Review: Prudence

Title: The Custard Protocol #1: Prudence

Author: Gail Carriger

Date of Publication: March 17, 2015

Formats Available: Hardcover, Paperback, E-book

Buy This Book: Amazon.com

Synopsis: From New York Times bestselling author Gail Carriger comes a new novel in the world of the Parasol Protectorate starring Prudence, the daughter of Alexia Tarabotti.

When Prudence Alessandra Maccon Akeldama (Rue to her friends) is given an unexpected dirigible, she does what any sensible female would under similar circumstances - names it the Spotted Custard and floats to India in pursuit of the perfect cup of tea. But India has more than just tea on offer. Rue stumbles upon a plot involving local dissidents, a kidnapped brigadier's wife, and some awfully familiar Scottish werewolves. Faced with a dire crisis and an embarrassing lack of bloomers, what else is a young lady of good breeding to do but turn metanatural and find out everyone's secrets, even thousand-year-old fuzzy ones?

My Review:

Every author out there has a book that just didn't quite turn out. Some of them are horrendous failures, but some are just books that are obviously not the authors best work. Prudence is one of those books. While I wouldn't call this  book a failure, I wouldn't say it was Carriger's best work either. Though the writing was fantastic, as it always is, everything else from lack of plot to poor character development really brought this novel down. 

The number one problem in this novel was our heroine, Rue. Bratty, rude, and annoying, she was everything I hate in a main character and more. I kept waiting for her to show some shred of intelligence but instead I was subjected to her shallow inner dialogue making fun of everyone and their fashion choices. Prim, her best friend, wasn't any better but I wouldn't have minded a shallow best friend character if the main character had shown any amount of smarts, which she didn't. 

The other major thing wrong was that this novel had almost no plot at all. Things do start to pick up toward the very end, but other than that I was completely bored by the majority of the book. Most of the book was spent listening to Rue and Prim compare fashions and make fun of Prim's twin Percy, both of which were entertaining every once and awhile but honestly got old fast. Not only that but, I quickly grew tired of Rue bumbling around looking for "tea" when she had quite obviously embroiled herself in a different conflict and was too dumb to realize. Though the story had the potential for conflict every time I thought something was going to happen, it just didn't.

Though I couldn't stand any of the characters and the plot left much to be desired, there was one diamond in the rough and that was Quesnel. My favorite hero of Carriger's so far I fell absolutely in love with him and his rakish personality. The only bearable parts of the novel were the ones where he was around teasing Rue, dropping French endearments, and otherwise being completely swoon worthy. The only reason I kept plodding away at this one was so I could see more of Quesnel, and he didn't even play as big of a role as I would have liked.

Though I'm willing to read the next book (only because I'm so in love with Quesnel) I wasn't impressed by the first installment of The Custard Protocol series. Hopefully Rue grows up a little in the next one, but really, I'll just be reading for Quesnel.

3/5

Short Story Saturday: The Princess of Egypt Must Die

Title: The Princess of Egypt Must Die

Author: Stephanie Dray

Date of Publication: December 5, 2013

Formats Available: E-book

Number of Pages: 56

Buy This Book: Amazon

Synopsis: Before she became one of Egypt's greatest queens, she was a lonely princess who ached to belong...

Princess Arsinoe came of age in the glittering court of Ptolemaic Egypt. Abused by her ruthless sister, a pawn in the dynastic ambitions of her father, and dismissed by the king who claimed her for a bride, young Arsinoe finds herself falling in love with a young man forbidden to her. She dreams of a great destiny, but if she is ever to rule Egypt, she must first survive the nest of vipers otherwise known as her family.

My Review:

I've always been fascinated by Egyptian history so when I saw this short story for free on Amazon I just knew that I had to download it. I don't know as much about Egypt's history as I would like so I was excited to start this story and hopefully learn a little bit in the process. I've never heard of Arsinoe and her story was interesting and heartbreaking, unfortunately I felt like The Princess of Egypt Must Die just didn't quite do justice to what could have been a fascinating story.

Because of the short length I felt like the majority of the story was rushed and not very well put together. I was thrown into the world of Arsinoe without any prior knowledge and had to piece together little everything along the way. Additionally this story is a very dramatic one; full of lying, backstabbing, and deceit, however because of the rushed feel of the story I felt like a lot of the suspense and drama was lost because the author was in such a hurry to move from one event to the other. I felt like this story was a summary rather than an actual short story. 

Even though Arsinoe was somewhat developed I felt like all the secondary characters were nothing more than shells. I barely knew anyone in the story other than Arsinoe and because of the nature of the story I felt like I needed to know the secondary characters a little more to truly appreciate it. There was lots to learn about each of the characters, and they each had their own angle, but they were barely skimmed over in order to move more quickly to the next event. 

I wouldn't say this was a bad short story, just because of the original and fascinating premise, but it just wasn't long enough to make it truly amazing. Had it been a full length novel, which would have given each of the events enough time to be properly executed and allowed all of the secondary characters to develop more of a personality, I would have enjoyed it much more. Fans of Egyptian history will be interested by the story but this novel feels more like a summary than an actual work of fiction.  

3/5

Review: Treasure, Darkly

Title: Treasure, Darkly

Author: Jordan Elizabeth

Date of Publication: February 15, 2015

Formats Available: Paperback, E-book

Buy This Book: Amazon.com

Synopsis: Seventeen-year-old Clark Treasure assumes the drink he stole off the captain is absinthe… until the chemicals in the liquid give him the ability to awaken the dead.

A great invention for creating perfect soldiers, yes, but Clark wants to live as a miner, not a slave to the army—or the deceased. On the run, Clark turns to his estranged, mining tycoon father for help. The Treasures welcome Clark with open arms, so he jumps at the chance to help them protect their ranch against Senator Horan, a man who hates anyone more powerful than he.

Sixteen-year-old Amethyst Treasure loathes the idea of spending the summer away from her bustling city life to rot on her father’s ranch, but when a handsome young man shows up claiming to be her secret half-brother, her curiosity is piqued. He’s clever, street smart, and has no qualms jumping into the brawl between the Treasures and Horans. Caught in the middle, Horan kidnaps Amethyst, and all she gets is this lousy bullet through her heart.

When Clark brings her back to life, however, the real action starts, and Amethyst joins him in his fight against the Horan clan—whatever the cost. Defeating the Horans may seem easy at first, but going up against men with the same fighting vengeance as Clark, and a Senator with power he’s obtained by brainwashing the masses?

Well, Amethyst’s boring summer at home has turned into an adventure on the run, chock full of intrigue, danger, love, and a mysterious boy named Clark.

