Review: Untouchable - Kresley Cole

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR KRESLEY COLE delivers a breathtaking tale of a brutal vampire soldier about to know love for the first time... and a Valkyrie aching for his touch.

Murdoch Wroth will stop at nothing to claim Daniela - the delicate Valkyrie who makes his heart beat for the first time in three hundred years. Yet the exquisite Danii is part ice fey, and her freezing skin can't be touched by anyone but her own kind without inflicting pain beyond measure. Can they conquer an agony of frustration and slake the overwhelming desire burning between them?

Immortals After Dark Series:
The Warlord Wants Forever (Novella in the Playing Easy to Get anthology)
A Hunger Like No Other
No Rest for the Wicked
Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night
Dark Needs at Night's Edge
Dark Desires After Dusk
Kiss of a Demon King
Untouchable (Published in the Deep Kiss of Winter Anthology)
Pleasure of a Dark Prince
Demon from the Dark
Dreams of a Dark Warrior
Lothaire
Shadow's Claim (The Dacians book 1)
MacRieve
Dark Skye

For more information visit Kresley Cole's website

Review:
Untouchable is the eighth story in Kresley Cole's Immortals After Dark series and can be found in the Deep Kiss of Winter anthology (print or ebook) or on it's own as an audiobook. I read it as part of the anthology so I've not listened to the audio version and can't comment on that.

We've already met all of the Wroth brothers in previous books and we've seen hints of Murdoch and Dani's romance in the other brother's stories so I was really looking forward to spending more time with them. Unfortunately Untouchable just missed the mark a little for me and it was probably my least favourite story in the series so far.

Dani was a great character, she's half valkyrie and half ice fey which means she is incredibly sensitive to the heat and even touching another person causes severe burns to her skin. She loves her sisters but she desperately longs to be able to touch and be touched by another person. It was easy to feel sympathy for her and she's such a likeable character that you just want things to turn out well for her.

Murdoch on the other hand was a bit of an arse. He very quickly recognises Dani as his bride but he's absolutely adamant that he doesn't want to pursue things with her, the way he treats her was awful and I just felt so sorry for her that he kept walking away and abandoning her. There were good reasons for some of the problems in their relationship (the whole not being able to touch each other must have been incredibly frustrating!) but I felt like there was too much extra drama around that and it made it hard for me to enjoy their romance as much as I expected to.

This wasn't a bad book, I'm glad Dani has found her HEA and I'm still excited about continuing the series, but it definitely wasn't as good as I was expecting it to be.

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.

Paperback / Kindle:

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten 2016 Releases I Meant To Read But Didn't

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week has a different theme & you can find all the details about how to join in HERE.

Today's topic is Top Ten 2016 Releases I Meant To Read But Didn't Get To. There were actually a lot of 2015 books that I was really excited about but never got around to reading but here are the ones I REALLY want to try and get to soon!

Top Ten 2016 Releases I Meant To Read But Didn't Get To:

Young Adult

1. Witch's Pyre - Josephine Angelini 
2. Riders - Veronica Rossi
3. The Raven King - Maggie Stiefvater
4. Arcana Rising - Kresley Cole
5. Torch Against the Night - Sabaa Tahir

Adult:

1. Grave Visions - Kalayna Price
2. Cursed - Sue Tingey
3. A Closed and common orbit - Becky chambers 
4. Alliance - S.K. Dunstall
5. Infernal - Mark de Jager

What books are on your list?

Review: Day Zero - Kresley Cole

Arcana means secrets, and these Arcana Chronicles short stories from #1 New York Times bestselling author Kresley Cole are filled with them. Experience firsthand the beginning of the end and behold the apocalypse through the eyes of characters you only thought you knew.

Ashes to Ashes . . .
Evie Greene's story of the Flash is just one of many. All over the world, those connected in some way to the lethal Arcana game - like Death, Jack, and Fortune - must first survive a horrifying night of blood and screams.

We all fall down.
Some will have to grapple with new powers; all will be damned to a hellish new existence of plague, brutality, desolation, and cannibalism. Find out who they lost, why they endure, and what they sacrificed in order to live past Day Zero . . .

The Arcana Chronicles:
Poison Princess
Endless Knight
Dead of Winter
Day Zero (Novella)
Arcana Rising
The Dark Calling (2017)

Visit Kresley Cole's website or The Arcana Chronicles website for more information

Review:
If you're a fan of Kresley Cole's Arcana Chronicles then Day Zero is a must read companion. It does contain spoilers for the first three books so I wouldn't recommend picking it up until you've read Dead of Winter but it contains lots of fun information about the major Arcana players in the series and definitely got me excited about reading the next book.

Have you ever wanted to know where each of the main characters were when the Flash occurred on Day Zero? We saw Evie's story first hand and have heard bits and pieces about what happened to the others throughout the series but this book gives us a chance to see exactly what happened. It also includes profiles on the various Arcana with information about their powers, special skills, weapons and a whole lot more. Some of the information is still blank because it hasn't been uncovered and Matthew (aka The Fool) has redacted things he's not ready to share yet but it was really nice to have everything all in one place to remind me of the details.

You'll be very happy to hear that Jack's Flash story is also included even though he's not one of the Arcana players. I still suspect that he's the inactive card but Kresley Cole states at the beginning of the book that she'll neither confirm or deny if that's the case. Either way I absolutely love Jack's character so I'm glad we got to hear from both him and Death in this book and I'm definitely ready to continue the series and find out what happens next in Arcana Rising.

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.

Paperback / Kindle:

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Series I Want To Read in 2016

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week has a different theme & you can find all the details about how to join in HERE.

Today's topic is Top Ten Resolutions We Have For 2016. This year I want to focus on reading some of those books and series that I've been meaning to catch up with for years.

