THE GLASS BUTTERFLY by A.G. Howard

Title: THE GLASS BUTTERFLY (Haunted Hearts Legacy #3)

Author: A.G. Howard

Pub. Date: August 15, 2018

Publisher: Golden Orb Press

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Pages: 278

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon

All other formats and vendors will be available on the official launch date: August 15, 2018

For close to a decade, twenty-five-year-old Felicity Lonsdale has masqueraded as a dowager almost twice her age—selling caterpillars to butterfly consortiums—enabling her to hide an ill-fated past while raising her late brother’s daughters. Together, the three live on an isolated Irish estate bequeathed by a dying earl. When the earl’s estranged son arrives to claim his inheritance by threatening to expose Felicity’s true identity, she longs to pack up her nieces and run. But a ghostly secret within the castle’s turret holds her captive. 

Nick Thornton—a Roma viscount’s heir—is also captive. After a tryst with an investor’s wife nearly destroyed his family’s holiday resort, Nick forsook everything to elope with her. However, a tragic mistake at his hand led to her and his baby’s deaths. Refusing to turn to the family he shamed, Nick travels to seek the countess who once co-wrote a romance with his sister. There’s rumor of a special butterfly in her keep—a transparent-winged species with ties to the afterlife. Nick hopes to contact his dead wife and child, for only their forgiveness can free him. 

Upon his arrival to Felicity’s estate, Nick offers to help her defeat the earl’s son, on the condition she allow Nick to investigate her glass butterflies. Felicity agrees, though fears the closer he gets to the ghosts of his past, the closer he’ll come to uncovering her own. As Nick spends time with Felicity and her nieces, he realizes the mystery enshrouding this fragile countess and her castle is more intriguing than the ghosts he originally came to find. And perhaps putting his dead to rest and helping her do the same will be his true path to redemption.

My review:

Rating: A-

My thoughts on the book:

When I saw that The Glass Butterfly was a book by A.G. Howard, I jumped at the chance to review it. Howard is a fantastic author, and I love her Splintered series. When I requested this book for review, I wasn't aware it was the third in a series. It read as a standalone, so I actually didn't know it was a part of a series until I started working on this review. I want to read the other two books, now that I know that there are more novels in this series, and I'm confident that they will read like standalone novels as well. 

This novel was very different from Howard's Splintered series in most ways, but one thing was very similar. The obsession with butterflies throughout the book reminded me of Splintered and Alyssa's hangup with bugs. However, that is where the similarities end. The main characters in this novel are adults, and they have very different goals and personalities than anyone in the Splintered series. The story and world are extremely well-developed, especially with this being the third book in the series. I didn't feel lost at all. The plot was extremely intriguing and kept me reading into the early morning. 

The two main characters, Nick and Felicity, are well-developed and extremely complex. I love how their stories unraveled throughout the narrative instead of just having one major info dump at the beginning. Their secrets were slowly revealed to each other and to the reader, and that seemed much more organic. Neither character is perfect, and while they have a past connection, neither character has a "good" past. They are both broken in many ways, and I really appreciated that about them. The secondary characters were also well-developed, and I really loved Felicity's two nieces. 

The writing for this book was beautiful, of course. I've come to expect nothing less from Howard. The world-building was fantastic, and the descriptions were wonderful. The pacing of the story was perfect, and there was enough mystery to keep me guessing throughout the entire novel. The characters' growth throughout the book was also really great to watch. The romance between Nick and Felicity is natural and progresses at a normal speed. They have a great chemistry. My only problem with this book is that it felt like Howard was trying to use Jane Austen's free indirect discourse, where the third person limited narrator skips between characters to allow for a range of thoughts to be shown to the reader, but it didn't work out. There was no separation between Felicity and Nick, as far as narrative voice went, and it got confusing from time to time. I couldn't figure out whose thoughts I was privy to, which pulled me out of the story. Aside from that, the book was amazing, and the ending was lovely.

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BLACK BIRD OF THE GALLOWS by Meg Kassel

Rating: B+
Synopsis:
A simple but forgotten truth: Where harbingers of death appear, the morgues will soon be full.

Angie Dovage can tell there’s more to Reece Fernandez than just the tall, brooding athlete who has her classmates swooning, but she can’t imagine his presence signals a tragedy that will devastate her small town. When something supernatural tries to attack her, Angie is thrown into a battle between good and evil she never saw coming. Right in the center of it is Reece—and he’s not human.

