Devon Ashley's Blog, page 12

Consume (The Clann #3)
Melissa Darnell
Exp. Pub.: August 27, 2013

These violent delights have violent ends And in their triumph die, like fire and powder,
Which, as they kiss, consume.
—William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet

Tristan Coleman has survived the change from Clann magic user to vampire, much to Savannah Colbert's joy—and despair. By changing the Clann's golden boy and newly elected leader, even to save him from death, she has unleashed a fury of hatred and fear that they cannot escape.

As the Clann and the vampire council go to war, Tristan and Sav face a new threat—a fracturing of the all-consuming bond they share. To fight for peace, they must forge a new trust and risk everything to take down their deadliest enemy, even as they must run for their lives. Soon they will learn that some bonds are stronger than love—and some battles cannot be won without sacrifice.  
Sniff - hard to believe this trilogy has come to a close. Tristan and Savannah are one of my all-time favorite power couples. It had everything. Paranormal powers. Check. Forbidden romance. Check. Kick-ass hero and heroine. Check-check. Awesome author. Check.

Consume killed me. Not because of the story, although a few loop-de-loops did take me by surprise. But because after everything Tristan and Savannah had gone through, to the point Sav was forced to save Tristan's life and alter his genetics forever, it killed me that so much indifference came between the two that the stability of their relationship teeter-tottered, and you're left worrying if these two could make it through to the end. The only thing I felt Consume lacked was the angst that drove the first two novels so well, keeping me glued to the pages, waiting for these two to find a way to be together. And here they were, finally together but still apart, both so stubborn they wouldn't budge - hence the lack of angst. I sort of wish one of them (or both!) would pine hard enough for the other we'd get that, but since they could read each other's mind, it would have made it appear the other would cave, so no go.

I'm not going to get into the story anymore than the synopsis allows, but fans of The Clann series will be happy with the way it all pans out, but still wishing they could get a little more of Savannah and Tristan.
ARC provided by Harlequin Teen for honest review.

The Bane (The Eden Trilogy #1)
Keary Taylor
Pub: March 5, 2013

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..
I really wanted to like this one, I did. I was already a fan of the author from another book she's written, and I love the Terminator movies, the Sarah Conner Chronicles, etc., so I was really looking forward to this. Ms. Taylor did a great job in creating this post-apocalyptic cybernetic new world and I had an easy time picturing what the Bane looked like and how the infection inside them hungered to spread to the rest of the human race. Unfortunately, my love for this novel died there. THE WRITING. It was so mechanical and robotic, filled with nothing but short, simple sentences. I know, I know, the MC is actually half cybernetic. Half people, so she should be able to relate to us on some level. It all felt so disjointed the way she would abruptly think on one thing for two sentences, then something new the next without transitions. To be honest, I actually overlooked all this for the majority of the novel just because of the mechanics running through her.  Which leads me to my next issue: SHOW NOT TELL. I was told everything in this novel. Forget emotions, Eve wasn't even able to absorb the land or people around her in a way that made me feel like I was right there with her. I was a spectator the whole way through and a poor one at that. Half way through The Bane, Eve began fighting against the chip in her head and the ability to feel emotions trickled through. And when the scientist adjusted her settings to allow her to feel again, I was still told how she felt instead of allowing me to see it through her eyes or feel what was going on inside her. Scratch that, there was a minute amount of bodily reactions going on when she kissed near the end, but that was about the extent of it.
I'm sorry, I could've forgiven all of this robotic behavior if the writing had changed by the end of the novel to show Eve transitioning into something more human, so long as her narration adjusted along with it, but it didn't.  THE LOVE TRIANGLE. Eve has never felt love the way normal people do. I hate to say it, but this love triangle only seemed to exist because two guys were suddenly kissing her and making a play, who she doesn't even feel anything for in the beginning. If a third had come along and done the same, would we automatically have a love square? Because that's how this came off to me. You kiss her, suddenly she thinks she's interested, even though she can't explain why. Honestly, it doesn't even come across as much of a triangle because Eve never really seemed interested enough to bother. On a more personal note, I didn't like who she chose at the end of the story. If she needs to end up with someone, I truly think the other is more compatible. She spoke of love and imagined herself getting married to him one day but I just didn't get it. But once again, I was told all this instead of shown, so I almost rolled my eyes when she went off on how she realized she loved him and everything was suddenly all about him. How easily she forgot the other when the poor guy was fighting to keep his life! Ugh! So cold! And this with the ability to feel again! THE INFECTED. I had a few issues with the humans infected with TorBane. If they were adapting to become better hunters and could actually fly helicopters, use weapons, and strategize to lure humans away from their compound, then how on earth did a small group of survivors make it in the wild with hunters searching the grounds around them. Sure they moved every once and a while, but they still traveled to the same garden to work everyday. I don't think they would've survived for years that way, especially since all the Bane had to do was touch them to infect them. Furthermore, the sleepers (ie. the ones that just stand there and stare at you instead of attacking). Say what? If the TorBane could evolve and take over and destroy the world as quickly as it did, why did a lot of the humans it infected need years for the cybernetic material to take over them on an individual level?
And why wouldn't you electrocute their @sses every time you saw one just so it could never come to life and infect someone? At the very least, take an axe to its legs so it can't chase anyone down! I don't know peeps. This novel just rubbed me the wrong way in a lot of places. Others seem to enjoy it so I'm not going to discourage anyone from trying it. Read it and let me know if it's your cup of tea. Maybe I'm missing something the others are seeing.  ARC provided by author for honest review.

