Sins of the Night by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Sins of the Night by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Series: Dark Hunter #6
Source: Bought paperback
Publisher: Piatkus
Publication Date: November 1st, 2011
Age Genre: Adult
Challenges: TBR - Cleaning my Shelves
Challenges: Sequel-Prequel
Challenges: Flights of Fantasy

In the realm of the Dark-Hunters there is a code of honour that even immortal bad boys must follow: harm no human; drink no blood; never fall in love. Alexion is the defender of that code. He is judge, jury and executioner; if they step over the line it's his wrath they will face. For centuries Alexion has survived alone. Isolated and haunted by his human past, he has learned to distance himself from his emotions and his role ensures that even his fellow Dark-Hunters give him a wide berth.
However, this time the rouge Dark-Hunter is an old friend. Alexion cannot destroy him without at least allowing him one last chance at redemption. But to do this he needs the help of a female Dark-Hunter who goes by the name Danger. And the last time Alexion ran into her, she tried to kill him...

It's been a few months since I last read a Dark Hunter novel. But for the life of me, I can't figure out what changed. I used to really enjoy these books, but if this one is any indication... I am no longer impressed. It was so mediocre. 

This review is going to be written in points.

THE BAD

1. The writing. I came into reading Sins of the Night from reading The Woman Who Rides Like a Man. I know, a bit of a leap. But had I not done that, I would've never realized I don't notice much different between the two, writing wise. And considering I feel The Song of the Lioness series is kind of childish in it's writing style, I suddenly noticed I feel the same way about this book. I don't remember feeling that way about the rest of the books, though...

2. Insta love - yes, all the DH novels have a very Insta Love vibe to them. But this was probably the worst of the lot. You know right ahead this has to be insta love, as Lexi only has ten days in his human body. But did it have to be... this bad? Did they have to sprut words of deep understanding of each other and undying love by the end of those ten days? guh.

3. Danger is not kick ass. Aside for her name, Danger reads like any other heroine out there. I was so excited to be in the head of a Dark Huntress, but was sorely disappointed by how un-kickass she was. She lacked an edge that all the counter male Dark Hunter in the series so far had, and I was looking forward to seeing that specific edge play in a woman.

4. It wasn't hot. Maybe it's me. Maybe I've read so many "adult" novels by now that this no longer impresses me. But these books were synonymous with "Hot" in my head before, and after reading this book, I'm wondering if my memory is playing tricks on me. This... didn't do much for me. It felt so very blah. 

5. How can the Dark Hunters be so stupid? I swear, after seeing them fall for that stupid lie about Acheron from the mouth of a freaking Daimon, their enemy, my respect for them was taken down a notch. Like, seriously? Maybe I'm biased cause we've freaking read of him being whipped for these ungrateful brats, but shit! THEY'RE YOUR ENEMIES! why do you trust them!?

6. No cameos! I love seeing old characters, and that's the main charm of series like Dark Hunter. I was waiting to see some of my friends to alleviate my sinking thoughts on this book, but it was not meant to be.

THE GOOD

1. SIMI! my god, the only redeeming feature in this book was Simi and Acheron. I love these two, especially together, and I loved watching their family dynamics - especially with the added role of Lex. Though, correct me if I'm wrong, but we haven't heard a peeps on Lex before, did we? That left a sour taste in my mouth, considering he's apparently one of the only things Acheron truly loves...

2....

   Nitzan★

The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan

The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan
Series: Heroes of Olympus, #2
Source: Bought
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Publication Date: October 4, 2011

Seven half-bloods shall answer the call, 
To storm or fire the world must fall. 
An oath to keep with a final breath, 
And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death.

Percy is confused. When he awoke from his long sleep, he didn't know much more than his name. His brain fuzz is lingering, even after the wolf Lupa told him he is a demigod and trained him to fight with the pen/sword in his pocket. Somehow Percy manages to make it to a camp for half-bloods, despite the fact that he has to keep killing monsters along the way. But the camp doesn't ring any bells with him. The only thing he can recall from his past is another name: Annabeth

Hazel is supposed to be dead. When she lived before, she didn't do a very good job of it. Sure, she was an obedient daughter, even when her mother was possessed by greed. But that was the problem — when the Voice took over her mother and commanded Hazel to use her "gift" for an evil purpose, Hazel couldn't say no. Now because of her mistake, the future of the world is at risk. Hazel wished she could ride away from it all on the stallion that appears in her dreams.

