Showing posts with label Supernatural. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Supernatural. Show all posts

Friday, May 10, 2019

Third Grave Dead Ahead - Review

Third Grave Dead Ahead (Charley Davidson, # 3)

By: Darynda Jones

Publication: January 31st 2012 by St. Martin's Press

310 pages

Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Mystery

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Paranormal private eye. Grim reaper extraordinaire. Whatever. Charley Davidson is back! And she's drinking copious amounts of caffeine to stay awake because, every time she closes her eyes, she sees him: Reyes Farrow, the part-human, part-supermodel son of Satan. Yes, she did imprison him for all eternity, but come on. How is she supposed to solve a missing persons case, deal with an ego-driven doctor, calm her curmudgeonly dad, and take on a motorcycle gang hellbent on murder when the devil's son just won't give up?

So I'm blowing through this series so far. I finish one book and start the next immediately. I forced myself to review book 2, Second Grave on the Left, before I allowed myself to start this book. However, I jumped right into book 4 without forcing myself to review this one. In some ways I think that was a good thing because I feel that I have a clearer direction on how to review this book, but in other ways sometimes the progress of the overall story can get muddled when I read more than one book too soon without stopping to review. I think it's obvious that I'm enjoying these.

Charley is yet again on the case of a missing wife. She immediately suspects the husband as he seems to pour out feelings of guilt. Things aren't completely what they seem here. Although, as per usual, I was able to predict some aspects of the case. I felt like there was quite a lot of time spent on this case compared to what I'd like to hear more about--Reyes.

Charley FINALLY gets to meet Reyes face to face. She'd seen his physical body before, but both times he was unconscious and heavily injured. Now, he's ragingly PO'd at her for binding his incorporeal self to his physical body. And even though she's tried, she can't seem to unbind him. I do find myself getting frustrated with Reyes and Charley. So many times they don't say what they mean and end up causing more drama between each other than is necessary. They've both hurt each other emotionally and have reasons not to trust each other--Reyes when he was attempting to let his physical body die and Charley when she bound him without permission. Of course, holding someone at knifepoint is also a great reason to distrust. We do make some good advancement in the Reyes storyline that I'd love to talk about, but that would all be spoilers.

The dynamic between Charley's family changes even more as her father all but insists that she get out of the PI business. I mean she has been almost killed multiple times in each book so far. Which reminds me of a point I was going to make. Books where the characters are constantly getting into scrapes that are "too big" especially when they're supposed to be trying to keep things under the radar--like their supernatural abilities--can sometimes be a struggle for me. I mean the authors have to address the frequency of these big events with the characters that aren't in on the big secrets, but it's often too unbelievable how the characters get around this. In the case of this series, Charley needs these life-threatening situations to advance her character, both emotionally and in the area of learning more about what she's capable of. So it's hard to be too upset with them.

Favorite quote:

-Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong. --T-shirt

The writing is the same witty and sarcastic that we've come to know and love. Based off the acknowledgment section I'd say this might just be Darynda Jones and not just Charley's character. Charley and Reyes make some progress, but the place where Third Grave Dead Ahead ends spurred me on to pick up book 4 immediately. There was even one place I started to tear up. I didn't cry but I was definitely emotional. I won't tell you anything more besides "Garrett." Third Grave Dead Ahead gets 4 stars. Have you read Third Grave Dead Ahead? What did you think? Let me know!

Monday, October 2, 2017

All Things Halloween Review - The Raven King

The Raven King (The Raven Cycle, # 4)

By: Maggie Stiefvater

Published: April 26th 2016 by Scholastic Press

439 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Magic, Supernatural

Source: Personal Kindle Library

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--The fourth and final installment in the spellbinding series from the irrepressible, #1 New York Times bestselling author Maggie Stiefvater.

All her life, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love's death. She doesn't believe in true love and never thought this would be a problem, but as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she's not so sure anymore.

In a starred review for Blue Lily, Lily Blue, Kirkus Reviews declared: "Expect this truly one-of-a-kind series to come to a thundering close."

