Saturday, May 31, 2014

Shelf Candy Saturday #114: Destined, by Aprilynne Pike

 


Welcome to Shelf Candy Saturday!!


This is my weekly feature
showcasing beautiful book covers!
It also provides information,
if available, on their very talented creators!

For more information
about Shelf Candy Saturday,
just click HERE.



Here's my choice for this week!



 Destined
(Wings, #4)
Hardcover, 307 pages
May 1, 2012
Harper Teen
Fantasy, Paranormal Romance,
Young Adult Fiction


https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12846479-destined






Why do I love this cover?

This cover is simply visual ecstasy for me!  Please excuse the exaggeration.....but the image is just so utterly beautiful! The flower is very delicately and exquisitely detailed, and is done in aqua, which is very close to blue....ahh, bliss! Also, the specific tone used here looks very otherworldly, because it's iridescent. The soft, pearly aqua glides in and out of shadowed folds so gently that the flower paradoxically looks very realistic, as well. Also, it's wonderful that some of the petals have areas of white. Along with the shadows, this ensures that the overall color won't be monotonous. I love the slight hint of a rainbow, too, on one of the upper petals. 

Some of the petals have drops of water glistening on them; these are also very realistic. The background looks very mysterious. At first, I thought that the circles were ripples in water.  Upon closer inspection, I saw that they are designs of some sort. They definitely add to the otherworldly effect of this ethereal-looking, yet very realistic flower!

I also love the way the slightly spiraling movement of the petals in the middle of the flower lend some dynamism to the composition. They also seem to be inviting the viewer to enter the fantasy world of the novel.

Yet another element contributing to this cover's beauty is the fact that the flower is placed slightly off center. This leaves a very nice, negative shape around the flower, which serves to emphasize it even more.

Now, as for the creator of this luscious cover, his name is Mark Tucker. Yes, it's listed on the back cover of the book, which I saw in the Amazon reader. I did find his blog, a page from which you can access HERE. It shows another exquisitely beautiful flower photograph, which is for a cover he created for HarperCollins. He's a photographer, based in Los Angeles, who does digital photo manipulations, as well. I also found an article about him, which you can read HERE. And you can also access his business website at marktucker.com. It's too bad he doesn't seem to have a portfolio of book covers, though. At least, I haven't found any.




What do you think of my 
choice this week?
Please leave me a comment, 
and let me know!
Thanks!!







 


Stacking The Shelves #35: The Shadow of the Wind, Siege and Storm, Toward the Gleam, Something Strange and Deadly, The Memory of Lost Senses, Awakening Minerva, Becoming Jane Eyre



Welcome to
Stacking The Shelves!!


This is a weekly event hosted by Jennifer, Lili,
Stephanie, Helen, and Tynga @  

As the title implies, this is all about
sharing the books you're adding
to your shelves, be they physical or virtual.
For the complete rules, and to sign up,
just click on the link above.




Here's this week's haul!!  





Books Purchased

Click on each cover picture for the 
Goodreads or Amazon page about each book.



