Category Archives: Ya Fantasy

Born at Midnight
(Shadow Falls, #1)
By: C.C. Hunter
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Publisher: March 29, 2011
Genre: Paranormal YA
Rating:

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One night Kylie Galen finds herself at the wrong party, with the wrong people, and it changes her life forever. Her mother ships her off to Shadow Falls—a camp for troubled teens, and within hours of arriving, it becomes painfully clear that her fellow campers aren’t just “troubled.” Here at Shadow Falls, vampires, werewolves, shapeshifters, witches and fairies train side by side—learning to harness their powers, control their magic and live in the normal world.

Kylie’s never felt normal, but surely she doesn’t belong here with a bunch of paranormal freaks either. Or does she? They insist Kylie is one of them, and that she was brought here for a reason. As if life wasn’t complicated enough, enter Derek and Lucas. Derek’s a half-fae who’s determined to be her boyfriend, and Lucas is a smokin’ hot werewolf with whom Kylie shares a secret past. Both Derek and Lucas couldn’t be more different, but they both have a powerful hold on her heart.

Even though Kylie feels deeply uncertain about everything, one thing is becoming painfully clear—Shadow Falls is exactly where she belongs…

Kylie is sent to a summer camp after being arrested. She thinks it’s a camp for troubled teens but it doesn’t take her long to realize that that is not the case at all. This is a summer camp for supernaturals and even though she doesn’t think she belongs there, her night terrors and the “stalker” that no one else sees are proof that she’s right where she needs to be.

I liked that even though this story focuses on Kylie, we get background information on a handful of other characters as well. So I found myself getting attached to more than just the main character. She has two quirky roommates, one is a vampire, and the other is a witch who seems to have a pet toad, but is later revealed as a spell gone wrong on a sleazy man. There’s a cute guy who instantly takes an interest in Kylie and a bad boy who is of course also interested in her. However, I feel like he gets first dibs since he’s a neighbor from her childhood. Yes, this has the makings of your typical eye-rolling love triangle but I really enjoyed it.

I’m a huge fan of the title and series name. Too many times the series is named after the first book. However, the title comes from the fact that all supernaturals are born at midnight and Shadow Falls is the name of the camp where Kylie realizes that she’s not who she thought she was and will ultimately come into the supernatural that she’s meant to be.

And can I just take a second to applaud the author for not turning this book into a clique teen story. There is no “popular girl” who makes Kylie’s life hell. There really aren’t any cliques either. I liked that all the kids were there to not only learn about who they are but to get to know about other supes as well.

I’m most definitely going to be keeping up with this series. We still don’t know what Kylie is but I have a feeling that we will find out in the next book.

“I personally think the downside of being able to change into anything is the fear that you don’t know who you really are.”

Scorch
(Croak, #2)
By: Gina Damico
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Published: Sept. 25, 2012
Genre: Paranormal YA
Rating:

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Sixteen-year-old Lex Bartleby is a teenage grim reaper with the bizarre ability to damn souls. That makes her pretty scary, even to fellow Grims. But after inadvertently transferring her ability to Zara, a murderous outlaw, Lex is a pariah in Croak, the little town she calls home.

To escape the townspeople’s wrath, she and her friends embark on a wild road trip to DeMyse. Though this sparkling desert oasis is full of luxuries and amusements, it feels like a prison to Lex. Her best chance at escape would be to stop Zara once and for all—but how can she do that from DeMyse, where the Grims seem mysteriously oblivious to Zara’s killing spree?

We pick up shortly after Croak left off. Lex is still dealing with the loss that took place in the previous book. She’s not the same old snarky Lex that we’re used to. She’s reserved, quite and a bit sulky. However, it doesn’t take long for her to start to return to her old self, but she will never be the same. Not to mention she still has a killer she has to catch and the townsfolk of Croak have turned not only against her, but her uncle (who’s mayor) as well.

