Book Review: Angel Fever by L.A. Weatherly

Vampires and werewolves are so last year. Nowadays, angels and demons appear to have dominated YA bookshelves, from Laini Taylor's "Daughter of Smoke and Bone" to Susan Ee's "Penryn and the End of Days" series. One of the most thrilling paranormal series I've read in a while is L.A. Weatherly's "Angel" trilogy, which is chock full of romance, action and excitement--what more could you ask for? "Angel Fever" is the climactic finale to the series, whisking us away for one last angel-butt-kicking adventure.

Things don't seem good for the Angel Killers. Millions of people live in Edens, "refugee" camps set up by the angels who use them as feeding grounds. Raziel is more powerful than ever, tightening his hold on angels and humans alike. Yet in the face of these hellish odds, Willow and Alex aren't giving up, recruiting and training new Angel Killers for the perfect moment to strike the angels and rid humanity of the parasitic creatures forever. But when a game-changing revelation sends Alex on a separate journey, one that leaves Willow bereft and confused, each of them must face the consequences of their own choices. With the end of the celestial battle drawing near, the stakes are higher than ever--but will love and humanity survive?

Clearly one of the most important things an author must do when writing the final book of a series is wrap things up, tie loose ends and leave nothing dangling--yet, at the same time, keep things fresh and exciting, so it's not all about checking off the things that had been built up in the previous books. I think Ms. Weatherly does a great job with this in the storyline of "Angel Fever," giving her readers a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy while maintaining the excitement until the very end. She does this by introducing new challenges and revelations for Alex and Willow, allowing for the developments of both the plot and the characters. I especially loved seeing more of Willow's mom, since she'd kind of been a rather quite character in the first two books. That being said, however, I do think that the middle parts of the novel were a little too static in terms of the storyline, but luckily not enough to make me lose interest completely and yawn and stuff my Kindle under the covers. Another thing that strikes me in retrospect was that the storyline was a tad bit predictable. I mean, it's quite obvious that Alex won't die--it was just a matter of when he was going to pop back up. Another example is how Willow saved the world (again, this much is obvious). Okay, maybe it wasn't predictable, but it wasn't as dramatic as it could be. Other than that, though, a definitely satisfying conclusion!

Moving on to the characters in "Angel Fever." Let's start off with Willow. As the heroine of the novel, I think Willow's a pretty good protagonist in that she's not the whiny, annoying type. Instead, she takes matters into her own hands, and, on a more personal level, finally completely accepts her identity as a half-angel. What's more, I found that I kind of respected Willow in the novel. Even when she's dealing with confusion and heartbreak in the aftermath of Alex's supposed death, Willow remains honest with herself for the most part, and I found myself going "you go girl" with the way she handled Alex's reappearance. As for Alex, I had pretty conflicting feelings for him. Sure, his love for Willow is clear and sweet without being overly cloying, but he was kind of a coward, breaking a pretty important promise to Willow, which made me question just how much he trusted her as an equal in their relationship. But I suppose the plot wouldn't have been as exciting or emotionally driven if it hadn't been for his jerk move. So I guess you're off the hook, Alex.

The rest of the characters were fairly great as well. Seb is a pretty likable guy, and his unrequited love for Willow makes him a sympathetic character. I'm glad Ms. Weatherly gave him a happy ending though, because, I mean, it's about time! Raziel, in my opinion, was just an okay bad guy. Yeah, he's undeniably evil and cruel and all that, but I felt like he was just that--evil and cruel. Nothing more. He does seem to show some kind of longing or nostalgia for Miranda, Willow's mom, but not enough to make him become one of those bad guys you sort of empathize with. All I'm saying is that he could've been a much more interesting antagonist had be had more dimension to him. Speaking of Miranda, I really found her character interesting to read about, as I'd said before, since she'd been a side character for the first two books. I just wish we had seen more of her, maybe through more interaction with Willow.

