Friday, December 21, 2012

13 Most Anticipated books of 2013



The upcoming year is just around the corner, and with it brings more exciting books! My TBR pile keeps growing and growing whenever I discover new books or authors. The following list are books I’m looking forward to reading in the 1st half of 2013 (there will be another list for the 2nd half of 2013). There are a lot of great reads, but I narrowed it down to 13 books (listed in order of release date). 

What books are you looking forward in 2013? Did any of the books on my list catch your eyes? Would love to hear what you guys think :) .
































 JANUARY 29, 2013

Vivian’s life is finally on track. She has a job she loves as an ER doctor and has just met – literally – the man of her dreams. But when her eccentric grandfather is murdered and designates her as his next of kin, she discovers that she is the last of a race of beings known as dreamshifters. It is her task to guard the doorways between waking and dreaming, which have already begun to unravel, spilling dangerous creatures from dream into the waking world. When she sets out to close the open doors and protect her town and the people she loves, Vivian confronts dragons, intrigue, and the dark secrets of her own family history. In the end she comes face to face with a sorceress seeking eternal life and ultimate power. Vivian must find a way to stop her, or reality will be forever altered.

  FEBRUARY 5, 2013

It's one thing to learn to curtsy properly. It's quite another to learn to curtsy and throw a knife at the same time. Welcome to finishing school.

Fourteen-year-old Sophronia is the bane of her mother's existence. Sophronia is more interested in dismantling clocks and climbing trees than proper etiquette at tea--and god forbid anyone see her atrocious curtsy. Mrs. Temminnick is desperate for her daughter to become a proper lady. She enrolls Sophronia in Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality.
But little do Sophronia or her mother know that this is a school where ingenious young girls learn to finish, all right--but it's a different kind of finishing. Mademoiselle Geraldine's certainly trains young ladies in the finer arts of dance, dress, and etiquette, but also in the other kinds of finishing: the fine arts of death, diversion, deceit, espionage, and the modern weaponries. Sophronia and her friends are going to have a rousing first year at school.

 
FEBRUARY 5, 2013

When her brother Val gets in over his head in an investigation of Half-Blood disappearances and goes missing himself, it's up to Xandra, newly crowned Goblin Queen, to get him back and bring the atrocities to light. Xandra must frequent the seediest parts of London, while also coping with what she is, the political factions vying for her favor, and the all too-close scrutiny of Queen Victoria, who wants her head. Add this to a being a suspect in a murder investigation, a werewolf boyfriend with demands of his own, and a mother hell bent on destroying the monarchy, and Xandra barely knows which way is up. One thing she does know is that she's already lost one sibling, she's not about to lose another.
Xandra Varden is the newly crowned Goblin Queen of England. But her complicated life is by no means over.

There are the political factions vying for her favor, and the all too-close scrutiny of Queen Victoria, who for some reason wants her head. Not to mention her werewolf boyfriend with demands of his own, and a mother hell bent on destroying the monarchy. Now she's the suspect in a murder investigation --- and Xandra barely knows which way is up.

What she does know is that nothing lasts forever---and immortality isn't all its cracked up to be.
 
FEBRURY 5, 2013

As the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter—and a member of Ipswitch’s Royal family—Xandra Morgan should be a witch of incredible power. But things don’t always turn out like you expect…
While she hasn’t lived up to her family’s expectations, Xandra has come to terms with her latent magic and made a life for herself in Austin, Texas, running a coffee shop where she makes potions of a non-magical nature. While things aren’t perfect, Xandra is happy—until she runs into powerful warlock Declan Chumomisto.

Xandra hasn’t seen Declan in years, and though she’s still overwhelmed by his power, she doesn’t trust him. And when her own powers awaken one night and lead her to the body of a woman in the woods bearing the symbol of Isis—the same one that has marked Xandra since the day she met Declan—she’s filled with a terrible suspicion, soon confirmed: the woman is connected to him. 

Xandra doesn’t want to believe that Declan is capable of murder, but as the body count mounts, and Xandra’s own powers spiral out of control, she’s not sure she can trust her own instincts…

  
FEBRUARY 12, 2013
 
Some places are too good to be true.