My top ten series I want to catch up with in 2016:

1. Mercy Thompson and Alpha & Omega series by Patricia Briggs - Patricia Briggs is one of my favourite urban fantasy authors and I absolutely adore the Mercy Thompson world. It's one of my go to series for when I need something that I know is going to be amazing and I recently started rereading it (for the third time!) with a friend in preparation for the newest book, Dead Heat, in March.
2. Fever series by Karen Marie Moning - I absolutely loved the first five books in the Fever series but was too scared to read Iced and Burned after seeing so many negative reviews for them. Anyway, I've been rereading the series with a group of friends in preparation for the release of Feverborn, we've finished the original five books so I'm finally going to get to read the later books for the first time!
3. Dark-Hunters and Chronicles of Nick by Sherrilyn Kenyon - I started reading the Dark-Hunters series a couple of years ago now and it's one I've been wanting to catch up with for a long time now so I'm determined that 2016 is going to be the year I FINALLY catch up with the rest of the world!
4. Immortals After Dark by Kresley Cole - This is another series that I'm part way through but have never quite managed to catch up with so it's also on the list.
5. Black Dagger Brotherhood by J.R. Ward - I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with the BDB, the earlier books were AMAZING but the series lost it's way a bit and I kind of lost interest in it. I took a 2 year break though and last year I really enjoyed Lover Unleashed so I'm going to give the series another chance.
6. Weather Warden Series & Outcast Season by Rachel Caine - This series is another old favourite, in fact I read the earlier books before I even started blogging (so over 6 years ago now). It's been one I've wanted to go back to for a while now but then Rachel Caine launched her kickstarter campaign and is now writing a new book set in that world so I HAVE to reread the rest of the books before the new one is published.
7. Darkest London series by Kristen Callihan - Another series that I love but have fallen woefully behind on so it's beyond time for a catch up.
8. Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich - I read about 16 books in this series 6 or 7 years ago and loved them but it's been a long time so I've forgotten all the details. I'm rereading the series with some friends, we're reading one book a month so it's going to take us about 2 years to catch up but I want to make sure I stay on track with this group read.
9. Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan & Brandon Sanderson - This is an absolutely ginormous series - 14 books and most of them are over 700 pages long! - but it's one I've had so many people recommend to me. I've always been a bit too intimidated to start it but another group of friends (I love my Goodreads reading buddies!!) have decided to read the series one book a month for the next 14 months. I'm only part way through the first book but I already love it so I'm definitely planning on keeping up with this group read too. Having people to hold my hands is going to help keep me motivated I think :o)
10. In Death by J.D. Robb - I've wanted to try this series for absolutely ages so I'm making it a personal goal to start it in 2016. I'm reading this series by myself (unless anyone wants to join me?!) but as long as I enjoy the first book I'm planning on reading at least one a month until I'm caught up. There are over 30 books available already so this is another very long ongoing project but we'll see how far I manage to get with it!

So what are your reading resolutions for 2016? Do you have certain books or series that you want to get through or have you set completely different kinds of goals? If anyone is interested in joining the buddy reads I'm taking part in you're very welcome - I'm part of a great group on Goodreads & we have a lot of fun reading together and chatting about the books along the way :o)

Review: Dead of Winter - Kresley Cole

Heartbreaking decisions.
Evie was almost seduced by the life that Death offered her - until Jack was threatened by two of the most horrific Arcana, the Lovers. She will do anything to save him, even escape Death's uncanny prison, full of beautiful objects and stolen glances from a former love.

Uncertain victory.
Despite leaving a part of her heart behind with Death, Evie heads to the frozen perilous post-apocalyptic wasteland to meet her allies and launch an attack on the Lovers. Such formidable enemies require a battle plan, and the only way to kill them may mean Evie, Jack and Death allying. But convincing Jack and Death to work together may be an impossible task.

Two heroes returned.
There's a thin line between love and hate, and Evie just doesn't know where she stands with either Jack or Death. Will this unlikely trio be able to defeat the Lovers without killing one another first . . . ?

The Arcana Chronicles:
Poison Princess
Endless Knight
Dead of Winter
Day Zero (Novella)
Arcana Rising
The Dark Calling (2017)

Visit Kresley Cole's website or The Arcana Chronicles website for more information

Review:
I love Kresley Cole's Arcana Chronicles so I've been waiting over a year to get my hands on Dead of Winter and I couldn't wait to start reading it. One of the things I love about this series is how easy it is to dive back into the world, the author does a great job of reminding readers about important events without spending a huge amount of time recapping previous books and I never once felt lost even though it's been such a long time since I read Endless Knight.

At the end of the previous book we saw Evie escape from Death's lair because she found out that Jack was in trouble and the story picks up pretty much immediately in Dead of Winter. Evie has been travelling for days to meet up with Matthew, Selena and the others so that she can help them rescue Jack from the Lovers who are holding him captive. Things get off to a pretty explosive start as we see a daring attempt to free Jack but we also discover just how depraved the Lovers are and I don't think we even know half of what Jack went through as their prisoner.

I missed Jack in the last book so I was thrilled that Evie was back in his company here, I just love the two of them together - the banter and the scorching chemistry between them always makes me swoon. Death did grow on me during the last book but I'm still not sold on the idea of him and Evie as a couple and I'm definitely sticking on team Jack. I have to admit that I started to get a little fed up of the love triangle here and I'm really hoping that this doesn't continue to play such a major part in future books. I've never been a fan of triangles, especially when it takes time away from the rest of the story and in a world as fantastic as this one I think I would have preferred spending more time with the other characters and learning about the other Arcana.