Elite (Eagle Elite #1)
Rachel Van Dyken
Pub: July 9, 2013

For Tracey Rooks, life with her grandparents on a Wyoming farm has always been simple. But after her grandmother's death, Tracey is all her grandfather has. So when Eagle Elite University announces its annual scholarship lottery, Tracey jumps at the opportunity to secure their future and enters. She isn't expecting much-but then she wins. And life as she knows it will never be same . . .

The students at Eagle Elite are unlike any she's ever met . . . and they refuse to make things easy for her. There's Nixon, gorgeous, irresistible, and leader of a group that everyone fears: The Elect.

Their rules are simple.
 1. Do not touch The Elect.
2. Do not look at The Elect.
3. Do not speak to The Elect.

No matter how hard she tries to stay away, The Elect are always around her and it isn't long until she finds out the reason why they keep their friends close and their enemies even closer. She just didn't realize she was the enemy -- until it was too late.  
When you attend a university filled with future mobsters and political figures, you better believe the hazing will be a little extreme.   Tracey may think winning the scholarship to Eagle Elite University will permanently solidify a wealthy future, but someone forgot to tell her she'd have to survive all four years to get it. Coming in as the charity case won't make life easy, neither will the ruler of the school, Nixon, and his posse. But Tracey doesn't see herself as charity or someone who deserves to be treated like crap, so when she repeatedly tells Nixon and members of the Elect to go f*ck themselves, she puts herself in a world of hurt.
This was interesting take on specialized Academy life. I mostly loved Tracey. She was strong and stubborn to a fault, but still cried a little too much for my taste. If you're gonna step up and publicly take on the system, you'd better have the balls to do it 100%. Otherwise...well, you get exactly what she got. She showed them weakness and they jumped on it faster than a goldfish dropped in a piranha tank. Some of their brutality I expected (ie. drugging her drinks, starving her, attempted assault) and some I was surprised by its simplicity (ie. egging and dousing with water). The egging seemed more like high school. I'd expect college kids to up their game a bit, like dousing her with water and locking her in the cooler overnight. It's both humiliating and traumatizing.
Nixon gave me whiplash. I wasn't sure whether I wanted to hug him or punch him. I should probably stick with punch since he has issues with people touching him - and it certainly seems to get his attention. He started out determined to humiliate the crap out of her, but began to admire her resistance in a school full of determined followers, so it didn't surprise me this alpha male tried to lay claim to her behind the scenes.
I really loved Elite. Only a few things kept me from giving it a full five stars, and that was some of the lighter hazing and the fact that a very important person in her life set her up and used her as bait. That was definitely my WTF moment of this book. Soooo not okay, and Trace should've had more to say on the subject - particularly rather colorful expletives.
If you haven't checked this out yet, pick it up!  ARC provided by Forever for honest review. 

