Review of Black Ice by Susan Krinard

Title/Author: Black Ice (Midgard #2) by Susan Krinard
Publisher/Date published: Tor Books, August 12th 2014
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley
Buy this book at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: Centuries ago, all was lost in the Last Battle when the Norse gods and goddesses went to war. The elves, the giants, and the gods and goddesses themselves were all destroyed, leaving the Valkyrie known as Mist one of the only survivors.

Or so she thought.

The trickster god Loki has reappeared in San Francisco, and he has big plans for modern-day Earth. With few allies and fewer resources — but the eyes of the gods and goddesses of an old world upon her — it’s up to Mist to stop him before history repeats itself.

***WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILERS FOR FIRST BOOK IN THE SERIES***

So I love mythology and I enjoyed Mist, the first book in the series. So I had my heart set on more Norse mythology goodness!

And while I did get some of that, I felt like Black Ice suffered from second book syndrome. It just feels like it's a build-up to major events happening in book 3 and while there are several battles taking place, it never really felt like the stakes were high. I didn't feel like either of the main characters was actually threathened by the events and it wasn't exciting as it should have been.

We do meet a set of new characters, which I liked, well most of them. There are is a monster that I could have done without knowing, cause he's nasty! But I liked getting to know more of the Valkyries. I did guess pretty early on that there would be a twist about one of the new characters and what it would be, but it's pretty well done.

I felt like Black Ice didn't give me all that many answers to questions I had and I get that it can't give me all the answers as it's not the last book in the series, but I would have liked just a little more knowledge about where this is headed. And OMG I just wanted to shake Mist and Dainn and their non-relationship that's the big elephant in the room and tell them to just KISS ALREADY and stop worrying about the beast or what the beast will do or just STOP IT WITH THE BEAST OK. There was so much talk and thinking about the beast. It was kinda getting on my nerves.

I do still very much like the richness of the Norse mythology and Mist and Dainn are kinda awesome, but I just wished Black Ice would have been a little more exciting than it was.

My rating: 2 stars

Review of Killer Frost by Jennifer Estep

Title/Author: Killer Frost (Mythos Academy #6) by Jennifer Estep
Publisher/Date published: Kensington Books, February 25th 2014
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley
Buy this book at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: I’ve battled the Reapers of Chaos before – and survived. But this time I have a Bad, Bad Feeling it’s going to be a fight to the death... most likely mine.

Yeah, I’ve got my psychometry magic, my talking sword, Vic – and even the most dangerous Spartan on campus at my side, in Logan freaking Quinn, but I’m no match for Loki, the evil Norse god of chaos. I may be Nike’s Champion, but at heart, I’m still just Gwen Frost, that weird Gypsy girl everyone at school loves to gossip about.

Then someone I love is put in more danger than ever before, and something inside me snaps. This time, Loki and his Reapers are going down for good... or I am.

***WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILERS FOR FIRST 5 BOOKS IN THE SERIES***

I actually didn't realise this would be the final book in the series until I was about halfway through it already. And I'm a bit sad that it has ended, because after six books, I've grown attached to these characters and their shenanigans and now we won't have adventures together anymore...

So I've told you guys before how much I love mythology and how this series is one of the examples in which it is done VERY well. I like Jennifer Estep's take on all of it and the different kinds of warriors are awesome. Really. And it's got an awesome magic school, though we don't really get to see a lot of the actual teaching that goes on, as they're battling Reapers pretty much all of the time. BUT I WOULD STILL ATTEND IT GIVEN THE CHANCE. So.

Gwen has grown on me and she has definitely grown as a person over the course of 6 books and I like it. I like her spunk and her humor, her courage and the way she keeps looking for solutions. I like the person she's become, it was so much fun to watch her stumble through things at first and then forming plans.
Oh, and I totally still love Logan and Nyx! Nyx is awesome. As is Vic, Gwen's sword, the bloodthirsty piece of metal. It adds a lol-factor to it that I appreciate.

So obviously, this book has the epic battle. And it is epic. It pretty much felt like this whole book was one giant battle with some pauses to breathe in between. I loved watching it play out, there were some twists that I hadn't seen coming and it was awesome! I was however a bit annoyed when during one of the battles, Gwen and her friends just seem to be defeating Reapers, because it left me thinking: these people have also had proper training right? And they're mythological warriors as well and these are just kids. It didn't make sense to me and it kinda bugged me. But other than that I really liked it.

Killer Frost is a solid ending to this series and I really enjoyed reading it. And now I'm sad because typing up this review means the series has REALLY ended and I'm just not good at saying goodbye, ok? I secretly (uhm... or maybe not so secretly, as this is a blog post after all) hope that Jennifer Estep will come up with more adventures for Gwen and her friends, or that she decides to start another YA mythology series, because I'm gonna miss this series!

My rating; 4,5 stars

Review of Afterglow by Karsten Knight

Title/Author: Afterglow (Wildefire #3) by Karsten Knight
Publisher/Date published: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley
Buy this book at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: Teenage volcano goddess Ashline Wilde discovers that her former love, Colt Halliday, has an evil plan to kill the Cloak, the benevolent beings that oversee the gods. And that’s not all — he also wants to merge Ash and her two sisters back into a single, too-powerful goddess, Pele. Ash must stop her trickster-god ex-boyfriend once and for all…and to do it, she’s going to have to feed a few flames.

***WARNING: SPOILERS POSSIBLE FOR FIRST TWO BOOKS IN THE SERIES***

Guys, I was really excited to read Afterglow, and while I may not have liked it as much as I did Embers and Echoes, it was a satisfying conclusion to the series!

We meet Ash again, trying to track down her sisters and Colt, whose crazy ass is trying to put Ash, Eve and Rose back together into one volatile goddess. Yeah. That didn't sound like such a great idea to me either. But Colt has his heart set on it and Ash is trying to stop him. Without hurting innocent people. No matter that if the three of them are made into Pele again, a lot more innocent people might die. I mean, I get it, but part of me was wishing she'd stop being so considerate of everyone and just stop the guy because he was getting on my nerves. A lot.

I felt that Colt got away with everything a little bit too easily. I mean, I get that his regenerative powers make it REALLY hard to kill or incapacitate him, BUT surely there might have been better choices than the ones Ash and her crew made along the way. I mean, it was a little bit too easy for him to get everything the way he wanted to without being stopped on the way there. And also, his annoying girlfriend Epona. SERIOUSLY, someone needed to take out that girl because she was CRAZY. And annoying. I can deal with a little crazy, but not if there's no reasoning with someone.

There's a whole lot going down in this final instalment in the series, some new characters and some old friends and well, I enjoyed the ride. There was an epic battle and obviously the stakes were high, the events living up to it could have been a little more exciting in my opinion. But I did really enjoy it! And I thought the way it wrapped up in the end was very cleverly done and made me smile!