Frank is a klutz. His grandmother says he is descended from heroes and can be anything he wants to be, but he doesn't see it. He doesn't even know who his father is. He keeps hoping Apollo will claim him, because the only thing he is good at is archery — although not good enough to win camp war games. His bulky physique makes him feel like an ox, especially infront of Hazel, his closest friend at camp. He trusts her completely — enough to share the secret he holds close to his heart.

Beginning at the "other" camp for half-bloods and extending as far as the land beyond the gods, this breathtaking second installment of the Heroes of Olympus series introduces new demigods, revives fearsome monsters, and features other remarkable creatures, all destined to play a part in the Prophesy of Seven.

Honestly, I'm sure you all remember how much I missed Percy, so I won't go into details - but I missed him. A lot. But in The Son of Neptune, we get him back. And really... it was kind of strange.

Imagine knowing every detail of the characters background - while they don't know anything. You know every move that they make, and why they feel strange about certain things - always. And they don't - it's just very... trippy, I guess. When I said I missed Percy, I meant the one who remembered everything - and while it was great to have him back, even sans memories... I still missed him. He was there but he wasn't, you know?

And on top of that... Camp Jupiter is a totally different world than Camp Half-Blood. You can see the similarities, but Camp Jupiter is much more war driven (versus fun), and there was actually a city type set up. Once you're of age, you can stay. Interesting, but I think I'd still take Camp Half-Blood - they're a lot more chill about everything.

I liked Frank and Hazel. They both had very complicated histories, but they both show exciting promise. They're braver than anyone. I'm positive! I loved the sweet romance between the two, and I think that they're perfect together. Both of them are adorable in an underdog way, but especially Frank. He's just a big huggable bear! (hee hee)

Everything that happened in this book was interesting, but I'm just not completely sure at where I stand on this series. It feels like something very big is going to happen, and I don't know what. Which is killing me. All in all, The Son of Neptune is a good book. I'll definitely give it that.

The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan

The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan
Series: Heroes of Olympus, #1
Source: Bought
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Publication Date: October 12, 2010

Jason has a problem. He doesn’t remember anything before waking up in a bus full of kids on a field trip. Apparently he has a girlfriend named Piper and a best friend named Leo. They’re all students at a boarding school for “bad kids.” What did Jason do to end up here? And where is here, exactly?

Piper has a secret. Her father has been missing for three days, ever since she had that terrifying nightmare. Piper doesn’t understand her dream, or why her boyfriend suddenly doesn’t recognize her. When a freak storm hits, unleashing strange creatures and whisking her, Jason, and Leo away to someplace called Camp Half-Blood, she has a feeling she’s going to find out.


Leo has a way with tools. When he sees his cabin at Camp Half-Blood, filled with power tools and machine parts, he feels right at home. But there’s weird stuff, too—like the curse everyone keeps talking about. Weirdest of all, his bunkmates insist that each of them—including Leo—is related to a god.

My thoughts on The Lost Hero can pretty much be summed up like this: I CAN'T WAIT TO GET TO PERCY! Huh. Interesting, I like this Leo boy. Jason and Piper are okay, I guess. BUT I MISS PERCY. Wow. I'm in love with Coach Hedge. BUT IT DOES NOT CHANGE MY LOVE FOR PERCY.

Basically, I missed Percy. I think that's a little bit on the expectations of a spinoff - you want to love it just as much as the original, but.... you miss the original characters. It's kind of a let down, honestly. I absolutely missed Percy throughout every second of this book, and I kept waiting for him to just... pop up or something. His character being missing... it just takes a little bit of life out of the series. He's obviously my favorite, and I felt so bad for Annabeth! (BTW, I'm totally waiting for Annabeth's POV.)

Honestly, I'm not sure that multiple points of view was the right way to go with this. It's not that I didn't like it, but... I don't know. It didn't really grab me. The characters were all good in their own ways, but I really think that the only reason I liked Jason is kind of dumb... he reminded me of Percy. And Piper? I didn't care for her very much. I can't trust the girl, that's for sure. Leo was a fun character, but sometimes... he annoyed me a little bit.

