Created by Felisha Antonette

Blurb: Calamity has forced our government to manufacture genetically altered humans. Creations. Mortals have refused to serve and protect, no longer willing to put their lives on the line for our world. These ‘Creations’ were designed to manage and enforce order among citizens. Creations don’t know fear or express pain. Their sole function is to fight the enemy and live to battle again.

Orphans Kylie Alexander and her twin brother, Lukahn, were born for this purpose. Dedicating their lives to sharpening their deadly skills and forfeiting the chance of love and freedom, they ready themselves for Separation, the deadly rite of passage where the oldest teens are drafted into the final preparation for war.

When Ky and Luke are shipped off to Separation three months early, questions begin to arise. Who is the real enemy? What is really happening beyond the fractured sanctuary of the training compound? What are they actually fighting for?

Humans and Creations alike have become allies when a plague of the living dead becomes the number one hazard. Strategies change as the twins discover they may not be the saviors of humankind after all.
They may be the enemy of the people.

1 star

I hated this book!  And I don’t say that lightly. It had no direction, no plot and the romance aspect was awkward and uninteresting.  It was really disappointing because there was so much potential for a great story.

So they are twins, all twins at a certain age become weapons for a war.  And then you know what happens?  Nothing! Yeah they train hard and fight but we get no closure on what they are really fighting. Zombies? Aliens?  Both? Each other?  Who is the real enemy here?  It’s never made clear.  It had too much double crossing and not enough clarification.  I suspect this was done on purpose to be intriguing but all it did was confuse the heck outta me.

The romance was just terrible bad folks.  They kept waffling back and forth on if they wanted to continue a physical relationship as apparently it is frowned upon in combat, why we never really find out.  It got old after a while, and the third wheel guy was just plain unnecessary.  Not to mention the double standard where Lukhan was allowed to get physical but Kylie was given shit about it.  Not only does this make me care less about Lukhan, this particular point of contention in the book had no purpose, it did not move the story along.  It just was.  There is a lot of these little things in the book, just thrown in but not really interweaving to form a cohesive story.

Lukhan was overbearing and just plain mean. He had no personality and was very hard to relate to.  Kylie was too innocent and immature for this world where violence was supposed to be normal.  She was constantly failing at her role as team lead making it hard for me to see how she deserved to even be in that position.  The characters needed so much more fleshing out and dear god this book needed alpha, beta and maybe two to three editors.  It was just all over the place with no closure to the main plot.

Shattered Stars (Broken Skies #3) by Theresa Kay

Blurb: Unexpected allies. Unexpected betrayals. Unexpected abilities.

The last thing Jax Mitchell ever wanted was to be a weapon. Her abilities are unpredictable at best, but with her twin lost, there’s no one else with enough power to take on Jastren and his mental manipulations. She doesn’t have to do it alone, though. Not only can she rely on the unwavering support of Lir, Rym, and her human friends, she also ends up with help from a surprising source.

Meanwhile, her twin brother Jace—his body controlled by Jastren, and the shattered pieces of his mind locked inside—has become a monster. The struggle to hold on to what’s left of his humanity has left him weak and more confused than ever before. Every thought, every impulse, and every memory has the potential to destroy him—and everyone else around him.

The futures of both the humans and the E’rikon are on the line, but as ulterior motives and political machinations are revealed, it becomes clear that the betrayals aren’t restricted to only one species. Can Jax and Lir get everyone to work together in time to prevent the two species from destroying each other? Can Jace find some measure of redemption for all he has done? And will Jax be able to harness her powers… without losing herself in the process?

5 stars

This story was fast paced and attention grabbing from the first page. This is not some easy plot that you can guess at the 30% point.  No, it makes you think and gasp and cry and rage!  And if you are a fan of Sci-fi like me you will appreciate not only this story but HOW it was written. It’s almost a throw back to the older authors with their deep world building and danger from multiple directions.  Such great story telling.

