Adult

Poison Princess (The Arcana Chronicles) by Kresley Cole

 in Adult / Adventure / Book Reviews / Books / Creative / Fantasy / Older Readers / Otherworldly / Young Adult by

“Watch your six, Reaper, I’m on the hunt.”
A rasping chuckle. -Your Death awaits.-

-Page 368

Poison Princess cover Summary

“22 Arcana cards. 22 Chosen Teens. Let the cards fall where they may.

Sixteen-year-old Evie Greene’s horrific hallucinations predicted the apocalypse, and the end of the world brought her all sorts of new powers. With the earth scorched and few survivors, Evie teams up with handsome and dangerous Jack Deveaux in a race to find answers. They discover that that an ancient prophesy is being played out, and Evie is not the only one with special powers. A group of teens have been chosen to reenact the ultimate battle between good and evil. But it’s not always clear who is on which side… “

-From Kresley Cole’s website.

Review

Okay, this is just going to be an absolutely love fest. Because this book was absolutely fantastic! It was nothing like any of the other YA books I have read and it was just so well written. I will start off by saying that this is definitely an older YA book because of certain themes as well as some of the violent content. There are no curse words, and the few curse words that are used, Cole cleverly changes up so that she switches letters around to make the word something different. If you know the word then you’ll know what it should be, but if you don’t, it will just look like some made up curse word, which is extremely clever.

The violence in the book is a little graphic at times. Especially when it jumps to the present day. How the story is set up is that the main character, Evangeline, is telling the story to someone who welcomes her into the home and by the end of the story, the past has been told and her arriving in the home is the present and that is where the book ends to set up for the next book in the series. Parts of the themes in the book, especially the guy who she is telling the story to in the present, is extremely creepy and pulled on some nasty themes. There are a lot of implications of rape, though nothing happens. A younger reader wouldn’t completely get that but as an older reader, you know exactly what is being implied. Then the guy who she is telling the story to, think of like one of the creepier episodes of Criminal Minds (I hope most people know this show) and think of how twisted they get with dungeons and torture. That is kind what the guy is like, so it gets a little brutal.

Now the rest of the story is just lots of apocalypse stuff. Something happens, called The Flash, and everything goes to shit, essentially. You’re never clear exactly what The Flash was, but you’re told it was a solar flare, though it’s never clear exactly what caused it, and leaves questions to be answered later on in the series. Out in the world, there are some horrible people, and some nasty themes brought up again. Mentions of cannibalism as well as the enslavement of women too. It seems like during The Flash, when most people were killed, a lot of them were women, so women were scarce, so they were wanted by slavers and stuff. Younger readers would just think that women were special though older readers would know exactly what was going on.

The two main characters, Evangeline and Jackson, are traveling together and it follows them from when they met before The Flash to surviving together after it. There is some great character development between the two of them and a lot of advances as well as steps back too, though I did sometimes want to smack Jackson so damn hard. There was definitely some sexual undertones going on, sometimes a little more prevalent, so you can definitely say that there is a romance theme to the book, but it is by no means a major theme in the book at all.

I also really like the fact that this is called The Arcana Chronicles. I have never once read a book about the Arcana cards. I have once seen an anime about the Arcana cards, Arcana Famiglia and it was really good, but besides that I have not seen anything about these cards and this was totally awesome!

Overall this was a fantastic book and I definitely do recommend it. I can’t read the second and third book for a little bit as I have to wait for my next school break, so I’ll have to wait for the new year, and until then it’s going to kill me, this wait.

But until then, definitely check this series out and enjoy it!

Happy Reading!

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare

 in Adult / Fun / Interesting / Young Adult by

Call of Duty Advanced Warfare cover

So I know that I never do video game reviews, even though my library does have large collection of video games to borrow, but recently I’ve been hanging out with some friends in college and during down time we sometimes play videos games just for some fun even though it’s rare as we actually talk. >gasp< I know, shocker right? Teens actually spend time together and talk? Well yes, we do a lot of that…and a lot of laughing. And then sometimes video games where we talk and laugh too.

To start off, I’ve never really been a massive video game player because I never had time or my parents never really let me. And then when I did finally get my XBox 360 (which was like amazing), I only played racing games as that was always what I was interested in. Never did I play any shooting games as I wasn’t terribly into those types.

But now that I hit college I’ve been messing around with a little GTA V for the heck of it as well as COD Advanced Warfare which I was having some fun with. Now don’t get me wrong, I haven’t exactly played this a lot of times, but in the few times that I have, I have to say it was quite enjoyable. It wasn’t as graphic as I though it was going to be with the blood and stuff, though you do play to kill people…as it is a shooting game. Big duh!

