The Storm Bringer Review

Author: Isabel Cooper
Pages: 352
Release Date: December 29, 2020
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca

I recieved an E-Arc on Netgalley from the Publisher for an honest review!

Summary:
The Witcher goes fiercely feminist in this gripping paranormal romance from noted author Isabel Cooper.

Raised to be weapons against the darkness, Sentinels spend their lives fighting the monsters that prey upon humanity. Their hands will shape the world, and their swords will seal its fate.

A warrior lost to time…

Pursuing her latest quarry deep into the wilderness, Sentinel Darya finds herself in an ancient city that should no longer exist. There she comes upon a handsome warrior in ancient clothing, held in a deathlike sleep—Amris, hero of the last great battle against the Traitor God. His discovery, and the weakening wards about the city, can only mean one thing: the Traitor is gathering his armies again, and the storms are returning.

Amris has been trapped in dreamless sleep since the final battle raged centuries ago. Now he is awake…and so, it seems, is humanity’s greatest threat. Determined to save the world from being swallowed by the oncoming storm, Amris and the fiercely beautiful Darya must learn to trust each other—and the powerful bond that’s formed between them—as they fight their way through a land swarming with monsters in a last desperate bid to get word back to their allies before it’s too late…

My Review
I was so excited to get this book. I love love the cover even though it was an E-Arc. Perhaps I will buy the book when it comes out in December. Anyways, the story is so epic! It’s fantasy, adventure, fighting, love, magic, swords and more. So if you like all those type of things then this book may be for you.

The main characters are Amris and Darya and Gerant. I love their interaction with each other. Darya is connected with magic which ties her to Gerant. I thought their relationship was interesting on so many levels. She is also a warrior who can kick butt. To me she has the same level of fighting as men do. I love how that women and men in this story are on the same page. The fighting is awesome. The jumps, the swords and moving was just fantastic. I felt like I was watching a movie when this was happening in the book. The whole vibe is fantasy. Darya has so much strength in many rules which makes me like her!

Amris is such a male warrior. He thinks and acts like a warrior. I think that is one of the reasons why he connects so well with Darya other than the fact he also knows Gerant. I loved the description of Amris armor. You can actually picture Amris wearing such an armor. I liked this character too.

Other than the fighting the bad guys and magic happening, Amris and Darya are fighting an attraction against each other. I thought those bits were pretty fun to read. I loved Darya’s thoughts this matter. I even had to smirked at some of the thoughts. Amris had some thoughts that were interesting as well. It was kind of interesting to see how male and female thoughts were portrayed here. They tried to suppress their feelings for the sake of Gerant, does that happen? You got to go get the book to find out.

The creatures mentioned in this book, oh my gosh! My imagination went wild and I had to stop myself. It was like “no no don’t think of those creepy things!” Then I was also trying to picture how they would make those creatures in a movie. I loved how the author had such a vivid description of the creatures. Very very cool.

At the end of the book, I wanted to know what was going to happen next. Plus I had questions of how did Gerant become how he is, what is the background on Olivr, will there be more awesome fighting and strange creatures? Who will win? I admit that now I want to own a sword. Can I find one that Darya has? Should I get a chakram like Xena? Or a cool ax like Buffy had at the end? Or Sais that Elektra had? I can dream can’t I?

Midnight Bargain Review

 

 

• Author: C.L. Polk
• Hardcover : 384 pages
• Date:  October 13, 2020
• Publisher : Erewhon
  

  
  Thanks to Netgalley, author: C.L. Polk and publisher: Erewhon Books for the free e-arc!
  Here is my honest review.

   

  SUMMARY:
  From the beloved World Fantasy Award-winning author of Witchmark comes a sweeping, romantic new fantasy set in a world reminiscent of Regency England, where women’s magic is taken from them when they marry. A sorceress must balance her desire to become the first great female magician against her duty to her family.

  Beatrice Clayborn is a sorceress who practices magic in secret, terrified of the day she will be locked into a marital collar that will cut off her powers to protect her unborn children. She dreams of becoming a full-fledged Magus and pursuing magic as her calling as men do, but her family has staked everything to equip her for Bargaining Season, when young men and women of means descend upon the city to negotiate the best marriages. The Clayborns are in severe debt, and only she can save them, by securing an advantageous match before their creditors come calling.

