Book Review: Blood Storm by Rhiannon Hart

Title: Blood Storm (Lharmell #2)
Author: Rhiannon Hart
Genre: Paranormal, Fantasy, Vampires, Romance 
Publisher: Random House Australia
Publication Date: 1st August 2012
Pages: 384 pages
Rating: 5 stars

Synopsis (from goodreads):
The rain wanted to be ocean; the ice in the mountain caps wanted freedom. I never knew that water held such longing. The clouds above my head rumbled like a growling wolf, impatient to release their burden. I held the rain there a moment longer. I turned to Renata, heard her gasp and knew my eyes glowed blue.

I spoke a single word. ‘Rain.’

In the Second Book of Lharmell, Zeraphina and Rodden must travel across the sea to find the elusive ingredients that will help them to win the coming battle against the Lharmellin – but shadows from Rodden’s dark past may come back to haunt him. And while she learns to harness her new abilities, Zeraphina still fights the hunger that makes her crave the north – not to mention avoiding her mother, who wants to see her wayward daughter married to a prince at all costs.

My Review:

Five months after Blood Song finished, Zeraphina is still in Pergamia and has been extremely busy. Training with her trusty bow and arrow – as well as her drain cat, Leap and loyal eagle, Griffin – Rodden has been trying to get Zeraphina prepared for fighting the Lharmellians. With her seventeenth birthday approaching, there’s more to worry about than just the Harmings – her mother, Renata, is finding potential Princes who would be willing to marry the somewhat wayward princess. Trying to fight both her destiny and the blood tie to Lharmell, Zeraphina and Rodden set out to collect supplies for a weapon deadly to all with Lharmellian blood.

Zeraphina is one of those heroines that make me like her more with every word I read about her. She’s fiercely loyal and smart. Her bloodthirstiness (and not just the thirst-quenching kind) is somehow admirable. I adored how she took care of Rodden, both physically and emotionally. She’s brave and even when things are at their most dire, she’s starting to behave like a potential queen and is looking out for those who can’t look out for themselves.

I loved the relationship that has been brewing between Rodden and Zeraphina since the first time we met the King’s Advisor in Blood Song. They have chemistry but with the class system and Renata so violently opposed to their relationship it feels like they are doomed from the start. Regardless of the potential (and probably) doomed ending, I love how these two interact. They’re not all rainbows and sunshine (however there is a cute fluffy bunny or two). Their world is hard and dangerous but throughout everything I love the way Zeraphina and Rodden treat each other – it’s not often kind but always considerate.

This book developed Rodden’s history fantastically. As he and Zeraphina travel the lands gathering supplies for their secret weapon we get to see just who Rodden was before he became Prince Amis’ best friend. The view of the country and the people who live there added an extra something to this novel and the world in which it exists.

Blood Storm is a fantastic fantasy novel set in a world where the blood-sucking creatures are so much more than your typical vampires. The characters are interesting and the plot gets thicker and more fascinating with every twist. After the way this book finished I am on the edge of my seat with anticipation. Blood Queen will be released sometime in 2013. I can not wait to get my hands on a copy!

 

 

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Cover Reveal: Demon Derby by Carrie Harris

Title: DEMON DERBY

Author: Carrie Harris

Publisher: Random House

Genre: Paranormal

Age Group: Young Adult

Expected release: March 2014

 

Casey kicked cancer’s ass. Now a demon wants to kick hers…

Casey hates being known as the girl who survived cancer. She wants people to treat her like her old self, fearless and strong. And after a creepy encounter with a crazy guy in an alley, Casey is all about reclaiming her power.

So when she has a chance to try out for the Apocalypsies roller derby team, she jumps on it. Being a derby girl would prove that she doesn’t need anybody’s pity. It doesn’t hurt that Michael, the team manager, is almost unnaturally hot. Which makes sense when Casey finds out that he’s not even human.

