Whispered Visions by Tammy Blackwell

Whispered Visions by Tammy Blackwell
Series: Shifters & Seers #3
Source: Kindle version
Publisher: Indie
Publication Date: September 8th 2015
Age Genre: Young Adult

Where do you go when there is nowhere left to run?

For years the Society for Human Preservation has been waging a quiet war against the Shifters & Seers of the world, and now they've taken two of the Alpha Pack's own.

With the ability to See inside a person's mind, Lizzie Anders is one of the most powerful Seers in the world, but all that power comes with the responsibility of protecting herself and others from what she can do. And now, after years of suppressing her Sight, the SHP is intent on tearing down the walls she's carefully constructed to further their cause.

Layne Hagan is the boy no one wanted. Abandoned by his mother when he was a baby and orphaned by his father in Scout's battle to become Alpha Female, he was handed off by his grandparents to live with Charlie and the rest of the Alpha Pack. He's never had a place or purpose... until now.

With no one left to rely on but each other, Lizzie and Layne must learn to put their past behind them and learn to trust each other - and their hearts - again.

   

Before I start this review, I have to tell you that it's impossible to express how sad I am that this series is over. I love this world. I love the characters. I love everything about it and NOW IT'S OVER *sob*

Whispered Visions starts off where Infinite Harmony ended, with Layne and Lizzie being kidnapped by the insane group called Society for Human Preservation. The two are imprisoned alongside a mother and her daughter and forced to work for SHP while they think of an escape plan.

I've been shipping Lizzie and Layne for a while now, and have been so excited for their story! I can't say I was disappointed, though I was definitely surprised. This book was very far from what I thought it will be.

First of all, it's hella dark. There are some really gory parts here--it's bloodier than I'm used to seeing in this world. The madness is... really scary. Specifically as it comes in the form of a young man who is willing to cut a finger off a two year old in order to drive his point home.

Oh, sorry, did I just send a chill down your spine? didn't mean to.

Aside for that, I was expecting some sweet, funny, hate-to-love type of romance.

It's not sweet and funny. Does Lizzie and Layne's sarcasm positively killed me sometimes? yep. But the romance itself is not sweet and funny at all. It's very complicated, it's very deep, and it's intense as heck. 

Which might be due to the fact this is not hate to love at all. This is pretend-hate to okay-I've-been-in-love-with-you-for-years-I'm-sorry-alright?! Layne and Lizze have been in love for ages, they've just being hiding it from one another for... reasons. 

And can we just take a moment to be mad at everyone for treating Layne the way they do??? The guy is so sweet and loyal and he is everything. Look underneath his really sarcastic cares-about-nothing facade, please!

If Lizzie can do it--so can his family! I mean, have you seen the way he is around Caro? Have you noticed the way he protects everyone around him??? STOP BULLYING LAYNE! 

Now let's talk Caroline. Has there ever been a cuter three year old? Everybody are wrapped around this little precious cinnamon roll's finger, but can you really blame them? Can you?? I'd be at her feet if I were in their shoes as well. 

I really hope we're going to see more of this world - preferably in the form of Angel's story, and maybe a couple of short stories about the futures of our favorite couples. I would LOVE to see Scout and Liam's children *wink wink*

Nitzan★

Thursday Oldie: Destiny Binds by Tammy Blackwell

YOU CAN FIND AN UPDATED VERSION OF THIS REVIEW ON MY NEW BLOG, AFTERWORDS! 

Destiny Binds by Tammy Blackwell
Series: The Timber Wolves Trilgoy #1
Source: bought kindle boxset
Publisher: Indie
Age Genre: Young Adult
Originally published: Feb 4, 2013
Challenges: Re-Read

Scout Donovan is a girl who believes in rules, logic, and her lifelong love of Charlie Hagan. Alex Cole believes in destiny, magic, and Scout. When Alex introduces Scout to the world of Shifters, men who change into wolves or coyotes during the full moon and Seers, women who can see your most private thoughts and emotions with a mere touch, the knowledge changes everything and everyone Scout thought she knew.

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For this week's Oldie, I'm bringing back one of my favorite shifter series ever, after recently re-reading it. It's also one of the most underrated books and series out there. I mean, seriously. You don't need to read this review - go read the book instead. That's time better spent, I'll tell you that. 

'Course, if you want to read my review and read the book I'm all for that.

Destiny Binds starts the epic journey of Harper "Scout" Donovan, one of the most awesome and kickass main characters in the history of YA. She is funny and sarcastic, smart and logical, honest and strong, and loving. She is also odd looking, in an eye catching way. God only knows why this incredible person doesn't have too many friends at the beginning of the series, but I will be her friend in a heartbeat. I already consider myself one.

As many of these stories go (and this is just about the only typical thing about this whole series), Scout's story start with the arrival of Alex and his brother Liam Cole into town. Alex is basically every girl's dream guy: sweet, charismatic, caring, loving, hot, two killer dimples and a kind of tortured past. Can you blame Scout for falling for him? I can't, as I fell for him and the way he behaved and acted around Scout alongside her.

The romance between these two doesn't happen at once, though. There's attraction, but there's also Alex's wacky brother to consider - and Scout's step brother, the infinitely awesome Jase Donovan is really against the Coles. And considering Scout and Jase have been together since babyhood, and their relationship is built equally on banter and devotion (there's a reason people call them Twins), Scout cares and listens to what he says.

But eventually, Alex and Scout's relationship develop into something... more.