My Review:

Let me just start this review by saying that the cover of this novel is one of the most beautiful, amazing, fantastic, awesome, brilliant covers I have ever seen in my life. The second I saw the cover of this novel I knew I wanted to read it and I just have to give the biggest shout out in the world to the person who designed it, because honestly it's just gorgeous. Okay, now that I've got that out of my system, on to the actual review!

Treasure, Darkly is one of those novels that's going to be interesting to review because I'm just so on the fence about how I feel about it. The novel started off interesting enough, with Clark stealing a vial of what he though was absinthe, and instead gaining some cool preternatural abilities. Though his abilities are fascinating, they really take a backseat to the rest of the drama going on in the novel, and I wish we could have seen them in action a little more. However, with the army after him, a long lost father to learn about, inventions to find, and a new family to meet there was plenty going on in this novel to keep me turning pages.

When Clark is taken in by the Treasures, and instantly accepted, the action really picks up and I absolutely loved the western/steampunk setting. Elizabeth really did a fantastic job with the world building and I loved learning more about the world she created. From steamcycles to evil ranchers this novel had it all. The only problem I had with the plot was that there was no resolution to any of the conflicts, there are so many story arcs going on that  I figured at least one of them would have been resolved. Instead all we get is a rather abrupt ending that had almost nothing to do with the main story. 

Though there were a lot of good things about this novel there were a few that really bothered me too. First of all there was just something about Clark that rubbed me the wrong way. I don't quite know what it was about him but as the novel went on I started to like him less and less. His cocky attitude and some of his inner dialogue had me quickly losing respect for him and toward the end of the novel I just couldn't stand him anymore. Amethyst, on the other hand, had a bit of a flat personality but wasn't as bad as Clark. Though for the amount of times she was kidnapped you would think she would have some sort of reaction, but she just goes back to lusting after Clark instead. 

Maybe part of the reason I disliked Clark as much as I did was because of his relationship with Amethyst. The romance in this novel was so lewd and lust driven that reading about Clark and Amethyst honestly made me uncomfortable. There was absolutely no mutual affection between them and some of the inner dialogue Clark had about Amethyst was just plain disgusting. I wanted to root for them, I really did, but in the end I just couldn't do it. 

Though there were a lot of things I really enjoyed about this novel, mainly the setting and the steampunk elements, the romance made me feel so icky that I had to knock this one down a little bit. Overall not a bad read, but I could have done without the romance.

3/5

*I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for a free and honest review. 

Short Story Saturday: Redemption

Title: Redemption (from the anthology Shifting Shadows: Stories from the World of Mercy Thompson)

Author: Patricia Briggs

Date of Publication: September 2, 2014

Formats Available: Hardcover, Paperback, E-book

Buy This Book: Amazon

Number of Pages: 34

Synopsis: "Ben is in the process of change. We mere mortals have only seventy years or so in which to get over the bad things hat have happened to us- and the bad things we've done. I found an event that would be pivotal for Ben- and a chance to bring in some of the werid and absurd things my husband ran into in his years as a DBA (data base administrator) for a huge government contractor." - Patricia Briggs, Shifting Shadows: Stories from the World of Mercy Thompson

My Review:

 I am a huge, huge, huge fan of Ben. Even though he's rough around the edges and not always the best person I still love him and I know that, hiding under his rude and abrasive personality, there is a good person no matter how hard he tries to hide it. The friendship between him and Mercy is one of my favorite relationships in the whole series so I was thrilled to finally read a story from his perspective.

Though I didn't love this one as much as I was hoping I still enjoyed it. I liked getting inside Ben's head and seeing him from another perspective. Even though he was a jerk for the majority of the novel there was also a part of him that has always been a good person and I liked seeing little bits of that shine through. Because it was Ben Briggs was able to include a little bit of humor in this story as well and I really enjoyed watching Ben struggle through his challenge not to cuss and his attitude toward the people he worked with, both of which made me laugh.

One of the other most interesting parts of this story was learning a little bit more about Ben's past. In the novels his past is brushed on a little bit but never fully explained, while I still have a few questions it was really nice to learn a little bit more about Ben and what makes him tick. Ben's been through a lot, and even though his whole story hasn't quite been divulged yet I still have a special place in my heart for his character.

While Redemption wasn't one of my favorites of the collection I did enjoy it and fans of Ben will definitely be excited to finally learn a little bit more about him. I can't wait to see more of Ben in the future and I hope we get to learn even more about him as the series continues!

3/5

Review: Just Like Heaven

Title: Smythe-Smith Quartet #1: Just Like Heaven

Author: Julia Quinn

Date of Publication: May 31, 2011

Formats Available: Hardcover, Paperback, E-book

Buy This Book: Amazon

Synopsis: Honoria Smythe-Smith is:
A) a really bad violinist
B) still miffed at being nicknamed "Bug" as a child
C) not in love with her older brother's best friend
D) all of the above

Marcus Holroyd is:
A) the Earl of Chatteris
B) regrettably prone to sprained ankles
C) not in love with his best friend's younger sister
D) all of the above

Together they:
A) eat quite a bit of chocolate cake
B) survive a deadly fever and the world's worst musical performance
C) fall quite desperately in love

It's Julia Quinn at her best, so you know the answer is ...
D) all of the above

My Review:

Just Like Heaven was one of those reads that, while it was super cute, I finished the novel not really having much to say. There was just nothing new or exciting about this novel that grabbed my interest and while I would say overall it was good, I just don't have anything memorable to remark on.

I really liked Honoria and Marcus and their relationship was adorable, though I wish there had been more time for them to interact. I felt like much of the novel was dedicated to Marcus being sick and Honoria nursing him, which is an okay plot device, but it didn't give them much time to really display their personalities. I didn't necessarily feel distant from them but I didn't feel as connected to them as I would have if more of the novel had been spent on situations that would have caused more character development.

Romance wise the novel was good, but just so uneventful that I don't have much to say about it. Honoria and Marcus moved at a good pace and their relationship was believable, but there just wasn't any spark to it. The end of the novel was cute, especially when he brought her flowers, but unfortunately it just didn't speak to me the same way other romance novels have in the past.

Hands down the best part of this novel was the humor. I wouldn't say it was laugh out loud funny, but the situations Honoria found herself in always made me smile. The quartet and their horrendous music, not to mention all their arguments, kept me entertained and the drama at the end of the book made it all worth it. However, I just wish there had been more events in the story that were significant, there were only two major events, Marcus's illness and the concert, so in the end I finished the novel wishing I could have seen all the characters in more situations so I could have gotten to know them better.

Even though there was nothing attention grabbing about this novel I'm still interested enough in some of the secondary characters to put the next novel on my to read list. Julia Quinn is one of the biggest names in historical romance and, while I wasn't overly impressed with my first novel by her, I can see why her books are so appealing.

