Ethereal Knights by Addison Moore

Please note, before reading Ethereal Knights, read the original book that started it all. Ethereal, book one in the Celestra series. You can download Ethereal free from Amazon and Smashwords

A point of view novel: Ethereal (Celestra Series Book 1) rewritten through Logan and Gage’s perspective.

Angels still roam the earth through Nephilim bloodlines. The battle for power between angelic factions intensifies when a new girl moves to Paragon Island.

Logan and Gage Oliver are captivated by Paragon’s newest resident, Skyla Messenger. Logan believes she is the Celestra destined to grow to a ripe old age with him, and Gage believes she’s the girl prophesied to be his.

The battle lines are drawn as both Olivers vie for her attention while danger lurks around every corner, and they must work together to keep Skyla safe. Logan fights to keep his new relationship with Skyla, but destiny alters his plans and he must make a decision that might cost him Skyla forever.


In Ethereal Knights, we are transported back to Paragon in the retelling of Ethereal, from Logan and Cages dual points of view.

Skyla arrives on the island and both boys are infatuated. Skyla and her family have moved into the house of former resident Chloe, who was found dead after a strange disappearance. It soon becomes apparent that Skyla is the girl Cage has been dreaming of for years, the only problem being Logan. He quickly cements himself into her life and Cage can't help but second guess his visions. Skyla is the girl he will marry one day and the relationship between the boys becomes strained. If only Logan would step aside.

Logan is besotted, especially now that he can claim Skyla as his girlfriend. They discover that she's a Celestra, a pure higher being. The two share a connection. But their days are numbered. How can two hunted Celestra stay together against all odds? There is only one other person he trusts to protect Skyla. It seems Cages's prayers have finally been answered.

The Celestra is ridiculously entertaining. It can't be taken seriously, it's fun, flirty and completely and utterly ridiculous... But I still adore it. The Oliver boys have a cult following and now it seems by popular demand, we have Ethereal Knights, from dual points of view from both Cage and Logan.

The two boys are polar opposites, Cage is strong and seemingly the alpha male of the two, but in Ethereal Knight, we see his sensitive side. His unrequited love for Skyla and the poems she inspires. Logan shows that he isn't always the sensitive, quiet soul, his inner dialogue is nothing more than a lust filled teenage boy.

The point of view from both boys can be a little out of context at times, one minute they will describe the weather on the island as poetic euphemism of making love, the next they are talking about having a painful erection thinking about Skyla. It can be a little awkward.

I love the Oliver boys, they really are the guilty pleasure of many women around the world. I would highly recommend this for fans of Celestra, who have read all previous eight books in the series.

Goodreads
Ethereal Knights
(Celestra Series)
Written By Addison Moore

Published 27 / 02 / 2013
480 Pages

Never Too Far by Abbi Glines

Warning, contains spoilers from book one in the series, Fallen too Far.

He had held a secret that destroyed her world.

Everything she had known was no longer true.

Blaire couldn’t stop loving him but she knew she could never forgive him.
Now, she was back home and learning to live again. Moving on with life… until something happened to send her world spinning once again.
What do you do when the one person you can never trust again is the one that you need to trust so desperately?

You lie, hide, avoid, and pray that your sins never find you out.

 

Never Too Far begins shortly after the explosive cliffhanger that was Fallen Too Far, the first in the series. Blaire has returned to Alabama, needing to find her own two feet, without the complication that is Rush Finlay. Blaire's life is about pulled out from under her feet.

Blaire is alone with only the help of her ex - boyfriend Cain and his grandmother, and has just discovered she's pregnant, with Rush's baby. She's broke, homeless and now has someone else who will be depending in her. When Beth shows up in her little town begging her to return, Blaire reluctantly agrees, until she is able to move on and make it on her own.

Rush has been an empty she'll since they parted ways in the hotel room, but now that she has returned, he will do anything to prove to Blaire that she can trust him. He's the only girl he's ever loved... But how will he react when he finds out he's going to become a father?

His mother doesn't approve of their relationship and Nan is livid with jealousy that the brother that has always taken care of her, is willing to let his family take a back seat to Blaire. The odds are against them, Claire doesn't need complications, she needs to create a future for her child and a loving home... Will Rush be part of the picture?

This series is my guilty pleasure and I can't pinpoint why I find it irresistible.
Blaire is a character that either you will loathe for being so naive or love her innocence, although innocence is used loosely, not sure how one goes from virgin to sexpot so quickly. I secretly love Abbi Glines novels, it's the words she creates between her characters. No matter if the plot is terribly unrealistic, or her characters are about as interesting as watching paint dry, the emotion she shows throughout her novels is realistic, it's raw, it's frustrating and can leave you on the edge of your seat.

