Paranormal Romance

Review: Gates of Paradise by Melissa de la Cruz

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PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR THE BLUE BLOODS SERIES AS GATES OF PARADISE IS THE FINAL BOOK IN THAT SERIES.

Gates of Paradise by Melissa de la Cruz (UK edition cover)

Title: Gates of Paradise (Blue Bloods #7)
Author: Melissa de la Cruz
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Young Adult
Publisher: Atom (15th January 2013)
Blurb:

They’re Young, Fabulous and Fanged . . .

Schuyler Van Alen is running out of time. The Dark Prince is storming the Gates of Paradise, intent on defeating Schuyler and the rest of the Blue Blood coven for good. This time he has his greatest angles by his side, Abbadon and Azrael, or, as they are known in this world, Jack and Mimi Force.

Will Bliss and the wolves she has recruited to join her win the battle for the vampires? Is Schuyler prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice?

Love and vengeance, duty and loyalty, life and death, are all at odds in the gripping, heartbreaking finale of the Blue Bloods series.

Rating: **** (4 stars)
Review:

The final book in a series that you have loved, I always find, is hard to pick up. Gates of Paradise was no different for me. I’m sad to see the end of Melissa de la Cruz’s brilliant Blue Bloods series at an end; that Schuyler, Mimi, and Bliss’s stories are over – though I’ve heard a rumour floating around Twitter that this is not the last we shall see of this world, but we shall see.

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Review: The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa

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The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa UK edition cover

The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa (UK edition cover)

Title: The Lost Prince (The Iron Fey – Call of the Forgotten #1)
Author: Julie Kagawa
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy, Young Adult
Publisher: MiraInk (6th January 2013)
Blurb:

DON’T LOOK AT THEM
DON’T SPEAK OF THEM
NEVER ENTER THEIR WORLD

Those are the rules that Ethan Chase live by when it comes to the dark fairies that robbed him of his sister.

But they are still on his trail and Ethan can’t fight fate forever.

Now the deadly fey are a his school, colliding with his real life, Ethan will sacrifice everything to keep his mortal friends safe, even if it means becoming entangled in the world he’s spent his whole life trying to deny.

His destiny and birthright are calling.

And now their’s no ESCAPE.

Rating: *** (3 stars)
Review:

The Lost Prince is the first book in the spin-off series from The Iron Fey by Julie Kagawa. This time the story focuses on Ethan Chase, brother to the Iron Queen. If you have read the short story collection The Iron Legends then you may have a good idea about what is going on in the background of this book, as I think that one of the short stories in the collection hints at how the events in this new series could play out.

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Review: House Rules by Chloe Neill

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PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR THE CHICAGOLAND VAMPIRE SERIES AS HOUSE RULES IS THE SEVENTH BOOK IN THAT SERIES.

House Rules by Chloe Neill

Title: House Rules (Chicagoland Vampires #7)
Author: Chloe Neill
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Gollancz Fiction (14th February 2013)
Blurb:

In a city full of vampires, trouble never sleeps. At the tender age of 27, Merit becomes a sword-wielding vampire. Since then, she’s become the protector of her House, watched Chicago nearly burn to the ground, and seen her Master fall and rise. Now she’ll see her mettle – and her metal – tested like never before.

It started with two . . . Two rogues vanishing without a trace. Someone is targeting Chicago’s vampires, and anyone could be next. With their house in peril, Merit and her Master, the centuries old Ethan Sullivan, must race to stop the disappearances. But as they untangle a web of secret alliances and ancient evils, they realise their foe is more familiar, and more powerful, than they could ever have imagined.

Rating: *** (3 stars)
Review:

House Rules is the seventh book in the Chicagoland Vampires series, and it continues Merit’s story. I think Merit is a really interesting character, not at all what you would expect to find as a main character who is a vampire.

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Review: Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

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Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Title: Beautiful Creatures (Caster Chronicles #1)
Authors: Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Young Adult
Publisher: Razorbill (4th February 2010)
Blurb:

IN ETHAN WATE’S HOMETOWN THERE LIES THE DARKEST OF SECRETS . . .

THERE IS A GIRL. SLOWLY SHE PULLED THE HOOD FROM HER HEAD . . . GREEN EYES, BLACK HAIR. LENA DUCHANNES.

