Book Review: Angelfall by Susan Ee

Angelfall (Penryn & the End of Days, #1)

by Susan Ee 

Genre: Angels/Apocalypse

Reading Grade: Young Adult

Publication Date: May 21, 2011

Source: Kindle purchase

Age Rating: 15+

| Amazon | | Barnes & Noble |

 

It's been six weeks since angels of the apocalypse descended to demolish the modern world. Street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. When warrior angels fly away with a helpless little girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back.

Anything, including making a deal with an enemy angel.

Raffe is a warrior who lies broken and wingless on the street. After eons of fighting his own battles, he finds himself being rescued from a desperate situation by a half-starved teenage girl.

Traveling through a dark and twisted Northern California, they have only each other to rely on for survival. Together, they journey toward the angels' stronghold in San Francisco where she'll risk everything to rescue her sister and he'll put himself at the mercy of his greatest enemies for the chance to be made whole again.

 

I'm experimenting with a different way of writing my reviews. Maybe breaking down the most important aspects of the story will keep my reviews more informative. Hopefully, this will be fun for me as well as more beneficial to my readers...

My Review

• Plot: There actually is one (big plus for me), although it's nothing groundbreaking. Penryn needs to rescue her crippled little sister from the bad invading angels who have taken her away, and needs a wingless angel that she saves to help locate her. They have many fun (for the reader) distractions along the way. There's not much romance, but that works better for me, actually. Penryn and Raffe (the wingless angel) didn't bond as much as I felt they should have to justify his obvious attachment to her by the end. I needed more niceties between the two, but they do have chemistry.
  
• Characters: Penryn is a great YA character and really knows her fighting skills. She's tough and she's proactive, thinking only ever of saving her little sister. Raffe is so sarcastic and yummy in the first half, but that all vanishes during the second half for someone unknown reason. Penryn's crazy mother is such a mystery, always showing up wherever Penryn is, like a feral cat stalking her. Why this is never gets explained, and it's kind of creepy, but good creepy.
• Writing: The writing is definitely decent—professional-grade. No flowery words or purple prose, and that's just perfect for this type of story. The YA voice is convincing, too, as the story is told through Penryn's first-person present tense narration.
• Storytelling: The story takes you on this wild and bizarre journey through a gutted apocalyptic San Francisco, full of incredibly well-detailed and intense fight scenes, amongst other things. Very impressive. One fight scene in particular made me feel like my throat had been whacked a bunch of times because of the vivid physicality of the fighting. Amazing.
• Overall Quality: I believe this is a self-published title, but you'd never know it. It's so very professional and high quality!
• Favorite Moment/Scene: The kiss scene... Oh. My. Lord. It is amazing, and I am rarely impressed by kiss scenes, but this one blew me away. It is totally out-of-nowhere and made me blink a lot. A lot. And, made me think about it as I drifted off to sleep the same night I read it.
• My Score: 4.5/5 stars. (I really like this. Can't wait for book 2!)
  
  
  
  
  

Book Review: Halflings by Heather Burch

Halflings (Halflings, #1)

by Heather Burch 

Genre: Paranormal/Angels

Reading Grade: Young Adult

Publication Date: January 31, 2012

Source: NetGalley (ebook)

Age Rating: 13+

| Amazon |

After being inexplicably targeted by an evil intent on harming her at any cost, seventeen-year-old Nikki finds herself under the watchful guardianship of three mysterious young men who call themselves Halflings. Sworn to defend her, misfits Mace, Raven, and Vine battle to keep Nikki safe while hiding their deepest secret—and the wings that come with it. A growing attraction between Nikki and two of her protectors presents a whole other danger. While she risks a broken heart, Mace and Raven could lose everything, including their souls. As the mysteries behind the boys' powers, as well as her role in a scientist's dark plan, unfold, Nikki is faced with choices that will affect the future of an entire race of heavenly beings, as well as the precarious equilibrium of the earthly world. 

 

My Review

Halflings is an interesting take on angels and fallen angels, although I admit I haven't read much literature dealing with this subject matter. But, I did feel that a few of the characters held my interest. Nikki is at least not a typical teenage protagonist of the YA paranormal genre. She rides motorcycles and knows karate, but still lives a fairly normal life in Missouri.

She meets three teenage boys called Halflings, which means they are half human and half fallen angel. The attractive boys, Mace, Raven and Vine, go around and pretend to be brothers, but they were all born to different Halfling parents and had to be raised away from them for their own protection. A Guardian Angel named Will, a fully fledged angel, is their caretaker. Together, they spend their lives helping out humans in need and discover pieces of their missions through Will, who seems to be able to receive divine revelation.