Under a pink moon, there is a perfect little town not found on any map.
In that town, there are quiet streets lined with pretty houses, houses that conceal the strangest things.
After a couple years of hard traveling, ex-cop Mona Bright inherits her long-dead mother's home in Wink, New Mexico. And the closer Mona gets to her mother's past, the more she understands that the people of Wink are very, very different ...

From one of our most talented and original new literary voices comes the next great American supernatural novel: a work that explores the dark dimensions of the hometowns and the neighbors we thought we knew.

  
FEBRUARY 21, 2013

Twenty-four-year-old Natasha Wiley lives in America-Five—a high-tech, underground, utopian settlement where hunger and money do not exist, everyone has a job, and all basic needs are met. But when her mentor and colleague, Jeffrey, selects her to join a special team to venture Outside for the first time, Natasha’s allegiances to home, society, and above all to Jeffrey are tested. She is forced to make a choice that may put the people she loves most in grave danger and change the world as she knows it.

 
 
FEBRUARY 26, 2013

Lem has ethics in using his magic. Therefore Lem is hungry and broke most of the time.

Ethics in the world of blood magic, however, is a gray area. While Lem will grift his way through life by using small glamours to make $1 bills appear as $20s, enabling him and his none-too-bright pal Mags to eat, he won’t use other people's blood to cast. Stronger spells require more blood, and hardcore magicians use Bleeders or “volunteers” to this end. Not Lem.

So when these down-and-out boon companions encounter a girl kidnapped and marked with magic rune tattoos, it’s not at all clear that they’re powerful enough to save her…or themselves. Turning to his estranged Master for help, it quickly becomes clear to Lem that not only is this beautiful, strange girl’s life all but forfeit, but that the world’s preeminent mage had big, earth-shattering plans for her—and he and Mags just got in the way.

 
MARCH 5, 2013

Sixteen-year-old Dusty Everhart breaks into houses late at night, but not because she’s a criminal. No, she’s a Nightmare.

Literally.

Being the only Nightmare at Arkwell Academy, a boarding school for magickind, and living in the shadow of her mother’s infamy, is hard enough. But when Dusty sneaks into Eli Booker’s house, things get a whole lot more complicated. He’s hot, which means sitting on his chest and invading his dreams couldn’t get much more embarrassing. But it does. Eli is dreaming of a murder.

Then Eli's dream comes true.

Now Dusty has to follow the clues—both within Eli’s dreams and out of them—to stop the killer before more people turn up dead. And before the killer learns what she’s up to and marks her as the next target.

MARCH 5, 2013

As a cassandra sangue, or blood prophet, Meg Corbyn can see the future when her skin is cut—a gift that feels more like a curse. Meg’s Controller keeps her enslaved so he can have full access to her visions. But when she escapes, the only safe place Meg can hide is at the Lakeside Courtyard—a business district operated by the Others.

Shape-shifter Simon Wolfgard is reluctant to hire the stranger who inquires about the Human Liaison job. First, he senses she’s keeping a secret, and second, she doesn’t smell like human prey. Yet a stronger instinct propels him to give Meg the job. And when he learns the truth about Meg and that she’s wanted by the government, he’ll have to decide if she’s worth the fight between humans and the Others that will surely follow.

 MARCH 5, 2013

It is 1903, and the world is divided between light and shadow. On the side of light is a wondrous science that has transformed everyday life by harnessing magical energies to ingenious new technologies. But each advance of science has come at the expense of shadow—the traditional realm of the supernatural.

Now two ancient powers are preparing to strike back. Blood-sucking immortal Nightwalkers and their spellcasting Alchemist allies have a plan to cover the whole world in shadow. All they require is the sacrifice of a certain young woman whose past conceals a dangerous secret.

But when they come after Elle, they get more than they bargained for. This enterprising young woman, the daughter of a scientific genius, has reserves of bravery and determination that even she scarcely suspects. Now she is about to meet her match in more ways than one: a handsome yet infuriating Warlock named Hugh Marsh, whose agenda is as suspect as his charms are annoyingly irresistible.

APRIL 23, 2013

It hasn't been the best week for Jessica McClain.

Her mate has been kidnapped by a Goddess hell-bent on revenge --- but Jessica is playing for keeps.

Because she's the only female werewolf in town...it comes with its own set of rules...and powers.

Aided by two vamps, two loyal Pack members, and one very reluctant human, Jessica must rescue her man while coming to terms with what being a wolf really means.