What’s more, she knows something most don’t. That the secrets her town holds could kill them all. But that’s only half as dangerous as falling in love with a harbinger of death.

My thoughts on the book:
Black Bird of the Gallows is one of the strangest novels that I've ever read, and I mean that in a good way. I like different and bizarre, and this novel definitely has those two qualities. In addition to being completely unique, the characters are well-developed, the writing is gorgeous, and the pacing and plot are fantastic. The world-building is a little sparse, which is the only reason I rated the book lower than an A. While this is a standalone story, there is another novel coming out that's set in this world, and I can't wait for Keeper of the Bees to come out in September!

Angie was a great main character. She was flawed and broken, but still a good person. She was an easy character to connect with, and I really enjoyed reading from her perspective. She was strong and capable and intelligent. Reece was an interesting male lead, and I thought for a bit that this book was going to go Twilight on me and make Reece out to be some billion year old creeper, but it didn't, thankfully. He was selfless and he tried to make the best of his curse and tried to do what was right. I really had a lot of sympathy for him because he had a rough life to say the least. The secondary characters weren't overly developed, but they had their own personalities, and I think they contributed nicely to the story. I would have liked a bit more background on Deno and Lacey, but they felt real nonetheless.

The plot for this story was a bit complex, and I enjoyed that. Nothing really was what it seemed, and it kept me engaged. The pacing was spot-on, and I didn't get bored and nothing felt rushed. The writing was well-done, and the descriptions were wonderfully written. Some parts of this book are horrifying and not for the faint of heart, and the author doesn't pull any punches. That being said, there are no gratuitously violent scenes. There was a lot of heart put into this book, and I did tear up a few times, and I also had quite a few laughs, so I was also emotionally engaged with these characters and the story. My only complaint is the world-building. While the different creatures did a bit of explanation of the magic and their world, I still don't feel like I fully understand what was going on. That could have been the reason. It was the first book in this series, and even though it can serve as a standalone, since the sequel will have new characters and a new location, I assume the world will keep building in the next installment. The ending tied things up nicely for these characters. 

Overall, I'd recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a slightly horrifying and bizarre YA paranormal romance. The premise is extremely interesting and it's executed very well. 

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A PROMISE OF FIRE by Amanda Bouchet

Rating: A
Synopsis:
KINGDOMS WILL RISE AND FALL FOR HER...
BUT NOT IF SHE CAN HELP IT

Catalia "Cat" Fisa lives disguised as a soothsayer in a traveling circus. She is perfectly content avoiding the danger and destiny the Gods-and her homicidal mother-have saddled her with. That is, until Griffin, an ambitious warlord from the magic-deprived south, fixes her with his steely gaze and upsets her illusion of safety forever.

Griffin knows Cat is the Kingmaker, the woman who divines the truth through lies. He wants her as a powerful weapon for his newly conquered realm-until he realizes he wants her for much more than her magic. Cat fights him at every turn, but Griffin's fairness, loyalty, and smoldering advances make him increasingly hard to resist and leave her wondering if life really does have to be short, and lived alone.

My thoughts on the book:
I picked up A Promise of Fire at BEA in Chicago, back in 2016. Between all of the moves and life disasters and events since then, I never got around to reading it. When I was looking at my bookshelf yesterday, trying to decide what to read, it jumped out at me, and I'm glad it did. This is a fantastic novel. The characters are so well-developed, they feel like real people. The writing is superb; the pacing is spot-on. There is the right balance of action and romance, and the ending ties things up while leaving room for the sequel, which I've already bought and downloaded on my Kindle. 

Cat is a fantastic heroine. She has just the right amount of sass. Her horrific past is heartbreaking, and while she seems too combative and flat out abusive, it starts to make sense the more Cat reveals about herself. Griffin was a bit too "macho" for my tastes. He needed a course on toxic masculinity and then he needed to tone it down a bit. Cat can more than stand up for herself, though, and at least she called him out on his crap. Also, he took a lot of Cat's abuse, and even though he abducted her (when looking at this through an Ancient Greek mythological lens and all of the events surrounding it, it's not as annoying or awful as it would be in other contexts), he was kind and didn't deserve her wrath to the extent that she dealt it. I liked that both characters were flawed and that I didn't love everything about them, though. It made them more real. The secondary characters were just as well-developed, and I really loved Flynn and Carver. They were my two favorites, I think. 