<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Stacking The Shelves #34:<i> These Broken Stars, The Bone Season, The Looking Glass Wars, Seeing Redd, Awakened, Raven's Blood, Lost In Time, The White Queen </i></b></span></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZxwaNQfCvx7dTfRXrAadwcEvaaXHqf-YacaW8CfsleZT4G6k-1gxmv5ifD7YeS0TukI3oMEtw69yMNBowCMSXT7o5BJ9zN31ItYBRHLPZcBYn4Cz7vaWgPclVqLb2Gk43RB-zzas10Dc/s1600/STACKING+THE+SHELVES.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZxwaNQfCvx7dTfRXrAadwcEvaaXHqf-YacaW8CfsleZT4G6k-1gxmv5ifD7YeS0TukI3oMEtw69yMNBowCMSXT7o5BJ9zN31ItYBRHLPZcBYn4Cz7vaWgPclVqLb2Gk43RB-zzas10Dc/s1600/STACKING+THE+SHELVES.png" /></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Welcome to</b></span></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Stacking The Shelves!!</b></span></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif; font-size: large;"><b>This is a weekly event hosted by Jennifer, Lili, </b></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Stephanie, Helen, and Tynga @ <a href="http://www.tyngasreviews.com/2014/05/stacking-the-shelves-106-2.html" target="_blank">Tynga's Reviews</a>!</b></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">As the title implies, this is all about</span></b></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">sharing the books you're adding</span></b></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">to your shelves, be they physical or virtual.</span></b></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">For the complete rules, and to sign up,</span></b></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">just click on the link above.</span></b></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Here's this week's h</span></b></span></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia;">aul!!</span></b></span>&nbsp;</span>&nbsp; </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;"><br /></span></span></b></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyER4Mef9x8s0QZmeY2-1XtCo5LtozenmpUWXU_P_1I9XgBFO-4KSkM3PBd1OqHlbDRcFu_vBUz8ybbWDLSlo582ZMKYEPJu2-WFalgfgR0zxkHRHmiPWGouYvn3XeTHoc0q_BOaJVJS8/s1600/STACKING+THE+SHELVES+%2334-4-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyER4Mef9x8s0QZmeY2-1XtCo5LtozenmpUWXU_P_1I9XgBFO-4KSkM3PBd1OqHlbDRcFu_vBUz8ybbWDLSlo582ZMKYEPJu2-WFalgfgR0zxkHRHmiPWGouYvn3XeTHoc0q_BOaJVJS8/s1600/STACKING+THE+SHELVES+%2334-4-3.jpg" /></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span id="goog_1905127483"></span><span id="goog_1905127484"></span><br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <b><u><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif; font-size: x-large;">Books For Review</span></u></b></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">Click on each cover picture for the&nbsp;</span></b></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">Goodreads or Amazon page about each book.</span></b></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20827735-raven-s-blood?ac=1" target="_blank"><img alt="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20827735-raven-s-blood?ac=1" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi50pQhRtjzMFlo7CKehYcowgEYVOilQcaGbylNSfbYCDsrBIr2eihWDMzvYZ0xr-0RSzNpJxQ_W8rRcAMbplyGKvEKMWHz-6WAS7_8H0L2yvZFJHAT_ERihv8_HyaySr0g9dDkGdKnje8/s1600/RAVEN'S+BLOOD+COVER+2.jpg" /></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3XlhQpYp48r9vZgW0ecV_BO0yBqOELFWzcY47wn88laiFqLPfLkcmuDJruiNhUKJ6GRFkDNLfU69fLzrre2LYADyRVzQ3d62c0jNNitgGfwqMLIxUvroqEUvAOn-EDbHO39XaXs7IwNw/s1600/RAVEN+SIGNED+%2334-8-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3XlhQpYp48r9vZgW0ecV_BO0yBqOELFWzcY47wn88laiFqLPfLkcmuDJruiNhUKJ6GRFkDNLfU69fLzrre2LYADyRVzQ3d62c0jNNitgGfwqMLIxUvroqEUvAOn-EDbHO39XaXs7IwNw/s1600/RAVEN+SIGNED+%2334-8-2.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;">I received this review copy from the author,</span></span></b></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;">Cassandra Lawson!!</span></b></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;">She signed it and wrote a great message,&nbsp;</span></span></b></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;">too, which was so sweet of her! </span></span></b></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;">I know this is going to be a great </span></span></b></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;">vampire romance!!</span></span></b></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;">I recently <a href="http://anightsdreamofbooks.blogspot.com/2014/05/author-interview-cassandra-lawson.html" target="_blank">interviewed her</a> for this blog.</span></span></b></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;"><br /></span></span></b></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;"><u><span style="font-size: x-large;">Purchased</span></u></span></span></b></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;"><br /></span></span></b></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;"><br /></span></span></b></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13138635-these-broken-stars?ac=1" target="_blank"><img alt="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13138635-these-broken-stars?ac=1" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKIxFU1rKKG7wrB1bwIJk-9CKesic8izxylmXVbpa1eOvnXL5YjlpW2-f1KqwawXooK2kplLfhroUyUIgUsMEWJwogIagT2L5zSlFsr_q9ld6YEga7-mKFiOZhCX7BA_tFHydV7EP6BwM/s1600/THESE+BROKEN+STARS+2.jpg" /></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;"><br /></span></span></b></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;">My husband bought me this one!!</span></span></b></div>

This is the original Spanish edition of 
which was a huge sensation when 
it was first published.  
I can't believe I haven't read it yet!




https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14061955-siege-and-storm?ac=1

I've read and greatly enjoyed the 
first book in this series, Shadow and Bone
so now I'm excited about
reading the sequel!
Next I need to get the third book, 





I first saw this cover somewhere 
on the Internet, and fell in love with it, 
because it strongly reminded 
me of the works of J.R.R. Tolkien!
I featured it in a "Shelf Candy Saturday" post.
The plot is not only great fantasy, 
but an intellectual tour de force, as well!




https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9859436-something-strange-and-deadly

I don't usually read anything having 
to do with zombies, but
the cover of this book is so gorgeous, 
I decided to give it a try.
The plot does look very interesting!
And I definitely wish I could have that dress!



https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17321331-the-memory-of-lost-senses


This is such an absolutely luscious cover!
The plot of this novel is also very intriguing,
and it takes place in England, too,
a country I adore for its literary gems!





https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1252906.Awakening_Minerva


I saw this one at Barnes & Noble 
one day, and the cover immediately 
caught my eye, because 
it was obviously inspired by the 
drawings of Picasso.
I also love the subject matter of this book!
This was my one 
nonfiction purchase this week!




https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6394951-becoming-jane-eyre?ac=1

Last but most definitely not least
is this novel about the Bronte sisters, 
which I simply had to get!!
The great novel, Jane Eyre, happens
to be my favorite classic!
Besides, this cover is stunning, 
and the book has deckle-edged pages,
which look nice on a paperback!