Dead of Winter is still a fantastic read though, the series just gets darker with each book and the Lovers are a truly creepy and terrifying enemy. There are some quite gory torture scenes that turned my stomach in places but the action was fantastic and I loved seeing Evie and her allies working together against a common enemy. It gives me some hope that they'll find a way to end the game without everyone dying! One warning I have to give you is about the ending, if you thought the cliffhanger at the end of Endless Knight was bad you have no idea what you've got coming in this one, I was literally flicking back and forth on the last couple of pages trying to magic up a few extra chapters because I'm DYING to know what happens next. I don't think the next book even has a title yet but I do know that it will be jumping to the top of my to read pile the very second I can get my hands on a copy and I can't give this series much higher praise than that!

Source: Ebook received from the author in exchange for an honest review, I was also sent a print copy by Simon & Schuster.

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.

Hardback / Kindle:

Review: The Professional - Kresley Cole

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Kresley Cole comes The Professional—the first scorching instalment in her Game Maker series, an erotica collection that has readers asking: How hot is too hot?

He makes the rules...
Mafiya enforcer Aleksandr "The Siberian" Sevastyan’s loyalty to his boss is unwavering, until he meets the boss’s long-lost daughter, a curvy, tantalising redhead who haunts his mind and heats his blood like no other. Ordered to protect her, Sevastyan will do anything to possess her as well—on his own wicked terms.

Rules are made to be broken...
PhD student Natalie Porter had barely recovered from her first sight of the breathtakingly gorgeous Sevastyan before the professional hit man whisks her away to Russia, thrusting her into a world of extreme wealth and wanton pleasures. With every day she spends under his protection, she falls deeper under his masterful spell.

Are you ready to play?
Yet all is not as it seems. To remove Natalie from an enemy’s reach, Sevastyan spirits her into hiding. From an opulent palace in Russia to the decadent playgrounds of the mega-wealthy in Paris, the two lovers will discover that even their darkest—and most forbidden—fantasies can come true...

Visit Kresley Cole's website for more information.

Review:
The Professional is a serialised novel currently available in 3 separate ebooks. The whole story will be released as a full length novel in May 2014 both as an ebook and in print. This is a combined review for the entire story written after I read all three instalments. As a fan of Kresley Cole's Immortals After Dark paranormal series I was excited when I heard that she was going to be writing a more edgy, dark erotic romance and I couldn't wait to get my hands on The Professional. A friend who read the first instalment before me had warned me about the killer cliffhangers though so I decided to wait until all three parts were available before I started reading and I'm glad I did because I devoured them all one after the other!

Natalie is an American student who has her whole life turned upside down when she manages to track down her birth parents. She knew she was adopted and that she was born in Russia but the last thing she expected was to discover that her father is a powerful and incredibly wealthy Russian mobster. When her parentage becomes public knowledge Natalie will be a natural target for her father's enemies so he sends his most trusted enforcer, Sevastyan, to bring her home to Russia so they can keep her safe. As much as Natalie has been longing to meet her father she isn't sure what to make of the new world that she suddenly finds herself in, a world of wealth and privilege where she can have everything she's ever dreamed of but one where she has completely lost her freedom. As if adjusting to her new surroundings and getting to know her father wasn't enough to cope with she is also trying to fight her growing attraction to Sevastyan, someone she knows has dark secrets that he's keeping from her. She's desperate to explore her deepest darkest desires with Sevastyan but scared that it may cause trouble between him and her father.

It's always interesting to see an author try out a new genre, I knew Kresley Cole had a knack for writing great sex scenes but hot damn does she take that up a level in The Professional. The chemistry between Natalie and Sevastyan is off the charts and veers into "melt your kindle while you read" territory, I don't think a cold shower was enough after reading this book - I was more in need of an ice bath LOL. The scenes at the club were some of the hottest I've ever read! I never thought I'd find a domineering, arrogant, hit man quite so sexy but there is something irresistible about Sevastyan. I'm going to be honest and admit that there were a couple of times I wanted to slap the man but overall I just wanted to eat him up. This story includes some incredibly well written and super sexy BDSM scenes so if that's something you're not into then this might not be the book for you but if you like pushing your boundaries then I can't recommend it highly enough.

Natalie and Sevastyan's story isn't all happiness and rainbows, it's intense, dark and disturbing but that just makes it even more compelling to read. Both characters make mistakes, they react badly to certain events and push each other away when they get scared of how strong their feelings are. In fact they both have a lot of growing up to do if they're going to figure out a way to make their relationship work but in spite of the difficulties it is obvious they're meant to be together. In a lot of ways they are complete opposites but their personalities compliment each other and if they can just learn to actually talk things through and make compromises then they'll have something really special.

I loved The Professional so much that I've already pre-ordered a copy of the full length novel so I can have it sitting on my bookshelves. I'm really hoping that this will be the first book in a new series because I'm dying to learn more about Maksim and I have a feeling that he might have even more secrets than Sevastyan does. Kresley Cole has proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that she knows how to write erotic romance and I really hope she's going to give us more of her deliciously dark, hot Russian mobsters!

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.

Parts 1, 2 & 3 on Kindle:


Bind up of the entire story Paperback / Kindle:

Review: Endless Knight - Kresley Cole

When your world has disappeared, is there anything left to fight for?

Evie has now come into her powers as the Tarot Empress. And Jack was there to see it all. Evie realises that there is a war brewing, and the teens that have been reincarnated as the tarot are in the throes of an epic battle. It's kill or be killed.

Then Evie meets Death, the gorgeous and dangerous Endless Knight. Somehow the Empress and Death share a romantic history. A history that Evie can't remember and Death can't forget. She is drawn to Death, but in love with Jack.

Evie is determined to discover why she's been granted these powers, but is struggling to accept her place in the prophecy that holds the future of mankind in the balance. Survival may mean betraying the ones you love . . . Will following her heart lead to her demise?