The world-building and descriptions were well done, and I felt like I was there in this fantastical realm with Cat and Griffin. The plot was sound, and with all of the Greek mythology woven into a fantasy realm, that couldn't have been easy. Normally I get annoyed with characters who seem to develop Stockholm's Syndrome, I don't think that was really the case in this instance. There were a lot of sociopolitical, cultural, and religious things surrounding Cat's abduction that made it less of an abduction and more of a fate type of thing. Anyway, potential Stockholm's Syndrome aside, there was just the right mix of action and romance, and our heroine is no pansy. She can fight just as well, if not better than, the men. One thing that struck me as different in this novel is that there were large sections devoted to Cat developing relationships (friendships and a romantic relationship) with different people, and while I would have thought that would annoy me, it actually made the relationships feel more realistic and really created a rich emotional story. 

Overall, I'd recommend this novel to anyone who loves paranormal romance, fantasy novels, and Greek mythology. It's a wonderfully unique and genuine read.

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BEYOND A DARKENED SHORE by Jessica Leake

Rating: A+
Synopsis:
The ancient land of Éirinn is mired in war. Ciara, Princess of Mide, has never known a time when Éirinn’s kingdoms were not battling for power, or Northmen were not plundering their shores. 

The people of Mide have thankfully always been safe because of Ciara’s unearthly ability to control her enemies’ minds and actions. But lately, a mysterious crow has been appearing to Ciara, whispering warnings of an even darker threat. Although her clansmen dismiss her visions as pagan nonsense, Ciara fears this coming evil will destroy not just Éirinn, but the entire world. 

Then the crow leads Ciara to Leif, a young Northman leader. Leif should be Ciara’s enemy, but when Ciara discovers that he, too, shares her prophetic visions, she knows he’s something more. Leif is mounting an impressive army, and with Ciara’s strength in battle the two might have a chance to save their world. 

With evil rising around them, they’ll do what it takes to defend the land they love…even if it means making the greatest sacrifice of all.

My thoughts on the book:
I absolutely loved Beyond a Darkened Shore. This novel is brilliant. The writing, the character development, the plot, everything is beautiful and wonderful. Leake did a fantastic job with the mythology, and I loved seeing ancient mythological creatures come to life in a historical narrative instead of in contemporary society. That being said, not everyone will love this novel. It's heavy on the medieval history and Leake was brave to write a story like this, especially as a YA trope. I could clearly picture medieval Ireland as if I were there. I felt like I was back in Ireland, visiting Dublina and being immersed in the long history of the land. This novel is exquisite. 

Ciara is a strong female lead, and I really enjoyed reading from her perspective. She can be stubborn at times, but can't we all? She is extremely loyal and loves deeply, even though no one gives her a chance. She's better than her entire clan combined, in my opinion. She learns a lot and grows so much throughout her journey. I really admire her resilience and adaptability. Leif is a great love interest. He is also strong, and while he is more open-minded, he still grows and changes throughout the narrative as well. 

The writing in this novel is fantastic. The world-building and setting descriptions are beautifully done. This book has so many messages in it: don't judge people who are different (they just may save your life); generalizing, prejudging, and dehumanizing groups of people is wrong; everyone has a place where they belong; you have to accept yourself before you can accept others; a relationship should be an alliance, a partnership, not some co-dependent nightmare... I could go on. I love that this book is pushing back against prejudice and judgment. Additionally, the novel is fairly fast-paced, and it will keep you on the edge of your seat. I've read and heard stories about all of the mythological creatures that are in this book, but Leake's rendition did the Irish fables honor by being truly horrifying. I really enjoyed the fact that Ireland had the Irish Celtic deities guarding it and the Nordic region had the Norse deities guarding it. The religions co-existed beautifully together, and it also gave another meaning to home: you were cut off from your own deities, more or less, when you were in another land. It also showed that truth is a matter of perspective when it comes to beliefs. The mythological creatures truly came alive under Leake's pen (or keyboard, I guess). The twist in the novel wasn't super surprising, but the outcome of the twist did shock me. The ending was beautiful and tied things up wonderfully. 

This is the first book I've ever read by Jessica Leake, but after devouring it, I will definitely be reading the other novels she's written. 