All in all, Ms. Weatherly fulfills her readers' expectations for a good conclusion to her "Angel" trilogy, giving us an exciting storyline and dynamic protagonists. I'd recommend this series for anyone looking for a fun, celestial read--it's worth it!

Rating: 3.5/5

Book Review: World After by Susan Ee

The end of the world isn't something that anyone really looks forward to (at least, I sure hope not). Yet it seems like many creative minds are entertaining the idea, crafting different ways in which the apocalypse comes crashing down on us puny, fragile mortals. Susan Ee's "Penryn & the End of Days" series gives us a glimpse into a world where Earth is used as the battleground for a war between angels, and humans are collateral damage. The second book in the series, "World After," was released last month--and holy moly (pun intended), it's one heckuva adventure!

Penryn should be dead. At least, that's what everyone--her mom, her sister Paige, and Raffe, the angel with demon wings--thinks. After being stung by a monstrous scorpion creature, Penryn wakes up from her paralysis, and is ready to continue surviving in a world overrun by angels. But when Paige is captured by a group of people thinking she's a monster and disappears, Penryn scours the streets of San Francisco to find her. Her search brings her deeper and deeper into the angels' secrets as she discovers that their plans might be even more malicious--if that's possible--than they were led to believe. Entangled in a complex net of angel politics, survival and longing for a certain angel, Penryn knows she has to act fast, and make the most impossible of choices.

I think I'll start off by talking about "World After"'s thriller of a plot. The storyline of this sequel is fast-paced and exciting throughout, with hardly a dull moment. There's always something happening, whether it's escaping the inescapable Alcatraz or penetrating the angels' twisted, decadent parties at the aerie. There's a lot that happens emotionally too, especially between Penryn and Paige as Penryn learns to truly see her little sister as the girl she is, trapped in the body of a monster thanks to the angels' experiments. I also feel like the plot in the sequel has escalated since the first book. To be honest, I don't really recall the storyline of "Angelfall" very clearly, maybe because it wasn't too memorable, but I definitely feel like Ms. Ee stepped it up in "World After," concocting shocking revelations about the angels' plans and upping the stakes in their deadly and dangerous war.

Penryn as a main character is a pretty butt-whooping heroine, one who's clever, brave and undoubtedly has a good head on her shoulders. What I especially like about her is that, despite the fact that she's dealing with a freaking angel apocalypse, unwarranted feelings for an angel, and a little sister who is thirsty for blood, she keeps her calm. Penryn's the type of girl who knows what she needs to do, and understands that no amount of whining or melodrama can change her situation. At the same time, though, she isn't 100% stoic and invincible--Penryn is still a seventeen-year old girl, young and vulnerable, and that's what makes her relatable as a main character. What made me roll my eyes a little, however, was how she expressed her undeniable attraction to Raffe. Sure, he's beautiful and all--he's an angel, for heaven's sake--but the amount of times she described him as "Adonis-like" was a little too much for me.

Speaking of Raffe, his and Penryn's romance in "World After" kind of left me wanting more! Their relationship definitely underwent a lot of development throughout the sequel, with quite a bit of carrying-in-the-arms and blush-worthy moments between the two. I also thoroughly enjoyed their witty banter, which helps to define their relationship in subtle and amusing ways. I do wish that there was a little more of Penryn and Raffe together, though, and I can't wait to see how their romance develops in the next book!

All in all, "World After" is an exciting sequel to "Angelfall," with a fast-paced storyline, likable heroine, and an enticing romance. If you're looking for an apocalyptic adventure, or, for some reason, like angels and the like, I'd recommend checking this series out for a good read!

Rating: 4/5

Book Review: Sweet Peril by Wendy Higgins

You know a book is especially good when you finish it in less than a day. Either that, or it's a really short book. And I think that's all the more impressive when it's a sequel, since most of the 'hooking' (think fishing) happens in the first book. I practically devoured "Sweet Peril", the sequel of "Sweet Evil" by Wendy Higgins (see my review here!), in a couple of sittings, eagerly sucking in all the wickedly delicious romance and crazy action--and I want more!