My rating: 3,5 stars

Review of Embers and Echoes by Karsten Knight

Title/Author: Embers and Echoes (Wildefire #2) by Karsten Knight
Publisher/Date published: Simon & Schuster, August 28th 2012
How I got this book: own it
Buy this book at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: Ashline Wilde may have needed school to learn that she is actually a reincarnated goddess, but she’s ready to move beyond books. She leaves her California boarding school behind and makes for Miami, where she meets a new group of deities and desperately seeks her sister Rose, the goddess of war. But she’s also looking for love—because even though her romance with Cole had to be snuffed, Ash is a volcano goddess—and she doesn’t get burned.

***WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILERS FOR FIRST BOOK IN THE SERIES***

Guys, I didn't really get on so well with Wildefire, the first book in this series. But I am SO glad that I decided to give it another chance, because Embers and Echoes worked so much better for me!

One of the problems I had with Wildefire is that Ashline was a bit too passive for me, she was so strong and so incredibly weak at the same time and it annoyed the crap out of me. In Embers and Echoes, she's the kickass girl I wanted her to be. She's taking charge and getting things done and I LIKE IT! I mean, she's a volcano goddess! What could possibly stop her? Well, there are some things, but not a lot of things. And I liked that she's owning up to her powers and using them. And I loved that she's not about to take crap from Colt. Even if he is a handsome bugger, he's also a really shitty person who needs his ass kicked.

I loved that in Embers and Echoes we get some more answers about what exactly is going on. All the things I wanted to know and was confused by in the first book are cleared up and I very much enjoyed seeing more of Ash's past lives! I also really liked the new characters we got to meet and Wesley Towers must be one of my favourites. He is awesome. And a good guy I can root for, you know how much I like my good guys!

This story is still harsh and people (and gods) get hurt and die and while this threw me off a bit in the first book, in Embers and Echoes it was mixed with some warm moments. Moments of friendship and hope for the future and even love and I thought the balance here was so much better than in Wildefire! These are by no means shiny, happy people, but there was a little bit of good mixed in with all the killing and maiming. And Rose, Ash and Eve's sister, is one terrifying 6-year-old. I mean, really, that was just wrong. And I get that she's an impressionable little girl who's seen WAY too much, but if it had been me, I wouldn't try to comfort her, I'd run like hell if she ever looked at me.

What I've been trying to say: Embers and Echoes was SO much better than Wildefire! Ash really grew as a person and was much more likeable in general. I got a lot of questions answered and there are still enough left that I'm itching to read the final book in the series!

My rating: 4 stars

Blog Tour! Review of My Ex From Hell by Tellulah Darling

Title/Author: My Ex From Hell (The Blooming Goddess Trilogy #1) by Tellulah Darling
Publisher/Date published: Te Da Media, April 1st 2013
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley
Buy this book at: The Book Depository Amazon B&N

Goodreads summary: Sixteen-year-old Sophie Bloom wishes she’d been taught the following:
a) Bad boy’s presence (TrOuBlE) + teen girl’s brain (DraMa) = TrAuMa (Highly unstable and very volatile.)
b) The Genus Greekulum Godissimus is notable for three traits: 1) awesome abilities, 2) grudges, and 3) hook-ups, break-ups, and in-fighting that puts cable to shame.

Prior to the Halloween dance, Sophie figures her worst problems involve adolescent theatrics, bitchy teen yoga girls, and being on probation at her boarding school for mouthy behaviour. Then she meets bad boy Kai and gets the kiss that rocks her world.
Literally.
This breath stealing lip lock reawakens Sophie’s true identity: Persephone, Goddess of Spring. She’s key to saving humanity in the war between the Underworld and Olympus, target numero uno of Hades and Zeus, and totally screwed.
Plus there’s also the little issue that Sophie’s last memory as Persephone was just before someone tried to murder her.
Big picture: master her powers, get her memories back, defeat Persephone’s would be assassin, and save the world. Also, sneak into the Underworld to retrieve stolen property, battle the minions of Hades and Zeus, outwit psycho nymphs, slay a dragon, rescue a classmate, keep from getting her butt expelled from the one place designed to keep her safe...
...and stop kissing Kai, Prince of the Underworld.

Guys, you must know by know how much I love Greek Mythology. So whenever I see a spin on the classical tales pop up I immediately get excited and NEED TO READ IT. So of course I couldn't resist giving My Ex From Hell a try!

I'll be completely honest with you and say that while My Ex From Hell is not one of my favourite retellings, it did entertain me. I mean, it took some time to get used to Sophie and her friends and their way of talking. A lot of it was Sophie's way of talking and her inner monologue. She annoyed me a bit at first, mainly because she was giving mythological creatures she came across her own name and then sticking with it and sounding stupid in the process. I don't really have a high tolerance level for stupid, so that put me off a bit. But after a while she started taking everything a bit more seriously and I started liking her more.

And I did really like the friendship between Sophie and Hannah. Hannah is awesome. She's a scientist and watches the gory animal shows that I always make the boyfriend turn off because I can't look at animals devouring other animals (I know it's natural, I just don't want to watch it). She's often the voice of reason, but has her own quirky side and I liked her.

I also like the idea behind the story, of Sophie being the human version of Persephone. And Sophie gets some kickass powers! I just wished that we'd gotten to know a little more about what exactly had been going on BEFORE. Sophie can't access her Persephone memories and there are people who KNOW and who won't tell her what happened and it was majorly frustrating! I mean, I was frustrated and I didn't get why Sophie didn't just make them sit down and tell her already. I mean, seriously, it's her past. And also: I want to know.

My Ex From Hell is a pretty lighthearted view on Greek Mythology, filled with mean girls and a love interest that I'm not sure how to feel about, but I'm guessing that's exactly how Sophie feels as well. It took me some time to get into the story, but I did end up enjoying it in the end and warming up to Sophie! It ended on a cliffhanger and I'm interested to see what will happen in the sequel!

My rating: 3 stars

For the full tour schedule go here

Review of Midnight Frost by Jennifer Estep

Title/Author: Midnight Frost (Mythos Academy #5) by Jennifer Estep
Publisher/Date published: K-Teen, July 30th 2013
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley
Buy this book at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: Here we go again...

Just when it seems life at Mythos Academy can’t get any more dangerous, the Reapers of Chaos manage to prove me wrong. It was just a typical night at the Library of Antiquities — until a Reaper tried to poison me. The good news is I’m still alive and kicking. The bad news is the Reaper poisoned someone else instead.