Michael’s got a secret: he trains demon hunters. That crazy guy in the alley? Demon. And the fact that Casey went head to head with evil and lived makes her a threat to demonkind. Casey thought she’d already fought and won the battle of her lifetime. But it’s only beginning…

From Carrie Harris, author of Bad Taste in Boys and Bad Hair Day, comes a knockout new read for anyone facing their own demons—inside and out.

About the Author

Carrie Harris is the author of BAD TASTE IN BOYS and BAD HAIR DAY. Her husband is a cancer survivor and a ninja doctor, and her three kids are already in training to fight evil someday. She collects monster-themed clothing, is physically incapable of being serious for more than five minutes at a time, and isn’t a derby girl…yet.

Carrie Harris | Twitter | Facebook

How fantastic does this book look?! Demon hunters and Roller Derby? Sounds like a match made in heaven (or maybe somewhere a little south of there). This one is definitely going on my to-read list.

Not a YA Book Review: Wool Omnibus by Hugh Howey

Wool isn’t a young adult or even a new adult book but I felt like sharing my review on this blog anyway. Whilst not falling under the genre of YA fiction, I still think this series could be read and enjoyed by young adults or adults of any age.

Title: Wool Omnibus (#1-5)
Author: Hugh Howey
Genre: Science Fiction; Dystopia;  Post Apocalyptic
Publisher: Century (an imprint of Random House)
Publication Date: January 2013
Pages: 448
Rating: 4.5 stars

Synopsis (from goodreads):
This Omnibus Edition collects the five Wool books into a single volume. It is for those who arrived late to the party and who wish to save a dollar or two while picking up the same stories in a single package.

The first Wool story was released as a standalone short in July of 2011. Due to reviewer demand, the rest of the story was released over the next six months. My thanks go out to those reviewers who clamored for more. Without you, none of this would exist. Your demand created this as much as I did.

This is the story of mankind clawing for survival, of mankind on the edge. The world outside has grown unkind, the view of it limited, talk of it forbidden. But there are always those who hope, who dream. These are the dangerous people, the residents who infect others with their optimism. Their punishment is simple. They are given the very thing they profess to want: They are allowed outside.

My Review:

Whilst these books are available as individual ebooks, I’m so glad I had a copy of the five so as soon as I finished each one I could start the next one immediately.

From the few pages of Book 1, I was drawn into the world of Silo living when the mere expression of unhappiness with living in the Silo is the same as signing your own death sentence.

There’s so much drama and suspense throughout these books – Howey isn’t afraid to kill main characters whenever he feels necessary. But whenever new ones are introduced it feels natural and not just as a replacement for a former character. The titles of each of the books being knitting terms was not lost on me.

During some of the books it did feel a little like I was playing catch up – the reasons for the decisions reached at the start of the book not being revealed until the final pages (like in book 1) – but at the same time the with the fast paced nature of the books I never felt lost. There is always something happening.

I found the second book (Proper Gauge) a little on the dull side (especially considering how exciting Holston was) but it did give vital information about the daily living and structure in the Silo as well as the hold the IT had on the Silo.

There’s a little bit of everything in this omnibus – politics; society; a slight love story; treachery - and so much more. The many different narrators add to the complexity of silo living and made it that much more suspenseful – knowing that anyone could die at any moment regardless of whether they were a “main” character or not.

I enjoyed these first five instalments in the Wool series and will definitely be tracking down book 6 as soon as I can.

Thanks to The Reading Room and Random House for the review copy

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Book Review: The Alchemyst by Michael Scott

I’m always looking for new books to read. So a couple of months ago I was asking my friend Cam for recommendations and he suggested The Alchemyst. I bought it that night (I think that internet shopping is just feeding my book buying addiction) and then after it arrived in the mail it just sat on my desk for a long time before I got around to reading it. But I’ve finished it (finally!).

Title: The Alchemyst (The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel #1)
Author: Michael Scott
Genre: Fantasy, Adventure, Mythology, Magic
Publisher: Delacourte Press
Publication Date: May 2007 
Pages: 375
Rating: 3.5 stars

Synopsis (from goodreads):
He holds the secret that can end the world.