The one character that I loved to death? Well, that would definitely be Gleeson Hedge. The love that I feel for this faun is absolutely ridiculous - and well deserved! His sense of humor was freaking amazing - he's like a really old version of Grover! I really liked him!

All in all, The Lost Hero really wasn't bad. It just wasn't Percy Jackson, you know? I'll still be continuing the series, because I know that Percy does show up soon, but I'm not sure what my end thoughts on this series will be.

The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan

The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan
Series: Percy Jackson & the Olympians, #3
Source: Bought
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Publication Date: April 8, 2008

IT'S NOT EVERYDAY YOU FIND YOURSELF IN COMBAT WITH A HALF-LION, HALF-HUMAN.

But when you're the son of a Greek god, it happens. And now my friend Annabeth is missing, a goddess is in chains and only five half-blood heroes can join the quest to defeat the doomsday monster.

Oh and guess what. The Oracle has predicted that not all of us will survive...

I'm going to come right out and say that The Titan's Curse was probably my least favorite of the series. I think I have a little something called "third book syndrome" because the third is always my least favorite. I mean, it would make perfect sense. I skipped the "second book syndrome" gene... I got something much worse. But enough about me and my genes.

We came here to talk about the book, so I'll begin. Probably my biggest problem with this one was that there was no precursor. I felt like the beginning was lacking - just thrown into a secret mission I know nothing about? Jeez, I'm confused now. All of the others at least had some hint of what was going on. Not to mention the fact that Annabeth goes missing about a chapter in... and Percy without Annabeth? Well, he's a little bit off. I think that Annabeth really balances Percy out, so without her around to mediate, he was kind of... impetuous, but also... a bit sad.

And I just missed Annabeth - she's a big part of the books for me, so with out her there it kind of fell apart. I did like the introduction of new characters, though. Nico, Bianca and Thalia all have a great part to play, and each has a distinctly different personality. I enjoyed Thalia's fiery attitude and headstrong ways; a few times I was even sure that her and Percy were going to outright battle over something!

There were several unexpected twists, and a few expected ones. I had my suspicions about Bianca and Nico - it turns out that in the end, I was right. All in all, The Titan's Curse is my least favorite of all the Percy books, but obviously it holds information that is important to me.

The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan

The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan
Series: Percy Jackson & The Olympians, #4
Source: Bought
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Publication Date: March 6, 2008

Percy Jackson isn't expecting freshman orientation to be any fun. But when a mysterious mortal acquaintance appears on campus, followed by demon cheerleaders, things quickly move from bad to worse.
In this fourth installment of the blockbuster series, time is running out as war between the Olympians and the evil Titan lord Kronos draws near. Even the safe haven of Camp Half-Blood grows more vulnerable by the minute as Kronos's army prepares to invade its once impenetrable borders. To stop the invasion, Percy and his demigod friends must set out on a quest through the Labyrinth - a sprawling underground world with stunning surprises at every turn

So, The Battle of the Labyrinth. I'm sure you're all expecting me to have something either completely bad or completely awesome to say about this one, considering the fact that this was one of my personal favorites of the series - but words... fail me. I don't even really know what to say! I was going to say that this was my ultimate favorite of the series, but since I've already read The Last Olympian, that's not true. I think that they're tied for my favorite.

I really loved the beginning of this one - it somehow made a bigger impression on me than all of the others - there was immediately something big going on. It was interesting to have Rachel back, after the part that she played in the third book, but I wasn't really sure what to think of her. (By the fifth book, though... I didn't want her around. PERACHEL SHALL NOT HAPPEN ON MY WATCH!)

Since that little outburst is out of the way... I was feeling kind of... I don't know. Sad because I knew that there was no way that everything I wanted could happen in the last two books? It was making me nervous. But in spite of all that, I REALLY love this series.

The Battle of the Labyrinth was the first book where Percy started to realize that Annabeth was a girl - and OMG, I almost died at the adorableness of that! There was some new developments between Annabeth and Percy, with a little bit of tension and GAH it was amazing.

I love the fact that as Percy gets older, it's shown in the books. He makes more mature decisions, and he has an older voice. I like that. It's not something that really happens very often.

I really liked the new twists and plot devices - there's always something super fun going on in this series, and I LOVE IT. Everyone had a part to play, and it was lovely to see everything playing out. I didn't see the ending coming, and it kind of left me stunned!

