Review: Darken The Stars by Amy A. Bartol

Darken The Stars by Amy A. Bartol

Book 3 of the Kricket Series

Kyon Ensin finally has what he’s always wanted: possession of Kricket Hollowell, the priestess who foresees the future. Together, their combined power will be unrivaled. Kricket, however, doesn’t crave the crown of Ethar—she has an unbreakable desire to live life on her own terms, a life that she desperately wants to share with her love, Trey Allairis.

As conspiracies rage in the war for Ethar, Kricket’s so-called allies want to use her as a spy. Even those held closest cannot be trusted—including Astrid, her sister, and Giffen, a member of a mysterious order with a hidden agenda. But Kricket’s resolve will not allow her to be used as anyone’s pawn, even as the Brotherhood sharpens its plans to cut out her heart.

As the destiny prophesied by her mother approaches, Kricket will backtrack through her fiery future to reshape it. For she knows one thing above all else: the only person she can truly count on is herself.

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I received this e-ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Please excuse me if nothing I write here make sense because right now my thoughts are a huge blubbering mess.I finished the book and when I reached the last page and read the last sentence, my reaction was literally 'What? IS THIS BOOK MISSING A PAGE OR SOMETHINGS?' I should probably start this interview though by saying how much of a fan of Amy Bartol's I am, whether be it of her amazing Premonition series or the books from her Kricket series, I love everything she writes and if you've been reading my blog for a while, you'll know how much of I love her works. 

That being said, it makes me really sad to give this book such a low rating - 2.5-3/5 stars. Why you may ask? 

Throughout the whole book, I was seriously confused and had absolutely no idea what was going on. Really. I feel like Kricket is jumping back and forth between Kyon and Trey, and I have absolutely no idea what to think. You know how usually when you read a book with two male main characters competing for one female character's attention, you will have an obvious favourite right? 

Usually, at the back of the mind you already know who you want the female character to end up with.But no, not in this series. For the first two books of the series, I really wanted Kricket to end up with Trey and I was so sure she was going to end up with him, until I read Darken The Stars, and BAM now I'm in an absolute mess and I've no idea what to think.

So basically this series starts of with this girl named Kricket, who is actually from this planet called Ethar but her parents brought her to Earth to protect her but they've supposedly died, leaving her an orphan. One day, she meets Trey and his group of military guys (their called Cavars in the book) and they end up kidnapping her to bring her back to Ethar to face her crimes because her mother was from Almeeda and ran away with Kricket's father, who was from Rafe. Now let me explain about the houses of Ethar: Ethar is split up into several houses, the main ones being Almeeda and Rafe. They're not just any two houses, no they're sworn enemies. 

Anyway, so there's a prophecy that one house will fall and one will rule all, blah blah blah (you know, the usual.)So anyway, Trey brings Kricket back to Ethar and of course, they fall in love despite all the complications they face.  One of them being Kyon.And this is where it gets complicated. So Kyon is from the other house, Almeeda and wants to bring Kricket to Almeeda because she has gifts- she's a soothsayer, and later in discovers that she has the gift of precognition as well. And that's not all! Kyon also wants to make her his consort, and yes, it's as creepy as it sounds.

OKAY, so now that I've given you guys the background information to the story, especially for those of you who haven't read the first book, let me get down to the actual review of Darken The Stars.My first thoughts when I finished the book: it wasn't terrible, though the plot was as confusing as anything. The thing that I had the most problem with was Kricket's 'love life', we could call it. 

She keeps jumping from one guy from another and it's really confusing me.I get that she doesn't know who to choose and all, but she does rash things in the book without any explanation that makes absolutely no sense to me.Darken The Stars starts off with how Kricket was captured by Kyon, and he brings her to his island-resort thing so they can have private time and get to know each other. 

She tries not to fall in love with him, as she loves Trey (or at least that's what we thought) but inevitably, she falls in love with him and becomes his consort, EVEN THOUGH she's promised herself to Trey and even though she and Trey didn't have the ceremony, they were as good as married.

 But no, Kricket ends up SLEEPING with Kyon and falls in love with him, and later on when she meets up with Trey (because she's on this undercover mission to assassinate Kyon's father but that point is irrelevant at the moment) she asks him of one things in case she doesn't make it, and I quote:

"PROMISE ME YOU'll PROTECT KYON AFTER I KILL EXCELSIOR"

I mean, come on woman for the love of dear god why would you say that to him? I was practically screaming "You love Trey god-dammit woman what's wrong with you!" the whole time and came very close to wanting to bang my head against my laptop screen.  

Kricket was basically transformed from a very likable main character to this whiny, indecisive girl that quite frankly really irritated me. And what's more important - Amy took away one of the parts i love the most about the book - the Cavars: Trey, Jax and Wayra. 