  In a stroke of luck, Beatrice finds a grimoire that contains the key to becoming a Magus, but before she can purchase it, a rival sorceress swindles the book right out of her hands. Beatrice summons a spirit to help her get it back, but her new ally exacts a price: Beatrice’s first kiss . . . with her adversary’s brother, the handsome, compassionate, and fabulously wealthy Ianthe Lavan.

  The more Beatrice is entangled with the Lavan siblings, the harder her decision becomes: If she casts the spell to become a Magus, she will devastate her family and lose the only man to ever see her for who she is; but if she marries—even for love—she will sacrifice her magic, her identity, and her dreams. But how can she choose just one, knowing she will forever regret the path not taken?

  
  My Thoughts:
  I really, really liked this story.  The beginning of the story made me feel like I was going on adventure. I could picture the carriage, the shop and the atmosphere.     Beatrice, the main character was on the move to find a book.  Not just any kind of book,  a Grimoire!  She wanted to learn more about magic.  She desired to be a better sorceress.  Somehow fate has her meet up with another sorceress named Ysbeta Lavan.  It was a little intense how they met.

  At first I thought Ysbeta would be a rival character towards Beatrice.  I was not sure what to make of her in the beginning.  My spider sense told me Ysbeta was going to be evil.   Was it right?    I continued to read on, the interaction between Ysbeta and Beatric was pretty interesting.  Both characters are headstrong,  educated, yearning to learn more and  wanting their independence.   Will they become friends or rivals?

  Beatrice also meets Ysbeta’s brother, Ianthe who does fall for her.  The romance sparked between them.  It was a sweet romance in my opinion which I adored! Beatrice has mixed feelings about this.  She does love him but does not want to be bound.  The society in this story has the husbands control their wives magic. I thought this was awful.  To be bound was like being locked up in a pale world.  I think magic in this story is colorful and free.  To lose that magic would be like losing a part of yourself.

  Just another thought: the society times in this story is parallel to women back in the days of dowry.  Think of Jane Austen.  Women did not have much of a choice. Some felt the burden of helping their family by marrying for wealth and not love.  I cannot imagine life like that, can you?

  Does Beatrice get a choice or not?  Does she get to marry Ianthe?  Does she get to be free?  What will happen?

  Beatrice’s family is an interesting mix.  Her father is so into traditional values that she will butt heads with him.   Her mother, you can’t help feel sorry for her as you continue to read the story further along.  Then there is also Beatrice’s sister: Harriet who I thought was adorable, a youthful firecracker spirit but she was aware of gossip and traditional values.  She wanted the best for her sister and herself.  Eventually she sees the truth of how society is and realizes she does want a choice as well.  I am not sure what else to say on her.  Will Beatrice’s family support her decision?

  The one thing that was fun was the spirits that came to this story.  The spirit that Beatrice connected with was named Nadi.   Nadi made me feel like she was like a child but a powerful child.  I just totally loved the connection between Nadi and Beatrice.  They gave each other comfort, power and friendship.  It is totally awesome.  As Nadi and Beatrice continue to connect, Nadi eventually cares for Beatrice and the feeling is mutual.  They kick butt!

  Ysbeta did connect with two spirits and it was interesting how she dealt with it. Her spirits were a bit of a handful.    How do you think she dealt with them?  Do you think she gets a connection with a spirit to help her journey towards freedom?

  I think the story was written elegantly and stylish.  It kept me entertained.  It was a great story of regency magic and feminism.  Women’s rights are the main point in this story.  You should read it if you like Austen/Regency.

   

  The Midnight Bargain is released on October 13, 2020

   

Finished Reading

The Guinevere Deception
Kiersten White  
Series: Camelot Rising Trilogy :Book 1
Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Date: November 5, 2019

What the book is about:
Princess Guinevere has come to Camelot to wed a stranger: the charismatic King Arthur. With magic clawing at the kingdom’s borders, the great wizard Merlin conjured a solution–send in Guinevere to be Arthur’s wife . . . and his protector from those who want to see the young king’s idyllic city fail. The catch? Guinevere’s real name–and her true identity–is a secret. She is a changeling, a girl who has given up everything to protect Camelot.

To keep Arthur safe, Guinevere must navigate a court in which the old–including Arthur’s own family–demand things continue as they have been, and the new–those drawn by the dream of Camelot–fight for a better way to live. And always, in the green hearts of forests and the black depths of lakes, magic lies in wait to reclaim the land.

Deadly jousts, duplicitous knights, and forbidden romances are nothing compared to the greatest threat of all: the girl with the long black hair, riding on horseback through the dark woods toward Arthur. Because when your whole existence is a lie, how can you trust even yourself?

