Audio: The Vampire Knitting Club by Nancy Warren

Narrated by: Sarah Zimmerman

Series: Vampire Knitting Club, Book 1

Length: 6 hrs and 6 mins

Unabridged Audiobook

Release date: 06-11-19

Language: English

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Paranormal cozy mystery

I received this book in exchange for an honest review

This was short and amusing. Plus is has vampires knitting, that was strange and good.

Lucy inherits a knitting store from her gran, and Lucy can't even knit! She also starts wondering if her gran was murdered...

Which ok the blurb does spoil it and then there is the whole title, so yes her gran was murdered and she is now a vampire. And vampires in Oxford seems to enjoy knitting.

Something strange is happening. Who kille her gran. Is there something else going on? Ok, I can't say more, but things are going on. And since it is a short book the mystery is solved quickly...but i was still wrong!

There is a cat, there is a hot vamp, an interesting cop, yes things might turn interesting in this town after all for Lucy.

Fun story.

narrator

She did a great job with all the characters. I liked her Lucy voice, it felt very, well that I would have liked Lucy in rl too 

At a crossroads between a cringe-worthy past (Todd the Toad) and an uncertain future (she's not exactly homeless, but it's close), Lucy Swift travels to Oxford to visit her grandmother. With Gran's undying love to count on and Cardinal Woolsey's, Gran's knitting shop, to keep her busy, Lucy can catch her breath and figure out what she's going to do.  

Except it turns out that Gran is the undying. Or at least, the undead. But there's a death certificate. And a will, leaving the knitting shop to Lucy. And a lot of people going in and out who never use the door - including Gran, who is just as loving as ever, and prone to knitting sweaters at warp speed, late at night. What exactly is going on?  

When Lucy discovers that Gran did not die peacefully in her sleep, but was murdered, she has to bring the killer to justice without tipping off the law that there's no body in the grave. Between a hot 500-year-old vampire and a dishy detective inspector, both of whom always seem to be there for her, Lucy finds her life getting more complicated than a triple cable cardigan. The only one who seems to know what's going on is her cat...or is it...her familiar?

Carole's Sunday: The Channeler - Jenna Ryan

Author:   Jenna Ryan
Title: The Channeler (Continuum Series, #1)
Genre: YA, Paranormal, SciFi, Fantasy
Pages: ebook
Published:  January 18th 2019 
Where I Got It: My shelf (Given to me by the author/publisher for my honest and unbiased opinion)



Caleb Swift knows he's a complicated guy. He sees the unseeable: winged beings that haunt both his dreams and his waking visions. He knows the unknowable: horrifying visions of countless unspeakable futures he feels powerless to prevent. And if that weren't bad enough, these potent revelations might be driving him insane.

Who needs that kind of trouble?

Not Caleb. He's doing his best to live a totally uncomplicated life, to ignore the visions of doom that hound him relentlessly. But no matter what he does, one particular vision still plagues him. The one with the girl. The girl who's in mortal danger (or will be soon). The girl only he can save.

Now Caleb has a choice. To ignore his gift, to live the ordinary life he so desperately desires, even if it means letting her die...

Or to act. To interfere. To become extraordinary. And let one girl's future turn his present completely upside-down.

This immediately caught my attention. The cover, the title, the story, and the character. I knew I wanted and needed to read this story right away. 

The story follows young Caleb. He has visions of countless unspeakable futures and it kills him he can't change any of them. He tries to live a totally normal life, however, there is a girl who he sees in one of his visions that he can't get out of his head and knows he needs to try and save.

I gobbled this story up. I finished it in a couple of sittings. I was enthralled with Caleb and the world right away. Sure it was slow-paced at first, but we were getting introduced to Caleb and his pals. It takes time. The slowness bugged me a touch, but I think it needed it. 

Caleb was a fun character even though his moodiness bugged me sometimes. I liked Darla and I really adored Gav. He was a hoot. 