So, I heart you Abbi Glines. This series is a great emotional release. It's sexy, very emotional and you're guaranteed to want to slap someone with a wet fish every few chapters.

Goodreads
Never Too Far
(Too Far: Book Two)
Written By Abbi Glines

Published 25 / 02 / 2013

Always You by Kirsty Moseley

Riley Thomas has a best friend, the best friend a girl could ask for, he's supportive, loyal, honest, trustworthy, kind and thoughtful. He's also the schools biggest player.

Their relationship has always been easy and affectionate, but after Riley's month away on holiday things become a little strange.

 

I don't feel I can be objective writing a review for Always You, as I couldn't continue reading. From the book synopsis, it sounded like just what I needed, a light fluffy teen read...

But it was anything but.

I don't often strongly dislike characters, but Riley Thomas is unbearable. A supposed virgin. she is best friends with the boy next door, Clay. Clay is supposed to be a junior womaniser, a playboy of young impressionable women, and let me add that he is the likable one in this story. He's in love with Riley.

As Riley starts to develop feelings for Clay, she meets Blake, an older, bad tempered playboy as well. He likes Riley and tension develops between the two boys...

Oh stuff it, I honestly don't care about this review. The book firstly came across as something perhaps early teens might read, with Riley announcing every page, 'Your my best friend in the whole world', because the reader was wondering if she did in fact have acquaintances on other planets. A virgin who had done little more than kissing, she starts a semi sexual relationship with Clay, while dating Blake.

The hypocritical Riley, beautiful, apparently intelligent, although I couldn't see evidence, is what I would call a tart. Best friend or not, no one jumps into the arms of a best friend and wraps their legs around him, sleeps beside him and rubs against his erection and allows him to go down on her, all while dating someone else. She is a more annoying version of Amber from The Boy Who Sneaks in my Bedroom Window. This book has the same theme, childhood friends, the token abusive person who wants to hurt the main female character and the over protectiveness. While I did enjoy The Boy Who Sneaks in my Bedroom Window, this one, not so much... Well, not at all. 

It's written clearly as a young adult novel, but with sexual situations, the main character doesn't seem to have any morals and is terribly unrealistic. Kudos to the author who has produced another popular romance novel, but sadly not for me.

Goodreads
Always You
Written By Kirsty Moseley
Published 31 / 10 / 2012

The Bane by Keary Taylor

Before the Evolution there was TorBane: technology that infused human DNA with cybernetic matter. It had the ability to grow new organs and limbs, to heal the world. Until it evolved out of control and spread like the common cold. The machine took over, the soul vanished, and the Bane were born. The Bane won't stop until every last person has been infected. With less than two percent of the human population left, mankind is on the brink of extinction.

Eve knows the stories of the Evolution, the time before she wandered into the colony of Eden, unable to recall anything but her name. But she doesn't need memories to know this world is her reality. This is a world that is quickly losing its humanity, one Bane at a time.

Fighting to keep one of the last remaining human colonies alive, Eve finds herself torn between her dedication to the colony, and the discovery of love. There is Avian and West – one a soldier, one a keeper of secrets. And in the end, Eve will make a choice that will change the future of mankind.

The Bane is The Terminator meets The Walking Dead with a heart-twisting romance.

Previously published as Eden, due to reader demand it has been revamped and re - released as The Bane: book one in The Eden Trilogy.


Originally known as Eden, The Bane is seen through the eyes of Eve. The world is in a post apocalyptic ruin, humans or organics as they are known, are a dying and hunted breed. Eve remembers nothing of her life before joining Eden, but would do anything to protect those around her.

The Bane are essentially former humans. Through transplants initially, those needing medical intervention for failing organs, diseases or illness, were infused with scientifically developed robotic parts. Slowly the wiring spread throughout the hosts body, making the human faster, stronger, without reason or emotion. Soon it was discovered that a Bane only need to have come into contact with am organic, and the 'infection' was passed on.

Eve is a hunter and fighter, spending her time between protecting the camp and with Avian, the appointed and unqualified doctor. While hunting, Eve stumbles across West. He is on the run with a woman and young boy. West is proven to be organic, but he's hiding something.

With two boys out to win Eve's affections, she doesn't need a distraction. The Bane are evolving, getting smarter. Camp Eden is on the move, but are they the last of their kind left in the world?

