Pandora's Box

Pandora's Box by Katie Salidas

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I started reading this series a little backwards. I actually read the novella Moonlight first and absolutely loved Fallons story. That book introduced me to several of the characters in the Immortalis series but after reading the first book in this series I was left with some questions as to why other members of the Clan weren't around later. Then I saw a comment on the authors Facebook page about a WIP and I had a mini fit. Something awful happens between book 2 and the novella and I almost didn't want to read about it. I mean the unintentional spoiler wasnt really a spoiler it was something I had already guessed at but now I KNEW, so I've put off reading this book for a few days now. But Alyssa keeps nagging me to come read some more.. So here I am.

This whole series has just grabbed me and wont let go. Maybe it's because I waited a few days but I started reading this and I wasn't able to put my kindle down (I even managed to do some of my exercises whilst reading I was so involved), until the bit I feared. For the first time EVER I actually put the kindle down and walked away. I needed to take a moment. The moment became five, then ten. I started to panic that I wouldn't be able to carry on reading. I made some tea, had some chocolate (did I mention the diet?), picked up the kindle and switched it back on. Re-read the last few pages and put the kindle down again. Really? Yup absolutely! I had a little more chocolate and at this point I decided I wasn't going to allow this book to beat me (or end my diet) so I stepped away from the chocolate and carried on reading. While I felt like my heart was maybe breaking along with Nicholas I almost squealed with delight when I realised we were meeting Aiden, I hissed in anger when we meet Edmond again and I actually laughed with joy near the end of the book when Alyssa exacts her revenge on him.

Now I'm faced with a dilemma. I really want to read the fourth book in the series Soulstone but its the last in the series (for now?) and im not ready for it to be over.




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Hunters and Prey

Hunters & Prey by Katie Salidas

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Hunters and prey continues the story of Alyssa, the new vampire. She is now a few months old and getting to grips with her vampire nature. However she is now haunted by dreams of her recent encounter with Santino and the Acta Sanctorum. While Lysander and the rest of the clan try to convince her that she doesn't need to worry about him Alyssa isnt convinced, especially when she meets him on one of her nightly feeds. Fearing for her life she runs away to the only populated safe place she can think of, her favourite place to go as a human, before she has a chance to change her mind about entering she runs into her best friend Fallon and her secret is quickly out of the bag. Soon it is not only Alyssa's life in danger, but Fallons too.

Salidas does it again with yet another book that grabs my attention from the very first page and doesn't let go until the very last word. I literally cannot step away from this series and I'm now logging off to go and read the third installment Pandora's Box. I'm sorry for the rather short review but I literally don't have the words. I loved it.



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Immortalis Carpe Noctem

Immortalis Carpe Noctem by Katie Salidas

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

"Life doesn't always play out the way we plan it. That's what makes it such a great adventure. You never know what is around the next corner."

Whilst walking home one night twenty-five year old Alyssa is brutally attacked before being saved by Lysander. But he didn't save her in the conventional sense and now Alyssa's life will never be the same again. Turned without choice Alyssa now has to come to terms with the changes she has to make. She has to turn her back on her life, her friend, her job.

A lot of vampire books tend to focus on the positives of being turned a vampire, or at the very least they don't focus on the negatives. It has been great reading about Alyssa's transition from human to vampire. It wasn't an easy seamless transition, and there was no persecution (except her own) about feeding on humans, which she soon overcame when she realised there was no alternative. Vampires were meant to drink from the vein and Salida's vampires do just that.

I look forward to reading Immortalis: Hunters & Prey which is loaded up on my kindle ready to go.

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Grimm Diaries Prequels part 1

Snow White Blood Red by Cameron Jace

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A nice little prequel that puts an original spin on the fairy tale of Snow White, as told by the Evil Queen to one of the Grimm brothers.

In this story the Queen of Sorrow (evil Queen) talks about Snow White growing up and we get a hint as to why the Evil Queen did what she did.

Ashes to Ashes and Cinder to Cinder by Cameron Jace

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is a short story taking place just before Cinderella's birth.
While I enjoyed the story I have to be honest and say the writing/editing needs more work. There were several grammatical errors through the story. As well as a completely random Twilight reference that really had no place being here.