All in all, The Battle of the Labyrinth was a great continuation of the Percy Jackson series, and since I've read the fifth book, I can tell you that I'm sorry to see these characters go. (Especially Percy and Annabeth! And Nico. I have a soft spot for the little guy.)

The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan

The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan
Series: Percy Jackson & The Olympians, #2
Source: Bought
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Publication Date: April 1, 2006

The heroic son of Poseidon makes an action-packed comeback in the second must-read installment of Rick Riordan's amazing young readers series. Starring Percy Jackson, a "half blood" whose mother is human and whose father is the God of the Sea, Riordan's series combines cliffhanger adventure and Greek mythology lessons that results in true page-turners that get better with each installment. In this episode, The Sea of Monsters, Percy sets out to retrieve the Golden Fleece before his summer camp is destroyed, surpassing the first book's drama and setting the stage for more thrills to come

My happiness with this series continued right into this book - once again, we start out with a wonderfully action-packed beginning that thrusts us right back into Percy's world. And I loved it! Immediately, stuff was happening and the plot was twisting and Percy was Percy...

Speaking of Percy, I really do like him. There's something sweet about his personality, and I like the fact that he's so loyal to all of his friends. He would do anything to save them all, and I just think that he's a brave boy. I also like that he seems older in this one - he's growing throughout the books, and there's nothing better than that in my opinion.

I also liked that we get to meet a new character in this one - be prepared for Tyson, y'all. You will fall for his sweet little cyclops self. He's just so precious! There is a bit of drama associated with him, but believe me it's barely a blip - and he overcomes it with his adorable big puppy dog-ish-ness.

I loved the new quest - it seems like every book is going to have a different quest, and I'm not gonna lie - I'm super excited about this! It's like the perfect blend of nerdiness + fantasy for me. I mean, Greek mythology AND quests? There will never come a time when that isn't awesome!!

Let's talk about Percabeth, though. Let's really talk about it - nothing has really happened, but OMG. I want it to happen so bad, it's like I'm dying for it! I definitely definitely ship it, and I'd be the kind of person to push it on them. IT NEEDS TO HAPPEN. Like, really.

AND THE ENDING. It's a cliffy, y'all. Be prepared to immediately reach for the next book, because you're going to need it!

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
Series: Percy Jackson & The Olympians
Source: Bought
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Publication Date: March 21, 2006

Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school... again. And that's the least of his troubles. Lately, mythological monsters and the gods of Mount Olympus seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy's Greek mythology textbook and into his life. And worse, he's angered a few of them. Zeus' master lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect.

Now Percy and his friends have just ten days to find and return Zeus' stolen property and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus. But to succeed on his quest, Percy will have to do more than catch the true thief: he must come to terms with the father who abandoned him; solve the riddle of the Oracle, which warns him of betrayal by a friend; and unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves.

I'm not going to lie here - the reason that I put off Percy for so long was because of the hype surrounding this series - I mean, we have buckets and buckets of fans. I don't even know if there's any haters, and let's be honest here - I tend to be a naysayer. But I'm super happy to tell you that I actually really enjoyed The Lightning Thief! But first, a quick backstory: Nitzan has been trying to get me to read Percy FOREVER. She was just telling me how awesome it was and everything else - and then, suddenly, whenever I looked at Pinterest, there were headcanons for Percy everywhere. And there were words on them, so I HAD to read them... and I became slightly obsessed. Then there was a discussion on Twitter, and the #PercyPowWow was born... that is the story of how I came to read Percy Jackson.

Now that I've cleared things up with y'all, let's start back at the beginning. I liked this more than I expected to! For some odd reason, I had this idea that I wouldn't really care for Percy as a character. Maybe because he's a guy, or because he's a pre-pubescent guy... whatever. Turns out that he's really great, though! Percy is just so snarky and lovable.

He loves his mom, and I actually think that he seems pretty smart. Flighty, yes. But still smart. I liked that he read like a twelve year old boy - it was nice that he matched up, and wasn't too mature or immature. I also liked the relationships that he formed with the other characters throughout. I loved his friendship with Annabeth & Grover, and I can't wait to see where those relationships will take him in the future!

Another thing that I liked about The Lightning Thief was the ridiculous jokes and the over-the-top plot twists throughout the book. I laughed out loud (hysterically) a few times, that's for sure. And every single plot twist - as ridiculous as they were - somehow made sense. Anyone who can fit pieces like that together most definitely gets my vote.