All in a day's work for a girl.

The second novel in the Jessica McClain series is a full on action adventure featuring one angry Goddess and plenty of monsters, demons, and a few newly risen beasties...


APRIL 23, 2013

Chava is a golem, a creature made of clay, brought to life to by a disgraced rabbi who dabbles in dark Kabbalistic magic. When her master-the husband who commissioned her-dies at sea on the voyage from Poland, she is unmoored and adrift as the ship arrives in New York harbor in 1899.

Ahmad is a jinni, a being of fire, born in the ancient Syrian desert. Trapped in an old copper flask by a Bedouin wizard centuries ago, he is released accidentally by a tinsmith in a Lower Manhattan shop. Though he is no longer imprisoned, Ahmad is not entirely free-an unbreakable band of iron around his wrist binds him to the physical world.

Overwhelmed by the incessant longing and fears of the humans around her, the cautious and tentative Chava-imbued with extraordinary physical strength-fears losing control and inflicting harm. Baptized by the tinsmith who makes him his apprentice, the handsome and capricious Ahmad-an entity of inquisitive intelligence and carefree pleasure-chafes at monotony and human dullness. Like their immigrant neighbors, the Golem and the Jinni struggle to make their way in this strange new place while masking the supernatural origins that could destroy them.

Meeting by chance, Chava and Ahmad become unlikely friends whose tenuous attachment challenges their opposing nature-until the night a terrifying incident drives them back into their separate worlds. But a powerful threat will soon bring the Golem and the Jinni together again, challenging their existence and forcing them to make a fateful choice.

MAY 28, 2013

Renegade mage and bartender Cady Bell has had a rough year, but now the door to her already unstable world is coming completely unhinged. When a citywide crime wave erupts, Cady’s demon-friendly tiki bar is robbed by Earthbounds wielding surreal demonic abilities that shouldn’t exist. With the help of her devilishly delicious boyfriend, Lon Butler, Cady sets out to find the people who wronged her. But the criminals aren’t the only ones experiencing unnatural metamorphoses—Cady’s own Moon Child abilities are evolving beyond her control. Can Cady track down the monsters responsible before the monster inside destroys everything—and everyone—she loves?

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Blood Trinity by Sherrilyn Kenyon & Dianna Love

Title: Blood Trinity
Author(s): Sherrilyn Kenyon & Dianna Love
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Belador #1

Mass Market Paperback, 519 pages
Publication: October 19, 2010 by Pocket

Buy the Book
|AMAZON|BOOK DEPO|

Source: Won through giveaway on Anna's Book Blog

|SUMMARY|

All her life, Evalle has been straddling the line between human and demon. Curious about her origins, but content to live in the shadows, she finds that anonymity threatened by escalating conflicts between species. Accused of a savage murder, she's forced center stage in what seems like the beginning of an Atlanta apocalypse. Before long though, her personal problems will submerge as she learns startling facts about a hoard of supernatural terrorists. 

|REVIEW|
Evalle is an Alterant, who is part Belador and part unknown. Many Beladors have special abilities ranging from telekinesis, empathy, mind control, strength or super speed. By being an Alterant, Evalle not only has the Belador abilities but she can also shift partially/and fully into some sort of beast (image a beast 10 feet tall!). Evalle and her two best friends (Quinn and Tzader) work for the VIPER organization (Beladors) that protect humans from all things supernatural. As the only free-walking Alterant (the majority are locked away in cages) Evalle, is the last person in the chain of command even though she’s VIPER top warrior. Many of her fellow Belador are friendly but otherwise don’t fully trust her. To make matters worse, someone is controlling different demons to attack a human to make it look like an Alterant did it. Evalle must figure out the mastermind behind the killing before she gets locked away too.

I knew I was going to enjoy this book when I was 5 pages into the story; I love the scene of how Evalle, Quinn and Tzader first met and really enjoyed their interaction/dialogue with one another. Evalle doesn’t trust easily and constantly worries about what her fellow Beldaors think of her. Evalle had a rough childhood having been locked up for most of her life, 24/7 and assaulted by a person she thought she trusted. Regardless of her differences, she is a strong and kick-butt heroine that doesn’t take cr*p from anyone. Then we have Quinn and Tzader who is Evalles best friends who she sees as over-protective big brothers. While they both will never do anything that goes against the Belador’s code, they’re willing to do whatever it takes to protect Evalle.