3/5

Short Story Saturday: The Star of David

Title: The Star of David (from the anthology Shifting Shadows: Stories from the World of Mercy Thompson)

Author: Patricia Briggs

Date of Publication: September 2, 2014

Formats Available: Hardcover, Paperback, E-book

Buy This Book: Amazon

Number of Pages: 34

Synopsis: "So I was asked to write a Christmas story about werewolves. David Christiansen, who appeared in Moon Called, had such a tragic history, I couldn't help but write a Christmas story for him. A fellow army ranger, he and Adam were the only survivors of a mission gone bad in the Vietnam War. They returned stateside, only to discover that they had been turned into the beast they had defeated. David is, more than my of my wolves, suffering from the traditional curse of the werewolf. A good man who, while in his wolf form was in control, killed the very last person he wanted to hurt." - Patricia Briggs, Shifting Shadows: Stories from the World of Mercy Thompson

My Review:

The Star of David was my other least favorite of this collection. Though it had a heart warming message, I didn't particularly enjoy the story and I wasn't as caught up in the action as I was during other stories in this anthology. The characters in this one felt a little distant and I just didn't connect to them the way I usually connect to Briggs's characters.

I don't remember David at all from the series, but it's been awhile since I read Moon Called. However the farther I read into the story it became obvious why I had forgotten him, David definitely isn't my favorite character and though his story is sad I just didn't feel any connection to him. Because David seemed so detached from the tragedy around him it made it hard for me to really get into his character and relate to him.

The most interesting part of the story was getting introduced to a seldom seen type of character in the Mercy world, wizards. Though the series has its fair share of female witches I'm excited to see how wizards differ and learn more about Devonte and his powers. While the plot taking place in the hospital after the attack was okay I was much more interested in how Devonte discovered his powers and the circumstances that caused him to use them.

Even though The Star of David wasn't my favorite it was an enjoyable story nevertheless and a nice addition to the Shifting Shadows anthology. However, if you only have limited time I would suggest reading this one last.

3/5

Short Story Saturday: Fairy Gifts

Title: Fairy Gifts (from the anthology Shifting Shadows: Stories from the World of Mercy Thompson)

Author: Patricia Briggs

Date of Publication: September 2, 2014

Formats Available: Hardcover, Paperback, E-book

Buy This Book: Amazon

Number of Pages: 30

Synopsis: "I grew up in Butte, Montana... there were all sorts of stories that were told about the "old days." Stories about the racetrack that had stood where East Junior High (now East Middle School) had been built. I heard tales of Shoestring Annie, Dirty-Mouth Jean, and the old madame who beat up Carrie Nation when she took her temperance crusade to the wrong bar. So I just had to set a story in Butte." - Patricia Briggs, "Shifting Shadows: Stories from the World of Mercy Thompson"

My Review:

Fairy Gifts was probably my least favorite short story in the Mercy Thompson collection. Thomas and his back story were interesting enough, and I would have loved to learn more about his life in the past, but I had a few issues with the plot that really hindered my enjoyment of the story.

I like Thomas, we don't see many good vampires in the Mercy world so I was happy to be introduced to another one. He had a fascinating back story and I would have loved to learn more about his life before he became a vampire as well as the times right after he was changed. His part in his fathers opium den intrigued me and I was fascinated by the powers to the earth he possesses.  However, I felt that this story didn't give enough time for me to really get to know Thomas's character or go into any depth with the plot.

The main reason I didn't like this short story was because I finished it with more questions than answers. I went back and read, and re-read, and re-read again but I just couldn't figure out why the events were taking place. Why was Margaret trapped in the mine in the first place? Why did Thomas's father punish him by making him a vampire? Why did the other fae in the beginning of the novel betray Margaret's father? The story just wasn't long enough to answer important questions and I finished this story feeling unsatisfied. Plus the entire plot of the story was the exact same thing happening twice, once in the past and once in the present.

Though I wouldn't say this story was bad it definitely wasn't what I was expecting from Briggs. The lack of a fleshed out plot, and quite a few holes along the way, just didn't do it for me. Though I wouldn't mind seeing Thomas again in the future I just wasn't impressed with his story.

3/5

Review: Undone

Title: Undone

Author: Shannon Richard

Date of Publication: July 2, 2013

Formats Available: Paperback, E-book

Buy This Book: Amazon

Synopsis: Things Paige Morrison will never understand about Mirabelle, Florida:

Why wearing red shoes makes a girl a harlot
Why a shop would ever sell something called "buck urine"
Why everywhere she goes, she runs into sexy-and infuriating-Brendan King

After losing her job, her apartment, and her boyfriend, Paige has no choice but to leave Philadelphia and move in with her retired parents. For an artsy outsider like Paige, finding her place in the tightly knit town isn't easy-until she meets Brendan, the hot mechanic who's interested in much more than Paige's car. In no time at all, Brendan helps Paige find a new job, new friends, and a happiness she wasn't sure she'd ever feel again. With Brendan by her side, Paige finally feels like she can call Mirabelle home. But when a new bombshell drops, will the couple survive, or will their love come undone?

My Review:

I went into Undone expecting a cute and fluffy read, and while that's exactly what I got I was expecting something just a little bit more than the same played out story I've heard over and over again. The bulk of the novel focused on nothing more than the routine actions of the characters, with very little variation or excitement to break up the monotony. Though the novel wasn't awful, the lack of any excitement made it hard for me to really get into this one.

The novel started off well enough, with plenty of drama between Paige and the townspeople and her developing relationship with Brendan. However, as the novel started to drag on it quickly became apparent that there was going to be no further excitement than the day to day activities of Paige and Brendan. I can only read about so many so-so make out sessions before I'm bored so after about 30% of this novel I was ready to move on. However, I stuck it out and continued to be rather unimpressed, but not bored enough to completely quit.

Paige and Brendan were the typical romance protagonists; Brendan was (of course) absolutely gorgeous and falls in love with Paige, the misunderstood, but still perfect, heroine. Though I was impressed that the two of them managed to refrain from falling into "insta-love" within the first 10% of the novel that was not the case for the rest of their relationship. Their relationship moves so quickly, and all of their interactions are based so purely on the physical, that I felt like I hardly knew either of them. Brendan especially has such a tough underlying story that I was hoping that during the course of their relationship we would learn a little bit more about him and how his experiences affected him, but unfortunately that was not to be.

Despite it all there were some very entertaining aspects to the novel. I absolutely loved the tension between Paige and the rest of the townsfolk and watching the drama unfold. From snarky gossip columns to flat out rudeness there was never a dull moment when trash talking was involved. I also enjoyed the fast pace at the end of the novel, it was one event after another and while I didn't agree with all of the actions on the part of the characters it still made for a more interesting read than the whole of the rest of the novel.

