Review: The Girl in the Green Silk Gown - Seanan McGuire

The second book in the Ghost Roads series returns to the highways of America, where hitchhiking ghost Rose Marshall continues her battle with her killer--the immortal Bobby Cross.

Once and twice and thrice around,
Put your heart into the ground.
Four and five and six tears shed,
Give your love unto the dead.
Seven shadows on the wall,
Eight have come to watch your fall:
One's for the gargoyle, one's for the grave,
And the last is for the one you'll never save.

For Rose Marshall, death has long since become the only life she really knows. She's been sweet sixteen for more than sixty years, hitchhiking her way along the highways and byways of America, sometimes seen as an avenging angel, sometimes seen as a killer in her own right, but always Rose, the Phantom Prom Date, the Girl in the Green Silk Gown.

The man who killed her is still out there, thanks to a crossroads bargain that won't let him die, and he's looking for the one who got away. When Bobby Cross comes back into the picture, there's going to be hell to pay--possibly literally.

Rose has worked for decades to make a place for herself in the twilight. Can she defend it, when Bobby Cross comes to take her down? Can she find a way to navigate the worlds of the living and the dead, and make it home before her hitchhiker's luck runs out?

There's only one way to know for sure.

Nine will let you count the cost:
All you had and all you lost.
Ten is more than time can tell,
Cut the cord and ring the bell.
Count eleven, twelve, and then,
Thirteen takes you home again.
One's for the shadow, one's for the tree,
And the last is for the blessing of Persephone.

Incryptid Series:
14 Jonathan Healy & Frances Brown Short Stories (Read for free on Seanan McGuire's website)
3 Alice Healy & Thomas Price Short Stories (Read for free on Seanan McGuire's website)
Discount Armageddon
Midnight Blue-Light Special
4 Antimony Price Short Stories (Read some for free on Seanan McGuire's website)
3 Istas and Ryan Short Stories (Read most for free on Seanan McGuire's website)
Half-Off Ragnarok
1 Sarah Zellaby and Arthur Harrington Short Story (Read for free on Seanan McGuire's website)
5 Verity Price & Dominic De Luca Stories (Read for free on Seanan McGuire's website)
Pocket Apocalypse
Chaos Choreography
1 Elsie Harrington Short Story (Short Story in the Shadowed Souls anthology)
Magic for Nothing
1 Aeslin Mice Short Story (Purchase though Seanan McGuire's Patreon Page)
Tricks for Free
That Ain't Witchcraft

Ghost Roads Series:
(Stories are set in the Incryptid World)
Sparrow Hill Road
Train Yard Blues (Short Story in the Coins of Chaos anthology)
The Ghosts of Bourbon Street (Crossover Short Story with Verity from the Incryptid series free on Seanan McGuire's website)
Last Call at the Last Chance (Short Story available via Seanan McGuire's Patreon Page)
The Girl in the Green Silk Gown

Visit Seanan McGuire's website for more information

Review:
I've become a huge fan of Seanan McGuire's books over the last couple of years and I was really excited when I found out we'd be getting to spend more time with Rose in The Girl in the Green Silk Gown. Rose herself is such an interesting character but what I really love about her books is the way Seanan has woven so many different legends together to create the richly detailed world of the Ghost Roads and all the different types of ghosts that live there.

This book picks up Rose's story after the end of Sparrow Hill Road and I wouldn't recommend reading the stories out of order so make sure you start with that one. Rose has been reunited with Gary but considering he's now a ghost car they'll never have what anyone would consider a normal relationship, they're making it work though and Gary is just happy to be with her in any way he can. We may have thought that she'd gotten Bobby Cross off her back but previous events have only made him all the more determined to end Rose's afterlife. Bobby has been out of the picture but only because he had plans to make and he has put his time to good use coming up with a very elaborate plot that Rose is going to really struggle to survive.

I have to say this story went in a totally different direction to any I could have imagined and I think that's probably one of the things I enjoy most about Seanan's books, she always manages to surprise me! Rose has been dead for over 60 years but she has never had more to lose and her afterlife is only part of it.

Source: Received from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Paperback:

Review: Sparrow Hill Road - Seanan McGuire

Rose Marshall died in 1952 in Buckley Township, Michigan, run off the road by a man named Bobby Cross—a man who had sold his soul to live forever, and intended to use her death to pay the price of his immortality. Trouble was, he didn’t ask Rose what she thought of the idea.

It’s been more than sixty years since that night, and she’s still sixteen, and she’s still running.

They have names for her all over the country: the Girl in the Diner. The Phantom Prom Date. The Girl in the Green Silk Gown. Mostly she just goes by “Rose,” a hitchhiking ghost girl with her thumb out and her eyes fixed on the horizon, trying to outrace a man who never sleeps, never stops, and never gives up on the idea of claiming what’s his. She’s the angel of the overpass, she’s the darling of the truck stops, and she’s going to figure out a way to win her freedom. After all, it’s not like it can kill her.