Six months have passed since Anna was nearly killed at the Dukes' summit. Six months of trying to appease the demon whisperers who keep tabs on her by polluting souls--even if it means earning an unwanted reputation as the school's party girl. And all the while there's Kaiden, the son of the Duke of Lust, never straying from her mind. When an unexpected angel visits her with an age-old prophecy, Anna finds herself traveling the globe with Kopano, the son of Wrath, to seek Nephilim allies. Their goal: to win freedom, even if it means putting up a fight against the powerful Dukes.

Sequels are always great for character development. Sure, we get a picture of who the characters are in the first book, but it's in the sequel that we see them really grow and develop as people. Anna starts off in "Sweet Evil" as a naive, Southern girl who's nothing but a goody goody, but in "Sweet Peril", we see her as the strong yet reluctant daughter of the Duke of Substance Abuse (kind of a lame name, but okay). What I really like about Anna is that she's always honest with herself. Despite the fact that she hates the work that she has to do as a Nephilim, she knows her weakness for alcohol and drugs, and tries to resist those temptations. She's also honest about her feelings for Kai and Kope, which I think Ms. Higgins did a great job in developing throughout the novel. Instead of constantly second-guessing herself and ending up playing around with both boys' feelings, Anna remains pretty sure of what she wants, and thank goodness for that!

Speaking of Kai, holy moly, the heat of the romance in "Sweet Peril" would have shattered a thermometer. Kai himself is just such an amazing character--probably one of the more swoon-worthy guys in YA novels I've read about in a long while. His hidden vulnerability and his true feelings for Anna are so carefully (but quite obviously) masked under apathy, and I just loved the way we saw more of his true emotions and everything as the book progressed! I didn't exactly find myself falling for Kaiden in "Sweet Evil", but after what I read...count me in! Trust me, if you liked him in the first book, you'll be drooling and begging for him in the second. I just went back to my old review on "Sweet Evil", and saw that I'd written that the interaction between Kai and Anna wasn't believable. But after reading about how much he cares about Anna and a couple of steamy scenes (c'mon, you saw it coming), I was more than convinced!

The storyline of "Sweet Peril" was so full of exciting happenings that I couldn't put the book down. The tensions are definitely higher than they were in "Sweet Evil", I think, and it was especially exciting to follow Anna and Kope as they travelled to Damascus, Australia and London, and even more exciting to meet other Neph. Seeing the twins Marna and Ginger and the laidback and totally lovable Blake again was fun--I kind of want friends like them now! New characters like Zania and Flynn just added to the fun and spice of the already great cast of characters as well. So much happens in the book, even when, in a way, it's really just leading up to the final showdown in the next book!

"Sweet Peril" is a thrilling roller coaster of a ride, where you end up falling in love with the amazing cast of characters even more deeply, and just get caught up in the whirlwind romance and escalating tensions as Anna and her friends prepare for the imminent fight against the Dukes. I absolutely cannot wait for the final installment, "Sweet Reckoning". I'll just have to twiddle my thumbs and tear out my hair until next year.

Rating: 5/5

Book Review: Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

To me, one of the greatest things about urban fantasy is its ability to take the world as you know it and completely transform it into a place of otherworldly magic. That's probably one of the reasons why I fell head over heels in love with "The Mortal Instruments" series by Cassandra Clare, which, obviously led me to a fit of squeals and shrieks when I found out a couple years ago that a sister series "The Infernal Devices" was coming out! Even more demons, angels and Shadowhunters, oh my! Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end--in this case, in the form of "Clockwork Princess", the third and final book in "The Infernal Devices" trilogy.

Tessa Gray should be happy--aren't all brides happy? Yet as she prepares for her wedding with Jem, the silver-haired, gentle boy she's found herself falling in love with, a net of shadows begins to tighten around the Shadowhunters of the London Institute. Mortmain is lurking from a distance, but he only needs one thing to complete his army of merciless automatons: Tessa. As she deals with Jem's fatal sickness and her conflicting feelings for Will, Tessa knows that it's only a matter of time before Mortmain comes for her, and she'll stop at nothing to protect the two boys she loves and the family she's grown into at the Institute--even if it means making dangerous choices that could threaten the survival of all Shadowhunters.