As Nike’s Champion, everyone expects me to lead the charge against the Reapers, even though I’m still hurting over what happened with Spartan warrior Logan Quinn. I’ve got to get my hands on the antidote fast — otherwise, an innocent person will die. But the only known cure is hidden in some creepy ruins — and the Reapers are sure to be waiting for me there …

***WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILERS FOR THE FIRST FOUR BOOKS IN THE SERIES***

Guys, it's not secret that I love mythology in YA and this series is a really good reason for why I love it so much! It has all the good stuff: gods, evil doers, awesome mythological creatures and weapons and I just love so many of the characters!

The issues that I had with Gwen in earlier books are pretty much cleared up by now, she's definitely grown as a person and is now a kickass person. Seriously. She can actually kick ass: HOORAY for her not being the damsel in distress anymore! She doesn't feel good about killing Reapers, but she does it, because she knows it's either her or them and she'd rather live another day. She's not the helpless girl she was and so much of her awkwardness has gone away, I love it! She's learning to overcome her problems with her powers and has toughened up quite a bit from when we first met her!

I was kinda sad we don't see much of Logan though, that Spartan boy really makes for some awesome scenes. He's sweet and strong and he really cares about Gwen and it was heartbreaking to see him doubt himself so much because of what happened to him in the last book with the whole being possessed by Loki thing and all. He kinda ran away because of it and I really appreciated that Gwen calls him out on it at one point. She does have a point and someone had to say it, though maybe it could have been done a little less harshly.

Also: we meet another mythological creature: gryphons and they are AWESOME! Seriously, the black rocs are totally scary, but gryphons rule. I totally love this side of the mythology and it added another something to the story. And I'm so happy Nyx is still around! That cute little furball of a Fenrir pup is so adorable! Nyx pouncing on Hello Kitty totally made me laugh!

So we learn a little more about the plans of the reapers and the gods and about Gwen's mission and it made me excited for things to come! I wonder when the epic fight will actually take place, but for now I'm good exploring this world and hanging out with all my favourite warriors, Alexei being one of my new favourites from the last book. He's just so cool!

I also think that the writing has gotten so much better over the course of the series! I love what Jennifer Estep is doing and it made for one entertaining afternoon full of action and fun.

My rating: 4,5 stars

Made me crave: Nibb-Its

Review of Mist by Susan Krinard

Title/Author: Mist (Mist #1) by Susan Krinard
Publisher/Date published: Tor Books, July 16th 2013
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley
Buy this book at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: Centuries ago, all was lost in the Last Battle when the Norse gods and goddesses went to war. The elves, the giants, and the gods and goddesses themselves were all destroyed, leaving the Valkyrie Mist one of the only survivors.

Or so she thought.

When a snowy winter descends upon modern-day San Francisco in June, Mist’s quiet existence starts to feel all too familiar. In quick succession, Mist is attacked by a frost giant in a public park and runs into an elf disguised as a homeless person on the streets... and then the man Mist believed was her mortal boyfriend reveals himself to be the trickster god, Loki, alive and well after all these years.

Loki has big plans for the modern world, and he’s been hanging around Mist for access to a staff that once belonged to the great god Odin. Mist is certain of one thing: Loki must be stopped if there is to be any hope for Earth. But the fight is even bigger than she knows...

Because Loki wasn’t the only god to survive.

Guys, you know me: OBSESSED with mythology and aside from the bits and pieces I know of Norse mythology from watching movies like Thor and recently the TV series Vikings, I hadn't really read a book on Norse mythology before. And I can't believe I waited this long to try it! Because I'm kinda in love with the richness of this culture!

Susan Krinard introduces us to a Valkyrie, Mist, and her life here on Earth, or Midgard. It turns out Ragnarok (a term that I totally recognized from Vikings) didn't actually happen and the gods and goddesses are still alive and GAH, Loki has been posing as Mist's boyfriend for the past six months! After this things just start to spiral out of control for Mist and she discovers that nothing is as it seemed to be for the past couple of centuries.

I liked Mist, she's a strong woman (well obviously, she's a Valkyrie), she cares about the people among who she's been living for centuries now and wants to protect life on earth. I also liked that she doesn't just shrug off her hurt over Loki's betrayal easily. They'd been in a relationship for 6 months, it wouldn't be realistic for her to just get over that.

The character who truly intrigues me is Dainn. He's an elf and has all these secrets and knows so much more than he's telling Mist and he's just so interesting! He's confusing and there's such a sadness in him that I just want to give him a hug and try to make him smile!

You could definitely tell that this is the first book in a series. There's a lot of setting up of the plotline and introductions to the various characters and gods and sometimes things were a bit slowed down because of this. I really hope we'll get to know more about the exact happenings of the Last Battle (that wasn't the Last Battle after all) in the next book!

One thing I didn't like was that Mist was such a natural with her newly discovered powers and just somehow knew how to work it without having much of a training in it. Also: Loki, Dainn AND Mist are all REALLY powerful and they had ample opportunity to really injure/kill each other. So WHYYY doesn't this happen?? I mean, it was a bit weird how they'd hold back in the face of victory all of a sudden.

I did really enjoy reading Mist, Susan Krinard really makes the Norse mythology come to life for me and I'm curious to see where the series will take all the characters!

My rating: 3,5 stars

Made me crave: tortilla chips

Review of The Goddess Inheritance by Aimee Carter

Title/Author: The Goddess Inheritance (Goddess Test #3) by Aimee Carter
Publisher/Date published: Harlequin Teen, February 26 2013
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley and bought a shiny finished copy

Goodreads summary: Love or life.
Henry or their child.
The end of her family or the end of the world.
Kate must choose.

During nine months of captivity, Kate Winters has survived a jealous goddess, a vengeful Titan and a pregnancy she never asked for. Now the Queen of the Gods wants her unborn child, and Kate can't stop her - until Cronus offers a deal.

In exchange for her loyalty and devotion, the King of the Titans will spare humanity and let Kate keep her child. Yet even if Kate agrees, he'll destroy Henry, her mother and the rest of the council. And if she refuses, Cronus will tear the world apart until every last god and mortal is dead.

With the fate of everyone she loves resting on her shoulders, Kate must do the impossible: find a way to defeat the most powerful being in existence, even if it costs her everything.

Even if it costs her eternity.

***WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILERS FOR FIRST 2 BOOKS IN THE SERIES***

It is no secret that I love Greek mythology and this series is one of my favourites that involves this. Goddess Interrupted ended on such a cliffhanger that I was both REALLY anxious and REALLY scared to finally get to The Goddess Inheritance. Not to mention my fear of reading the last book in a series.

But I shouldn't have worried, because I can totally trust Aimee Carter to bring the awesome and give me some closure! The thing I love about series and that makes me love this one so much is that I could just slip right back into this world and catch up with the characters effortlessly, it's like reconnecting with old friends and I love that!