You can’t kill what’s already dead.

Incryptid Series:
14 Jonathan Healy & Frances Brown Short Stories (Read for free on Seanan McGuire's website)
3 Alice Healy & Thomas Price Short Stories (Read for free on Seanan McGuire's website)
Discount Armageddon
Midnight Blue-Light Special
4 Antimony Price Short Stories (Read some for free on Seanan McGuire's website)
3 Istas and Ryan Short Stories (Read most for free on Seanan McGuire's website)
Half-Off Ragnarok
1 Sarah Zellaby and Arthur Harrington Short Story (Read for free on Seanan McGuire's website)
5 Verity Price & Dominic De Luca Stories (Read for free on Seanan McGuire's website)
Pocket Apocalypse
Chaos Choreography
1 Elsie Harrington Short Story (Short Story in the Shadowed Souls anthology)
Magic for Nothing
1 Aeslin Mice Short Story (Purchase though Seanan McGuire's Patreon Page)
Tricks for Free
That Ain't Witchcraft

Ghost Roads Series:
(Stories are set in the Incryptid World)
Sparrow Hill Road
Train Yard Blues (Short Story in the Coins of Chaos anthology)
The Ghosts of Bourbon Street (Crossover Short Story with Verity from the Incryptid series free on Seanan McGuire's website)
Last Call at the Last Chance (Short Story available via Seanan McGuire's Patreon Page)
The Girl in the Green Silk Gown

Visit Seanan McGuire's website for more information

Review:
Rose Marshall was just sixteen when she died in a car crash and became a hitchhiker ghost, her car was run off the road by Bobby Cross and he has been chasing her ever since trying to claim her soul as payment for his own immortality. She's spent the last 60 years wandering the ghost roads trying to avoid Bobby while also protecting others from her fate. Sometimes she is able to help people avoid tragedy but other times there is nothing she can do but hold their hands until the end and help them move on in the afterlife so they don't get stuck like she has. Rose is a legend with many names and this is her story.

I'm a huge fan of Seanan McGuire's Incryptid series and I've been wanting to know more about Rose ever since she appeared in The Ghosts of Bourbon Street short story so I was really looking forward to reading Sparrow Hill Road. This book is quite different to the Incryptid stories though, it's less light hearted and funny and a little more melancholy. It was also originally published as twelve short stories (although I believe some extra material has been added when it was turned into a book) so I found the book was a little disjointed at times, particularly in the beginning. It took me quite a while to get used to the way the story jumped from the present to various different points in the past, initially there didn't seem to be much logic to the order the story was told in but it's only as you get later in the book that you start to see the method behind the madness and realise how cleverly the author pulled all the different elements of Rose's life and afterlife together.

Rose a great character, she never asked for her fate and that could have made her bitter but instead she's tried to make the best of things and help others where she can. She has spent a long time trying to hide from her murderer but Bobby's immortality is at stake so he is equally determined to find her and their confrontation has been 60 years in the making so as you'd imagine it's quite epic when it finally happens!

I loved learning about the different types of ghosts, what caused them to become ghosts in the first place and how that affected the abilities they had after death. Seanan McGuire draws on all different kinds of legends and stories and she's used it to create a rich and detailed afterlife with all kinds of layers to it. She includes humans like the route witches who are able to communicate with the different road ghosts and other types of incryptids who Rose is also able to interact with. There were so many characters that I'd love to revisit in the future so I'm hoping that they'll either crop up in the main Incryptid novels or perhaps be given stories of their own later on.

Source: Purchased

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Original Cover

Paperback:

Review: With All My Soul - Rachel Vincent

Kaylee Cavanaugh's taking her final stand!

After spending the last year undead, Kaylee has had enough of the paranormal creatures who have plagued her ever since she came into her banshee powers. Now she's ready to take her school back from evil hellions, once and forever.

To protect her friends, Kaylee will need to find a way to turn the living incarnations of Avarice, Envy and Vanity against one another.

Yet when one more person close to her is taken, Kaylee realises she can't save everyone she loves without making some powerful sacrifices . . .

Soul Screamers Series:
My Soul to Lose (prequel novella)
My Soul to Take
My Soul to Save
My Soul to Keep
Reaper (novella)
My Soul to Steal
If I Die
Never to Sleep (novella)
Before I Wake
With All My Soul

For more information visit Rachel Vincent's website

Review:
I have been a massive fan of the Soul Screamers series ever since I read the first book so I have to admit I was quite nervous about picking up this final book in the series. I was sad that the story would be coming to an end and worried in case I didn't like the ending but I should have known better - Rachel Vincent has never let me down yet and With All My Soul is a fitting end to the series. I'm going to deliberately keep this review fairly short because I would absolutely hate to give away how it ends but please note that this is the seventh book in the series so my review may contain spoilers for the previous books. If you've not read the first six books then I don't recommend reading any further but I do recommend immediately dropping everything to catch up because this is a series that isn't to be missed.

