Tagged: alex

Blue Violet by Abigail Owen

Blue Violet by Abigail Owen

(Cover picture courtesy of Masquerade Tours.)

2013 Bronze Medalist for Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror eBook at the Independent Publisher Book Awards (IPPYs)

2014 eLit Awards Bronze Medalist for Fantasy/SciFi

Book #1 of the Svatura Series

Ellie Aubrey is a centuries-old gypsy princess whose extraordinary abilities once inspired her Roma ancestors’ fairytales (or nightmares). Along with her twin-brother, Griffin, Ellie has spent most of her life hiding from the Vyusher, a rival tribe who destroyed their entire powerful family. But after a mysterious dream, Ellie risks discovery in order to find and watch over the Jenners, another group of similarly gifted people. She refuses to let them suffer the same fate.

Alex Jenner has come home to protect his family. His adopted mother can sense danger coming, but not who or when. Suspicious of the new girl in town, Alex challenges Ellie in ways that will spark one of two possible outcomes: they’ll spontaneously combust, or she’ll lose control of the one power she’s fought so hard to contain.

When the Vyusher once again threaten everything she holds dear, Ellie will have to face her worst fear, and Alex will have to face an impossible decision. In this fairytale, the dragon that the prince must slay is also the princess who holds his heart.

[Full disclosure: I received a free ebook copy in conjunction with the blog tour in exchange for an honest review.]

When I signed up for the Black Orchid blog tour I really wasn’t all too sure about whether I’d like the books or not.  However, the thing that convinced me was that I had read Andromeda’s Fall by Abigail Owen as well and loved it.  Why not give her other series a try?  And let me tell you: I’m so glad I did.  It’s just as good as Andromeda’s Fall and I am now a huge Abigail Owen fan.

The beginning made me cringe, I’ll admit.  New girl in a small town going to yet another new school after moving around lots.  Thankfully this trope was not played straight and soon we learn that Ellie really isn’t all that she seems and neither is the insanely attractive Alex.  Things get awesome pretty quickly so don’t be fooled by Blue Violet‘s unassuming beginning!

Ellie is now one of my favourite heroines.  Yes, she can agonize over Alex but she has the self-awareness to at least realize that he’s a college student and he’s probably not going to be interested in his little sister’s new high school aged friend.  When she realizes that the Jenners also have abilities similar to hers, her first instinct is to protect them, no matter how coldly Alex treats her.  I think the most interesting part about Ellie’s character was her second ability, the one that terrifies her the most.  Abigail Owen really works hard to not only portray her obvious fear of it but also to portray the temptation to use it, especially when the Vyusher come knocking.

I really just loved the world-building in Blue Violet.  Not only are the different abilities unique and pretty darn cool, there are believable backstories for even the villains like the Vyusher.  Of course there are still a couple of questions about abilities and such but this really is only the first book in the series and all of the most pressing questions are answered.  In the beginning we learn pretty quickly of Ellie and Griffin’s abilities, which is refreshing considering writers’ tendencies to drag things out for as long as they can.  Not so in Blue Violet!

Now, with a blurb that focuses on the inter-character relationships you’d think this would be more of a slow paced novel.  It’s definitely not.  While it is character driven to a large extent, you’re never going to get bored as both the personal drama and dangerous outside forces come together to create one heck of an epic climax.  And there’s just a little cliffhanger so you’re eager to read the next book.

All in all, this is definitely not your typical urban fantasy novel and I can’t recommend it enough.  Seriously, go buy it!

I give this book 5/5 stars.

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Sins of the Lost by Linda Poitevin

Sins of the Lost by Linda Poitevin(Cover picture courtesy of the book tour a couple of months ago.)

From the author of Sins of the Angels and Sins of the Son comes the newest novel in the “electric, thrilling and extremely intelligent” (Ex Libris) Grigori Legacy series.

Heaven and Hell are on the brink of war as Lucifer builds his Nephilim army and waits for his new agenda to become a reality — that of having a Nephilimchild of his own bloodline to lead his forces to cataclysmic victory.

With rumors of the pending war rampant on Earth, Alex fights to save humanity from its own panic –­ leaving little time for her fledgling
relationship with Seth, the man with heavenly origins who has captured her heart. But when Nephilim children begin to disappear, along with Alex’s own vulnerable niece, the inevitable war between Heaven and Hell becomes as personal as sin.

Heaven has its own plans to fight the coming apocalypse, but first it needs Seth back. Asked to betray the man she loves, Alex must turn for help to the soulmate she thought she’d given up — the Archangel Aramael, who may be her last chance to save her family and humanity from the ashes of Lucifer’s Armageddon.

[Full disclosure: I received a free ebook copy through the blog tour a while back in exchange for an honest review.]