The Raven Cycle has not been my favorite series by Maggie Stiefvater. And honestly, I've been on a bit of a roller coaster with the series. I said in my review of The Raven Boys that it was probably my least favorite book by Maggie Stiefvater out of the (now) 11 that I've read, and that might remain true, but The Raven King comes really close to competing for that. I took issue at the time with the apparent prophecy that Gansey was Blue's true love, yet in The Raven Boys Blue and Adam were more of a thing. As the series progressed, I actually came to enjoy the transition from Adam and Blue to Gansey and Blue. I also felt that Maggie's writing wasn't what I'd come to expect from her in style. The Raven Boys felt slow and dry to me when compared to the richness and poetry that I've come to expect from her books.

Maggie returns to her poetic roots with book 2, but I said in my review of The Dream Thieves that the writing felt "klunky" in an "'I'm really having to think about what's being said' kind of way." The Dream Thieves was all about Ronan. I mean the other characters were there and involved, but Ronan took center stage, and I loved it--him. It took me about 50% to feel connected to the story and characters, but overall I enjoyed it much more than The Raven Boys.

Even though the first couple of books were the same way, I kept thinking that as the series progressed this would change, but by the time I got to Blue Lily, Lily Blue I realized that the adventure and plot would outshine the characters in this series all the way through. The relationships between the characters did progress, but overall I felt like the plot didn't move along much.

And now here we are at The Raven King. I told Husband that Maggie Stiefvater's writing is probably brilliant in this book and it was definitely poetry, but it wasn't a type of brilliance or poetry that is easy to love. Instead it feels like the type of poetry that you go "I'm really not at all sure what you're talking about, but I'm sure it's genius." And that's kind of how I felt throughout this book and really throughout the entire series. The writing style made me feel like I was missing things at times, and I can't tell you how often I wondered "what is even happening right now?" And the length of time between each book only added to that because I forgot so many details each time. So perhaps a more direct writing style would have made this an easier and more enjoyable series for me. However, like I said, I'm sure it was genius.

While I loved how Gansey and Blue have transitioned from where they started in The Raven Boys to now, I did not (AT ALL) like what Maggie Stiefvater did with Ronan and Adam. I'd have to go back and re-read the series to see if I missed clues leading up to this, but I felt completely caught off guard here, and I didn't like it one bit. But here's the problem...I don't think I enjoyed the series enough to want to re-read it--even though I'd probably appreciate the brilliance and writing style more if I did. I did like the individual personal growth between these characters and I was rooting for each individually to live up to everything they could be.

I feel like there's probably so much more I need to say about this book specifically, but I feel like either I can't get my thoughts in order or anything I would say would be a spoiler. So instead I'll share a few quotes that I enjoyed:

-...the Ganseys did not demand favors. Often they didn't even ask. They did unto others and silently hoped others would rise to do it unto them.

-"You can't compare one person's coping capacity to another,"...

-...the difference between a nice house and a nice prison is really small.

-There was a lot of happiness tucked in the corner of that smile...

-He was a book, and he was holding his final pages, and he wanted to get to the end to find out how it went, and he didn't want it to be over.

The Raven King was a decent end to a decent series. I can't say that I loved this book or this series even though I did find myself attached to some of the characters. I do think that the series is probably genius and Maggie's writing requires thought to appreciate it's beauty. At the same time, the writing style slowed me down and kept me from enjoying the story as much as I wanted to. The Raven King gets 3 Stars. Have you read The Raven King? What did you think? Let me know!

This review is part of my All Things Halloween event--a month of paranormal, supernatural, mystery/thriller, etc reviews and books.

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

Waiting on The Raven King

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

The Raven King (The Raven Cycle, # 4)

By: Maggie Stiefvater

Expected Publication: April 26th 2016 by Scholastic Press

400 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Magic, Supernatural

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--The fourth and final installment in the spellbinding series from the irrepressible, #1 New York Times bestselling author Maggie Stiefvater.

All her life, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love's death. She doesn't believe in true love and never thought this would be a problem, but as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she's not so sure anymore.

In a starred review for Blue Lily, Lily Blue, Kirkus Reviews declared: "Expect this truly one-of-a-kind series to come to a thundering close."

What are you waiting on this week? Let me know!

Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Waiting on Unforgiven

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Unforgiven (Fallen, # 5)

By: Lauren Kate

Expected Publication: November 10th 2015 by Delacorte Press

400 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Angels, Supernatural, Demons

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--It’s the book FALLEN fans have been waiting for: Cam’s story, the brooding, bad-boy dark angel readers love.

