Crest by Emma Raveling

Blog Review #14

Crest

by Emma Raveling

Illusion. Power. Identity.

Tensions are reaching a fever pitch everywhere Kendra Irisavie turns.

Darkness settles over elementals as a new threat stirs suspicions of a betrayal from within. Details of recent events spread through Haverleau, prompting doubts over Irisavie leadership. The mysterious Selkie Kingdom finally opens its doors, but the gesture only fans the flames of division. And despite the perils involved, Kendra finds it difficult to ignore the demands of her heart.
 With the Shadow playing a deadly game of obsession and horror, Kendra’s best chance to win is to unravel a tangled web of deception spanning back to the origins of the elemental world.

When the unthinkable happens, Kendra must decide if survival is worth the sacrifice.

-Goodreads Summary

I have been officially sucked into this book-world.

The action was intense, but not to violent, 

the romance was satisfying and balanced well, not allowing the book to solely become about that aspect, 

the characters developed well,

the plot was riveting, 

and... it was just awesome.

       This book was extremely entertaining It had you on your toes the whole time and always managed to surprise you. You never guessed the twists and turns before hand. The writing had a few technical problems every once in a while, but I was easily able to ignore them and they weren't so severe they pulled me out of the story. 

       The characters were all great and I loved that they brought in new, very important characters that were able to join right in on the big friend group. The only character who I had any problems with was Julian. I liked him so much, but this book he turned into a brooding, not fun version of himself. Poo you, Julian. On the love triangle aspect I must warn you that there is one, but it was done brilliantly, aside from our new sulking version of Julian. I never felt like Kendra, the main character, was having to choose between two guys. She knew who she wanted. 

       The Selkie kingdom rocked. The imagery used to describe it was great and I loved how we got to change up the scenery a little. 

Now let's talk ending. 

I'm not going to tell anyone what happened because that would make me a big spoiler 

and no one likes a spoiler.

All I'm going to say is that I'm pretty sure the ending of that shaved off a few years of my life. 

I think I stopped breathing there for a moment.

Emma Raveling has now been given Queen of Cliffhangers status.

I was on the edge of my seat, leg bouncing up and down with anticipation, my eyeballs were moving across that page at what had to be record breaking speed, and I was holding my breath.

Then the book ended.

And now we wait. And wait. And wait.

Me: How could you do this to me!?

Book: Because I'm evil and I want you to suffer... and to read the next book.

 My Rating: 4.25/ 5

                          -Sarah Elisabeth          

  Enwhay ethay orldway opsstay inningspay... E'reway illstay eadingray.

 (When the world stops spinning... We're still reading) 

      

It's Time... for Opposition

Release Party

TomorrowTomorrowTomorrowTomorrow

Oppossition. Will be. Released.

The fifth and final installment of the Lux series by Jennifer Armenrout is upon us. 

And it's going to rock. 

And what better way to celebrate than by a beautiful summary and few torturous teasers?

TIP: Read. This. Series.

 Summary

Katy knows the world changed the night the Luxen came.

She can't believe Daemon welcomed his race or stood by as his kind threatened to obliterate every last human and hybrid on Earth. But the lines between good and bad have blurred, and love has become an emotion that could destroy her—could destroy them all.

Daemon will do anything to save those he loves, even if it means betrayal.

They must team with an unlikely enemy if there is any chance of surviving the invasion. But when it quickly becomes impossible to tell friend from foe, and the world is crumbling around them, they may lose everything— even what they cherish most—to ensure the survival of their friends…and mankind.

War has come to Earth. And no matter the outcome, the future will never be the same for those left standing.

-Goodreads Summary

I can't breathe.

And I don't even want to think about what 'Daemon will do anything to save those he loves, even if it means betrayal' 

*currently hyperventilating*

Teasers

(1) "I always had this plan for the off chance I was around for the end of the world. I’d climb up on my roof top, turn up the radio, blast R.E.M.’s It’s The End of The World, and watch it all go down from my lofty perch.

Except real life rarely turned out that cool.
And it was really happening—it was the end of the world as we knew it, and I sure as hell didn't feel fine.
Everything had changed and we had been the catalyst for it all.” 

(2) “We were supposed to have tonight and tomorrow, and many weeks and months, but we didn't have even another minute.” 

(3) “Then it was a rumble, causing the house to groan and small clouds of dust to drop from the ceiling. The table scuttled over the floor. A chair toppled over and then another. Somewhere in the living room, a window shattered. Kat was going to bring the house down.” 

(4) “She really isn’t anything special.” The redhead sneered. “Frankly, she’s rather filthy, like an unclean animal.”
As stupid as it was, my cheeks heated, because I was filthy, and Daemon had just physically removed me from him. My pride—my everything—was officially wounded.

I think I might just pass out. Right here, right now.

All I can say is: I want one. Now. 

