Book Review (60).

Lenobia's Vow (House of Night Novellas #2)

by P.C. Cast, Kristin Cast

Publication: 31st January 2012

Publisher: St Martin's Griffin

Pages: 160

Genre: Paranormal

Age Appropriate: Young Adult

The second in the enthralling new mini-series of novellas from the #1 bestselling authors of the House of Night, Lenobia's Vow tells the gripping story behind the House of Night's enigmatic riding instructor – and one of Zoey’s closest allies against evil

The House of Night is an international publishing sensation; with almost 12 million books in print, and an incredible 120 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, the series has taken the world by storm. Now, the excitement continues as the Cast mother-daughter duo shares the back stories of a few of the House of Night's most important – and mysterious – characters. The second of the House of Night Novellas brings us Lenobia, the strong, beautiful horseback riding instructor, who guides Zoey through some of her darkest hours, and has a dark secret buried in her own past...

In a small southern town at the turn of the century, young Lenobia is developing into a beautiful young woman with ideas of her own. But when she is Marked as a fledgling vampyre, her world turns upside down, and she is drawn to the musical streets of New Orleans. There, she learns of the city’s dark underbelly, ruled by powerful black magic. As Lenobia experiences her first love – and loss – and discovers a passion for horses to sustain her, she must come face-to-face with Darkness itself. And she may not escape without scars.

My Thoughts.

I'm a big fan of the House Of Night series and I love the novellas as it gives us a closer look into the past and present lives of the chosen characters.

This story is about Lenobia the horse whisperer, an ally of Zoey and her favourite professor.

Lenobia is the illegitimate daughter of a Baron, she lives in his house with her mother as the help, after her half-sister Cecilia dies Lenobia's mother coerces her into taking her place on a ship bound to America to marry a wealthy man.

On board is an evil Bishop who lived not far from the Baron's house and who has had his eye on her and is very creepy, Lenobia feigns seasickness for quite a while so she doesn't have to come out of her room and run into him, she starts taking early morning walks before everybody arises when she happens to come across the hold which is carrying two horses which are being transported to a buyer in America.

It's there she meets Martin who is looking after the horses on the voyage, he also happens to be the son of the man who purchased the horses and they eventually fall in love her problem though is staying away from the Bishop once he realises she's on board.

We also see Lenobia being marked with the moon crescent and her using her talent for talking to horses for the first time.

This also explains about her relationship with Martin which has only ever been hinted at in the House Of Night books and it's quite tragic and you end up feeling very sorry for Lenobia and I just hope her new relationship she started in the last HON book lasts.

I managed to finish this book in a few hours and I'm eager to read the next novella which is Neferet's and I want to find out what made her into the evil person she is.

I give this 4/5.

Australian Vs. U.S.A. Book Covers

The Hunt (Untitled #1)

by Andrew Fukuda

Australian.

American.

I think I prefer the Australian Cover mostly because I think the guy  is hot.

Book Review (59).

Hallowed (Unearthly #2)

by Cynthia Hand

Publication: 13th December 2011

Publisher: Harper Collins Australia

Pages: 448

Genre: Paranormal

Age Appropriate: Young Adult

**Warning May Contain Spoilers From The Previous Book In The Series**

Clara Gardner knew that as a part angel she would one day have to fulfill her purpose, rescuing Christian from a forest fire...what she never considered was what might happen if she were to fail. 

Now, torn between her increasingly complicated feelings for Christian and her love for her boyfriend Tucker, Clara must deal with the repercussions of what happened the day of the fire as the two boys vie for her heart. And, as she is drawn further into the world of angels and part angels and the growing conflict between White Wings and Black Wings, Clara learns of the terrifying new reality that she must face: someone close to her will die in a matter of months. With her future uncertain after a shocking revelation, the only thing Clara knows for sure is that the fire was just the beginning..

My Thoughts.