I liked the never-ending presence of the Greek gods, and the explanation for how they came to be in America. I, for one - have pretty much questioned every myth retelling ever, because of the fact that they all take place in America. It was WONDERFUL to have an explanation for once!

All in all, The Lightning Thief really was a fun read. I'm enjoying the series so far, and I can't wait for shipping Percy and Annabeth. Also, can't tell you how disappointed I am in the movie now.

Goddess by Josephine Angelini

Goddess by Josephine Angelini
Series: Starcrossed, #3
Source: Bought
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: May 28, 2013

After accidentally unleashing the gods from their captivity on Olympus, Helen must find a way to re-imprison them without starting a devastating war. But the gods are angry, and their thirst for blood already has a body count.

To make matters worse, the Oracle reveals that a diabolical Tyrant is lurking among them, which drives a wedge between the once-solid group of friends. As the gods use the Scions against one another, Lucas’s life hangs in the balance. Still unsure whether she loves him or Orion, Helen is forced to make a terrifying decision, for war is coming to her shores.

In Josephine Angelini’s compelling conclusion to the masterfully woven Starcrossed trilogy, a goddess must rise above it all to change a destiny that’s been written in the stars. With worlds built just as fast as they crumble, love and war collide in an all-out battle that will leave no question unanswered and no heart untouched.

When I started Goddess, I was really unsure. The books in this series have gotten progressively better with each installment, but I was afraid that this one wouldn't live up to my standards. It didn't help that I started it out blind-- I had to relearn several of the character names, because I didn't re-read the previous books before starting. This made the first few chapters a bit muddy, because I had to sort out all of the secondary characters in my mind.

I liked that we got a few glimpses into Daphne's mind with Goddess-- in earlier books, she's been a huge mystery, but I loved that she opened up a little in this one. (And she's not all bad.) But before I start in on the virtues of Daphne (few and rare), I want to talk about Helen. The main character, the balm that's supposed to hold this whole series together. Honestly, Helen isn't a great character to me. I do like her, but it's the secondary characters that really make it pop.

For instance, when I think about why I love this series...what comes to mind? Orion. Lucas. Hector. All of the interwoven stories from ancient mythology. Memories and Scions...did you notice that none of my reasons were Helen? I did. And honestly, it really doesn't bother me that I don't "love" Helen.

I did, however, like the introduction of Andy! A new character in a group you've come to love is always exciting, because you're not sure how they'll play with the other characters; but I loved Andy. She was so interesting-- a siren? Come on. That is awesome. I also liked the introduction of her as Hector's love interest. They were so adorable together!

And I just have to talk about Orion for a little bit, y'all. I love him! He's like my sad puppy dog, honestly. I'm always rooting for the guy who probably won't win. But I just can't help it! Orion was a really deep character, and I felt like I could feel his sadness. And it was sad-- I did love his ending, though. He deserves to be someone's first choice.

As I've mentioned before, I loved the Greek myths that were interwoven into the story-- the idea that each character was a representation of each of the myth characters was awesome! I completely fell in love with some of the characterizations, let me tell you. All the pieces and characters connect and snap perfectly together. Unfortunately, I did think that it was obvious from the beginning that Helen was the tyrant. It didn't ruin the plot or anything, because I was completely freaking out over it, but... (OMG OMG OMG)

There is so many other things that I want to tell you, but I just can't risk spoiling the book! Just know that my heart strings were tugged back and forth, and that the ending (while semi-happy) fell a bit flat. The rest of the book was so amazing, but the ending was slightly anti-climatic. There was a lot that I wanted to see resolved. Overall, this series is really worth a read. Don't let a "slightly" anti-climatic ending keep you away!

Furious by Jill Wolfson

Furious by Jill Wolfson
Series: N/A
Source: Won
Publisher: Henry Holt & CO.
Publication Date: April 16, 2013

Three high school girls become the avenging Furies of Greek legend.

We were only three angry girls, to begin with. Alix, the hot-tempered surfer chick; Stephanie, the tree-hugging activist; and me, Meg, the quiet foster kid, the one who never quite fit in. We hardly knew each other, but each of us nurtured a burning anger: at the jerks in our class, at our disappointing parents, at the whole flawed, unjust world.