  -Sarah Elisabeth          

  Enwhay ethay orldway opsstay inningspay... E'reway illstay eadingray.

 (When the world stops spinning... We're still reading) 

Billow by Emma Raveling

Book Review #14

Billow

by Emma Raveling

It has been six months since ondine Kendra Irisavie arrived in Haverleau, the hidden capital of the water elemental world.

Now, as she enters her final year at Lumiere Academy, Kendra continues forward on her prophesied journey against the Shadow. Obsessed with what she must do to keep those around her safe, she struggles to balance her powerful magic and the demands of her fate with the challenges of friendship, the complications of romance, and the bonds of family. 

Meanwhile, the threat of the Shadow looms larger.

When danger strikes close to home, Kendra must separate the truths from the lies and choose who and what to believe. 

Even if it means facing what she fears the most.

-Goodreads Summary

So, you've read the first book and it was entertaining. It surprised you by being that way. You automatically assume that mediocre awesomeness is the best its going to get. 

My friend, you are wrong.

That up there was a happy dance.

A happy- Oh my gosh that made me want to scream with joy, jump up and down in circles, total jazz hands moment, rave about it for hours to people who really don't care, jazz hands once more- dance.

Oh yes, this book was paranormal, teen fiction awesome.

     The first book was kind of like smashing Vampire Academy and Half-Blood into one book. This one took on its own completely. The action was great, the plot wasn't super complex, but it was never boring. The characters developed nicely, though I wanted to punch Mr. Warrior Prince (love interest)  in the face a few times. Other times I was a puddle on the floor reading about him. 

      I really don't have much to say about the book other than, if you read Whirl and don't plan on reading the second book in the series, do so. 

Because it's better than the first.

       Julian, another supporting character, was kind like a ghost all throughout the last book, disappearing and reappearing suddenly, slipping in and out of room. This book he was more involved and that made me very happy, although I'm starting to sense a love triangle forming which does not make me very happy. 

Love triangles are one of those thing that cam be done one of two ways:

A. Really well, executed to perfection.

B. Not at all.

Love triangles are shifty, they can make or break a book, turning it from having potential to a disaster in just a few chapters.

       This book was really one about going through something difficult and not really being yourself anymore, instead of taking in emotions our main character, Kendra, has the bad habit of turning to stone. Emma Raveling, the author, did a great job with this. Making it so that Kendra didn't seem winy and was slowly able to figure herself out. 

        Overall, the book itself was well done. The romance was balanced, making the book not just about that. The characters developed nicely as did the plot. Just read it.

Small side note: That book cover is just beautiful. It's one of those that catch your eye and if you saw it in a book store you would be instantly attracted to it!

My Rating: 4/ 5

                          -Sarah Elisabeth          

  Enwhay ethay orldway opsstay inningspay... E'reway illstay eadingray.

 (When the world stops spinning... We're still reading) 

  

      

Whirl by Emma Raveling

Book Review #13

Whirl

by Emma Raveling

Outspoken and independent, Kendra Irisavie has always played by her own rules.
She's an ondine, a water elemental gifted with powerful magic and trained to be a fighter. Pursued by demons, she and her mother remain Rogue, hiding among humans to avoid becoming casualties in an ancient war.
Everything changes on Kendra's seventeenth birthday. A dark stranger appears, promising answers to her mysterious past and stirring unexpected feelings in her fiercely guarded heart.
But as Kendra uncovers the truth, she realizes just how deep the lies and deception run.

Now, in the face of unthinkable odds, she will need all her wits, skills, and magic to fulfill an extraordinary prophecy.

-Goodreads Summary

         Whirl was an unexpectedly enjoyable book. I walked into it with the mindset that it was just a time passer, a book to read while waiting for the next book in another series to come out. 

Yeah, no.

I was instantly sucked into the world Whirl laid out for its readers. 

        The beginning of Whirl definitely reminded me of a few other book series I have read and loved (*cough cough* Covenant Series, *cough cough* Vampire Academy), but the book quickly fanned out into its own so much so that by the end of the book I found it hard to compare the two. 

       We begin in a town where the author quickly and expertly explains all of the magic and a simple, generalized antagonist, which are basically demons who follow orders from the head bad guy and want to turn everything to violence and chaos. Fun, right? Then Tristan Belicoux shows up.

He's a prince.

A magic warrior prince.

*dreamy sigh*

I mean, in the summary they even refer to him as a dark stranger.

(Of course, that could also mean that he was scary stalker.)

        The real action and awesome begins when we go to school. A magic school. Our main character, Kendra, quickly makes some friends which become very strong supporting characters. You quickly delve into the exciting plot to find that Kendra is the special one, the sondaleur, who is supposed to end this long war.

       The plot was exciting and full of action, the characters need a little developing but I think they have great potential to be just as awesome as I know they will be. This is the first installment in the Odine Quartet and I can't wait to get my hands on the next one!