Cynthia Hand how could you do this to me, the dread I felt reading this book was awful I knew what was coming and I sort of hoped that it would work out and nobody would die but they did, and did I suffer from despair, my kleenex got quite a workout even before it happened, the way Cynthia handled that moment was perfect I felt that I was suffering Clara's grief and heartbreak with her and the way the book ended wow.

And now I'm conflicted in the first book I was definately Team Tucker but now I don't know, I really liked Christian in this book and he and Clara are perfect for each other but Tucker is the one she chose and I can't decide who she should be with, I've never ever jumped teams in a book before but because of Cynthia's amazing writing and the warmth and intrigue she brought to Christian's character I'm loving them both and am undecided I'm just wondering can she keep them both?

The book takes place pretty much straight after Unearthly and Clara and Tucker are together, Clara doesn't know what's going to happen now that she hasn't fulfilled her purpose, her Mum is still keeping secrets from her and Jeffrey seems to be hiding a big one from the day of the fire too.

Then Clara starts having a vision which takes place in her dreams of her at a cemetery, a funeral in fact of someone close to her and when she figures out who it is, it's heartbreaking I couldn't help but wish she was mistaken.

Angela has started an Angel Club which consists of Clara, Jeffrey, Christian and herself to discuss Angel topics, Clara who is trying her best to avoid Christian and Jeffrey who seems sullen and angry with everyone get together and share information of what they've learned so far.

Clara and Jeffrey's Mum take them to a camp which consists of all Angel-Bloods including Angela and Christian and it's there that they learn more about their Mum who doesn't seem very forthcoming with information about her life as an Angel and they also meet their Mum's best friend Billy.

Clara and Christian start spending more time together and Christian opens up more about his life and we also see one of his visions come to life while we also find out what Jeffrey and Angela's purposes are.

We also meet Clara's father and we find out the reason why he has been absent for most of her and her brother's lives and it's something I was not expecting.

This book was so good I would even say better than the first book which I absolutely loved.

While I finished this book last night I couldn't stop thinking about it, even at work I kept getting distracted by thoughts of it, it made that much of an impact on me and for a book to do that it's something very special.

I hate the thought of having to wait till next year for the third book to come out, I need to know now what will happen, I don't really have much patience so this is going to kill me, the anticipation of wondering what will happen next, who will she chose and will everything work out in the end.

I give this a huge 5/5.

A Big Thanks to Harper Collins Australia.

10 Book Covers With.....

Tattoos.

Book Review (58).

Deeper Than Midnight (Midnight Breed #9)

by Lara Adrian

Publication: 28th June 2011

Publisher: Dell

Pages: 387

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Age Appropriate: Adult

**Warning May Contain Spoilers From Previous Books In The Series**

DELIVERED FROM THE DARKNESS, A WOMAN FINDS HERSELF PLUNGED INTO A PASSION THAT IS DEEPER THAN MIDNIGHT.
 
At eighteen, Corinne Bishop was a beautiful, spirited young woman living a life of privilege as the adopted daughter of a wealthy family. Her world changed in an instant when she was stolen away and held prisoner by the malevolent vampire Dragos. After many years of captivity and torment, Corinne is rescued by the Order, a cadre of vampire warriors embroiled in a war against Dragos and his followers. Her innocence taken, Corinne has lost a piece of her heart as well—the one thing that gave her hope during her imprisonment, and the only thing that matters to her now that she is free.

Assigned to safeguard Corinne on her trip home is a formidable golden-eyed Breed male called Hunter. Once Dragos’s most deadly assassin, Hunter now works for the Order, and he’s hell-bent on making Dragos pay for his manifold sins. Bonded to Corinne by their mutual desire, Hunter will have to decide how far he’ll go to end Dragos’s reign of evil—even if carrying out his mission means shattering Corinne’s tender heart.

My Thoughts.

After being slightly disappointed in the last book I was hoping that this one would be really good especially as I really wanted to read Hunter's story and I'm very happy to say that I was not disappointed.