There were A LOT of characters in this book, with different background/gods  and their own storyline, which was a bit overwhelming at first but once all the players are introduced you can see the plot moving forward and understand what/why things are happening.  Among the long list of characters are two love interests for Evalle, both big alpha men with their own agendas. Finally, the best part of the entire book…Evalle’s pet! A gargoyle name Feenix! I adore Feenix, and I hope we see more of him in the rest of the series. Overall a great start to a new series, full of action as the Beladors and rival group the Kujoos hunt for an object of immense power with enough romance to balance it out. I can’t wait to read the second book in the series, Alterant. I hope that with the world-building already set, there will be less information/characters overload so that we can just focus on a handful of the main characters.



Thursday, December 13, 2012

Cover Reveal: Free Souls by Susan K. Quinn

Free Souls by Susan Kaye Quinn
(Book Three of the Mindjack Trilogy) Now Available!
When your mind is a weapon, freedom comes at a price.
Four months have passed since Kira left home to join Julian’s Jacker Freedom Alliance, but the hole in her heart still whistles empty where her boyfriend Raf used to be. She fills it with weapons training, JFA patrols, and an obsessive hunt for FBI agent Kestrel, ignoring Julian’s worries about her safety and repeated attempts to recruit her for his revolutionary chat-casts. When anti-jacker politician Vellus surrounds Jackertown with the National Guard, Kira discovers there’s more to Julian’s concerns than she knew, but she’s forced to take on a mission that neither want and that might be her last: assassinating Senator Vellus before he can snuff out Julian’s revolution and the jackers she’s come to love.
All Mindjack stories available on Amazon, Barnes&Noble, Kobo, Smashwords, and iTunes (Note Free Souls is not yet available on iTunes)
Early Praise for Free Souls

“Quinn paints a picture of a not-too-distant America where politicians inflame the hatred of one section of the populace for another—all for their own gain—and you worry that her world is not so far off from our own.”
Dianne Salerni, author of We Hear the Dead, The Caged Graves, and the forthcoming The Eighth Day

"Free Souls starts with a bang and doesn't let up. Like a mash-up of all your favorite science-fiction adventures from Star Wars to The Legend of Korra, it blends nonstop action, nail-biting escapes, and great romance. I absolutely loved it! A great series conclusion—a must-read."
Leigh Talbert Moore, author of Rouge and The Truth About Faking

“Susan did it again. Free Souls was WOW! I expected Kira to step up to her role as heroine but not like this. Surprises kept coming until the very end which tied up more loose ends than I knew existed. Warning: Don't start reading until you have time to finish. I didn't want to put Free Souls down for a second. It's that kind of book.”
Sher A. Hart, Goodreads Review

Interview Susan's over at Amy Saunder's blog today (12.14.12), answering questions about how she came up with the mages' abilities, what kind of mage she would be, and all about her future works. Digital Box Set Since Free Souls is out, there is now a Digital Box Set of the Mindjack Trilogy for those of you who want the whole series!
Available on AmazonBarnes&Noble
Mindjack Origins Collection Want more Julian? Wondering how Sasha's ability really works? Looking for EXCLUSIVE DELETED SCENES from Free Souls? This collection of novellas, scenes, and other goodies is for those craving a bit more of the characters and drama of the Mindjack series.

Includes: Mindjack Novellas Mind Games (Raf's story) The Handler (Julian's story) The Scribe (Sasha's story) TWO EXCLUSIVE DELETED SCENES from Free Souls (published nowhere else!)
PLUS Mindjack flash fiction, an (imaginary) conversation between Raf and Julian, and other goodies for readers who want just a little bit more of Kira, Julian, Raf, and the Mindjack crew.
Available on AmazonBarnes&Noble
ENTER TO WIN one of FIVE ecopies of the Mindjack Origins Collection
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Dead Spots by Melissa F. Olson

Title: Dead Spots
Author: Melissa F. Olson
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: N/A

Paperback, 283 pages
Publication: October 30th 2012 by 47North 
 
Buy the Book

Source: I bought it for myself.

|SUMMARY|
Scarlett Bernard knows about personal space: step within ten feet of her, and any supernatural spells or demonic forces are instantly defused--vampires and werewolves become human again, and witches can't get out so much as a "hocus pocus." This special skill makes her a null and very valuable to Los Angeles's three most powerful magical communities, who utilize her ability to scrub crime scenes clean of all traces of the paranormal to keep humanity, and the LAPD, in the dark.