High school can be hell.

Cam knows what it’s like to be haunted. He’s spent more time in Hell than any angel ever should. And his freshest Hell is high school, where Lilith, the girl he can’t stop loving, is serving out a punishment for his crimes.

Cam made a bet with Lucifer: he has fifteen days to convince the only girl who really matters to him to love him again. If he succeeds, Lilith will be allowed back into the world, and they can live their lives together. But if he fails…there’s a special place in Hell just for him.

Tick-tock.

Spread your wings and cry as bad boy dark angel Cam finally reveals his anguished heart in the epic new FALLEN novel, UNFORGIVEN.

So normally I don't feature a book in a series past where I've actually read, but even though I have read Rapture yet, Unforgiven sounds like it would be fine to read as a standalone based off the description. Besides, I've always been intrigued by Cam. I want his story. What are you waiting on this week? Let me know!

Friday, January 10, 2014

Origin - Review

Origin (Lux, # 4)

By: Jennifer L Armentrout

Published: August 27th 2013 by Entangled Publishing

366 pages

Genre: YA, Fantasy, Paranormal, Science Fiction

Source: Borrowed from my SNL, Holly @ Words Fueled by Love

( Goodreads | Amazon | The Book Depository | Booksamillion.com )

*Note: The above links to Amazon, Book Depository, and Booksamillion.com are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Daemon will do anything to get Katy back.

After the successful but disastrous raid on Mount Weather, he’s facing the impossible. Katy is gone. Taken. Everything becomes about finding her. Taking out anyone who stands in his way? Done. Burning down the whole world to save her? Gladly. Exposing his alien race to the world? With pleasure.

All Katy can do is survive.

Surrounded by enemies, the only way she can come out of this is to adapt. After all, there are sides of Daedalus that don’t seem entirely crazy, but the group’s goals are frightening and the truths they speak even more disturbing. Who are the real bad guys? Daedalus? Mankind? Or the Luxen?

Together, they can face anything.

But the most dangerous foe has been there all along, and when the truths are exposed and the lies come crumbling down, which side will Daemon and Katy be standing on?

And will they even be together?

Opal (book 3) ends with a "cliffhanger." Daemon, Katy, and crew broke into the military facility that was holding Beth and broke her out. For this point, they were successful. However, Katy gets captured in the meantime. It didn't really feel like a cliffhanger to me in that I expected something like that to go down. The whole book was building up to something going wrong, and everything was working out too smoothly up until that point. And so that's where we pick up with Origin. Katy's been captured and separated from Daemon. This means that while I wanted to know how it all played out, I also knew there would be trudging through some down time with Katy and Daemon separated that I would have to get through before I could get to "the good stuff" in Origin. And that's essentially how it plays out. The beginning of Origin was pretty slow for me. I was 30% in before I started getting invested again.

Katy goes through a lot in the time that she's separated from Daemon at the hands of Daedalus, but honestly, not really as much as I expected with the way Dawson and Bethany talked. I expected Katy to be going out of her head during the process. Daemon makes some pretty rash decisions that actually pay off for him--as things tend to do for Daemon. I have a feeling that there might be some criticism over one decision that Katy and Daemon make, but I loved it. Although a couple of words and phrases strategically placed have me cringing for the future.

Katy's a fairly strong character though. She doesn't have these mental breakdowns that a lot of characters do. I mean obviously she has moments where she breaks down and cries, but she doesn't really have moments where you wonder if she's going to be able to get up and brush herself off again. She's a strong female lead.

Daemon is still Daemon. He's snarky and sarcastic. He's got such a smart, witty mouth. I love it. He's fiercely protective of Katy in just the way you want a manly man (or er...manly alien) to be, but not to the point where he's too much. I still love how he calls her Kitten. It can be endearing, provocative and sarcastic all at the same time. It's the perfect nickname from Daemon to Katy.

I enjoyed the addition of Archer into the cast of characters--though I haven't fully figured him out yet. We find out more about Luc, who I had completely forgotten existed between the time I read Opal and the time I read Origin. I like what may be developing between Archer and Dee. Dawson and Bethany are kind of equalizing and re-acclimating to life outside Daeladus. But their "twist" was visible from a mile away.