Jax is one of my favoritist and most memorable characters I’ve had the pleasure of reading about.  I could read about her forever.  She’s feisty, intelligent, responsible and incredibly vulnerable.  She has no qualms about fighting for what she believes in. One of the things I love about her is the fact that half the time she is playing it by ear. She has no idea how to handle everything going on around but she just doesn’t quit!  I can relate so hard to that you guys.  She is forgiving and isn’t too proud to accept help when she needs it.  I mean, yeah she can be a stubborn little shit too but the good outweighs the bad.  🙂

Lir is so understanding, like the perfect counterpart to her wildness and impulsiveness.  He grounds her when she needs it and doesn’t try to control her when she gets wild.  He just accepts her as she is and loves her.  This little alien boy has grown and matured over the course of this series. I think maybe even the most in this book TBH.  I really enjoyed this aspect of their relationship. It evolved into something we don’t often see in a Science Fiction/Dystopian.

I’m sad to see this story end, hopefully we can get a novella from her cause I need just a little it more to satisfy my love of this world and all its players.

Compete (The Atlantis Grail #2) by Vera Nazarian

Blurb: It’s one thing to Qualify…
But do you have what it takes to Compete?

With Earth about to be destroyed by an extinction level asteroid, teenage nerd, geek, and awkward smart girl Gwen Lark, and a few of her friends and loved ones, barely Qualified for rescue onboard one of the thousands of ark-ships headed to the ancient colony planet Atlantis.

Now faced with a year-long journey in space, life in a wondrously alien environment, and many tough life choices, Gwen must decide who or what she will become. Fleet Cadet or Civilian? Friend or lover? Average or extraordinary?

Can she make new friends? Can she trust the old ones, such as Logan Sangre, her sexy high school crush and an Earth special operative?

Time and time again, Gwen’s uncanny ability to come up with the best answer in a crisis saves her life and others. And now, her unique Logos voice makes her an extremely valuable commodity to the Atlanteans — so much so that her enigmatic commanding officer Aeson Kassiopei, who is also the Imperial Prince of Atlantis, has taken an increasingly personal interest in her.

Before the end of the journey, Gwen must convince him that she has what it takes to compete in the deadly Games of the Atlantis Grail.

It’s becoming apparent — the life of her family and all of Earth depends on it.

4 stars

I’m quite conflicted on this book, because the beginning was pretty fricking awesome.  I loved hearing about their culture and the cool new world they were heading too.  But then it kinda stuttered with the romance.  I mean, I admit, the romance part is so light in this book as to almost be nonexistent.  But I clung to it hoping it would pick up a bit.  But unfortunately I was disappointed.

I loved  Aeson in the beginning then it’s like he drank some crazy juice or something because his character started to become inconsistent.  He was emotionally immature.  And I expected more from his character than his hot and cold antics.  I felt like I was getting whiplash with it.  And as a woman that shit would irritate the fuck out of me.  Like dude, pick a lane or shut up about it.  I can’t stand when someone can’t commit to their feelings.  Especially without a reasonable explanation.

Now… and this is pretty important I think… take the romance out of the book and you have yourself a pretty great story.  Lark is a great character. She bends and flexes with the upheaval in her life.  She shows growth and perseverance in the face of adversity and she is a huge nerd, which appeals to me.  She’s just an all round bad ass IMO so I felt the book would have been better if we could have just focused on her, without a main love interest.  I know! That’s wild right? Cause I love romance in books, but this one just left me unfulfilled in that aspect.

I do want to know why the ending happened the way it did, so I’m gonna give the story the benefit of the doubt and continue reading it.  Hope the author changes my mind about Aeson.

Broken Skies (Broken Skies #1) by Theresa Kay

Blurb: Thirty years ago, civilization collapsed. Few survived.
Ten years ago, the aliens arrived…and stayed.
One year ago, I killed two men and went a little crazy.
Today, the aliens took my brother and I will do anything to get him back.