But one night Scarlett's late arrival to a grisly murder scene reveals her agenda and ends with LAPD's Jesse Cruz tracking her down to strike a deal: he'll keep quiet about the undead underworld if she helps solve the case. Their pact doesn't sit well with Dash, the city's chief bloodsucker, who fears his whole vampire empire is at stake. And when clues start to point to Scarlett, it'll take more than her unique powers to catch the real killer and clear her name.
 
|REVIEW|  
I’m not going to rehash the summary since its pretty straight forward.  I came across Dead Spots while browsing Amazon for new books to read (the usual lol), and thought the summary sounded intriguing. The only thing is that this is published under 47North, which is an imprint under Amazon publishing…and I never tried any of their books before (ended up getting two more books under the children section lol!). Curious about the book, I went to the author’s website and read the first chapter for free. It was a great first chapter; sounded promising and definitely piqued my interest in which I immediately order a copy!  While this book has the usual vampires, werewolves and witches,  Olson’s supernatural beings were form from an evolution concept having to do with Darwin and how every branch had a ‘magical branch’ splitting to form the three groups. Also our main heroine Scarlett is a null, able to cancel out magic within a 10 feet radius give or take. This means werewolves/Vampires become human again till they leave her vicinity and Witches can’t cast spells. I haven’t seen many ‘nulls’ in books I’ve read except for the Parasol Protectorate series by Gail Carriger but then again Carriger’s series is steampunk and more on the lighter/humorous side. 

I really like Scarlett, she is not perfect ,a little broken by blaming herself for her parents death and what she does for a living but even after all that, she strive to be better for the people around her. Although she’s not a kick-butt heroine she’s still one tough chick, and does whatever she can to keep her friends safe. There is also a love-triangle in this book between Eli, the second-in-command to the alpha werewolf and Jesse, a human LAPD cop. I don’t usually like love-triangle but this one didn’t bother me, I mean thankfully Scarlett is not an angsty little teenager.  The secondary characters were also interesting, although not all of them were well-fleshed out.  I hope to see more of the group dynamics in future books (PLEASE let there be more books!)  since this book’s main problem focused on the vampires , not the weres or witches. 

The book alternate back and forth between chapters from first pov and third pov, took me a little while to get use to but once I got into the story, I hardly notice the changes. Olson’s debut novel is a dime a dozen in an already saturated genre, and I hope that this is a start to a new series.  Fans of urban fantasy will want to put this book on their wish-list; it has wonderful world-building, great supporting characters, suspense, and a few twists/surprises that I didn’t even see coming! Overall a well-written book (I can’t believe this is a debut novel), and an entertaining story…I can’t wait for more Scarlett and company.  This is among the best books I’ve read all year! I suggest checking out the free chapter on the author’s site, found here http://www.melissaolson.net/dead-spots-chapter-1.html and see if you like it as much as me…I hope you do! :D



Friday, December 07, 2012

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

Title: The Raven Boys
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: Paranormal, Young-Adult
Series: Raven Cycle #1


Hardcover, 408 pages

Publication: September 18th 2012 by Scholastic Press 
Buy the book

Source: Publisher

|SUMMARY|
Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.

His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

|REVIEW|
This is my first book by Maggie Stiefvater, I heard of her other books but they never sounded interesting enough for me to pick them up. Then I heard about The Raven Boys, the tagline ‘’either you’re his true love…or you killed him’’ captured my attention immediately. I did not like this book at all, I feel the synopsis did a bad of capturing what the book was all about. I was thinking we’d learn more about Blue and the mysterious guy that’s fated to either be her true love or be killed by her…I didn’t get much of that. Instead the majority of the book had Blue and the Raven Boys out hunting for Glendower, a noble said to grant a wish/favor to whoever wakes him.