What I found extremely impressive in "Clockwork Princess" was, of course, the way Ms. Clare played out the love triangle between Tessa, Will and Jem, romance being one of the ever-present elements of the series. Usually you see the whole annoying thing where the heroine constantly wavers between the two boys, with melodramatic spiels on how she thinks she loves Boy #1, but wait, Boy #2 is not too shabby looking himself. Which, inevitably, leads to kissing both boys and messing around with them. But in "The Infernal Devices" trilogy, you get a romantic conflict that's dealt in a pretty mature manner, which I am ever grateful for. Tessa's a responsible, strong and loving heroine who's a delight to follow throughout the novel, and, on a completely different and not-so-salient note, all the more likable now that I know how she looks like! I mean, how beautiful is the cover? But I digress. I don't entirely know how I feel about how the love triangle turned out, but I definitely know that it was very clever of Ms. Clare, very clever indeed! Plus it's quite fitting considering everything that's happened in the series, and surprising in a pleasant, warm way.

And, like any other novel in the rows and rows of books on shelves, the characters in them are of utmost importance. "Clockwork Princess" is chock full of engaging, wonderful characters who really end up forming an expansive, protective family you can't help but warming to. There's the iron-willed yet caring Charlotte, her kooky and adorable husband Henry, Gideon and Gabriel Lightwood, Will's sister Cecily, the brave and scarred Sophie, even Bridgett and Cecil! And, of course, Tessa, Jem and Will. I liked how the novel jumped around between different points of view of the characters, because you really get to know them all so intimately. There's so much to say about all the characters, but I don't want to go on and on and bore you, so I'll just stick to the two ever-important boys, Jem and Will. The bond between the two parabatai is so palpable and unbreakable, despite the fact that they're as different as night and day. I loved the way their pasts were revealed in "Clockwork Princess", and how each of their pasts made them who they are in the present. But one thing I especially love is Will's humour. My goodness, it had me chortling at one point--in fact, I have to share it:

"Mr. Rochester never courted Jane Eyre," Tessa pointed out.

"No, he dressed up as a woman and terrified the poor girl out of her wits. Is that what you want?"

"You would make a very ugly woman."

"I would not. I would be stunning."

For some reason, that had me giggling! Like Jace from "The Mortal Instuments" series, Will is just so full of dry, sarcastic wit that just gets me going and makes him that much more likable. Jeez, no wonder Tessa loves both of them.

One of the more disappointing elements of "Clockwork Princess" was the plot. While it did remain sufficiently engaging throughout, I felt like the plot was a little stretched out and lingered too much in unnecessary places, such as Will's ride to Wales. I definitely think the novel would've been more exciting (though, I deceive you not, it's plenty exciting!) if it had been a little more fast-paced. I sometimes found myself skimming over some parts, which is never a very good sign. Another thing was how quickly the climax seemed to be done and over with. There wasn't much of a struggle in the final scene between Mortmain and Tessa, and it was just poof-kill-and done! So maybe that could've been a little more well developed, since, after all, this is the very last book of such an amazing trilogy.

Overall, "Clockwork Princess" is the not-to-be-missed final installment to "The Infernal Devices" series, with a great cast of characters and beautiful, compelling writing that had me tearing up--something that books I've read recently haven't made me done in a while. It's bittersweet to be saying goodbye to these people you've gotten to know and grown to love, but the wonderful, magical thing about books is that you can always go back and revisit them! I highly recommend "The Infernal Devices" trilogy, as well as "The Mortal Instuments" series if you haven't read that yet!