I thoroughly enjoyed The Bane. It was a strange mix of a science fiction, post apocalyptic, coming of age romance, that Keary Taylor has woven together to produce this addictive series, that I found extremely difficult to put down. Eve is a strong female character and takes you on the journey to her own self discovery, while she discovers what it feels like to fall in love for the first time. Well written and was thankful there were no long speeches dating the back story of the world they now live in, it was scattered throughout a few chapters, so it didn't become monotonous. My only one complaint that not one character swore or cursed, with the age group of the majority of the characters, the end of the world setting, violence, I was surprised.

This first book in the Eden Trilogy will leave you with more questions than answers, equating to a hunger for the next in the series. I'll be eagerly anticipating book two.

Goodreads
The Bane
(The Eden Trilogy: Book One)
Written By Keary Taylor

Published 05 / 03 / 2013

Paper Towns by John Green

Quentin Jacobsen has spent a lifetime loving the magnificently adventurous Margo Roth Spiegelman from afar. So when she cracks open a window and climbs back into his life—dressed like a ninja and summoning him for an ingenious campaign of revenge—he follows.


After their all-nighter ends and a new day breaks, Q arrives at school to discover that Margo, always an enigma, has now become a mystery. But Q soon learns that there are clues—and they’re for him. Urged down a disconnected path, the closer he gets, the less Q sees of the girl he thought he knew


Paper Towns is seen through the eyes of Quentin, or Q as he is known to his friends. Q's life changes the night his former childhood friend and girl next that he's in love with, Margo, climbs through his bedroom window in the middle of the night. Free spirited and slightly batty, Margo has a night of fun and revenge planned for a few friends that have lost Margo's loyalty recently. Against his better judgement, Q tags along as the getaway driver... And let the games begin.

From using depilatory cream to remove a bullies eyebrow while he sleeps, breaking into Sea World, to taking penis photos of a naked ex - boyfriend, Q can't remember the last time he felt so free. But when Margo disappears, everyone assuming she is on another adventure, Q needs to find her.

Leaving cryptic clues to mark her trail, Q enlists the aid of his friends to track her down. The clues becoming far harder to decipher. How will he find the one girl who clearly doesn't want to be found?

This book started out really enjoyable, I found myself suppressing snorting laughter at the dialogue between Quinton and his friends, the second largest black Santa collection, one eyebrow bullies, miniscule penises, urinating in bottles and balls... Yes... Balls. It was immature but perfectly timed.

Half way through, what started as a light hearted comedy suddenly became very serious. Discussing mental health, self esteem issues and the pressure of being a teen on the cusp of adulthood. I was bitterly disappointed. I'm not shallow, but I was thoroughly enjoying Paper Towns up until that point and realised how similar it felt to one of his other works, Looking for Alaska.

With all three John Green novels I've finished, they all have the same sense if fun adventure, at least one eclectic character, an underlying social message and no ending. His novels are read to incite discussion, make us ponder life and those around us and leave you to draw your own conclusions on what happens after you read the final page.

It was witty, intelligent with brilliant banter and memorable characters, but for once I need John Green to give me a final, not up for interpretation, happy and satisfying ending, not the usual fence sitting. 

Goodreads
Paper Towns
Written By John Green
Published 16 / 10 / 2008
332 Pages

Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin

Everything is in ruins.

A devastating plague has decimated the population. And those who are left live in fear of catching it as the city crumbles to pieces around them.

So what does Araby Worth have to live for?

Nights in the Debauchery Club, beautiful dresses, glittery make-up . . . and tantalizing ways to forget it all.

But in the depths of the club—in the depths of her own despair—Araby will find more than oblivion. She will find Will, the terribly handsome proprietor of the club. And Elliott, the wickedly smart aristocrat. Neither boy is what he seems. Both have secrets. Everyone does.


And Araby may find something not just to live for, but to fight for—no matter what it costs her
.


The world is under attack from within and society is separated into those who are infected, and those who are not. Araby knows first hand what happens to those who have the contagion, she has lived the same nightmare for three years. Araby's father is a scientist under the control of the Prince, who rules the land with an iron fist. The inventor of plague resistant masks for the rich and powerful in society, while the poor are denied such luxuries.

Araby finds peace within the Debauchery club, with the Prince's niece. The only way to escape is through her next high. When a drug laced drink leaves her unconscious and alone, the handsome young host at the club ensures that Araby lives to see another day. Will has enough on his plate already, caring for two younger siblings.

Vying for Araby's affections is the Prince's nephew Elliot. Elliot is somewhat of a freedom fighter, and enlists the help of Araby, to gain access to her father. Araby finds herself drawn to Will, with his tough exterior and gentle nature, while playing the part of fiancee on Elliot's arm. Mass rioting is destroying any hope of a new world. The reverent is preaching hateful religion in order to gain control, and he isn't working alone.