My Rating: 3.5/ 5

                          -Sarah Elisabeth          

  Enwhay ethay orldway opsstay inningspay... E'reway illstay eadingray.

 (When the world stops spinning... We're still reading) 

    

Independence by Shelly Crane

Book Review # 12

Independence

by Shelly Crane

     In the fourth and final installment, Maggie and Caleb must tie up all the loose ends of their lives and make a way to be together completely on their own. But of course, nothing can stay simple for the Jacobsons. Enemies who were thought to be dissolved have decided to not go down so easily. And old flames come calling for more than just Maggie. Caleb is torn between leading his family and personal wants. Maggie is torn between Caleb and being the leader of their people. But neither will let what they need most to be pushed to the wayside. They are determined to make it all work, design a plan toward destiny, and make everything right again for themselves and their family.

And then there's a wedding...

   This whole series was just a make you smile series. The big plot points were fairly predictable, the relationships were a bit fast paced, and the writing wasn't absolutely phenomenal, but the story was entertaining. It was a story about love, a basic 'love conquers all' kind of series. The characters definitely developed over the books and were either awesome from the start or became what I knew they had the potential to be, which, most of the time, almost made up for the little bumps in the road.

      

     This book was dual POV between Caleb and Maggie, and I love when books have multiple point of views so you can see all sides of what's going on. This was not my favorite dual pov execution. The character's seemed to sound exactly the same and, even though at the beginning of the chapter it would say who's point of view it was in, I found myself forgetting who was talking and getting confused. I felt like there was almost no difference in how the two character's thought which became annoying at certain points. 

   

     And this book had the flat line effect. 

The Flat Line Effect:

When a book gives the impression that there will be a big finale, or a heart-stopping climax...

and then nothing happens.

You keep waiting and waiting but the (story) line stays unmoved, and utterly... flat.

I believe the real word for this is anticlimactic.

      Now, I wouldn't go so far as to say that it was anticlimactic, the author did give us a little something, it just wasn't what I had expected. Overall, the book was a fun read, not too heavy, not too dark, just entertainment.

My Rating: 3/ 5

                          -Sarah Elisabeth          

  Enwhay ethay orldway opsstay inningspay... E'reway illstay eadingray.

               (When the world stops spinning... We're still reading) 

Update

Book to Movie Page

Just wanted to let everyone know that I have recently added a new page to my blog!

Drum roll please!

(stampeding noise occurs)

The Book to Movie Page!

Oh, wait, I gave that away in the title didn't I?

Oh, well.

The Book to Movie page has a list of 

(1)all of the books I have read that have been turned into movies,

(2)which ones you should see, 

(3)and why. 

The Book to Movie Page is located on the tabs bar under the Book Scroll. It's the one farthest to the right. 

I hope you enjoy!

-Sarah Elisabeth          

  Enwhay ethay orldway opsstay inningspay... E'reway illstay eadingray.

               (When the world stops spinning... We're still reading) 

Accordance by Shelly Crane

Book Review #12

Accordance

by Shelly Crane

In the sequel, Maggie learns much more about all the strange things that happened to her, and has to face new ones. She rebels against it, but ultimately, must face it for her new families sake and maybe even her life. Bish went from being her biggest supporter to her biggest pain in the butt and Kyle's intentions to attract her interest may not be so innocent. Caleb and Maggie face many new obstacles together and fight to work through them but will one that should be a good thing be too much for Maggie to handle?

-Goodreads Summary

          

        Significance, the first book of this series, made me happy and very interested in what would happen next and how the story would progress, so, naturally, I got the next one. To my great disappointment it was not as good as the first book. 

         

         I enjoyed reading it and it was interesting enough to make me want to know what will happen next, therefore I will be reading the next one, but it just didn't have what the first book had. Sure, there was passion. Sure, there was action. Sure, there were crazy paranormal families with super powers. And, yes, there were relationship conflicts and lovey-dovey moments. But it all felt a little half-hearted and all throughout the book I was guessing the big "No way!" moments before they would happen. 

        

        The story line was fine, maybe a little repetitive, but still entertaining. The love between Maggie and Caleb lives on and they were still just as adorable. Maggie through a few temper tantru s by the end of the story and a few times I found myself tapping my foot and wanting to shake her and yell, "Pull it together, girl!". At least I was into the story.

        

       Once again, I would recommend this to anyone who is super interested in paranormal-love-conquers-all stories. But I also want to warn anyone who is big on editing mistakes that I was drawn out of the story quite a few times trying to figure out what was wrong with the sentence I had just read.

My Rating: 2.75/ 5

                          -Sarah Elisabeth          

  Enwhay ethay orldway opsstay inningspay... E'reway illstay eadingray.

               (When the world stops spinning... We're still reading)