Challenge Review: Haunted by Kelley Armstrong

CHALLENGE: MONTH FOUR

HAUNTED BY KELLEY ARMSTRONG

Title: Haunted
Series: Women of the Otherworld #5
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Genre: Supernatural Fictions, Urban Fantasy Fiction
Elements: Angels, Deities, Witches, Sorcerers, Ghosts, Necromancers, Demons, Wraiths, Nymphs, Magicians
Publisher: Bantam Books, Random House Inc.
Format: Mass Market Paperback, 495 Pages
ISBN: 978-0-553-58708-1 
Release Date: May 31, 2005
Source: Borrowed from Wentworth Library
Rating: 4.5/5

Tagline(s): The afterlife isn't all it's cracked up to be....

Summary: Former supernatural superpower Eve Levine has broken all the rules. But she's never broken a promise--not even during the three years she's spent in the afterworld. So when the Fates call in a debt she gave her word she'd pay, she has no choice but to comply.

For centuries one of the ghost world's wickedest creatures has been loosed on humanity, thwarting every attempt to retrieve her. Now it has fallen to Eve to capture this demi-demon known as the Nix, who inhabits the bodies of would be killers, compelling them to complete their deadly acts. It's a mission that becomes all too personal when the Nix targets those Eve loves the most--including Savannah, the daughter she left on earth. But can a renegade witch succeed where a host of angels have failed?

Review:

Eve Levine is used to breaking the rules, but she has never broken a promise once she's given it. The Fates are calling in the favor Eve promised in return for them returning Lucas and Paige to the living world. The demi-demon known as the Nix escaped her prison and has been roaming the world for about 100 years. After a number of failed attempts, the Fates are asking Eve to capture the Nix so she can be placed in an even stronger prison. The hunt becomes personal, though, when the Nix begins targeting those Eve loves the most--her daughter Savannah, and her guardians Lucas and Paige.

With the help of Kristof Nast, Jaime Vegas, and the angel Trsiel, Eve sets out to capture the Nix and protect her daughter. But with this mission being Eve's inaugural quest to angel-hood, Eve will need to choose between accepting angel status to better protect Savannah, or refuse and stay in the ghost world with Kristof. Whatever she chooses, it is forever and there will be no going back.

To be honest, I wasn't sure I would like Eve's story, or Eve herself. But I really liked Eve after reading Haunted. Eve really is a great mother and I can understand Savannah's love for her mother better now. Eve's dedication to Savannah, even in death, is so powerful, and her rage and frustration at not being about to protect and comfort her anymore is so heartbreaking.

Eve also brings out the better part of Kristof, Savannah's father. I even grew to like him a little. We get to see how Kristof really feels about Eve and Savannah, and his regret over missing so much in Savannah's life and what he missed out on with Eve before they both died shows a more caring side of Kristof that we didn't get to see when he was alive. I feel that if he had been given the chance, he would have made a pretty great father.

There were two tension breaking moments that I was really entertained by. The first was when Eve and Kristof scare Jaime's stalker ghost and the other haunters away. They definitely won't be bothering Jaime again. The second was when Jaime called Stonehaven to speak to Elena, but gets Jeremy on the line instead. Jaime is just too cute with how flustered she becomes just from talking to Jeremy over the phone.

If I hadn't been watching The Untouchables on MeTV for the past few months, I never would have noticed the reference to Eliot Ness in the Cleveland 1938 chapter when the Nix inhabits Agnes Miller. It's awesome when I notice references like that that others may overlook.

Anyway, I was glad that my first impression of Eve ended up being wrong. After reading Haunted, Eve has become one of my favorite characters in the Women of the Otherworld series. The next book, Broken, brings us back to Elena and the Pack where Elena has her own favor to uphold.

About this Author:

Kelley Armstrong has been telling stories since before she could write. Her earliest written efforts were disastrous. If asked for a story about girls and dolls, hers would invariably feature undead girls and evil dolls, much to her teachers' dismay. All efforts to make her produce "normal" stories failed.

Today, she continues to spin tales of ghosts and demons and werewolves, while safely locked away in her basement writing dungeon. She's the author of the NYT-bestselling "Women of the Otherworld" paranormal suspense series and "Darkest Powers" young adult urban fantasy trilogy, as well as the Nadia Stafford crime series. Armstrong lives in southwestern Ontario with her husband, kids and far too many pets.