Their interactions and conversations with each other and Kricket was one of the things I loved the most about the first two books, and yet they barely appeared in this third book even though I'm pretty sure they play a major part in the story! 

I can only pray and hope that this is not the last book, because if it is I swear I'm going to become a monk and run away to the far far east because I'll never be able to face life again if this book doesn't have a fourth instalment. 

Waiting On A Wednesday: Every Last Breath by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Every Last Breath by Jennifer L.Armentrout

Book 3 of the Dark Elements Series


Some loves will last ’til your dying breath

Every choice has consequences—but seventeen-year-old Layla faces tougher choices than most. Light or darkness. Wickedly sexy demon prince Roth, or Zayne, the gorgeous, protective Warden she never thought could be hers. Hardest of all, Layla has to decide which side of herself to trust.

Layla has a new problem, too. A Lilin—the deadliest of demons—has been unleashed, wreaking havoc on those around her…including her best friend. To keep Sam from a fate much, much worse than death, Layla must strike a deal with the enemy while saving her city—and her race—from destruction.

Torn between two worlds and two different boys, Layla has no certainties, least of all survival, especially when an old bargain comes back to haunt them all. But sometimes, when secrets are everywhere and the truth seems unknowable, you have to listen to your heart, pick a side—and then fight like hell…

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Haven't done one of these for a while! So if you've been reading my blog for a while and following me on my social media, you know how excited I was for this book - the second the book came out I bought the e-book and let me tell you, it did not disappoint. I won't spoil it for you (a review of this book is coming soon!) but it was freaking amazing and I loved every second of it. I had the biggest and worst book hangover after I finished Every Last Breath, and I may or may not have been found on my bed stuck in a fetal position clutching the book when I finished.

Every Last Breath is the last book of the Dark Elements trilogy by Jennifer L.Armentrout, and is centered around this girl called Layla, who is supposedly half-Warden half-demon who is in love with Zayne, the Warden she can never have and be with because of her soul-sucking ability. That's when Roth, the Crown Prince of Hell comes in and she discovers that Lilith, a very very powerful demon is her mother and she is the key to releasing the Lilin and Lilith, and the story unfolds from there.

The whole series is heart stopping, with just the right mixture of romance, fantasy and supernatural-ness to draw you in completely and this last book was an epic conclusion for a fantastic series. The book could not have ended in a more perfect way!
 I definitely would recommend this if you enjoyed JL.A's other books or if you're looking for a good read.

“I, Astaroth, Crown Prince of Hell, am in love with you, Layla Shaw. Yesterday. Today. Tomorrow. A hudred decades from now, I will still be in love with you, and it will be as fierce today as it will be a decade later.”

Joint Review: The Iron King and The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa

 

                                                  Join Review: The Iron King (Book 1 Of The Iron Fey Series) & The Iron Daughter (Book 2 Of The Iron Fey Series) by Julie Kagawa 

Synopsis for The Iron King: 
Meghan Chase has a secret destiny; one she could never have imagined.

Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school or at home.

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change.

But she could never have guessed the truth - that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil, no faery creature dare face; and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.

Synopsis For The Iron Daughter: 
Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. 

Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron fey—ironbound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her.

Worse, Meghan's own fey powers have been cut off. She's stuck in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can't help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart.

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Okay, okay, how to start? The first book of this series, The Iron King, is about a girl called Meghan Chase and one day her little brother Ethan starts acting very strangely, and as it turns out he has been replaced by a changeling, basically a faerie, so she and her long-time best friend Robbie (who actually turns out to be Puck/Robin Goodfellow from A Midsummer's Night Dream if you've heard of it) have to venture into the faerie land, the Nevernever, to get back her brother. Along the way, she finds out she is the princess of the summer court, daughter of King Oberon (Midsummer's Night Dream!), is half-fae, half-human and a whole bunch of other things. During the journey she also encounters alot of dangers, falls in love with the mysterious prince of the winter court, Ash (forbidden love alert!) and meets a cat the reminds me suspiciously of the Cheshire Cat.

What I liked: the characters and the romance (being the romance-sap I am)

Meghan was this wonderfully stubborn but determined girl with a fierce sense of loyalty and her love for her family, as seen from the way she ventures into an unknown land to get him back. She's strong, tough yet vulnerable and makes impulsive decisions sometimes, but all for the good of her friends and family.

Robbie, or more referred to as Puck in the book, is the court's prankster, but he has a lot of unexpected depth that the reader doesn't realise in the beginning. When the book starts out, you think he's just this boy who likes playing tricks on people, who is sarcastic but actually as the book goes on you realise he's much more than that. He's fiercely loyal to Meghan due to his feelings to her, as well protective of her. He adds that little bit of humour and lightness to the book that is needed especially during the more grim parts of Meghan's journey to rescue her younger brother.