Rating: 4.5/5

*News flash!* I just found out that there'll be a brand new Shadowhunters series called "The Dark Artifices" in 2015, centering around one Emma Carstairs (Jem's relative?!). Hopefully things won't become repetitive with the whole Shadowhunters/demons/angels business. Geeeeee I'm excited!! I can't wait. (:

Book Review: Angel Fire by L.A. Weatherly

With Christmas fast approaching and the temperature dropping in all its wintry glory, it's really the perfect atmosphere to just curl up in a nice, warm bed with a good book. I was in the mood for some heartwarming romance as well as for some heartstopping action, and, luckily for me, L.A. Weatherly's "Angel Fire", the sequel to "Angel Burn", was ready to read on my new Kindle Fire (!!!). "Angel Fire" picks up right where the first book left off, and hardly ever drops the ball. (Warning: spoilers for "Angel Burn" in the synopsis!)

Willow and Alex are still both on the run, fugitives from their failed attempt at stopping Raziel and the other angels from literally taking over the world. A half-angel and an Angel Killer, or AK for short, isn't the most likely pair, but together, connected by an unbreakable bond of love and trust, they travel to Mexico City to seek refuge. When Alex discovers a group of fledgling AKs, he knows it's up to him to whip them into shape--and fast. The Seraphic Council of Twelve has come to moderate the angels' reckless feeding on the humans, and Raziel is plotting to get rid of them so that he can truly have his way. On top of this, Seb, a mysterious half-angel who's been looking for another of his kind his entire life, shows up one day, and it's only a matter of time before Willow and Alex's life together is put to the ultimate test.

It's always interesting to see how characters change and develop--or don't--in sequels. I do have to admit that I found Willow kind of flat, just like she was in "Angel Burn". Sure, she's nice and likable, but there wasn't anything that made her a particularly awesome or engaging heroine. There's no flaw to her--except for her humanity (wait, that didn't come out right, did it?)--and really she just doesn't change much at all. I think this was one issue I had in the previous book as well. Willow's not too boring, just very static and not very interesting. Alex, on the other hand, was more of a dynamic character than his girlfriend--again, just like in "Angel Burn". I loved how some of the chapters were presented from his point of view, because I felt like I got to know him more as a person rather than simply a strong, romantic hottie from Willow's eyes. Instead, I saw the struggles he faced with all the problems he was presented with: Willow and Seb, Kara, leading the AKs, his past. I definitely think that the person I find myself leaning to more (and this is not because he's male) is Alex, and it's a shame because Willow is a likable character, just boring.

Another character that spiced things up a little bit is Seb. I was a little unsure about how I felt about this obvious love triangle between him, Willow and Alex, but I think Ms. Weatherly did a good job with making sure that their relationships didn't fall into one of those ridiculously annoying triangles where the girl just can't make up her mind and ends up playing with them both. Seb didn't overstep his bounds, and I liked how he's a fresh character--and a half-angel, no less. There were times when his charm and wit did fall flat a little and he became your typical caring guy, but it wasn't too bad.

The plot of "Angel Fire" was quite engaging throughout the entire book, with interesting twists and turns. However, I found myself skimming over a lot of the parts--they simply weren't necessary. There was too much of the characters' thought process, when it would have been a lot more fun and fast-paced if Ms. Weatherly had skipped over or condensed some of this and continued with the next event in the plot. Nonetheless, the storyline wasn't boring, it was just a little slow-paced at some parts. The actual plot was fun and full of action, and I could really visualize what was going on throughout the chapters.

All in all, "Angel Fire" is a decent sequel, with an interesting storyline and cast of new characters that helped spice things up a little. I love Alex and Willow's relationship, which was sweet and believable and didn't fall to the trap of the typical YA romance love triangle. Worth a quick read!

Rating: 3.5/5 (I know I'm being picky with all these half-ratings, but it's what best relays my thoughts!)

Book Review: Days of Blood & Starlight by Laini Taylor

First off, let me just say that that is one awesome cover! The red mask-like pattern is beautiful, and those eyes!! The contrasts between the black/red colour scheme and between the cursive/army font, in my opinion, really embody the dual natures of every single thing--war, people, love--that is such a huge theme in the "Daughter of Smoke & Bone" novels. "Days of Blood & Starlight" is the second installment in the series, and picks up where we left off in the first book.

Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love and dared imagine a world free of bloodshed and war.

This is not that world. 

Blue-haired Karou finally knows what, and who, she is. With that knowledge, however, came emotions of hurt, anger and betrayal, all directed at the one angel she thought she could trust: Akiva. Now, Karou helps the chimaera build a monstrous army in a land of dust and starlight, despite the pain and the loneliness of being branded a traitor for daring to love one of the enemy, while Akiva wages a battle for redemption. For the one thing he stopped dreaming for: hope. But can Karou and Akiva find such a thing in the midst of ashes and broken dreams?

I took some of the words from the actual novel itself when writing the mini-synopsis there, and, wow, the language in "Days of Blood & Starlight" just took my breath away. There's a lyrical, fairy tale-like music to it, but at the same time it hints of a wistful sadness that befits the horrors of war that is central to the story. The emotions and images Ms. Taylor conjures from her words are all so vivid, and I could really picture the sand dunes, the out-of-this-world half beast/half human chimaera, the cold beauty of Astrae--everything. I especially loved reading the chapter titles, which isn't something you really hear everyday, since most of the time people (myself included) just skip over them to get to the actual meat. Let me tell you now, when you read the "Daughter of Smoke and Bone" series, pay attention to the chapter titles! They're so meaningful in the way that you go "ohh, that's deep" once you've actually read the chapter and make the connection, and each and every word in the titles are just infused with the lyrical quality that I just love about Ms. Taylor's writing style. Definitely keep an eye out for this!

As for the characters, I just loved, loved, loved Zuzana and Mik! Sure, they're not the main main protagonists in the book, but both of them are just so lovable. Not only is their relationship adorable--you could see that they just adored each other to bits--but Zuzana especially also just cracks me up sometimes! Her spunk and her optimistic, bubbly attitude is so endearing, and I'd say that she's a good foil to Karou's more serious nature. Hey, opposites attract, right? Even when you're talking about best friends.

I thought Karou and Akiva both could have had some kind of character development throughout the entire novel. I just found that they were both pretty much the same from the beginning til the end, and it was a little bit boring to watch. An interesting element to their relationship was the addition of another corner to the love triangle in the form of Ziri! In the epilogue you could just so clearly see the potential for some juicy romance. It'll be super interesting to see how the whole thing plays out in the next book!

As for the baddies in the book, I think that both Thiago and Jael are excellent bad guys in two very different ways. You had the calm, manipulative leader in Thiago, and the scheming, disgusting sleazeball in Jael. They make the stakes even higher for Karou and Akiva, and they clearly embody the ugly side of war.

"Days of Blood & Starlight" is a beautifully woven story of love, war, and, most importantly, hope. I found the themes of the brutality of hate and the fragile hope that somehow lives among all this hate very palpable throughout the novel, both in the characters and the plot itself. It admittedly was a little bit long and could've been condensed just a little bit, but other than that, definitely worth a read.

Rating: 4/5

Book Review: Finale by Becca Fitzpatrick

I remember when I was posting my review for "Angel Burn", I said something along the lines of, 'angels seem to be the new vampires'. There's been an influx of angels, fallen angels, nephilim, and so on. "Hush, Hush" by Becca Fitzpatrick was probably one of the very first paranormal angel YA books I read, way, way back in time in 2009. It's been a long ride with Patch and Nora, and it's a little sad that the series has now come to an end with "Finale". I really like the title--it fits with the nature of the story and the end of the series! Since this is the last book, however, you may want to skip over the synopsis in the next paragraph in case of spoilers for the first three books (don't worry, though, this entire review is spoiler-free for "Finale"!).

Now that Nora has to lead her father's Nephilim army, it's safe to say that things have changed. A public relationship with Patch, a notorious fallen angel, is definitely off the tables, and on top of that she has to deal with the impending war between Nephilim and the fallen angels before Cheshvan. The stakes are even higher than before. In the face of enemies, lies and betrayal, it's only a matter of time before Nora and Patch's relationship is put to the ultimate test of faith and an unbreakable love.