At the end of the day Undone isn't a terrible novel, just an unmemorable one. Fans of new adult and contemporary romance might enjoy this one but I wouldn't put it at the top of your to read list.

3/5

Short Story Saturday: Bewitching the Werewolf

Title: Megan Stevens #1: Bewitching the Werewolf

Author: Caroline Hanson

Date of Publication: September 25, 2011

Formats Available: E-book

Buy This Book: Amazon

Number of Pages: 62

Synopsis: When witch for hire, Megan Stephens, is assigned to help the local werewolf pack leader find a mate, she thinks the job will be easy. Get in, get it up and get gone. But when she meets Zack Connor, she realizes her future might have a lot more dog jokes in it than she ever imagined.

My Review:

Bewitching the Werewolf is one of the many free books I've downloaded from Amazon while I've had my Kindle. While some books end up being absolutely horrible this one (thankfully!) isn't one of them. Bewitching the Werewolf is a super fun read; with a hilarious main character, an interesting premise, and plenty of romance, this is one of those short stories that's perfect to read when you want to read, but don't want the commitment of a whole book.

I immediately loved Megan, she was hilarious and fun, the perfect heroine for a short story. I liked the idea of her being a witch for hire, and when she found out what her assignment was I had to laugh. Megan's commentary was hilarious and there were moments when I found myself laughing out loud. Her love interest, Zack, wasn't as developed as she was but I still enjoyed the romance between them and watching their relationship shift from their immediate dislike of each other to something more. My only complaint about this one is how that half the book seems to be ads for the authors other works, this one should have been longer!

Overall I enjoyed this story and it was really nice to get a taste of Hanson's writing. If I'm ever in need for something new to read I know that I'll be keeping her in mind!

3/5

Review: India Black

Title: Madam of Espionage #1: India Black

Author: Carol K. Carr

Date of Publication: January 4, 2011

Formats Available: Paperback, E-book

Buy This Book: Amazon

Synopsis: When Sir Archibald Latham of the War Office dies from a heart attack while visiting her brothel, Madam India Black is unexpectedly thrust into a deadly game between Russian and British agents who are seeking the military secrets Latham carried.

Blackmailed into recovering the missing documents by the British spy known as French, India finds herself dodging Russian agents-and the attraction she starts to feel for the handsome conspirator.

My Review:

 After reading the first sentence of this novel I knew that I was going to like it. Full of action and adventure, as well as some colorful characters, this novel had all the elements of a great first novel. Though it wasn't perfect India Black would make for a good filler read, especially because it's so short (not even 300 pages) and the action keeps it moving along.

India was one of the most interesting characters I've read about in a long time. Right off the bat I liked her attitude and sassy commentary. It was interesting to read from the perspective of a character who enjoyed running a brothel and everything that went along with it. Most books I read that take place in a similar setting have characters who are stuck there or need the money, but India actually enjoys it. I also enjoyed reading about all of the secondary characters, Vincent was an interesting ally and I loved the slight sexual tension between India and French.

Even though the political details were a little on the dry side I really enjoyed the action that came along with them. Because of India's unique position as a madam of a brothel there were plenty of unusual situations for her to find herself in and her sassy personality made it all the better. I've never read a book quite like this one in regards to India's occupation, and I was intrigued by the day to day operations of the brothel she managed. However, she spends relatively little time there, except for in the beginning, so I'm hoping future books in the series will take place there a little bit more.

The one thing that frustrated me the most about this novel is that India and French were always finding themselves outsmarted by their opponents. For two fairly intelligent characters I found it hard to believe that when it came to trying to defeat their enemies they were so stupid. Even though their blunders made for plenty of action I felt like after awhile the author was using it to drag the novel rather than for important plot development. Though I will say that the ending was just that much more satisfying after having to go through so much to get there.

Even though India Black wasn't my absolute favorite read it was a entertaining read and a good filler book to read when there isn't really anything else. I'm intrigued by the ties between her and French and I'm interested to see where India finds herself in the future. Next time I need a book to pass the time the second book in this series is definitely on my list!

3/5

Review: Back To Life

Title: Back To Life

Author: Danielle Allen

Date of Publication: July 31, 2013

Formats Available: E-book

Buy This Book: Amazon

Synopsis: Sahara Lee has spent the last ten years living with the guilt of a tragic accident and its aftermath. That night irrevocably changed the outgoing, fun-loving college freshman into an introverted, workaholic with no social life. Sahara isolates herself from everyone and everything that reminds her of home in an effort to forget what happened. Using art as a substitute for love, Sahara throws herself into music and art as a way to feel something other than the guilt that haunts her. She accepts her lonely existence as penance for the role she played in the accident. That is, until she meets Tyree Barker, the good looking entrepreneur with baggage of his own.

Blindsided by a legal loophole, Sahara is suddenly forced to confront the past she’s been running from. Juggling the guilty feelings of her past and the unexpected feelings of her present, Sahara’s future becomes complicated as she heads down a path of forgiveness, love, and heartbreak…and not in that particular order.

Back to Life reminds you that living and existing are two completely different ways to go through life. Grief will break you but guilt, guilt will destroy you. And once that happens, what can bring you back to life?

My Review:

Back to Life is one of those books that while there's nothing bad about it, there's nothing really memorable either. While the novel was well written and put together I just found myself a little bit bored with a story that I've read so many times already. Though this novel had a lot of good things going for it, such as the good writing and fleshed out characters, it didn't change the fact that I just wasn't all that impressed by the story itself.

Right off the bat I really liked Sahara, even though she was still hurting from what happened to her in the past I could tell that she was going to be a strong character and push through what happened to her, no matter how hard it may be. Sometimes indie novels have a little bit of a problem with flat characters but Sahara had a well rounded personality. I could relate to her a lot in that she really loved music and art and, though I knew where it was going, I did enjoy how Allen slowly revealed parts of her story, instead of dumping it on me all at once.

The romance between Sahara and Ty moved quickly, super quickly, but it worked well enough for the story. There were some moments where I wish things had been a little slower to give Sahara and Ty a chance to really get to know each other before things between them got so intense, but the quick speed helped the story move along. They both had interesting stories and I liked watching how they intertwined and overlapped. Ty was also a well written character and didn't suffer from the lackluster personality some male love interests suffer from.

Even though I really liked the characters it didn't change the fact that the plot was nothing special. It wasn't bad, but I've read the same thing plenty of times before so I just couldn't get into the story the same way I might have if it had been a bit more original. I could see everything coming a mile away and the only thing that ended up throwing me for a loop was the ending. The cliffhanger Allen throws us at the end was the most exciting and unexpected part of the whole novel and while it did make up for a lot of the predictability in the beginning it didn't completely erase it.