Haunted was read during the Once Upon a Read-A-Thon

Tour: Dreamwalker by Andrea Heltsley (Review)

I'd like to thank Heather @ SupaGurl Books for giving me this opportunity to participate in the DREAMWALKER Blog Tour and providing me a copy of the book to review.

Title: Dreamwalker
Series: Persephone's League of Immortals #1
Author: Andrea Heltsley
Genre: Supernatural Fiction, Paranormal Romance
Elements:
Publisher: Andrea Heltsley
Format: Kindle Edition 
ISBN: 978-0-9853224-1-0
Release Date: May 23, 2012
Source: Tour Host {SupaGurl Books}
Rating:

Tagline(s): ~NONE~

Summary: Noel Kennedy lost her boyfriend, her job and her dignity all in one week. Then something happened and she began to dream of this stranger she had never met. She couldn’t resist the man of her dreams named Jared especially when she met him in real life. Entranced, she slowly unraveled a world she was meant to stay out of. Her life was not what she thought it was once a sexy Boone stepped into the mix and shook things up. Can she escape a life of servitude or immortality for a chance at love?

Review: 

Noel Kennedy's life changed once she began dreaming of a blond-haired, gray-eyed stranger who seemed familiar to her somehow. Things took a stranger turn when Noel saw the stranger in real life. But the stranger, Jared Townsend, wasn't the only one who found Noel. A danger very real and very unbelievable has found her too. With surprise revelations and long-lost memories surfacing, Noel must come to terms with not only her new reality, but also who she really is and a very uncertain future.

I didn't know what to expect from Dreamwalker, and I'm glad that I was pleasantly surprised by what I found. In Dreamwalker, Persephone is portrayed as the villain and not the victim, which is how she's usually described in stories featuring her. Persephone's League of Immortals is a group of slaves to those immortals that serve Persephone in exchange for that immortality. Then there is the rogue group that fights against PLI to keep their freedom and mortality, and protects others from being victimized and enslaved by PLI. It's all kind of confusing at first, but as Noel learns about this world, we learn along with her. So it gets better as the story progresses.

Noel's power is that of a dream walker, a clairvoyant who can enter dreams, have visions, and even see the future with training. She shares this power with Jared and Samara. The only reason her powers awoke was because Jared was sent to awaken them and performed a ritual to do so. For Noel, who is untrained, this ability can be very inconvenient--when a vision is coming upon her she suddenly nods off. I would have to say that the dreams that Noel has and enters are the most descriptive parts of Dreamwalker, besides the Underworld, though that is more like a nicely wrapped nightmare.

Noel and Samara have the ability to magnify each others powers. This would make them the most powerful clairvoyants in the world. They would be able to manipulate their visions and see the future in its entirety. This is the power of the Maristolla  family. Members of the Maristolla family are highly sought after because of their extremely powerful abilities. Noel and Samara's power is what makes Persephone want them as her new initiates. Like they say, with great power comes great responsibility. But it also comes with great sacrifice, as Noel and Samara know very well.

Now if you were caught between having to choose Jared or Boone, who would it be? Noel finds herself in this very situation. Her soul says Jared, but her heart and mind tell her Boone. At the beginning, I was all for Jared. He was the mysterious dream guy. But then Noel met Boone, who is very much in the now. He was there for her whenever she needed him, and because of his abilities as an empath, he really seemed to understand her. So by the time she had to choose one or the other, I was hoping that she would choose Boone. As for who she chose, you'll just have to read Dreamwalker to find out. And believe me, it's worth it. There are some really steamy scenes!

With the conclusion of Dreamwalker, I am extremely excited for the sequel, which comes out sometime in 2013. With all the uncertainties and questions left up in the air, I can't wait to find out what happens next.

About this Author:

I am a biology nerd who loves reading just about anything paranormal and some chick lit. I love my Italian greyhounds, my family, sunshine and summertime and most of all books! When I am not writing, I am reading. I have been writing on paper and in my head since grade school. It is pretty bad when you are at your job and daydreaming about writing a scene. I have fallen victim more than once, so I decided to make a go of it :) I am an entertainment girl! I love all things books, music, movies and television. Coffee is my best friend and I think I should own a Starbucks by now..lol.