We were only three angry girls, simmering uselessly in our ocean-side California town, until one day a mysterious, beautiful classmate named Ambrosia taught us what else we could be: Powerful. Deadly. Furious.

We are straight out of mythology, goddesses who avenge, retaliate, punish, haunt, hunt, and don't stand around being victims, but make things happen.

I was really expecting to love Furious. And while I liked it, this didn't add up to "love" for me; although I wish it could have. The first seemingly small thing that I couldn't get past was the fact that it's based in America. Normally, this isn't a big deal, as most YA books are based in America. But the fact still remains that this is a GREEK myth come to life. Why isn't it based in Greece?

I realize that this is a small thing... but come on! I never got an explanation for it. And I would have liked to have seen one. The other thing that bothered me was "The Plagues". I could possibly see how someone might come up with a set of nicknames like that, but I really doubt that it would be a group of teenage boys. It just doesn't ring true for me. I can't imagine boys going by nicknames such as "Gnat", "Bubonic" or "Pox". This is also a small thing. The rest of the book was fairly enjoyable!

I liked the character of Stephanie; I believe that she was my favorite. I could relate to her, because in her own way she was trying to change the world. I loved that about her. Even when she could have (or even should have) given up, she kept trying to stand up for what she believed in. As a result, I admired her. Alix and Meg, however, didn't really do it for me. Alix was too tough and hardcore (with no sense of mercy) and Meg was... how do I say this gently? I felt like Meg was way too power-hungry, which threw her sense of justice out of whack.

Meg definitely grew as a character throughout the book, though, which is a bit more than I can say for Alix. Stephanie figured it out too, eventually. I was proud of them for that. I felt bad for Meg's friend Raymond, though. He always seemed like such a happy light-- I wish that he had gotten a bit more character time, you know? I also wish that the romance between Meg & Brendon would have been given more time. They fell "in love" by the second date, which is a big no-no. Thankfully, the romance was such a small part of the book that I easily overlooked it.

My favorite part of this book was the myth of the Furies. I loved it when the girls took out their fury on people; it gave the story so much. It was so easy to see why they did, and I'm positive that the story would have been lacking if they hadn't thought that they were justice itself. As Furies, they were superbly power hungry and mildly insane.

All in all, I would definitely recommend Furious is you're in a mythology mood (like I was), and don't mind a few minor things.

Ink by Amanda Sun

Ink by Amanda Sun
Series: Paper Gods, #1
Source: Netgalley
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Publication Date: June 25, 2013

On the heels of a family tragedy, the last thing Katie Greene wants to do is move halfway across the world. Stuck with her aunt in Shizuoka, Japan, Katie feels lost. Alone. She doesn’t know the language, she can barely hold a pair of chopsticks, and she can’t seem to get the hang of taking her shoes off whenever she enters a building.

Then there’s gorgeous but aloof Tomohiro, star of the school’s kendo team. How did he really get the scar on his arm? Katie isn’t prepared for the answer. But when she sees the things he draws start moving, there’s no denying the truth: Tomo has a connection to the ancient gods of Japan, and being near Katie is causing his abilities to spiral out of control. If the wrong people notice, they'll both be targets.

Katie never wanted to move to Japan—now she may not make it out of the country alive.

It was my destiny. I was going to face it. It was my life. I was going to live it.

First off, when I began Ink, (based on some reviews and the info) I was expecting a paranormal-- one without much unique information, and with a wasted potential. I can't help it, but I am overly judgmental about paranormal type books in general. It's a side effect of not being impressed by one in a long time.

But anyway, back on subject. I was fairly surprised by this one. Because the premise of Ink was done very well-- lots of details and wonderful Japanese myths. But...I felt like it was too much sometimes. I liked the fact that we got so much insight, but...well, it was just too much. For one, I am not a native speaker of Japanese. All of the interlaced phrases and random words just weren't ever explained to my standards. Because of the large culture differences (American and Japanese) I couldn't even deduct into what context the phrases were used. This was quite aggravating to me, as you can tell! I just....ARGGGHHHH. I wish that I could have understood them!

But before I go on a rampage, I'll move onto something else. The gang thing. The way to know gang members in Japan is by whether or not they have tattoos...it seems like they're being very obvious, but that's their customs. Anyway, the gangs were at times very prevalent then at other times barely there. I could not get a feel for that. It's either a part of it or it's not, right?