The Arcana Chronicles:
Poison Princess
Endless Knight
Dead of Winter
Day Zero (Novella)
Arcana Rising
The Dark Calling (2017)

Visit Kresley Cole's website or The Arcana Chronicles website for more information

Review:
Poison Princess was one of my favourite books last year so Endless Knight was one of my most anticipated novels of 2013. I went into this book with HUGE expectations and found it just as impossible to put down as the first book. I love the world that Kresley Cole has created here, I love the dark post-apocalyptic setting and I love the fact that the characters are based on Tarot cards and all have different supernatural abilities. It's just so refreshing to come across something so different and I'm loving every minute of it. If I had one complaint it would be the killer cliffhanger ending, seriously if you thought the ending to Poison Princess was bad you've not seen anything yet and I literally wanted to scream with frustration when I turned the last page! I had to sit there for a few minutes with my mouth hanging open trying to compose myself and I'm still feeling the book hangover more than a week after I finished the book.

Endless Knight picks up immediately after Poison Princess ended and this is a series you definitely need to read in order. I'm assuming that anyone who is reading this review has already read the first book so if you haven't look away now. Evie has changed a lot from the girl we first met, she has grown up but she has also started to learn the full extent of her powers. She never asked to be a part of this game and the last thing she wants is to become a murderer but she won't back away when it comes to protecting herself or those she cares about. Jack is shocked by the changes he sees in her and her power scares him which causes some problems between them. I'll admit I was a little disappointed with his reaction to her at first but at the same time I could understand it. I missed the banter between them though so I was glad Jack was able to work through his issues and start building bridges. The chemistry between him and Evie is fantastic and his accent always makes me swoon.

I've loved Jack from the beginning so I'm going to be upfront and admit that I was disappointed when it became clear that there was going to be a love triangle in the series. I really didn't like Death to start with, he's cocky and arrogant and seems very cold and unfeeling but as the story progressed and we got to know him a little better I was surprised to find myself warming to him. He has a long and tortured history with the Empress and as Evie starts to recover the memories from her past lives we see just how much they were both effected by that. Deep down Death actually has a vulnerable and caring side, he keeps it well hidden but it's definitely there and anyone who loves a good tortured bad boy is going to find that hard to resist. I think overall I'm still on team Jack but you know what I don't think it would actually take too much to sway me to the other side. I went back and forth between the two of them and I can definitely see the appeal for either. We see so many triangles but rarely are they done this well and for once I'm not holding it as a negative against the story (if you've read any of my other reviews you'll know that is incredibly unusual!).

I think the plot of Endless Knight was even darker than that of Poison Princess, Kresley Cole isn't afraid to take her characters to dark places with little hope of survival and she threw in just as many plot twists in the sequel as she did in the first book. I have a huge suspicion about something I think is going to happen in the next book and I'm dying to know if I'm right or not! If it hadn't been for that pesky little thing called sleep I would easily have devoured this whole book in one sitting so I would recommend starting it when you know you have a good few hours to spare (you'll thank me for that suggestion trust me!). Considering my high expectations for this story I'm amazed that the author not only met them but she actually surpassed them and blew me away. My only disappointment is that we're going to have another year long wait for the next book - the anticipation may just kill me but if I survive the wait I'm sure it will be worth it!

Source: Ebook received from the author in exchange for an honest review, I was also sent a print copy by Simon & Schuster.

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.

Hardback / Kindle:

Top Ten Tuesday: Books that Feature Travel

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week has a different theme & you can find all the details about how to join in HERE.

Today's theme is Books that Feature Travel and I have to admit that I initially thought I was going to struggle to come up with 10 books to include. I haven't actually read many road trip books but when I sat down to think of it I managed to come up with plenty of stories that involve travel in some form or another.

Anyway, lets have a look at a few of my favourites (links will take you to my reviews):

The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien

You don't get many journeys more epic than the one that Bilbo Baggins takes with Gandalf and the dwarves when they travel across the mountains to take back their home! Full of adventure, magical creatures, dragons and treasure this is a book I've read many times over the years and I really enjoyed the recent film adaptation too. I'm looking forward to watching the next two movies.

The Clan of the Cave Bear - Jean M. Auel

Jean M. Auel's Earth's Children series has been one of my favourites since I was a teenager (the less said about the 6th and final book the better though!) and I've lost count of the number of times I've read them. The series is set around the time of the last ice age (35,000 years ago) and follows a young girl Ayla as she travels across whole continents in search of a place to call home. I love this series for the rich historical data but more for the emotional journey that Ayla goes on as she grows up and finds her place in the world.

From What I Remember - Stacy Kramer & Valerie Thomas

From What I Remember is a more traditional road trip story that shows how one of the school's hottest guys Max ends up in Mexico with geek girl Kylie. The book is absolutely hilarious and I loved every minute of it!

Tiger's Curse - Colleen Houck

Colleen Houck's Tiger series follows Kelsey on a journey across India as she tries to help brothers Ren and Kishan break a 300 year old curse. You get to visit various temples and the jungle, learn about some of the Indian gods and goddesses and fall in love with not one but two gorgeous Indian princes who have been cursed to spend the majority of their time living as tigers.

Between Shades of Gray - Ruta Sepetys

Between Shades of Gray is the heartbreaking story of a young Lithuanian girl called Lina and her family as they are captured by Soviet guards and forced to travel across Europe to a Siberian work camp in the Arctic circle. Set during WWII and based on true stories this book highlights the atrocities committed by Stalin and is an incredibly emotional read but it is a book that I can't recommend highly enough. If you haven't come across this book before take a few minutes to watch this video of the author Ruta Sepetys as she talks about the inspiration behind the story but make sure you have tissues to hand because you're sure to need them!


Ruta Sepetys discusses her upcoming novel, Between Shades of Gray from Penguin Young Readers Group on Vimeo.

