Review: Darkness Becomes Her

Darkness Becomes Her 
by Kelly Keaton

Genres: Mythology, Paranormal, Romance

Series: Gods & Monsters #1

Pub Date: February 22nd 2011

First Lines: "Under the cafeteria table, my right knee bounced like a jackhammer possessed"

Summary:

Ari can’t help feeling lost and alone. With teal eyes and freakish silver hair that can’t be changed or destroyed, Ari has always stood out. And after growing up in foster care, she longs for some understanding of where she came from and who she is. Her search for answers uncovers just one message from her long dead mother: Run. Ari can sense that someone, or something, is getting closer than they should. But it’s impossible to protect herself when she doesn’t know what she’s running from or why she is being pursued.
She knows only one thing: she must return to her birthplace of New 2, the lush rebuilt city of New Orleans. Upon arriving, she discovers that New 2 is very...different. Here, Ari is seemingly normal. But every creature she encounters, no matter how deadly or horrifying, is afraid of her.
Ari won’t stop until she knows why. But some truths are too haunting, too terrifying, to ever be revealed.

My Thoughts:
Darkness Becomes Her completely took me by surprise. I didn't expect that I'll be reading about vampires, witches, shifters, a kick ass heroine and a Greek myth with a twist.

Ari is the type of person who can take of herself. She can easily take down monsters with no problem. Her search for her biological parents takes us to New 2. Along the twist and turns in this journey, romance will bloom and questions will be answered. 

My only complaint with this book is the romance between Ari and Sebastian happen way too fast. Sure he's dark and edgy, but you barely knew each other for a day and you're already smoothing. Yeah..other than that I loved this book.

Darkness Becomes Her is a high originally novel with characters you can't help, but love. I promise you this book won't disappoint. 

My Rating:
 

Review: Leviathan

Leviathan 
by Scott Westerfeld  
Release Date:  Oct. 6, 2009
Genre: Steampunk, Adventure, Historical Fiction
Series: Leviathan #1

First Line: "The Austrian horses glinted in the moonlight, their riders standing tall in the saddle, swords raised."

Summary:

Prince Aleksander, would-be heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, is on the run. His own people have turned on him. His title is worthless. All he has is a battletorn war machine and a loyal crew of men. 

Deryn Sharp is a commoner, disguised as a boy in the British Air Service. She's a brilliant airman. But her secret is in constant danger of being discovered.

With World War I brewing, Alek and Deryn's paths cross in the most unexpected way…taking them on a fantastical, around-the-world adventure that will change both their lives forever.

My Thoughts:
Leviathan is a non-stop action story, set in an imaginative steampunk world, with two very sympathetic protagonists and amazing illustrations. This is my first time reading steampunk and I LOVED it. 

The imagination that Scott Westerfeld puts into Leviathan is amazing. He takes you into a world in the brink of war. One side, the Darwinist,  have genetically modified "beasties", while the other side, the Clankers, have incredible machinery. Now meet Alek, an ex-prince on the run, and Deryn, a cross-dressing girl in the British Air Service. I love both of theses characters and enjoyed reading their alternating point of views through out the novel.

The two main characters have amazing adventures on their own, but when their paths cross, things start to get really interesting. Leviathan will keep you turning pages and anxious for the next book in the series. Highly recommended.

You have to watch this book trailer! You'll see how amazing the illustrations really are.

Rating:

Review: Enclave

 Enclave by Ann Aguirre

Genre: Zombies, Dystopian, Post Apocalyptic, Romance, Adventure
Release Date: April 12, 2011
Series: Razorland #1

WELCOME TO THE APOCALYPSE
In Deuce’s world, people earn the right to a name only if they survive their first fifteen years. By that point, each unnamed ‘brat’ has trained into one of three groups–Breeders, Builders, or Hunters, identifiable by the number of scars they bear on their arms. Deuce has wanted to be a Huntress for as long as she can remember.

As a Huntress, her purpose is clear—to brave the dangerous tunnels outside the enclave and bring back meat to feed the group while evading ferocious monsters known as Freaks. She’s worked toward this goal her whole life, and nothing’s going to stop her, not even a beautiful, brooding Hunter named Fade. When the mysterious boy becomes her partner, Deuce’s troubles are just beginning.