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EVERY LAST BREATH by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Rating: A-
Synopsis:
Some loves will last ’til your dying breath

Every choice has consequences—but seventeen-year-old Layla faces tougher choices than most. Light or darkness. Wickedly sexy demon prince Roth, or Zayne, the gorgeous, protective Warden she never thought could be hers. Hardest of all, Layla has to decide which side of herself to trust.

Layla has a new problem, too. A Lilin—the deadliest of demons—has been unleashed, wreaking havoc on those around her…including her best friend. To keep Sam from a fate much, much worse than death, Layla must strike a deal with the enemy while saving her city—and her race—from destruction.

Torn between two worlds and two different boys, Layla has no certainties, least of all survival, especially when an old bargain comes back to haunt them all. But sometimes, when secrets are everywhere and the truth seems unknowable, you have to listen to your heart, pick a side—and then fight like hell…

My thoughts on the book:
Clearly I'm in a JLA mood lately, since this is the second book of hers that I read in a row. Every Last Breath did not disappoint. On the surface, this novel is a YA paranormal romance, but it has so much more going on than that. There is a lot of mythology, philosophy, and ethics thrown in there. It really makes you think. Also, JLA's writing is flawless. She made me both laugh and cry with this novel, and I needed both forms of catharsis very badly. The romance in this book is more cute than steamy, since it's a YA novel, but it's by no means G rated. The characters are wonderful, as usual, and the plot is engaging. My only problem with this book is the love triangle. I hate love triangles.

Layla grew up a lot in this book, and I appreciated that. She handled most things like an adult, and she really made some tough decisions. My heart broke for her several times because of all of the stuff she was going through, but she emerged from each battle stronger. That's always inspiring to me when characters do that. It gives me hope that I, too, can overcome my obstacles and emerge stronger than before. Roth was Roth, and I loved him as always. The familiars were fantastic, and I really felt like I got to see another side of Cayman in this novel. Zayne was Zayne, and I didn't like him that much still. He was a good guy, but not for me. 

The romance was adorable and sweet and somewhat steamy... It was pretty damn steamy for a YA novel. The writing was wonderful, and there was actually one quote that made me laugh until I cried: "He’s as old as time and has the temperament of someone who shit the bed and has been rolling around in it all day.” Cayman said that, and I laughed for at least 15-20 minutes before I could collect myself. My cats thought I'd lost my mind. There were also some heartbreaking moments that had me in tears because I was so sad for the characters. I love novels that can make me feel what the characters are feeling, and this one definitely did that. 

The action was nonstop, and this was a fast-paced book. Every time I thought the characters would get a break, something else was thrown at them. I mean I thought my life was a shit show, but Layla had me beat by a long shot in this novel... and at least my problems are mine and don't affect the entire world. 

Overall, I'd recommend this book and series to anyone who loves mythology, loves books that make you think, and loves books that make you feel. Armentrout did not disappoint with this trilogy's ending. 

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FIRE TOUCHED by Patricia Briggs

Rating: B+
Synopsis:
Mercy Thompson has been hailed as “a heroine who continues to grow and yet always remains true to herself.”* Now she’s back, and she’ll soon discover that when the fae stalk the human world, it’s the children who suffer...

Tensions between the fae and humans are coming to a head. And when coyote shapeshifter Mercy and her Alpha werewolf mate, Adam, are called upon to stop a rampaging troll, they find themselves with something that could be used to make the fae back down and forestall out-and-out war: a human child stolen long ago by the fae.

Defying the most powerful werewolf in the country, the humans, and the fae, Mercy, Adam, and their pack choose to protect the boy no matter what the cost. But who will protect them from a boy who is fire touched?

My thoughts on the book:
When I saw this novel on NetGalley, I was so excited. Patricia Briggs is one of my favorite authors, and this is one of my favorite series, even though a couple of the most recent efforts in Mercy's world have fallen flat for me. However, this novel was a refreshing change from the past few books. The action starts in the first couple of chapters and doesn't end until the very last page. Some of the new characters introduced were extremely interesting, and aside from Mercy randomly throwing in ridiculous words in an effort to prove she's intelligent, the writing was top notch. Fans of the series are going to devour this book.