In seventeen-year-old Jax Mitchell’s world, humans are nearly extinct and alien settlers have arrived.

Until recently, the E’rikon have remained segregated in their city and ignored the few humans who have tried to engage them… but now they have taken Jax’s brother. To rescue him, she forms an uneasy alliance with a teenage E’rikon left stranded in the woods. She agrees to guide him to the city if he sneaks her past the human-proof barrier. Too bad it’s not that simple.
Jax, who cannot stand to be touched, finds that she’s drawn to the alien boy with bright green hair and jewel-like scales on his back. And he’s equally affected by her, the courageous redhead with haunted eyes. But she doesn’t know the alien’s true motives and he has no idea that she is much more than she seems.

With the aliens and the humans at odds, the connection forming between the two teens has consequences. What started off as a rescue mission sets a chain of events in motion which threatens not only the remaining humans and the growing alien society, but Earth itself.

5 stars

~I just realized I never posted a review for this book on our blog! ~

This kind of book is my favorite. Aliens, sci-fi and post apacolyptic. Trust no one. Evil is about. That is what this book screamed to me as I read it. Ooooooh! I love when evil is about. It had it all, equal parts action, love, war, internal strife.

Jax had it hard. Like post apocolyptic hard. The background was detailed and I totally felt a connection with Jax. We are like BFF’s now. In fact, I may have a bit of a girl crush on her.

Jax is a bit of a bad ass. She finds paths when none seem possible. She perserveres when all is hopeless. I admire her greatly. She doesn’t use her past as an excuse to give up. She goes on. It’s hard, but anything worth doing is right? Even when she has no idea what she is doing, she doesn’t allow the idea of failure to settle in her mind. Its amazing really. She just steamrolls on.

Lir is the like a warm sun to her dark cold night. Fire and ice people. He has a close, loving family. A promising future within his community and an easy going personality. He would have to after the crap that happens to him at camp. He is down to earth and protective without being pushy. He lets her in and shows her it is okay to trust.

Flint was a favorite supporting character. Jax and he have a sibling like relationship. He looks out for her and she has no appreciation for it. If you have siblings you understand.

Her bio-brother is pretty cool too. They are twins and they have that spooky twin thing which I love. It was just them two for the longest time so they know they can rely on each other. He is a bit over-protective since her incident. Oops, nuff said on that.

The bad guy is pretty evil. He has control issues and seriously needs to talk it out with a shrink. Maybe he wasn’t loved enough as a child.

I have read this book a few times and it never gets old, so you should go read it too. Just saying.

Qualify (The Atlantis Grail #1) by Vera Nazarian

Blurb: You have two options. You die, or you Qualify. 

The year is 2047. An extinction-level asteroid is hurtling toward Earth, and the descendants of ancient Atlantis have returned from the stars in their silver ships to offer humanity help.

But there’s a catch.

They can only take a tiny percent of the Earth’s population back to the colony planet Atlantis. And in order to be chosen, you must be a teen, you must be bright, talented, and athletic, and you must Qualify.

Sixteen-year-old Gwenevere Lark is determined not only to Qualify but to rescue her entire family.

Because there’s a loophole.

If you are good enough to Qualify, you are eligible to compete in the brutal games of the Atlantis Grail, which grants all winners the laurels, high tech luxuries, and full privileges of Atlantis Citizenship. And if you are in the Top Ten, then all your wildest wishes are granted… Such as curing your mother’s cancer.

There is only one problem.

Gwen Lark is known as a klutz and a nerd. While she’s a hotshot in classics, history, science, and languages, the closest she’s come to sports is a backyard pool and a skateboard.

This time she is in over her head, and in for a fight of her life, against impossible odds and world-class competition–including Logan Sangre, the most amazing guy in her school, the one she’s been crushing on, and who doesn’t seem to know she exists.

Because every other teen on Earth has the same idea.

