch-turned-daywalking-demon Rachel Morgan to avert catastrophe and keep life from changing... for the worse.

While saving the world is important, it isn't Rachel's only motivation. There's also the small fact that she caused the ley line to rip in the first place, setting off a chain reaction of unfortunate events. That little mistake has made her life forfeit unless she can fix it. It's also made her more than a few enemies, including the most powerful demon in the ever after—a terrifying entity who eats souls and now has an insatiable appetite for her. He's already kidnapped her friend and goddaughter to lure her out, and if Rachel doesn't give herself up soon, they'll die.

But Rachel has more than a few impressive and frightening skills of her own, and she isn't going to hand over her soul and her life without one hell of a fight. She's also got a surprise: elven tycoon Trent Kalamack. With this unlikely ally beside her—a prospect both thrilling and unnerving—she's going to return to the ever after, kick some demon butt, rescue her loved ones... and prevent an apocalypse before it's too late. Or, at least that's the plan...

Cliché, I know! However, my lust for this book is so great that nothing else can step in right now. I want it. I need it. Trent baby, I’m a come 'in for you.

Review: The Darkest Pleasure

The Darkest Pleasure (The Lords of the Underworld, Book 3) by Gena Showalter

Genre: Paranormal Romance
Edition Reviewed: eBook
Amazon: Paperback | Kindle
Goodreads: The Darkest Pleasure

Reyes is a man possessed. Bound by the demon of pain, he is forbidden to know pleasure. Yet he craves a mortal woman, Danika Ford, more than breath and will do anything to claim her--even defy the gods.Danika is on the run. For months she's eluded the Lords of the Underworld, immortal warriors who won't rest until she and her family have been destroyed. But her dreams are haunted by Reyes, the warrior whose searing touch she can't forget. Yet a future together could mean death to all they both hold dear....

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Review:

At this point I can now confirm that my enjoyment of book 2 was not a fluke, and the first book of this series really was THAT bad. Even with my fear that other books in The Lord of the Underworld series might be bad, the fact was I wasn't really interested in Reye's story. His demon is pain, and I kept having this fear that it would be some kind of chains and whips horror fest. Danika is a really interesting character that I've been fascinated with since the first book, and I feared pain would get in the way of that.

Again an author shows me that I have got to stop judging a book before I read it. Instead of Danika coming to a dark realization that she loves hurting people *cue evil laughter*, Showalter spins a tale of love so strong that over coming a necessity such as pain for pleasure is something that someone can overcome. Translation: Danika loves Reyes so much that she wants to help him, even if it means stabbing him every now and then. (Well that and a fantastic orgasms can literally transport you!)

Showalter spins a unique love story that's really sweet and tender, Danika is the first female lead that hasn't been a virgin and I enjoyed that. The trop that sex was never really that good until Reyes annoyed me. The side stories continue and they're amazing! Torin might have a little something starting up! Areon's suffering is truly fascinating, especially since a little scaly demon from hell comes up and seems a little overly infatuated with him . . . .

Paris. Paris. Paris. There is no way I can forget about him. If you thought the torture of book 2 was heartbreaking . . . forget about that! Cause it only gets more intense. He approaches Chronis himself to get his woman back, but things are never as simple as that.

Another great entry into The Lord of the Underworld series. The first book was dark romance, the second adrenaline spiked passion, and now a sweet and tender romance. The best part is all the side stories continuing throughout the book. Unlike JR Ward's work, were it gets overwhelming the bad guys, gods/goddess, and tons of other characters stepping in, the side stories don't overwhelm. Even though each book has a satisfying happy ending, the slow build up of all the side stories tantalizes the senses . . . and the possibilities.

Sexual Content: Steamy, dreamy, scenes! Nothing over the top basic PNR sex. Over course even if is basic, doesn’t mean it’s not hot!

 
3/5- Adored it, just a few minor details held it back.

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Previous book(s) in series:
Reviewed on BW:	Amazon:	Goodreads:
The Darkest Night (1) The Darkest Kiss (2) The Darkest Pleasure (3) The Darkest Whisper (4) The Darkest Passion (5) The Darkest Lie (6) The Darkest Secret (7) The Darkest Surrender (8) The Darkest Seduction (9)	Paperback | Kindle Paperback | Kindle Paperback | Kindle Paperback | Kindle Paperback | Kindle Paperback | Kindle Paperback | Kindle Paperback | Kindle Paperback | Kindle	The Darkest Night (1) The Darkest Kiss (2) The Darkest Pleasure (3) The Darkest Whisper (4) The Darkest Passion (5) The Darkest Lie (6) The Darkest Secret (7) The Darkest Surrender (8) The Darkest Seduction (9)

Review: Comfort Food

Comfort Food by Kitty Thomas

Genre: Erotica
Edition Reviewed: eBook
Amazon: Paperback | Kindle
Goodreads: Comfort Food

Emily Vargas has been taken captive. As part of his conditioning methods, her captor refuses to speak to her, knowing how much she craves human contact. He's far too beautiful to be a monster. Combined with his lack of violence toward her, this has her walking a fine line at the edge of sanity. Told in the first person from Emily's perspective, Comfort Food explores what happens when all expectations of pleasure and pain are turned upside down, as whips become comfort and chicken soup becomes punishment.

DISCLAIMER:

This is not a story about consensual BDSM. This is a story about "actual" slavery. If reading an erotic story without safewords makes you uncomfortable, this is not the book for you. This is a work of fiction, and the author does not endorse or condone any behavior done to another human being without their consent.

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Review:

Honestly I thought I was going to like this one. The Darkest Seduction was an intense read, and I enjoyed it's sick twisted ways. Comfort Food was just not for me.

The idea of being stolen, and then brainwashed and slowly broken down is a fear that I would hold up higher then torture, rape, and even death. Which is funny because fear of death is high up on my list of things to be afraid of. It’s the idea of losing yourself, and not being able to stop it. Even though you know what is going on.

Despite Thomas's strong writing and my enjoyment of her other works I couldn't sink in. This book made me sick. The characters made me angry and unable to feel for them.  When Emily allows her captor to fondle her within a few hours just for a meal, then in about a day she needs human contact . . . well I couldn’t feel that. The weak will, personally I’d rather starve—yes, completely aware how painful that is. The Master of this book did it all for his selfish reasons, and everything was done knowing that he could get away with something like that. Emily was the perfect victim.

Now I know many of my GR friends loved this book. In the end I couldn't get over my own fears and dislikes. It was like a slap in the face. Nothing to justify the actions of her kidnapper and brainwasher. Plus, weak characters do nothing for me and Emily is beyond weak. However, I will say Thomas’s writing is as well done as usual. Other readers are going to love this one.

Sexual Content: Ladies, it a Kitty Thomas book. Sex, sex, explicit sex, fear for you minds!

 
1/5- I couldn't finish it or wish I hadn't

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Previous book(s) in series:
Reviewed on BW:	Amazon:	Goodreads:
Comfort Food	Paperback | Kindle	Comfort Food

Review: Anew

Anew (The Archers of Avalon, Book 1) by Chelsea Fine

Genre: Paranormal YA
Edition Reviewed: eBook
Amazon: Paperback | Kindle
Goodreads: Anew by Chelsea Fine

Two years ago, Scarlet awoke in the forest alone, afraid, and unable to remember anything. Lost and confused, her life was a mystery...until she met a boy with a familiar voice.

Gabriel Archer has a voice from her past, and Scarlet's determined to remember why. She immerses herself in his life only to discover he has a brother he's kept hidden from her: Tristan Archer.

Upon meeting Tristan, Scarlet's world becomes even more muddled. While she's instinctively drawn to Gabriel, she's impossibly drawn to Tristan--and confused out of her mind. As she tries to piece together her history Scarlet realizes her past...might just be the death of her.

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Review:

Love triangle. Yep another one, but don't roll your eyes and ignore this book! It's made me come to terms with the fact that I adore love triangles—when done right. Tension, emotional turmoil, confusion, and the overall moment when you pick a side. Then you get to root and panic about your man (or girl) not getting picked! It is so nice to get all of those feelings with Anew.

Scarlet wakes up in the forest and has know idea who she is. Two years later all of her memories are still gone, and she feels that loss. She's been adopted by a great guardian and has a fantastic friend. When at the local Kissing Festival—yep—she meets a handsome boy that makes her feel normal, and another guy is creepily stalking her. Soon Scarlet is pulled back into a love triangle that has been going on since the 1500s, one that evolves around her death and eventual revival.

What I love is the unique way that immortals exist in the Archers of Avalon series. The mythology is fun and different. The slow revel is just tantalizing enough, without getting exhausting. Books that make headway are always a plus with me. It's so nice to read a book that doesn't feel like it's stealing ideas and concepts from other authors.

The cast of characters are real charmers. Especially Scarlet's best friend who is a crazy combinations of perky-blabber-mouth blonde that could have been annoying, yet ends up endearing. There's a nerdy immortal that helps the team out and I just love him. There's plenty of room here for other relationships to sprout up! It’s wonderful that all the characters are so well developed that they grow throughout the book, evolving right before the readers eyes. They’re not characters, they’re friends. People you want to invest your time in.

In the end you have to give this a try! Probably one of the strongest self published titles I've read in the YA genre. The cliffhanger ending made me immediately run out and buy the next book, and if the 3rd book would have been available too that baby would be mine! It's that good! So come on! Enjoy the unique mythology, swoon over a romance story that’s well done—don’t deny it you secretly want to—and enjoy characters that you would love to be friends with.

Sexual Content: Some sexual humor, kissing. Overall pretty clean.

 
4/5- Great! Really enjoyed it.

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Previous book(s) in series:
Reviewed on BW:	Amazon:	Goodreads:
Anew (1)  Awry (2) Avow (3)	Paperback | Kindle Paperback | Kindle Paperback | Kindle	Anew (1)  Awry (2) Avow (3)

Review: Valkyrie Rising

Valkyrie Rising (Valkyrie, Book 1) by Ingrid Paulson

Genre: Paranormal YA
Edition Reviewed: eBook
Amazon: Hardback | Kindle
Goodreads: Valkyrie Rising

Nothing ever happens in Norway. But at least Ellie knows what to expect when she visits her grandmother: a tranquil fishing village and long, slow summer days. And maybe she’ll finally get out from under the shadow of her way-too-perfect big brother, Graham, while she’s there.

What Ellie doesn’t anticipate is Graham’s infuriating best friend, Tuck, tagging along for the trip. Nor did she imagine boys going missing amid rumors of impossible kidnappings. Least of all does she expect something powerful and ancient to awaken in her and that strange whispers would urge Ellie to claim her place among mythological warriors. Instead of peace and quiet, there’s suddenly a lot for a girl from L.A. to handle on a summer sojourn in Norway! And when Graham vanishes, it’s up to Ellie—and the ever-sarcastic, if undeniably alluring Tuck—to uncover the truth about all the disappearances and thwart the nefarious plan behind them.

Deadly legends, hidden identities, and tentative romance swirl together in one girl’s unexpectedly-epic coming of age.

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Review:

Valkyrie Rising made it on to my reading radar with just it's title alone. Valkyries are creatures that I love reading about in paranormal settings. Going into this book I was already a happy and excited reader. It was painful to slowly realize that I didn't enjoy this book at all, mythology was great but the rest just went up in flames before my eyes. The fact that VR killed my reading mojo in what I like to refer to as Shera's-mad-book-craze-hunger.

Ellie wasn't annoying, in fact I like her a lot. Which is a point in favor for this book. What I didn't like was that her brother, that she loves so much, is entering danger land and she didn't try harder to find out what was going on. Plus, her grandmother new the storm was coming, but opted to leave out Ellie even though this was the summer that she was going to tell her about her true heritage. The idea that someone as smart and old as Ellie's grandmother could be that stupid was just . . . sloppy. Something that the author used to force the plot along so that it was Ellie against the Gods!

The romance infuriated me. Tuck is a playboy and it's clear he has one epic crush on Ellie. However, Ellie knows it can't be real because Tuck is a player. Through out the book there was nothing that actually convinced me that Ellie should like him. He's the bad boy with a big secret and it all feels so contrived. The fact that he's liked Ellie and still has been a player just leaves a bad after taste. Then the nice doctor kid gets rolled as annoying third wheel. It's so sad that I actually like Loki more, who is clearly out to use and abuse Ellie. In addition, Ellie is supermodel beautiful but she lacks so much confidence that she just feels like prey to any guy who compliments her. I feel that she’s a strong and smart enough girl to realize certain things about herself.

The one thing that was a good base for VR is Ellie's love for her brother Graham. Ellie dad isn't in her life and Graham has stepped up into the father roll. Protecting her and basically making decisions for her. At times it's annoying. Ellie has to grow up and confess her feeling to Graham, at other times it's the only real emotions (and storyline) that this book offered.

In the end, I can't give this book the 1 star that I want to. The writing is pretty good, and the basic idea behind the book is worth a twirl. However, everything else feels like it just happened because that's what a paranormal YA read like. It's trying too hard. Looks like I'll be waiting for "that Valkyrie" book for a long while. Here's hoping someone else can write a great series about them.

Sexual Content: Some sexual humor, there’s some kissing! Clean.

 
2/5- Average/disappointing, library check-out

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Previous book(s) in series:
Reviewed on BW:	Amazon:	Goodreads:
Valkyrie Rising (1)	Hardback | Kindle	Valkyrie Rising (1)