So I've got eight copies of Nearly Broken that came from a dark print run. All that's wrong with the cover is that there are some words that are hard to read on the back (parts of the description and selected reviews). It's really not much, but I'm not the kind of person to use these on giveaways I've already run, where the reader didn't sign on for a semi-imperfect copy. So...you guys can score one of these for yourselves. Just so you know, there's absolutely nothing wrong with the inside, nor the cover itself, the colors are just a little dark. I actually went back in and changed the font colors when this happened, just so future orders won't have this issue, even if they do run it dark again. :) Good luck!   Click to Enlargea Rafflecopter giveaway

Monsters (Ashes #3)
Ilsa J. Bick
Exp. Pub.: Sept. 10, 2013

The Changed are on the move. The Spared are out of time. The End...is now.

When her parents died, Alex thought things couldn't get much worse-until the doctors found the monster in her head.

She headed into the wilderness as a good-bye, to leave everything behind. But then the end of the world happened, and Alex took the first step down a treacherous road of betrayal and terror and death.

Now, with no hope of rescue-on the brink of starvation in a winter that just won't quit-she discovers a new and horrifying truth.

The Change isn't over.
The Changed are still evolving.
And...they've had help.  
When Ashes first came out, I was a little slow to pay attention. Once I read it, I beat myself across the head because I LOVED it! Nobody knew what was happening, other than people within a certain age range (kids) were turning into Chuckies (aggressive little zombies), the older adults were all of a sudden just dead, and the elderly were spared, but they became easy prey for the hungry Chuckies. For some reason, a handful of kids didn't turn - which included three that met within a national park - Alex, Tom and Ellie. All three had lost everything, but together they formed a new family and found a reason to fight for their lives. Unfortunately, by the end of Ashes, tragedy ripped them apart.  So of course I was down with snatching up a copy of Shadows! But sadly, though I still loved to read what was happening to the three I'd fallen in love with, suddenly everyone and their grandmother got a point of view. It was incredibly overwhelming, because in Ashes, only Alex got a POV. Though I had no love for these new characters, I pushed through, watching the struggles all three had to endure, constantly following every little clue to put their poor, damaged family back together again. And if they didn't have that to fight for, they all would've give up.

Shadows left a sour taste in my mouth, but I decided to give Monsters a try because they were having too many narrow misses and surely just once, they'd all end up in the same place at the same time. But this novel was a long one. I'm not gonna lie, it gave me headaches at times because I just didn't understand until late in the novel what was going on. The kids that were spared were mostly likely so because...I wanna call it an abnormal brain. Something going on in each of their heads, whether it was cancer or chemical or electrical, wasn't normal, and they therefore weren't changing. Monsters was about all the different crap going on inside their heads, and it left me utterly confused for the longest time, and I think that's why this novel gave me such a headache. Also, it had been a year since I read book two, and it took a long time for me to remember who all the characters were beyond the initial three. I'm still not in love with any of the new characters, though Chris and Peter got a lot of face time, and at best I learned to tolerate them.
 The only reason I'm rounding up my rating for Monsters to three dreamcatchers is because of the last ten percent. I'd been waiting so long for these three to find a way back together, and see how this whole thing was going to go down with the guy that was able to control the deadly Chuckies and make an army for himself. I'm honestly not sure whether or not to recommend this. If you've read the first two, you may seek closure like I did and want to give it a go. Though I should tell you, the reason for how this all went down was never given to us. In fact, I found this quote ironic: "You ever wonder who did it?" "Did what? The EMPs?" He shook his head. "If this was a book or movie, there'd be some guy who'd explain it, give you all the answers." Laughable. Because we most certainly not given a reason, or even the hint of one. And the ending left us with a whole new question that sorta annoyed me. I'd rather it not even be there. So it's up to you if wanna read this. Am I satisfied about the ending for the three characters I loved? Enough. Will I continue reading Ilsa J. Bick's work? Absolutely, because she proven to be quite the creative story teller.
ARC provided by Egmont USA for honest review.