The truth: Nicholas Flamel was born in Paris on September 28, 1330. Nearly 700 years later, he is acknowledged as the greatest Alchemyst of his day. It is said that he discovered the secret of eternal life.

The records show that he died in 1418.

But his tomb is empty.

The legend: Nicholas Flamel lives. But only because he has been making the elixir of life for centuries. The secret of eternal life is hidden within the book he protects—the Book of Abraham the Mage. It’s the most powerful book that has ever existed. In the wrong hands, it will destroy the world. That’s exactly what Dr. John Dee plans to do when he steals it. Humankind won’t know what’s happening until it’s too late. And if the prophecy is right, Sophie and Josh Newman are the only ones with the power to save the world as we know it.

Sometimes legends are true.

And Sophie and Josh Newman are about to find themselves in the middle of the greatest legend of all time

My Review:

Sophie and Josh Newman, fifteen-year-old twins, had planned on working during the summer to save up enough money to buy a car. But when the book store Josh was employed at gets broken into by a couple of golems, Josh learns that his boss – the laid back Nick Flemming – is none other than the immortal alchemyst Nicholas Flamel. Dee manages to fling around his dark magic, kidnap Flamel’s wife and steal the one book that Flamel has spent most of his unnaturally long life trying to protect.

And that’s just the first chapter!

This book is full of action and all sorts of magical and mythical creatures. There’s Greek, Irish, Egyptian and so many other types of mythology touched upon and I was surprised to read in the author’s note that all the characters (with the exception of the twins) were based on real historical people or mythological beings.

The twins are interesting characters. The entire novel takes place over a matter of days and despite the short time frame they have both changed so much since the start of the book. I can’t wait to see what happens the in other books with regards to the prophecy and who Josh and Sophie decide to align themselves with.

Nicholas Flamel – the Alchemyst himself – was probably my least favourite character. I think I was expecting too much from him and in this first novel he and his motives remain a bit of a mystery.

I loved the idea of Hekate’s shadowrealm and her World Tree – that’s the kind of tree house I’d love to have in the backyard. Scathach (Scatty) was more fun than I expected a 2500 year old character to be and I can’t wait to see just how Perry fares. The Morrigan is rather scary and not just because she hangs around with a murder of crows. She’s turning out to be a brilliant villain – I just can’t wait to see what sinister plans she has next.

This was an entertaining book and a pleasant change from all the YA romances I’ve been reading of late.

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Book Review: Rapture by Lauren Kate

Title: Rapture (Fallen #4)
Author: Lauren Kate
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Angels, 
Publisher: Delacorte Press for Young Readers (an imprint of Random House)
Publication Date: June 2012
Pages: 448
Rating: 3.5 stars

Synopsis (from goodreads):
The sky is dark with wings . . . .

Like sand in an hourglass, time is running out for Luce and Daniel. To stop Lucifer from erasing the past they must find the place where the angels fell to earth. Dark forces are after them, and Daniel doesn’t know if he can do this—live only to lose Luce again and again.

Yet together they will face an epic battle that will end with lifeless bodies . . . and angel dust. Great sacrifices are made. Hearts are destroyed. And suddenly Luce knows what must happen.

For she was meant to be with someone other than Daniel. The curse they’ve borne has always and only been about her—and the love she cast aside. The choice she makes now will be the only one that truly matters.

In the fight for Luce, who will win?

The astonishing conclusion to the FALLEN series. Heaven can’t wait any longer.

My Review:

Rapture is the fourth and final instalment for the Fallen series by Lauren Kate and one that I’ve been anticipating since finishing Passion. As with all the books in this series – the cover is gorgeous! Luce has just returned from her time-travelling tour of her past lives and now only has nine days to prevent the fall and cause all those years, all those past lives with Daniel, to be written.

In order to stop Lucifer (otherwise known as Bill the Gargoyle) and his announcer to finish falling and rewriting time, Luce, Daniel and the rest of the fallen angel gang have to find three artefacts that when brought together will somehow show the destination of the Fall and help them prevent it from re-happening.