THERE IS A CRURSE. ON THE SIXTEENTH MOON, OF THE SIXTEENTH YEAR, THE BOOK WILL TAKE WHAT IT’S BEEN PROMISED. AND NO ONE CAN STOP IT.

IN THE END, THERE IS A GRAVE.

LENA AND ETHAN BECOME BOUND TOGETHER BY A DEEP, POWERFUL LOVE. BUT LENA IS CURSED AND, ON HER SIXTEENTH BIRTHDAY, HER FATE WILL BE DECIDED. ETHAN NEVER EVEN SAW IT COMING.

Rating: *** (3 stars)
Review:

Normally when I pick books it is because I either know and like the author, or because I have heard about it on the blogsphere. That was not the case with Beautiful Creatures. Instead I saw the trailer for the film and thought it sounded like the book might be something I would love.

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Review: Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead

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PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR THE VAMPIRE ACADEMY SERIES AS LAST SACRIFICE IS THE FINAL BOOK IN THAT SERIES.

Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead

Title: Last Sacrifice (Vampire Academy #6)
Author: Richelle Mead
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Young Adult
Publisher: RazorBill (7th December 2010)
Blurb:

IT ALL COMES DOWN TO NOW.

THE QUEEN IS DEAD AND THE MOROI WOULD WILL NEVER BE THE SAME.

Rose Hathaway is awaiting wrongful execution and there exists only one man who can stall this terrible fate. Rose must look to both Dimitri and Adrian, the two great loves of her life, to find him.

With her best friend, Lissa, in a deadly struggle for the royal throne, the girls find themselves forced to reply upon enemies and questioning those they thought they could trust . . .

But what if true freedom means sacrificing the most important thing of all? Each other.

Rating: *** (3 stars)
Review:

Last Sacrifice is the final book in Richelle Mead’s brilliant Vampire Academy series. Having read and enjoyed the other books in this series, I decided it was time to read the final installment. Like my reading of Spirit Bound, I think my reading of this book was influenced by my reading of Bloodlines and The Golden Lily. Last Sacrifice is a brilliant end to the Vampire Academy series, and Richelle Mead does a brilliant job in answering the majority of my questions.

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Review: Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead

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Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead

Title: Spirit Bound (Vampire Academy #5)
Author: Richelle Mead
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Young Adult
Publisher: RazorBill (18th May 2010)
Blurb:

ROSE’S LIFE WILL NEVER BE HER OWN.

ROSE HATHAWAY HAS BEEN OUTRUNNING DEATH EVER SINCE SHE SWORE TO BE THE PROTECTOR OF HER BEST FRIEND, LISSA. NO MATTER WHAT.

She’s finally made it back to the haven of St. Vladimir’s but with Dimitri, the boy she once loved, stalking her, Rose can only run so far.

She failed to kill him when she had the chance, and now her worst fears are about to come true. Dimitri has tasted her blood, and she knows in her heart that he is hunting her. And if Rose won’t join him, he won’t rest until he has silenced her . . . forever.

Rating: ***(3 stars)
Review:

Spirit Bound is the fifth – and penultimate – book in the Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead. In a lot of ways my reading of this book was compromised by my reading of both Bloodlines and The Golden Lily, but it was an enjoyable read nevertheless.

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Review: A Witch in Love by Ruth Warburton

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A Witch in Love by Ruth Warburton

Title: A Witch in Love (Winter Trilogy #2)
Author: Ruth Warburton
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Young Adult
Publisher: Hodder Children’s Books (5th July 2012)
Blurb:

When love it tangled up in magic, how do you know what’s real?

Anna still finds it hard to believe that Seth loves her. She has vowed to suppress her powers, but magic – like love – is uncontrollable.

Rating: *** (3 stars)
Review:

I bought this book on a whim. I’ve read A Witch in Winter (review) and whilst I wasn’t blown away, I really enjoyed reading it. So when I saw this book in a bookstore I had to pick it up. The cover looks gorgeous, and I was curious about what would happen to Anna next

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Review: The Iron Legends by Julie Kagawa

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The Iron Legends by Julie Kagawa

Title: The Iron Legends (The Iron Fey 1.5, 3.5, and 4.5)
Author: Julie Kagawa
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy, Young Adult
Publisher: Harlequin Teen (28th August 2012)
Blurb:

Enter the world of the internationally bestselling Iron Fey series.