You Qualify or you die 

4 stars

I really liked how Lark was not perfect.  Not even a little bit.  In fact, I think she messed up more than she succeeded.  But the greatest attribute that I admired about her was the fact that no matter how many times she fell down, she got back up. Every. Time.  And she was always there to offer help, even if the help was shunned.  Those are traits of a heroine that you want to read more about and see succeed right?

So, the colors.  I have been bugging my other friends who read this book to pick their colors.  Now I’m not really gonna go into it because spoilers, but….If I had to choose, I think I’d go Blue or Green.  And I’ll just leave it at that.

Her family support system was super awesome and was a very big part of the story. No token siblings cameo here. No, they all had depth and different personalities that seemed to compliment each other.  My favorite sibling is George.  George was the oldest of the four.  I am the oldest of seven.  So I related to him, like a lot.  He was reliable and if he didn’t have the answer he would damn sure help you find it.   After George my fave is Gordie because he just kinda went with the flow and made the best of every situation he was in.  He was laid back and he loved food!  A boy after my own heart! I am still on the fence with Gracie (you see the pattern here right?).  Maybe its cause she was the youngest at 12 and had an attitude.  I found her to be a brat actually.

You should all go read this book.  Then tell me what you think. J

The Destroyer (A Broken World #2) by Dean Murray

Blurb: They armored Skye’s body and taught her how to kill, but didn’t do anything to shield her heart.

They injected her with nanites to make her faster and stronger, but that didn’t make her ready to meet Brennan.

She arrived expecting to find a despot—heir to a failed system of thinking—and instead found a visionary intent on rebuilding the world.

Now, with Skye’s masters poised to destroy Brennan’s city, she will be forced to turn her skills against the very people who trained her. Only she can save the man she loves and the dream he’s trying to realize, but doing so may very well destroy her.

 

4 stars

Its a good book but very heavy on fighting making it a bit uneven for me at first, but as time wore on, I got used to it.  This world is at full out war after all, so lots of fighting would be consistent.  But the emotions seemed to be a bit absent throughout. It was described in a very clinical way.  And while it fit with the world itself, I myself would have preferred to know how the characters were feeling with as much detail as the fighting.

Also, they stay in the same scene-ish since the beginning and its surprisingly not lame. I’ve read books that described every single time frame with no lapses and could not stand them.  I find them too linear, even boring at times.  But this one had a good level of description and action.  So it more than made up for the linear timeline.

I love the detail during the fight scenes. I could picture each shot that was fired and hit that was struck. It flowed without taking me out of the story. Skye is a super soldier so she could do some pretty bad ass moves, and I loved how she could control how her body reacted to being hit.  I can’t really go into all the cool shit she could do, but picture her as Agent Smith from The Matrix and you get the idea.

I will definitely be reading more but I need to take a break first, this writing style is wearing on me a bit.

Gilded Cage (Dark Gifts, #1) by Vic James

Blurb: Not all are free. Not all are equal. Not all will be saved.

Our world belongs to the Equals — aristocrats with magical gifts — and all commoners must serve them for ten years. But behind the gates of England’s grandest estate lies a power that could break the world.

A girl thirsts for love and knowledge.

Abi is a servant to England’s most powerful family, but her spirit is free. So when she falls for one of the noble-born sons, Abi faces a terrible choice. Uncovering the family’s secrets might win her liberty, but will her heart pay the price?

A boy dreams of revolution.

Abi’s brother, Luke, is enslaved in a brutal factory town. Far from his family and cruelly oppressed, he makes friends whose ideals could cost him everything. Now Luke has discovered there may be a power even greater than magic: revolution.

And an aristocrat will remake the world with his dark gifts.

He is a shadow in the glittering world of the Equals, with mysterious powers no one else understands. But will he liberate—or destroy?

 Releases February 14, 2017

Favorite quote: 

Trust was what made everything possible.  Trust lent you someone else’s eyes, someones else’s strong arms or quick brain.  Made you bigger that just yourself.  Trust was how the club worked.  How this whole crazy dream of abolition could work, if people could just come together and hold their nerve.  Not even the Equals-not even their Skill-would be more powerful than that.  