Prince Ash, the youngest son of Mab, the Queen of the Winter Courts. He's the type of guy that every girl will fan over - hot, dark and deadly with a mysterious past and an icy wall built around him, only to be broken down by Meghan. His relationship with Meghan starts out kind of rough, but towards the end it smooths out and well... I won't spoil it for you but I'll tell you this : it gets very sweet and you will come very close to squealing your heart out. They fall for each other slowly (despite the fact that Ash tried to kill her in the beginning) and it's just perfect. Not too fast, yet not too slow.

And then there’s Grim the cat, whose standard answer to everything is “I am a cat”. Observe the following: 

"Wait, you already know where you are?" Puck demanded as we edged toward the mouth of the alley, stepping over trash and piles of debris. 
"How does that work, cat?" 
"Most cities are very much the same, Goodfellow." Grimalkin reached the edge of the sidewalk and peered back, waving his tail. "Trods are everywhere, if you know where to look. Also, I am a cat." 

This happens not once, not twice but many many times. Kind of reminds me of Groot from Guardians of the Galaxy, if you’ve seen the movie, who can only say 3 words. “I. AM. GROOT!” Grim's this mysterious, ever-knowing cat that I've come to love as the book goes on. In the begining, I'll admit, he irritated me a lot and I was very suspicious but then throughout the book he pops up at the oddest times to help Meghan and his sarcastic, wry and "I-know-everything-just-don't-question-it" manner makes me laugh. 

The plot itself in the first novel was fast-paced and a lot of things happened. Normally I don't like stories where a lot of things happen in them and just confuse me but it was okay for me in this novel because the writing smoothed it out, but by the time I finished the book I had a headache from staring so fiercely at the pages! 

Now, onto the second novel of the series: The Iron Daughter. In this second book, it continues where it left off in The Iron King: Meghan made a deal with Ash that if he helped her get her brother back, she would come back with him to the Winter Court where she was to be kept prisoner (or watched over) by the Queen Mab. But of course, as most stories happen, she manages to escape and a whole course of events take place and she finds out more about herself and her power. 

I thought this book was good, though it could have been better and I liked the first book much more. The plot, storyline and characters made up for it, though In the beginning of the book Ash really irritated me and I came close to wanting to lob his head off with a baseball bat, no kidding! It started of with the classic boy-ignores-girl situation due to icky circumstances and rules and I felt that Meghan obssesed a bit too much over Ash but the plot more than made up for it! The second book was also fast-paced, action-packed and thrilling, though like I said before, could have been better! 

Overall, I give the first book a 3.5/5 stars and the second book a 3/5 stars. 

Waiting On A Wednesday: The Jewel by Amy Ewing

If you follow my Instagram, you'll know that recently I just ordered a whole crap-load of books from Book Depository as a little 'Yay you survived one more year of school!' treat for myself, and they just arrived yesterday. I've just finished the Jewel and I kind of have a love-hate relationship with this book.

The Jewel by Amy Ewing

Book 1 of the Lone City series 

The Jewel means wealth. The Jewel means beauty. The Jewel means royalty. But for girls like Violet, the Jewel means servitude. Not just any kind of servitude. Violet, born and raised in the Marsh, has been trained as a surrogate for the royalty—because in the Jewel the only thing more important than opulence is offspring.

Purchased at the surrogacy auction by the Duchess of the Lake and greeted with a slap to the face, Violet (now known only as #197) quickly learns of the brutal truths that lie beneath the Jewel’s glittering facade: the cruelty, backstabbing, and hidden violence that have become the royal way of life.

Violet must accept the ugly realities of her existence... and try to stay alive. But then a forbidden romance erupts between Violet and a handsome gentleman hired as a companion to the Duchess’s petulant niece. Though his presence makes life in the Jewel a bit brighter, the consequences of their illicit relationship will cost them both more than they bargained for.
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I won't bore with a long lengthy paragraph about my thoughts on this book (My review is soon to come!) but in short I quite enjoyed this book, even though I had a major problem with the romance. It romance happened so fast, like insta-love. There was no build up to it, it was just like "Ooh lookie hot guy!" to "Let's get together and make out even though it's forbidden" *Shudder* Definitely not a fan of insta-love. I feel like the 'insta-love' part of the romance is what brought down the book, and if not for that it would have been a lot better! On the plus side, I loved what happened after Violet and Ash (the main male character) fell in love and what happens after that. 

“It would be easier to forget you," he says to me, "and these past few weeks we've had together. It would be easier if I could hate you. But the sad truth is, I will more than likely love you for the rest of my life.”