A Conspiracy of Alchemists - Liesel Schwarz

Liesel Schwarz's steampunk adventure takes you across Europe stopping off at London, Paris, Venice and Constantinople. Main character Elle is a dirigible pilot so you'll get to fly in an airship but you also enjoy a luxury ride on the Orient Express!

Demons of the Ocean - Justin Somper

If you enjoy books aimed at a slightly younger audience or are looking for a fun family read then I'd definitely recommend Justin Somper's Vampirates series. Sail the seven seas with twins Grace and Connor in this futuristic world where the seas have risen and the waters are controlled by both pirates and vampirates (yes, you did read that right vampirates - vampires who are also pirates!)

Poison Princess - Kresley Cole

I love Kresley Cole's adult books so I was excited to get my hands on her first YA novel Poison Princess last year. Set in the future after an apocalyptic event that Evie had been having visions of before it happened this is a fab story and something that's really unique. Main characters are based on the Major Arcana cards found in a Tarot deck and each have different powers and abilities. Evie teams up with sexy Cajun Jack to try and search for answers and they travel across the country looking for the other main players.

Fire and Thorns - Rae Carson

Fire and Thorns is a fabulous fantasy adventure that follows princess Elisa when she is sent far from home to marry a man she has never met. Follow her epic journey across the desert as she fights to find a place for herself in a new country when she doesn't know who her enemies are.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

My last pick is a little bit of a cheat because although The Night Circus travels the world the focus of the story is much more on what is happening inside the circus than outside of it. It is such a beautiful novel that I couldn't resist including it anyway though and I can't recommend it highly enough!

So what books did you include on your list? Did we have any of the same picks? Leave me a link to your post in the comments and I'll stop by and check it out!

Review: Poison Princess - Kresley Cole

She could save the world—or destroy it.

Sixteen year old Evangeline “Evie” Greene leads a charmed life, until she begins experiencing horrifying hallucinations. When an apocalyptic event decimates her Louisiana hometown, Evie realizes her hallucinations were actually visions of the future—and they’re still happening. Fighting for her life and desperate for answers, she must turn to her wrong-side-of-the-bayou classmate: Jack Deveaux.

But she can’t do either alone.

With his mile-long rap sheet, wicked grin, and bad attitude, Jack is like no boy Evie has ever known. Even though he once scorned her and everything she represented, he agrees to protect Evie on her quest. She knows she can’t totally depend on Jack. If he ever cast that wicked grin her way, could she possibly resist him?

Who can Evie trust?

As Jack and Evie race to find the source of her visions, they meet others who have gotten the same call. An ancient prophesy is being played out, and Evie is not the only one with special powers. A group of twenty-two teens has been chosen to reenact the ultimate battle between good and evil. But it’s not always clear who is on which side…

The Arcana Chronicles:
Poison Princess
Endless Knight
Dead of Winter
Day Zero (Novella)
Arcana Rising
The Dark Calling (2017)

Visit Kresley Cole's website or The Arcana Chronicles website for more information

Review:
Evie has been suffering with hallucinations that were bad enough to have her admitted to a mental institute. Although she has been sent home and allowed to return to school she finds that the visions are worse than ever. Afraid to let anyone know what is happening she struggles to act normal in front of her friends. Then her visions of an apocalypse become reality as the world goes through an event called "The Flash" that destroys most of the population. Evie's visions haven't stopped but they have changed and she is struggling to understand what they mean. Her only hope is to travel to her Grandmother - the only person who never thought she was crazy - and ask for help. Jackson may have been her enemy at school but he is the only person she has to turn to now and he reluctantly agrees to help her. The pair set out on a journey across the country but will they find the answers Evie so desperately needs?

As a fan of Kresley Cole's Immortals After Dark series Poison Princess was an automatic must read for me but even if it wasn't already on my radar the fantastic cover and blurb would have put it there. A new dystopian series with characters based on the Major Arcana cards from a Tarot deck, each with different supernatural abilities and all with a role to play in the apocalypse. A spunky heroine and a hot Cajun hero. Throw in the fact that it was written by one of my favourite adult paranormal romance authors and what's not to love about it? If you're looking for a story with complex world building, characters that are so full of depth they could practically step out of the pages at any moment and a plot so full of intrigue, shocks and more twists than a labyrinth that it will have you gripped from the first page to the last then look no further. Poison Princess has all that and much, much more and has definitely allowed Kresley Cole to enter the YA market with a bang!

Evie has always been a bit of a pampered princess, born to a wealthy family she had all the right clothes and everything she needed to be counted as part of the popular crowd. Apart from her hallucinations nothing has prepared her for the apocalypse and she is completely out of her comfort zone when it comes to her own survival. She is pretty much the complete opposite of Jackson, where he is strong and self reliant she is lost and afraid, but don't take her lack of skills for weakness. She shows over and over again her determination to not only survive but also to protect others throughout the story. Jack is an irresistible, motorbike riding, Cajun bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks who has an accent to die for. He can come across as a complete ass at times but really he is a sweetie and he is very protective of Evie. Jack and Evie have that perfect kind of love / hate relationship - the kind where they spend half the time on the verge of tearing strips off of each other and the rest wanting to rip each others clothes off! I have one word for the chemistry between them and that's smouldering, all it's going to take is one tiny spark to ignite a fire that is going to burn everyone in their vicinity and I for one can't wait to see it happen.

Poison Princess is a fantastic start to the Arcana Chronicles, it introduces us to a fabulous collection of characters and some incredibly detailed world building. The way the story unfolds will leave you on the edge of your seat and make it impossible not to carry on reading. I don't think I've ever been so shocked by the twists a book took as I was with this one - you really never can tell what will happen next. I love Evie, I adore Jack and I can't wait to spend more time with them both in the next instalment. I would recommend this to anyone young or old, if you're already a Kresley Cole fan then don't miss this exciting new adventure. If you are new to her work then this is a great place to start and something that any fans of dystopian / post apocalyptic fiction will love - especially if you're looking for something a bit different to all those other dystopian stories that are currently flooding the market.