4 stars

Wow!

This book took me a while to finish because it had so many great aspects to it and I wanted to savor them all.  Slavery, oppression, rebellion.  All wonderful obstacles to read about in a book.  This is totally my taste.  And I was surprised that the author is a woman, since, the name is a bit masculine.  But whatev’s, I usually read books written by woman.

This concept of slavery in this book is different than other books with this underlying theme.  Instead of being forever indentured, it is a finite amount of time you are required to serve.  Almost like a draft for the military if you will.  And you get to choose when you serve it, nothing like a little leeway for your slave days to feel a bit more in your control eh?

This author didn’t skip on the descriptions in this book.  We see the slums they live in as well as the extravagant estates the Equals live on in contrast.  We hear the screams of the slaves that can’t take the abuse they receive and we feel the uncontrollable loss of hope most of the people have when justice is constantly favoring the powerful.

My favorite character was by far Luke.  He was young and naive at first. But we get to see his transformation from boy to man as his story unfolds.  It’s subtle enough that you almost miss it.  How his family becomes less about blood and more about the people he surrounds himself with.  His character grows the most in this book I think.

I’d say that the second best characters were the entire Jardine family at Kyneston.  Some good, some bad, some you couldn’t really tell, but all highly entertaining in their own way.  I can’t wait to read the next one. Which means a whole lot of waiting on my end.

Poo!

I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest/unbiased opinion.

Golden Son (Red Rising #2) by Pierce Brown

Blurb: As a Red, Darrow grew up working the mines deep beneath the surface of Mars, enduring backbreaking labor while dreaming of the better future he was building for his descendants. But the Society he faithfully served was built on lies. Darrow’s kind have been betrayed and denied by their elitist masters, the Golds—and their only path to liberation is revolution. And so Darrow sacrifices himself in the name of the greater good for which Eo, his true love and inspiration, laid down her own life. He becomes a Gold, infiltrating their privileged realm so that he can destroy it from within.

A lamb among wolves in a cruel world, Darrow finds friendship, respect, and even love—but also the wrath of powerful rivals. To wage and win the war that will change humankind’s destiny, Darrow must confront the treachery arrayed against him, overcome his all-too-human desire for retribution—and strive not for violent revolt but a hopeful rebirth. Though the road ahead is fraught with danger and deceit, Darrow must choose to follow Eo’s principles of love and justice to free his people.

He must live for more.

Favorite Quotes:

I’ve seen her hanged a thousand times now as her martyrdom spreads across the worlds, city by city. Yet each time, it strikes me like a physical blow, nerve endings shivering in my chest, heart beating fast, neck tight just under the jaw. How cruel a life, that the sight of my dead wife means hope.

 Part of me wishes I would remember only Eo. That my mind belonged to her, so I could be like one of those knights of legend. A man so in love with one lost that he closes his heart to all others. But I am not that legend. In so many ways, I’m still a boy, lost and afraid, seeking warmth and love. When I feel dirt, I honor Eo. And when I see fire, I remember the warmth and flicker of the flames across Mustang’s skin as we lay in our chamber of ice and snow.

A dread creature stitched from shadow and muscle and armor. Flowing, not running. Perverse. Like looking at a blade or a weapon made flesh. This is a creature that dogs would flee. That cats would hiss at. One that should never exist on any level above the first tier of hell.

She is different from her people. And when she tries to do as they do, it cracks her heart to the core. Looking at her, I know I was wrong. She is not a distraction. She does not compromise my mission. She is the point of it all. Yet I cannot kiss her. Not now when I must break her heart to break this empire. It would not be fair. I’ve fallen in love with her, but she’s fallen for my lies.

It is a humbling thing knowing someone cannot live without you, knowing that though they’ve betrayed you, they wish for nothing but absolution. And as he clenches my back, I wrap my arms around his armor and try not to cry myself. Even the cruel feel pain. And even the cruel can change. I hope this changes him. He could do so much, if only he would learn.