As much as people wish they want the power to see the future, it is not all daisies and rainbows. It honestly is a pain the romp and I felt sooooo bad for Caleb. I can't imagine that life! He was so miserable and it drained him. Poor guy. 

It did drive me bananas about his enemy. We don't get much on it. Maybe in the next book we'll get to see more that enemy and more of the supernatural part of the world. There was some, but I felt we spent a lot of time in the mortal world. Buuuuut I have hope for book 2! I wanna see more of the supernatural and I want to see that enemy of Caleb's get it's butt get kicked. 


OoooOOOooo that ending. It was good. Very cliffhanger-y...but it worked for this. I am invested and want to know what happened. I have hope! But we shall see. 

Overall, I did enjoy this. It was a quick read and I finished it in two sittings. A couple little, minor things that bugged me, but nothing extreme or something I couldn't look past. The ending, oddly, was good. I'm not usually one for cliff-hangers of that magnitude, but it worked for the story. Are you surprised? I AM! I am excited for book 2! I'll stamp this with 4 stars. 

Audio: Changeling - Molly Harper

Audible Audio, 8h

Narrator: Amanda Ronconi

Published August 22nd 2018 by Audible Studios

Sorcery and Society #1

YA Fantasy

For review

My Thoughts:

This was a rather delightful book. Sara was so sassy, had humour and at the same time she was vulnerable. 

Magicians rose up all over the world and took over. Now "normal" people work as servants for the high and might who rule the world.

Then there is Sara, who suddenly has magical powers. Her employers are scared that the higher ups will blame them and she is embraced into the family as one of them. In comes Cassandra Reed, who is sent to school to learn magic, and manners.

I liked the whole boarding school setup. There is the mean girl clicque, those who try to hide. Dances with the boy academy. It all works really well. Her "aunt" is never far away either as the boarding school is close by. She will get new friends and learna  few lessons. Magical and non magical.

I liked Mrs Winter, her former employer. She was so proper, but underneath it all there is someone kind.

Everyone was delightful, and the baddies were wicked and needed a kick in the behind.

A fun YA that has a bit of everything. Friendship, magic, suspense, romantic feelings and an interesting world that is about to change.

Conclusion:

I do recommend it, to YA fans and to adults.

Narration:

She was perfect for Cassandra at 14, and then she was perfect as Mrs Winter (and now I can hear her voice in my head to sit up straight.) She has a good range, and she was perfect for the dry with and sassiness to be had.

Blurb:

If 14-year-old Cassandra Reed makes it through her first day at Miss Castwell’s Institute for the Magical Instruction of Young Ladies without anyone discovering her secret, maybe, just maybe, she’ll let herself believe that she really does belong at Miss Castwell’s.

Except Cassandra Reed’s real name is Sarah Smith and up until now, she lived her whole life in the Warren, serving a magical family, the Winters, as all non-magical “Snipes” are bound by magical Guardian law to do. That is, until one day, Sarah accidentally levitates Mrs. Winter’s favorite vase in the parlor...

But Snipes aren’t supposed to have magical powers…and the existence of a magical Snipe threatens the world order dictated during the Guardians’ Restoration years ago. If she wants to keep her family safe and protect her own skin, Sarah must figure out how to fit into posh Guardian society, master her newfound magical powers and discover the truth about how an ordinary girl can become magical. 

A Blade so Black - LL.McKinney

Paperback, 384 pages

Expected publication: September 25th 2018 by Titan Books Ltd

YA UF PNR

For review

My Thoughts:

Alice in Wonderland. Wonderland being that what Dreams is made of, nightmares and all kinds. And Alice being a teenager who is attacked by a nightmare and saved by Addison Hatter. Yes the Mad Hatter is just some 20 year old (who is immortal and older) and not mad at all, or attending tea parties. Instead he is a fighter that protects us little mortals.