Mercy is one of my favorite Fantasy heroines. She's tough, smart, and able to take care of herself. She has a man in her life because she loves him, not because she needs him to be fulfilled. She continues to grow throughout the series, but she doesn't change so much that the growth seems out of character for her. She has issues and PTSD and a bit of anxiety, but she overcomes that to help others. She's a great example of a flawed, but still wonderful and strong, heroine. Adam is a fantastic complement to her, and the way he's evolved over the series is also organic. I really like who he's becoming, and I love how Mercy has challenged him, and his whole pack, to open their minds and accept people for who they are instead of trying to change them. This novel illustrates more of that kind of pack growth, and I feel that it's much needed and really added to the tapestry of the pack and their bonds. 

The world-building and descriptions were beautifully done in this book, but Briggs seemed so hung up on showing that Mercy wasn't an idiot that she used some really random, what I like to call "GRE words" to prove it... words that no one uses because you can express things in a much simpler manner. This hasn't happened in the past, and I'm not sure why it happened now. Those words really broke up the flow of writing, though, because even though I knew what they meant, as many readers will, they just didn't come across naturally. That was my main pet peeve with this novel and why it got a B+ instead of an A. The pacing was super fast, but not rushed, the story itself was well-told and interesting, and the alternating of action scenes vs. emotional scenes kept me emotionally engaged. The ending tied things up nicely, and after this book, I can't help but think that Mercy's story is about to come to an end. I feel like she's about to get things squared away enough that she can have her happily ever after. We'll see if I'm right or not, but that's the feeling that I got. 

Overall, I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoys this series. I'd also recommend this series to anyone  who loves Urban Fantasy with strong female characters. Briggs is an amazing author, and she will not disappoint. 

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REAWAKENED by Colleen Houck

Rating: A-
Synopsis:
When seventeen-year-old Lilliana Young enters the Metropolitan Museum of Art one morning during spring break, the last thing she expects to find is a live Egyptian prince with godlike powers, who has been reawakened after a thousand years of mummification.

And she really can't imagine being chosen to aid him in an epic quest that will lead them across the globe to find his brothers and complete a grand ceremony that will save mankind.

But fate has taken hold of Lily, and she, along with her sun prince, Amon, must travel to the Valley of the Kings, raise his brothers, and stop an evil, shape-shifting god named Seth from taking over the world.

From New York Times bestselling author Colleen Houck comes an epic adventure about two star-crossed teens who must battle mythical forces and ancient curses on a journey with more twists and turns than the Nile itself. 

My thoughts on the book:
I really enjoyed this novel. Reawakened is my first book by Colleen Houck, though I'd heard amazing thing about The Tiger's Curse series. I can easily say that I was not disappointed. This book is unique and full of action and adventure with a hint of romance. The characters are multifaceted and intriguing, and the plot kept me engaged until the very end. The pacing was a bit slow in the beginning and middle, but the concept and world were interesting enough that I was kept engaged. I'd recommend this novel to just about anyone!

Lily was a logical protagonist, and I really enjoyed reading from her perspective. Her denial of the situation lasted a long time, but that made it a bit more realistic. Lily is no Bella Swan, and for that I'm grateful. She may not have been kick ass in the way that some of the physically tougher heroines are, and her obsession with her own money got on my nerves, but she was strong and likable in her own way. Amon was extremely interesting, and I really liked watching him learn about our modern world. Some of his actions and reactions were hilarious, and it added some humor to an otherwise intense novel.

The prologue really created the setting for this novel, even though the book itself was set in many different locations. The mood and supernatural world were explained in those few pages, and it gave the book a sense of urgency. The romance was there, and there was a lot of tension and chemistry between Lily and Amon. However, we didn't get much of them as a couple past that. The world-building itself required some info dumps, and it was clear that Houck did her research in Egyptian history and mythology. The pacing, while a bit slow at times, really sped up at the end, and the ending left me wishing it was 2016 so I could get my hands on the next installment. This ending tied up most of the questions raised in this book, but set the stage for the sequel. 

Overall, I'd recommend this book to anyone who is looking for something a bit different in the YA Urban Fantasy market. Houck's use of Egyptian mythology is refreshing, and a mentally strong, yet vulnerable protagonist is a nice change from the weak minded and/or physically strong girls in most of today's YA books.

Order Reawakened

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Stormdancer

Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff

Griffins are supposed to be extinct. So when Yukiko and her warrior father Masaru are sent to capture one for the Shogun, they fear that their lives are over. Everyone knows what happens to those who fail him, no matter how hopeless the task.