Down below, deviation from the rules is punished swiftly and harshly, and Fade doesn’t like following orders. At first she thinks he’s crazy, but as death stalks their sanctuary, and it becomes clear the elders don’t always know best, Deuce wonders if Fade might be telling the truth. Her partner confuses her; she’s never known a boy like him before, as prone to touching her gently as using his knives with feral grace.

As Deuce’s perception shifts, so does the balance in the constant battle for survival. The mindless Freaks, once considered a threat only due to their sheer numbers, show signs of cunning and strategy… but the elders refuse to heed any warnings. Despite imminent disaster, the enclave puts their faith in strictures and sacrifice instead. No matter how she tries, Deuce cannot stem the dark tide that carries her far from the only world she’s ever known.

My Thoughts:

Full of adventure, action and unexpectedly zombies, Enclave will leave you at the edge of your seat. I love post apocalyptic books (as I mentioned on my post apocalyptic WoW post), so this it the perfect book for me.

Deuce kicked ass. There isn't much I love more than a female protagonist who isn't whiny and emotional all the time. In fact, Deuce is hardly capable of those feelings, which made me love her that much more, and certainly allowed me to connect with her character on a deeper level. I knew from the first encounter with Fade that I would love him as well, and I wasn't wrong about that. 

At first, it takes a little getting used to their names and numbers, but soon you'll be sucked into the world Ann Aguirre created. The ending was more of a sigh of relief, and you're left with really wanting to read more, though it's not precisely a cliff hanger. Overall, I enjoyed Enclave a lot.

Rating: 

Review: The Goddess Test

The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter

Release Date: April 19th, 2011

Genres: Romance, Mythology
Series:  Goddess Test #1

It's always been just Kate and her mom—and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate's going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear her mother won't live past the fall.Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld—and if she accepts his bargain, he'll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.
Kate is sure he's crazy—until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she'll become Henry's future bride, and a goddess.


My Thoughts:

I love greek mythology, so when I heard about the Goddess Test I had to read it.


Kate was a great heroine. She was brave, tough, and so selfless. Her maturity and strength are something that you know she's acquired during the years of taking care of her mother. Henry wasn't exactly what I had in mind for Hades. He had everything to be the bad-sexy-guy, but he was so...sad. I liked him, but he was always silent and never really a protagonist. 

The Goddess Test did a retelling of the myth of Persephone (yay! my favorite Greek myth). It's interesting reading how Aimee Carter creates mythological twists in the novel, such as having to pass all seven testes for immortality. Speaking about those testes, I expected it to be difficult. But they weren't and they were given to Kate without neither her or the readers' knowledge. That was a disappointment considering many girls have tried to pass the seven tests and failed.

The gods in this book were way too normal and average - be it their names or their actions in the book. It disappointments me that the characteristics of the Greek gods were almost not used in the book and I think it would have given and added so much to it.


It's an original, refreshing story and it grabbed me, but I was expecting more. I'm looking forward to see what else the series has in store for us.

Rating:

 

Review: The Maze Runner by James Dashner

(Goodreads) Synopsis:

Imagine waking up one day in total darkness, unsure of where you are and unable to remember anything about yourself except your first name. You're in a bizarre place devoid of adults called the Glade. The Glade is an enclosed structure with a jail, a graveyard, a slaughterhouse, living quarters, and gardens. And no way out. Outside the Glade is the Maze, and every day some of the kids -- the Runners -- venture into the labyrinth, trying to map the ever-changing pattern of walls in an attempt to find an exit from this hellish place. So far, no one has figured it out. And not all of the Runners return from their daily exertions, victims of the maniacal Grievers, part animal, part mechanical killing machines.

Thomas is the newest arrival to the Glade in this Truman-meets-Lord of the Flies tale. A motley crew of half a dozen kids is all he has to guide him in this strange world. As soon as he arrives, unusual things begin to happen, and the others grow suspicious of him. Though the Maze seems somehow familiar to Thomas, he's unable to make sense of the place, despite his extraordinary abilities as a Runner. What is this place, and does Thomas hold the key to finding a way out?

Review: 4 stars
The Maze Runner is amazing. It has such an unique plot. It's full of action, mystery, suspense, and has a puzzle to solve. Throughout this book, I kept on thinking: Who are the creators? Why are they studying the Gladers? I love how Thomas has a curious nature. He questions everything around him, refusing to give in and go with the flow. The slang that James Dashner creates for the Gladers, such as "shuck-face" is the one problem I had with this book. I found the slang unnecessary and hard to understand. Putting that aside, the ending will leave you wanting more!