Friendships take minutes to make, moments to break, years to repair. 

These Peerless thump their chests in salute to me. The monsters. They go with the wind, chasing power. But they don’t realize power doesn’t shift. Power is resolute. It is the mountain, not the wind. To shift so easily is to lose trust. And trust is what has kept me alive. Trust in my friends, and their trust in me.

If I can protect this city of Agea, if I can show them that there is a better breed of man, then just maybe I’ll win Agea’s heart. Capture it. Protect it. Be loved by those in it as I’m loved by my army. But first I must crack her open.

Some men have threads of life so strong that they fray and snap those around them. Enough friends have paid for my war. This one’s on me.

5 stars

The political intrigue, outer space, the murder, the gore, the dystopian setting. I love this book. Its better than the first one. There is so much violence that is tempered with introspection.I can’t tell you how well written this book is.  I loved the first one immensely and never thought for a moment that the second could be so much better. I love being wrong!

There was depth in the first book.  The characters were well rounded and intense,  but in this one they go deeper.  We learn who is really with Darrow and how he navigates the fine line between successfully creating dissent among the political leaders and failure causing a civil uprising.

He is like an M&M.   A tough hard outer shell protecting the soft vulnerable inside. And I think he is delicious.   I love him for his faithfulness to his dead wife.  He is constantly weighing and measuring himself, trying to make sure his choices are what Eo truly stood for.  It was quite a beautiful  read.

There was nothing that was left out in this book.  The action scenes were spectacularly detailed.  The intrigue was substantial and I could piece together the different factions that were involved.  The love story was epic.  EPIC I tell you.  There wasn’t a lot of romance to speak of.  I know it sounds confusing but you must understand this is during a time of reform and the people are capable of great love but unable to express it and become involved till their nation is at rest. That’s the caliber of characters I was reading.  So brave of them to put aside their petty self interests for the great of their world, don’t ya think?

I can;t say enough about this book.  If you haven’t read it and are a fan of Sci-fi/Dystopian, this is the book for you!  If you can’t afford it, hit me up and I’ll see if it lets me loan it to you.  Everyone should read this series!!!  Can’t wait to get my greedy little hands on the next one!

Shadow Falling (The Scorpius Syndrome #2) by Rebecca Zanetti

Blurb: Before the Scorpius Syndrome tore through North America and nearly wiped out the population, Vivienne Kennedy was the FBI’s best profiler. The bacteria got her anyway. But she survived. She recovered. And when she woke up from a drug-nightmare of captivity, her skills as a hunter of men had gone from merely brilliant to full-on uncanny. Her mysterious rescuer wants her to put them to the test. But no matter how tempting he is, with his angel’s eyes and devil’s tongue, Vinnie knows she shouldn’t trust him.

If the FBI were still around they would rate Raze Shadow as one of the bad guys. His military training can’t wipe out his association with the Mercenaries, the most feared gang in a thousand miles. His loyalties are compromised. He won’t even tell Vinnie his real name. But there’s no FBI in the new America of fear and firepower, only instinct and risk.

And the way his arms wrap around Vinnie tells its own story. Whatever else Raze is concealing, he can’t hide his desire . . .

 Available August 30, 2016

Favorite Quotes:

Faith secured by force is fractured

The brain is the most powerful of all weapons…except a sledgehammer

Raze paused, “I thought we were patrolling the eastern fence on foot?”  “Nope.” Jax slipped into the driver’s seat and ignited the engine.  Raze paused, the hair rising on the back of his neck, “I don’t like surprises.” Jax turned to face him out of the rolled-down window.  “Then the postapocalyptic world must really suck for you.”  

Lynne opened a cupboard and pulled out a bottle of silver tequila. Vinnie shook her head, “I don’t think-”  “Girl? You just kicked one of the most highly trained soldiers in the current world right in the nards.”  Lynne grabbed two shot glasses and poured.  “One shot will give you courage for the meeting we’re about to have.”  