Kaylee and her friends have been through so much throughout this series at the hands of Hellion of greed Avari and he isn't going to stop coming after them until he has what he wants - Kaylee's soul to torture for eternity. They have taken numerous casualties but haven't managed to find a way to hurt Avari in return and things are starting to get desperate. Kaylee just wants to protect those she cares about and she has an idea for a way to turn the three Hellions against each other in the hope that they will destroy themselves but that isn't going to be as easy as it sounds and Kaylee may have to make a sacrifice that she isn't prepared for if she has any hope of succeeding. Kaylee has always been a strong character but she excels herself in this book, she has always put the safety of her friends and family above her own and she has gone to great lengths to protect others. That doesn't change in this book, in fact she is going to have to be even smarter and braver than ever before if she has any chance of looking after the ones she loves. She is facing some fearsome enemies and that is going to mean making some incredibly hard decisions but anyone who knows her will know that she doesn't back down from a challenge.

With All My Soul ends the series with a bang, the story is fast paced, full of action and takes some very unexpected turns. Characters I've loved to hate in previous books managed to make me fall in love with them and some of the events in this book broke my heart. I laughed, I cried and I prayed for my favourites to survive until the end but I always had a fear at the back of my mind that something major would happen. I'm not going to tell you who makes it, I'm not going to tell you if they all live, I'm not actually going to tell you anything else at all apart from that this is a MUST read for fans of the series. Rachel Vincent has ended Kaylee's story on a high and as much as I'm going to miss these characters I'm happy that I'll be able to look back at this series with fond memories and without feeling disappointed by the ending. Now I'm just eager to see what the author comes up with next, I already know from experience that I love both her adult and young adult books so whatever it is she writes it will automatically be added to my must buy list.

Source: Received from Mira Ink in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle:

Review: Before I Wake - Rachel Vincent

Even death can't get you out of high school.

Covering up her own murder was one thing, but faking her life is much harder than ex-teen banshee Kaylee expected. Now she's fighting to stay visible to the human world and struggling to find time alone with her new reaper boyfriend Tod.

To stay in the mortal realm, Kaylee must reclaim stolen souls and, when her first assignment brings her face-to-face with an old foe, she knows the game has changed. Her immortal status won't keep her safe. And this time Kaylee isn't just gambling with her own life . . .

Soul Screamers Series:
My Soul to Lose (prequel novella)
My Soul to Take
My Soul to Save
My Soul to Keep
Reaper (novella)
My Soul to Steal
If I Die
Never to Sleep (novella)
Before I Wake
With All My Soul

For more information visit Rachel Vincent's website

Review:
Before I Wake is the 6th book in the Soul Screamers series and I'm going to assume that anyone who is reading this review has already read the previous books. If you're not up to date with the series then look away now because this review will contain spoilers for If I Die. I'm a massive Rachel Vincent fan, I love her adult books but I also love this series - in fact it is one of my favourite YA series so I couldn't wait to read this book! For those who haven't started reading these books yet I just have to ask you why the heck not? Go out and grab a copy of My Soul to Take immediately - I promise you won't regret it!

This instalment to the series sees Kaylee trying to come to terms with her death and her subsequent afterlife as an extractor. She is finding it hard to remain visible to her friends and family and often starts to disappear if she loses her concentration - not something that makes it easy to avoid attention at school. She also has to learn how to use the new abilities she has and discover how they will help her with her new role in the reclamation department. From her first assignment she realises that nothing is going to be quite what she expected and she is going to have to face an old foe who has developed surprising and worrying new skills. Luckily she has the support of Tod and her family but things are going to get worse before they can get better.

As the second to last book in the series you can expect some dramatic events in Before I Wake. Things that will shock and horrify you but also moments that will squeeze your heart and make you sigh happily. Kaylee has been through so much in the last few months but she has grown so much stronger because of it. No matter how hard her life has been she has always tried to stand up for those who couldn't stand up for themselves. She has always tried to protect the innocent even if it comes at a high cost to herself so fans won't be surprised to see that selflessness continue. She has to face some truly horrible events in this book though, things that are going to have lasting consequences on her and those around her.

I absolutely love the developments in Kaylee and Tod's relationship, they are so sweet together and I couldn't be more happy with the way things have turned out. I was firmly on team Nash for the earlier books but I really think that with everything they have been through there could have been no happy ever after for them. It was nice to see them start to regain a bit of their previous friendship though and I hope that Nash continues to sort himself out and get over his Frost addiction. Anyway, as far as Kaylee's love life goes I'm now definitely a member of team Tod!

I really liked the addition of Luca to the story, we were introduced to his character in the Never to Sleep novella and I had a feeling we'd be seeing more of him. I'm looking forward to finding out more about his abilities. We also get to see Sophie from a different light in this book, I'm still not her biggest fan but it seems like she has finally started to grow up a bit - about time really! I don't want to talk about any more of the plot so I'm just going to say that this is another great instalment to a fantastic series. As much as I'm dying to read With All My Soul I'm equally sad that this series is coming to a close. I'm going to miss Kaylee and gang after it ends! I'm sure that this is a series I will be re-reading in the future though and that has to be the highest praise I can give it because I hardly ever re-read books anymore.

Source: Received from Mira Ink in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle:

Review: Never to Sleep - Rachel Vincent

Don't Close Your Eyes.

Sophie Cavanaugh is not going to let her freak of a cousin's strange psychiatric condition ruin high school for them both. Not after all the work she's put into cultivating the right look, and friends, and reputation. But then, Sophie sees something so frightening she lets out a blood-curdling scream—and finds herself stuck in a bizarre parallel world where nothing is safe and deadly creatures lurk just out of sight, waiting for her to close her eyes and sleep...forever. Could this world be real? Or does insanity run in the family...?

A Soul Screamers Ebook Novella

Soul Screamers Series:
My Soul to Lose (prequel novella)
My Soul to Take
My Soul to Save
My Soul to Keep
Reaper (novella)
My Soul to Steal
If I Die
Never to Sleep (novella)
Before I Wake
With All My Soul

For more information visit Rachel Vincent's website

Review:
Never to Sleep is a novella in Rachel Vincent's Soul Screamers series and is set during the time line of the 5th book. I wouldn't recommend reading the story until after If I Die or you will pick up a minor spoiler but any fans of the series are sure to enjoy this novella. The story is told from Kaylee's cousin Sophie's point of view and introduces a new character called Luca who I believe will have a larger role to play in the next book Before I Wake.

I have never been a particular fan of Sophie but then I don't think I'm actually supposed to be. She is shallow and self centred and the way she treats Kaylee has always really irritated me. She is one of those popular, bitchy students who I hated at school and don't particularly enjoy reading about now as an adult. So it probably won't surprise you to hear that I was hesitant to pick up Never to Sleep. Having said that I'm a massive fan of the Soul Screamers series and there was no way I wanted to miss out on a story set in this world. Rachel Vincent never fails to write superb stories that capture my full attention so I knew I could trust her this time too.

It surprised me but I actually found it really interesting to see things from Sophie's point of view. She is never going to be my favourite character but there is more to her than meets the eye and although she is still the selfish girl we're used to seeing she also has a brave side that I wasn't expecting. She isn't as stupid as she comes across as and she copes surprisingly well when she is thrown in at the deep end of the supernatural world that Kaylee already knows so well. They actually have more in common than I think either of them would believe but I don't think there is much chance of Sophie admitting that any time soon. I absolutely loved Luca and can't wait to see more of him in Before I Wake - I have no idea what his role will be but I have a feeling it's going to be a shocker. Reading this novella just made me even more excited to pick up the next book and I'd highly recommend it to Soul Screamers fans!

Source: Purchased

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Review: If I Die - Rachel Vincent

Kaylee can see death coming.
Now she must face her own.

As a teen banshee, Kaylee's blood-curdling screams are a death knell for others.  Yet she never expected to see her own name at the top of a reaper's list.

Scheduled to die within days, Kaylee knows her magic can't change her fate.  Worse, on top of worrying about her own demise, she needs to save mortal best friend Emma from the clutches of a deadly Netherworld creature.

As Kaylee's time on earth slips away, troubled banshee boyfriend Nash and his reaper brother Tod refuse to give up on Kaylee.  They're ready to unearth murky family secrets to give her a last chance at life, as their fight to save Kaylee becomes a battle for her love.

Soul Screamers Series:
My Soul to Lose (prequel novella)
My Soul to Take
My Soul to Save
My Soul to Keep
Reaper (novella)
My Soul to Steal
If I Die
Never to Sleep (novella)
Before I Wake
With All My Soul

For more information visit Rachel Vincent's website

Review:
Warning, although this review won't contain spoilers for If I Die it may contain spoilers for previous books in the series.  If you're not up to date with the series then you probably shouldn't read my review but I will say that this series just keeps on getting better and better and it's one I can't recommend highly enough!

What would you do if you discovered you had just days to live?  That is the decision Kaylee has to face in If I Die after Tod spots her name on the reaper list.  Somehow things like school and work don't seem quite so important anymore.  Her family and friends are desperate to try and find a way to save her but Kaylee is trying to accept her fate and wants to make sure that they will all be OK when she is gone.  She is particularly concerned about Emma who she fears is being targeted by a new teacher who isn't quite what he appears to be.  As Kaylee once again puts herself in danger for the sake of others can those who love her find a way to protect her?

This was already one of my all time favourite YA series but If I Die was by far the best book yet.  I really don't know how Rachel Vincent does it but each new instalment just gets better and better and I can't wait to get my hands on Before I Wake!  If I Die really takes you on an emotional roller coaster and I had absolutely no idea how things would play out at the end, I'm just going to assure you that it surpassed by expectations by a long shot.

I already loved Kaylee but she proves just how strong she is this time around.  She doesn't want to die but she knows that she has had a second chance and she doesn't see any way around what is going to happen.  She feels that she has to accept what is going to happen and she wants to make sure that her family and friends will be alright when she has gone.  There were some heartbreaking scenes between her and her father and I was really impressed with the dignity Kaylee shows in the face of everyone else's denial over the situation.  Always one to put others above herself it isn't a surprise that Kaylee ends up spending what could be her last few days trying to protect others, especially her best friend Emma, from a supernatural threat.

I've made no secret of the fact that I've always been on team Nash, while I've been liking Tod more and more with each book I'm quite loyal and once I've picked a team I very rarely change my mind.  Having said that I think I might just have defected to team Tod now which is something I really didn't expect to say!  I still love Nash but his actions over the last few books have shocked me and if anything he did something even worse this time around.  I really hope he manages to sort himself out but I don't see how Kaylee could ever be able to trust him again after all the things that have happened.  Tod on the other hand has turned into someone who is always there for Kaylee, he let her down very early on in the series but since then has become a source of strength for her and has really proved himself.

If I Die is action packed and full of twists that will have you gasping in shock, alternating between rage and joy and probably shedding more than a few tears along the way.  The book really was impossible to put down so make sure you clear your diary before you start reading - there is no way you'll want to stop!  I can't recommend this book (or this series) highly enough and I can't wait to see where Rachel Vincent takes us next, especially after the latest developments!

Source: Received from Mira Ink in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Review: My Soul to Steal - Rachel Vincent

Sometimes dreams do come true...
and that's the last thing Kaylee needs

Working things out with Nash - her maybe boyfriend - is hard for Kaylee.  She's already coping with being a teenage banshee.  Worse, Nash's gorgeous ex-girlfriend just transferred to their school.

Sabine's no ordinary girl.  She's a mara, a real-life walking nightmare.  Draining people's energy through their darkest dreams sustains Sabine...and makes her Kaylee's top suspect in a cluster of super-creepy deaths.

To win back Nash, Kaylee's determined to unearth the truth.  But Sabine knows the deathly secrets of Kaylee's subconscious - and she's not afraid to use them to get whatever and whoever she wants...

Soul Screamers Series:
My Soul to Lose (prequel novella)
My Soul to Take
My Soul to Save
My Soul to Keep
Reaper (novella)
My Soul to Steal
If I Die
Never to Sleep (novella)
Before I Wake
With All My Soul

For more information visit Rachel Vincent's website

Review:
Warning, although this review won't contain spoilers for My Soul to Steal it is impossible to review without including spoilers for previous books.  If you're new to the series then I'd highly recommend starting with the first book My Soul to Take and not reading any more of this review.  This is one of my favourite YA urban fantasy series though so it is one I would highly recommend!

Wow things certainly get complicated for poor Kaylee in this latest installment to the Soul Screamers series.  She still feels incredibly betrayed by Nash after his actions in the last book and I can't say that I blame her.  I was pleased that Rachel Vincent doesn't try to sweep the results of Nash's addiction under the carpet and each of the characters show very real emotions as they deal with the aftermath.  Kaylee still loves Nash but she can't trust him, she doesn't want to lose him but she is scared to take him back and I could really feel for her.  Nash is trying really hard to give up his addiction and move forwards but he doesn't really have anyone to turn to for support which makes everything so much harder for him.  I really felt for Nash too and although I didn't want Kaylee to forgive him too easily I did wish that Tod could have helped him more.  Nash needed someone to be on his side and I really thought that his brother should have been there for him.

Add in the complication of Sabine who is literally Kaylee's worst nightmare and things go from bad to worse.  Sabine is a mara, a creature that feeds from nightmares, she knows your deepest darkest fears and plays on them so she can feed from you.  She also happens to be Nash's ex girlfriend.  Sabine wants him back and is willing to do whatever it takes, no matter how underhand, to get him.  I have to admit that I can't stand Sabine, she was a complete bitch and I just wanted to slap her but I did find myself feeling quite sorry for her too.  She has had a difficult life and I could understand why she is so jealous of Kaylee and so determined to get Nash back, that doesn't mean I want her to succeed though.  Despite the fact I hate her I think she makes a very interesting addition to the series, not only is she a new supernatural creature that I'd not heard of before (Rachel Vincent is great at coming up with unique ideas in both her adult and YA series!) but she changes the dynamics between the other characters in a way that was really fun to watch.

You might think that Kaylee has enough drama to deal with considering the arrival of Sabine but frankly that is the least of her worries when people at her school start being murdered.  Alongside the very realistic teenage dramas you have the added element of the paranormal mystery and we get to find out more about the Netherworld.  That really is a creepy place to be and Kaylee gets to see a bit more of it than she would have liked.  The action is edge of your seat stuff and had me hooked from beginning to end.  My Soul to Steal is a fantastic installment to the series and one that left me desperate to get my hands on If I Die, I can't wait to find out what happens next!

Source: I was given this book by the lovely Sammee from I Want To Read That, thanks Sammee!

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Quick Review: Reaper - Rachel Vincent

Tod Hudson was a typical teenager. He liked girls, sports, food and tolerated his younger brother, Nash. In fact, he had his whole life in front of him--and due to his bean sidhe heritage, it was going to be a very long life indeed. And then the car accident occurred.

Suddenly Tod's future wasn't so sure, and he had to make a choice. Life... Death... or something Between....

An ebook exclusive Soul Screamers series novella.

Soul Screamers Series:
My Soul to Lose (prequel novella)
My Soul to Take
My Soul to Save
My Soul to Keep
Reaper (novella)
My Soul to Steal
If I Die
Never to Sleep (novella)
Before I Wake
With All My Soul

For more information visit Rachel Vincent's website

Review:
Reaper is a novella in Rachel Vincent's Soul Screamers series that gives us the story of how Tod died and became a reaper.  I'm not saying anymore than that because it would be too easy to spoil things for you so if you want to know more you'll have to read the story for yourself.

If you're a fan of Tod then this is a must read novella, if you ever wondered how he was recruited as a reaper then you'll love this story.  The more I see of Tod the more I like him and for reasons I can't go into I have even more respect for him now than I did before after finding out exactly what happened to him.  I love Tod's sense of humour and it was great to see how his relationship with Nash was before he died compared to how they act together now.

I actually think you could read this novella before you've read any of the books in the Soul Screamers series without picking up spoilers but it is suggested in the Goodreads series list that you pick it up after My Soul to Keep.  I think the main reason for that is that it mentions a character that we don't hear anything about until My Soul to Steal but like I said I think you're safe to read it before then.  Either way this is a welcome addition to the series and one I would definitely recommend.

Source: I downloaded this novella when it was available for free on Rachel Vincent's website

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Review: My Soul to Keep - Rachel Vincent

Kaylee has one addiction: her boyfriend Nash

Like Kaylee, Nash is a banshee.  So he understands her like no one else.  Nothing - supernatural or otherwise - can come between them.  That is, until something does.

Demon's breath - a potent paranormal drug with the power to kill.  Somehow the super-addictive substance has made its way to the human world.  Kaylee and Nash need to cut off the source and protect their human friends - one whom is already hooked.

But Kaylee's plans are soon derailed when she uncovers another secret demon's breath addict in their midst.  Nash.

Now she's ready to kick some serious Netherworld butt - but is it too late to save the boy who's stolen her heart?

Soul Screamers Series:
My Soul to Lose (prequel novella)
My Soul to Take
My Soul to Save
My Soul to Keep
Reaper (novella)
My Soul to Steal
If I Die
Never to Sleep (novella)
Before I Wake
With All My Soul

For more information visit Rachel Vincent's website

Review:
I have been really loving the Soul Screamers series but I have to say this was my favourite book so far.  My only major complaint would be the blurb on the UK cover which gives a major spoiler and takes away the surprise of one of the major twists that isn't actually revealed until nearly the end of the book.  I think I'd have enjoyed the story even more if I hadn't read the blurb so I'm not going to read the back of any other books in the series just in case it happens again!  Despite the spoiler I still really loved My Soul to Keep and would highly recommend this entire series to fans of YA urban fantasy.

The story picks up about a month after My Soul to Save finishes and Kaylee has finally been given her freedom back after a month of house arrest (her punishment for her actions in the last book).  She attends a party with Nash and is horrified when she catches the scent of demon's breath on one of their friends.  The dangerous Netherworld drug shouldn't even be in the human realm and is highly addictive and dangerous to humans.  It is up to Kaylee and Nash to find out how their friends got hold of it and try and find a way to stop them from continuing to take it.

Things have never been particularly easy for Kaylee but they take a turn for the worse in My Soul to Keep.  Her relationship with Nash is going downhill fast and she feels pressured to take things further than she feels ready to.  I was impressed that although she loves Nash she refuses to give into his demands and think it gives a really positive message to teenagers not to give into peer pressure.  There is also a strong message about the dangers of drugs, obviously demon's breath isn't really available but a lot of the symptoms and problems it cause are the same as those caused by illegal drugs that we've all heard of.  Hopefully it will make teens think before they are talked into trying something they'll probably regret.  Although there are positive messages within the story it doesn't come across as preachy though which is a good thing.

I have always been a massive fan of Nash but I have to admit there were several times that I wanted to shake him while I was reading this book.  It is going to take quite a bit for him to redeem himself in my eyes and I'll be interested to see if he does it or not.  On the other hand I found myself liking Tod more than ever this time around which was surprising after his actions in the last book.  I do love it when an author can have me completely changing my mind about characters in each book she writes!  I'm really curious to find out more about the new character we meet towards the end of the story, I'm not going to mention names for fear of spoilers but it will be really interesting to see what role he has to play in the next book.  My Soul to Keep really was a fantastic installment to one of my favourite YA series and I can't wait to find out what happens next!

Source: Received for review via Netgalley but I also purchased a UK paperback

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Review: My Soul to Save - Rachel Vincent

When Kaylee Cavanaugh screams, someone dies.

So when teen pop sensation Eden croaks onstage and Kaylee doesn't wail, she knows something is dead wrong.  Kaylee can't cry for someone who has no soul.

Soon Kaylee finds that Eden's not the only starry-eyed girl who traded her life for a flickering moment of fame - a deal that has dark consequences no mortal could understand.

Banshee Kaylee swears to help those lost souls.  But school football star Nash - Kaylee's newly acquired, not to mention super-hot, boyfriend - refuses to let her in harm's way.  Still Kaylee knows it's her duty to save the innocent from the Netherworld - even if it means putting her own soul - and love life - at risk . . .

Soul Screamers Series:
My Soul to Lose (prequel novella)
My Soul to Take
My Soul to Save
My Soul to Keep
Reaper (novella)
My Soul to Steal
If I Die
Never to Sleep (novella)
Before I Wake
With All My Soul

For more information visit Rachel Vincent's website

Review:
Kaylee is at a concert with Nash and Tod when singer Eden collapses on stage.  Since Kaylee has no urge to scream they assume that Eden will be fine so it comes as quite a surprise when they realise that she is dead.  There is only one reason that Kaylee wouldn't need to scream at Eden's death - she didn't have a soul.  It turns out that Eden wasn't the only person to sell her soul for fame and fortune though and Kaylee may be too late to save Eden from eternal torture but she is determined to find a way to save the others.

I'm a massive fan of Rachel Vincent and am really enjoying her Soul Screamers series, it's so nice to read about something other than vampires for a change and I'm really enjoying learning more about bean sidhes (banshees) alongside Kaylee.  We get to find out a lot more about the Netherworld in this installment along with some of the frightening plants and creatures that reside there.  Kaylee is still only beginning to discover her abilities though and I'm looking forward to seeing what else she is capable of.  Kaylee is a great main character and I love her developing relationship with Nash.  They make such a cute couple and there is some fantastic chemistry between them.  I'm still on the fence when it comes to Tod though, in some ways I really like him - he's really funny and I love the way he just pops up out of nowhere and does his best to irritate the heck out of Nash - but in other ways I was really annoyed with his behaviour towards the end of the book.  I understand why he did what he did but that didn't make it acceptable.

I have to admit that when we first discovered that Addy had sold her soul and that Kaylee and the others would have to risk their lives if they wanted to help her get it back I was all for Nash talking Kaylee out of helping.  After all it's Addy's own stupid fault for getting into such a mess in the first place (I don't seem to have a lot of sympathy for idiots!) but my opinion changed when I learnt more about how she ended up in that situation and I was impressed with Kaylee's selflessness and the way she was determined to help her.  I like the fact that Nash is so protective of Kaylee, he tries to stop her putting herself in harms way but when he realises that she has made up her mind to help he does whatever he can to help her.

I hope we get to see more of Kaylee and her father in the next book.  Having not been around for so much of her life he is now struggling to work out how to be a parent.  It isn't easy for either of them to decide where the boundaries are and I think Rachel Vincent portrayed that really well and I'd like to see them bond more as the series continues.  I'm also hoping we get to find out more about Libby and the reapers, I feel like we've only touched the surface of their abilities and am looking forward to finding out more.  This is a great series and one I would highly recommend but I would suggest reading the books in order starting with My Soul to Take if you haven't already.

Source: Purchased

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Review: My Soul to Take - Rachel Vincent

Something is wrong with Kaylee Cavanaugh . . .

She can sense when someone near her is about to die.  And when that happens, a force beyond her control compels her to scream bloody murder.  Literally.

Kaylee just wants to enjoy having caught the attention of the hottest boy in school.  But a normal date is hard to come by when Nash seems to know more about the dark forces behind Kaylee's power than she does.

And when classmates start dropping dead for no apparent reason and only Kaylee knows who'll be next, she realises that finding a boyfriend is the least of her worries!

Soul Screamers Series:
My Soul to Lose (prequel novella)
My Soul to Take
My Soul to Save
My Soul to Keep
Reaper (novella)
My Soul to Steal
If I Die
Never to Sleep (novella)
Before I Wake
With All My Soul

For more information visit Rachel Vincent's website

Review:
Rachel Vincent was already one of my favorite adult authors for her Shifters series but with My Soul to Take she has cemented herself as one of my favorite YA authors too.  As a massive fan of paranormal stories I spend a good amount of my time reading about vampires and various different types of shifters but one thing I've never come across as a main character before is bean sidhes (or banshees to go by the more common name).  Now don't get me wrong, I still love my vamps & weres but it was so refreshing to come across something new.  Rachel Vincent has created a fascinating mythology to go along with her banshees and I was sucked into Kaylee's world from the very first page.

Kaylee is a great main character, she is smart, feisty and has a very unusual ability - she can sense when someone is going to die.  When she does she has an uncontrollable urge to scream and once she starts screaming she just can't stop.  This ability has already landed her in a psychiatric ward once and she will do anything she can to avoid ending up back in there again.  All she wants is to be a normal teenager, one who gets to go on dates and have fun without worrying when the screaming may start again, but life isn't that simple for her and when other teenagers start to die mysteriously her problem gets worse than it ever has been before.

When the hottest guy from school shows an interest in her Kaylee is worried about what will happen if he discovers her secret.  But Nash has a secret of his own and he seems to know more about Kaylee than she knows about herself.  Can Nash help her uncover the secrets that have been kept from her?  While they're at it can they discover why so many teenage girls have started to die?  I have to admit I really liked Nash, he was caring and protective towards Kaylee and a great love interest.  Although their relationship develops quickly it never felt forced and we were given a good explanation for it.

Another character I loved was Kaylee's friend Emma and I hope we get to see more of her in future installments.  So many YA books seem to have supposed best friends that I wouldn't want as my worst enemy and I much prefer reading about a supportive friendship.  Of course we also have the mysterious Tod who I have a feeling I'm going to love when we get to know him better! 

My Soul to Take is a fantastic start to the Soul Screamers series and I can't wait to spend more time with these characters and in the world they live in.  Fast paced and full of interesting mythology it is sure to hold anyones attention and I'd highly recommend it to any paranormal fan.  If you're still not sure about trying the series then I'd highly suggest reading the FREE prequel novella (My Soul to Lose) that can be found on Rachel Vincent's website, I'm sure it will help you make up your mind.

Source: Purchased

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Review: My Soul to Lose - Rachel Vincent

Kaylee Cavanaugh's trip to the mall ends with a brutal panic attack and a brain scrambling shriek she can't stop. Her secret fear is exposed. It's the worst day of her life.

Until she wakes up in the psychiatric unit.

But the hospital isn't a safe place for Kaylee, and getting out won't be easy because everyone thinks she's crazy. Everyone except Lydia, who has a secret of her own...

Soul Screamers Series:
My Soul to Lose (prequel novella)
My Soul to Take
My Soul to Save
My Soul to Keep
Reaper (novella)
My Soul to Steal
If I Die
Never to Sleep (novella)
Before I Wake
With All My Soul

For more information visit Rachel Vincent's website

Review:
My Soul to Lose is a prequel novella for the Soul Screamers series that can be read for free on Rachel Vincent's website.  I'm a massive fan of Rachel's adult Shifters series so have been looking forward to starting this new series for a long time now and I can tell you now it doesn't disappoint - I can't wait to get my hands on the rest of the books! 

I don't want to go into much detail about what happens as it would be very easy to give spoilers for a short story so I'll just say that as a prequel novella it leaves you with a lot of unanswered questions.  As a taster to see if you want to try the series My Soul to Lose does it's job perfectly - I was glad that I already had a copy of My Soul to Take as I had to start reading it immediately after finishing the prequel. 

The main character Kaylee is easy to like and you can't help but feel for her, all we know is that she suffers from what she thinks of as panic attacks but it is clear there is more to her problem than that.  A trip to the mall ends in disaster when she can't stop screaming and ends up in a psychiatric ward.  She ends up doubting her own sanity but with Lydia's help she begins to understand that things might not be what the first seemed.

This story is completely different from anything else I've read in the YA paranormal genre and I would highly recommend giving it a try.  My only warning would be make sure you can get hold of My Soul to Take soon after reading it as I'm sure you'll be left desperate to know what happens next!

Source: This is a free novella that can be downloaded from Rachel Vincent's website

Other Reviews:
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