My Thoughts:
I just finished reading this book!  The reason I picked it up is because I have read previous books by Kiersten White and the story intrigued me.   While reading this story, it  made me think of all the other previous stories regarding to Merlin, Arthur, Lancelot and Guinevere.   Some movies and television shows pop in my head while reading this book such as “First Knight”, “Sword and the Stone”, “Mists of Avalon”, “Merlin,”  and then there’s the “Sorcerer’s Apprentice (2010).”    It’s a bit slower pace in the story, so be patient!  I liked it quite a bit and it kept me what would happen next.   I could also see how Camelot was describe along with the waters and forest.

Here are some of my thoughts on the characters:

Guinevere is a quiet young woman who had not been exposed much to the world.  So she was learning new things and also trying her best to be as she can be to Camelot.  She does confide in Arthur on and off which was nice to see.  I am not sure how the connection goes between the two yet.  She also confides in Brangian, her maid.  Her maid is a bit quirky in her own way.

Arthur reminds me of the good guy who has the heart to make hard decisions. He is that one guy who does does the best he can for his people regardless to his own happiness. He puts others first.  That’s a big thing to do.

Lancelot is quite the sword fighter and has a secret.  You will have to read to find out. I  do not want to tell you because it’s such a good surprise!

Mordred reminds me of the bad boy who is on the line of good and evil.  He could go either way.  He flirts with Guinevere quite a bit.  I think he has a bigger role to play in this series.  I look forward to see what happens.

Merlin.  I am not sure what to make of him. I get the sense he is fighting a huge battle and will not let anyone know about it because he’s afraid to lose them.  I could be wrong.  I am hoping he turns out to be on the good side of things.

Lady of the Lake is mentioned but not sure where she stands yet.  She has a connection to Merlin.

There are twists and turn in this story which made me crave it more.  I want to know what is going to happen in the next book because you know there is magic involved.  When there is magic there is always good vs. evil.  Will Guinevere protect Arthur and Camelot at all costs or will Arthur take the role instead?

Go pick up this book and give it a shot to see if you like it.

 

 

Finished Reading

I finished these books a while ago…..

What it is about:
Naya Morales is no ordinary mortal. Born with a shaman’s power, she has devoted her life to tracking down stolen magic—and punishing those who take it. But one fateful night, she follows the alluring call of a sensual magic that is too glorious to be true—and finds herself face to face with a stunningly handsome thief who is too magnificent to resist…

From the moment he sees her, Ronan knows Naya is his mate. Driven by a deep, almost mystical connection, he aches for her body, hungers for her blood, and swears their souls are anchored together. Naya refuses to believe the words of a vampire—or risk the wrath of her tribe. But when she tries to make Ronan her prisoner, neither chains of silver nor fires of hell can help her escape the truth: she is the one who’s been captured..

 

What it is about
Welcome to the Half-Light City.

Imagine a city divided. On one side, the Night World, ruled by the Blood Lords and the Beast Kind. On the other, the elusive Fae and the humans, protected by their steadfast mages. A city held together by nothing more than a treaty-and even then, just barely…

I was born of a Fae mother, but I had no place amongst her kind. They called me “soulless.” An abomination. Perhaps they’re right…I’m a wraith, a shadow who slips between worlds. I was given into the service of a Blood Lord who raised me to be his most feared assassin. Still, I’m nothing more than a slave to my master, and to the need that only he can fulfill…

Then he orders me to kill Simon DuCaine, a powerful sunmage. In the blaze of his magic, my own disappears. Instead of seeking revenge, Simon shows me mercy. He wants to free me. But that’s one thing my master and his kind will never allow.

And even if I thought I could trust Simon, stepping from the shadow into the light isn’t as simple as it sounds..

 

 

 

Now for something a bit different

I just recently started watching a new tv show called The Outpost.  So far so good!   The show takes place in a medieval time.  There is sword fighting, fighting, barmaids, magic and creatures.  There are quite a few unique characters in the show which I enjoy all them.  Talon, Garret, Gwynn, Janzo, Marshal Withers, The Mistress and many more!!  Some characters are good, some have motives and some are not so nice.  Basically Talon is on a mission, a mission for revenge, but does it go the way she wants?  What happens along the way on her mission?   It is time for an adventure!