What do you think of my haul?
Are you familiar with
any of these books?
What great treasures did you 
stack on your shelves
this week?








Friday, May 30, 2014

Blog Tour Teaser! Branded, by Abi Ketner & Missy Kalicicki


 
Branded, by Abi Ketner & Missy Kalicicki
A Sinners Series



Branded
(A Sinners Series, @1)
Abi Ketner & Missy Kalicicki
Trade Paperback, 384 pages
Kindle Edition, 318 pages
Abi and Missy Books
June 11, 2013
Dystopian Fiction, New Adult Fiction, 
Paranormal Romance, Science Fiction


Book Synopsis  
Fifty years ago the Commander came into power and murdered all who opposed him. In his warped mind, the seven deadly sins were the downfall of society. He created the Hole where sinners are branded according to their sins and might survive a few years. At best. Now LUST wraps around my neck like blue fingers strangling me. I’ve been accused of a crime I didn’t commit and now the Hole is my new home. Darkness. Death. Violence. Pain. Now every day is a fight for survival. But I won’t die. I won’t let them win. The Hole can’t keep me. The Hole can’t break me. I am more than my brand. I’m a fighter. My name is Lexi Hamilton, and this is my story.



https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22371868-branded




Excerpt


I turn on the faucet for a long while only to discover ice-cold water rushing out. The water never warms and I begin to understand. The Commander thinks he can wash away my soul by freezing me to death. He thinks he can destroy me by stripping away my possessions. But he can’t and I won’t let him take my memories, my ambition, and my pride.

He thinks I’m so easily broken.

The Commander doesn’t know anything about me, what I grew up with, what I endured—the father I lost, the mother I hate, the brother who walked out of my life, and the stepfather I was forced to accept. He thinks since I was rich, making me poor will cause me to give up. What he doesn’t understand is that, after my father passed away, I grew up behind walls of hatred. I had nothing, but had everything at the same time. I owned expensive clothes, enjoyed good schooling, and lived in a nice home. But my body was just a shell protecting an empty, desperate heart. My life was a colorful façade.

I had so much time to sit and think. I spent the majority of my life between four walls. I was abandoned, neglected, starved, betrayed, and abused. I’ve already been treated like the scum of the earth, so the Hole is nothing new. He wants to erase every sign of my existence on this earth, but I won’t let that happen. He can strip me naked, but he’ll never reach my soul.

It’s personal, completely personal.





http://www.amazon.com/Branded-Sinners-Series-Volume-Ketner/dp/0989527417/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1400709329&sr=8-1







  About the Authors


Abi and Missy met in the summer of 1999 at college orientation, and have been best friends ever since. After college, they added jobs, husbands and kids to their lives, but they still found time for their friendship. Instead of hanging out on weekends, they went to dinner once a month and reviewed books. What started out as an enjoyable hobby has now become an incredible adventure.






For the complete tour schedule, just click on the banner below!

http://markmywordsbookpublicity.com/2014/05/26/branded-blog-tour/




Thursday, May 29, 2014

Book Review: "Landing", by J. Bennett (Innovative Online Book Tours)




Welcome to this stop 
in the tour for Landing 
(Girl with Broken Wings, #2),
sponsored by
Innovative Online Book Tours!!




About the Book


Landing
(Girl with Broken Wings, #2)
J. Bennett
Trade Paperback, 264 pages
Endeavor Writing
January 8, 2013
Dystopian Fiction, New Adult Fiction, 
Paranormal Fiction, 
Science Fiction, Thrillers


Book Synopsis 
A compelling, and emotionally complex paranormal novel! Some landings you can’t walk away from. Fighting evil isn’t only high-stress, no pay, and uncomfortable as hell most of the time… It also doesn’t turn out to be quite as black and white as Maya would have hoped. As a hybrid angel struggling to control her murderous appetite, Maya should know better than to expect simplicity. With one half-brother still convinced that she’s an unstable threat and the other oblivious to the danger she presents, Maya struggles to find a balance between her diminished humanity and the darkness of the monster within. >>> “Maya is imperfect, sarcastic and believable; and her plight is heart-poundingly realistic.” Reading Lark Blog The world gets murkier when Maya discovers a pair of angels who invite her into their lives. Now, she must choose between family or the promise of acceptance. The stakes grow higher when Maya’s greatest enemy returns. Vengeance may be within her grasp, but will Maya have to sacrifice one she loves to take it? >>> “It's totally exciting. Dramatic. Vividly intense. Poignant. Need I add that it's an utterly riveting, page-turning read? To sum up, I have discovered a bold new talent to follow! ” A Night’s Dream of Books Blog Landing is J Bennett's action-packed, darkly-humorous sequel to Falling, and the second book in the paranormal adventure series, Girl With Broken Wings Series. Falling was just the beginning for Maya and her brothers.




https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22365969-landing






My Review


This second novel in the series is even more riveting and compelling than the first novel, and the novella which follows it. In fact, I would say that Bennett has surpassed herself in this installment!