Kate has grown so much over the course of the series and I love that she's a strong woman who knows what she wants. I thought the whole thing with her getting pregnant at the end of Goddess Interrupted was pretty sudden and SO unexpected, but though Kate hadn't planned have a baby at her age, she definitely wants this baby. The protectiveness and love adds another layer to her relationship with Henry and I just loved it!

And Henry... I'm such a big fan of Henry. He may be infuriatingly stubborn at times, but he's just so swoonworthy and sexy in all his power that I can totally forgive him for this. Though I kinda didn't get how he could be so naive sometimes! Seriously! Kate is missing and people keep this from him with lame excuses? I mean, seriously?? If only he'd been more about taking action and people wouldn't have kept him in the dark, it would have solved SO MANY problems!!

Anyway.

This was one of those books that I just could not put down! It was so actionpacked and the stakes were so high, I was just on the edge of my seat the whole time! It was filled with sweet moments and heartbreaking moments and WHAT? NO!! moments and just all of those good feelings! Though I am fully satisfied with this ending to an amazing series, I cannot help but wish Aimee Carter will write more stories set in this world and maybe centering around Kate and Henry's kid? Because he seems pretty special. Though I'm also fine with just more Kate-books, because she rocks and I don't think she's done having adventures!

My rating: 5 stars

Review of Vengeance Bound by Justina Ireland

Title/Author: Vengeance Bound by Justina Ireland
Publisher/Date published: Simon & Schuster, April 2nd 2013
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley
Buy it at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: Cory Graff is not alone in her head. Bound to a deal of desperation made when she was a child, Cory’s mind houses the Furies — the hawk and the serpent — lingering always, waiting for her to satisfy their bloodlust. After escaping the asylum where she was trapped for years, Cory knows how to keep the Furies quiet. By day, she lives a normal life, but by night, she tracks down targets the Furies send her way. And she brings down Justice upon them.

Cory’s perfected her system of survival, but when she meets a mysterious boy named Niko at her new school, she can’t figure out how she feels about him. For the first time, the Furies are quiet in her head around a guy. But does this mean that Cory’s finally found someone who she can trust, or are there greater factors at work? As Cory’s mind becomes a battlefield, with the Furies fighting for control, Cory will have to put everything on the line to hold on to what she’s worked so hard to build.

Guys, I love pretty much anything to do with mythology and the Furies fascinate me. So I was really excited to pick up Vengeance Bound, even though I'd heard a couple not so good things about it. And I was pretty disappointed...

I mean, it really is a fascinating concept that the Furies sort of get attached to a host and use said host to do their 'justice'. But this was exactly my problem, the '' around justice. The Furies in Vengeance Bound are not looking for justice, they're looking to kill as many men as possible, not even caring if someone is guilty or not. And that's what majorly put me off, but maybe more so that Cory actually goes along with this. I get that they don't leave her much of a choice, but it's scary how cold-blooded she is.

I couldn't connect to Cory. She's a little all over the place and she didn't seem to have much of a personality outside of being the Furies' instrument. But maybe it was just also because I just didn't like her. I felt no sympathy towards her whatsoever, so it was kinda hard to root for her in her struggles.

Several times I considered DNF-ing Vengeance Bound, but I kept going because I thought, but wait, this HAS TO GET GOOD, right?? But mostly it was just Cory bemoaning her fate and doing nothing to change it. And then there was this weird thing going on with Niko and one of Cory's new friends, who was seriously cuckoo-crazy. I mean, she pretty much had a sign over her head saying "HI, I'M INSANE, WHO ARE YOU?" and I didn't get how anyone can call themselves someone's friend if you don't try to get someone like this help. Really. LOTS of help.

I really wanted to like Vengeance Bound, but it was kind of a depressing book. I had no love for any of the characters and not even the Furies were interesting enough to keep me entertained.

My rating: 1,5 stars

Review of Crimson Frost by Jennifer Estep

Title/Author: Crimson Frost (Mythos Academy #4) by Jennifer Estep
Publisher/Date published: Kensington, December 24th 2012
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: For a moment, a face flashed before my eyes — the most hideous face I’d ever seen. No matter how hard I tried to forget what had happened, I saw him everywhere I went. It was Loki — the evil god that I’d helped set free against my will.

I should have known that my first official date with Logan Quinn was destined to end in disaster. If we’d gotten into a swordfight, or been ambushed by Reapers, I’d have been more prepared. But getting arrested mid-sip at the local coffee hangout? I didn’t see that one coming.

I’ve been accused of purposely helping the Reapers free Loki from his prison — and the person leading the charge against me is Linus Quinn, Logan’s dad. The worst part is that pretty much everyone at Mythos Academy thinks I’m guilty. If I’m going to get out of this mess alive, I’ll have to do it myself...

***WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILERS FOR BOOKS 1-3***

Guys, it's no secret that I love mythology. And as I've previously mentioned in my review of Dark Frost, the third book in the Mythos Academy series, I love that this series mixes up all kinds of mythology! There's Greek, Roman, Norse, Russian and I LOVE IT!

I also really love how Gwen and the other characters have grown over the books. And Jennifer Estep's writing has gotten even better! The things I rolled my eyes at in the first three books were pretty much non-existent in Crimson Frost, YAY! Ok, so there's still a lot of mention of what kind of warrior everyone was, but it got less on my nerves. And can I just say that I'm loving the introduction of Bogatyrs and how a sweet blooming gay relationship was handled?

So Gwen is accused of pretty much everything that a Reaper girl did and is put on trial for this. And she's being accused by Logan's dad who seems like a major douche and while he does sorta get his act together a little in the end, I still don't like him. I thought the police should be somewhat impartial, but Logan's dad was just ridiculous. And the thing that bugged me was that they had NO EVIDENCE other than a testimoney, so it's Gwen's word against someone else's. Yeah, that's obviously enough to accuse someone of a crime of this majority and pretty much have the death sentence ready to deal out.

So yeah, that annoyed me. But I did really love the relationship between Gwen and her friends. And between her and Logan. They're FINALLY getting there! There's declarations of love and I was just so cheering them on! And little Nyx has a special place in my heart, gotta love that little furball! And the story is getting up to steam and at the end there was an epic showdown and I love that Gwen finally knows how to kick some ass herself! No more helpless little girl but sword-wielding warrior, she's also really coming into her Gyspy powers bit by bit, which I really enjoyed seeing.

Something that happens at the end pretty much broke my heart and I'm itching to have Midnight Frost be here so I can find out how this is going to be set right cause it NEEDS TO BE! Seriously.