The story itself was confusing, and boring. I know this is a start to a series so readers aren’t getting everything answered immediately but jeeze from start to finish I didn’t even know what I was reading or what’s the point in everything? Stiefvater uses way too many words to describe everything that happens in the book, I guess it’s meant to be ‘’lyrical’’ or whatever but it just bored me to death. I was so close to giving up on this book so many times, I lost count. I kept reading hoping that the story will pick up, or something exciting will happen but it didn’t.  The only thing that this book had going for it was the somewhat interesting characters and their dialogue. When I started to get into the story, the author stops the dialogue and jams the next couple pages with more useless information/description.

Once I got to the end, I literally went “WTH!” because the whole Glendower escapade that happened in the entire book didn’t even get resolved! I am still not sure what to make of that ending, did they find him-ish or not at all? It’s not even a proper cliff-hanger because with a real cliff-hanger you at least know it’s happened…I didn’t even know the book ended till I saw the acknowledgement on the next page (sigh). I wished I got back all the time I wasted on this book, seriously. There are a lot of readers that adored this book, but I wasn’t one of them. That said, I will not be picking up the next book in the series.





FTC disclaimer: Scholastic Press   provided me with a copy of The Raven Boys (ALA), and in return I provide an honest review.

Monday, December 03, 2012

Die for Me by Amy Plum

Title: Die for Me
Author: Amy Plum
Genre: Paranormal, Young-Adult
Series: Revenants #1 

Hardcover, 341 pages
Publication: May 10th 201l by HarperTeen 

Buy the Book
|AMAZON|BOOK DEPO|

Source: Won through giveaway

|SUMMARY|
When Kate Mercier's parents die in a tragic car accident, she leaves her life--and memories--behind to live with her grandparents in Paris. For Kate, the only way to survive her pain is escaping into the world of books and Parisian art. Until she meets Vincent.

Mysterious, charming, and devastatingly handsome, Vincent threatens to melt the ice around Kate's guarded heart with just his smile. As she begins to fall in love with Vincent, Kate discovers that he's a revenant--an undead being whose fate forces him to sacrifice himself over and over again to save the lives of others. Vincent and those like him are bound in a centuries-old war against a group of evil revenants who exist only to murder and betray. Kate soon realizes that if she follows her heart, she may never be safe again.


|REVIEW| 
I had Die for Me in my TBR pile for awhile, but I read the synopsis and thought…’oh, probably the usual YA books’ so I never picked it up. After finishing it, I wished I picked up the book sooner! Plum’s twist on the mythology of revenants was refreshing, no vampires, werewolves, or faeries in this book.  Plum’s revenants are like zombies but different, the revenants die over and over when they save someone else’s life.  The overall take on revenants’ is really well-written and complex, and made for an interesting read. I like that the author sprinkles the information throughout the book, and didn’t bog the readers down with info-dumping.

The setting is Paris, France, and what a wonderful choice. I never been to any countries, but the author did a great job of painting a descriptive Paris that I can picture myself there. I definitely think the location of the story made this paranormal YA different from other books I’ve read. The setting laid down the overall tone of the book, creating a mysterious yet romantic feel to the novel. I really like Kate; she’s just your typical and most time relatable sixteen-year-old.  Kate and her sister Georgia reminded me of my sister and I. I like being at home and reading whenever possible while my sister loves to go out clubbing.  Kate isn’t a totally kick-butt heroine, but she isn’t a damsel in distress either. When the leader of the Numi clan came to look for Vincent, she never backed down from his challenge and did what she could to protect the people she cared about.  Vincent was also a great love interest, he isn’t shy about expressing his feelings, and kind of reminded me of modern knight in shining armor.  It is stated in the book that revenants get kind of obsessive/stalker-ish about people they save…and there were moments where Vincent was a like creepy-stalker-ish.  Being kind of of stalker-ish is not romantic people lol. 

Finally this brings me to the secondary characters, the other revenants that live with Vincent. I love them as much as I love the two main characters. They’re all funny and different, and I enjoy the little brotherly/sisterly bickering that goes on amongst them.  Overall a great start to a new series that I can’t wait to read more of it. There was not a lot of action, but what lacked in action was made up for in witty, great dialogue between all the characters, great setting, suspense, and a deliciously budding romance.  I highly recommend this to all paranormal, and young-adult readers. This is a series not to be missed, and is not of the regular YA variety.  A fresh and exciting read indeed! :)