Hunter has always been a mysterious character and I've wanted to know all about him ever since he joined the Order a few books back, and I think he was paired perfectly with Corinne.

Corinne was one of the Breedmates saved from Dragos, after using her and the others to breed with the Gen One to create more assassins, she wants to go home to see her family and after Brock and Jenna are detained in Alaska, Hunter offers to take her and once they arrive she discovers someone in her family betrayed her and pretty much handed her over to Dragos.

She leaves again with Hunter and their feelings for each other slowly develop, Corinne admits to Hunter that she has a son Nathan whom she gave birth to while being held captive, he'd be thirteen now and Hunter tells her he'd already be one of Dragos' assassins as he was at that age, but Corinne still wants to find him in hopes that she can save him.

There is also a subplot involving Chase losing control of his Bloodlust he has now cut ties with the Order and seems to dig himself deeper and deeper into trouble, Tess gives birth to her and Dante's son Xander Raphael and Lucan has to find somewhere else for everybody to live after he discovers Dragos knows where they live and he's out to destroy them.

This may possibly be my favourite book so far and I can't wait to see what happens with Chase and how he gets his happy ever after.

I give this 5/5.

Book Review (57).

Stolen Away

by Alyxandra Harvey

Publication: 1st March 2012

Publisher: Bloomsbury Australia

Pages: 278

Genre: Fantasy

Age Appropriate: Young Adult

For seventeen years, Eloise Hart had no idea the world of Faery even existed. Now she has been abducted and trapped in the Rath of Lord Strahan, King of Faery. Strahan was only meant to rule for seven years, as Faery tradition dictates, and then give up his crown to another. But he won't comply, and now chaos threatens both worlds. 

The only one who can break his stranglehold on the Faery court is his wife. . . Eloise's aunt Antonia. Using Eloise to lure Antonia, Strahan captures his wife, desperate to end the only threat to his reign. Now Eloise must become the rescuer. Together with her best friends Jo and Devin, she must forge alliances with other Fae, including a gorgeous protector named Lucas, and Strahan's mysterious son, Eldric—who may or may not betray them.

My Thoughts.

I really liked this book, the only problem? I want more!

I wish either the book was a bit longer or it was a series so we can further delve into this world where being born into a certain bloodline can be a hazard to your health.

Eloise Hart is at her local ice-cream parlour with her best friends Jo and Devin when she is approached by a boy wearing a sword and dressed in medieval clothes and before she knows it he's kneeling before her telling her she's in danger and that she must go with him, she thinks it's a joke and walks away, the next night they all go to a party where Jo takes notice of a boy who she then follows but he disappears before she can talk to him.

Later that night up on the rooftop of her and her Mum's apartment there appears the strange boy again who's name he tells her is Lucas and it's his job to defend her with his life, he then tells her that her Mum's twin sister Antonia is married to a Faery King and so people are after Eloise so that the King can use her to get Antonia back.

Of course Eloise thinks he's crazy until he jumps off the roof and disappears, it's not long after that she is kidnapped and taken to the King who goes by the name of Strahan and it's in the land of Faery she meets all manner of creatures.

Jo meanwhile comes face to face with the boy at the party Eldric who we come to find out is the son of Strahan and who wont help Eloise who is being held captive on the other side.

Antonia eventually does show up and swaps places with Eloise and the rest of the story is made up of Eloise and her friends making plans to save Antonia.

I always like it when a book has alternating chapters so that we get to see Pov's from other characters and to know what's going on with them.

After really enjoying 'Haunting Violet, I was eager to check out other books that Alyxandra had written and I wasn't disappointed.

This was a very quick and enjoyable read, I just had to get to the end to find out what happens.

Another thing that I loved was the cover, the Australian cover is way different than the American one but I definately loves our's so much more it's very pretty.

I give this 4/5.

A Big Thanks To Sonia @ Bloomsbury Australia.

10 Book Covers With.....

Trees.