The ending leaves things a bit open. I wouldn't say that it had a cliffhanger ending--definitely not like Opal's ending was supposed to be--but there are questions that I feel a burning desire to have answered sooner rather than later.

Origin gets 4 Stars from me. Have you read Origin? What did you think? Let me know!

Thursday, December 19, 2013

The Fiery Heart - Review

The Fiery Heart (Bloodlines, # 4)

By: Richelle Mead

Published: November 19th 2013 by Razorbill

438 pages

Genre: YA, Paranormal, Vampires, Fantasy

Source: Personal Library

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository | Booksamillion.com )

*Note: The above links to Amazon, Book Depository, and Booksamillion.com are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--In The Indigo Spell, Sydney was torn between the Alchemist way of life and what her heart and gut were telling her to do. And in one breathtaking moment that Richelle Mead fans will never forget, she made a decision that shocked even her. . . .

But the struggle isn't over for Sydney. As she navigates the aftermath of her life-changing decision, she still finds herself pulled in too many directions at once. Her sister Zoe has arrived, and while Sydney longs to grow closer to her, there's still so much she must keep secret. Working with Marcus has changed the way she views the Alchemists, and Sydney must tread a careful path as she harnesses her profound magical ability to undermine the way of life she was raised to defend. Consumed by passion and vengeance, Sydney struggles to keep her secret life under wraps as the threat of exposure—and re-education—looms larger than ever.

Pulses will race throughout this thrilling fourth installment in the New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series, where no secret is safe.

I just love Richelle Mead. I loved Vampire Academy. I love Adrian, Sydney, them together, Eddie, all the characters really. I love this spin-off series. And well The Fiery Heart just makes it all that much better. The Fiery Heart is definitely the best in the series so far. And I can’t wait to see how it fits into the entire series as a whole. Richelle Mead likened The Fiery Heart for Bloodlines to Shadow Kiss for Vampire Academy. She said that what Shadow Kiss did for the Vampire Academy series, The Fiery Heart will do for the Bloodlines series, and I can totally see what she means. Obviously, the books aren’t mirror images, as a matter of fact, they’re quite different. But I think what she meant by that was that Shadow Kiss took Vampire Academy to the next level with the storyline and the characters, and that’s exactly what The Fiery Heart has done for the Bloodlines series. Where things have been a little slower paced for the series up until this point, I can totally see how everything from here on out will be faster paced and more intense.

Without getting into too much detail, The Fiery Heart was a really sweet book. Sydney’s made her choice in The Indigo Spell. She’s overcome her Alchemist hangups, and she and Adrian are officially a couple. And well, just witnessing that was beautiful. It was fun. And it was sigh-worthy. Though Richelle Mead avoids any graphic detail in The Fiery Heart, there are several physical scenes—to the point where I’m not sure what age group I would feel comfortable recommending this book. But don’t be confused, everything’s not perfect for Sydney and Adrian because, now more than ever, they have to go through so much effort to keep their relationship a secret. And as any reader would suspect, this is made more difficult by the addition of Sydney’s younger sister, Zoe, joining the Palm Springs team. Zoe has something to prove—that she can be just as good, if not better, of an Alchemist as Sydney has been.

Sydney is every bit the leading female that Rose was from Vampire Academy. Where Rose is all brute force and smart mouth, Sydney is cunning, smart, and all finesse. Sydney takes care of business. She takes care of everyone else. But she’s being pulled in too many directions these days. She has the Alchemists mission. She has her witchcraft. She has a new and rapidly developing relationship with Adrian. She has found friends in the other Moroi and dhampirs in the group. She has the resistance to the Alchemist mission with Marcus Finch. She has her parents upcoming divorce and custody battle of her younger sister. And she of course is trying to balance a dangerous line with being a sister and being free to pursue all of her side interests that Zoe can’t know about. It’s inevitable that Sydney will become overwhelmed with all of her responsibilities.