There were times when I loved reading this book and other times when I wanted to throw the book across the room. It’s definitely one of those books where you have to be in a certain mood to appreciate all that’s happening. The romance was sweet – at times too sweet. I felt like I was going to get a sugar high that was bordering on a toothache. Luce and Daniel are an adorable and loving couple that are lovely and romantic but at the same time sometimes I felt like it was over the top and just too cute and too much for me to take.

The plot sometimes felt a little confusing as to why each of the characters did the things that they did – They have only a few days to save the world and yet instead of thinking things out and approaching things logically they rush in and do things that end up with them being in dangerous life-threatening situations that miraculously end up going okay for the main characters. There were many things that were a little too coincidental and/or convenient happening a lot of the time.

I think these fallen angels could have benefitted from a google search or two when trying to track down the artefacts – instead they rely on a book written by one of them a few hundred of years ago. Then they take the most vulnerable and fragile member of the group – who also is the most important and valuable person in the entire series – and put her in dangerous situations without taking proper precautions… The whole thing just felt a little unbelievable and frustrated me with how unprepared everyone was.

I did, however, love the ending. This is what the entire series had been building up to and despite some things getting on my nerves, I adored how everything came to a head in this novel. Overall this is a beautiful story of true love and angels. I’d love to read a spin-off series if the author ever decides to write one about Cam’s story.

If you enjoyed the previous stories in the series then I definitely recommend Rapture. At times it was a little hard going but I felt like it was worthwhile in the end. It’s a fantastic way to leave Daniel and Luce and they definitely deserve the ending that they get.

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Book Review: Fallen by Lauren Kate

Title: Fallen (Fallen #1)
Author: Lauren Kate
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Angels, 
Publisher: Delacorte Press for Young Readers (an imprint of Random House)
Publication Date:December 2009
Pages: 452
Rating: 2.5 stars

Synopsis (from goodreads):
There’s something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori.

Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price’s attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at the Sword & Cross boarding school in sultry Savannah, Georgia. He’s the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move.

Even though Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce–and goes out of his way to make that very clear–she can’t let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, she has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret . . . even if it kills her.

My Review:

I read this book because it had been recommended to me by a friend. And to be honest, I was a little disappointed. I wasn’t sure if that’s because I always have high expectations of book when they’ve been recommended to me or because for the majority of time that I was reading this novel I had the oddest sensation of deja vu.

This novel opens with Luce Price starting at a new school – a school for social misfits who are one step away from juvenile detention. But the students at this school aren’t just socially maladjustment – they’re harbouring a secret. When Luce finds herself inexplicably attracted to the mysterious Daniel, she goes out of her way to find out just what it is about him that calls out to her. Why does she feel like she’s known him her whole life when she’s only just laid eyes on him for the first time. And why does he see to have such an attitude towards her when they’ve never met before?

Ringing any bells for anyone else?

The particulars may be slightly different but a lot of this novel was almost straight out of the YA teenage paranormal romance hand book.

I feel like if I had read this book earlier and been slightly less jaded regarding the genre then I would have enjoyed the journey a lot more.

Luce was a fairly selfish main character – selfish in actions and in thoughts. She is at the Sword and Cross because she has an incident a few months ago when the boy she was dating ended up dying tragically. And whilst she still thinks about the fire that took his life, she’s very quick to dismiss it from her thoughts before moving on too much more important topics like Daniel. And why Daniel doesn’t like her. And why she really thinks she has some sort of connection with Daniel.

I’m not a Daniel fan.

The best part of this novel was the supporting cast – Molly, Arianne, Gabbe, Cam and Penn. I would have loved to have gotten to see more of them. They’re quirky characters who are more than just the boy they’re attracted to. I would have loved to have seen their back stories and learnt more about them.

Towards the end this story does pick up its pace and becomes a novel that was new and exciting to me. There is more to this story than meets the eye at first but there’s a lot to get though before you get to see the action and drama that exists beyond Luce’s little bubble.