Nikki and Mace are instantly drawn to each other, and experience “insta-love,” which I frown upon, but it doesn't necessarily ruin the story. Although, Nikki also finds herself intrigued by Raven, who is partial to his fallen angel side, as he has a delicious bad-boy streak. I was really interested in him at first, all snarky and wanting only human minions, but he cooled off toward the end as he became more interested in Nikki. Ah, so close. Almost had a really sexy anti-hero—nearly anti-villain. Still, he's a great character.

What's so shocking is that, low and behold, a true villain materializes in a character that really doesn't appear in the story much, in the form of an attractive older man that Nikki is constantly being thrust at. He has a weird connection to her parents, and even they are quite the mystery in and of themselves. I really found this villain character intriguing, but the story suddenly ends before I can discover what his deal is, and why he is so interested in having Nikki all to himself. Why is he so rich, and what connection does he have to the plot to destroy the world?

At the very end, Nikki suddenly feels wrong about being with him before he gets his clutches on her, so she runs back to the Halflings, and then it's all over. Most abrupt ending ever. I'd be far happier if the reason WHY this guy is so dangerous had been revealed, so that her running to the Halflings would make sense to me. Sure, the Halflings are like her guardian angels, but I really want to know why this mysterious guy she barely knows is so dangerous. Hopefully, it will get explained in the next book.

My score: 3.5 out of 5 stars. (I like it.)

*I received this from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Fallen by Lauren Kate

Fallen (Fallen, #1)

by Lauren Kate

Genre: Paranormal Romance/Angels

Reading Grade: Young Adult

Publishing Type: traditional

Publication Date: December 8, 2009

Source: local library (Audio CD)

Age Rating: 14+ (for light profanity)

Amazon | Book Depository

Seventeen-Year-Old Luce is a new student at Sword & Cross, an unwelcoming boarding/reform school in Savannah, Georgia. Luce’s boyfriend died under suspicious circumstances, and now she carries the guilt over his death with her as she navigates the unfriendly halls at Sword & Cross, where every student seems to have an unpleasant—even evil—history.

It’s only when she sees Daniel, a gorgeous fellow student, that Luce feels there’s a reason to be here—though she doesn’t know what it is. And Daniel’s frosty cold demeanor toward her? It’s really a protective device that he’s used again . . . and again. For Daniel is a fallen angel, doomed to fall in love with the same girl every 17 years . . . and watch her die. And Luce is a fellow immortal, cursed to be reincarnated again and again as a mortal girl who has no idea of who she really is.

My Review

Fallen is another popular YA paranormal romance title that I was afraid to read because I figured I'd dislike it. Sometimes I just don't like what everyone else is gushing over. But, this is a good novel, so the gushy people are somewhat right this time.

Luce is actually not a totally annoying teenage girl protagonist, and sometimes they just get on my nerves. She's pretty cool, if just pretty clueless, but that's not her fault. The story is set up for her to discover the tiny pieces of her true identity very gradually, and even by the end we still don't know who she is. We do get some info on who Daniel and the students at Sword & Cross really are.

Not much plot happens in this story, and it painstakingly maps out the details of every little eye flit and hair flip you can imagine (or don't want to), but it's not boring. There's plenty of tension on every page to keep you wanting to know who everyone is and why all the weird things keep happening to Luce while she's attending the reform school. The writing is excellent, and if you love knowing exactly how everything that's happening makes the protagonist feel, then you'll be in seventh heaven with this book. Otherwise, it might annoy you.

The characters are interesting, although the main ones, Luce and Daniel, are middle-of-the-road personality-wise. But, there are some quirky, eccentric ones in Arianne, Penn, and Cam. They are funny, intriguing characters, Cam being my favorite for having plenty of attitude in a good way (or, at least I think it's good).

There is a ton of emphasis on the romance between Luce and Daniel and how much they already love each other, which makes sense given the centuries they've known each other. Nevertheless, I'd still like to see evidence that they have a reason to love each other. The romance is so sappy and sweet, I got a serious toothache and a few canker sores in my mouth. It suits readers who live for that kind of thing in fiction. I'm all for true love, but not being beaten over the head with the kind that has yet to be proven.

Still, this novel is good, and lovers of YA paranormal romance should take to this one really well. I haven't decided if I'll get caught up with the rest of the books, but I will see the film adaptation whenever that comes out.

My score: 3.5 stars out of 5.

Teaser Tuesday #6 (8/30/11)

"Teaser Tuedsays" is a weekly bookish meme hosted by

MizB of Should Be Reading.

 

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

1. Grab your current read.

2. Open to a random page.

3. Share two (2) teaser sentences from somewhere on that page.

4. BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away. You don't want to spoil it for others.)
5. Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers.

My Teaser 
 

"He gazed at her, standing as still as a sculpture, which made Luce feel rooted to her spot, too. She sucked in her breath. Those eyes were intense, and alluring, and, well, a little bit disarming..." 