Adrian finally gets everything that his fans have been hoping for throughout both Vampire Academy and Bloodlines. People hated the way Rose treated him. While I do NOT approve of Rose’s treatment of Adrian, I was always a Rose and Dimitri fan. And I firmly believe that Adrian needed to go through that experience with Rose in order for him to be in the right place and frame of mind to be ready for Sydney and his relationship with her. Adrian really comes into his own. He struggles with battling his persona of bad boy, slacker with who he wants to be for Sydney. He wants Sydney to have the world. And of course, he wants to be the one to give it to her. Adrian shows how essential he is to the Moroi as a whole, to Sydney as a partner, and just in general. He makes some difficult choices, and he grows more in this book than probably any other. Yet he’s the same old Adrian that we all fell in love with way back when he showed up on a porch in the middle of Strigoi crisis back in book 2, Frostbite, of Vampire Academy.

The secondary characters continue to grow on me. I’d absolutely LOVE for Richelle Mead to write from Eddie’s POV! Give Eddie his own spin off series! PLEASE! He’s been such a staple throughout both Vampire Academy and Bloodlines. I just love him! He’s so loyal. He’s intense. He’s just trying to be the best guardian he possibly can. And we of course have Jill, who I’ve grown to like more. She still makes some decisions that I think are indicative of her young age, but overall she’s growing on me. Angelina is still as whacky as ever—though she has a much smaller role. Trey. Jackie. The addition of Neil to the group. He was okay. A bit intense. He has a purpose to serve and he does so willingly and with conviction. And then we even see almost all of our favorites from Vampire Academy. Rose, Dimitri, Christian, Lissa, and even Sonya make appearances. I hated the way that Rose sees Adrian—how she can’t see his growth and seems like she’ll always see him as some slacker, but it makes sense that she does see him that way. I loved seeing Lissa’s interaction with Adrian as they were always close but in a completely different way than the others. They bond over Spirit, which totally makes sense. but you can tell how much Lissa cares for him.

And then there’s Zoe, of course. She deserves her own paragraph because she has a much bigger role within the book as a whole. On the one hand, I feel really sorry for Zoe. She’s trying so hard to find her father’s approval. Unfortunately he’s one of those that doesn’t hand it out easily—if ever really. So she’s fighting an almost impossible battle. And because she craves that so much, she’s driven to make bad decisions in order to please him. She feels so lonely, and that’s an aspect that I can relate to. Her sister is there, right beside her, but yet so far away at the same time. Sydney doesn’t agree with Zoe on almost anything at this point—whether Zoe intellectually knows it or not, she can definitely feel the divide between them. She’s surrounded by people she’s afraid of and trying her best not to get close to. And then her parents are getting a divorce, which is enough to tear at the heart of any child, much less one who is thrust so specifically in the middle and used against one parent. I hated what all she was going through—I felt sorry for her. Yet at the same time, I despised her weakness. Truly Zoe just needs to come into her own as a person. Hopefully we’ll see some growth out of her in the coming books.

I almost feel like I can’t fully rate The Fiery Heart until I see how the rest of the series plays out. I need to know how crucial it is to the evolution of the series as whole. Yet, because I can’t know that yet, I’m going to go with a very merry 4.5 Stars. I loved the romance between Sydney and Adrian. I thought the conflict of trying to balance it all was well done. And in true Richelle Mead style, we’re left at a semi-cliffhanger, and I’m dying to know what happens next.

Have you read The Fiery Heart? What did you think? Let me know!

Monday, October 7, 2013

Spellbinding - Review

Spellbinding

By: Maya Gold

Published: April 1st 2013 by Scholastic Point

272 pages

Genre: YA, Paranormal, Witches

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository | Booksamillion.com )

*Note: The above links to Amazon, Book Depository, and Booksamillion.com are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--There's more than one way to be powerful . . .

It is during a routine school project that Abby Silva--sixteen and nearly friendless--makes a startling discovery: She is descended from women who were accused of witchcraft back in 1600s Salem. And when Abby visits nearby Salem, strange, inexplicable events start to unfold. Objects move when she wills them to. Candles burst into sudden flame. And an ancient spellbook somehow winds up in her possession.

Trying to harness her newfound power, Abby concocts a love potion to win over her longtime crush--and exact revenge upon his cruel, bullying girlfriend. But old magic is not to be trifled with. Soon, Abby is thrust headlong into a world of hexes, secrets, and danger. And then there's Rem Anders, the beautiful, mysterious Salem boy who seems to know more about Abby than he first lets on.

