Review: Deity by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Format: ebook
Print Length: 360 pages
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
Published: November 6, 2012

"History is on repeat, and things didn't go so well the last time. "


Alexandria isn't sure she's going to make it to her eighteenth birthday--to her Awakening. A long-forgotten, fanatical order is out to kill her, and if the Council ever discovers what she did in the Catskills, she's a goner... and so is Aiden.

If that's not freaky enough, whenever Alex and Seth spend time "training"--which really is just Seth's code word for some up-close and personal one-on-one time--she ends up with another mark of the Apollyon, which brings her one step closer to Awakening ahead of schedule. Awesome.

But as her birthday draws near, her entire world shatters with a startling revelation and she's caught between love and Fate. One will do anything to protect her. One has been lying to her since the beginning. Once the gods have revealed themselves, unleashing their wrath, lives will be irrevocably changed... and destroyed.

Those left standing will discover if love is truly greater than Fate... 

My Thoughts

Deity is LEGENDARY! Wow can Armentrout seriously take you through a range of emotion in 5 pages or less. Let’s see shall we- sadness, loneliness, hysteria, shyness, love, belonging and happiness all in one chapter. She is a wizard at creating emotion within the pages. Her stories cause the reader to lose a sense of time, and logic until the book is finished.

Spectacular addition to the Covenant series. Deity starts off right where Pure ended. Seth and Alex are back home and Aiden and Marcus are still in New York. Seth is well as Sethy as he always is. I know there are team Seth folks out there but I still cannot get on board. Even if Alex promises to give a go with Seth in Pure. For several reasons- I am and will always be Team Aiden. Thank all alien babies everywhere for Leon. Oh Leon!

When Aiden returns so does Marcus and Alex’s step-daddy Lucian. I really do not like him- because well he seems so Sethy (new word for shady) to me. Alex receives a letter that her biological father is alive, having been placed on the exiler. She wants to go after him but Aiden makes her promise nothing rash. When is she not rash?

In Pure, Aiden kept his distance from Alex- so much so that many fans switched to Team Seth. I understood his need to be protective of her. It is that need that caused him to put distance between them. I can honestly say that I am so grateful that he comes to his sense in Deity. My favorite scenes have with Aiden and Alex or Aiden, Alex and Leon in them.

I gotta say the one character that surprised the crap out of me is not Leon but Marcus. His reaction in the end towards everything that has gone on just proves that he truly does love his niece. It also proves that he is not the donkey’s behind that many thought he was.

The ending was literally an OMG moment! A punch straight into the gut that will have the readers cured into the fetal position until the next installment.

Favorite quote: Leon, the Kind of Impeccable Timing, glared at me. “You are in need of a professional babysitter.” 

My Rating 5 out of 5 stars

Other Characters

Deacon- Aiden’s brother, he rocks

Luke- Alex’s friend, who stands by her even through her bad attitude 
Linard- one of Alex’s babysitters

Indie Authors Rock Tour!

In today’s technologically advanced world there are some occupations that are blooming, some that are withering and others still that have literally died. Becoming an author is one occupation that has seen a baby boom. There are currently more independently published authors than ever before. What does that mean? Well~ another way to put it is that there has been a surge of self-published writers. 

Sometimes self-published or indie authors are not given the same respect as other authors. This really is a shame as there are some amazing self-published authors out there. Their stories entice their audience into the amazing world that they have created. The readers begin to care to for their characters just as they care for mainstream authors’ characters. 

Below is a list of characters by Indie Authors that I absolutely adore.

1. Evy and Chase- She is a spunky 17 year old girl with more guts than I will ever have. He is a hot guy determined to keep her save, even from him. 

The One (The Portal Trilogy) by Heather Self 

Stranded on Earth two thousand years they’ve waited for the arrival of the One: some to save her, others to kill her. With her birth, the ancient prophecy could at last be fulfilled and the doorway between the worlds would open. Those who know the prophecy believe this event occurred almost eighteen years ago, and now, they’ll stop at nothing to find her.