Dreamwalker was read during the Once Upon a Read-A-Thon

Tour: The Dream Slayer by Jill Cooper (Review)

I'd like to thank Heather @ SupaGurl Books for giving me this opportunity to participate in the THE DREAM SLAYER Blog Tour and providing me a copy of the book to review.

Jill Cooper is hosting a Kindle Fire giveaway on her website: http://jillacooper.com/content/enter-win-kindle-fire

There is also a Twitter party with Jill on July 18th from 8-9 EST with the hashtag  #DreamSlayer

Title: The Dream Slayer
Series: Dream Slayer #1
Author: Jill Cooper
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Supernatural Fiction, Urban Fantasy Fiction
Elements: Demons, Dreamers, Paladins, Magicians, Vampires
Publisher: Jill Cooper
Format: Kindle Edition 
ISBN: 978-1470112295
Release Date: May 1, 2012  
Source: Tour Host {SupaGurl Books}
Rating: 4.5/5

Tagline(s): When your dreams come true, sometimes you get more than you bargained for...

Summary: Natalie Johnson has always dreamed she’s someone else; calm, beautiful, in control. A chosen warrior with a maniacal arch nemesis and a dreamy boyfriend, the type that can make your knees melt and your heart quiver.

Real life is much different. She’s tormented by a bully and endures the sharp tongue of her father, but finds solace in her dreams.

When her bully ends up dead, de ja vu from a dream hits her hard as everything around her begins to fall apart.

Whatever killed Sarah in her dreams is now in reality, hunting her from the shadows. And it wants her dead.

Somehow as the lines between reality and nightmare blur, Natalie must discover hidden strength to pull her friends and family back from the brink of madness.

Review: 

Natalie Johnson is a girl tormented by a bully at school and her alcoholic father at home, but when she dreams Natalie is the Slayer. Strong, beautiful, and completely in control, the Slayer is everything that Natalie isn't but desperately wishes she was. When the Real World and the Dream World begin merging together, Natalie will need to find the strength hidden deep inside herself to claim her destiny and save both worlds from destruction.

When I first started reading The Dream Slayer I was a little confused. The book starts with Natalie (the Slayer) trying to stop a runaway school bus. She succeeds and proceeds to chase her arch nemesis, Morach, behind the school where she loses him. Shortly thereafter, the story moves to Natalie being beaten up by her bully at school, Sarah, on the bus to school. I couldn't tell which world was supposed to be the real one, but as I kept reading it all began to make sense and I really started enjoying the book. 

We have the Real World and the Dream World. In the Real World Natalie is a shy girl who is the target for bullies; whereas in the Dream World Natalie is the Slayer, kicking demon butt and looking good while doing it. In the Real World Natalie's enemy is the Patricians--magicians with the power to manipulate dreams for their own purposes--and in the Dream World Natalie's enemy is Morach the Great, a demon master of great power. And in the Real World Natalie's love interest is her best friend, Tristan; and in the Dream World Natalie is deeply in love with Damien, a half-demon warrior. Though there are similarities between the two worlds there are also a lot of differences to look out for. 

There were two things that I thought were pretty cool: 

1) Natalie may not be a Slayer, but she has a role just as important. 

2) Natalie created a growing, thinking world that is more than just a dream. What was not real before may very well be real now. 

I would very much like to learn more about WOMP (World  Organization of Magical Protection) and about who Marcus is. He just shows up one day and all of a sudden is pretty chummy with Natalie and her friends. He's not even surprised by the mention of demon slaying. Just who is he?? 

I loved seeing Natalie finally stand up and fight. I could picture the battle in my head and it was just amazing! 

I can't wait to read the sequel, Demon Royale, and see how Natalie has changed, what's going on with the Slayer, and what new adventure there is to be had!

About this Author:

Author of the YA Dream Slayer series, Jill loves to blend horror, comedy, the supernatural, and love, through her novels. A fan of genre blending, her work strives to cross boundries, but most of all strives to entertain.

She loves soft cuddly cats, warm blankets, and paranormal romances.

Jill resides in Massachusetts, is constantly renovating her home that she shares with her husband, young daughter, and two skittish cats.