But the mission proves far less impossible, and far more deadly, than anyone expects – and soon Yukiko finds herself stranded: a young woman alone in her country's last wilderness, with only a furious, crippled griffin for company. But trapped together in the forest, Yukiko and Buruu soon discover a friendship that neither of them expected.

Meanwhile, the country around them verges on the brink of collapse. A toxic fuel is slowly choking the land; the omnipotent, machine-powered Lotus Guild is publicly burning those they deem Impure; and the Shogun cares about nothing but his own dominion. Yukiko has always been uneasy in the shadow of power, when she learns the awful truth of what the Shogun has done, both to her country and to her own family she's determined to do something about it.

Returning to the city, Yukiko and Buruu plan to make the Shogun pay for his crimes – but what can one girl and a flightless griffin do against the might of an empire? -Plot summary borrowed from Goodreads

Chances are, you will either love this book or dash it against your wall in a fit of rage. I happened to love it, which earned it a review here, so I'll try to talk about that first before getting to the caveats and addendums. 

This book was fun. And cool. And had lots of nifty things. The set pieces are amazing- Kristoff describes each new scene in such a detailed fashion that I really felt like I could see the whole detailed picture. There are just so many cool details here: the clan tattoos, the mostly familiar mythology (Oni, for one, which are pretty damn intimidating) but also new creatures (Thunder Tigers). Yukiko is a well-executed blend of kickass katana wielder and griffin-loving girl. The baddies are very, very bad and the world-building is exhaustive. Battles are exciting, relationships emotional, and Buruu is just fantastic. Here is an "interview" with him that won't give anything away. This was a world I really enjoyed getting to know and I'm eagerly awaiting the sequel.

Ok, now on to the controversial stuff. So, Kristoff borrows very, very heavily from Japanese mythology, fashion, music, military history, and language to build his fictional world of Shima. For many readers, the phrase "Japanese steampunk" will probably be irresistible. However, these are also the people most likely to take exceptions to some of the quirks in this book. Here are the biggest that I noticed while reading and subsequently looking at other reviews:

1. "Hai" is used as a universal substitute for "yes."
2. "Sama" is used on its own, not always as a suffix
3. Some concepts are used a bit cavalierly, like when Yukiko "throws on a light kimono"

If this list has you foaming at the mouth, just chill, and find a different book. It's ok. There's plenty of good stuff out there (although, sadly, probably not very much Japanese steampunk). These things didn't bother me too much, partially because I'm not an East Asian studies major and also because, look, it's Kristoff's world and it's not Japan so WHO CARES. It's very probably intentional- he never has characters refer to each other as "Chan" or "San," so I think he understands how honorific suffixes work and just thought he'd use "Sama" as a way to address some characters. No biggie. 

There are a few more criticisms I could make- the descriptions do go a bit overboard sometimes, and the plot is a bit slighter than I would like, but honestly? I don't care. It was still a fun read that left me wanting more and I would highly recommend this one despite a few flaws.

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The Raven Boys

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

“There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said. “Either you’re his true love . . . or you killed him.”

It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.

His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore. -Plot summary borrowed from Goodreads

Oh, how I loved this book. There's the Practical Magic-esque house full of eccentric female female psychics (Blue, her mother, Maura, outspoken cousin Calla, and odd, dreamy Persephone), a heroine who stands out from the crowd, a well-developed cast of believable and non-stock characters, mystery, spirits, folklore, RAVENS! 

This could easily have been an angsty, sloggy tale of woe and star-crossed lovers. Instead, it's a story of a group of friends coming together to unravel a centuries old mystery. Some characters take longer to get to know than others (Noah is a bit hard to pin down until about halfway through), and some I was surprised by liking, like Ronan. A pretty rich boy with rage issues? Yeah, no thanks. I've never been one to swoon over the Logans and Tylers of the teen scene.

....Oh, wait, he rescued a baby raven? And... is Irish? And likes Celtic folk music? And stands up for his friends when it counts? 

Damn it.

The action kicks well into gear towards the end of the book, and there were some solid surprises and welcome twists along the way. Despite the summary, there wasn't much romance in this one, which is fine with me. I think too many YA authors give the mushy/swoony/broody stuff too much time in the spotlight, when they could really spend more time developing plot, fleshing out characters and world-building. Besides, there's a good reason for it- would you be feeling especially romantic if there was a prophecy looming over your head?