Seventeen-year-old Eveline has lived her entire life on the move and she hates it. She knows her parents believe she’s the One, and they’ve done whatever it takes to stay one step ahead of those who want her dead. But Eveline isn’t fully convinced that her parents’ beliefs match her own. What she does believe is that Leadville, Colorado may be the chance she’s been waiting for. The chance to be somewhere safe. The chance for her to make friends and have fun. The chance to finally date a guy. The chance to be a normal girl, at least as normal as possible for someone not human. 

2. Ree and Paden- She is a 17 year old girl fated to fight in a war that she did not want to be in. He is a life-long friend of her dead brother that only wants to protect her. 

Mortal Obligation (Dark Betrayal Trilogy) by Nichole Chase

Ree will face the darkest form of betrayal before the year is out. Seventeen year old Ree McKenna has three goals: get through high school, convince her crush she is more than his best friend’s little sister, and save money for college. Fate, though, has other plans for her. After the untimely death of her older brother, Ree is haunted by dreadful nightmares and terrifying visions. To make matters worse, Ree has started to suspect that something dangerous is stalking her from the shadows. A night full of frightening surprises leaves Ree with unsettling news. Gifted by the gods with unusual powers, she must devote herself to a battle that could very well lead to not only her death, but the demise of everyone she knows and loves. After all, Ree is the only mortal standing between the Earth and utter darkness. Set in Savannah, Ga, Mortal Obligation is the first book of The Dark Betrayal Trilogy. 

3. Faustine and Ryker- She is a hybrid human/demon princess who’s daddy has disappeared. She must find him or become queen in his absence. He is a supernatural who’s background and powers are secretive and shady. The only thing for sure is that he is always there when she needs him. 

Faustine (Bonfire Chronicles) by Imogen Rose

Who is Faustine? When Faustine Spencer was five years old, she discovered a secret that changed her life forever. At twelve, her parents sent her to Bonfire Academy in Switzerland to ensure that she received the training needed to control her increasing powers.

Three years later, Faustine returns to Manhattan. All she wants is to be a typical teenager, at least, one that’s part of the in-crowd at her Upper East Side High School. When drop-dead gorgeous Ryker, her long-time crush from the Academy, finally notices her, she couldn’t be happier.

However, her desire for a normal life is shattered when her father, a prominent sovereign, disappears after naming her as his successor. Her siblings begin to disappear, and Faustine finds herself in the midst of a power struggle. With her life in danger, Faustine must learn to follow one of Bonfire Academy’s most important rules: Trust no one. 

4. Chase and Rayna- he is an exile demon hunter with daddy issues. She is a hunter/demon hybrid that he unknowingly will come to trust. Together they will fight, trust and hopefully live throughout the night. 

Exiled (The Protector) by M.R. Merrick

Chase Williams is a demon hunter in the Circle, or at least he was supposed to be. On his fifteenth birthday, Chase stepped up to the altar to claim his elemental power, but it never came. Elemental magic is passed down to a hunter through the bloodline, but on Chase's birthday, the bloodline stopped. 

Exiled without the Circle's protection, Chase has spent two years trying to survive a world riddled with half-demons and magic. When he has a run in with a frightened and seemingly innocent demon, he learns the Circle's agenda has changed: the Circle plans to unlock a portal and unleash pure-blood demons into the world. Vowing to stop them, and knowing he can't do it alone, Chase forms a reluctant alliance with Rayna — a sexy witch with an attitude and a secret. 

In their attempt to stop them, Chase and Rayna find themselves in the middle of the Circle's plan, leaving one of them to decide what their friendship is worth, and the other's life depending on it. 

5. Adria and Isaac- She is a human who inadvertently becomes entangled with the supernatural. He is a werewolf that tries to protect her. 

The Mayfield Moon (The Darkwoods Trilogy) by JA Redmerski 

After a nightmarish encounter with a werewolf, seventeen-year-old Adria Dawson loses her sister, but gains the love of a mysterious young man and his legendary family.

Strange and tragic things begin to happen in the small town of Hallowell, Maine: residents come down with an unexplainable ‘illness’ and some disappear. In the midst of everything, Isaac Mayfair is adamant about keeping Adria safe, even from her sister whom he has warned her to stay away from.