Dream Slayer was read during the Once Upon a Read-A-Thon

#OUReadathon: Once Upon a Read-A-Thon {Wrap Up}

The Once Upon a Read-a-Thon is hosted by Angela @ Reading Angel, Candace @ Candace’s Book Blog, and Lori @ Pure Imagination!!

  

Books To Read:

• Dream Slayer by Jill Cooper
• Dreamwalker by Andrea Heltsley
• Enchanted by Alethea Kontis
• Dark Kiss by Michelle Rowan
• Haunted by Kelley Armstrong  

Manga To Read:

• Daniel X Volume 3 by James Patterson, with Adam Sadler, art SeungHui KYE
  
• The Wallflower Volume 28 by Tomoko Hayakawa
  
• Sailor Moon Volume 5 by Naoko Takeuchi

Updates:

7/09
Number of books I’ve read today: 3

Total number of books I’ve read: 3

Books: Dream Slayer (Location 725-1673) // The Wallflower Volume 28 // Sailor Moon Volume 5 (Pages 1-96)
Challenge Posts:
(1) http://bibliophilesthoughtsonbooks.blogspot.com/2012/07/oureadathon-challenge-characters.html
(2) http://bibliophilesthoughtsonbooks.blogspot.com/2012/07/oureadathon-challenge-covers.html
Books Finished: The Wallflower Volume 28

7/10
Number of books I’ve read today: 3

Total number of books I’ve read: 4

Books: Dream Slayer (Location 1673-3800) // Sailor Moon Volume 5 // Haunted (Pages 346-384)
Challenge Posts:
(1) http://bibliophilesthoughtsonbooks.blogspot.com/2012/07/oureadathon-challenge-once-upon-time.html
(2) http://bibliophilesthoughtsonbooks.blogspot.com/2012/07/oureadathon-challenge-foreign-authors.html
Books Finished: Sailor Moon Volume 5

7/11
Number of books I’ve read today: 3

Total number of books I’ve read: 5

Books: Dream Slayer (Location 3800-4884) // Daniel X Volume 3 // Haunted (Pages 384-416)
Challenge Posts:
(1) http://bibliophilesthoughtsonbooks.blogspot.com/2012/07/oureadathon-challenge-most-anticipated.html
(2) http://bibliophilesthoughtsonbooks.blogspot.com/2012/07/oureadathon-challenge-matching.html
Books Finished: Dream Slayer, Daniel X Volume 3

#OUReadathon Challenge: Matching Fictional Best Friends

  The Once Upon a Read-a-Thon is hosted by Angela @ Reading Angel, Candace @ Candace’s Book Blog, and Lori @ Pure Imagination!! 

The Matching Fictional Best Friends Challenge is hosted by Alli @ Magnet4Books! 

Match the 5 sets of Fictional Best Friends below:

Cassel

Emerson

Hermione

Jessica

Sam

Clary

Harry

Hope

Lily

Simon


MY_BEST_FRIEND_MATCHUPS

1. CASSEL & SAM
2. EMERSON & LILY
3. HERMIONE & HARRY
4. JESSICA & HOPE
5. CLARY & SIMON

#OUReadathon Challenge: Most Anticipated Book of 2012

The Once Upon a Read-a-Thon is hosted by Angela @ Reading Angel, Candace @ Candace’s Book Blog, and Lori @ Pure Imagination!!

 

The Most Anticipated Book of 2012 Challenge is hosted by Christy @ TheReaderBee! 

 Now, onto the challenge...

I have one simple question for you to answer.

What is your most anticipated book for 2012?
(It can be an upcoming release, or one that's already been released.)

My Most Anticipated Book of 2012 is...

 

Published June 26th 2012 by Harlequin Teen 

I died on a Thursday—killed by a monster intent on stealing my soul.

The good news? He didn’t get it.

The bad news? Turns out not even death will get you out of high school…

Covering up her own murder was one thing, but faking life is much harder than Kaylee Cavanaugh expected. After weeks spent “recovering,” she’s back in school, fighting to stay visible to the human world, struggling to fit in with her friends and planning time alone with her new reaper boyfriend.

