Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Review: Incubus by Jennifer Quintenz

Incubus
(Daughters of Lilith #2)
Publication Date: June 2013
Paperback, 316 pages, Secret Tree Press
Genres: YA, Paranormal

Braedyn Murphy used to think nothing important ever happened in her sleepy town of Puerto Escondido. But that was before she learned she was a descendent of Lilith, the mother of all demons. Now Braedyn fights to protect humanity from the Lilitu - the beautiful, souls-stealing daughters of Lilith.

As she fights the Lilitu, Braedyn must also fight her growing love for her boyfriend Lucas - because even a simple kiss could end his life. Their only ray of hope is an angel’s offer to make Braedyn human, but it’s an offer she can’t accept until the world is safe from the Lilitu.

Braedyn knows she’s a key player in this ancient war... but she’s not ready to believe she just might be humanity’s best hope of surviving the final battle for Earth.

My Review

Things are gettin’ demon-y up in here. Braedyn and her assorted crew are back and are getting ready to prepare for the big showdown, but there’s a pesky incubus in the way.

This story, much like the first one, contains contemporary issues with a lot of paranormal aspects thrown in. Does that make sense? I’ll explain. Braedyn is trying to survive high school, and a bully, who we’ll get to later, a boyfriend, old and new friends, and a creepy teacher. Then you throw in her Lilitu background and things get crazy up in here.

Braedyn is a physically and mentally strong character who is able to portray her story in a believable manner. I think Braedyn’s a real depiction of a teenager. Even though she’s pretty much a sexy succubus, she still has her insecurities and doubts. And of course there’s the fact that she has to keep her make out sessions with her smoking HAWT boyfriend as short as possible. That brings me to Lucas. I still am in a serious lust relationship with this man-child. I did kind of feel that Lucas needed a tad more development, but his and Braedyn’s relationship was definitely given more room to grow and flourish in this book.

Braedyn’s friends played a large role in the story, for which I was pretty excited about. It did keep the Guard characters in the background a little more than I would I have liked, however. I enjoyed all of the characters’ page-time, nonetheless.

The plot of the story was a tad bit predictable. Once I was about halfway through I knew what was going to happen. Although, Quintenz did manage to have me doubting myself with the minor twists and turns that were thrown in. Especially the thing with Amber. Didn’t expect that at all.

All in all, Incubus is a great sequel with the potential to lead to a pretty epic conclusion. If you want a paranormal read that isn’t about vampires, werewolves, angels and all the other overly popularized monsters, Incubus and its predecessor, Thrall, are the books for you.


*Note: I received a copy of this book to review from the author. This in no way altered my opinion/review.

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

The World of Book Blogging and Its Similiarities to Booktube


I've been watching Booktube videos for about a year now. They're fun, entertaining, and oftentimes they express frustrations or other emotions that are just too hard to express on a blog post.

I was watching amandapearl2books's video and I was thinking about how this applied to me. I don't idolize the Booktube community, I know that they're just people who have their own set of hopes, dreams, fears, etc. But then I realized, some of the issues that she discussed are relevant in the blogging world. And that's the world that I am really a part of. 

I've been blogging for quite a while. Years, actually. And I don't have a lot of fame and followers like other blogs. (And that's perfectly okay, because I love each and every one of my followers.). I do constantly find myself wondering if the lack of comments that I get on a post is because I don't have a high-quality blog. There are other, higher-scale blogs out there that look fabulous and get so much attention. I can't afford to have my blog designed by anyone, yet I've found myself saying that, "If I pay for an update, maybe I can get more comments."

The only times people actually want to talk to me on my blog are when I do meme posts. And that's because I put my link in the Linky-thing. Hardly anyone actually comments on the posts that I spend a lot of time thinking about, or the reviews I take the time to write.

I know this is kind of a whiny post, and if people do read it, I might get some flak, because I'm just as guilty for going on a website and only commenting because there's a giveaway or something. It's just some food for thought, and now I can stop idolizing the bloggers who I wish I was, and just be the blogger that I am.

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Waiting on Wednesday: Kiss Kill Vanish



"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, hosted over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating.

This week, what's really got my pages in a twist is...

Kiss Kill Vanish
Publication Date: October 7, 2014
Hardcover, 432 pages, Katherine Tegen Books
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult

Valentina Cruz no longer exists.