A new plague is striking the population down, instant death, and it seems face masks are no match for the new bacterial warfare.

This is officially the first 'Steam Punk' genre book I've read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. This is book is based on Edgar Allen Poe's book of the same name, The Masque of the Red Death, one I have not read I may add. But the world created by Bethany Griffin is magically. Elaborate costumes, masks, extraordinary transportation, I felt as though it was reading a modern dystopian historical novel and I was enthralled.

Goodreads
Masque Of The Red Death
(Masque Of The Red Death: Book One)
Written By Bethany Griffin
Published 24 / 04 / 2012
336 Pages

Dare to You by Katie McGarry: ARC Review

If anyone knew the truth about Beth Risk's home life, they'd send her mother to jail and seventeen-year-old Beth who knows where. So she protects her mom at all costs. Until the day her uncle swoops in and forces Beth to choose between her mom's freedom and her own happiness. That's how Beth finds herself living with an aunt who doesn't want her and going to a school that doesn't understand her. At all. Except for the one guy who shouldn't get her, but does...


Ryan Stone is the town golden boy, a popular baseball star jock-with secrets he can't tell anyone. Not even the friends he shares everything with, including the constant dares to do crazy things. The craziest? Asking out the Skater girl who couldn't be less interested in him.

But what begins as a dare becomes an intense attraction neither Ryan nor Beth expected. Suddenly, the boy with the flawless image risks his dreams-and his life-for the girl he loves, and the girl who won't let anyone get too close is daring herself to want it all...


You may remember Beth as one of the supporting characters in Pushing the Limits, now it is her turn to share her story.

Beth is still living with her aunt Shirley, along with Noah and Issah. Her alcoholic mother still needs taking care of, something Beth believes is her responsibility. She still spends her life looking for her next high, how else can she dull her pain and let others get close to her. There is far more to Beth than the rough, foul mouthed girl we seen in Pushing the Limits.

When Beth gets a phone call from the local bar to come and collect her mother... Again, her life reaches a whole new level of numbness when her mother forces her to take the blame for destruction of her abusive boyfriends vehicle. Bailed out of prison by her once absent uncle Scott, Beth is forced under his care. It means leaving Issah and Noah, and no longer being able to care for her strung out mother.

Scott, the young uncle that once vowed he would never abandon her, is back and wants Beth to have the privileged life she would never have been afforded. Ryan is one of the privileged and popular kids. Smart, sexy and a gifted baseball playing athlete. He meets Beth by means of a dare, and when she storms into his world, he doesn't have a change in he'll against the smart mouthed girl from the other side of the tracks.

Not nearly as engaging as Pushing the Limits, but still entertaining and touching. You will warm to Beth and discover there is far more to her character than at first glance. Ryan is engaging but his lack of back bone is frustrating. This book carries on the series theme of two people being complete opposites, finding hope in what looked like a bleak future. Recommended for fans of Echo and Noah, and the third and final book in the series will be Issah's story.

Goodreads
Dare To You
(Pushing The Limits: Book Two)
Written By Katie McGarry

Expected Publication 01 / 06 / 2013
304 Pages 
ARC Courtesy of Netgalley

Terra by Gretchen Powell Review & Giveaway

A broken and desolate Earth. A young girl struggling to survive. A lost boy with a powerful secret.

A discovery that will change everything.

In the distant wake of a plague that has decimated the Earth's population, humanity is split in two: The rich and powerful live in skycities that float overhead, while those who remain on the ground have gathered in settlements strewn across a dying planet. Eighteen-year-old Terra Rhodon is a terrestrial--a denizen of the barren groundworld--who makes her living as a scav. Long abandoned by her father, her caregivers gone, Terra supports herself and her younger brother, Mica, by scouring the earth for discarded scraps and metals to recycle for profit. One day, while on a routine scavenging run, she discovers something that shocks her home settlement of Genesis X-16. When the value of her discovery is revealed, Terra's world is turned upside down.

Terra suddenly finds herself asking questions no one will answer. Her search for the truth leads her to Adam--a beguiling skydweller unlike any she has ever met. But Adam has secrets and a quest of his own, and with him by her side, the world Terra thought she knew begins to unravel. Soon her discoveries unearth a terrifying conspiracy that has the potential to shatter everything--a revelation that will test the bonds of loyalty, family, and love.

The first book in debut author Gretchen Powell's anticipated Terrestrials series, Terra catapults you through a story filled with blood-pumping action, intrigue, and surprising twists that will both wrench and warm your heart. As the hidden truths of this world unfold, new dangers that loom on the horizon are sure to leave you waiting breathlessly for the sequel.