Overall Back To Life wasn't a bad book, just a little on the forgettable side. Allen does have talent as a writer and with a more original plot she definitely has the potential to write something really good.

3/5

Review: Shades of Milk and Honey

Title: The Glamourist Histories #1: Shades of Milk and Honey

Author: Mary Robinette Kowal

Date of Publication: August 3, 2010

Formats Available: Hardcover, Paperback, E-book

Buy This Book: Amazon

Synopsis: Shades of Milk and Honey is an intimate portrait of Jane Ellsworth, a woman ahead of her time in a version of Regency England where the manipulation of glamour is considered an essential skill for a lady of quality. But despite the prevalence of magic in everyday life, other aspects of Dorchester’s society are not that different: Jane and her sister Melody’s lives still revolve around vying for the attentions of eligible men.

Jane resists this fate, and rightly so: while her skill with glamour is remarkable, it is her sister who is fair of face, and therefore wins the lion’s share of the attention. At the ripe old age of twenty-eight, Jane has resigned herself to being invisible forever. But when her family’s honor is threatened, she finds that she must push her skills to the limit in order to set things right–and, in the process, accidentally wanders into a love story of her own.

My Review: 

I've never quite read a book like Shades of Milk and Honey; on one hand I was completely enchanted by the world Kowal had created, and on the other I finished this novel feeling a little unsatisfied, like something just hadn't quite added up in the end. Even though I enjoyed this novel so much while I was reading it sitting down to write this review opened my eyes a little bit to how many shortcomings this book really had.

Let me start with what I loved about this book, the number one thing being the writing. Kowal had a absolutely beautiful writing style and her style did an excellent job pulling me into the Regency world full of magic she had created. I loved the inclusion of glamour and I was fascinated by how the characters manipulated it. I also really enjoyed the personalities of each of the characters, Jane is the cliche underdog that we all end up rooting for because we all see a little part of us in her. Likewise, her sister was thee stereotypical beauty who appears to have it all, but really doesn't. Even though both of those characters have been done a million times it just works, stereotypes are stereotypes for a reason and Kowal used that to her best advantage.

The plot left me with some mixed feelings. While I was reading I wasn't bothered by the fact that most of the novel is consumed with the daily activities of Jane and her family. However, when I sat down to write this review I realized just how little happened in this novel. The end is exciting, and even though I saw the big finish coming a mile away, the ending had me glued to the page and I loved the action and excitement. However, other than those few pages at the end not much else happened other than dialogue between characters. I will give Kowal points for keeping me so engrossed in a novel where not much happens, but I just felt a little cheated by the time I got to the end of the novel.

My biggest complaint about this book was the "romance". It feels as though Kowal tacked the romance on at the end of the novel as an afterthought, without adding any threads of it in the beginning of the novel. I was shocked by the revelation of romance and I wasn't a fan of how fast everything moves after that. I felt as though Jane and her love interest had almost no interaction prior to the big revelation and when the truth finally came out it felt so random and unnecessary.

Overall I was intrigued enough by this novel to continue with the next couple books in the series but I also finished this novel feeling a little unsatisfied. Hopefully the next books in the series live up to the potential I saw in present in this one, Kowal has the ability to write a fantastic novel and I hope that the next books live up to how good she could be.

3/5

Review: The Reflections of Queen Snow White

Title: The Reflections of Queen Snow White

Author: David Meredith

Date of Publication: October 2, 2013

Formats Available: E-book

Buy This Book: Amazon

Synopsis: What happens when "happily ever after" has come and gone?

On the eve of her only daughter, Princess Raven's wedding, an aging Snow White finds it impossible to share in the joyous spirit of the occasion. The ceremony itself promises to be the most glamorous social event of the decade. Snow White’s castle has been meticulously scrubbed, polished and opulently decorated for the celebration. It is already nearly bursting with jubilant guests and merry well-wishers. Prince Edel, Raven's fiancé, is a fine man from a neighboring kingdom and Snow White's own domain is prosperous and at peace. Things could not be better, in fact, except for one thing:

The king is dead.

The queen has been in a moribund state of hopeless depression for over a year with no end in sight. It is only when, in a fit of bitter despair, she seeks solitude in the vastness of her own sprawling castle and climbs a long disused and forgotten tower stair that she comes face to face with herself in the very same magic mirror used by her stepmother of old.

It promises her respite in its shimmering depths, but can Snow White trust a device that was so precious to a woman who sought to cause her such irreparable harm? Can she confront the demons of her own difficult past to discover a better future for herself and her family? And finally, can she release her soul-crushing grief and suffocating loneliness to once again discover what "happily ever after" really means?

Only time will tell as she wrestles with her past and is forced to confront The Reflections of Queen Snow White.

My Review: 

Even though I wasn't quite sure what I would think about this novel, since I either really love or really hate re-tellings, I started The Reflections of Queen Snow White hoping to like it and I'm happily I did! Well written and entertaining to read  I was drawn in by the story and quickly found myself engulfed in the memories of Snow White.

What I really liked about this novel was how real Snow White was. I feel that in most of the fairy tale re-tellings Snow White often lacks that little spark that makes her seem real. Meredith was able to perfectly capture this spark and give Snow White depth and a personality. I also loved how instead of reading from the prime of her life onward we get to see her as an aging widow with flashbacks to the past. The flashbacks worked wonderfully for the story and I loved seeing glimpses into her past life.

I also really enjoyed seeing the parts of the story that are so often glossed over. Everyone knows the typical story of Snow White living the woods with the dwarfs but Meredith really focused on the parts of the story, such as Snow White's childhood, that are so often forgotten. From her horrific childhood and her eventual escape, to the death of her husband Meredith focused on more obscure events and I really loved being able to read about something new, rather than the same story I already know just embellished with different words.

The only thing I was a little disappointed about was the lack of character development in any character other than Snow White; though she was wonderfully developed all the other characters made such short cameos that they never really developed much of a personality. I was especially interested in learning about her evil stepmother, Meredith painted such a abusive and horrible picture of her I was curious to learn more about her. However, I was so impressed by Snow White and the other characters made such short appearances that this small fault was easy to overlook.

Overall The Reflections of Queen Snow White was an interesting read that fans of Snow White will no doubt devour. Great writing, wonderful character development, and a deeper look into the world of Snow White all come together to make this a entertaining novel.

