Book Review: Taken by Storm

Title: Taken by Storm by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Release Date: May 22, 2012
Publisher: Egmont
Pages: 314 pages
Genre: Paranormal

Goodreads Summary: Bryn knows first-hand that being the alpha of a werewolf pack means making hard decisions, and that being human makes things a thousand times worse. She's prepared to give up her humanity, but the wolf who promised to Change her is waiting - though for what, Bryn doesn't know. Still human, she must take her place in the werewolf Senate, the precarious democracy that rules the North American packs. Standing side by side with werewolves who were ancient long before she was ever born is enough of a challenge, but Bryn soon learns that the Senate has been called to deal with a problem: the kind of problem that involves human bodies, a Rabid werewolf, and memories that Bryn, Chase, and the rest of their pack would rather forget. With bodies stacking up and political pressure closing in from all sides, Bryn and her pack are going to have to turn to old enemies and even older friends for help - especially when it starts to look like this time, the monster might be one of their own.

When I read Raised by Wolves a few years ago, I had some issues with it (read my review here) but I absolutely loved the sequel, Trial by Fire as it easily the best book in the series (read my review here). I was not sure what to expect from the last book, Taken by Storm and while it was better than the first book, it was not as good as the second.

Taken by Storm starts out fast and the pace never slows down. So many plot points surfaced and were quickly resolved, a bit too quickly in some cases. While I’m never a fan of an author making a book longer than it needs to be, at 314 pages, a lot happens in Taken by Storm. The book could have been a little longer and more developed and still been fine.

Bryn’s character has matured a lot since the first book. Instead of being the defiant 15-year-old in Raised by Wolves, she is much more responsible and level headed at 17. One of the things I loved the most about this series is that the romance between Bryn and Chase is never all consuming and is not the focus of any of the books in the series. Bryn is a girl who puts her responsibilities before the boy and Chase knows it and never gives her grief about it. Kudos to Jennifer Lynn Barnes for writing a story where the girl does not fall apart and lose her mind if the boy is not with her all the time!

Barnes is also great at writing well developed and complicated secondary characters. I hated Callum (Bryn’s father figure and leader of her old pack) in the first book. While I’m still not a fan of how he manipulates situations based on his precognition (and I don’t agree with his ‘the end justifies the means’ mentality), he is always looking out for Bryn’s best interest so I guess that makes him a good guy. There are also some new paranormal characters that are introduced and the plot of this book is much richer because of them.

Overall, the Raised by Wolves trilogy is one of my favorite werewolf series. The books are heavy on action, political drama and shows how a girl can get out of impossible situations using mostly brains and sometimes brawn. Taken by Storm threw some plot twists that I did not see coming and ends the series on a bittersweet note. Some readers may not be content with how Barnes ended everything but I was very satisfied with how things were wrapped up. If you like werewolf books, this series is definitely for you.

Content: Kissing, teenage pregnancy and violence.

My Rating: Really Good!

Book Review: Fateful

Title: Fateful by Claudia Gray

Release Date: Sep. 13, 2011
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pages: 356 pages
Genre: Paranormal, Historical
Source: Library

Goodreads Summary: In Fateful, eighteen-year-old maid Tess Davies is determined to escape the wealthy, overbearing family she works for. Once the ship they’re sailing on reaches the United States, she’ll strike out on her own. Then she meets Alec, a handsome first-class passenger who captivates her instantly. But Alec has secrets....

Soon Tess will learn just how dark Alec’s past truly is. The danger they face is no ordinary enemy: werewolves are real and they’re stalking him—and now Tess, too. Her growing love for Alec will put Tess in mortal peril, and fate will do the same before their journey on the Titanic is over.

Featuring the opulent backdrop of the Titanic, Fateful’s publication is poised to coincide with the 100-year anniversary of the ship’s doomed maiden voyage. It is sure to be a hit among Titanic buffs and fans of paranormal romance alike.

When I read the summary for Fateful a few months back and saw that Claudia Gray was writing a book about werewolves on the Titanic, I knew I had to read it. While, I loved the historical aspects of this book, I was a little disappointed with the romance.

In Fateful, it’s clear that Gray did her research on the Titanic and it’s reflected in both the big and small the details about the ship. I love how Gray subtly and effectively combines the historical and paranormal aspects of the book.

Tess’s character is likable. She is a maid for a rich family whose matriarch treats the help very poorly. Tess, being smart and ambitious, plans to quit as soon as the ship gets to New York and make a new life for herself. She handles herself with grace even when being bereted by her employer. She is brave when the people she cares about are being threatened. The secondary characters are also well written and I loved how their stories were slowly revealed throughout the book.