The phrase ‘action-packed’ is bandied about quite carelessly when it comes to describing books, but let me tell you I’m dead serious when I say that Sins of the Lost is action-packed.

Not only is poor Alex trying to stop the oncoming apocalypse, she’s lost her soulmate and is trying to love another (who just happens to be the possible catalyst for said apocalypse).  To say that there’s a lot of drama and tension in this third book in the Grigori Legacy is an understatement.  It never gets into soap opera ridiculous drama levels but it really is the kind of book that will keep you on the edge of your seat.  That’s why I ended up reading this book until four in the morning when I had to work at 8:00am; I just couldn’t stop no matter how much I tried to exercise my self-control.

Alex is of course my favourite character, just like in the previous two installments.  This time she’s dealing with even more psychological scars and although some readers may be frustrated with her I believe her reluctance to join in the fight between Heaven and Hell is more realistic than if she were gung-ho about the whole thing.  Let’s face it, she’s gone through a lot and it’s all because of their idiotic war that could have been prevented.  While Alex is my favourite character, Seth is the one with the most surprises up his sleeve.  His character arc, looking back, is very realistic but at the time you really don’t know where his character is going to go.  He’s wonderfully ambiguous which ratchets up the tension even more.  As for Aramael, I can’t really say much without giving away some major spoilers but let’s just say that his fans will be pleased.

As for the concept, I believe that some would call it ‘blasphemous’ or ‘heresy’ but I love how Linda Poitevin has arranged her versions of Heaven and Hell.  God being a woman doesn’t even touch some of the other unique spins on classic Christian theology.  I won’t go much further into it because I don’t want to bring my personal beliefs into things but if you’re reading this series, take it for what it is: fiction.  It’s not intended to offend or harm and Linda Poitevin does an amazing job at world-building.

I can’t believe it took me so long to finally get to Sins of the Lost but I’m really glad I did.  The only bad thing about it?  Because of that insane cliffhanger I’m now desperate for the fourth book to come out.  I guess that’s just the mark of a great book.

I give this book 5/5 stars.

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Sins of the Son by Linda Poitevin

Sins of the Son by Linda Poitevin(Cover picture courtesy of Goodreads.)

When homicide detective Alexandra Jarvis sees a photo of Seth Benjamin on a police bulletin, she knows that Heaven’s plan to halt Armageddon has gone terribly wrong. As the only mortal who knows of Seth’s true nature, only she can save him. Aramael was a hunter of Fallen Angels until a traitor forced him into earthly exile. Now, with no powers and only a faint memory of Alex, his mortal soulmate, he will stop at nothing to redeem himself-even if it means destroying Seth in the name of the Creator…

[Full disclosure: I was originally supposed to review this for the Sins of the Lost blog tour, but my books got lost in the postal system.  So now I’m reviewing it after the tour and, as always, my review is honest.]

After that massive cliffhanger at the end of Sins of the Angels I was very, very eager to get my hands on the second book.  I had to know what happened to Alex and Aramael.  Would they get back together and if they did, could it ever be the same for the two?  Seeing as I’m actually emotionally invested in this novel, particularly the relationship between the two, I just had to know.

I wasn’t disappointed in Linda Poitevin either.  She manages to juggle a couple of different viewpoints while at the same time writing a complicated story, plot-wise and character-wise.  Seeing as I’m a huge fan of characters with depth, I’ll start with the latter.

Alex is a very different person from the one we met at the beginning of Sins of the Angels.  Her love for Aramael changed her and honestly, it’s for the better.  Despite the fact that he’s been banished and she may never see him again, she’s a much more accepting and tolerant person.  The patience she showed with Seth later on would never have occurred at the beginning of Sins of the Angels.  I was just astonished by how much she really does change throughout the novel because she goes through some pretty awful things.  Still, Alex stays true to herself and I love her for that.

Aramael is changed as well.  He’s immortal but without his powers and so he ends up on the receiving end of quite a few of the Fallen’s wrath.  He gets kicked around and killed frequently in the beginning, until the enigmatic archangel Michael is introduced.  From there on, Aramael’s character is so changed it’s almost like he’s a different person, more devoted to his mission to find Alex.  I can’t say much more without giving things away, but Aramael is not perfect and sometimes his emotions get in the way of doing what’s best in a given situation.

I’m the sort of person that tries to predict the ending of books about halfway through.  Usually I’m right, but in Sins of the Son I had no idea what was going to happen.  Linda Poitevin had so many twists and turns in the plot that I was left reeling from the emotional shock by the end.  She spares her characters no pain and has obviously planned the trilogy out well because all of the plot twists make sense.