3/5

Review: Newsoul #3: Infinite

Title: Newsoul #3: Infinite

Author: Jodi Meadows

Date of Publication: January 28, 2014

Formats Available: Hardcover, Paperback, E-book

Buy This Book: Amazon

Synopsis: DESTRUCTION
The Year of Souls begins with an earthquake—an alarming rumble from deep within the earth—and it’s only the first of greater dangers to come. The Range caldera is preparing to erupt. Ana knows that as Soul Night approaches, everything near Heart will be at risk.

FLIGHT
Ana’s exile is frightening, but it may also be fortuitous, especially if she can convince her friends to flee Heart and Range with her. They’ll go north, seeking answers and allies to stop Janan’s ascension. And with any luck, the newsouls will be safe from harm’s reach.

CHOICE
The oldsouls might have forgotten the choice they made to give themselves limitless lifetimes, but Ana knows the true cost of reincarnation. What she doesn’t know is whether she’ll have the chance to finish this one sweet life with Sam, especially if she returns to Heart to stop Janan once and for all.

With gorgeous romance and thrilling action, the final book in the Incarnate trilogy offers a brilliant conclusion to the compelling questions of this fascinating world, where one new girl is the key to the lives of millions.

My Review:

After how much I absolutely adored the first two books in this series it's needless to say that I had extremely high expectations from this novel. Since my expectations were so high I suppose it's only natural that this one let me down a little bit, but I just wasn't prepared for how much it would let me down.

I think one of the things I missed most in this novel was the interactions between Sam and Ana. In the past two novels I could feel their relationship through the pages, there was something more than just words on a page that bound them together, and this time around I didn't feel it. Their relationship felt a little flat and superficial and even though there were some cute moments between them it just didn't feel the same as it did in the first two novels.

The other thing I wasn't impressed by this time around was the plot. To be honest it was just kind of... boring. There wasn't much growth for Ana as a character, one of the things I loved most about the first two books, and even though it had some action filled moments most of the book felt like dialogue. I was also a little unimpressed with the mythological creatures like the Sylph and dragons. I know this series is YA but I felt like the way the dragons and sylph were handled made this book feel like it was meant for a younger crowd than the previous two novels.

Despite the fact that I wasn't particularly impressed by this novel there were still a few fantastic moments thrown in. One of the best was the ending, it tied the whole series together and was a wonderful way to end the series. Sometimes conclusions to series leave me feeling unsatisfied, but the ending of this trilogy was absolutely perfect. No lingering questions, no shocking revelations; it was perfect!

Overall I would still highly recommend the Newsoul series to fans of YA fiction. Even though the final book in the series wasn't my favorite the Newsoul trilogy is a great one and fans of romance and fantasy will no doubt enjoy it!

3/5

Review: Kindling the Moon

Title: Arcadia Bell #1: Kindling the Moon

Author: Jenn Bennet

Date of Publication: June 28, 2011

Formats Available: Paperback, E-book

Buy This Book: Amazon

Synopsis: Being the spawn of two infamous occultists (and alleged murderers) isn’t easy, but freewheeling magician Arcadia “Cady” Bell knows how to make the best of a crummy situation. After hiding out for seven years, she’s carved an incognito niche for herself slinging drinks at the demon-friendly Tambuku Tiki Lounge.

But she receives an ultimatum when unexpected surveillance footage of her notorious parents surfaces: either prove their innocence or surrender herself. Unfortunately, the only witness to the crimes was an elusive Æthyric demon, and Cady has no idea how to find it. She teams up with Lon Butler, an enigmatic demonologist with a special talent for sexual spells and an arcane library of priceless stolen grimoires. Their research soon escalates into a storm of conflict involving missing police evidence, the decadent Hellfire Club, a ruthless bounty hunter, and a powerful occult society that operates way outside the law. If Cady can’t clear her family name soon, she’ll be forced to sacrifice her own life . . . and no amount of running will save her this time.

My Review: 

Despite starting off a little rough I was surprised how much I ended up enjoying Kindling the Moon. As with most urban fantasies I was expecting another stereotypical badass heroine and a run of the mill action filled plot. However, even though this novel had both of those to an extent, I was pleasantly surprised to find that Bennett had a original take on magic and demons and that both of those things came together to make a novel that was just a little bit more than I was expecting.

What made me really enjoy Kindling the Moon was the interesting integration of demons and magic, called Heka. Bennett presented a very original take on magic and demons and I really enjoyed the world that she had created. The plot, more than the characters, was what really kept me interested in this novel. The story about Cady's parents and the murders held my interest until the very end and with all the magic and demon hunting in between there was hardly a dull moment. Not to mention the ending that completely blew me away; unexpected and surprising the ending was what really pulled everything together and made this novel worth reading.

The characters weren't bad but I wasn't particularly impressed by them. It's not that I disliked Cady, I liked her fine, but there just wasn't anything about her personality that made me really love her. One of the most annoying things about urban fantasy is that almost all of the heroines act like they have something to prove, and even though Cady started off with a bit of a chip on her shoulder, she evened out as the novel went on and I really appreciated that. Lon, the love interest, was a tad more interesting than Cady just because of his gruff personality but he honestly didn't really strike a chord with me either. The one character I did end up adoring was Jupe, Lon's son. Jupe was hilarious and his boisterous personality always made me smile; I'm definitely looking forward to seeing him in the next book!

Overall while Kindling the Moon was an enjoyable enough read there wasn't really anything about it that really jumped out at me. I am definitely interested enough in the series to continue reading but this novel was just missing that little something that would have made it memorable. First books in a series are always a little rough so I'm willing to give Bennett another shot, because there really were a lot of great ideas in this novel it was just lacking the characters to make the plot really shine.

Those looking for an urban fantasy with a bit of an original twist on magic may want to check this series out but I haven't quite made up my mind about it yet. Hopefully the next book will have stronger character development and have that little spark the series needs!

3/5

Review: Wind and Shadow

Title: Talbot Trilogy #1: Wind and Shadow

Author: Tori L. Ridgewood

Date of Publication: June 20, 2013

Formats Available: Paperback, E-book

Buy This Book: Amazon

Synopsis: Rayvin Woods, photographer and natural witch. She just wanted to start her life over again after a series of misadventures. She didn't count on rekindling a lost love when she came home to Talbot...or battling a malevolent vampire and his coven for her life.

Grant Michaels, police officer. He thought Rayvin was a murderer. He will do whatever it takes to protect the community he loves from danger...but will he learn to trust his heart, and the word of a witch, before it's too late?