As much as I liked Tess, I just was not enthusiastic about her relationship with Alec. Alec is the rich, handsome passenger from first class and Tess unwittingly gets involved in a dangerous situation he has going on with another passenger on the ship. Alec is dark and brooding throughout most of the novel. I understand that he is unhappy about his situation, but I really wanted him to stop moping and work just a little harder to keep Tess safe from Mikhail.

I was bugged by the fact that Tess does most of the ‘heavy lifting’ in this book while Alec is mostly sad. She thwarts the bad guy on several occasions, comes up with some of the better ideas to help Alec and pretty much saves him from himself. I’m all for strong female characters but I don’t think we need kick-butt heroines at the expense of strong male lead characters.

Their romance also happened a bit fast for me and before you say it, I know that a shipboard romance on the Titanic means that the couple has to meet and fall in love over a four day period. And yes, while I bought the shipboard romance in the movie Titanic, Alec and Tess are no Jack and Rose. I just was not feeling it. 

Fateful is original, has lots of action, forbidden romance and a dramatic and well written setting. Hardcore historical and paranormal romance lovers may like this more than I did. While not bad, this was just an OK book for me.

Content: Kissing, sex (no graphic descriptions) and violence.

My Rating: Just Fine

Waiting on Wednesday – The Savage Grace

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine, and specifically spotlights upcoming novels we can't wait to read. This week’s choice is:

Title: The Savage Grace by Bree Despain

Publisher: EgmontUSA
Publish Date: March 13, 2012
Genre: Paranormal

Summary: A troubled soul. An impossible choice. A final battle.

Wrestling with the werewolf curse pulsing deep inside of her, Grace Divine was finally able to find her brother, but it nearly cost her everything.

With her boyfriend, Daniel, stuck in wolf form and Sirhan's death approaching, time is running out for Grace to stop Caleb Kalbi and his gang of demons. If she fails, her family and hometown will perish. Everything rests on Grace's shoulders.

The final installment in The Dark Divine trilogy brings Daniel and Grace's love story to a breathtaking conclusion.

I LOVED the first two books in this Dark Devine series and cannot wait to find out how it all ends. If you have not started this series, you should before the final book comes out. Additionally, it’s awesome how all the covers complement each other. What books are you waiting on?

Book Review: Trial by Fire

Title: Trial by Fire by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Release Date: June 14, 2011
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Pages: 357 pages
Genre: Paranormal
Rating: 5 stars
Source: Library

Spoiler Warning! This summary and review contain spoilers to Raised by Wolves, the first book in the series.

Goodreads Summary: There can only be one alpha. Bryn is finally settling into her position as alpha of the Cedar Ridge Pack—or at least, her own version of what it means to be alpha when you’re a human leading a band of werewolves. Then she finds a teenage boy bleeding on her front porch. Before collapsing, he tells her his name is Lucas, he’s a Were, and Bryn’s protection is his only hope.

But Lucas isn’t part of Bryn’s pack, and she has no right to claim another alpha’s Were. With threats—old and new—looming, and danger closing in from all sides, Bryn will have to accept what her guardian Callum knew all along. To be alpha, she will have to give in to her own animal instincts and become less human. And, she’s going to have to do it alone.

Bryn faces both the costs, and the rewards, of love and loyalty, in this thrilling sequel to Raised by Wolves.

I was not a huge fan of the first book in this series, Raised by Wolves, you can find my review here. As my issues were with the story and not the writing (Barnes is a pretty good writer), I decided to read the sequel, Trial By Fire, because I was curious to see where the author was taking the story. I was completely unprepared for how sucked in I would get by this story!

Trial by Fire starts approximately nine months after the events at the end of Raised by Wolves. As Alpha of the young Cedar Ridge Pack, Bryn is determined to lead with love and respect instead of fear and intimidation. Bryn is happy, her weres are happy and the special connection that she has with Chase is stronger than ever. It is in this season of contentment that the trouble starts and when trouble comes for Bryn, it hits like a hurricane! Trial by Fire introduces Bryn to new situations, new conflicts (both internal and external) and new characters with new powers.

Speaking of characters, Bryn’s character is a lot more mature in Trial by Fire. She is no longer the girl who gets into trouble just to upset Callum. Bryn is now her own Alpha who puts the safety and security of her pack before everything else. Chase’s character is also more developed and I am glad we get to know him better and learn why he is the strong silent type. I didn’t think it possible, but I love Devon, Lake and Ali even more than I did in the first book. These characters are so well written!

Trial by Fire is wonderfully complex with great plot twists, a few I saw coming and most that took me completely by surprise. This is an awesome story that moves at a fast, steady and exciting pace. I read this book on the edge of my seat and cannot wait for the next in the series. I will admit that I have not read many werewolf books, but this is easily my favorite one.

Content: Kissing and violence.