Alice was a normal teen, who is now a superhero of sorts. Her mum was SO over protective. I mean I am all for a mother who is present in YA lit, so many are not. But this mum worried all the time. And yes I get it, we d hear about the black girl who was shot by cops while doing nothing at all. So of course Alice's mum wants her safe and sound at home. But how much was Alice really home? Maybe her mum was right to be mad. Can't have your kid running wild now can we. Honestly how did Buffy do it?

Addison, well he is mysterious and we learn more later. He is in exile and at the same time he has to protect the Wonderland/Earth border. And of course they will hook up some time, what else is an immortal guy for...yes I do wish he had been 20 for real instead.

The bad guy, oh I fear he was the down part of the book. It was all good until the bad guy showed up. He talked like a modern snotty teenager. He was all over Alice. It was frankly weird. Why is she so special? I wish he had been scary or evil. Not so meh.

Personally I wanted more, more of something. A stronger book.

Conclusion:

But it was an interesting story, and a different Alice. More will come as the ending was evil. 

Blurb

The first time the Nightmares came, it nearly cost Alice her life. Now she's trained to battle monstrous creatures in the dark dream realm known as Wonderland with magic weapons and hardcore fighting skills. Yet even warriors have a curfew.

Life in real-world Atlanta isn't always so simple, as Alice juggles an overprotective mom, a high-maintenance best friend, and a slipping GPA. Keeping the Nightmares at bay is turning into a full-time job. But when Alice's handsome and mysterious mentor is poisoned, she has to find the antidote by venturing deeper into Wonderland than she’s ever gone before. And she'll need to use everything she's learned in both worlds to keep from losing her head . . . literally. 

The Surface Breaks - Louise O'Neill

Hardcover, 320 pages

Published May 3rd 2018 by Scholastic

YA Fiction /Fairytale re-telling

Library

My Thoughts:

I have read 2 of her previous books, and yes those were dark, but this one was more dark depressing.

Gaia is a mermaid. They are meant to be pretty and sweet and without a thought in their head. But she wants to see the surface and what lies there. Her sisters are all nice and follow their father's lead (oh I can never watch the Little Mermaid again, her dad is an ahole!)

There are also Rusalkas in the seas and they live with the Sea Witch. These Kingdoms have a truce at the moment. Oh and if you do not know your lore Rusalkas are women who have died in water and come back as Rusalkas. 

As you know the story Gaia will eventually go up to the surface for the love of a human boy. And omg this girl was a brainless idiot. She was in love with someone she saw once and she thinks that he will love her back just like that ?! She gambles everything on it. Oh this story is crazy. So yes I was not the biggest Gaia fan cos she was so silly.

Oh and ALL MEN are rapists. Or at least give of a rapey vibe. Not the man she meets, but he is a narcissist. I was not a fan of this, not all men are rapey creeps. I wish there had been some normalcy.

I liked the book, and it felt depressing. I know the real story of course, not the silly DIsney version so I knew what to expect. But throw in all rapey men with incest and pedo vibes. Ugh, what a depressing world.

Conclusion:

Still, an interesting re-telling.

Cover

Nice

Blurb

Deep beneath the sea, off the cold Irish coast, Gaia is a young mermaid who dreams of freedom from her controlling father. On her first swim to the surface, she is drawn towards a human boy. She longs to join his carefree world, but how much will she have to sacrifice? What will it take for the little mermaid to find her voice? Hans Christian Andersen's original fairy tale is reimagined through a searing feminist lens, with the stunning, scalpel-sharp writing and world building that has won Louise her legions of devoted fans. A book with the darkest of undercurrents, full of rage and rallying cries: storytelling at its most spellbinding.

Graphic Novel: Haunted - Cemetery Girl

Paperback, 120 pages

Published August 9th 2018 by Jo Fletcher Books

The Cemetery Girl Trilogy #3

Thriller /Paranormal 

for review

My thoughts:

I do not read many graphic novels a year so I am not sure, but at least here I have never come across the format of this one. It was like a trade paperback size? And I loved it! It was the perfect size for reading, much better than those bigger ones.