The graphics in this game are excellent though. I’ve always had a want for good graphics. If a movie or a game doesn’t have good graphics, then even if the story line is good, I’m going to automatically hate the game/movie. But the graphics in this game, I have to say, were fantastic! I specifically played on the Terrace map and it was extremely enjoyable because it was like a massive battle in a club scene.

Terrace map for COD Advanced Warfare

As far as I remember there wasn’t too much talking so the characters weren’t cursing, though I was playing the online version and nothing in story mode or anything like that.

One of my friends who I play with actually runs a channel and does reviews and live commentary for these games and they’re fantastic and will show you much better what the games are like than what I could say. >Cue shameless friend promotion< Zach, or you can call him itzHazardous, films himself playing the games (without facecam) and does a live commentary over it and it’s fantastic for people to get a good laugh (as sometimes…SOMETIMES his comments are funny xD) as well as getting a fantastic view of what the games would be like when you play them. Besides COD he has also done Battlefield Hardline, Grand Theft Auto 5 and more! Definitely check him out here and look around. There are some great game play videos if you’re looking for a good game to play or if you’re unsure if a game is worth getting. Though it is for older viewers as he sometimes likes to use…colorful language to say the least.

Overall, the game was pretty good in my opinion though since I’m not a huge gamer, I can’t give a detailed description. Check out itzHazardous for more information.

 

Lover Awakened: The Third Novel of the Black Dagger Brotherhood by J.R. Ward

 in Adult / Book Reviews / Books / Series by
Book cover Lover Awakened by J R Ward

Lover Awakened by J R Ward

Summary

“A former blood slave, the vampire Zsadist still bears the scars from a past filled with suffering and humiliation. Renowned for his unquenchable fury and sinister deeds, he is a savage feared by humans and vampires alike. Anger is his only companion and terror his only passion—until he rescues a beautiful female from the evil Lessening Society.

Bella is instantly entranced by the seething power Zsadist possesses. But even as their desire for each other begins to overtake them, Zsadist’s thirst for vengeance against Bella’s tormentors drives him to the brink of madness. Now Bella must help her lover overcome the wounds of his tortured past and find a future with her….”

-From Amazon.com

Review

Once again…it’s another fangirl moment. I absolutely loved the book it was SOOOOO good. But you have no idea how many times I just wanted to smack Zsadist because he was sometimes so stupid! I mean it was obvious that Bella loved him through the entire book and you know about it from the book before; it was no surprise. But Z seemed to be completely oblivious and wanted to completely block her out.

This is one of the moment you just wanted to reach into the book and smack the character; yet if you smacked Z it wouldn’t end well. Most likely you’d be beaten within an inch of your life.

There was some serious character development in this book and one huge punch to the gut later on which I cannot say…but I’m still reeling from it. I had to read it a few times to make sure that I had read what happened correctly and then wanted to throw the book across the room….

Yes, it was one of those moments.

Once again, I read this book in a few days. It only took longer because I’ve finally started school and have something called school work…that foreign stuff which takes up all your spare minutes.

J.R. Ward is really good at describing her characters by not necessarily stating exactly what they look like but by the type of personality they have and she lets your mind do the rest. She says what they ware, maybe some characteristics, such as Z’s scar, and then their size, but then just says how they carry themselves. Wrath has this air or authority and terror about him while Z is just soul-less. Then your mind just gets to go off and make up who it wants which is nice.

Overall I just really recommend this series. I’m totally in love but I’m going to have to wait a little while to get the next one as I need to concentrate on school books and ‘substantial classic literature’. Time to bring out a little Socrates for now xD

So let me know what you think of this series and until next time, Happy Reading!

Archangel’s Enigma by Nalini Singh

 in Adult / Adventure / Book Reviews / Books / Older Readers / Otherworldly by
Book cover Archangel's Enigma by Nalini Singh a forest scene slashed with eyes peering through

Archangel’s Enigma Nalini Singh

Summary

“Naasir is the most feral of the powerful group of vampires and angels known as the Seven, his loyalty pledged to the Archangel Raphael. When rumors surface of a plot to murder the former Archangel of Persia, now lost in the Sleep of the Ancients, Naasir is dispatched to find him. For only he possesses the tracking skills required – those more common to predatory animals than to man.