The romance in this book, and series as a whole, is really unique, and I mean that in the best way possible. You won't notice it at first, though I'll guarantee the lack of insta love, the time it take for it to develop and the fact Scout actually picks a guy when put in a sort of love-triangle instead of twiddling her thumbs for three books is astounding and unique on itself.

But the truly special thing about it--what makes it stand out to other series--happens at the end of the book, carries on to the second and really shows itself on the third. It's a roller coaster, but one you'll come down from smiling.

Alongside Alex, Scout and Jase there are a bunch of great characters, such as Talley, Scout's best friend, the kind of person who sees the best in everyone and understands her friends almost as well as she understands herself, and Charlie, Jase's best friend & cousin with whom Scout has been in love with for years. He's the peacemaker in the group, the logical one. And the four of them are pretty much inseparable outside of school. Think of The Fantastic Four,

As for the ending... well, I'm not going to lie. I cried. Even the second time I read it. All I can say in relations to this is that Ashley is a stupid bitch, and I don't say the B word lightly.
Blackwell does something really dangerous here, and pretty much unheard of in YA, but it works. It works for this book, and I promise you it works for the next.

So, do me a favor. If the review somehow failed to convey my recommendation for this book, I'll put it now in clear writing: READ THIS BOOK. Read it if you love shifter books, read it if you don't. Read it if fantasy is your thing, and--yes--read it even if it's not. Read it.  

Nitzan★

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman
Series: Seraphina #1
Source: Bought hardcover
Publisher: Random House
Age Genre: Young Adult

Four decades of peace have done little to ease the mistrust between humans and dragons in the kingdom of Goredd. Folding themselves into human shape, dragons attend court as ambassadors, and lend their rational, mathematical minds to universities as scholars and teachers. As the treaty's anniversary draws near, however, tensions are high.
Seraphina Dombegh has reason to fear both sides. An unusually gifted musician, she joins the court just as a member of the royal family is murdered—in suspiciously draconian fashion. Seraphina is drawn into the investigation, partnering with the captain of the Queen's Guard, the dangerously perceptive Prince Lucian Kiggs. While they begin to uncover hints of a sinister plot to destroy the peace, Seraphina struggles to protect her own secret, the secret behind her musical gift, one so terrible that its discovery could mean her very life.

 

I adored Seraphina. It's been a while since I've read any good "dragon" book, and I love them as a creature. Fire breathing, treasure hoarding, deadly, beautiful winged-scaled animals? What could be better?! Maybe this is also good time and place to ask you guys on suggestion for other good dragon books.

But I digress.

Seraphina is a wonderful heroine. She is so fleshed out, that she is right there in front of you. You could almost touch her. She is a brave, smart young lady, filled with insecurities and self doubt and self hate. But she never lets it stop her, and you feel her pain as strongly as if it were your own.

Alongside Seraphina we have a great cast of side characters, from the headstrong and sometimes silly princess (but don't let that fool you - she's a sharp one) to the adorable Dragon uncle Orma, to the music master, and the cast of grotesques (of whom we will hopefully see a lot more in the sequel).

Oh, and let's not forget the prince.

Kiggs is a prince. He is also a bastard, and the head of the Guard. He was smart, sweet and loyal to a fault. He is perceptive and once he makes you his friend, you'll be hard bent to shake him off. Not that you'll want to, really.

His and Seraphina's relationship was an interesting one. It progressed slowly, but surely, and I feel like we just touched the tip of the iceberg of what these two could become, despite love declarations already made. It feels to me like this could become an epic love, but it's not there yet.

But, get this, the most interesting part of this book is not any of that. The best part of this book is easily the dragons and the world - here, dragons are something like autistic people. They're analytic, logical, and seem to lack emotions - and an understanding of them. However, as much as people claim them "soulless", they are far from that. At least the dragons we meet in Seraphina.

The ideas behind this book are so intriguing and create one heck of a setting. Of which I'm actually thirsty for more. I can't wait to revisit this world in the next book!

The only "downside" of the book may be in the action department, which I felt was a bit lacking. The book was never dull or boring, but it wasn't action filled. Even the exciting parts were usually done or solved in talking. So don't expect any epic sword-fighting. And while this didn't bother my enjoyment of the book at all, I do feel this may relate to why the book also lacked that WOW moment that blows you away.

But even without that wow moment, this is a wow book, for me. I'll eat the hat I'm not wearing if I don't read the next book as soon as it comes out.

The Turbulence Journey to Getting Seraphina

And I'm going to digress again, this time on purpose, because the story behind how I finally got my hands on the book is one I need to tell. On July, I ordered the book from Amazon. Their shipping is normally too expensive for me, but I wanted the purple cover too much, as I'm not a fan of the black&white one. From experience, Amazon shipments get here in about two weeks, despite their month and a half expectation date. 

But two weeks flew by, then a month, then a month and a half. And still, I waited. The delay could be on my side, after all. We did have a sort of war going on for a while there. Fast forward another month and a half, and I know the book isn't going to get to me. Other orders have reached me, and three months is enough of a wait. So I sent a message to Amazon, after a frustratingly long time trying to figure out how to do that - it wasn't in any convenient/obvious place.

But finally I did. Maybe a day later, I got a reply. They put a new order for me, with the best shipping they had, which was unexpected. I had hoped for a new shipment, but didn't expect the extra mile. Three days later, the book was here. Three days!

Well done, Amazon! Well done.

   Nitzan★