I also came in at book 3, but they had done it really well and I did not feel like I had missed much other than the obvious. Calexa being killed and dumped in the cemetery. Her living there. 2 people dying and going into her (well that sounds freaky)! And it seems meeting some old man and his son and that son getting hurt (and there are obvi feelings between Calexa and the son).

And with that the story began. Someone still wants her dead, but why?

A PI is asking questions and wanting to find her, but can he be trusted?

Winter is coming! Which is bad since she lives in a cemetery ;)

Last thoughts:

A nice conclusion to a series (yes yes I did not read them all), but I am glad a conclusion came. I wanted answers too and now I can not say more cos spoilers.

Great artwork too. That is all that counts for me.

Blurb

Calexa Rose Dunhill died once, just for a moment - but now someone wants her dead permanently

The shocking conclusion to Cemetery Girl by Charlaine Harris, no. 1 bestselling creator of Sookie Stackhouse, and Christopher Golden, bestselling co-creator of Baltimore.

They call her the Ghost of Dunhill Cemetery, but most people think 'the Cemetery Girl' is just a story. In some ways, that's true. Her chosen name is Calexa Rose Dunhill, but she doesn't know her real name. When she first arrived here, all she knew was that someone had tried to murder her: they'd dumped her body and left her for dead. Calexa has been hiding out here, afraid to seek out her true identity for fear that her would-be murderer would find her and finish the job. And someone is searching for her . . . a man named Salazar, who holds the key that will unlock the secrets of Calexa's past.

Calexa has new secrets as well, including the fact that she was murdered: she did die, if only for a moment - but in that moment, something changed inside her. Now, if someone dies near her, their spirit is drawn to Calexa, drawn into her. It has happened twice before, but now, as her worst fears come true and the killers have found her trail, the third ghost to take up residence in Calexa's soul will change everything.

The Cemetery Girl's story is about to reach a shocking conclusion! 

Audio: City of Brass - SA Chakraborty

Audiobook, 18 h

Published November 14th 2017 by HarperAudio

The Daevabad Trilogy #1

Paranormal/inworld fantasy

Bookbeat.fi

My thoughts

I have a few mixed feeling about this one. It just took so bloody long for it to get going. The first part was pretty dull. Maybe half the book? One third? I can not remember. And then it got somewhat better. But the truly good part was actually only the last 2 hours. Which is kind of sad. Up until that I was not that keen on ever listening/reading more, but those did up the game.

The part that made me stop and think was that I got Twilight feelings and that did ruin a lot. It was SO twilight! I also did not realise that this is adult fantasy. Sure there was rape talk and violence, but I did feel it was more YA. Sure the main character is 20, but she does not act like that. I could just as well have thought her 16. She was so not 20.

Let us begin. Nahri lives in Egypt in the 1700s. She is hustler and a thief. Then she meets a Djinn and she manages to loose a bit of her personality.

There is a magical world mortals do not know of. Of djinn and Peris and other things. She is taken to the city of Daevabad (on a long trip where nothing happens and he tells her nothing cos they are busy.)

At first I liked Dara, but then, he is so caricature bad boy with a chip on his shoulder. I can not love thee, you deserve someone better. Oh just cut it out man.

There is another POV in the book and that is of a prince, Ali, religious zealot and wants one tribe wiped out...right. I can not like you cos of that even if you are trying to help half bloods.

Anyway, Dara is 1400 years old and is clearly Edward then. Ali is 17 years old and clearly...damn what was that boring wold called? Anyway him! Cos Nahri longs for her brooding guy. Ali will become a friend and there is only friendship, but it felt so Twilight. It felt like she had read Twilight and thought, well I can't have her be 17, better make her 20 cos they she is an adult who easily cn love a 1400 year old guy.

I know I complain a book but the Twilight feeling so soured things for me. 

And everyone are acting like dicks. The Djinn dislike one tribes that worships Fire (from which they are made). Cos allt the rest are muslims cos Suleiman put a curse on them to make them look more human and live shorter or whatever it was. Which raises more questions than anything. Why would that then become the right religion for them?