As unspeakable secrets unfold all around Adria, impossible choices become hers to bear. Ultimately, no matter what path she takes, her life and the lives of those she loves will be in peril. As she learns about the werewolf world she also learns why her place in it will change the destinies of many. 

Have you read any great Indie Authors lately? Any recommendations?

Ready for the next stop on the tour?

December 15th- Jennifer Martinez
December 16th- Brandi
December 17th- Kristina Snyder
December 18th- Jolene Perry
December 19th- Stephanie Constante
December 20th- Jessica Gibson

Swoon Thursday (24) Deity

The fabulous girls over at YA Bound created this super HOT meme. Here's how it works.

From the book you’re currently reading, or one you just finished, tell us what made you SWOON. What got your heart pounding, your skin tingling, and your stomach fluttering.

Shout it out on Twitter with the hashtag #YABound, post it here in the comments, or grab the adorable button above and share it on your blog! I want to know and so do the gals at YABound!


…brushed his lips over my damp cheek. A soft smile filled his voice. “You’ll have a piece of my heart-all of it, really. Forever. Even if your heart belongs to someone else.”

Deity by Jennifer L Armentrout Kindle Location 3568

“I thought…I thought I’d lost you, Alex, forever. And I would’ve lost everything. You are my everything.”
Deity by Jennifer L Armentrout Kindle Location 3623

The Coventant series is one of my favorite ya series.   The guy that is quoted above is one of my favorite male characters to read about.  I will not disclose who he is for fear that you have not already read the book.  Just know that he rocks of awesomeness.

Teaser Tuesday (24) Crimson Frost

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

                                                         “Do you know what I love about you, Gypsy girl?” 

My breath caught in my throat, but I made my voice light and teasing.
“Hmm. That’s a tough one. My daring fashion sense? My sparkling personality? My witty one liners?

Crimson Frost by Jennifer Estep Kindle Location 1242


Logan is one of my favorite guy characters. There is something about him that just makes me smile. I love that Gwen regardless of her feelings for him will still tease him, especially since well he is a trained Spartan for crying out loud. 

Review: Dearly, Beloved

Author: Lia Habel
Format: eBook
Print Length: 496 pages
Publisher: Del Rey
Published: September 25, 2012

Can the living coexist with the living dead?

That’s the question that has New Victorian society fiercely divided ever since the mysterious plague known as “The Laz” hit the city of New London and turned thousands into walking corpses. But while some of these zombies are mindless monsters, hungry for human flesh, others can still think, speak, reason, and control their ravenous new appetites.

Just ask Nora Dearly, the young lady of means who was nearly kidnapped by a band of sinister zombies but valiantly rescued by a dashing young man . . . of the dead variety.

Nora and her savior, the young zombie soldier Bram Griswold, fell hopelessly in love. But others feel only fear and loathing for the reanimated dead. Now, as tensions grow between pro- and anti-zombie factions, battle lines are being drawn in the streets. And though Bram is no longer in the New Victorian army, he and his ex-commando zombie comrades are determined to help keep the peace. That means taking a dangerous stand between The Changed, a radical group of sentient zombies fighting for survival, and The Murder, a masked squad of urban guerrillas hellbent on destroying the living dead. But zombies aren’t the only ones in danger: Their living allies are also in The Murder’s crosshairs, and for one vengeful zealot, Nora Dearly is the number one target.

As paranoia, prejudice, and terrorist attacks threaten to plunge the city into full-scale war, Nora’s scientist father and his team continue their desperate race to unlock the secrets of “The Laz” and find a cure. But their efforts may be doomed when a mysterious zombie appears bearing an entirely new strain of the virus—and the nation of New Victoria braces for a new wave of the apocalypse.

Lia Habel’s spellbinding, suspenseful sequel to Dearly, Departed takes her imaginative mash-up of period romance, futuristic thriller, and zombie drama to a whole new level of innovative and irresistible storytelling.