The way the synopsis reads I thought that they would be on an adventure from the get go but that’s not the case. In fact they don’t actually head off to DeMyse until the last quarter of the book. The whole beginning of the book is the fallout of what took place in the last book as well as developing a little bit more of the story and mystery.

Again, Gina is amazing when it comes to creating interesting characters. We get two new characters added to the ranks of reaper, Bang and Pip. Bang doesn’t talk, instead she signs in her own way (not ASL) and Pip… well he’s a motor mouth. He talks a mile a minute and doesn’t have an off switch. The two new characters definitely added a little something to the table. Plus, we get King Tut! I mean… how many books have you read where King Tut is in it? I bet you didn’t know that he could bench press a camel named Lumpy? HAH! See that right there is why you must read the book. Gina is one crazy chick and her awesomeness shows in her writing.

Again, she leaves us with another cliffhanger. However, it works because it ends this chapter in their lives and starts a new journey in the next one. However, there are a lot of questions left unanswered and I for one will be tuning in to Rogue to see what happens next. Gina has skyrocketed to one of my top fave authors with the two books that she’s wrote. I love the way she creates a story, doesn’t get bogged down with mundane details and give her characters so many various personalities that you wish they were real so that you could try to befriend them. Seriously, I want a psychotic Lex as my friend.

There were so many freaking favorites that it was hard to choose just one but alas, I went with a Mort, Lex, Driggs combo. You see, since Lex and Driggs are dating and they are a pair of hormone driven teenagers, Uncle Mort and installed cameras throughout the house so that he can make sure there’s no hanky panky taking place.

“‘Hot today, huh?’ he shouted one evening before dinner, popping his head into the living room as Lex and Driggs dove to opposite ends of the couch. ‘Better cool down soon.’ He grinned and made one of those two-fingered I’m-watching-you gestures.”

Previous reviews from Croak
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Touch of Frost
(Mythos Academy, #1)
By: Jennifer Estep
Publisher: K-Teen
Published: Aug. 1, 2011
Genre: Fantasy Mythology YA
Rating:

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My name is Gwen Frost, and I go to Mythos Academy; a school of myths, magic and warrior whiz kids, where even the lowliest geek knows how to chop off somebody’s head with a sword and Logan Quinn, the hottest Spartan guy in school, also happens to be the deadliest. But lately, things have been weird, even for Mythos. First, mean girl Jasmine Ashton was murdered in the Library of Antiquities. Then, someone stole the Bowl of Tears, a magical artifact that can be used to bring about the second Chaos War. You know, death, destruction and lots of other bad, bad things. Freaky stuff like this goes on all the time at Mythos, but I’m determined to find out who killed Jasmine and why; especially since I should have been the one who died…

Gwen is just a gypsy in a school of Valkyries and Spartans. Whereas some kids can crush diamonds in their hands, Gwen can touch an object and can get flashes of what the person was thinking/feeling at the time. Not such a handy gift when everyone around you can squash you like a bug by just breathing on you. So when she stumbles across a murder while working at the library, she starts to use her power to see if she can figure out who the killer is. The only problem is, that person is gunning for her life, and the only thing standing between her and certain death is a Spartan who always seems to be at the right place at the right time.

“Logan Quinn was the kind of guy who could stab me in the eye with a freaking Twizzler.”

I love stories that revolve around mythology. Any time I see a book like this, I’m always quick to grab it. I liked that Gwen is sort of the underdog in this story but what you come to find out later is the gift that set her apart from everyone is also the gift that will make her even more special that those around her.

However, the story was very slow for me in the first half. Nothing seemed to really go on. Gwen is a loner. She has no friends and she sneaks off campus to go to her grandmother’s house. So nothing really exciting takes place until she starts befriending characters and starts learning that there is more to her power than first assumed. Once the story started to roll, I found myself more interested in Gwen and what was going on. I think a lot of it was just the world building and the author setting stage for the series. I’m sure that now that we know what’s going on, the next book will hit the ground running.