My rating: 4 stars

Review of Sweet Venom by Tera Lynn Childs

Title/Author: Sweet Venom (Medusa Girls #1) by Tera Lynn Childs
Publisher/Date published: Katherine Tegen Books, September 6th 2011
How I got this book: bought it with my hard-earned moneys

Goodreads summary: Grace just moved to San Francisco and is excited to start over at a new school. The change is full of fresh possibilities, but it’s also a tiny bit scary. It gets scarier when a minotaur walks in the door. And even more shocking when a girl who looks just like her shows up to fight the monster.

Gretchen is tired of monsters pulling her out into the wee hours, especially on a school night, but what can she do? Sending the minotaur back to his bleak home is just another notch on her combat belt. She never expected to run into this girl who could be her double, though.

Greer has her life pretty well put together, thank you very much. But that all tilts sideways when two girls who look eerily like her appear on her doorstep and claim they're triplets, supernatural descendants of some hideous creature from Greek myth, destined to spend their lives hunting monsters.

These three teenage descendants of Medusa, the once-beautiful gorgon maligned by myth, must reunite and embrace their fates in this unique paranormal world where monsters lurk in plain sight.

Guys, if it hadn't been for me being insanely stressed out at work, I probably would have devoured this in three seconds flat because it read just so easily! So I blame my mind being distracted by the hospital for it taking three days, because once I relaxed it took no effort at all!

You might have noticed I'm a self professed Greek mythology geek. And proud of it. So anything to do with mythology is bound to catch my attention and make me go WANT WANT WANT. And I wasn't disappointed by any means with how Tera Lynn Childs handled the myth of Medusa in Sweet Venom! She's always portrayed as the big baddie and I love this new spin on things!

Sweet Venom switches POV between Grace, Gretchen and Greer, but mostly Grace and Gretchen, since Greer doesn't come in till later on in the story. I really liked both Grace and Gretchen, though I could relate to Grace the most. She's the sweet girl who lacks a little bit of confidence and loves her family. I was that girl in high school who was easy pickings for the popular mean girls because my confidence level wasn't all that high, until I met the group of friends I still hang out with. I love that Tera Lynn Childs shows how your friends (or newly discovered sisters) can change you.

Gretchen is more kickass, independent, and I felt that she grew as a character as well, she discovers it might be ok to let others in and that she can't do it all on her own.
I also liked Greer, but I feel like I knew her the least of the three since she enters the story much later. But that's ok, we'll connect in Sweet Shadows I'm sure :)

Tera Lynn Childs shows us a little bit about the girls' destiny and I'm just itching to find out more about EVERYTHING! There's lots of mysterious goings on that I can't wait to get answers for and hello, CUTE GUYS! I need more of the cute guys! And I need to know WHO MADE THAT PHONECALL!

So yeah, it's safe to say my little Greek mythology loving heart is pretty happy at the moment :)

My rating: 4,5 stars

Review of Silver by Talia Vance

Title/Author: Silver (Bandia #1) by Talia Vance
Publisher/Date published: Flux Books, September 8th 2012
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "As I step into the room, a silver flash blurs my vision. Before I can take a breath, the world falls away."

Brianna has always felt invisible. People stare right past her, including the one boy she can't resist, Blake Williams. But everything changes at a house party where Brianna's charm bracelet slips off and time stands still. In that one frozen, silver moment, Blake not only sees her, he recognizes something deep inside her she's been hiding even from herself.

Discovering she is descended from Danu, the legendary Bandia of Celtic myth, Brianna finds herself questioning the truth of who she is. And when she accidentally binds her soul to Blake, their mutual attraction becomes undeniable.

But Blake has his own secret, one that could prove deadly for them both.

Bound together by forbidden magic, Brianna and Blake find themselves at the heart of an ancient feud that threatens to destroy their lives and their love.

So I haven't seen much about this book around the blogosphere (could be me, please tell me if you've read it!), but I did know that Rachel @ Fiktshun really loved it, so I was all kinds of excited to finally start it!

And I was sucked in from the moment I read the first sentence: "Beauty is pointless when no one is looking." LOVE! I know the invisible girl plot has been done before, but this time there's actually a pretty good reason why people (not just guys) didn't notice her before. It was actually kinda cool.

I really liked Brianna, even though sometimes I thought she was a bit quick to jump to conclusions. And sometimes I couldn't follow her thinking and would go 'but HOW did you get that from what he just said??', but it didn't bother me all that much. I loved her scientific tendencies and her need for a fitting explanation for stuff she didn't understand.

I kinda didn't like Brianna's friends. They seemed extremely shallow and I found myself wondering why these girls were friends, as they obviously didn't trust each other. At one point Brianna's attacked and the girls are accusing her of getting it on with both guys she's found with, who happen to be the questionable boyfriends of both of her friends. I mean, WHAT??? Seriously?? Because OBVIOUSLY that's the most logical explanation...

Blake blew hot and cold and was just SO CONFUSING! And I LOVED IT! He has all these conflicting emotions and loyalties and GAH! There were times I wanted to smack him and times I wanted to smooch him and I could just feel everything Brianna was feeling about him right along with her!

One thing I didn't really like was the casual treatment of sex. I mean, while I know losing your virginity isn't life changing, it's a big deal. But in my opinion sex is always a big deal, even if it's your 400th time. Also, it may have been my naivety, but when one of Brianna's friends went off with a boy, I thought they'd be just KISSING. Yeah, I was kinda wrong.

I loved the Irish mythology, if you know me, you know I'm a bit of a mythology geek and I haven't explored this particular part of mythology just yet, so it was refreshing and SO interesting! I'm dying to learn more about it in the sequel! I really loved Brianna's powers, though I did think she could access them a bit too easily. And I'm kinda annoyed at her grandmother for NOT telling her when obviously SHE KNEW!

Sometimes the storyline was all over the place and I actually was wondering if I'd missed some thing, but sometimes we just weren't clued in and I was left chasing to catch up. There were moments when I got so annoyed at certain characters and things happening that I wanted to throw the book across the room, but then it would be amazing again and I'd settle in with a contented sigh again.

There were parts that broke my heart, parts that confused me, parts that annoyed me, but no matter how much of a hot mess this book was at times, I could absolutely overlook it, because I was a hot mess right along with it! I connected to this story and to Brianna and Blake and I just felt ALL THE THINGS, it was wonderful!

My rating: 4 stars

Review of The Goddess Legacy by Aimée Carter

Title/Author: The Goddess Legacy (Goddess Test #2,5) by Aimée Carter
Publisher/Date published: HarlequinTeen, July 24th 2012
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "For millennia we've caught only glimpses of the lives and loves of the gods and goddesses on Olympus. Now Aimée Carter pulls back the curtain on how they became the powerful, petty, loving and dangerous immortals that Kate Winters knows.
Calliope/Hera represented constancy and yet had a husband who never matched her faithfulness….
Ava/Aphrodite was the goddess of love and yet commitment was a totally different deal.
Persephone was urged to marry one man, yet longed for another….
James/Hermes loved to make trouble for others; but never knew true loss before….
Henry/Hades's solitary existence had grown too wearisome to continue. But meeting Kate Winters gave him a new hope…."