My Thoughts

When Dearly, Beloved begins a few months have passed since humans have found out there are zombies. While some humans have accepted the zombies, others fear, despise and hate them. Nora and Bram have started a relationship. Pam is suffering in silence from anxiety and survivor’s guilt. There is a new Laz strain that turns humans into normal (aka mindless and violent) zombies. A group called The Murder is conducting hate crimes against zombies and the humans that accept/love them.

I absolutely loved Dearly, Departed. So naturally I had high expectations for Dearly, Beloved. While the book was good, there was something missing. It did not have the same sense of urgency that Dearly, Departed had. I still liked the book, still got annoyed when I was interrupted from reading it. But I felt it was missing something.

Nora and Bram’s relationship is as cute as ever. They are really realistic about their time together being limited. They even address it. Nora is no longer in school as her school has not opened back up since the zombie reveal. She is trying hard to follow her daddy’s rules- but she is bored, and feels useless. So of course, she will break a few of those rules. Her can-do attitude and sense of justice is still as strong as ever. I love that she does not give into the “woe is me” attitude that several characters in YA books give into.

Bram is no longer a member of the army, as the government has let them go. He also has nothing to do except keep Nora safe. When two militant groups pop up: one human and one zombie, he realizes that the danger is on both sides. This does give him a renewed sense of purpose.

Pam is literally going through the motions. She is being strong for her family and Nora- not letting them see how much she is hurting. She feels forgotten by her parents and Nora. She is also a little grossed out by Nora’s relationship with Bram. Which is understandable- he is a zombie for crying out loud.

The book is done in several points of views no longer sticking to Bram, Nora and Pam’s. This I felt took away from the central characters a little. I honestly saw no need for Michael’s or Lauren’s point of view, although I did yearn for Michael to be bitten. Lauren was a character that I just could not connect with.

My Rating 4 out of 5 stars

Other Characters

Pam’s Parents- grieving over their son, acceptant of zombies.

Coalhouse- Zombie with an identity crisis. 
Lord Lopez- Only one that notice’s Pam’s despair- hopefully they fall in love.

Swoon Thursday (23) Dearly, Beloved

The fabulous girls over at YA Bound created this super HOT meme. Here's how it works.
From the book you’re currently reading, or one you just finished, tell us what made you SWOON. What got your heart pounding, your skin tingling, and your stomach fluttering.

Shout it out on Twitter with the hashtag #YABound, post it here in the comments, or grab the adorable button above and share it on your blog! I want to know & so do the gals at YABound!


You’re perfect the way you are Nora. Don’t ever think I want you to change, to be something you’re not.

Dearly, Beloved by Lia Habel Kindle Location 2043

No matter which way my emotions and circumstances and the impulses of my dead, dying, trying body pulled me, no matter how many mistakes I made, she will always be true north. Sometimes I’d side with the dead, sometimes with the living, but always with her.

Dearly, Beloved by Lia Habel Kindle Location 7077

His devotion to her leaves me in awe. To have someone absolutely in love with you, the true you well, that is something to swoon about.

Review: Dearly, Departed

Author: Lia Habel
Format: eBook
Print Length: 482 pages
Publisher: Del Rey
Published: October 18, 2011

Love can never die.

Love conquers all, so they say. But can Cupid’s arrow pierce the hearts of the living and the dead—or rather, the undead? Can a proper young Victorian lady find true love in the arms of a dashing zombie?

The year is 2195. The place is New Victoria—a high-tech nation modeled on the manners, mores, and fashions of an antique era. A teenager in high society, Nora Dearly is far more interested in military history and her country’s political unrest than in tea parties and debutante balls. But after her beloved parents die, Nora is left at the mercy of her domineering aunt, a social-climbing spendthrift who has squandered the family fortune and now plans to marry her niece off for money. For Nora, no fate could be more horrible—until she’s nearly kidnapped by an army of walking corpses.