But those last 2 h were good and I will still rate this as good. But honestly, a lot was boring and the end also made me freaking mad. Cos then we learn things and omg I hate that premise. Just tell Nahri everything you effing eejits!

Narrator Soneela Nankani

She was good, I am sure this would have been a dnf otherwise

Blurb

Nahri has never believed in magic. Certainly, she has power; on the streets of 18th century Cairo, she’s a con woman of unsurpassed talent. But she knows better than anyone that the trade she uses to get by—palm readings, zars, healings—are all tricks, sleights of hand, learned skills; a means to the delightful end of swindling Ottoman nobles. 

But when Nahri accidentally summons an equally sly, darkly mysterious djinn warrior to her side during one of her cons, she’s forced to accept that the magical world she thought only existed in childhood stories is real. For the warrior tells her a new tale: across hot, windswept sands teeming with creatures of fire, and rivers where the mythical marid sleep; past ruins of once-magnificent human metropolises, and mountains where the circling hawks are not what they seem, lies Daevabad, the legendary city of brass?a city to which Nahri is irrevocably bound. 

In that city, behind gilded brass walls laced with enchantments, behind the six gates of the six djinn tribes, old resentments are simmering. And when Nahri decides to enter this world, she learns that true power is fierce and brutal. That magic cannot shield her from the dangerous web of court politics. That even the cleverest of schemes can have deadly consequences. 

After all, there is a reason they say be careful what you wish for . . . 

Listened to at Bookbeat.fi

Mini review of that site. I like the concept. For 14.95 a month you can listen yo as many audiobooks as you want. They seemed to have a lot of Harper Collins which is good.

BUT, I had huge problems (I did a free month and will not continue). When dling the app on my phone I kept having issues and the only speed I could listen to was 1x. Then I dled on my tablet and there is worked but who is taking that everywhere?

A bit hard to forward and go back too.

Audio: Shadowshaper - Daniel Jose Older

Sierra Santiago was looking forward to a fun summer of making art, hanging out with her friends, and skating around Brooklyn. But then a weird zombie guy crashes the first party of the season. Sierra's near-comatose abuelo begins to say "No importa" over and over. And when the graffiti murals in Bed-Stuy start to weep.... Well, something stranger than the usual New York mayhem is going on.

Sierra soon discovers a supernatural order called the Shadowshapers, who connect with spirits via paintings, music, and stories. Her grandfather once shared the order's secrets with an anthropologist, Dr. Jonathan Wick, who turned the Caribbean magic to his own foul ends. Now Wick wants to become the ultimate Shadowshaper by killing all the others, one by one. With the help of her friends and the hot graffiti artist Robbie, Sierra must dodge Wick's supernatural creations, harness her own Shadowshaping abilities, and save her family's past, present, and future. 

Audiobook,  7 h
Published 2015 by Scholastic Audio
Shadowshaper #1
YA UF

My thoughts:
There was this song that she kept humming and I all I was thinking is that I need that song. So yes the narrator sure did well there, managing to stick a song that is not a song in my head. I kept humming it afterwards.

Sierra is a normal teen. She loves to paint and is doing a mural. And then things start to change.

Her grandfather starts saying strange things, before he drifts back into his muddled after stroke state.

What are the shadowshapers? Who are the men in the picture? Why must she meet Robbie? What is going on!?

And yes why do people never explain things!! I know that it is a good premise for a story, but come on, this kid is almost killed and no one can tell her what they know.

I liked the magic in this one. Spirits, paintings and more. It was fascinating. I liked the mystery that unravelled, even if it would have unraveled faster if someone had told her things.

The book also deals with other things. How one street in Brooklyn can be her home, and then another street is suddenly all white with cute coffeeshops and hipsters that give her the eye. And how her own aunt is racist and says things that she can't be with anyone darker than the sole of her foot. And how her hair is messy, so her own aunt is racist against her. Dang that aunt.