This is one of those books that I recommend borrowing – either from a friend or the library – before buying it for yourself. I can see that it’s going to be one that people either love or hate with not so much middle ground. It is the first in the series and there is a lot of groundwork to be laid for the future novels. I’ve read the next two in the series (Torment and Passion) and I enjoyed them both a lot more than I liked this first instalment.

Whilst there was a lot I didn’t enjoy about this novel I understand that it was necessary in order to build up for the next books in the Fallen series.

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Book Review: Blood Song by Rhiannon Hart

Title: Blood Song
Author: Rhiannon Hart
Genre: Paranormal, Fantasy, Vampires, Romance 
Publisher: Random House Australia
Publication Date: September 2011
Pages: 304
Rating: 5 stars

Synopsis (from goodreads):
I wanted to turn but I was held captive by the song on the wind. I’m coming, I told the voices. Please, wait for me.

When her sister becomes betrothed to a prince in a northern nation, Zeraphina’s only consolations are that her loyal animal companions are by her side – and that her burning hunger to travel north is finally being sated.

Already her black hair and pale eyes mark her out as different, but now Zeraphina must be even more careful to keep her secret safe. Craving blood is not considered normal behaviour for anyone, let alone a princess. So when the king’s advisor, Rodden, seems to know more about her condition than she does, Zeraphina is determined to find out more.

Zeraphina must be willing to sacrifice everything if she’s to uncover the truth – but what if the truth is beyond her worst nightmares?

My Review:

From the first few pages – and you see that Zeraphina has a craving for blood – it would have been easy to dismiss this for yet another vampire story. But you’d be wrong. This book is so much more than that.

I loved it. I am surprised at how much I enjoyed this novel.

Zeraphina’s homeland is freezing to death. Their winters are getting colder and their people are starving. The only solution the Queen (Zeraphina’s mother) can find is to marry the heir to the throne off to a wealthy prince. Zeraphina’s sister, Lilith, is fine with the decision as she’s fallen in love with her wealthy groom-to-be. Only tragedy strikes when the prince is killed in a hunting accident.

And that’s where this story really starts. Broken hearted and in mourning, Lilith doesn’t want to marry anyone if she can’t have her true love. The country is still starving and the Queen needs to do something quickly so she arranges another wealthy groom to wed her eldest daughter and help pull her kingdom out of its financial turmoil. Zeraphina, content to spend her days with her loyal pets (an eagle and a cat) and practice her archery, is seemingly uninterested in the matters of the kingdom. Except when she starts to feel the urge to go north. She sees a Phantom with blue eyes trying to force her to go north and when the incorporeal spirit steals a piece of jewellery from the young princess, she knows she has to investigate. So she convinces her sister to marry the wealthy prince (who coincidently resides in the north) and together with their mother in tow, the princesses go north.

After a long journey, the royal family finally make their way to the kingdom of Lilith’s intended. Everything seems to be going perfectly – the Northern prince seems besotted with Lilith – but the King’s advisor is instantly suspicious of Zeraphina. Her colouring is different from her sister and her mother and Zeraphina is worried that her secret of desiring blood is going to be discovered…

I loved this book. I know I already said that but I really enjoyed it. The characters are interesting – Zeraphina’s sister and the Northern Prince + family are all a little flat and two-dimensional but in a way I didn’t mind that. It meant they were less distracting from the main story and the only one I was really interested – Zeraphina and the Lharmellians. I thought the creatures were fascinating and I loved the world that Ms. Hart created. You can have blood-sucking creatures that aren’t vampires!

Rodden (the king’s advisor) was my favourite character. I enjoyed how he was equal parts villain, hero and love interest. He perplexed Zeraphina and that amused me greatly. She deserved to be confused! Rodden is such an interesting character – he’s multi-faceted and there was so much about him and his past that I’m eager to find out. I hope the second book in the series delves into his background a little. And as much as I want  to know more about him, I liked being as clueless towards him as Zeraphina was. It added a little extra mystery and suspense to the novel.