If you read the first book and loved it, I’d highly recommend Sins of the Son.  If you haven’t read the first book yet, go out and buy it now!  If you love romance, awesome characters, great world-building and unpredictable plots you can’t go wrong with this trilogy.

I give this book 5/5 stars.

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Sins of the Angels by Linda Poitevin

Sins of the Angels by Linda Poitevin(Cover picture courtesy of Were Vamps Romance.)

A detective with a secret lineage. An undercover Hunter with a bullet-proof soul. And a world made to pay for the sins of an angel…

Homicide detective Alexandra Jarvis answers to no one. Especially not to the new partner assigned to her in the middle of a gruesome serial killer case-a partner who is obstructive, irritatingly magnetic, and arrogant as hell.
Aramael is a Power—a hunter of the Fallen Angels. A millennium ago, he sentenced his own brother to eternal exile for crimes against humanity. Now his brother is back and wreaking murderous havoc in the mortal realm. To find him, Aramael must play second to a human police officer who wants nothing to do with him and whose very bloodline threatens both his mission and his soul.Now, faced with a fallen angel hell-bent on triggering the apocalypse, Alex and Aramael have no choice but to join forces, because only together can they stop the end of days.

[Full disclosure: I received this book as part of a blog tour.  Unfortunately the book didn’t ship in time, so I’m doing this review later than anticipated.  Either way, the review is still honest.]

I’m not a big fan of urban fantasy in general, but on occasion I do pick out a book that interests me.  Some are total duds and others are like Sins of the Angels: amazing.

The world-building in Linda Poitevin’s book is simply amazing.  And, if you’re so inclined, more than a little blasphemous.  God, in this case, is called the One.  And she’s most definitely female, which is something I’ve never seen before in fiction of any sort, let alone urban fantasy.  Sins of the Angels touches on quite a number of religious topics like free will, the fall of Lucifer and why there is so much destruction and chaos in the world.  Some of the conclusions the characters draw are fascinating from a theological point of view and they do reveal a lot about the characters themselves.  However, I wouldn’t recommend reading this if you’re a very orthodox Christian.  It does touch on some nerves.

With that said, I loved the characters.  I loved how Alex (Alexandra) was such a strong, independent character.  She’s tough and struggles with a horrific past as she tries to push down the memories that surface during her murder investigations.  At the same time, she can be vulnerable and stubborn especially when dealing with Aramael (who goes by Jacob Trent in human form).  Her chemistry with Aramael is great and I love how both of them slowly realize just how much of a connection they really do have.

I didn’t want to put this book down at all.  It’s 300 pages long and trust me, those pages go by very quickly.  The plot takes so many twists and turns, but it’s never difficult to keep up with them.  At the same time, you’re left guessing until the end and when Sins of the Angels does end you’ll be clamouring for the next book.  I know I was.

I give this book 5/5 stars.

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Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver(Cover picture courtesy of Goodreads.)

The old life is dead.  But the old Lena is dead too.  I buried her.  I left her beyond a fence, behind a wall of smoke and flame.

In this electrifying follow-up to her acclaimed New York Times bestseller Delirium, Lauren Oliver sets Lena on a dangerous course that hurtles through the unregulated Wilds and into the heart of a growing resistance movement.  This riveting, brilliant novel crackles with the fire of fierce defiance, forbidden romance, and the sparks of a revolution about to ignite.

No.  Just no.  Lauren Oliver, why did you have to go for the love triangle?  Hasn’t that been done enough already in YA?  I know it generates excitement amongst fans, but really?  Really?  That wasn’t necessary, you know.

My personal cliché gripes aside, Pandemonium was actually a pretty good sequel.  There were some great plot twists, a decent amount of character development and some world-building expansion, but there wasn’t that wow-factor some sequels have.  Lena changed quite a bit from her old, soft city self and into the harder but still emotionally vulnerable girl from the Wilds.  She’s also learned to hide her emotions better, which makes her interactions with Julian Fineman interesting.  Seeing her feelings develop for him and the confusion she feels over Alex’s alleged death makes for quite a bit of internal conflict, but at times it felt manufactured.

What I did like (although it took a little getting used to) was the flipping back each chapter between ‘then’ and ‘now’, Lena’s time in the Wilds and her current undercover mission in the city, respectively.  Not only did it convey background information without info-dumping, it led to very suspenseful moments, especially near the end.  And the plot twists, wow!  I saw the very last one coming, but the others?  For the most part, no.  Despite the love triangle (ugh) I actually like where the trilogy is going.

So there was decent character development, especially in Julian as odd as it sounds, a fast-paced plot and a fascinating cliffhanger.  Overall, Pandemonium was a good sequel, but I wouldn’t call it a great one.

I give this book 4/5 stars.

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