The book compared this to another book, ugh, that almost destroyed it. NO, it was much better. It never felt you know paranormal YA. Oh you know what I mean. It was different, it was real and that magic slowly came  in. Urban fantasy.

Anika Noni Rose 

She did a great job and that song, love it still, I can hum it all sudden.

Carole's Sunday Review: The Demon within - Josh Gagnier

Author: Josh Gagnier

Title: The Demon Within

Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal

Pages: ebook

Published: February 3rd 2015

Where I Got It: My shelf (Given to me by the author/publisher for my honest and unbiased opinion)

Joe grew up listening to the voice in his head. It helped him through school, helped him gain wealth in his career. 

The final temptation of power was too much. He hadn't considered the cost. 

Now he must find a way to defeat The Demon Within. 

Little does he know, his every move is being recorded. Every misstep is being judged. As he gets ever closer to winning over his demon, heavenly eyes watch from above. Some root for his success while others hope he'll fail. 

While Joe fights his demon on the battlefront, the angel Michael fights for his Soul. 

Will Joe win out? Will Michael be able to save Joe's soul? 

Or will the Demon win and thrust Joe into the Abyss.

First…I must say…HOLY CANNOLI. This was not AT all what I was expecting. When I closed this book I was blinking and had to reflect what I had just read. 

The story follows Joe who is battling his demon and his goodness. He stumbles into this world of witches, demons, and so much more. Poor guy has had some tough breaks for sure. It seems like no matter what he does the people he loves either get killed or hurt. The story goes along and you learn things that you do not expect. I had no idea what was going to happen next!

I will admit it took me a little while to really get into the story. Honestly, I feel like I was confused the first few pages. Once I got a grasp on the world and what was going on, I was able to really enjoy the story. Maybe this was done on purpose? Joe is confused too. Sooo it makes sense. 

This was short and I wanted more. There was a cliffhanger, but it was a good one. Not too cliffhanger-ish if you get what I mean. It was done well and I do want to read the next one!!

I felt bad for Joe…hopefully he catches a break in the next one. 

I adored his “monitor” Belath. Hopefully, we learn more about him in the future!! Maybe someday get a short story about his past ;) 

In the end, this was really good. The beginning was a little rocky, but once I got my footing in this world I was able to enjoy the journey. I had NO clue what was going to happen next. I tried to guess, but all my guesses were wrong. It was nice! I’m usually good at guessing. I do recommend this! I’ll stamp this with 4 stars. 

Wolf Blood - NM Browne

A Celtic warrior girl is held captive and enslaved by a rival tribe. When fever takes her only friend, she knows she must escape, but she runs straight into the path of two Roman foot soldiers. Thinking they will kill a warrior instantly, the girl disguises herself as a beggar and asks to share their fire. Using her gift as a seer she discovers that one of the soldiers is not what he seems. Celtic blood courses through his veins too, but there is something else. He is a shapeshifter - a Versipellum. He shares his soul with that of the wolf. The girl needs to reach the leader of her dead friend's tribe, and the boy must escape the Romans before they discover his true nature. Their only chance of survival is to help each other. But what will happen when their powers are combined? 

Paperback, 282 pages
Published February 14th 2012 by Bloomsbury USA Childrens (first published July 4th 2011)
Historical fiction / YA / paranormal
Library

My thoughts:

I really want to try to write a short one, like those twitter ones, but oh it is hard!

So, not the best of books, but, it was easy and nice and I just kept on reading. It was good, nothing dramatic and the end felt open in a way. Mostly cos I know the Romans will win so, sucks being you guys.

Why they let their Seeress into battle I do not know. Shouldn't she be protected? And couldn't she have used that status as a slave?

Then there is Morcant, who is a shapeshifter, ha, yes he sure did that thing...man, that was weird. But yes with him it does go into a more fantasy side of history. But it never felt like that. It just felt like those things were around back then and then the Romans wipes it all out.

FIne, I can not do really short.