The world that this book exists in is an interesting one. You start off in a fairly standard fantasy world – crumbling castles and princesses – and then we’re brought into a very different and exciting magical land. And unlike most magical lands that I’m acquainted with this one is toxic. I loved it. I thought it was new and original and intriguing.

There is so much I could (and want to) say but I’m trying to hold myself back from any huge plot revealing spoilers. I really enjoyed this novel. It started off a little slow for me and I wasn’t really into the story until we met Rodden – after that I was hooked. It’s an original story that has a lot which sets it apart from other fantasy vampire novels.

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Book Review: Sisterhood Everlasting by Ann Brashares

Title: Sisterhood Everlasting (Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants #5)
Author: Ann Brashares
Genre: Contemporary, Chick Lit 
Publisher: Random House
Publication Date: March 2012
Pages: 400
Rating: 3 stars

Synopsis (from goodreads):
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Ann Brashares comes the welcome return of the characters whose friendship became a touchstone for a generation. Now Tibby, Lena, Carmen, and Bridget have grown up, starting their lives on their own. And though the jeans they shared are long gone, the sisterhood is everlasting.

Despite having jobs and men that they love, each knows that something is missing: the closeness that once sustained them. Carmen is a successful actress in New York, engaged to be married, but misses her friends. Lena finds solace in her art, teaching in Rhode Island, but still thinks of Kostos and the road she didn’t take. Bridget lives with her longtime boyfriend, Eric, in San Francisco, and though a part of her wants to settle down, a bigger part can’t seem to shed her old restlessness.

Then Tibby reaches out to bridge the distance, sending the others plane tickets for a reunion that they all breathlessly await. And indeed, it will change their lives forever—but in ways that none of them could ever have expected.

As moving and life-changing as an encounter with long-lost best friends, Sisterhood Everlasting is a powerful story about growing up, losing your way, and finding the courage to create a new one

My Review:

After growing up with this series, in many ways, reading this latest instalment was like welcoming an old friend back into my life. The girls, now women, were true to how I remembered them and yet different.

This novel starts off with Carmen – the youngest of the group. Once an awkward teenager, now a glamorous TV star with a successful fiancé and a gorgeous New York City apartment, Carmen seems to have it all. Lena has embraced her artistic side and is selling her paintings and working at the art college she was attending as a student all those years ago. Bridget is still as impulsive as ever but still with Eric and now living in San Francisco. And Tibby? Well… that seems a bit of a mystery to everyone. Since she moved to Australia two years ago contact has been sporadic at best.

When Tibby organizes and sends the other three girls tickets Greece for an impromptu reunion all the women are excited. But what happens on the Grecian island is something that will change their lives forever.

I had some problems with this story. The characters were the same as I remembered and yet different in a way that felt odd to me. I connected so strongly with the girls when I was in my teens. Our struggles were somewhat similar and I could relate to them. But now, they’re facing problems that I haven’t – and hope in many ways that I won’t ever – and whilst I could imagine the things happening to them was right up their alleys, at the same time I didn’t feel the same way with regards to their relationships with me.

This story was in many ways nostalgic but I liked how whilst there were references to the events of the past books, the past wasn’t dwelt upon. The action was in the present. It was good to see that while life hadn’t gone exactly according to plan for all of them, for the most part they weren’t trying to relive their past. I did miss the little letters and emails that prefaced chapters in some of the other books but the quotes before each chapter were fitting.

I felt like Tibby was a little out of character. The message of this book for me is one of friends forever, and as long as you have your sisterhood you’ll never be alone. And yet Tibby embarked on a whole new life without letting the other girls in. It worked in the sense of that mystery was needed to drive the novel to a fitting conclusion but it didn’t sit well for me with regards to the close-knit friendship that the four of them had – and the others still maintain with each other. There is more that I want to say about this but I don’t think I can go into it without revealing some major spoilers.