If you’re a fan of Vampire Academy then you should give this a try. It definitely has that feel to it, minus the older guy, younger chick thing going on. I’m definitely going to be picking up the next book to see what happens next.

“Yeah, well this Gypsy girl happens to have a grandma that can curse you so bad that your dick will turn black and fall off, so watch your step, Spartan.”

Grasping at Eternity
(Kindrily, #1)
By: Karen Amanda Hooper
Publisher: Starry Sky Publishing
Published:May 25, 2012
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Rating:

Leave it to Maryah Woodsen to break the one rule that will screw up eternity: Never erase your memories.

Before entering this life, Maryah did the unthinkable—she erased. Now, at seventeen years old, she’s clueless that her new adoptive family has known her for centuries, that they are perpetually reincarnated souls, and that they have supernatural abilities. Oh, and she’s supposed to love (not despise) Nathan, the green-eyed daredevil who saved her life.

Nathan is convinced his family’s plan to spark Maryah’s memory is hopeless, but his love for her is undying. After spending (and remembering) so many lifetimes together, being around an empty version of his soulmate is heart shattering. He hates acting like a stalker, but has no choice because the evil outcast who murdered Maryah in their last lifetime is still after her.

While Maryah’s hunter inches closer, she and Nathan make assumptions and hide secrets that rip them further apart. Maryah has to believe in the magic within her, Nathan must have faith in the power of their love, and both need to grasp onto the truth before they lose each other forever—and discover just how lonely eternity can be.

One thing you should know about me before I start my review is that, I do not like “soul-mate” books. Just saying “soul-mate” sends off alarms in my head. However, I kept going back to this book because not only did it sound good but the second book sounds amazing. So I sucked it up and gave this book a go. I’m glad I did because I thoroughly enjoyed it, soul-mates and all.

The majority of the book is about Maryah stumbling around her new life with her Godmother after Maryah’s family is murdered. She has to not only adjust to a new family but a new school as well. She has no idea that she is a reincarnated soul who not only had a soul-mate but gave up everything to erase her memory when she last past away to start her life fresh of memories instead of remember past lives. This may not seem like a horrible thing but when she erased, she not only lost her memories for Nathaniel and her other kindrily (reincarnated family) but she also lost her power that made her who she was.

Nathaniel was an interesting character. He does a lot of careless things in the book and tries to keep his distance from Maryah as much as he can. He’s hurt by the fact that she would erase him from her memories. He’s lost without her and doesn’t know how to cope with the new reality that his soul-mate is no longer his. It was nice that the book is written in both Maryah’s and Nathaniel’s pov because otherwise the reader would view him as a huge jerk with a split personality disorder but with reading parts in his pov, you get to understand what he’s going through.

Throughout the book, the author hints at monumental things in the story that are later brought up in the book. So if you pay careful attention to everything that happens, you can figure out what’s going to happen early on. I was not paying close enough attention. HaHa. I knew that the pieces I was reading had significance but I didn’t start to piece it together until I was closer to the end of the story. A lot of this story is character and story development. It isn’t until about three quarters of the way through that pieces start to slowly come together.

I’m really glad that there is a sequel because I feel like we’re just starting to scratch the surface of this story. Not to mention the tearjerker ending that I will admit, I did not see coming. I loved that Karen added that in there. You’ll know what I’m talking about when you read it.

I may not be a soul-mate person but Karen did such an amazing job with this story that I didn’t even notice. I cannot wait to continue the Kindrily series and find out what happens next with the group.

“Even a broken clock shows the correct time twice a day.”

Last Sacrifice
(Vampire Academy, #6)
By: Richelle Mead
Publisher: Razorbill
Published: Dec. 7, 2010
Genre: YA
Rating:

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 They come first.
My vision was growing dimmer, the blackness and ghosts closing in. I swore it was like I could hear Robert whispering in my ear: The world of the dead won’t give you up a second time. Just before the light completely vanished, I saw Dimitri’s face join Lissa’s. I wanted to smile. I decided then that if the two people I loved most were safe, I could leave this world.