Terra is an 18 year old ground dweller, a guardian, a scavenger, a sister, a provider... She is a terrestrial. Born into this dying world, Terra lives on the dissipated earth, each day scavenging through the dry barren conditions outside of Sixteen to support her younger brother Mica. Everything on earth now is scarce, recycled and reused. So when Terra stumbles across a strange contraption that she assumes has fallen from one of the Skycities, and hope that it can be exchanged for enough credits so that the siblings have enough for food and Mica's school supplies. Come collection day, the whispers surrounding her unusual find are deafening, once the people of Sixteen find out that the machine has earned Terra enough to live comfortably off for months.

Something isn't right... Why are the guards and collection officers refusing to answer any of her questions? What was it that she found? Terra returns to the site of her find to look for answers when she stumbles upon raiders. Now running for her life, she stumbles upon a strange world below the contaminated ruins of cities gone by... And into the arms of Adam.

With eyes too blue, Adam must be a sky dweller. He has headed to ground level to conduct research and gather data, but seemingly separated from his group and now lost. He convinces Terra to help him with his research throughout Sixteen, her settlement. Adam sees her world with a strange awe, rather than shy away from the strangers that sky dwellers tend to steer clear of, Adam marvels in their company, he interacts. Adam immerses himself into Terra's world, but she can't fall for him, she simply wont. She knows all too well what happens when sky dwellers fall for groundworldians, her own father was a sky dweller and left her and Mica after her mother died. Adam will only break her heart. 

When her world is in chaos, Terra discovers a secret so devastating, her life before Adam will become a distant memory.

I loved this book! Gretchen Powell created a world so unique to escape to, it was devastating. Terra is the true star of this book, she reminded me of Katniss Everdeen, a strong heroine. She is independent and selfless with the weight of the world on her shoulders. Well written and even funny at times, I loved Terra's hostility and sarcastic remarks. By far the best dystopian based book I've read in a while. Eagerly awaiting the next installment.


Goodreads
Terra

(Terrestrials: Book One)
Written By Gretchen Powell

Published: 12 / 12/ 2012
286 Pages

You can read the first TWO chapters of Terra by clicking HERE

Buy in Paperback from Amazon  Kindle Edition  B & N  Kobo Books 
 
Gretchen Powell grew up in far-off places. She is 24 years old, half-Chinese, and the owner of two adorable miniature schnauzers. They wear many sweaters. By day, she types and types (and types and types) for personal, professional, and cathartic purposes. By night, she binges on episodes of Doctor Who and sleeps fitfully. Sometime in the mid-afternoon, she writes a blog, called "Honey, I Shrunk the Gretchen!" about food, fitness, and her life. She loves words. And Harry Potter. And especially the words IN Harry Potter.




The Lives We Lost by Megan Crewe

First, the virus took Kaelyn’s friends. Then, her family. Now it’s taken away her home.


But she can't look back—the life she once had is gone forever.


A deadly virus has destroyed Kaelyn’s small island community and spread beyond the quarantine. No one is safe. But when Kaelyn finds samples of a vaccine in her father's abandoned lab, she knows there must be someone, somewhere, who can replicate it. As Kaelyn and her friends head to the mainland, they encounter a world beyond recognition. It’s not only the “friendly flu” that’s a killer—there are people who will stop at nothing to get their hands on the vaccine. How much will Kaelyn risk for an unproven cure, when the search could either destroy those she loves or save the human race?

Megan Crewe's second volume in the Fallen World trilogy is an action-packed journey that explores the resilience of friendship, the ache of lost love, and Kaelyn’s enduring hope in the face of the sacrifices she must make to stay alive.


Kaelyn has returned in the sequel to The Way We Fall, picking up the story with Leo's return, the island on the verge of being wiped off the map, and news from the deteriorating mainland... The virus has spread.

Kaelyn is mourning and Drew is still missing, when Kaelyn discovers something that may change the world. Forced to flee to the mainland in search of a hospital or research centre, the group quickly discovers that the world is now quiet and unsafe. With vigilante groups gunning them down, can they find help in time... Before the virus claims one of their own.
Absolutely brilliant. Not often do we have the pleasure of reading a sequel that outshines it's predecessor, but it is pure genius from cover to cover.

I can't figure out why this series isn't more popular, I would even go as far to say that I enjoyed it more so than The Hunger Games. The story flows and there are no awkward lulls I'm the action. If you love basic young adult end of the world type books, this series will keep you well entertained.

Goodreads
The Lives We Lost
(Fallen World: Book Two)
Written By Megan Crewe
Published 12 / 02 / 2013
288 Pages
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