But to earn her keep in the human world, Kaylee must reclaim stolen souls, and when her first assignment brings her face-to-face with an old foe, she knows the game has changed. Her immortal status won’t keep her safe. And this time Kaylee isn’t just gambling with her own life…

#OUReadathon Challenge: Foreign Authors

The Once Upon a Read-a-Thon is hosted by Angela @ Reading Angel, Candace @ Candace’s Book Blog, and Lori @ Pure Imagination!!

The Foreign Authors Challenge is hosted by Courtney @ Stiletto Storytime! 

The Mini-Challenge

Below in the comments simply share a foreign author whose work you adore. I personally am from the United States but we may have readers from all over so just make sure the author you share is from a country other than your own. Tell us why you like them. Are there any books by them in particular that you would recommend? How did you come across their work? The whole point is to share and allow us all to discover a new author that we might otherwise never have been exposed to..to literally open up a whole new world of books for one another.

Photo credit: Curtis Lantinga.

I'm from the United States and my favorite foreign author is Canadian author Kelley Armstrong. I love her Women of the Otherworld series, as well as her YA series' The Darkest Powers and Darkness Rising. I first came along her work when I was prowling the library book shelves for something to read and found The Summoning, the first book in The Darkest Powers series. She creates strong, fierce female heroines and hot-and-steamy alpha males. I like the fact that all of the series I mentions above take place in the SAME WORLD, just different locations and age groups. I'm always looking forward to new things from this amazing author!

 

 

Women of the Otherworld

Darkest Powers & Darkness Rising 

#OUReadathon Challenge: Once Upon a Time There Was a Bookish Fight…

The Once Upon a Read-a-Thon is hosted by Angela @ Reading Angel, Candace @ Candace’s Book Blog, and Lori @ Pure Imagination!!

The Once Upon a Time There Was a Bookish Fight… Challenge is hosted by Rebecca @ Kindle Fever! 
 

Once upon a time there was a bookish fight…

As the story teller, I now want you to tell me which two characters are fighting and WHY! If you want to, you’re also more than welcome to guess the outcome. ;)

It doesn’t have to be anything too detailed; we’re here to have fun!

Once upon a time... Katniss and Leela fought for their lives. Each had to fight in their own government's sadistic "games" and as everyone around them fell victim to these deadly "games" they survived and made it out alive only to be left with the hard decision on which guy they should pick. Their best friend who has always been there OR the previously thought unattainable one?? Now Katniss and Leela are battling each other for the title of Fiercest Female Heroine Caught Between Two Guys! Who will win the title and finally choose one of the guys they are caught between? Stay tuned to find out!

Katniss from the Hunger Games

Leela from the Circus of Curiosities

VERSUS

Who Wins the Title of Fiercest Female Heroine Caught Between Two Guy?

	Katniss Everdeen (The Hunger Games)
	Leela Sinclair (Circus of Curiosities)
pollcode.com free polls

#OUReadathon Challenge: Covers

The Once Upon a Read-a-Thon is hosted by Angela @ Reading Angel, Candace @ Candace’s Book Blog, and Lori @ Pure Imagination!!

The Covers Challenge is hosted by Bailey @ IB Book Blogging! 

There have been so many awesome cover reveals this summer that all I have on the brain is covers, pretty covers, interesting covers, colorful covers and everything in between covers!

 You must answer both questions below either on your blog, Twitter, Facebook, or Tumblr.

 Question 1:
What is your favorite cover that has been revealed this summer and why? Post a link or picture of the cover if you want.

I have more than one cover that I really liked and they fall into two categories: Covers to Books I'm Really Looking Forward To & Covers I Like Just Because They Are Really Pretty.


Covers to Books I'm Really Looking Forward To

Hidden by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast

The Rising by Kelley Armstrong

Sever by Lauren DeStefano

Requiem by Lauren Oliver

Full Moon Kisses by Ellen Schreiber

Covers I Like Just Because They Are Really Pretty

 Echo by Alyson Noel

Everbound by Brodi Ashton

Lullaby by Amanda Hocking

Question 2:
Do you rely on the cover to help you choose whether you want to read a book or not?

This probably sounds bad, but I do judge a book by it's cover. If I like the cover there is a better chance that I'll look to see what the book is about. If the cover doesn't appeal to me I usually pass it up, but I have been pleasantly surprised in the past when I didn't like the cover but loved the story.