The dead could finally have me.

Rose Hathaway has always played by her own rules. She broke the law when she ran away from St. Vladimir’s Academy with her best friend and last surviving Dragomir princess, Lissa. She broke the law when she fell in love with her gorgeous, off-limits instructor, Dimitri. And she dared to defy Queen Tatiana, leader of the Moroi world, risking her life and reputation to protect generations of dhampir guardians to come.

Now the law has finally caught up with Rose – for a crime she didn’t even commit. She’s in prison for the highest offense imaginable: the assassination of a monarch. She’ll need help from both Dimitri and Adrian to find the one living person who can stall her execution and force the Moroi elite to acknowledge a shocking new candidate for the royal throne: Vasilisa Dragomir.

But the clock on Rose’s life is running out. Rose knows in her heart the world of the dead wants her back…and this time she is truly out of second chances. The big question is, when your whole life is about saving others, who will save you?

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Onyx
(Lux, #2)
By: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Published: Aug. 14, 2012
Genre: YA
Rating:

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Being connected to Daemon Black sucks…
Thanks to his alien mojo, Daemon’s determined to prove what he feels for me is more than a product of our bizarro connection. So I’ve sworn him off, even though he’s running more hot than cold these days. But we’ve got bigger problems.

Something worse than the Arum has come to town…

The Department of Defense are here. If they ever find out what Daemon can do and that we’re linked, I’m a goner. So is he. And there’s this new boy in school who’s got a secret of his own. He knows what’s happened to me and he can help, but to do so, I have to lie to Daemon and stay away from him. Like that’s possible. Against all common sense, I’m falling for Daemon. Hard.

But then everything changes…

I’ve seen someone who shouldn’t be alive. And I have to tell Daemon, even though I know he’s never going to stop searching until he gets the truth. What happened to his brother? Who betrayed him? And what does the DOD want from them—from me?

No one is who they seem. And not everyone will survive the lies…

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Spirit Bound
(Vampire Academy, #5)
By: Richelle Mead
Publisher: Razorbill
Published: May 18, 2010
Genre: YA
Rating:

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After a long and heartbreaking journey to Dimitri’s birthplace in Siberia, Rose Hathaway has finally returned to St. Vladimir’s-and to her best friend, Lissa. It is nearly graduation, and the girls can’t wait for their real lives beyond the Academy’s iron gates to begin. But Rose’s heart still aches for Dimitri, and she knows he’s out there, somewhere.

She failed to kill him when she had the chance. And now her worst fears are about to come true. Dimitri has tasted her blood, and now he is hunting her. And this time he won’t rest until Rose joins him… forever.

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Nevermore
(Nevermore, #1)
By: Kelly Creagh
Publisher: Atheneum Books
Published: Aug. 31, 2010
Genre: YA
Rating:

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Cheerleader Isobel Lanley is horrified when she is paired with Varen Nethers for an English project, which is due—so unfair—on the day of the rival game. Cold and aloof, sardonic and sharp-tongued, Varen makes it clear he’d rather not have anything to do with her either. But when Isobel discovers strange writing in his journal, she can’t help but give this enigmatic boy with the piercing eyes another look.

Soon, Isobel finds herself making excuses to be with Varen. Steadily pulled away from her friends and her possessive boyfriend, Isobel ventures deeper and deeper into the dream world Varen has created through the pages of his notebook, a realm where the terrifying stories of Edgar Allan Poe come to life.

As her world begins to unravel around her, Isobel discovers that dreams, like words, hold more power than she ever imagined, and that the most frightening realities are those of the mind. Now she must find a way to reach Varen before he is consumed by the shadows of his own nightmares.

His life depends on it.

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