So two people fleeing. Romans everywhere. Clans fighting. I would have liked a deeper depth into this world, and maybe an adult version of it as it now was pretty tame. But it was good.

Cover

Where is the wolf

The Prince of Mist - Carlos Ruiz Zafon

In 1943, Max Carver's father - a watchmaker and inventor - decides to move his family to a small town on the coast, to an abandoned house that holds many secrets and stories of its own. Behind the house Max discovers an overgrown garden surrounded by a metal fence topped with a six-pointed star. In the centre is a large statue of a clown set in another six-pointed star.

As the family settles in they grow increasingly uneasy: Max’s sister Alicia has disturbing dreams while his other sister, Irina, hears voices whispering to her from an old wardrobe. With his new friend Roland, Max also discovers the wreck of a boat that sank many years ago in a terrible storm. Everyone on board perished except for one man - an engineer who built the lighthouse at the end of the beach.

As they learn more about the wreck, the chilling story of a legendary figure called the Prince of Mist begins to emerge...

My thoughts:
I did not know what to expect, was there really a Prince of Mist or not? I can not say, spoilers ;=)

It's a short book and it was one of his earlier works so I can not really compare it to The Shadow of the Wind (which is SO beautifully written). It's YA too, even if the author says it works as an adult novel. But I still say YA.

A family comes to a sea side town. Max learns about the story of the Prince of the Mist, all while he senses strange things in the house. He and his sister meets a new friend and learns even more about the legend. Something strange is going on, or is it?

It was short so it was a fast read. There is a bit of suspense at the end and a few paranormal vibes. A good story.

Paperback, 202 pages
Published March 28th 2011 by Phoenix (first published 1986)
Original Title: El príncipe de la niebla
Niebla #1
YA, fiction, paranormal

Carole's Sunday Review: Cross Cutting

Author: Wendy Hammer

Title: Cross Cutting The Trilogy

Genre: Paranormal, short stories, & Urban Fantasy

Pages: ebook

Published: July 2017

Where I Got It: My shelf (Given to me by the author/publisher for my honest and unbiased opinion.)

This gritty urban fantasy by Wendy Hammer is an omnibus of three novellas: The Thin, The Hollow, and The Marrow, and features two new short stories.

The Thin: Strange vans roam the streets as people go missing or turn up dead. The city can't fight the monsters alone. Trinidad O'Laughlin is a guardian looking for a territory to bond with and protect. Indiana's distress call may give her a chance at one--if she can survive long enough to take it.

The Hollow: Ache Vetrov is clairvoyant and a caretaker of secrets and lost things. When a mysterious wave of violence threatens to overwhelm the city of Lafayette, Ache begins to investigate. He and Trinidad O'Laughlin uncover creatures with concave faces devoid of feeling or mercy. Ache, Trinidad, and their friends must hold strong if they hope to find a way to stop the monstrous invasion before it erases everything.

The Marrow: Trinidad O'Laughlin has people to love and a city to watch over. Lafayette has become a true home. Her newfound peace is shattered when another cut opens in her territory and unleashes the malevolent force behind the previous invasions. Trinidad and her friends must defeat it before the whole world falls to its hunger.

What a fun world and fun ride! There were three short novellas and then two short stories.

The Thin:

Not a bad introduction to the world and characters. It started a little shaky though. The dialogue was shaky as well As the story unfolded it got better on both accounts. I started to understand what was going on and start getting invested in the world. I was still a little confused about Trinidad and her powers. I didn't really get it even near the end. Maybe it was just me?

I liked Ache and Iris, but I LOVED Fireman Dan. Cute old man. 

The Thins were creepy, but I wanted to learn more about them. They were interesting. 

The chemistry between Trinidad and Ache made me angry. JUST KISS ALREADY! *shakes fist* But kuddos to the author for making this chemistry and for not making this a paranormal romance that just focuses on them. Yes, there is some love, but it is not the focus. Kicking the baddies butt was the main objective and I liked it. 

I hated the ending though. It made me sad. I wanted to throw my kindle.