I'll kick off with one of the most important elements of any novel: the narrative voice. All of the books in the "Hush, Hush" series are told from Nora's point of view. I don't know whether I've noticed this before, and I really don't like saying it, but Nora is kind of boring. Yeah. I found her to be a pretty flat character, with no spark or anything particularly special about her. She also got pretty annoying when she was so over-the-top about her jealousy of Dabria. Whininess is one thing that is a major turn-off for a female narrator to me. Nora's likability wasn't really helped by the fact that Ms. Fitzpatrick made her seem like someone too attractive. There was one sentence that went something like: I knew I was attractive, but that didn't mean I couldn't be intimated by Patch's jaw-dropping, god-like hotness. (Okay, maybe not that last part.) But it just made Nora seem a little too perfect. Every good, interesting heroine should have a flaw or a quirk, like being kick-ass or having overly bushy eyebrows that need to be plucked every morning or something. I don't know, Nora just didn't cut it for me.

As for the other characters, I found Patch disappointingly a little flat, as well. The only things going for him are his love for Nora and his bad-ass overprotectiveness of her. It probably has to do with the fact that Patch's character has been developed over the previous three books, and the main focus in "Finale" isn't on their relationship but on the war between the Nephilim and the fallen angels. The other characters, though, were still engaging. Vee's sassiness is a good foil to Nora's more conservative nature, and Scott is the perfect, goofy childhood friend/boy-next-door figure. Dante is...well, Dante (you'll see what I mean if you read the novel!), while Marcie is that rich snob with a vulnerable side that readers have seen previously, and love to hate!

The plot of "Finale" was pretty interesting, but it was pretty anti-climactic. Maybe it was the boring narrative voice that pulled it down a little, but I just felt like the pace was pretty slow throughout, and the climax wasn't intense enough. Don't get me wrong, it's still a pretty good book, but as the show-stopping finale of a series, it just didn't reach that point of 'daaaaaaamn'.

Overall, "Finale" was sort of a disappointing end to an otherwise decent series. It could be that Ms. Fitzpatrick ran out of juice for Nora and Patch's intense relationship, and both the story and the narrative voice fell flat along with it. If you've read the previous books, I'd say it's worth a go to wrap up the series. Otherwise, I'd probably give it a miss.

Rating: 2.5/5

Book Review: Angel Burn by L.A. Weatherly

It seems that angels are the new vampires. There was "Halo" by Alexandra Adornetto, the "Fallen" series by Lauren Kate, the "Hush, Hush" series by Becca Fitzpatrick, and "Sweet Evil" by Wendy Higgins, just to name a few. I'm pretty sure there are a buttload more out there in the literary world. The one thing that never disappoints me is the cover. Angel books never fail to have beautiful, breathtaking covers that grab your attention from the get-go. "Angel Burn" by L.A. Weatherly, the first book of the "Angel" trilogy, was certainly no exception. It makes me wish I had golden hair that shone in the sunlight and floated in some gust of ethereal wind. Putting aesthetics aside--they do say "don't judge a book by its cover"!--I loved the new take on angels. But I'll get back to that in just one second.

Alex Kylar is an Angel Killer, or AK for short. He's been trained ever since he was young to track, fight and kill. In a world where angels are not benign celestial creatures but fierce hunters who feed off humans, the AKs are the only thing standing between angels and humans. And then there's Willow. Sixteen-year old Willow Fields has never fit into school. Some things about her just don't make fitting in easy. Her mom is lost in her own world, her dad left before she was born, and her aunt constantly complains about having to provide for the two. On top of all that, she's a psychic, though she doesn't know where such a power comes from. When Alex is sent to assassinate his next target, he has no idea that he's about to discover that nothing is as it seems.

As I was saying before, Ms. Weatherly's spin on angels was fresh and made for an interesting, unique story. The entire idea of having angels as malicious leeches who sucked away human life forces was something I hadn't encountered in a book before, and I liked the Buffy-the-Vampire-Slayer-esque romantic tension between Alex the Angel Killer and Willow the Clairvoyant. The intricacy of the battle between AKs and these heavenly beings also allowed for great background stories behind the two protagonists.