Dangerous faeries. Heartbreaking romance. Thrilling action and limitless adventure. The world of the fey has never been so powerful. This collection includes three novellas set in the world of the Iron Fey plus the Guide to the Iron Fey with exclusive information about Julie Kagawa’s unforgettable world of Faery.

WINTER’S PASSAGE

Never make a promise to a faery. They always come to collect. Now Meghan Chase must fulfill her promise to Prince Ash of the Winter Court and embark upon a dangerous journey into the heart of enemy territory – while being pursued by a relentless new foe and guarding her own foolish heart.

SUMMER’S CROSSING

What can turn enemies into reluctant allies? A call from the Exile Queen, Leanansidhe, ties legendary prankster Puck to his archenemy, Prince Ash, on a journey that may end in betrayal and will set them both on an irreversible path.

IRON’S PROPHECY

Before she ever knew what she might become, Iron Queen Meghan Chase was warned by the oracle that her firstborn child would bring nothing but grief. And even as Meghan and Ash celebrate their long-awaited union, the prophecy stirs . . .

Rating: **** (4 stars)
Review:

The Iron Legends contains three novellas that have been separate e-books for a while. By the time I came to the world of The Iron Fey there were rumours about the three novellas being printed as one book, so I decided to wait. I haven’t heard a lot about any of the novellas, so I was kind of curious about them – what would Kagawa talk about that wasn’t already in the books? I found three very interesting stories.

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Review: Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan

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Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan, UK edition cover

Title: Unspoken (Book One of The Lynburn Legacy)
Author: Sarah Rees Brennan
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy, Young Adult
Publisher: Simon and Schuster (13th September 2012)
Blurb:

Kami Glass loves someone she’s never met . . . a boy she’s talked to in her head ever since she was born. Having an imaginary friend has made fitting in hard – but that’s never bothered Kami. She has a best friend, runs the school newspaper, and is only occasionally caught talking to herself. Her life is just the way she likes it.

But all that changes when the mysterious Lynburn family returns to Kami’s village, along with teenagers, Jared and Ash, one of whom is eerily familiar to Kami . . .

As life as she knows it begins to unravel, Kami is determined to get to the bottom of every mystery. Who is responsible for the bloody deeds in the depths of the woods? What is her own mother hiding? And now that her imaginary friend has become a real boy, does she still love him?

And can she trust him?

Rating: ****(4 stars)
Review:

I really loved Sarah Rees Brennan’s (SRB) The Demon’s Lexicon Trilogy; she has a way with words, so when I heard about this book I wanted to get my hands on it. Gothic novels aren’t generally to my taste, and in many ways Unspoken can be seen as a” modern Gothic” novel I really enjoyed reading it.

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Review: Wolf Pact by Melissa de la Cruz

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Wolf Pact by Melissa de la Cruz

Title: Wolf Pact (Wolf Pact I-IV)
Author: Melissa de la Cruz
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Young Adult
Publisher: Atom (25th September 2012)
Blurb:

Once enslaved in the darkest pits of the underworld, Lawson and his pack were destined to become the Hounds of Hell. Escaping to earth bought them a little time, but their old masters soon catch up with them and take away the one thing Lawson is desperate to keep hold of – the girl he loves.

Now, Lawson needs to hunt the beasts he was running from if there’s any chance to seeing her again.

When Bliss, a mysterious ex-vampire, turns up on her own to search for the Hounds it seems she might hold information that will help. But will she be able to trust this insolent, dangerously good-looking boy when she knows that he has a wolf’s soul?

Rating: **** (4 stars)
Review:

Wolf Pact is a spin-off novel from Melissa de la Cruz’s brilliant Blue Blood series, which is why I picked it up. It is also contains a character from her Witches of the East book, though there doesn’t appear to be a direct link between the stories. Wolf Pact is a brilliant read, and does not read at all like an adjunct to Blue Bloods, once I started reading I was quickly engulfed in the world and before I knew it I’d reached the end.

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