Enlisted to accompany Naasir, Andromeda, a young angelic scholar with dangerous secrets is fascinated by his nature – at once playful and brilliant, sensual and brutal. As they race to find the Sleeping archangel before it’s too late, Naasir will force her to question all she knows…and tempt her to walk into the magnificent, feral darkness of his world. But first they must survive an enemy vicious enough to shatter the greatest taboo of the angelic race and plunge the world into a screaming nightmare…

– From Amazon.com

Review

Oh.My.God!!!!! LIKE YOU DON’T EVEN UNDERSTAND!!!!!!! This book arrived at my University at like 11 in the morning and I got all my homework done so that I could read this book and I read it in like literally 5 hours. All my friends are like ‘what? how?!’.

But like UGH! I have to wait about 2 years to get the next book and that is like so depressing! So much character love and I’m literally in love with Naasir because he’s so adorable! He’s like a damn cub and I just want to meet him and nuzzle him and just like…UGH!!!! My fangirling with this book, and the series, is strong.

So overall this story followed on from where the last one left off with Lijuan destroyed Manhattan and Lijuan was partially destroyed. So, essentially it followed that Lijuan was a complete bitch and then became more of a bitch and then this followed her wanting to prove herself to others and take over the world. Again.

But this time the main characters are Naasir and Andromeda (and I completely love that name by the way!) and how Naasir is looking for a mate but Andromeda has a vow of celibacy and so it follows the two of them on their journey to save an Ancient (if you read the books you’ll know what that is) from Lijuan. It had all the traditional story points which came up in the other books but there was also a twist with Illium which I can’t spill, but in the end I just sat there like “WHATTTTT?!” I’m dying and I cannot wait until the next book comes out.

I honestly cannot give high enough praises to this book. There was a lot less violence in this book, compared to the other ones where there was a lot of dead bodies. I mean there was violence and such, but it wasn’t as bad and graphic (not like the sex was graphic before-ish but the violence was more gruesome), and the sex didn’t come until towards the end of the book which was a change. It was similar to the last book in the series, Archangel’s Shadows, how there was not a lot of sex and that it was really quite tame. Teasing, yes, but explicit sex, not really, which was nice.

Overall my praise cannot be higher for this series. Yes, I am biased, but if you find the Facebook groups which are filled with follows of Ms. Singh and her books, you’ll find that I am not the only person who loves her books (granted they are all women). I give this book a million out of 5 stars! As I did with all the other books. Definitely check this book out and let me know what you think of it! I hope you like it as much as I do.

Happy reading!

>Goes off to cry as she realizes she has to wait about 2 years until the next book comes out<

Lord of Rage by Jill Monroe

 in Adult / Adventure / Book Reviews / Books / Older Readers by
Book cover Lord Of Rage Jill Monroe

Lord Of Rage Jill Monroe

Lord Of Shadows Book 2

Summary

“Princess Breena had been dreaming of her warrior lover when she was ripped from her Elden castle and thrown into a strange, dangerous realm. Lost and alone, she prayed for survival and vengeance for her stolen kingdom. She found both in a woodland cottage…in a dark bear of a man.

The golden-haired beauty had eaten his food and slept in his bed when Osborn found her. Though he wanted to awaken his virgin princess to carnal pleasures, Breena wanted more—including his warrior skills. Skills the once-legendary mercenary had long buried. Now Osborn had a choice—risk his life or deny his princess her fairy-tale ending.”

-From Amazon.com

Review

Honestly, I really disliked this book and I really disliked this entire series so far. I have read book 1 and book 4 so far and only have book 3 to go but so far I really don’t like the series. The writing and the story lines are horrible. It is the traditional guy and girl and girl falls for guy and does everything for him with a little bit of action. I just hate it.

And the female gives herself up so fast and I really dislike that too. It’s just the writing is so simple and everything about it is so simple and cliché. I know that the writers of these books are well-known writers, such as Nalini Singh (who I love as you know) but these stories were written for Harlequin so they were supposed to be the traditional quick reads that everyone likes.

But I’m not everyone.

Sure, if you’re looking for a quick fix and an easy read and a traditional story line, this might be the book for you, but otherwise I really dislike them. They definitely aren’t worth buying and are a one time read in my opinion.

But, other romance lovers out there may enjoy the book. It does fit the traditional romance novel bill. But of course, once again, they are adult books with adult content.

If this is your type of book, then happy reading to you because as a classical romance story it works just fine.

But if you are looking for something with more meat to it and just more to the story/series overall, then give these ones a miss.