Malcolm de Sade, cunning vampire, imprisoned underground for a year by Charlotte Fanning and Pike Mahonen ("Mist and Midnight", Midnight Thirsts). His accidental release unleashes his hunger and ambition on a small, sleepy town…

My Review: 

Wind and Shadow is one of those books that is hard to review in that I just don't have much to say about it. I wasn't really impressed by this novel, neither was I completely put off. On a totally unrelated note I do love the cover, so many novels have covers that have absolutely nothing to do with the story but Wind and Shadow is one of those few novels that has a cover that ties in perfectly! That aside, even though there were a lot of positive aspects of the novel there just wasn't enough originality to make it stand out to me.

Rayvin was a likable, though unremarkable, main character. I was especially fascinated by her past in Talbot and what really happened that night with Jason. Ridgeway did a good job building up suspense and giving just enough information to make you wonder what happened but, at the same time, not telling the entire story. Other than that Rayvin was just like every other female main character who also happens to be a witch, she even had the black cat named Samantha to make the whole stereotype complete.

The romance between Rayvin and Grant was interesting enough though I didn't feel a huge amount of chemistry between them. I felt like their romance was based more on lust than on mutual respect and that made it hard for me to completely become engrossed in their relationship. Toward the end I started to feel a little bit more between them but not enough to make me change my mind about their romance.

I will give points for originality when it comes to Ridgeway's take on vampires though. Generally vampires play a much more positive role but in this novel they were the villains, and good villains at that. Ridgeway did a great job with creating tension between Rayvin and the awakened vampire and throwing in just enough action to keep me from losing interest. The cliffhanger ending does make me wonder what will happen in the next book but to be honest, Wind and Shadow just wasn't interesting enough to make me want to run out and pick it up.

Overall Wind and Shadow wasn't a bad book, but a forgettable one. There just wasn't anything that made this novel stand out among the slew of other vampire and paranormal books out there. Ridgway is a very good writer but just needs to work a little more on originality!

3/5

Review: Dreg City #1: Three Days To Dead

Title: Dreg City #1: Three Days to Dead

Author: Kelley Meding

Date of Publication: November 24, 2009

Formats Available: Paperback, E-book

Buy This Book: Amazon

Synopsis: They’ll never see her coming. . . .

When Evangeline Stone wakes up naked and bruised on a cold slab at the morgue—in a stranger’s body, with no memory of who she is and how she got there—her troubles are only just beginning. Before that night she and the two other members of her Triad were the city’s star bounty hunters, mercilessly cleansing the city of the murderous creatures living in the shadows, from vampires to shape-shifters to trolls. Then something terrible happened that not only cost all three of them their lives but also convinced the city’s other Hunters that Evy was a traitor—and she can’t even remember what it was.

Now she’s a fugitive, piecing together her memory, trying to deal some serious justice—and discovering that she has only three days to solve her own murder before the reincarnation spell wears off. Because in three days Evy will die again—but this time there’s no second chance. . .

My Review

While I wouldn't exactly call Three Days to Dead an awful book I wouldn't call it a good one either. Unoriginal and underdeveloped it was a hard novel to get into and slow to get started, however once the novel got started it wasn't a necessarily difficult one to read.

Evy was an alright character; a fairly typical urban fantasy heroine she's got a huge chip on her shoulder and enough guns to back it up. The most original thing about her was the fact that she was brought back to life and came back in a "Gifted" body, meaning that she is one of the few humans who can control magic. Wyatt, another "Gifted", was a unremarkable male lead. His romance with Evy lacked chemistry, probably because she admitted several times that she didn't love him but then proceeded to think about him like she did, and his character just wasn't developed enough for me to start to feel a real connection with him.

Likewise the plot was nothing new to the urban fantasy genre. Since it's all been said before I felt like the author was a little lazy and cut some corners because she assumed that the reader would fill in the blanks. I was able to but at the same time I felt like the world and characters weren't nearly developed as they could have been. While the novel was exciting, there was definitely no lack of action, there were times (especially at the end) where the answers came too easily with absolutely no explanation.

My biggest complaint about this novel was the pacing. Though it wasn't exactly a struggle to get through, the first 200 pages of this book were pretty dull and I had a hard time keeping myself focused on the book. The author does a terrible job explaining the dregs (or vampires, werewolves, goblins, ect) that roam the city and for the first 50 pages or so I was terribly confused. Once I got past the first boring 200 pages the novel picked up considerably and the last half went pretty quickly. Unfortunately the world was so underdeveloped that I had a hard time keeping myself engrossed in the novel.

Overall Three Days to Dead wasn't a terrible book but it was a unremarkable one. I wouldn't completely write off Kelly Meding yet, as this novel had some potential but I'm not in a hurry to pick up the next one either.  Someday if I have a lot of time on my hands I may consider taking a look at the next one but it's not high on my to-read list.

3/5

Review: Ghosts of Palladino #1: Rory

Title: Ghosts of Palladino #1: Rory

Author: Ciye Cho

Date of Publication: August 10, 2013

Formats Available: E-book

Buy This Book: Amazon

Synopsis: Far beyond heaven, earth and hell is a city known as Palladino, a place ruled by ghosts and filled with demons, magic, and all sorts of darkly beautiful things. A city where no one can ever escape.

Eighteen-year-old Rory is a cake decorator who makes stunning confections. But no amount of frosting or miracles can save her when a demon kidnaps her—and carries her to Palladino. Here, Rory ends up in a deadly charm school where young women are forced to become companions for the Ghost Lords. And for her to survive, Rory must become everything that she isn’t: graceful, elegant... and perfect.

But nothing is what it seems in Palladino. Not the magic. Not the ghosts. And definitely not Martin Marius, the bizarre Ghost Lord-slash-inventor who is drawn to Rory. For amid a thousand machines and a hundred cats, Martin holds a secret that could change everything. A secret that could either free Rory... or destroy her.

My Review:

When I heard the synopsis for Rory I knew that I had to read it! The whole story sounded right up my alley and I was excited to see what this novel had in store for me. I was engaged by the first sentence and I really enjoyed reading about the world of ghosts that Cho had created.

I really liked the idea behind Rory and I was fascinated by the demons and the world of Palladino. Rory was a fun character to read about and I loved her spunk and determination. Not only was Rory a great character but I also enjoyed the unique cast of secondary characters Cho created; from Manny the demon and Martin the inventor/love interest/ghost. I was absolutely fascinated by the portion of the novel taking place in the charm school, with potentially deadly challenges and scary headmistresses. The charm school was a great way to introduce the world of Palladino and it really drew me into the story.

However, even though this book started off well enough I just lost interest after Rory completed charm school. The rest of the book seemed to drag on and on and on and I was bored by most of the events that took place. The end of the novel started to pick up a little bit when Rory finally started learning more about Martin and his inventions, however it just took so long to get there that I had already lost interest in the characters and it was hard to get that interest back. There was a lot of potential for exciting events it just felt like every time something happened it was cut short or had a solution that seemed almost too easy.