Source: Received from Simon & Schuster 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.

Hardback / Kindle:

News Roundup: Teaser Trailer, Cover Reveal & New Book Deals

Since I included the first teaser trailer for The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead in my last news roundup I thought it was only right to include the second one today. I literally can't wait to get my hands on this book!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Have you seen the cover for the first book in Darren Shan's new 12 part serial? The first book Zom-B will be published by Simon & Schuster on the 27th of September and the remaining eleven instalments will be released once every 3 months until 2015. I have to confess that this cover scares me so I don't think it's one I'll be reading but then I'm not much of a horror fan. I have a feeling this will be massively popular with Darren Shan's fans though!

What do you think? Is this a series you can't wait to start reading?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Did you see the news that Lauren Oliver will be writing her first novel aimed at adults? HarperCollins have purchased the book which will be called Rooms and will be publishing it in 2014. (I'm assuming this is the US publication date). For more information check out the article on the NYTimes website. I love Lauren's YA books Delirium (read my review here) and Pandemonium (read my review here) so I can't wait to see what she writes for the adult market!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Last but not least I was really excited to find out that Simon & Schuster will be publishing Kresley Cole's first YA novel Poison Princess on the 2nd of October. I love Kesley's adult series (the Immortals After Dark) so this was on my wish list before I'd even read the synopsis! Now I've read the blurb I just want to read it even more and I love the cover too:

Sixteen-year-old Evie Greene thought her horrific apocalyptic hallucinations were a sign that she was slowly losing her mind. But when her visions come true, decimating the world around her and killing everyone she loves, Evie is forced to accept that she was seeing the future.

Fighting for her life and desperate for answers, she turns to wrong-side-of-the-bayou classmate, the gorgeous and dangerous Jackson Deveaux for help. As Jackson and Evie race to find the source of her visions, they meet others who have got the same call and discover that Evie is not the only one with special powers. An ancient prophesy is being played out, and as the battle between good and evil intensifies, it is not always clear who is on which side…


What do you think? Have you read any of the Immortals After Dark books? Are you looking forward to Poison Princess?

That's all the news I have to share today so I hope you've found it interesting!

Review: Kiss of a Demon King - Kresley Cole

UK Cover

His Obsession . . .
Sabine, Sorceress of Illusions: the evil beauty who surrenders her body, but not her heart.

Her Downfall . . .
Rydstrom Woede: the ruthless warrior who vows to keep her at all costs.

They were never supposed to want each other this much . . .
With each smouldering encounter, their shared hunger only increases.  If they can defeat the sinister enemy that stands between them, will Sabine make the ultimate sacrifice for her demon?  Or will the proud king lay down his crown and arms to save his sorceress?

Immortals After Dark Series:
The Warlord Wants Forever (Novella in the Playing Easy to Get anthology)
A Hunger Like No Other
No Rest for the Wicked
Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night
Dark Needs at Night's Edge
Dark Desires After Dusk
Kiss of a Demon King
Untouchable (Published in the Deep Kiss of Winter Anthology)
Pleasure of a Dark Prince
Demon from the Dark
Dreams of a Dark Warrior
Lothaire
Shadow's Claim (The Dacians book 1)
MacRieve
Dark Skye

For more information visit Kresley Cole's website

Review:
The story in Kiss of a Demon King actually runs along the same time line as the previous book Dark Desires After Dusk so I would highly recommend reading at least these two books in order (although you're better off reading the whole series in order to get the full IAD reading experience). If you've already read Dark Desires After Dusk (if you haven't stop reading this review right now!) you will know all about Cade's task to get the only weapon that can destroy Omort the Deathless so that his brother Rydstrom can get back his crown. You'll also know that early on in the story Rydstrom is captured and taken prisoner by the sorceress Sabine - Kiss of a Demon King fills in the gaps and lets us know what happened to him.

I have liked Cade and Rydstrom since they were first introduced into the series, Cade's book was one of my favourites so far so I was really looking forward to Rydstrom's story and it didn't disappoint. I obviously have a bit of a thing for the rage demons because I couldn't tell you which one of them I like the most. I love the fact that Rydstrom always comes across as so calm but that underneath he is on the edge of losing control - particularly whenever Sabine comes into the picture. I'll tell you right now that this couple have some serious chemistry but due to their circumstances and the fact that Sabine has Rydstrom as a prisoner they do a LOT of teasing before either of them will give into their attraction. I felt quite sorry for Rydstrom at the beginning and could easily understand why he took so long to trust Sabine.

When we first met Sabine I didn't think I would like her at all, she comes across as completely ruthless, cold blooded and selfish and not your typical heroine. However, the more you learn about her past the easier I found it to relate to her. She has never had anyone to rely on apart from her sister Lanthe and the pair of them have suffered a great deal in the past. Sabine is determined to do whatever it takes to protect herself and her sister but deep down you start to see that she isn't quite as hard as she makes out. Underneath the surface she is actually quite a softie and I really enjoyed seeing that side of her come out. I actually appreciated the fact that she is such a strong heroine and think she was just what Rydstrom needed, she is someone who is prepared to stand up to him and won't let anyone walk all over her.

I really liked the relationship between Sabine and Lanthe, in fact I hope we get to see more of Lanthe in the future so I'm keeping my fingers crossed she gets her own book. I'm also looking forward to Lothaire's story although I have a few others to catch up on first. I did feel that the final battle scene towards the end was over a bit too quickly, I would have liked a bit more action and the story was very character driven on the whole but this is still a strong instalment to the series and has left me looking forward to the next book.

Source: Library

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.