***WARNING: WILL PROBABLY CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR BOOK 1 AND 2***

Guys, I am SO in love with this series! Aimée Carter just makes Greek Mythology come to life and I love the twists she's given to the myths!

You know how you sometimes wonder why people are/act the way they do? Well, in The Goddess Legacy you can find out about all the Greek gods I've come to love. And it's SO GOOD!

Calliope/Hera's story is really, really sad! She made a mistake early on and has suffered for it ever since. All she's ever wanted was for her husband to love her and be faithful to her, but we all know the stories about Zeus. Yeah, faithful isn't really a word I'd associate with him...
I'm still really, really angry at her for doing the things she did in Goddess Interrupted, but I understand a little better what drove her to it.

Persephone's story made me understand her better as well. I sort of get what happened now and while I still don't really like her and BOO for crushing Henry's heart, it's good to see the other side of things. It wasn't all her fault.

I loved getting a closer look into Henry's thoughts and the part where he first meets Kate is just adorable! It reminded me of why I love him so much!

I really enjoyed Ava and James' stories as well, but the three mentioned above stood out to me more.

But really, all reading this book has done is make me even more excited for The Goddess Inheritance! I NEED it to be 2013 so it can just be here already! GAH!
I'm not much of a fan of short stories, but Aimée Carter has managed to convince me they can be really good as well! I absolutely love the insights I've gotten in the these 5 characters!

My rating: 5 stars

Review of Goddess Interrupted by Aimée Carter

Title/Author: Goddess Interrupted (Goddess Test #2) by Aimée Carter
Publisher/Date published: Harlequin Teen, March 27th 2012
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley and bought it cause I couldn't resist owning my own copy after I loved The Goddess Test so much!!

Goodreads summary: "Kate Winters has won immortality. But if she wants a life with Henry in the Underworld, she'll have to fight for it.
Becoming immortal wasn't supposed to be the easy part. Though Kate is about to be crowned Queen of the Underworld, she's as isolated as ever. And despite her growing love for Henry, ruler of the Underworld, he's becoming ever more distant and secretive. Then, in the midst of Kate's coronation, Henry is abducted by the only being powerful enough to kill him: the King of the Titans.
As the other gods prepare for a war that could end them all, it is up to Kate to save Henry from the depths of Tartarus. But in order to navigate the endless caverns of the Underworld, Kate must enlist the help of the one person who is the greatest threat to her future.
Henry's first wife, Persephone."

So you guys remember how much I loved The Goddess Test? I'm a Greek mythology geek through and through and proud of it :) So I can't for the life of me understand why I waited this long to read this beautiful sequel!!

It took me a little longer to get into Goddess Interrupted than it did The Goddess Test, but Aimée Carter weaves such a wonderful tale that I couldn't help but fall in love with the characters and the world she's created all over again.

Kate is still the wonderful main character I remember from The Goddess Test. I loved how brave she was, even though some of her actions were sort of ill-advised, she never crossed over into the too-stupid-to-live category. I could easily imagine making the same choices. I was so proud of her for repeatedly putting herself out there with Henry when she didn't get much encouragement from him. She was genuinely trying to work on their relationship and I applaud the girl for not running off when things get hard.

And Henry, beautiful broken Henry. The Henry I'd gotten to know and love in The Goddess Test was a bit absent in Goddess Interrupted, but in the end he showed up and it was epic... I love him, he's a flawed character and he doesn't always make it easy to love him, but I do just the same.

What I love so much about Aimée's storytelling is that I'm RIGHT THERE with Kate. I'm there when she has doubts and when she feels lonely and despairs if Henry will ever love her like she loves him. And I cried SO HARD. I mean, I'm used to getting tears in my eyes at heartbreak, cause I'm a big ol' sap, but there were tears streaming down my face, TEARS EVERYWHERE! It was so, SO good!

And OMG! THE CLIFFHANGER ENDING! I was going NOOOOO! You can't leave me like this!! I'll have to wait over half a year for the next book!! It will be excruciating! I had not seen that coming. AT ALL.

So thank you, Aimée Carter, for sharing Kate and Henry's story with me and the rest of the world. Thank you for making me fall in love with them and just feeling ALL THE THINGS! Seriously, ALL THE THINGS!

I think I can even forgive you for that ending, somewhat.

The Goddess Inheritance really needs to be here right now...

My rating: 5 stars

Review of Everneath by Brodi Ashton

Title/Author: Everneath (Everneath #1) by Brodi Ashton
Publisher/Date published: Balzer + Bray, January 24th 2012
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned - to her old life, her family, her friends - before being banished back to the underworld... this time forever.
She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.
Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back - this time as his queen.
As Nikki's time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she's forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's..."

Oh. My. Gosh. WOW!

Really, that is my first reaction upon finishing this book. And I cannot think of a better way for a book to leave me feeling. I mean, I fell in love with the cover before I even knew what the book would be about (LOOK AT THE PRETTY!!) and when I came to understand that it was a YA mythology I went all crazy-eyed and just felt the urge to HAVE IT. So to say that I was beyond exstatic when I received the e-ARC is putting it mildly.

And this book did not disappoint in the least. I'd heard people rave about it before I had the chance to read it myself and you know what? THEY WERE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT!

Everneath by Brodi Ashton was SO amazing! I fell in love with the beautiful writing at the first page. Seriously, evidence is my tweeting of 'I'm only 12 pages in, but I already know I'm going to love it'. And it was so, SO good! It made my little bookloving heart very happy.

I really liked Nikki. I know she made a really stupid decision when she joined Cole in the Everneath, but really, I could get where she was coming from. I mean, she was really insecure about her relationship with Jack. And while from the first moment I read about it, I couldn't believe sweet, awesome Jack would ever do something like that, I can see how she would. And I liked that she wanted to make it right with her loved ones when she Returned and wasn't all accusatory towards them and only blamed herself. And maybe Cole. But that's totally justified.

And let's just say it: Jack is amazing. Seriously, that boy! He made me swoon and smile and cry... And I loved him. He was everything a boyfriend should be and I loved the moments he and Nikki were together. I loved how they awkwardly sat next to each other for hours and hours in class and didn't speak. I loved how he tried to get her to talk to him again and their history together.

Then there's Cole, the 'villain' in this story. I know he's the bad guy, but I really liked him as well. Don't get me wrong, I'm 100% Team Jack, but there's something about Cole that's got me not hating him even though he does some really bad things.

