Showing posts with label demons. Show all posts
Showing posts with label demons. Show all posts

Sunday, June 12, 2016

Jem's review of From Burning Ashes by Stacey Marie Brown


This war is not being played on a battlefield. 

Killed by the man she loves, not even death is kind to Zoey. 
Neither life nor her fae powers will let her go in peace. 

In this final installment, Zoey’s strength, determination, and trust are put to the ultimate test. In the fight to protect the people she loves and stop DMG from experimenting on fae, humans, and animals to create soldiers, she learns the reality of how far Dr. Rapava will go to achieve his ultimate mission. 

Of course, Rapava is not the only one willing to go to extremes. Vadik is hunting Ryker, and there is nothing he won’t do to get back the property he feels is his: both Ryker and the Stone of Destiny. 

To end one evil, Zoey might have to make a deal with another. One she won't be able to get out of. And it could be the worst decision she ever made. 

I've been waiting for what has felt like forever for the last book in the Collector Series, especially after the way Stacey Marie Brown ended the third book in the series, Across The Divide. What an epic, teetering on the edge, hanging on by your fingernails cliffhanger that was!

Needless to say I was super excited when I heard that From Burning Ashes was just around the corner and as soon as it was released was straight on Amazon downloading it to my kindle.
I loved this book and it lived up to my expectations, much like the others in the series. We jumped straight back into where ATD left off and the book immediately had me on the edge of my seat and that lasted through the whole thing.

All of my favourite characters were back and had major parts to play, my favourite has to be Sprig, the honey loving sprite monkey. He brings some light heartedness to what is actually quite a dark story line. But apart from the humour that he brings to the story, what I love about Sprig is that he has the biggest heart for such a tiny monkey and is as loyal as they come. He cares about Zoey, Ryker and the rest of the Collector family, even Cryogen (well just a bit but I'm sure he wouldn't admit that)

“Suuupperrspprriittee,” Sprig sang. “I’m so badass. Like a honey-crunch, double-dipped-doughnut, rolled-in-sugar, fried-in-honey badass. Bees will be my pollen posse.”

Zoey is one of my favourite female leads, she is tough, which she has to be with all that she's gone through, but she has the biggest space in her heart to accept people and trust them too. I love how she has grown and developed so much through the series and in the culmination of her story she has really shone through, for me, as a true heroine. Stacey has really written a character that deserves respect and is someone we could look up to. The things that Zoey has experienced and gone through in her life would be enough to make anyone crumble and close in on themselves, but Zoey has the strength and the people around her, to fight through it all and still have a decent sense of humanity about her.

Sometimes life came out of nowhere and clobbered you, tearing down your preconceived ideas and prejudices, till all you could see was the truth behind the labels.

Now to Ryker, the yummy, super hot, fierce Viking that I find myself fantasizing about. Wow, Stacey has written one of the hottest characters ever. In the first book of the series, I'll admit that I wasn't his biggest fan but I fell for him, BIG time, in the second book and by the third he'd wormed his way into my heart. In FBA, I just want to run off with him (though I think I'd have to actually be Zoey to get him to do that) He is the perfect partner for Zoey in all ways and he really comes through for her in this book.

And from burning ashes, I rose again.

This book rounded off the series perfectly, it closed down pretty much all the threads of the story that were open and there was even a surprise visit from a character from The Darkness Series, Stacey's other series which runs parallel to this series and is also set in Seattle.

I'm hoping though that this is not the last of Zoey, Ryker, Sprig & Cryogen that we'll see. There was some unfinished business left with the stone which had me hoping that maybe, just maybe, Stacey will write another series somewhere down the line that includes them and hopefully Ember, Eli and the rest of The Darkness Series crew. Now that would be an epic story which I would love to read. In the meantime I know that she is working on West's story (from The Darkness Series and if you haven't read those yet then now's the time) to be released in Fall 2016 so I will be impatiently awaiting that.

I think Stacey ended this series perfectly and its definitely one on my list that I'll go back to and reread. Now I'm off to go fantasize about Ryker, me and a Chevy Chevelle car..........