Book Review: Born at Midnight

Title: Born at Midnight by C.C. Hunter
Release Date: March 29, 2011
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Pages: 416 pages
Genre: Paranormal
Rating: 4 stars
Source: Purchased

Goodreads Summary: One night Kylie Galen finds herself at the wrong party, with the wrong people, and it changes her life forever. Her mother ships her off to Shadow Falls—a camp for troubled teens, and within hours of arriving, it becomes painfully clear that her fellow campers aren’t just “troubled.” Here at Shadow Falls, vampires, werewolves, shapshifters, witches and fairies train side by side—learning to harness their powers, control their magic and live in the normal world. Kylie’s never felt normal, but surely she doesn’t belong here with a bunch of paranormal freaks either. Or does she? They insist Kylie is one of them, and that she was brought here for a reason. As if life wasn’t complicated enough, enter Derek and Lucas. Derek’s a half-fae who’s determined to be her boyfriend, and Lucas is a smokin’ hot werewolf with whom Kylie shares a secret past. Both Derek and Lucas couldn’t be more different, but they both have a powerful hold on her heart. Even though Kylie feels deeply uncertain about everything, one thing is becoming painfully clear—Shadow Falls is exactly where she belongs…

Born at Midnight is a fun paranormal read about a girl who is going through a lot externally with family and friends and internally with herself. Kylie is still hurting from being dumped by her boyfriend and her parents are getting a divorce. Kylie had started seeing a therapist because she was having horrible night terrors and occasionally seeing a soldier appear and stare at her, but no one else can see this man. At the advice of Kylie’s therapist, her mom sends her to a summer camp for troubled teens so Kylie feels dumped by her parents as well.

Shadow Falls Camp is a haven for paranormal teens and even though C.C. Hunter does not go into the mythology of the different paranormals in a ton of detail, it’s enough to answer your basic questions. There is a love triangle (maybe even a bit of a square if you throw in the ex) but it was not the book’s main focus, which is great. The story is about Kylie coming to terms with what she may be and her relationships with family and friends.

Born at Midnight is the beginning of a really good new paranormal series. There is so much more story with these great characters and plot and I am excited about the next book, Awake at Dawn.

Content: Profanity, sexual situations, kissing, underage drinking and violence. Recommended for older teens.

Review of Haven by Kristi Cook

Release Date: Feb. 22, 2011
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Pages: 416 pages
Author Website: http://kristi-cook.com/
Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal Romance
Rating: 4 stars
Source: Library

Goodreads Summary: One month into her junior year, sixteen-year-old Violet McKenna transfers to the Winterhaven School in New York’s Hudson Valley, inexplicably drawn to the boarding school with high hopes. Leaving Atlanta behind, she’s looking forward to a fresh start--a new school, and new classmates who will not know her deepest, darkest secret, the one she’s tried to hide all her life: strange, foreboding visions of the future.

But Winterhaven has secrets of its own, secrets that run far deeper than Violet’s. Everyone there--every student, every teacher--has psychic abilities, 'gifts and talents,' they like to call them. Once the initial shock of discovery wears off, Violet realizes that the school is a safe haven for people like her. Soon, Violet has a new circle of friends, a new life, and maybe even a boyfriend--Aidan Gray, perhaps the smartest, hottest guy at Winterhaven.

Only there’s more to Aidan than meets the eye--much, much more. And once she learns the horrible truth, there’s no turning back from her destiny. Their destiny. Together, Violet and Aidan must face a common enemy--if only they can do so without destroying each other first.

Review: I have read a few paranormal books set in boarding school and even though I have liked most of them, they all sort of morph together because the setting and often the plot are so similar. I was expecting Haven to join the rest of the boarding school set, but I am happy to say that I was wrong. It does have similarities of other books out there, but it has enough other elements to make it memorable on its own.

Violet is the new girl at a posh boarding school who feels out of place and insecure. She also has a secret, an extrasensory ability that causes unusual episodes that she is ashamed of, and is hoping to make a new start where nobody has seen her act like a ‘freak.’ At Winterhaven, she meets awesome friends who embrace her and are supportive. She learns that she is not a freak and that other people at Winterhaven also have interesting talents, some of which I have not seen in other YA books. Violet starts out with some room for growth, and she does throughout the book.

There is a lot of tension between Violet and Aidan, sexual and otherwise. They argue quite a bit and have a hot and cold relationship, something I was not crazy about, but I understood the reason for the conflict. I loved Aidan’s character. I have stated before that I love the silent, brooding type and Aidan is that. What I really like is that he is not perfect like many other YA guys. He has flaws and makes some less than optimal decisions but he has a purpose, a good one that goes beyond just getting the girl and making out happily ever after.

Haven is a great debut for Kristi Cook. The plot is filled with conflict, mystery, romance and a nice mix of science and paranormal. Ms. Cook’s website says there will be a sequel to Haven and I am looking forward to more of Aidan, Violet and all their friends.

Content: Language (including the F-bomb), some violence, lots of sexual tension between Violet and Aidan