A reckoning is coming, and Abby will have to make sense of her history--and her heart--before she can face the powerful truth.

Since I initially started branching out into the paranormal genre (years ago), I've slacked off on reading about witches. I mean I didn't really do it on purpose, but I just noticed that witches don't tend to make my top paranormal beings to read about anymore. So I decided to enter the Witches and Witchcraft challenge this year hosted by Melissa's Eclectic Bookshelf. I didn't set a high goal (1-5 books) and since I've already read more than 1 "witch" book this year I guess I've met my goal, but I picked up Spellbinding from NetGalley to add to my challenge this year and because of the addition of the Salem witches aspect.

Spellbinding is one that I think younger readers will enjoy. The cliches abound to an extent that I find unforgiving--even the author says something about a "pathetic cliche." And I just kept finding myself asking "why write about a giant cliche if you know that's exactly what it is???" Along with this, Spellbinding was just a bit too "pretty" for me. Everything was easy. Pieces fell into place too perfectly. The MC, Abby, accepts her abilities and magic way too readily for me to find believable. Nothing was difficult for her and she really didn't have any real challenges to overcome or conflict to resolve. Rem and his feelings for Abby were too easy and too fast as well. It was just all a bit "cookie-cutter" for my tastes.

I really don't have much else to say about Spellbinding. It was a quick read, but Spellbinding doesn't appeal to me. I like books--even paranormal--to feel as realistic as possible. Spellbinding just didn't. As I said earlier, I do think Spellbinding might appeal to a younger audience--specifically readers new to the paranormal genre or just readers not overexposed to the overused themes, concepts, and plot points of this book.

Spellbinding gets 2.5 stars from me. Have you read Spellbinding? If so, what did you think? Let me know!

This review is part of my "All Thing Halloween" 2013 series.

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Torment - Review

Torment (Fallen, # 2)

By: Lauren Kate

Published: September 28th 2010 by Delacorte Press

452 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Supernatural, Angels

Source: Borrowed from my friend, Paula

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--How many lives do you need to live before you find someone worth dying for?

In the aftermath of what happened at Sword & Cross, Luce has been hidden away by her cursed angelic boyfriend, Daniel, in a new school filled with Nephilim, the offspring of fallen angels and humans. Daniel promises she will be safe here, protected from those who would kill her. At the school Luce discovers what the Shadows that have followed her all her life mean – and how to manipulate them to see into her other lives. Yet the more Luce learns about herself, the more she realizes that the past is her only key to unlocking her future . . . and that Daniel hasn't told her everything. What if his version of the past isn't actually the way things happened . . . what if Luce was really meant to be with someone else?

The second novel in the addictive FALLEN series...where love never dies.

I feel kind of bad with my last couple of ratings. Don't get me wrong, I rate each book as I genuinely feels it deserves to be rated according to my own tastes and opinions. But 3 stars is not a "bad" rating. According to my rating scale, 3 Stars means "pretty good, I liked it." That being said, I'm sure you can tell that I'm giving Torment 3 stars.

I don't really have much to say about the book, and I think more than anything that's the reason why I'm giving it 3 stars. Luce was kind of annoying throughout the book, always complaining about what Daniel wasn't telling her. I wanted to yell at her "What part about you exploding in the past are you missing? Too much information too fast has been your downfall more than once. Give the guy a break." The whining was just getting old. Yet, if I put myself in her shoes, I don't like being out of control myself, and you can't really be in control without knowledge.

Through the book, I worried that Luce and Daniel's relationship that's portrayed as a soul-mate, life-long love relationship was going to turn out to be...well...not. And don't worry, I won't give it away. But Luce steps up and makes some tough decisions--decisions that make me believe her to be more mature and true with her feelings than some other leading ladies I've read (Nora from the Hush, Hush series anyone?).

Overall, I enjoyed it. The storyline moved pretty quickly and I'm looking forward to reading Passion and the other books in this series in the future--it might be a while, I've got quite the stack of books waiting to be read. Check it out, Torment by Lauren Kate, 3 stars.

Have you read Torment? What did you think? Let me know!

Updated: February 2, 2015