US Cover

Paperback / Kindle:

Review: Dark Desires After Dusk - Kresley Cole

UK Cover

A seductive beauty he can never have, yet can't resist . . .
Cadeon Woede will stop at nothing to atone for the one wrong that will haunt him forever. But once he secures the key to his redemption, the halfling Holly Ashwin, Cade finds that the woman he thought he could use for his own ends and then forget haunts him as much as his past.

A tormented warrior she should fear, but can't deny . . .
Raised as a human, Holly never knew that some frightening legends are real until she encounters a brutal demon who inexplicably guards her like a treasure. Thrust into a sensual new world of myth and power, with him as her protector, she begins to crave the demon's wicked touch.

Surrender to dark desires . . .
Yet just when he earns Holly's trust, will Cade be forced to betray the only woman who can sate his wildest needs - and claim his heart?

Immortals After Dark Series:
The Warlord Wants Forever (Novella in the Playing Easy to Get anthology)
A Hunger Like No Other
No Rest for the Wicked
Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night
Dark Needs at Night's Edge
Dark Desires After Dusk
Kiss of a Demon King
Untouchable (Published in the Deep Kiss of Winter Anthology)
Pleasure of a Dark Prince
Demon from the Dark
Dreams of a Dark Warrior
Lothaire
Shadow's Claim (The Dacians book 1)
MacRieve
Dark Skye

For more information visit Kresley Cole's website

Review:
900 years ago a foolish mistake by Cadeon lost his brother Rydstrom his throne and the pair have been trying to get it back ever since. Cadeon is full of guilt for his actions and is determined to do whatever it takes to make it up to Rydstrom but their enemy Omort the Deathless won't be easy to kill. In fact they have only one last chance if they are going to defeat him. They must track down the Vessel (a female from the Lore who will give birth to a child of either ultimate good or evil, depending on who the father is) and exchange her for the only weapon that can destroy Omort. Cadeon believes it will be an easy task, until he discovers the Vessel is Holly, the woman he has been watching from afar and who he is convinced is his mate. Now Cadeon has a difficult choice to make - will be betray his brother again, this time loosing the throne forever or will he hand over his mate to an evil sorcerer?

I've been looking forward to reading Cade's story since he was first introduced in one of the earlier books and he didn't disappoint me. There are actually a lot of things about Cade that should make him dislikeable, he is chauvinistic and cocky but it comes across as more of a front that he puts on to the world than his true character. In fact he has a much softer and more caring side that you get to see more and more of as the story progresses. I loved the way he was torn between doing the right thing by his brother and wanting to take care of Holly, he really was between a rock and a hard place and I found it easy to forgive the actions he took. I think he's probably my favourite male in the series so far, he is one HOT demon!

I found Holly a bit too prim and proper for my taste, particularly in the beginning, but it was really good to see how much she changes throughout the story. Her OCD made for hilarious reading and I absolutely loved the banter between her and Cade, she certainly wasn't going to sit back and accept his coarse language or let him force her into anything she didn't want to do. Holly didn't know about her Valkyrie ancestry and has always believed she was a human so it comes as quite a shock to her to discover a world of demons and come into her new abilities. A lot of her problems have been caused by the way she tries to suppress her true nature so the more she starts to accept who she is the better things get for her.

I have to admit that I think Dark Desires After Dusk is my favourite book in the Immortals After Dark series so far. I'm pretty sure you could pick up the series here even if you've not read any of the other books but I'd still suggest reading the books in order. I've just realised that Rydstrom's story is up next so I'm off to order my copy of Kiss of a Demon King!

Source: Library

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.

US Cover

Paperback / Kindle:

Review: Dark Needs at Night's Edge - Kresley Cole

UK Cover

A raven-haired temptress of the dark...
Neomi Laress, a famous ballerina from a past century, became a phantom the night she was murdered. Imbued with otherworldly powers but invisible to the living, she haunts her beloved home, scaring away trespassers - until she encounters a ruthless immortal even more terrifying that Neomi herself.

A vampire warrior consumed by madness...
To prevent him from harming others, Conrad Wroth's brothers imprison him in an abandoned manor. But there, a female only he can see seems determined to drive him further into madness. The exquisite creature torments him with desire, leaving his body racked with lust and his soul torn as he finds himself coveting her for his own.

How far will he go to claim her?
Yet even if Conrad can win Neomi, evil still surrounds her. Once he returns to the brutality of his past to protect her, will he succumb to the dark needs seething inside him?

Immortals After Dark Series:
The Warlord Wants Forever (Novella in the Playing Easy to Get anthology)
A Hunger Like No Other
No Rest for the Wicked
Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night
Dark Needs at Night's Edge
Dark Desires After Dusk
Kiss of a Demon King
Untouchable (Published in the Deep Kiss of Winter Anthology)
Pleasure of a Dark Prince
Demon from the Dark
Dreams of a Dark Warrior
Lothaire
Shadow's Claim (The Dacians book 1)
MacRieve
Dark Skye

For more information visit Kresley Cole's website

Review:
Nikolai and Sebastian Wroth have been searching for their brother Conrad for years but the last thing they expected was to find him in the grip of blood lust, very close to losing his sanity. Even though it has never been done before they are determined to bring him back from the brink and help him get control of the madness. Conrad is captured by his brothers and locked in a mansion where he must try to recover from the blood lust.

Neomi was a prima ballerina at the height of her career when she was brutally murdered by an obsessive ex-fiance who didn't want to see her live without him. Ever since her death 80 years ago she has haunted the mansion where she died, unable to leave and not able to interact with anyone around her. When Conrad and his brothers arrive she is distraught as Conrad starts to destroy the only home she has but then she realises that he can see her. He is the first person she has been able to interact with since she died but he believes she is a figment of his crazed mind. The attraction between them grows but how can a ghost and a vampire who is losing his sanity have any kind of a happy ending?