5 stars

I loved this book.  I’m a huge fan of post-apocolyptic/dystopian books.  And this had the right balance of action and sex.  I realized this was the second book in the series but I never felt that I was lost or that I missed information from the previous book. If anything, it makes me want to go back and read the first one now.

As I said before this has an excellent balance of action and romance.  It was a very fast paced book.  I love when they are fast paced in a dystopian setting.  A lot of violence occurs within a short amount of time.  The action scenes are very well written.  I was especially shocked by the ending.  I mean, wow!

Vinnie is a smart, sexy and stubborn woman.  She wants to be though of as an equal and to contribute to the group.  She is also bat shit crazy!  And I think it so cool.

Raze is a domineering, possessive asshole but he has good intentions.  I usually don’t like these types of personality in most guys because I find them neaderthal-ish but it works in this book. With this new world order, men like him are needed.  The weak have been pruned from the earth by the disease.  His protective instincts are flawless and he made this book for me actually.

I received this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

 

Beacon by Angela Brown

Synopsis:
***When ignorance is bliss, Bliss is power.***

Tsunamis reduced the USA into a shell of itself, called The Fold. Surviving humans and vampires joined forces to form The Colony, where registered citizens do as they’re told.

They donate blood quarterly and dream of being chosen as Attendees for the Jubilee celebrations, that is, everyone except Macie Breen. With high school graduation near, she’s anxious to ditch the rules in hopes of starting a new life with Thane, an unregistered and also her best friend.

Her hopes fizzle when Macie is selected as an Attendee, forever registered. Any future with Thane…impossible. Being chosen comes with another unexpected price.

Truths about The Colony blaze into ashes and lies when she discovers the vampires haven’t kept their part of the bargain. Worst still, Macie’s life unravels as her stint in the city of Bliss forces her to face daunting truths about who, and what, she really is.

    

My Review:
2.5 stars — I probably should have DNF’d this one.  I could tell fairly early on that it probably wasn’t my kind of book, but I’d won it in a contest so I kind of felt like I should give it a better chance.  (Also, it’s Black History Month, and this was the one book in my TBR that appeared to have a POC in it, so I was striving for diversity)  But it just never got better for me.

The writing starts out very descriptive…I’m not a literary kind of girl, but it felt like taking the whole “show, don’t tell” thing to another level.  It just didn’t flow naturally for me.  Might be a personal taste thing.  If you’re like me, you would totally notice it in the first few pages, so you could always sample it and see…  Strangely enough that sort of petered out as the story went on, so it was really only predominant in the first third of the book.  What’s really strange is that for all of the description that was given, I had a hard time picturing things — like the devil spawn…it didn’t really incite fear in me.  It more made me think of a Star Trek The Original Series creature.  Maybe it was the furriness?  Maybe it was just me….

I never became all that attached to the characters…there just wasn’t enough connection for me.  Some really horrible/terrifying things happen in this book, and quite honestly I NEVER felt enough emotion from our heroine, Macie.  Seriously.  People die.  She’s forced to *kill* people.  She learns all sorts of lies and about all sorts of new creatures (including things about herself).  And through it all she just sort of dealt with it.  Not that she had *no* reaction, it just felt like a blip and then it was over and it was on to the next crisis.

The pacing also felt weird to me.  There was a LOT that happens, but it was never a big buildup, mostly just these little hills and then we would move on to the next hill and the next.  Even the climax didn’t feel all that big to me, just felt like yet another hill.  I guess I was just never really that engaged with what was going on.

I didn’t really feel a lot of chemistry with Thane  either.  I almost felt more for Rig, and that went in a completely different direction than I was expecting.

It’s funny, b/c it almost felt like there was too much going on that it was hard to keep track of, but at the same time I felt kind of bored.  *sigh*  I don’t know.  😦  I hate writing reviews for books I don’t enjoy.