One moment, she was wrapped in Emilio’s arms, melting into his kiss. The next, she was witnessing the unthinkable: a murder in cold blood, ordered by her father and carried out by her boyfriend. When Emilio pulled the trigger, Valentina disappeared. She made a split-second decision to shed her identity and flee her life of privilege, leaving the glittering parties and sultry nightlife of Miami far behind.

She doesn’t know how to explain to herself what she saw. All she knows now is that nothing she believed about her family, her heart, or Emilio’s love, was real.

She can change her name and deny her past, but Valentina can’t run from the truth. The lines between right and wrong, and trust and betrayal, will be blurred beyond recognition as she untangles the deceptions of the two men she once loved and races to find her own truth.

My Thoughts

Killer boyfriends? Count me in! I have no idea what’s going to happen in this book, besides the obvious, and I want to know about Emilio sooooo badly. Someone give me this book!

What book are you waiting for this Wednesday?

Monday, June 9, 2014

Claudia Gray's Books - UNCOVERED



Let’s be honest with each other, sometimes we judge a book by its cover. Sometimes we don’t even judge a book by its jacket cover, but by its insides.

And, to be even more honest, sometimes a book lover just needs to stare at the prettiness that is underneath the dust jacket. So I decided to UNCOVER all of Claudia Gray’s books. And now you may look at the nakedness below.

 Books with their clothes:


Books without their clothes:


 

Gorgeous, right? The prettiness just makes me want to re-read the Evernight series and start Spellcaster (but I can't because I want to wait and just marathon the entire series when it’s out. *sigh*).

What other books should I UNCOVER for your viewing pleasure?

Saturday, June 7, 2014

Stacking the Shelves: Book Outlet Edition


"Stacking the Shelves" is a weekly haul meme that is hosted by Tynga's Reviews. It allows book buyers to share their accumulation of books with the online book-loving community.

I was feeling kind of down, so I decided to make a rather large purchase on Book Outlet.



·         The Brokenhearted by Amelia Kahaney
·         Spellcaster by Claudia Gray
·         A Want So Wicked by Suzanne Young
·         Mila 2.0 by Debra Driza
·         Taken by Erin Bowman
·         The Burning Sky by Sherry Thomas
·         Pivot Point and The Distance Between Us by Kasie West
·         A Darkness Strange and Lovely by Susan Dennard
·         Requiem by Lauren Oliver
·         Shadow of the Mark by Leigh Fallon

I got all of these books for less than $75. And that includes shipping!!! I also didn’t realize, until I’d actually opened the boxes, that all of the books I bought were from HarperTeen. Gotta love HarperCollins.

What books have you bought/received lately?


Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Waiting on Wednesday: Exquisite Captive

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, hosted over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating.

This week, what's really got my pages in a twist is...

Exquisite Captive
(Dark Caravan Cycle #1)
Publication Date: October 7, 2014
Hardcover, 480 pages, Balzer + Bray
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

Forced to obey her master.
Compelled to help her enemy.
Determined to free herself.

Nalia is a jinni of tremendous ancient power, the only survivor of a coup that killed nearly everyone she loved. Stuffed into a bottle and sold by a slave trader, she’s now in hiding on the dark caravan, the lucrative jinni slave trade between Arjinna and Earth, where jinn are forced to grant wishes and obey their human masters’ every command. She’d give almost anything to be free of the golden shackles that bind her to Malek, her handsome, cruel master, and his lavish Hollywood lifestyle.

Enter Raif, the enigmatic leader of Arjinna’s revolution and Nalia’s sworn enemy. He promises to free Nalia from her master so that she can return to her ravaged homeland and free her imprisoned brother—all for an unbearably high price. Nalia’s not sure she can trust him, but Raif’s her only hope of escape. With her enemies on the hunt, Earth has become more perilous than ever for Nalia. There’s just one catch: for Raif’s unbinding magic to work, Nalia must gain possession of her bottle…and convince the dangerously persuasive Malek that she truly loves him. Battling a dark past and harboring a terrible secret, Nalia soon realizes her freedom may come at a price too terrible to pay: but how far is she willing to go for it?

Inspired by Arabian Nights, EXQUISITE CAPTIVE brings to life a deliciously seductive world where a wish can be a curse and shadows are sometimes safer than the light.

My Thoughts

Does this not sound like amazingness with a huge side of awesomesauce?! I need it in my life. I need it on my bookshelf. I just need it. Please?

What book are you waiting for this Wednesday?