UNFED (UNDEAD #2)
Kirsty McKay
Pub: August 2, 2013

The good news: Bobby survived her Undead school trip. Bad news: her best mate, Smitty, is missing. Bobby knows she's got to find him even if it means risking it all and going out into the starving-zombie-infested wastelands again. Even if it means taking fellow survivors including a couple of old frenemies along for the ride. And even if the zombies are not the only ones who are chasing them this time.
Check out my review of Undead (Undead #1) here.
Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! Forget the wild animals that have gone all zombie on your @ss, and the carrion birds of prey ready to pick you clean long before your dead, the zombies themselves are smarter this time around.
Bobby wakes up from a coma in a strange hospital rockin' a scarred buzzed head, only to discover Smitty is missing and told her mother is dead, even though she's left cryptic messages for her proving she's not. The poor girl can't even get in a good meal (or find a pair of pants!) before the hospital goes into lockdown and the undead are breaking down her door. Pushing her way through the ventilation, Bobby discovers the other survivors of the bus crash - Alice and Pete, and newcomer Russ. And oh yeah, the hospital is run by Xanthro, the company that made the virus, so you know this is going to end so well.

Together the group tries to decipher the cryptic messages Bobby has to find both Smitty, the guy she stabbed the cure into at the end of Undead, and make her way to where her mother is hiding out waiting. But the path is filled with zombies that have been tweaked to perfection, making them more efficient killing machines. Not to mention the zombie wildlife looking for a bite, and the Xanthro guys chasing them down because of how valuable one of them is to the virus.

If you loved Undead (like I did!), then you're gonna love Unfed. Can't wait for the next!

ARC provided by Scholastic - Chicken House for honest review.
 

 I'm in COVER LOVE right now! I've once again got Megan and Nick on the cover, but this time you get the chance to stare into those stunning eyes that just scream Don't f*ck with me. However, that is not Nick on the back. That is the unconscionable Zander Malone, who thanks to the authorities, has his blond locks rockin' a darker hairdo to help stay off the radar a bit. Of course he'll be making an appearance in Nearly Mended, but for how long and whether or not he'll obtain any pleasure while there, I won't say! But he has definitely got some wicked things planned this time around.

Oh...and did I mention it's dual point-of-view this time? Both Megan and Nick will be gracing us with their thoughts and opinions in Nearly Mended. I've dabbled with the idea of getting into Zander's sick head a time or two, but in all honesty, I'm still against it, forcing us as readers to learn only what he wants us to know.
To See Full Size, Click Here. Expected Publication: Winter 2013 (hopefully December)
He'll pay for what he's done to her...for what he's done to me.
Megan Whitaker desperately wants to forget what’s happened over the past two years – the haunting images and sensations still plaguing her thoughts and dreams – but she can’t. Because he’s still out there. Zander Malone. I’ll find you and bring you back to me. She wants to believe she’s safe with Nick in their secluded new home, but it doesn’t keep her from looking over her shoulder, jumping over unexpected sounds, carrying a concealed weapon or even preparing for the worst. He’s coming for her, but this time, she won’t let him get the jump on her, nor will she go quietly into the night.
Nickolas Ellis has seen a change in his long, lost love. Battered emotionally and physically, Megan has turned her fear into anger, spending her days at self-defense classes and researching things that’ll never allow her to let go of the past. And he feels guilty even asking her to, because he knows that heathen will return, it’s only a matter of time. And when he does, Nick will do anything to protect her, even the unthinkable, risking everything he’s fought so hard to get back.
New Adult Romantic Suspense / Dark Realistic Fiction
Recommended for 17+ for mature and disturbing situations, language and sexual content.
 
Haven’t read Nearly Broken yet? Now’s your chance to pick up an ebook for just $1.99! If you'd like to be entered for the $20 Gift Card to either Amazon or the Book Depository, just fill out the rafflecopter below! Catch my other giveaways in the header text!a Rafflecopter giveaway