Although I was a little put off by the pacing Cho did a great job writing the novel. There were a few spots here and there but overall I though the novel flowed extremely well and the writing pulled me into the story. The characters were wonderfully developed and I loved learning more about each of them. I just wish the pacing had been a little bit better, with a better pace I definitely would have given this novel a higher rating than I did.

Overall Rory was an enjoyable book though a little slow in the middle. The ending sets up the story for an interesting sequel and I'm interested to see where this goes. Fans of indie YA and paranormal reads may want to check this one out, it has a lot of potential!

3/5

*I received a copy of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Beautiful Decay

Title: Beautiful Decay

Author: Sylvia Lewis

Date of Publication: April 9, 2013

Formats Available: Paperback, E-book

Buy This Book: Amazon

Synopsis: Ellie Miller has always needed her space. Literally. With a touch that rots whatever she encounters, Ellie must keep people at a distance for their own good. Not that her classmates are itching to be best friends with the "freak" of the high school.

So when newcomer Nate MacPherson makes it his mission to get close to her, Ellie has her suspicions. But when he identifies her as a viviomancer who can work the forces of life and reveals himself to be a necromancer who can manipulate death, Ellie finds herself trusting Nate and the romance that is blossoming between them. Unfortunately for the two, family secrets can kill, and they will need more than their abilities to keep a zombie mom and a conglomerate of evil-doing supernaturals under control.

After spending her life pushing everyone away, Ellie's realization of the full extent of her power and willingness to let people get close to her may be the only way to save the ones she loves.

My Review:

Beautiful Decay was one of those novels that had an amazing idea behind it but just didn't quite come together right. Ellie was a great character and her ability as a vivomancer was absolutely fascinating, however her relationship with Nate and the story behind him just didn't quite bring the novel together the way I had been expecting. Definitely aimed at the younger set I have a feeling I would have really enjoyed this book when I was younger but being the age I am now it just didn't click with me the same way.

Let me start off by saying I love, love, love the idea behind this novel. Ellie's ability was absolutely fascinating and I was always at the edge of my seat whenever her gloves came off. I just couldn't get enough of watching how Ellie's ability worked and learning more about her gift. Nate's gift as a necromancer was interesting as well and although the story focused a lot on his family and the things he could do with his ability, Ellie's ability was the one that stole the show. Though the abilities were interesting much of the plot surrounding them, including the reason "bad guys" were after Nate, ended up falling a little flat. When I finally got to the reasoning behind their desperation to have Nate and why they needed his father I had to stop for a minute to make sure I read it right. It made sense but, I don't know, I just thought it would be more serious.

Ellie was one of those characters I could totally relate to even though she irritated me at the same time. Ellie was an outcast, a subject of bullying and isolation, and because of that I loved her. She was quiet but strong and she put up with a lot from not only her peers at school but from her family as well. Likewise Nate had some qualities I really liked, such as the ability to stand up to the people harassing Ellie and his need to take care of his family. Even though both of them had some really strong qualities they both annoyed me a little bit too, their childish "relationship" drove me insane and there were enough high school cliche's to make anyone rip their hair out. Even though Nate and Ellie both had their weak qualities that was what made them human and overall I liked them more than I disliked them.

My biggest complaint about this novel was definitely the romance, or non-romance in this case. One moment Nate and Ellie are getting to know each other and the next moments he says "wanna go out?" she says "sure" and suddenly their boyfriend/girlfriend and magically in "love." I may be exaggerating just a little but trust me, not by much. Even though Nate and Ellie are dating for the last half of the novel much of their relationship building is skimmed over and they don't even kiss until the very end of the novel and even that feels forced and fake. I felt like the romance was the weak link in this novel and honestly the story would have been a lot stronger without it.

Despite the weak romance Beautiful Decay has an absolutely fascinating premise and great characters. I would recommend this novel to YA fans looking for something original as long as they don't mind the non-romance romance and slightly childish characters!

3/5

Review: Lycan Gladiator

Title: Lycan Gladiator

Author: Eva Gordon

Date of Publication: August 20, 2013

Formats Available: E-book

Buy This Book: Amazon

Synopsis: During a time of bloody gladiator games and treacherous schemes, a secret society of lycans live amongst the Romans.

When Ulric, a lycan gladiator, meets a mysterious human woman with green eyes, he’s drawn to her fiery beauty, enraptured by her alluring aroma. Unfortunately, Ulric and the beauty are slaves. To make matters worse, he can mate only with someone marked with the sign of the wolf.

Cassia’s hidden wolf mark burns in the presence of the handsome gladiator. While her heart yearns to be near Ulric, logic warns her against it—having a slave as a mate is against the lycan society’s plans for her.

In spite of the lycan society’s rules and the emperor’s brutal plots, their love grows … but their passion just may cost them their lives.

My Review:

After completely loving Apocalyptic Moon by Eva Gordon I was thrilled to start another novel by the same author! Even though I didn't end up liking this one as much as I liked the first novel I read by her, this novel turned out to be a super fun and sizzling read. With an ancient Roman setting, passionate characters, and plenty of sexual tension this novel had all the things that make romance novels so much fun to read.

The number one thing I liked about this novel was the sexual tension between Cassia and Ulric. From their first meeting I could feel the chemistry between them and I loved reading each of their interactions. Toward the end of the novel I was so eager for them to finally be together I was on the edge of my seat. Gordon created just enough sexual tension to make the moment when they finally came together all the better and leave me completely engrossed in the novel.

Cassia's gift for healing lycan's was an interesting one and I really enjoyed the twist Gordon put on werewolves. The ancient Roman setting added an interesting angle to the story and I really enjoyed the gladiator aspect to the novel. I really loved the detail Gordon put into world building and creating a Roman atmosphere, I felt as though I was right there beside Cassia and Ulric throughout the novel and though the historical aspect was exaggerated for the sake of the story I always enjoy a novel with a historical setting.

One of the only things holding this book back from getting a higher rating was the slow plot. Even though I was fascinated by Cassia's gift I felt like a huge amount of the novel was spent talking rather than taking action. There were quite a few moments when I found myself struggling to get through parts of the novel just because there wasn't enough happening to hold my interest. However the moments there was some action almost made up for the moments when there wasn't, so overall the novel wasn't painful or difficult to read. I just wish there had been a little bit more to the plot to hold my interest.

I would recommend Lycan Gladiator to fans of indie romance/paranormal novels. Despite the slower plot this novel had quite a few things going for it and I'll be excited to read more novels by Gordon in the future.

3/5

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*I received a copy of this novel from the author in exchange for a honest review. All views expressed in this post are completely my own.