Speaking of which, I found Willow to be a fairly likable character who's a genuinely sweet girl with a slightly tough edge to her. I liked the quirk of her interest in engines and mechanics, though I felt like it was kind of thrown in there to make her seem more special. The more tomboy/eclectic side of Willow could have been developed and exploited a little further so that she became even more likable and realistic. She just seemed a little too perfect to me. The same goes for Alex. He did have a more dynamic character, with a caring, vulnerable side on one hand and the bad-ass assassin on the other, but he just seemed a bit too idealized. Don't get me wrong, I love the concept of a perfect, attractive, truly kind boy, but what about his flaws? That being said, if the 'flaw' was being a jerk who's actually sweet on the inside, I think that would've made him a little too much of a stock character, but it'd be interesting to see what kind of human shortcomings each of these protagonists had.

The relationship between Willow and Alex seemed a tad too 'struck-by-lightning-I-love-his-eyes-and-I'm-being-sucked-into-his-soul' from the very beginning, but it really developed into something sweet and believable. I went "awwww" as I imagined the two together in some scenes! Though I do have to admit that I cringed when Alex called her "baby" at one point.

"Angel Burn" is one of those YA novels that brings you on an easy, enjoyable ride. It's definitely worth checking out when things are too stressful at school or in life in general, and I'll be sure to check out the sequel "Angel Fire", which, thankfully, is already out! Check back sometime for that review.

Rating: 4/5

P.S. I couldn't resist--isn't the cover amazing? Interested to see how it turns out!

Book Review: Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins

That is one seductive cover. That was my first thought when I picked up this book. The black and red, the rugged guy caressing his jaw, the fanned out dress--everything about the cover oozed dark passion. Unsurprisingly, "Sweet Evil"by Wendy Higgins is about sin in all its forms: greed, pride, envy and, of course, lust.

Sixteen-year old Anna Whitt is your typical good girl. She doesn't drink, doesn't do drugs, doesn't swear--the whole package. The one thing that sets her apart from everyone else is that she was born with a sixth sense to see and feel other people's emotions. And, despite her goody two-shoes nature, she knows there's an inexplicable pull towards danger within her. Everything changes when she meets danger incarnate in the form of Kaiden Rowe, who reveals to Anna her true heritage.

I really liked the new take on the angel/Nephilim story in "Sweet Evil". The deadly sins are physically embodied by demons, who live disguised among humans, and their entire society as crafted by Ms. Higgins is ruthless, cruel and intriguing. The plot was engaging and fairly up-there, though I wish there had been more of a climax or a moment where my heart  revved up to 100 miles per hour. Overall, though, it was fun to read.

The characters were all rendered believably and were likable, which is key especially in YA novels. I didn't find Anna annoying at all, which is a possible danger at times for 'goodie goodie' characters who come to face danger and evil. Everything about her was realistic, and following her as she was pulled into the dark world of demons was fun and interesting. I also almost, almost fell for the tormented, sizzling Kai. The one thing that prevented me from gushing over him was the fact that there wasn't enough believable interaction between Anna and Kai, especially in the beginning. Why did Kai fall for Anna so quickly? Don't get me wrong, there was some definite tension between the two, but I wanted more!

Every character in "Sweet Evil" had their own quirks and their own story, which drew me in and made me invested in each of them. I particularly liked Marna, because she's actually sweet and friendly, despite her horrible past and the work that she has to do as a daughter of the Duke of Adultery. The dynamics between the Kai's group of Nephs--Kopano, Blake, Ginger and Marna--was realistic and enhanced the relationships and events that unfolded.

"Sweet Evil" is an alluring beginning to what promises to be a fun trilogy. I can't wait until the second book, which seems to be tentatively titled "Sweet Peril". Check out the book description here (spoiler alert!).

Rating: 4/5