I loved it all: the story, the characters, the minor as well as the main characters, the writing, the romance, THE BOY, the mythology... I wish I had more words to do justice to the amazingness that is this book. I would have read this all in one go if my boyfriend hadn't insisted I needed sleep (which let's face it, he was right about).

It will be a long wait for the second book...

My rating: 5+ stars

Sirenz Back In Fashion by Charlotte Bennardo and Natalie Zaman

Title/Author: Sirenz Back In Fashion (Sirenz #2) by Charlotte Bennardo and Natalie Zaman
Publisher/Date published: Flux Books, June 8th 2012
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "It's Hell on heels - again!
When Shar tries on a ring from Hades, it activates an obscure contractual clause that puts Shar and former-frenemy-now-friend Meg in Hades' service once more. Shar is whisked away to the Underworld to prepare a ball for Persephone, while Meg is sent to retrieve the errant soul of spoiled rich girl Paulina Swanson and send her to the abyss. Just when it appears the girls will be doomed to serve Hades for eternity, Shar meets two possibly helpful demi-gods who also happen to be gorgeous. Can the girls finally ditch the Lord of the Dead once and for all?"

**WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILERS FOR SIRENZ***

I read Sirenz, the first book in this series a while ago and it was such a fun read and as you probably already know, I'm a bit obsessed with Greek Mythology and the appearance of it in YA makes me all giddy and excited to read anything to do with it! So when I saw there would be a sequel to Sirenz I went LET ME HAVE IT!! And I was definitely not disappointed!

In Sirenz we met Meg and Shar and let me just say that those two girls are SO much fun! I'd want to be friends with them! The POV switches between them each chapter and I loved seeing the story through in their different voices. I didn't once get confused as to who was narrating and I love how distinctive their voices and characters were.
They've definitely grown a lot since the beginning of the series and I love it when that happens!

Also, while appreciating both for the wonderful characters they are on their own, I just adored the friendship they share. It's not always easy, especially with all of the Siren stuff going on, but they genuinely care for each other and are willing to put aside their own feelings for the other and take pretty big risks. I loved how they both were better persons for being friends.

Though I did think that the action that triggered all of the events in Sirenz Back In Fashion was a bit of a too-stupid-to-live moment, that was the only one, so I can overlook it. I loved meeting all the new characters and reacquainting myself with those that had also made an appearance in Sirenz.

Basically, this was a really fun, light read and I breezed right through it! The writing is very engaging and though I did figure out one plot twist pretty early on, that's only because I'm such a Greek Mythology geek ;) I did understand how Meg didn't see it, cause yeah, it wasn't all that obvious if you didn't have all the information.

There were sweet moments between the two friends, there's romance, there were laugh out loud funny moments, I especially enjoyed Hades' disgruntledness at Cerebus wanting to cuddle and Shar calling him a 'good goggy'. Also, at the end I went OMG! LET THERE PLEASE BE A SEQUEL!!! So you can imagine my excitement when I saw that Goodreads has a third, untitled book listed for 2013 :)

If you're looking for a fun, Greek Mythology YA that will bring a smile to your face: pick up this series!

My rating: 4,5 stars

Review of Dark Frost by Jennifer Estep

Title/Author: Dark Frost (Mythos Academy #3) by Jennifer Estep
Publisher/Date published: KTeen, May 29th 2012
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "I’ve seen so many freaky things since I started attending Mythos Academy last fall. I know I’m supposed to be a fearless warrior, but most of the time, I feel like I’m just waiting for the next Bad, Bad Thing to happen. Like someone trying to kill me — again.
Everyone at Mythos Academy knows me as Gwen Frost, the Gypsy girl who uses her psychometry magic to find lost objects—and who just may be dating Logan Quinn, the hottest guy in school. But I’m also the girl the Reapers of Chaos want dead in the worst way. The Reapers are the baddest of the bad, the people who murdered my mom. So why do they have it in for me?
It turns out my mom hid a powerful artifact called the Helheim Dagger before she died. Now, the Reapers will do anything to get it back. They think I know where the dagger is hidden, but this is one thing I can’t use my magic to find. All I do know is that the Reapers are coming for me — and I’m in for the fight of my life."

**WARNING: If you have not read the first two books in the series, you might want to skip this review as I can't promise there won't be spoilers for those 2 books**

I recently read the first two book in the Mythos Academy series and while I didn't review them separately, there'll also be something about them included in this review of Dark Frost. Because I cannot talk to you about that third book without that, it's just the way I'm wired ;)

So far this series has been a ride of ups and downs for me. I LOVE the idea of Mythos Academy and all the students being descended from these amazing warrior races: Amazons, Valkyries, Spartans, Romans and the odd one out: Gypsies. Or rather just one as Gwen is the only known Gypsy at Mythos. I absolute adore it. I also love that the Gods have Champions and it's not just limited to Roman or Greek Gods, but every kind of mythology possible. Of course there needs to be conflict, so Loki, the bad boy among the Gods enters the picture to bring the chaos. So far I was an incredibly happy camper.

And I like Gwen, she's got a good heart and is loyal to her friends and loves her family. I like that in a girl! Admittedly, she had her shallow moments, but don't we all? The only problem I've been having with her is that there were some things that were just SO obvious and she just completely ignores the obviousness and gets to the wrong conclusions and well, sometimes she does some things that make me go: how did you not see this ending badly to begin with??? SERIOUSLY?

**SPOILER, LIGHT UP TO READ**
I mean, seriously, how did she not think that it might be a bad idea to just grab the dagger when she figured out where it was without even checking if anyone was around and maybe getting some reinforcement just in case and actually having a PLAN as to where to take it next??? REALLY? With the fate of the world depending on it? REALLY? I found this kind of hard to believe.
Also, don't even get me starten on Metis leaving when Gwen was 'questioning' Preston. I mean, really, when she stepped out I just knew he was going to escape. It was just so irresponsible! And it seemed out of character for Metis to me.
**END OF SPOILER**

I loved Logan, Daphne, Carson and Oliver. They're just amazing, strong people and I loved the dynamics between them and Gwen. They all have their own set of problems and I love getting to know them better. Also, I absolutely adored the new character that was added to this book: Nott, the Fenrir wolf. She completely stole my heart and even made me cry a bit. And yeah, I'd love to have a talking sword like Vic. If I knew how to use it instead of just slicing myself up by accident. Which I would.

The thing is, the writing can be AMAZING. Sometimes it was so good. And then other times it felt a bit childish to me in the descriptions and the repitition of the words. There were a lot of sentences that had the same word repeated in them 2 or 3 times and it got a bit annoying. Also, seriously, after the first few mentions of Gwen being a Gypsy, I GOT IT OKAY? I don't need to be reminded every other sentence that Gwen is in fact a Gypsy. I mean, who knew? She's a Gypsy? REALLY? *ahem, excuse my sarcasm* I could have done without the constant reminders of everyone's particular brand of warrior. I mean, it's handy for the characters you don't see every other page, but for Gwen and her friends it just kind of got annoying.