 I do wish that a few more questions had been answered, but there is at least one sequel planned, so I won't quibble about that too much. Book 2, The Dream Thieves, is slated for a September 2013 release. Hurray!

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Review: Everneath

"Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned- to her old life, her family, her friends- before being banished back to the underworld... this time forever.

She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen.

As Nikki's time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she's forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's..."
-Goodreads

Stats:

• Publisher: Harper Collins
• Release date: Jan. 24, 2012
• Page count: 370
• Will appeal to: Mythology lovers, fans of fantasy

Favorite Quotes: (will be checked against final edition)
"He gave me a smile that I could have sold on the internet for money."

"Last year, I'd left my dad in the heat of an argument. I threw despicable words at him and then walked out and never came back."

"Lacey had spent the week leading up to football camp telling everyone who would listen 'What happens at camp stays at camp,' which made it sound like camp consisted of a craps table, tequila-lime shots, and tangled sheets."

"I tucked this moment away. In the dark, dank world of the Tunnels, I would call upon this memory. And there would be a flicker of candlelight. If only for a moment."

If you love mythology, this is a great pick for 2012. I requested the book specifically for the cover, but the plot also intrigued me. Anything about souls catches my attention.

Basically sweet Nikki is known to her friends and boyfriend as Becks, as her last name is Beckett. After being heartbroken by her boyfriend, she runs to a person she knows can take the pain away: Cole. He's a musician, and also an immortal. Nikki becomes the person who gives him energy in the Everneath during the Feed. They are wrapped together in the dark for an entire century (only months in the real world), her life dwindling as he becomes stronger. I love the opening because it describes how it feels for her body to come away from his after fitting together so perfectly for so long. It is rare that one survives the Feed, let alone doesn't age, so Cole realizes his Nik is special (love that the author chose to have only Cole refer to her as Nik). He asks her to go with him and become a queen. Instead, she chooses to go back to the surface. She's informed she has six months until the creatures of the Tunnels come to get her and take her back to use as a battery; fuel for those of the Feed. Cole shows her a glimpse of this horrific life, but still, she must say goodbye to the father and brother she left so suddenly, and maybe even the boyfriend she can't stop thinking of.

Jack-- such a perfect, short name. I really liked him. The way he gently lets Nikki take her own time to talk to him. The way he never gives up after school, taking every new development as a sign of her healing. The entire school thinks Nikki was on drugs and ran away, as well as her father who is mid-election and defending his mayoral seat. The reader learns how broken Jack was after she left. How he secluded himself and lost friends over his behavior. Jack's adorable, sad, but seriously in love.

For me, Nikki and Jack were destined to be together. Their relationship is both fragile and solid. Jack is okay with a friendship after so much time, as long as he can have her back in his life.

Cole is the wedge that comes between them. Even though he is majorly annoying, popping up at every opportunity in Nikki's room, he wants to be loved and has a vulnerable side. I can see why Nikki is so attracted to him in the first place; he's older, interesting, and can make her feel better.

Within chapters, the time stamp jumps around from the past to the present. Then, the time counts down so the reader can see how many days remain for Nikki. An impeding sense of doom lingers as she gets closer to leaving a second time without explanation.

The story develops into a fact-finding mystery that Nikki needs to solve to stay on earth. The Daughters of Persephone is mentioned by a crazy woman from the soup kitchen Nikki volunteers at. The myth of  Orpheus going to the underworld to retrieve Persephone is explored, and Nikki can see lots of parallels between his tale and hers with Jack.

I thought the world was thoroughly developed by the author, Brodi Ashton. The plot does a good job of answering questions a little at a time, so as to entice the reader to continue. It's interesting that the immortals can suck off layers of people's emotions to make them feel better, and the worst emotions, stress, fear, anger, pain, are the first to go. It becomes addictive for the human, which is how Nikki falls into his trap.

The end was surprising because it had two major twists, one of which I should have seen coming.

I was freaking out when I read the acknowledgements because I spotted the name Jenni Elyse, a fellow book blogger, who read an early draft of this novel. Yay, Jenni!

Although the writing style didn't knock me off my feet, the plot kept me engaged, and the romance grew very strong. I look forward to seeing what the next book in the series brings, especially when it comes to sweet, lovable Jack!

*This ARC was provided to me by the publishers in exchange for an honest review.

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