I have to confess that the Immortals After Dark series has been a bit hit and miss for me so far so although I've had this book on my to read pile for quite a while now I've been putting off reading it. I wasn't too keen on the idea of the main character being a ghost & didn't think I'd enjoy the story much. I'll come right out with it - I absolutely loved Dark Needs at Night's Edge, in my opinion it's the best book in the series so far and it's got me excited about continuing with the series again.

The romance between Conrad and Neomi is so sweet, especially as they are unable to touch each other for the majority of the book. Kresley Cole did an amazing job of building the sexual tension and oh boy was it worth the wait for these two to get together! I didn't think I'd be able to relate to an ex-ballerina who is now a ghost but I really liked Neomi and was impressed with her attitude and love of life. Conrad was a fab hero, he has been through so much that you can't help but wish for a happy ending for him. Their romance is completely different from any of the other books in the series but it worked for me and was by far my favourite.

It was also nice to see the main characters from previous books making an appearance, I always enjoy seeing how couples are getting along after they've had their own HEA. If you're a fan of the series already I'm sure you'll enjoy this instalment. If you haven't discovered the series before you could probably read Dark Needs at Night's Edge as a stand alone story but I would recommend reading the books in order so you get a full picture of the world Kresley Cole has created. This is definitely one I would recommend to fans of the paranormal romance genre.

Source: Library

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.

US Cover

Paperback / Kindle:

Review: Playing Easy To Get - Anthology

Playing Easy To Get is an erotic romance anthology that I wanted to read for the story by Kresley Cole which is part of her Immortals After Dark series. I've heard a lot of good things about Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunter series for so was also looking forward to trying her B.A.D series. I've not read anything by Jaid Black before either so this was a good way to try a couple of new to me authors. Overall I'd say this book is worth reading for the stories by Kresley Cole and Sherrilyn Kenyon but I wasn't that keen on Jaid Black story. I'd recommend this if you're a fan of any of the authors included in the anthology or if you'd like to try out any of these series or authors.

The stories included in the anthology are:
Turn Up the Heat - Sherrilyn Kenyon
Hunter's Oath - Jaid Black
The Warlord Wants Forever - Kresley Cole

For more information about any of these authors click on their names in the above list to go to their websites.

Turn Up the Heat - Sherrilyn Kenyon
The story of an average woman who wins the vacation of a lifetime - a trip to Sex Camp. But what Allison George gets is a race for life with none other than an ex-Mafia hit man who is now being sought by his prior employer. Vince Cappelleti knew the island was a risky proposition, but he'd run out of options. Now the only thing he wants in his sights is Allison, but in order to have a future with her, he must first deal with his past.

B.A.D Series:
BAD Attitude
Phantom In The Night
Whispered Lies
Silent Truth
Turn Up The Heat (novella in the Playing Easy To Get anthology)
Born to be BAD (3 series related short stories)

Review:
This is the first story I've read in Sherrilyn Kenyon's BAD series and I thought it was an enjoyable story. When Vince and Allison meet the attraction is instant and things build very quickly between them but you have to expect that in a romance novella when there isn't much time to build a relationship slowly. I liked both of the main characters and thought they complimented each other well. I will definitely be checking out more books in this series as I'm very curious to find out more about the Bureau of American Defence and the men and women who work for them.

Hunter's Oath - Jaid Black
Grief-stricken Sofia Rowley is in the Arctic Circle, where her brother, a U.S Army officer, was lost in a deadly helicopter crash. She's about to take a shocking journey into a secret underground world where Viking bride-hunters auction off their bounty...and where a strapping warrior vows to make this beautiful Outsider his.

Vikings Underground Series:
Besieged (novella in The Hunted anthology)
Hunter's Right (novella in the Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down anthology)
Hunter's Oath (novella in the Playing Easy To Get anthology)
Deep Dark and Dangerous

Review:
This was my least favorite story in the anthology - I just didn't like the way the heroine Sofia is kidnapped and then sold as a Bride in a a secret underground Viking world she was taken to. The "Brides" are basically given no choice in the matter and might as well be being sold into slavery. Force fed an aphrodisiac before the auction she has no choice but to consummate her new marriage unless she wants to be in unbearable pain. I found the whole thing completely unbelievable and it just wasn't my kind of story. I don't think I'll be reading any more of this series.

This story is also available separately as an ebook

The Warlord Wants Forever - Kresley Cole
Nikolai Wroth, a ruthless vampire warlord, searches for his Bride - the one woman who can render him truly alive. When his fevered chase leads to Myst the Coveted, a Valkyrie seductress who craves only freedom, a battle of domination and desire begins. Will the power of her seductive wiles overcome his strength? Or will she surrender and experience the deliciously agonizing lust that Nikolai has endured waiting for his one and only Bride?

Immortals After Dark Series:
The Warlord Wants Forever (novella in the Playing Easy to Get anthology)
A Hunger Like No Other
No Rest for the Wicked
Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night
Dark Needs at Night's Edge
Dark Desires After Dusk
Kiss of a Demon King
Untouchable (Published in the Deep Kiss of Winter Anthology)
Pleasure of a Dark Prince
Demon from the Dark
Dreams of a Dark Warrior
Lothaire
Shadow's Claim (The Dacians book 1)
MacRieve
Dark Skye

Review:
This story was the main reason I wanted to read the anthology as I've already read the next 3 books in the Immortals After Dark series and it was my favourite story in the book. I have to confess that I wasn't that keen on Myst at the start of the story but she did grow on me as I got to know her better and I really liked Wroth from the beginning. This is a great introduction to the series if you haven't started reading it yet and it's a series I would definitely recommend to paranormal romance fans.

Source: Library

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.

Anthology - Paperback / Kindle & The Warlord Wants Forever Kindle: