The Candymakers and the Great Chocolate Chase by Wendy Mass

The Candymakers and the Great Chocolate Chase by Wendy Mass
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received an e-book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**
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I haven't managed to make it all the way through a children's book in a while, but this one?! Wow! I mean, what's not to like? Chocolate, young spies, adventure, mystery... If I could have kept my eyes open longer at night this would have been finished much faster, but alas - life gets in the way.

This was a VERY well-written story. I am planning to go back and read the first book in the series as soon as I have a chance - I hadn't read it yet so you do not need to have read the first book to enjoy the second. This plot is reminiscent of a cross between Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and a Nancy Drew/Hardy Boy adventure.

I love how the story is told from varying points of view so that you get a more well-rounded idea of the details, and the verbiage is very detailed letting your imagination paint a vivid picture as you read. I would strongly recommend this series to any fans of the aforementioned series as well as any youngster with an imagination. ;)

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Red Queen (The Chronicles of Alice #2) by Christina Henry

Red Queen by Christina Henry
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**I received an e-ARC from First to Read in exchange for an honest review.**
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"We might go to sleep and wake up to discover a madman with a knife leaning over us."
"I'm the madman with the knife," Hatcher said.

A darker twist on the classic Alice in Wonderland travels, Red Queen picks up a few months after Alice ends, with Alice & Hatcher attempting to find his daughter outside the walls of the city. As they travel through various environments - each of which has it's own treacheries.

This story was not my normal fare. There are overtones of paranormal and the fantastical, but it is still realistic enough that it doesn't read as a paranormal. It could be read by mature teens (in fact, my daughter read parts over my shoulder, and didn't understand why I said she might not want to), but adults will probably read more into the story than most teens would. Despite those things - the writing was good enough to keep me involved in the story.

I didn't love the book, but I did enjoy it, and would recommend it to others.

-Note: I have not yet read Alice so Red Queen can be read as a stand alone if desired.

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Bright Blaze of Magic by Jennifer Estep

Bright Blaze of Magic by Jennifer Estep
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

** I received an ebook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**
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First, it is important to note is that while this is the third book in this series, it is the first one of the series that I have read. I was able to follow the plot line, and did not feel like I was "missing details" because of that fact. So, while I am sure it is MOST enjoyable to read this series in order - it is possible to read it out of order without feeling lost. My daughter had read - and loved - Cold Burn of Magic so I wanted to see what it was she loved. This was the first chance I got to look at the series. Being a big fan of Jennifer's writing in general and of the Elemental Assassin series specifically, I felt at home in Lila Merriweather's world.

What we have:
Lila
- a strong-willed, self-contained female protagonist
- an orphan (her mother has been killed and she's looking for vengeance) who has been taken under the wing of her mother's best friend and the head of the Sinclair family
- magically gifted in not just one, but two abilities (which she doesn't let most people know)
- a "Scooby" gang of friends who help her whenever possible
Devon
- her boyfriend
- heir and "bouncer" for his family - the Sinclairs
Deah
- her cousin (via her mother) and daughter to Victor Draconi (the villain)
Felix
- her cousin's boyfriend & member of the Sinclair family
The Monsters
- various magical creatures who have befriended Lila thanks to her mother's teachings

What they do:
Combine their skills and access to thwart Victor's plan to take control of all of the magical families of Cloudburst Falls.

This book is definitely YA - no sex, and the violence - while there - is not explicit. I enjoyed the story, and was reminded not only of Jennifer's protagonist, Gin, when reading about Lila, but also of the worlds created in Harry Potter and Narnia - where magical creatures abound in everyday life. I am now trying to find time in my reading schedule to go back and read the first 2 books in this series! I hope there are more to come! :)

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Rootbound by Shannon Mayer

Rootbound by Shannon Mayer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**I received an ebook in exchange for an honest review.**
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"Oh, little Larkspur. Your desire to fit in, to be the good girl. It will be the death of you, I think."
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Lark has learned that the gem stones are not as safe as she though, and she must gather them up again. With Peta, Bella, and Shazer, Lark sets off once again to try to prevent the destruction of the world.

I love how this series twines with the Rylee Adamson series, and how Shannon always tries to be forthcoming about timelines between and among the two series. You can read one without the other, but... why would you?!

As always, Shannon's writing is detail-oriented, action-packed, and full of sarcastic wit - all of which are at the top of my list for "great reads" .

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Samantha Watkins by Aurelie Venem

Samantha Watkins by Aurélie Venem
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**I received an ebook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
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This book was a terrific read even though it took a little bit for me to get "into" the story. The writing style is quite a bit different from my typical reads, but that was refreshing.

This is the story of Sam - a quiet, fairly insular woman - who loses everything and in the process gains a whole new world. On the way home from her mundane job as a librarian she comes across something she was never meant to see, and in one fell swoop her whole world changes. Unable to return to her former life or risk death she must become a stronger, more confident version of herself.

It is well-told from Sam's point of view with plenty of detail and sub-plots as well as the main story to increase the reader's involvement in the storyline. I would love to read the next installment to see if the author manages to keep up the quality of the plot.

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RYLEE (The Rylee Adamson Epilogues) by Shannon Mayer

Rylee by Shannon Mayer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**I received an ebook in exchange for an honest review.**
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OMGEEEEEEEE!! Rylee is back - taking names and kicking butt!

True fans all bawled buckets of tears when Blood of the Lost ended. But, because she screams so loudly in her author's head, now we get to see where Rylee has ended up a year later.

Rylee is having trouble transitioning from Tracker to daywalking vampire. When she transitioned she lost her tracking abilities and immunity. She has gained immense strength and healing abilities among other things, but to remain alive she now requires blood - something only a monster would require to her previous mindset - and that is causing her to question who she really is. Her fears and worries are holding her back from her patchwork family, and while the love remains as strong as ever her relationship with Liam is strained.

Enter a job... While she has either passed off to other family members - or completely rejected - most jobs for months now, this one calls to her. Liam agrees that she should do this job as a way of finding not only the lost girl, but also herself. Her investigation leads her into The Pit. And, of course, Rylee manages to find new friends along the way.

Another awe-inspiring chapter in the world of Rylee Adamson by Shannon Mayer! I can't wait to read more in the epilogues!

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Midnight Star by Karpov Kinrade

Midnight Star by Karpov Kinrade
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**I received an ebook in exchange for an honest review.**
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Who wants to be ordinary... when you can be extraordinary?!

First... WHOA! Second... I mean REALLY WHOA! Ariana's sojourn in Hell continues with her month now being passed to Asher as she has been kidnapped by the fae. Of course, there is a reason for the kidnapping - beyond annoying the demon lords, and Ari soon finds herself embroiled in even deeper political issues than before.

The fae teach Ari some of what she needs to know about her newly awakening powers, and then she's off to finish the month in Asher's castle. The demon lords are fighting about how to handle the changes - as usual, and Ari is discovering the true depths of her love for Fen as well as what she is truly capable of.

Apparently I do not have the mind of a writer - I mean, really, look how often these reviews sound similar - but beyond that the twists and turns with extremely detailed imagery in Karpov Kinrade's arsenal just astound me! Every book I've read abounds with exquisite detail letting the reader imagine themselves within the story much like watching a movie. Time passes, and you aren't sure where it went!

The ending... well, I'm going to make you read it for yourself, but I didn't see that coming! I feel like I should have, but I didn't!

PS - I adore Baron. Yami has his own charm, but Baron still holds my heart.

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The Last of the Firedrakes by Farah Oomerbhoy

The Last of the Firedrakes by Farah Oomerbhoy
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**I received a ebook in exchange for an honest review.**
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Harry Potter meets Lord of the Rings meets Chronicles of Narnia!

An epic tale of a young queen-to-be that begins with her having absolutely no knowledge of her heritage. Imagine growing up as a completely "normal" human... only to learn that you are actually one of the strongest fae-mages ever known in the history of your realm! Aurora is living in the home of her "aunt" and "uncle who do not like - or even love - her after the death of her adoptive parents. Lately strange dreams have been plaguing her, and she cannot understand why. Then her "uncle" tries to sell her, and all the pieces start to fall into place.

As Aurora travels through her realm she gathers friends, companions, and of course, enemies. The intricacies of her journey and her personal growth during it make for a fine read for the young and young at heart alike. I can't wait to read the continuation of her story!

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Numbers Ignite by Rebecca Rode

Numbers Ignite by Rebecca Rode
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**I received an ebook in exchange for an honest review.**
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An exciting ride of a sequel!

Picking up the story a few months after the end of Numbers Game, we find Treena (now going by Amy) on a trek across the world outside the wall in an attempt to reach Vance and the rebels in the mountains. After the tragic bombing of the city center, her stepfather has handed over her position as Empress to her former boyfriend, and she has fled to try to help the rebels overthrow the current status quo.

Her journey gets waylaid when a snakebite almost kills her. While recuperating in a community previously unknown to any except those who lived there, Treena manages to make a place for herself among the people of the community. There are odd things happening on the surface though, and it soon comes to light that SHE is drawing danger to the community.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, although I did - once again - have to push my way through the beginning. As much as Treena grew in the first book, this one shows she still had (and probably still has) much more room to grow. By the end of the book she was beginning to take on responsibility more like an adult than a teen or child.

Rebecca's writing brings you into the story, and give you enough specifics to help you "see" the story. I look forward to reading the conclusion to this trilogy.

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Spider Game by Christine Feehan (audio)

Spider Game by Christine Feehan
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

After previous stories in this series which I LOVED - this was a disappointment. It seemed that it was more soft porn than paranormal romance. I don't mind some sex scenes in my stories - it tends to spice up the story line normally - but this was overload in the extreme. It was about 1/2 to 3/4 of the way through chapter 10 before we actually saw a story/plotline emerge, and even then it was heavy on the sex which leaned toward BDSM.

I honestly didn't care much for Trap either. His character is the sort of male that puts my hackles up and makes me want to punch someone. He's overbearing, demanding, and expects subservience to an extent that pisses me off.

I also didn't feel the narrator has a tonal range that effectively "read" the women and the men. Most of the characters sounded extremely similar compared to other narrators I've listened to.

Overall it is just very disappointing for me. I'm hoping the next book can redeem my love for the series.

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