But fate is just getting started with Nora. Catapulted from her world of drawing-room civility, she’s suddenly gunning down ravenous zombies alongside mysterious black-clad commandos and confronting “The Laz,” a fatal virus that raises the dead—and hell along with them. Hardly ideal circumstances. Then Nora meets Bram Griswold, a young soldier who is brave, handsome, noble . . . and dead. But as is the case with the rest of his special undead unit, luck and modern science have enabled Bram to hold on to his mind, his manners, and his body parts. And when his bond of trust with Nora turns to tenderness, there’s no turning back. Eventually, they know, the disease will win, separating the star-crossed lovers forever. But until then, beating or not, their hearts will have what they desire.

In Dearly, Departed, romance meets walking-dead thriller, spawning a madly imaginative novel of rip-roaring adventure, spine-tingling suspense, and macabre comedy that forever redefines the concept of undying love.

My Thoughts

Finally a novel that should actually be turned into a movie. The sense of urgency, fear and confusion runs rapid in this novel. A book that would make an amazing date night movie. One in which the girls get a budding relationship and the guys get- well zombies of course.

Nora- the central character- is finally coming out of mourning for her father’s death. There is an attempted kidnapping on her that leads to a real kidnapping by the Victorian army. She is taken to a remote location to keep her safe. It is then that she finds out that her daddy didn’t’ really die- well he did but then he reanimated.

She is a girl of remarkable common sense and an astute brain in her head. It does take a while for her to accept zombies. Bram has a lot to do with her acceptance. The best thing about her is that she does not tip toe around them. She treats the zombies just like humans. This endears her to them.

Bram is a zombie in the New Victorian Army. He was already a little in love with Nora before he met her. Being rather close to her father, he learned and heard many stories about her. He will be the one to save her life and worries about her. Mostly of acceptance of her among the zombies and acceptance of the zombies by her. Ultimately, he is highly protective of her.

It is a race against time to find her zombie daddy, her human best friend and to figure out who is sabotaging the Laz project. Can Nora and Bram solve the mystery in time? Or will more die?

My Rating 5 out of 5 stars

Other Characters

Pam- Nora’s best friend
Michael- a potential suitor for Pam
Chas- girl zombie in Bram’s company- she has spunk
Tom Todd- grenadier zombie and Chas’ boyfriend
Captain Wolfe- a human captain in the army- kinda a jerk

Teaser Tuesday (23) Dearly, Departed

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!


The ideal female heart was to be so sensitive, so flooded by shock and sadness in a situation such as this, that listless grief could be the only response. To be seen as carrying on with life would mark us as strange, cruel, masculine-and, for me, it would be social death.

Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel Kindle Location 1901

I could not imagine living in a society where I was expected to just curl up in a fetal position and cry when life gets hard.  Can you?

And the Winner Is....

Jen

An email has been sent to the winner and they have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. Thank you everyone who entered and participated in the hop.

Name a Character in the next Transplanted Tales Book!

I am a HUGE Kate SeRine fan!  I absolutely adored her Transplanted Tales Series.  The first book in the series is called Red.  She covers all her bases- how the tales got to our world, why we are not aware of them and most importantly is there truly a happily ever after.  So when she decided to offer this contest I knew I just had to let you know!  Now I will say I am particle to Aloysius for this tale- even though Gideon is my all-time favorite boy name.  What do you think? What name do you want for Rumpelstiltskin?

"Rumpelstiltskin I am called..."

One of my favorite fairytales is the story of Rumpelstiltskin, and so my Transplanted Tales series wouldn't be complete without ol' R.S. making an appearance! The problem is, I haven't been able to come up with a first name for him—which, considering the climax of his fairytale involves the queen trying to discover his name, seems rather appropriate, eh?

Now, here's where you come in. Using the Rafflecopter widget below, help me discover the perfect first name for Rumpelstiltskin. The name can be as fanciful or as prosaic as you'd like. And, to help you avoid "wasting" a suggestion, I'll give you a list of male characters already appearing in ALONG CAME A SPIDER. Some of them are familiar, but others are new characters you haven't yet met. See if you can guess to which Tale they belong... ;)

Nicky                 Seth              Nate                  Al(addin)
Aloysius            Gideon           Orvall                Merv
Irwin                  Jack               Pete                  Vlad
Alex                   Ian                 J.G.                  Eddie
Tim                    Ethan

From the entries, three names will be randomly selected. From those three, I will select the winner. The winning name will appear in my upcoming novel, ALONG CAME A SPIDER, the third book in my Transplanted Tales series, which is scheduled for release in August 2013.

