Brad About Books: Antigoddess by Kendare Blake

Read on September 2, 2013

ANTIGODDESS
Expected Publication Date: September 10, 2013
Publisher: Tor Teen
Format: Hardcover
Page Count: 333 pages
Source: Publisher in exchange for an honest review
Series: Goddess War, #1

The Goddess War begins in Antigoddess, the first installment of the new series by acclaimed author of Anna Dressed in Blood, Kendare Blake.
 
Old Gods never die…

Or so Athena thought. But then the feathers started sprouting beneath her skin, invading her lungs like a strange cancer, and Hermes showed up with a fever eating away his flesh. So much for living a quiet eternity in perpetual health.

Desperately seeking the cause of their slow, miserable deaths, Athena and Hermes travel the world, gathering allies and discovering enemies both new and old. Their search leads them to Cassandra—an ordinary girl who was once an extraordinary prophetess, protected and loved by a god. 

These days, Cassandra doesn’t involve herself in the business of gods—in fact, she doesn’t even know they exist. But she could be the key in a war that is only just beginning. 

Because Hera, the queen of the gods, has aligned herself with other of the ancient Olympians, who are killing off rivals in an attempt to prolong their own lives. But these anti-gods have become corrupted in their desperation to survive, horrific caricatures of their former glory. Athena will need every advantage she can get, because immortals don’t just flicker out. 

Every one of them dies in their own way. Some choke on feathers. Others become monsters. All of them rage against their last breath.

The Goddess War is about to begin.

Antigoddess is an action-packed, sizzling, and explosive whirlwind that completely captivated me and never let me go. Kendare Blake's Antigoddess is absolutely epic and impossible to put down. One of the best books I've read in a long time.

I've wanted this book so badly ever since I first heard about it. So when I got my grabby hands on a copy, I dived in immediately. You know when you anticipate a book so hard, and then you're let down by it? That is totally not the case with Antigoddess. This book not only met my expectations, it blew it out of the water. Everything about this book - the characters, the writing, the pacing, the plot, the twists and turns, the development, the war - everything is phenomenal. Kendare Blake was quickly become one of my favorite authors. I was astonished by how truly amazing Antigoddess was. The pacing... oh boy, I couldn't put this book down. I was so wrapped up and absorbed in this world, I never wanted it to end. If you're needing some action-goodness and amazing plot-lines in your life, Antigoddess is the way to go.

The. Characters. Could they be any better? I have no clue. Athena was a phenomenal protagonist. Something is eating away at her life - literally - and she doesn't have much longer to survive. When you're on the run and in search for answers, it makes for such an awesome book: it did just that with Antigoddess. She's strong, fierce, loyal, and one of the best female leads I've read about. Hermes was also great! Sure, he may gossip quite a lot, but he sticks by Athena through thick and thin. And Cassandra! While I was a bit confused by her character in the beginning, she becomes such a vital and important piece to the Goddess War puzzle, and I can't wait to see where her character goes in the second book.

Speaking of the sequel... I want it so bad. That ending. I can't even. Talk about fast-paced! So much war and betrayal goes down in Antigoddess, and it's just one little piece in such a fantastic novel. I love last lines in books, and Antigoddess has one of my favorite last lines. It's such a cliffhanger and leaves you with your jaw dropped, begging for more - and that's exactly what I was like seconds after finishing this stunning beginning to a very promising series. I can't even explain to you how much I loved this book. Highly recommended!

Overall, Antigoddess is an incredible start that begins with a bang and never lets up. One of my new favorite books - Kendare Blake has created a masterpiece!

M Y   R A T I N G

Waiting on Wednesday (26): Evertrue

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine!

This week, I am DYING for...

Evertrue (Everneath, #3) - Brodi Ashton

January 21, 2014

Balzer + Bray (Harper)

Since this is the third and final book in this awesome trilogy, I will be posting the synopsis to book one, Everneath, to avoid spoilers:

Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath. Now she’s returned—to her old life, her family, her boyfriend—before she’s banished back to the underworld . . . this time forever. She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can’t find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend these precious months forgetting the Everneath and trying to reconnect with her boyfriend, Jack, the person most devastated by her disappearance—and the one person she loves more than anything. But there’s just one problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who enticed her to the Everneath in the first place, has followed Nikki home. Cole wants to take over the throne in the underworld and is convinced Nikki is the key to making it happen. And he’ll do whatever it takes to bring her back, this time as his queen.

As Nikki’s time on the Surface draws to a close and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she is forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole’s queen.

Everneath is a captivating story of love, loss, and immortality from debut author Brodi Ashton.

Guys. Guys. GUYS. I love this series so, so, so much - it's ridiculous how much I adore these books. And I'm so sad to see this series ending, but I cannot wait for Evertrue. I must know what happens to Nikki, Cole, and Jack! January 21, can you come sooner? Please?

What are you waiting on this week?

Brad About Books: Fury by Elizabeth Miles

Read on June 21, 2013

FURY
Published: August 30, 2011
Publisher: Simon Pulse (Simon & Schuster)
Format: Hardcover
Page Count: 370 pages
Source: Purchased
Series: Fury, #1

It’s winter break in Ascension, Maine. The snow is falling and everything looks pristine and peaceful. But not all is as it seems...

Between cozy traditions and parties with her friends, Emily loves the holidays. And this year’s even better—the guy she’s been into for months is finally noticing her. But Em knows if she starts things with him, there’s no turning back. Because his girlfriend is Em’s best friend.

On the other side of town, Chase is having problems of his own. The stress of his home life is starting to take its toll, and his social life is unraveling. But that’s nothing compared to what’s really haunting him. Chase has done something cruel...something the perfect guy he pretends to be would never do. And it’s only a matter of time before he’s exposed.

In Ascension, mistakes can be deadly. And three girls—three beautiful, mysterious girls—are here to choose who will pay. Em and Chase have been chosen.

Sometimes sorry isn't enough.

I have no idea why this book and I didn't click. While Fury brought a unique plot and an outstanding premise to the table, it didn't deliver for me. I guess this book just wasn't for me.

Oh my gosh, this book sounded awesome. And the crazy thing? It was awesome! But unfortunately, the keyword is was. I was really loving the first 75 pages of this book - they set up the suspense and world so nicely, and I was excited to see where the story would go next. That's the thing though: it didn't go anywhere. After page 150, I noticed that nothing was pushing the plot along. It was staying still and repeating the same techniques, and I just wasn't a fan of that. The first 75 pages were epic, but the book went downhill after that for me.

Greek myth re-tellings are great in my book. They're actually one of my favorite genres to read about. But never had I read a book about the Furies (directly about the Furies, anyway), so I was very eager to see how they would be handled in Fury. And the actual Furies were very interesting! They're deceptive and a bit disturbed, but Miles created them to be such twisted and awesome characters. And I did enjoy some other characters! Em was a great protagonist (I connected to her right away), but I can't say the same about Chase. He was too whiny and oblivious for me to like.

Even though I've had a month to decide why I didn't enjoy this book, I still can't come up with a clear answer. Was it the pacing? The characters? Certain scenes that gave me chill bumps, and not in a good way? I can't decide. I just know that this wasn't the book for me. I might be for you! Who knows. I wish I could've liked it better, though. I really, really do.

Overall, Fury disappointed me on major levels. Though the plot sounded epic and I knew it was destined to be a great book, it didn't live up to my expectations.

M Y   R A T I N G

Brad About Books: Sweet Legacy by Tera Lynn Childs + GIVEAWAY (US/CAN Only)

Read on July 14, 2013

SWEET LEGACY
Expected Publication Date: September 3, 2013
Publisher: Katherine Tegen (Harper)
Format: ARC
Page Count: 384 pages
Source: ALA
Series: Medusa Girls, #3

This review is entirely spoiler free, even if you haven't started this series.

Read my reviews for the first two books in this series:

Sweet Venom • Sweet Shadows

Sweet Legacy is an epic and pulse-pounding conclusion to one of my favorite series of all time. Tera Lynn Childs has done it again - Sweet Legacy is marvelous!

I'm a huge fan of Greek mythology re-tellings, and the Medusa Girls trilogy is my favorite Greek re-telling series... ever! They're so good! And upon finishing Sweet Legacy, I knew that this was the best book of the series. The characters have developed so much since we first met them - the cool part? Every character develops. Not just one. All of them. - and I absolutely adored that. Childs's vivid and wonderful trilogy comes to a stunning conclusion in Sweet Legacy, and it will not disappoint readers whatsoever.

WAR. WAR WAR WAR. There is so much of it in Sweet Legacy! Like the first two books, it's impossible to set this novel down. Especially since we have a stranger toying with one sister's mind, another sister is falling hard for someone she isn't suppose to, and the last sister is warrior who is on the verge of being completely shattered. Sweet Legacy throws so many plot twists at the reader, and there is never a dull moment. I was actually shocked at some of the events! Sweet Legacy is more brutal and darker than the previous novels (with war coming, it has to be - and it's totally awesome!), and it is just so. good. If you haven't picked up this trilogy, you must! Fantastic!

And oh my gosh! That ending! I kid you not, I was freaking out during the final 30 pages of Sweet Legacy - I had no idea what in the world to expect! Some endings aren't satisfying and leave you hanging, but that's not the case with this amazing trilogy. Childs wraps everything together so perfectly. I can't even begin to tell you how much I love this book and this trilogy. I'm so sad it's over, but I couldn't have asked for a better ending. Phenomenal.

Overall, Sweet Legacy is one of the best endings I've ever read. Tera Lynn Childs is one master of storytelling! Brutal, original, and wholly captivating, Sweet Legacy is magnificent!

And since I love Sweet Legacy so much, I'm giving away an ARC of it! This contest is US/CAN only. Be sure to enter down below - you won't want to miss this ending! It's so good!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Brad About Books: Sweet Shadows by Tera Lynn Childs

Read on July 9, 2013

SWEET SHADOWS
Published: September 4, 2012
Publisher: Katherine Tegen (Harper)
Format: Hardcover
Page Count: 328 pages
Source: Purchased
Series: Medusa Girls, #2

This review is entirely spoiler free, even if you haven't read book one, Sweet Venom.

Sweet Shadows is an electric and dazzling sequel that captured me immediately, shook me around, and never let me go. This second novel not only surpassed the ever-awesome first installment, it blew it out of the water.

After reading Sweet Shadows, I can confirm that the Medusa Girls trilogy is one of my favorite series EVER! I'm a huge fan of re-tellings and Greek mythology, so the two of them put together is awesome. Believe me when I say, this series is addictive. They're impossible to put down, and the action scenes are irresistible! And I love that this trilogy has triplets - not twins, but actual triplets. With that being said, there are three POVs in this series, and Childs handles each character so well. They're all different in their own unique way, and they all have qualities that I love about them! Gretchen has to be my favorite - she's the kick-butt-now, take-names-later kind of girl, and she's just so awesome. Plus, who doesn't like a monster huntress? But she's not the only huntress: Grace is the nice one of the girls, but don't get on her bad side. She's also a great huntress. And Greer is naïve going into the "business" (who wouldn't be?), but she definitely redeems herself in Sweet Shadows. I love all of these characters, and this series, so much!

I have to talk about the plot of Sweet Shadows. While Sweet Venom was engaging and awesome, Sweet Shadows knocked it out of the ballpark. I'm a huge fan of Greek re-tellings, and though this isn't a direct re-telling, it's still one of my favorite series. Monsters are leaking into the human world, and it's up to the triplet huntresses to seal them away where they belong. And Sweet Shadows makes these monsters even more terrifying. The stakes are raised higher more than I dared to imagine, and I adored it for that. I like it when an author makes a daring sequel, and Sweet Shadows definitely was. This series is an absolute must-read!

I didn't see that ending coming! As I was flipping these pages, I had NO idea what to expect or have any clue what was going to happen next. And I will admit, some sequels fall to the dreaded Sequel Slump Syndrome, but that totally passed over Sweet Shadows! I have no clue how Tera Lynn Childs did it, but she made this sequel even better than its predecessor! So good!

Needless to say, Sweet Shadows was incredibly epic and utterly jaw-dropping. Tension-filled and fast-paced, readers won't be able to tear their eyes away from this phenomenal second installment!

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Brad About Books: Sweet Venom by Tera Lynn Childs

Read on June 24, 2013

SWEET VENOM
Published: September 6, 2011
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books (Harper)
Format: Hardcover
Page Count: 345 pages
Source: Purchased
Series: Medusa Girls, #1

Grace just moved to San Francisco and is excited to start over at a new school. The change is full of fresh possibilities, but it’s also a tiny bit scary. It gets scarier when a minotaur walks in the door. And even more shocking when a girl who looks just like her shows up to fight the monster.

Gretchen is tired of monsters pulling her out into the wee hours, especially on a school night, but what can she do? Sending the minotaur back to his bleak home is just another notch on her combat belt. She never expected to run into this girl who could be her double, though.

Greer has her life pretty well put together, thank you very much. But that all tilts sideways when two girls who look eerily like her appear on her doorstep and claim they're triplets, supernatural descendants of some hideous creature from Greek myth, destined to spend their lives hunting monsters.

These three teenage descendants of Medusa, the once-beautiful gorgon maligned by myth, must reunite and embrace their fates in this unique paranormal world where monsters lurk in plain sight.

What a fantastic start to a very promising series! Epic, enthralling, and so venomous, it's addictive. Sweet Venom is unique and mind-blowing!

I'm a fan of switching POVs in books... if they're done right. Sometimes, the plot-lines can get jumbled and confused, especially if the whole book is done in first person point of view. But Tera Lynn Childs did a fantastic job at evening out the three girls' POVs. Each girl is so uniquely different, and they have their own original voice that is only true to them. Gretchen, Grace, and Greer - my favorite set of triplets in YA! My only question is: why did I wait so long to read this?!

I absolutely love YA Greek mythology re-tellings, and while Sweet Venom isn't a full re-telling, it does have elements woven throughout it, and it's totally awesome! Childs did a phenomenal job with the descendants of the monstrous Medusa - I could see some traits of Medusa poking out through each girl! I'm so excited to see where Tera Lynn Childs takes the story to next in the series. Sweet Venom was just such an amazing start, I know that this series is bound to be one of my favorite series of all-time!

And these girls fighting monsters! So cool! Gretchen is most definitely the strongest, but the bonding relationship that these sisters form while trying to save the world was incredibly fantastic. Their relationship, their love, and even their fights and rocky moments, Childs perfectly captures the sense of love between these sisters. Sweet Venom blew me away! And I loved every single minute of it.

Overall, Sweet Venom is a definite must-read for anyone who loves a climatic and energetic story. One of a kind!

M Y     R A T I N G

Brad About Books: Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter

Read on June 26, 2013

GODDESS INTERRUPTED
Published: March 27, 2012
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Format: Paperback
Page Count: 296 pages
Source: Purchased
Series: Goddess, #2

This review is entirely spoiler free, even if you haven't read the first book, The Goddess Test.

Goddess Interrupted is an electrifying and shocking sequel that left me with my mouth hanging open and begging for more. Not only did Carter manage to create a sequel that was better than the first book (which was already superb), she passed it by many miles. So epic!

Though I don't study on the actual mythology, I love reading YA Greek mythology re-tellings! And the Goddess series is one of my most favorite mythology series ever. The characters are wonderful, and the plot is always fast-paced and fantastic. I can't even believe that Aimee Carter made me fall more in love with Kate and the entire ensemble in this sequel than the first! I was pulled right back into the story immediately, and I was shocked and surprised by the loads of twists and turns that Goddess Interrupted takes. Loved it!

The characters are what makes this series whole. Kate was pretty naïve in the first book, but now, she's strong and tough, and she has grown a backbone and isn't afraid to take up for herself. I can't even begin to tell you how happy I am that our protagonist transitioned from naïve to fierce all within a sequel. I'm so thrilled! And she wasn't the only great character: while we don't see a whole lot of Henry in Goddess Interrupted, what parts he's in are superb. I even like him even more than I did in The Goddess Test! And Ava, James, everybody was good! PLUS, there's a new character (no spoilers) that made the book even more awesome.

And that ending! Woah! Another great part about this series is that Carter doesn't hold back with the bad guys being absolutely wicked. Based off the ending, I can't wait to see how the series concludes in The Goddess Inheritance - the ending to this second book was so fast-paced, climatic, and thrilling, I couldn't put it down!

Overall, Goddess Interrupted is a great installment to a fantastic series. A pulsing and marvelous sequel!

M Y     R A T I N G

Brad About Books: Awaken by Meg Cabot

Read on May 17, 2013

AWAKEN
Expected Publication Date: July 2, 2013
Publisher: Point (Scholastic)
Format: ARC
Page Count: 343 pages
Source: Publisher in exchange for an honest review
Series: Abandon, #3

This review is entirely spoiler free, even if you haven't started this series.

Check out my review from other books in this series:

Abandon • Underworld (spoilers for Abandon)

Awaken is a stunning conclusion to a fantastic re-telling series. Fast-paced and shocking, Meg Cabot has done it again!

The characters are just wonderful in Awaken. Awaken starts off with a bang and never stops. The action, tension and suspense was almost overwhelming - I had to know what in the world would happen next! And after Underworld, I had no clue what to expect. I think that Underworld was my favorite of the trilogy, but Awaken is a very close second. The entire ensemble is fantastic, and I applaud Cabot for making each and every character a vital piece to this massive and epic storyline. Bravo!

I'm a sucker for Greek re-tellings. And while it seems that the Persephone myth is the most common in YA, Meg Cabot's Awaken trilogy is definitely one of the best Persephone re-telling series out there. It's fun, it's fresh, and it's fast-paced. These books are so extremely hard to put down - I think Awaken was the hardest! I never wanted to tear my eyes away from the page; Meg Cabot is a master of storytelling! Love!

But I guess what kept me from giving Awaken a full-blown 5 stars was the lack of plot. It's there, but it doesn't always move forward. The suspense of what would happen next definitely kept me on the edge of my seat and eager, but I noticed that Awaken seemed to be character driven. I believe there were some new characters introduced, so of course, we had to get to know them. I caught myself drifting off from time to time, but usually very soon, the plot would pick back, and Awaken would become epic again. Which is always a good thing.

Overall, Awaken is a masterfully executed and well thought-out conclusion to a mind-bending and enticing trilogy! I'm so sad to see this series go, but Meg Cabot couldn't have ended it any better.

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