The saga of Maya the hybrid 'angel' (actually an energy vampire) and her vigilante half-brothers is seriously addictive reading! In Landing, the relationship of the three siblings becomes even more poignant, as the reader learns further details about their family history, and they are thrown into even more danger.

Maya is a totally admirable character; she's constantly fighting against the hunger -- that insatiable desire to 'feed' on energy from humans, killing them in the process. She manages to get by through draining small animals, but the hunger for human energy is always present, tormenting her. In spite of her situation, she's courageous, funny, snarky, and strongly loyal to her brothers, insisting on joining them on all their missions. She's definitely a great heroine! 

I didn't think it was possible to love Gabe even more than I already did, but, in this novel, his kindness and endless sweetness toward Maya just made me want to hug him! His implicit trust in her is very touching, especially since he knows she could destroy him if she ever lost control. His easygoing, laid-back attitude, in the face of their family tragedy, is absolutely wonderful! Unlike Tarren, Gabe wears his heart on his sleeve. Maya, who can see human auras, can read him much more easily than she can Tarren, who keeps a very tight rein on his emotions.

As for Tarren, I have very mixed feelings about him.  It seemed that he was beginning to trust Maya more in Coping, the novella in this series. However, this is really not the case at all; his attitude toward her remains one of cautious tolerance. He never fully lets her in, so she can only catch glimpses of what he must be feeling. He's even willing to risk her life at one point in the plot, against Gabe's vehement protests. So I found myself alternately disliking him, and then feeling sorry for him. After all, he has suffered at the hands of the heinous villain in these books -- terribly so. Still, his actions toward Maya are really unforgivable. In this novel, the reader finds out just how deeply he has betrayed her, simply because he's in pursuit of revenge.

Two new characters are introduced in this installment -- a married couple, Kyle and Jane. They're both 'angels'. Maya meets them one night, after she and her brothers have returned from an unsuccessful mission. 

These characters are very likable, paradoxically enough. They want to take Maya under their wing, and she almost gives in, just so she can feel totally accepted and loved. However, she realizes that Kyle is trying to rationalize the 'angel' lifestyle by telling her that she should only drain people who really 'deserve' it, like criminals, or people who are already dying. She knows that killing a human being is wrong, no matter how you try to justify it. Her condition as a hybrid -- not completely human, yet, not fully an 'angel' -- helps her to resist  the lure of this evil.

The action really ratchets up in this novel, as the siblings finally confront the villain -- Grand. In the process, the reader encounters his very sick, disgusting, views toward the humans who have not been 'enhanced'. This is a villain you love to hate; the  thoughts of this most nefarious 'angel' mirror those of Hitler and his Nazis in their contempt for 'inferior people'. Indeed, this warped philosophy is also behind the eugenics movement. Bennett is thus implicitly criticizing it, and I admire her for doing so.

This novel, like the previous books in this series, has very profound philosophical implications underlying its action-filled plot. It's also a great example of masterful, suspenseful writing. Furthermore, it's peopled by very vivid, fully fleshed-out characters whose struggles and emotions we the readers come to feel and understand as if we were also going through the same things. 

Powerfully intense, stunningly compelling, this is a novel that will not let readers go until the very last page is turned! Bennett fully immerses the reader in her terrifying, totally believable world, and she does so with remarkable ease.

These characters will remain completely unforgettable to me, even after I've finished reading the last novel in the series, Rising, which I am planning to purchase just as soon as I possibly can! In all honesty, I simply can't praise these books enough, in spite of their very dark themes, and the bleakness of this future, dystopian world. Still, hope remains ever present, and evil will not get the upper hand. In the final analysis, this is what's truly important. Kudos to J. Bennett for her imaginative portrayal of the darkness, as well as the light, within the human soul!

 


 MY RATING:





Reviewer's Note

I would like to thank Ms. Bennett
for providing me with  a
print copy of her book.
I am continuing to enjoy this series!







About the Author

J. Bennett is a professional copywriter and copy editor, as well as a novelist.  She lives and writes in Southern California.




Works by J. Bennett

Girl with Broken Wings Series
The Vampire's Housekeeper Chronicles
(short story, #1)
(short story, #2)
(short story, #3)




Online Links
Website 
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Goodreads
Amazon 





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