Friday, June 10, 2016

Britt's Review of The Dawn Trilogy by Komali da Silva


Howdy Hooligans!
To start off I'm going to mention, I received this trilogy straight from the author after winning them at a release party. They were delivered before any of my other winnings, so #PromptnessPoints to her!

At first, I didn't expect to like them. I normally shy away from Angel/Religious fantasy. But, because I won them and I want to show love to the generosity of the authors I win things from, I knew they were getting read regardless. I shoved them in the middle of my current reading list. And Brittaini now, wants to go back and JackSlap past Brittaini between the eyes. It so deserved better.

Now in true Brittaini fashion, I started this Trilogy, and didn't stop until it was done. All three books in 18hours, I could not stop. So this will be a review of the box set, not the individual books. I'll try to keep my chin flap silent in spoilers, but as always I make NO promises :). If your spoiler sensitive, but your still here because your intrigued take my word on this.

If you enjoy YA. If you dream of Guardian Angels, or Demons. If you like seeing a heroine get put through the ringer and never give up. Then take my advice buy the books <3

After this point, my spoiler filters may falter.

Okay so we start out meeting Dawn, our heroine. So I'll give you a little blurb on her :).

"Dawn Huntington wants what every girl wants, a sweet sixteen birthday party with her friends, family, and some hot boys, but fate has other plans. On the night of Dawn's sixteenth birthday, she witnesses a crime she can't turn her back on, and the decisions she makes that night will change her life forever. "

Dawn Impresses me from the get go. Her moral compass is amazing at 16 to do what she does right off the bat! Most grown women run from that kind of confrontation but she just charges in in outrage. Her inner courage obviously shines. However, I feel when it comes to her emotions, she has no idea how manage them at all. She is strong when required, but she is a wallower. That is about my only complaint, and eventually she grows out of that, so I can totally get behind her as a character. She is put through so much, but in the end following her heart gets her what she deserves.

Now there are some GREAT secondary characters. Dawn's blood sister A is such an amazing person. I want to cry for Nate the Great for a year. A more perfect boy next door there never was. Jan is such a realistic little sister. A lot like mine actually. (Dawn is brown hair and green eyes like me, and my little sister is blonde blue eyes like Jan, ha-ha what a kawinkiedink, new reason to fan girl lol) Bonita definitely pulls the crazy quota. Aunt Meg and Gram Grams are both wacky wonderful. And Gabe, oh Gabe. Bow-chicka-wow-wow. Come to momma ;).



The first book didn't hook me completely, but because of the way it ended I needed to get on to book two. Although at no fault of the story itself, I came in expecting not to FanGirl so it took awhile for the glitter in my veins to start spreading. After the twists, and turns, the information uncovered and the relationship changes for everyone I was so involved in this story, the world around me faded away and I spent the rest of the day in a readers coma, ignoring the dogs barking, the child complaining, even to Hubby's stomach had to wait! By the end of book two I knew I was in head deep so I didn't even pause before devouring book three. And to be honest once again I had reservations. I know how some authors would have ended this story in ways I would have enjoyed. I pictured multiple way it could go, and more paths emerged  as I read on. Finally I was able to see the perfect ending. And I was not disappointed! I read as fast as I am possible of to see if this author would see my same vision, or use some plot twist to redeem an ass hat and give him an HEA I didn't think he deserved. And I was pleasantly surprised when I turned the last page and was completely fulfilled with the ending. 



The story is well written. Well edited and easy to follow. The flow is smooth And the dialouges are good. I enjoy a bit more then is in this story, but I still enjoyed it. The twists are well thought out and the villians a perfect mix of crazies, masterminds, and suprises.

I didn't leave the trilogy without closure, I closed the pages feeling like everything was right in the world. And, I'm also happy to say this trilogy will be in my YA top 10 recommendation list <3 

I'm Giving it a great big sparkling 4.5/5!



Peace, Love, & Happy Reading My Hooliganisms!
Brittaini Over & Out!