Infinityglass (Hourglass #3)
Myra McEntire
Pub.: Aug. 6, 2012

The stakes have risen even higher in this third book in the Hourglass series.
The Hourglass is a secret organization focused on the study of manipulating time, and its members — many of them teenagers -­have uncanny abilities to make time work for them in mysterious ways. Inherent in these powers is a responsibility to take great care, because altering one small moment can have devastating consequences for the past, present, and future. But some time trav­elers are not exactly honorable, and sometimes unsavory deals must be struck to maintain order.
With the Infinityglass (central to understanding and harnessing the time gene) at large, the hunt is on to find it before someone else does.
But the Hourglass has an advantage. Lily, who has the ability to locate anything lost, has determined that the Infinityglass isn't an object. It's a person. And the Hourglass must find him or her first. But where do you start searching for the very key to time when every second could be the last?.  Note: Some of this may come off spoilerish if you haven't read the first two novels yet!Hallie Girard is just your average teenager...except for the part where's practically a forced recluse because of her unnatural abilities, only leaving the house to perform not-so-legal jobs for her father's company, Chronos. Her partner in crime is usually Poe, and it's quite odd to see him doing something other than stalking or attacking members of the Hourglass. These two even used to get-it-on before they realized they were better friends. Out and about at a pawn shop working a job, things go amiss, and Poe is forced to pull Hallie through the veil, triggering a gene within her that makes her the most sought after unnatural of all.  Since Lily's power allows her to locate objects, she easily hones in on the Infinityglass, and Dune, being their resident expert in the subject, is sent to aid Hallie come to terms with her new power. But Hallie has other plans. Both distrustful and annoyed by constant babysitters, she doesn't make his job easy. And with Teague closing in on her, her stubbornness may cost her her life.
I read all three novels of the Hourglass trilogy in a row, and I can say that Infinityglass was definitely the best. Each was told in a different point of view, but the first two just didn't really do it for me. Maybe it was their point of view or role in the organization, or maybe just the voice, but the storylines in the first two novels were a drag for me. However, Hallie's and Dune's dual story  was way more enticing, and their path had way more exciting things going on. And I think this was my problem with the series overall. Although it had a unique concept, there just wasn't a whole of action going on until the end. But with Infinityglass, what Hallie was actively doing on a daily basis kept me intrigued throughout. I think anyone that's gotten this far in the story will be pleasantly happy with the outcome of this trilogy.  ARC provided by EgmontUSA for honest review.
Would you like to win a copy of Infinityglass for your shelves? EgmontUSA is offering US residents a chance to win a hardback of Infinity + a poster. For my INT readers, I have the finished hardback I was given for review and I'm willing to ship it to one of you. So there will be one US winner and one INT winner.
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  AUGUST'S GIVEAWAY
  Me Talk Pretty Someday by David E. Pearson  David Sedaris's fourth book mines poignant comedy from his peculiar childhood in North Carolina, his bizarre career path, and his move with his lover to France. Though his anarchic inclination to digress is his glory, Sedaris does have a theme in these reminiscences: the inability of humans to communicate.

The title is his rendition in transliterated English of how he and his fellow students of French in Paris mangle the Gallic language. In the essay "Jesus Shaves," he and his classmates from many nations try to convey the concept of Easter to a Moroccan Muslim. "It is a party for the little boy of God," says one. "Then he be die one day on two... morsels of... lumber," says another. Sedaris muses on the disputes between his Protestant mother and his father, a Greek Orthodox guy whose Easter fell on a different day. Other essays explicate his deep kinship with his eccentric mom and absurd alienation from his IBM-exec dad: "To me, the greatest mystery of science continues to be that a man could father six children who shared absolutely none of his interests."

Every glimpse we get of Sedaris's family and acquaintances delivers laughs and insights. He thwarts his North Carolina speech therapist ("for whom the word pen had two syllables") by cleverly avoiding all words with s sounds, which reveal the lisp she sought to correct. His midget guitar teacher, Mister Mancini, is unaware that Sedaris doesn't share his obsession with breasts, and sings "Light My Fire" all wrong--"as if he were a Webelo scout demanding a match." As a remarkably unqualified teacher at the Art Institute of Chicago, Sedaris had his class watch soap operas and assign "guessays" on what would happen in the next day's episode.  To enter, visit the Previously Loved Book Giveaway page!

Midnight Frost (Mythos Academy #5)
Jennifer Estep
Exp. Pub.: July 30, 2013

Just when it seems life at Mythos Academy can’t get any more dangerous, the Reapers of Chaos manage to prove me wrong. It was just a typical night at the Library of Antiquities — until a Reaper tried to poison me. The good news is I’m still alive and kicking. The bad news is the Reaper poisoned someone else instead.

As Nike’s Champion, everyone expects me to lead the charge against the Reapers, even though I’m still hurting over what happened with Spartan warrior Logan Quinn. I’ve got to get my hands on the antidote fast — otherwise, an innocent person will die. But the only known cure is hidden in some creepy ruins — and the Reapers are sure to be waiting for me there.


ARC provided by K-Teen for honest review.