I'm really enjoying the growth the characters go through and just seeing the whole plot unravel. It's starting to get REALLY exciting the more the story progresses and I'm already itching to get my hands on the fourth book in the series, Crimson Frost, and find out what's going to happen next for Gwen, her friends and basically the rest of the world!

So yes, I'd say if you're into mythology you should read this. And yes, you'll probably roll your eyes at some point like I did, but if you can look past all that, the story is really good and it's definitely worth getting into!

My rating: 4 stars

Review of Hades: Lord of The Dead by George O'Connor

Title/Author: Hades: Lord of the Dead (Olympians #4) by George O'Connor
Publisher/Date published: First Second, January 31st 2012
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

This time I'm not putting up a summary cause I assume you are all familiar with the Hades & Persephone myth (see me assuming things!).

When I requested this I hadn't realised this would be a graphic novel. And really, I pretty much never read graphic novels, but after this one, I'm beginning to think that maybe I should! Because they are a lot of fun!

And you know what they say 'a picture is worth a thousand words' and if you have a good artist involved in said pictures that's absolutely true! I loved that it wasn't hinted at that Demeter got angry: you SAW the rage in her eyes! It's always showing and not telling which makes me happy.

Also, I breezed right through this in about half an hour which makes it the perfect short read! I really liked that George O'Connor put his own little twist into the story, one I haven't seen before. I'm a big fan of Greek mythology and the information at the end of the novel adds that little extra something for me!

My rating: 3,5 stars

Review of The Gathering Storm by Robin Bridges

Title/Author: The Gathering Storm (Katerina Alexandrovna #1) by Robin Bridges
Publisher/Date published: Delacorte BFYR, January 10th 2012
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "St. Petersburg, Russia, 1888. As she attends a whirl of glittering balls, royal debutante Katerina Alexandrovna, Duchess of Oldenburg, tries to hide a dark secret: she can raise the dead. No one knows. Not her family. Not the girls at her finishing school. Not the tsar or anyone in her aristocratic circle. Katerina considers her talent a curse, not a gift. But when she uses her special skill to protect a member of the Imperial Family, she finds herself caught in a web of intrigue.
An evil presence is growing within Europe's royal bloodlines—and those aligned with the darkness threaten to topple the tsar. Suddenly Katerina's strength as a necromancer attracts attention from unwelcome sources... including two young men — George Alexandrovich, the tsar's standoffish middle son, who needs Katerina's help to safeguard Russia, even if he's repelled by her secret, and the dashing Prince Danilo, heir to the throne of Montenegro, to whom Katerina feels inexplicably drawn.
The time has come for Katerina to embrace her power, but which side will she choose — and to whom will she give her heart?"

You guys know how I love mythology and I must admit that before reading The Gathering Storm, I'd never read anything about Russian mythology. And it's full of awesome!! I mean, really, I'm not really a big fan of vampires as a mythological creature, but they have these AND a bogatyr!! They have the tsar able to change into a bogatyr to defend his country, how cool is that?

And apart from that, I did really enjoy most of the story. I was a bit overwhelmed by all the names and pet names and so on, but after a while I got the hang of it and it became easy to understand who everyone was talking to/about. And if I didn't know I assumed the characters weren't all that important anyway.

I liked Katiya, she has big plans to study at the university to become a doctor in a period of time when society only expects her to marry and produce heirs. I really respected her drive and the effort she put into learning all she could about medicine within the limits of society's approval.

There was one thing I had a big issue with: Katiya learns she has this ability and then she just refuses to be taught how to control it. She's given a book with information and she doesn't seem the least bit curious to actually read it and find some answers. I wanted to scream at her to not be so stupid, especially when she used her power without meaning to. And let's just say that unconsiously bringing someone back to life has some major consequences. So yeah, that part didn't work for me.
Also, she was constantly ignoring advice from people older and wiser than she herself was and of course bad stuff happened because of that.

I did like the interaction between Katiya and George Alexandrovich and I really enjoyed Katiya's bond with her family. The romance was a bit meh for me, but the court intrigue is fascinating and I loved the Russian mythology and hope it gets expanded more upon in the next book in the series!

My rating: 3 stars

Dark of the Moon by Tracy Barrett

Title/Author: Dark of the Moon by Tracy Barrett
Publisher/Date published: Harcourt Children's Books, September 19th 2011
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "Ariadne is destined to become a goddess of the moon. She leads a lonely life, filled with hours of rigorous training by stern priestesses. Her former friends no longer dare to look at her, much less speak to her. All that she has left are her mother and her beloved, misshapen brother Asterion, who must be held captive below the palace for his own safety.
So when a ship arrives one spring day, bearing a tribute of slaves from Athens, Ariadne sneaks out to meet it. These newcomers don’t know the ways of Krete; perhaps they won’t be afraid of a girl who will someday be a powerful goddess. And indeed she meets Theseus, the son of the king of Athens. Ariadne finds herself drawn to the newcomer, and soon they form a friendship — one that could perhaps become something more.
Yet Theseus is doomed to die as an offering to the Minotaur, that monster beneath the palace — unless he can kill the beast first. And that "monster" is Ariadne’s brother..."

So as you guys may know: I'm all about the mythology being in YA books and going WOOHOO over it. So you bet I was excited when I saw this retelling of the myth about the Minotaur!

And it's GOOD! Really. It's VERY good!

In this version of the story, the minotaur isn't a monster, but a physically dysformed boy who will always have the mind of a 4-year-old. And I was sad for this poor boy, while I cannot say he has never hurt a fly, he can't help it and I felt for him.

And then there's Ariadne, She-Who-Will-Be-Goddess. She is so brave, even when she finds herself facing rituals her mother never explained to her and doing this wrong will destroy her future and everyone she loves. I loved one part of the story, where it's shown how there are always two sides to a story: it talks about how a woman killed her children. One says she's insane, another says she did it out of love, becaus she knew they would be killed in a less kind way otherwise.

I didn't much care for Theseus, but the main focus is on Ariadne, so it didn't bother me. I absolutely loved all the rituals and the mystery of it all. I kept turning the pages to find out what it was exactly that went down during the ritual to actually become the Goddess, I did kind of guess it, but still, there was such suspense!

I loved how it all ended and I'm kind of glad this book is a stand-alone, because while I love series, this story is good as it is, being one book.
Oh, and this book made me glad to live in the 21st century, childbirth on ancient Krete is harsh.

My rating: 4,5 stars