In the end, this was okay. A good intro to the world and characters. I'll give it a 3. 

The Hollow:

Ooooooooh! I love this being in Aches POV. It allowed us, the readers, to learn more about Aches and his feisty sis, Iris. I had liked Aches in the first short story, but now I love him.

I was hooked from page one. I blow right through this one. 

The unfolding of the story and the dialogue was WAY better in this one. Everything felt more natural and less awkward. 

We were able to learn more about Aches and Iris, but we were able to learn more about Trinidad, so that made me happy. Questions I had from the last short story was answered in this one, so that made me happy as well.

We were introduced to Marshall who the about the cheesiest person alive. Hello, soulmate! LOL!

The ending was good. I liked this one SO much more. Out of five, I'll give this 5. 

The Morrow:

Sighs. Back to Trinidad's POV. I do like her, but I like Aches much more and a part of me was hoping for Iris' POV. One can always hope and dream. 

This was a little scarier than the last two and I was worried that they wouldn't be able to beat this new baddie. I wasn't sure what to expect! 

I can't really say much else without giving away major spoilers, but I feel like the other two stories were just practice for this baddie. There was a lot on the line and you could feel it on each page. We got to see more and learn more about everyone. 

This was good but not as good as the last one. I'll give it 4 stars. 

All Your Fears:

This was super short. I really feel like it needed more pages to really come to life. It was okay, but not great. It felt like it just ended. No real resolution. Maybe I am just spoiled now with the longer novellas before it? Who knows. I'll give this 2. 

Snow Days:

Another short one, but this, I feel, had the right amount of pages. I am happy that I got to see more of Iris. It was a fun little short story and I want to see more of Iris and Carmela in the future. I'll give this 5 stars. It was really good. 

Conclusion:

In the end, this was a fun journey as I mentioned before. A very interesting group of pals saving the cities they love. Very interesting concepts and the writing was done well. I want more for sure! Maybe a full-length novel in the future! Now...overall stars? *does math* I shall stamp this with 4 stars. 

Our dark duet - Victoria Schwab

Kate Harker is a girl who isn’t afraid of the dark. She’s a girl who hunts monsters. And she’s good at it. August Flynn is a monster who can never be human, no matter how much he once yearned for it. He’s a monster with a part to play. And he will play it, no matter the cost.

Nearly six months after Kate and August were first thrown together, the war between the monsters and the humans is terrifying reality. In Verity, August has become the leader he never wished to be, and in Prosperity, Kate has become the ruthless hunter she knew she could be. When a new monster emerges from the shadows—one who feeds on chaos and brings out its victim’s inner demons—it lures Kate home, where she finds more than she bargained for. She’ll face a monster she thought she killed, a boy she thought she knew, and a demon all her own. 

My thoughts:

Omg that ending. I tried to look at her webpage of there are more books in the series, but the page was down. Woe is me! If not, well I mean in a way it was a perfect ending. It fits. In another way, I so need more from this world! This can not be the end. I do not want to leave yet.

The last book ended with a bang. Kate is hunting monsters in another city. August has embraced his inner monster and is keeping the city of Verity safe from monsters (well half the city, read book 1 to get that. Srsly, read book 1. Do not jump right in.)

Kate was still Kate, but August. He had just wanted to be human, and now, after his brother passed he had to step up. I felt his change and it saddened me. But this is a dark world.

I really can not even explain the world. Monsters that are burn when people die and they hunt people in different ways. A city torn apart by warring families. Everyone just trying to get by. A dark world that is not black and white. It is grey, very grey.

And now there is a new monster hunting, and it was a new scary one. And an enemy from book 1 is back too.

Conclusion:
I enjoyed this book. I read it fast too because I raced to the end. I needed to know. SO read it, but start with book 1.

Cover
Growing on me

Paperback, 470 pages
Published June 13th 2017 by Titan Books
Monsters of Verity #2
Paranormal / YA / Fantasy /Dystopia / UF
For review