- from Chapter 1 of Fallen (Fallen #1) by Lauren Kate

*****

Seventeen-Year-Old Luce is a new student at Sword & Cross, an unwelcoming boarding/reform school in Savannah, Georgia. Luce’s boyfriend died under suspicious circumstances, and now she carries the guilt over his death with her as she navigates the unfriendly halls at Sword & Cross, where every student seems to have an unpleasant—even evil—history.

It’s only when she sees Daniel, a gorgeous fellow student, that Luce feels there’s a reason to be here—though she doesn’t know what it is. And Daniel’s frosty cold demeanor toward her? It’s really a protective device that he’s used again . . . and again. For Daniel is a fallen angel, doomed to fall in love with the same girl every 17 years . . . and watch her die. And Luce is a fellow immortal, cursed to be reincarnated again and again as a mortal girl who has no idea of who she really is.

Indie Spotlight #1

This post highlights self-published "indie" paranormal/fantasy novels (or short stories) that I haven't read, yet, but they are already available for purchase.

I've heard some really good things about this series, which has two installments as of now. Once I get a chance, I'll be reviewing the first book. I'm excited to get to it!

Ethereal (Celestra, #1) 
by Addison Moore 

Amazon.com link

Reading grade: Young Adult

Synopsis

Skyla Messenger is a dead girl walking. 

  

When her newly remarried mother moves the family to Paragon Island, to a house that is rumored to be haunted, Skyla finds refuge in Logan Oliver, a boy who shares her unique ability to read minds. Skyla discovers Logan holds the answers to the questions she’s been looking for, but Logan’s reluctance to give her the knowledge she desires leaves her believing Logan has a few secrets of his own. 

Skyla’s bloodlines may just be connected to the most powerful angelic beings that roam the earth, and the more she knows, the more danger she seems to be in. Suddenly an entire faction of earthbound angels wants her dead, at least she still has Logan, or does she? 

Book Haul #1

So, here are the books I got recently that I really hope I get a chance to review on this blog someday. But, if not, then y'all know I got 'em, anyway...

Torn (Trylle Trilogy, #2)

by Amanda Hocking

Wendy thought she finally understood who she was and what she wanted, but everything changes when the rival Vittra come after her.  

She's caught between two worlds, torn between love and duty, and she must decide what life she is meant to lead.

I really liked Switched, the first book in the Trylle Trilogy series, so I definitely needed to get the next installment. I also bought a physical paperback book, rather than the e-book edition.

The Kensei

by Jon F. Merz

Meet Lawson. A cynical, wise-cracking vampire charged with protecting the Balance between vampires and humans, he is part cop, part spy, and part commando — James Bond with fangs. Lawson mixes shrewd cunning with unmatched lethality to get his job done. He tries his best to dismantle conspiracies, dispatch bad guys, and live long enough to get home. In The Kensei, a battle-weary Lawson heads to Japan for a little rest and some advanced ninja training. But he no sooner steps off the plane than lands in the midst of a Yakuza turf war orchestrated by a shadowy figure known as the Kensei. With the help of Talya, a former KGB-assassin, Lawson must put a stop to the Kensei’s organ trafficking networks, prevent the creation of an army of vampire-human hybrids, and save his own skin in the process.

My interest in this book comes from a few of my favorite things all wrapped up into one shiny book (well, not literally. It's a matte paperback). Vampires + Japanese swords (aka katana) + Japan. All that pretty much means = I'M GOING TO READ THE BOOK. You don't have to twist my arm, hun. Subarashii!

 Maximum Ride, The Manga, Vol. 1
by James Patterson & NaRae Lee (Illustrator)

Fourteen-year-old Maximum Ride, better known as Max, knows what it's like to soar above the world. She and all the members of the "flock"--Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman and Angel--are just like ordinary kids--only they have wings and can fly. It may seem like a dream come true to some, but their lives can morph into a living nightmare at any time...like when Angel, the youngest member of the flock, is kidnapped and taken back to the "School" where she and the others were experimented on by a crew of wack jobs. Her friends brave a journey to blazing hot Death Valley, CA, to save Angel, but soon enough, they find themselves in yet another nightmare--this one involving fighting off the half-human, half-wolf "Erasers" in New York City. Whether in the treetops of Central Park or in the bowels of the Manhattan subway system, Max and her adopted family take the ride of their lives. Along the way Max discovers from her old friend and father-figure Jeb--now her betrayed and greatest enemy--that her purpose is save the world--but can she?

Well, I really love to read Japanese manga, so reading novels adapted into American mangas is a no-brainer for me. I haven't read the Patterson novel this is based on, but I'm sure I will if this story ends up interesting me enough. I look forward to what looks like very beautiful manga artwork in this book.

Aww... Book hauls are so addictive... If only they weren't so expensive!