In addition, the person who suggested the winning name will receive a prize package that includes the following:

1) A special mention in the acknowledgements of ALONG CAME A SPIDER

2) an e-book copy of RED, THE BETTER TO SEE YOU, and ALONG CAME A SPIDER as the books are released (or a prize of comparable value if the winner already owns/has pre-ordered a copy of the first two books)

3) a Transplanted Tales-themed goody basket

The runners-up will receive a copy of the Transplanted Tales book of his/her choice and some Transplanted Tales swag! And, who knows? Maybe I'll add some additional prizes along the way...

I'm really looking forward to involving my readers in the actual writing of my novel and can't wait to see what names you can come up with!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

                                             

Review: Ceaseless

Author: Abbi Glines
Format: eBook
Print Length: unsure
Publisher: Self-published
Published: September 16, 2012

Can he make her fall in love with him… again?

When Pagan Moore proved worthy of Death’s devotion, he was given the gift of getting to keep her.

But Dank was never promised that Pagan would keep him.

When a soul is created, so is its mate. In every lifetime those souls find each other. They complete the other’s destiny. It’s time for Pagan’s soul to choose if she truly wants an eternity at Death’s side or if she wants the mate created just for her.

Dank didn’t think he had to worry about her choice. He knew where her heart belonged. Until he realized that every kiss, every touch, every moment of their time together would be washed from her memories. He would have to win her heart all over again and prove to her soul that he was where she belonged.

If only her soul’s mate wasn’t right there standing in his way.

My Thoughts

Dank and Pagan had happily defeated Lief’s daddy, the Voodoo Lord himself.  We thought their story  ended with an happily ever after.  But we forgot one pesky little fact.  Each human is born with a soul mate.  Since Dank, is well Death, he could not be her soul mate. 

Pagan must choose-Dank or her soulmate, Jay.  Ironically, it’s the same Jay that Pagan dated for 3 years before he went off to college.  To make the contest fair- say bye bye to Pagan’s memories of Dank.  How is that fair- her memories of Jay stay.

This is an interesting addition to the series.  There’s no true heart-stopping action or tension in the story.  No lives are in danger, no souls being stolen without being on the list.  Dank does create a sense of urgency with his worrying over Pagan choosing Jay.  Why, though is the question?  There is no true contest between Jay and Dank.  For crying out loud, he hit on a gal while waiting for Pagan.  Some soul mate he is.

As I read this book, I thought to myself huh?  I don’t get it.  Why did the series needs this story?  While entertaining and of mind-consuming, something was just off.  I felt like it was missing something.   Gee did make it more entertaining, with one-liners placed throughout.  “Alright, Peggy Ann, let’s get you out of here before he sings again.  Apparently, it’s your keyptonite. “ or “Voodoo boy doesn’t know when to quit.”

My Rating 3 out 5

Other Characters

Miranda- Pagan’s best friend and roommate.

Gee- suite mate to Pagan and Miranda, they don’t remember her as she is a transporter for Dank.

Nathan- Frat brother to Jay, wants to date Miranda.

Swoon Thursday (22) Not Your Average Fairy tale

The fabulous girls over at YA Bound created this super HOT meme. Here's how it works.

From the book you’re currently reading, or one you just finished, tell us what made you SWOON. What got your heart pounding, your skin tingling, and your stomach fluttering.

Shout it out on Twitter with the hashtag #YABound, post it here in the comments, or grab the adorable button above and share it on your blog! I want to know & so do the gals at YABound!

We swayed to the music, lost in our own little world. I felt his heartbeat through his chest, fluttering about as fast as mine. 

He pulled me closer. “You look beautiful,” he whispered. 

Chills coursed through my body, and I shivered. 

Not Your Average Fairy Tale by Chantele Sedgwick Kindle Location 3580

There is something about being told you are beautiful that makes me smile and sigh.  So what about you?  Anyone swoon worthy that you have been reading?