Some of the facts just didn't add up. *SPOILER*Like this one: only Kami or people with "ink" in their blood can see Kami drawings move, according to the man in the temple. But...Ishikawa saw the dragon and now the Japanese gang is after Tomo because he can draw things into reality...BUT IF THEY CAN'T SEE IT HOW DO THEY KNOW IT'S THERE? Hello? Are you listening to me? No one but the Kami/ink in their blood folks should have seen. *SPOILER END*

Ahem. Anyway. Katie seemed like a very hesitant character to me. Sometimes she was just so brave, and she took charge of her own destiny and I liked her for that; but other times...she was different. Sometimes she wasn't courageous. Sometimes she was all careful and such. I guess that makes her a normal girl, though, so I applaud her for that one.

Tomo was very strange-- I don't even know that by the end I even liked him. Sometimes he was such a jerk-- and he was doing it on purpose. Other times, well, he was all sensitive and sweet and I just wanted to give them this huge hug. But then he'd be a jerk again and I'd want to hit him. (That doesn't sound like I have a dysfunctional relationship with him at all.)

Speaking of which, the relationship between Katie and Tomo came too soon. In my opinion, of course. It seemed like they weren't friends for very long before it got all awkward and romantic like. It was introduced way too quickly.

All in all, in spite of my issues with Ink, I really do think that it was a good read. A definite change from the norm...I just...well, you know.

Loki's Wolves by Kelley Armstrong and Melissa Marr

Loki's Wolves by Kelley Armstrong and Melissa Marr
Series: The Blackwell Pages, #1
Source: Bought
Publisher: Little, Brown
Publication Date: May

"The runes have spoken. We have our champion...Matthew Thorsen."

Matt hears the words, but he can't believe them. He's Thor's representative? Destined to fight trolls, monstrous wolves and giant serpents...or the world ends? He's only thirteen.

While Matt knew he was a modern-day descendant of Thor, he's always lived a normal kid's life. In fact, most people in the small town of Blackwell, South Dakota, are direct descendants of either Thor or Loki, including Matt's classmates Fen and Laurie Brekke. No big deal.

But now Ragnarok is coming, and it's up to the champions to fight in the place of the long-dead gods. Matt, Laurie, and Fen's lives will never be the same as they race to put together an unstoppable team, find Thor's hammer and shield, and prevent the end of the world.

In their middle grade debut, K.L. Armstrong and M.A. Marr begin the epic Blackwell Pages series with this action-packed adventure, filled with larger-than-life legends, gripping battles, and an engaging cast of characters who bring the myths to life.

Loki's Wolves was just one of those books that I picked up because it was a middle grade. It looked interesting enough, and it was really just a place filler. I hadn't heard anything special about it, so I didn't know what to expect when coming into it. Turns out that was alright, though, because I really enjoyed it.

The Norse god's element was a fun break from the norm, and as a huge fan of Thor and Loki, it was a big hit for me. It was very interesting, but as I read it, well, it can also be a tad confusing. Keeping up with all of the happenings and different kinds of creatures was just hard. Not that it was interesting, but you know, maybe a little less information would have been nice. But then I probably would've complained about that too. ;)

Alternating points of view can be such a hit or miss for me-- I'm happy to report that this one was a hit. Each of the characters had their own unique personalities, and it was obvious whenever points of view changed. I feel like Laurie should have been my favorite character (because she's a girl), but Matt was actually my favorite. I don't know why I liked the golden boy so much, but it might just be that I'm supposed to. He is, after all, the hero, Thor's replacement, right? Maybe that's why. But I also really enjoyed the characters of Fen and Laurie...but I am so upset about Baldwin. Who knows what's going to happen there, though, so fingers crossed!

For whatever reason, I absolutely could not stand Astrid. She put off a bad vibe from the beginning, and I just can't figure out who she's supposed to be! I'm not exactly a huge fan of the twins either. But they were the only characters that I didn't care for, so I'd say we're doing good.

The illustrations were pretty good-- that might be my new addiction in MG-- why don't more YA books have illustrations? They are so much fun! Anyway, I noticed that the illustrations were slightly anime looking-- did anyone else notice that? All in all, Loki's Wolves was a good read, but hopefully the next book comes out soon because we're kind of in an awkward spot ending wise...

Also, happy birthday, Daddy!