I am a little worried about the sisterhood – Bee in particular. They seem a little too co-dependant. I like the friendship aspect but the ending message that I was left with was that for Bee, she couldn’t exist without the sisterhood and I for me… I’m so very worried about her. I spent the whole novel worrying about her and I hope that the others can help her. (I am aware these are fictional characters.)

This last installment of the Sisterhood was true to the series. In terms of structure and story it closely followed the formula set out by the others – They meet up, they have their separate adventures and they come together at the end with lessons learnt about life and love. Throw in some overseas travel for good measure. It’s a format that has worked for the other books and worked well for this one too.

Whilst it’s an odd thing revisiting the literary friends of your youth and have them grow up without you, I am glad that Ann Brashares wrote a conclusion to the sisterhood’s story. It’s nice to see that just because books about characters haven’t been written does not mean that the characters themselves stop living.

If you’re a fan of the Sisterhood series – I encourage you to read this latest and last instalment. I thought it was a lovely way to say goodbye to the characters.

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Book Review: Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay

Title: Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay (Juliet Immortal #1)

Format: ebook

Published:  August 9, 2011

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy,

Synopsis (from Goodreads): The most tragic love story in history . . .

Juliet Capulet didn’t take her own life. She was murdered by the person she trusted most, her new husband, Romeo Montague, a sacrifice made to ensure his own immortality. But what Romeo didn’t anticipate was that Juliet would be granted eternity, as well, and would become an agent for the Ambassadors of Light. For 700 years, she’s fought Romeo for the souls of true lovers, struggling to preserve romantic love and the lives of the innocent. Until the day she meets someone she’s forbidden to love, and Romeo, oh Romeo, will do everything in his power to destroy that love.

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

Review: 

I was one of those people who have never liked the traditional story of Romeo and Juliet. I remember disagreeing with my high school English teacher over Shakespeare’s play and not doing very well in the assessment of that unit.

So when I saw this book and read the tagline, “The Greatest Love Story Ever Told is a Lie“, I knew this was a book I wanted to read.

After tragically dying over seven hundred years ago, Juliet Capulet became an Ambassador for the Light. Fighting Romeo, an Mercenary for the Dark, on the side of soul mates and true love, her afterlife has followed a certain pattern. Coming down to Earth and inhabiting someone’s body for a short amount of time whilst she tries to save the soul mates from the fate Romeo forced upon her back in the tomb in Verona.

But this time, after inhabiting Ariel Dragland’s body, Juliet knows almost instantly that things are different. Romeo has found her straight away and she’s unable to contact Nurse for assistance with this latest pair of lovers.

With Romeo not giving up and Juliet finding herself having compromising feelings for one of the souls she’s been assigned to protect, will she be able to save this pair of soul mates from the side of the Mercenaries?

I really enjoyed this book. It had a very strong beginning. Ariel just finding out that Dylan – her date – was only on a date with her to win a bet with his friends and then she tries to kill the both of them… She’s a very interesting character who we only saw glimpses of as Juliet was in her body and we didn’t see much of her per say. I liked how Juliet tried to make her life better for when Ariel would come back into her body – things like trying to fix Ariel’s relationship with her mother.

The car-jacking scene amused me greatly. I liked Ben’s character from the start. He’s very much the white knight saving the damsel in distress who was just slightly too nice a guy for his own good. But he was a fantastic rival for Romeo.

And Romeo? It’s no secret that I’m a fan of villains and I enjoyed Romeo’s plight. It can’t be easy being the bad guy and living in the corpses of rotting flesh but he manages to be bad and somehow likeable at the same time. I liked his flirting with Juliet and his pushing of other characters’ buttons.

The best part of this book? The ending. I loved how everything tied up and the conclusions. I don’t want to spoil anything except to say that everything that lead up to the ending was well worth it.

The next book in this series is called Romeo Redeemed and from the ending in this story, it promises to be a good one. I can’t wait to see how it unfolds.

Rating: 

4 out of 5

Purchase book at:

Book Depository (hardcover) / Amazon (kindle version) / FishPond (hardcover)