Beauty Never Dies by Cameron Jace

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

So this one is a mash-up of several tales I didn't ever think would gel together and honestly they didn't, but kudos to Jace for trying.

This tale is told by Peter Pan, who has enlisted the Hunchback of Notre Dame to help him wake up Count Dracula, who he wants to wake up Sleeping Beauty. But before they get a chance to do that they meet the Evil Queen (the Queen of Sorrow from Snow White) who needs help deciphering clues in tracing down the Lost Seven who initially helped Snow White. The whole thing was just awkward. And then to find out who sleeping beauty really is. I mean really? Peter Pan? he calls her Darling she's mentioned in his book by another name? Like I didn't see that one coming.





The only thing really holding these little books back is the grammatical errors. I don't claim to be an expert who never gets it wrong, but this is a published book and considering how short it really is there shouldn't be this many. Also, we really don't need these random mentions of modern day goings on.. just stick to the tale at hand.




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Moonlight

Moonlight by Katie Salidas

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received an ARC of this from the author in exchange for an honest review.

This is a companion novella for Salidas' Immortalis Series. While they do talk a little of what has happened in the 4 books in the series you do not need to have read them to follow and enjoy this. The story centres around Fallon and Aiden, Aiden is to become the Alpha of his pack, but he can't do that without a werewolf Alpha female as his mate. Which brings us to the problem of Fallon, she is 100% human and unsure whether she wants to change that despite her feelings for Aiden.

This book grabbed me from the first page. By chapter 2 I realised there were books in a series before this, so I put the kindle down and sulked while I tried to find if this was a standalone or not since I haven't read the rest of this series. A quick check online and I was back in business; that book was going to be read. And read I did. I know it's a novella, but I devoured this book in 2 short sittings (only because I had to do the motherly thing and collect my daughter from school) and now I am left hungry for more.



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Hidden Gates ARC review

Hidden Gates by D.T. Dyllin

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Just recently I have been having trouble reading, I started a book a few days ago and I had gotten a few chapters in and still wasn't really interested so I put it down and tried this one instead. From the very first page this book had my attention.

I'll be honest, the whole seer, guardian, gatekeeper and speaker part were sort of glossed over in the beginning and I started to think they had been included just so the book could claim to be something other than a romance novel. slowly we get more and more information, though never really a full explanation.

I instantly loved the connection between Pj and Bryn and from just the first few pages I KNEW Bryn's feelings for Pj were more than platonic. She quickly realises that her feelings for him are not platonic and soon things heat up. It's here that then story really begins, with then trying to keep their relationship a secret from everyone since it is forbidden, she is supposed to marry another seer or a gatekeeper so that she will have seer children, when they are discovered Bryn is sent away and Pj is distraught.

I won't say anymore on the plot you are going to have to read it yourself to find out. I loved how easy this was to read, there are a few moments when we are given a lot of information in a short space of time, but this is generally when pj is learning something new and it is not difficult to get through.

I received an ARC of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

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The Brown House

The Brown House by Christy Sloat

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book started out slowly, but it soon built into an enjoyable comfortable read.

After her father loses his job Brylee finds her life uprooted when she has to leave her home and travel across country to her new house. She has an instant dislike to the house, but soon warms to it when she gets to know the neighbours, even when she finds out the house is haunted.

The story was well written and it did grab me (after the first few chapters) but I felt it needed a little more ghost involvement. I was always waiting for something to happen, then being a little disappointed when nothing did.



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Deceiving Destiny

Deceiving Destiny by Nadège Richards

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

How to sum this up in one word? Awesome. I have just finished reading this and I'm blown away.

Deceiving Destiny starts right where Burning Bridges leaves off. Echo and Ayden are no longer fighting just for their lives but for the lives of their friends and family too. I'm not going to go into details about what happens or doesn't happen in this book. If you want to know then you are going to have to read it yourself. But I can guarantee you will not be disappointed.

The Echo in this book is much stronger than the Echo we met in Burning Bridges, she has grown, and while she no longer see's herself as the Princess she accepts that this is how others still see her and that they look to her for guidance and reassurance and she is able to give them that.

This was THE best book to start my new year with and I am happy that I had that chance. If you haven't started reading The Bleeding Heart trilogy yet then you best get a move on.



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