 

What drew me to this show?  Dean Devlin did!   He is a producer, director and writer.  If you have seen Stargate, Independence Day, Godzilla, Leverage and The Librarians, then you know his work.  All of those movies and tv shows are my favorite too!  By the way I have not seen Geostorm or Bad Samaritan.   I am not sure if I can handle Bad Samaritan since it looks like a thriller.  Thrillers aren’t really my thing but I do like David Tennant.  He played an awesome doctor in Doctor Who.

Anyways I wanted to see what The Outpost was all about.  I have been watching from the first episode and I am hooked.   My Tuesday nights are reserved for this now!    The show reminded me of my love for adventure, magic, medieval times and also took me back to remembering the tv shows: Merlin, Xena Warrior Princess, Hercules, Legend of the Seeker and Roar.   (Yup I am a geek!)    

 

Each episode I have seen has left me guessing what is going to happen next.  The dialogue, the mystery, the cast and crew is amazing. I like the show, period.   Who doesn’t want to kick butt and deal with creepy creatures along with learning of friendship?   While watching the show I wonder how many outtakes did everyone had to do or how long it takes for them to put everything together or how quickly does the cast learn their lines?  Or how does the writing process go?   Creativity is awesome and it’s cool to ponder how the whole process comes together.     (Yup I am a geek again!)  

I have to say it is awesome to live tweet with other fans, cast and crew during the show!  It is exciting to give feedback, comments of what we liked and didn’t like on the series or guess what is to come.   I love the positivity and interaction!   To interact with cast and crew is very cool.   For them to take the time out of their schedules to interact with fans and keep the tv show going is a lovely thing to do.   Sometimes they even give us the lowdown on how things go or a hint of what is to come.  Can we all squeal at this?   I tend to get many likes from Dean Devlin, Douglas Pasko and Jake Stormoen.  There has been a few from Jessica Green, Anand Desai-Barochia and Thor Knai.     They are all good looking people!   Thanks guys for liking my tweets and interacting with fans!!!  

While watching Episode 4, another fan on twitter mentioned of Jake Stormoen and Adam Johnson in Mythica.   Plus Adam is also in The Outpost!!  For a moment I was like thinking to myself why does that name sound familiar — Mythica?  So I hopped on the internet to look it up.  Well no wonder it was familiar to me because of Kevin Sorbo.  I think he was promoting it a while back (2014).  This series was on my list to see but I never got around to it due to my life changing.    I then asked the other fan on twitter where she saw the show, she said Amazon Prime.  First I had to check my local library to see if they had it, sadly they did not!   NOOOOOOOOOO!

So I ended up binging on Mythica through Amazon Prime.    Holy cow, why didn’t I watch this back then?   Check it out!

Now I have to wait until Tuesday for another episode of The Outpost!  Be sure to check out this tv show on the CW network.  If you like action, drama, magic, swords, fighting, tavern and mystery, then you have to watch this show.   If you do watch this, who is your favorite character?  Who do you identify with?  Do you have a crush on any of the characters?   Let me know.

 

 

 

 

Action and a whole new world….

Series: New Series
Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Amulet Books
Date: August 8, 2017

The struggle to get into a top-tier college consumes sixteen-year-old Genie’s every waking thought. But when she discovers she’s a celestial spirit who’s powerful enough to bash through the gates of heaven with her fists, her perfectionist existence is shattered.

Enter Quentin, a transfer student from China whose tone-deaf assertiveness beguiles Genie to the brink of madness. Quentin nurtures Genie’s outrageous transformation—sometimes gently, sometimes aggressively—as her sleepy suburb in the Bay Area comes under siege from hell-spawn.

This epic YA debut draws from Chinese folklore, features a larger-than-life heroine, and perfectly balances the realities of Genie’s grounded high school life with the absurd supernatural world she finds herself commanding.

Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: Razorbill
Date: October 31, 2017

In the walled city of Kos, corrupt mages can magically call forth sin from a sinner in the form of sin-beasts—lethal creatures spawned from feelings of guilt. Taj is the most talented of the aki, young sin-eaters indentured by the mages to slay the sin-beasts. But Taj’s livelihood comes at a terrible cost. When he kills a sin-beast, a tattoo of the beast appears on his skin while the guilt of committing the sin appears on his mind. Most aki are driven mad by the process, but Taj is cocky and desperate to provide for his family.

When Taj is called to eat a sin of a member of the royal family, he’s suddenly thrust into the center of a dark conspiracy to destroy Kos. Now Taj must fight to save the princess that he loves—and his own life.

Well….let’s jump into new worlds and explore these books.  Who’s ready for some adventure and tackle some beasts?   I’m pretty sure these books would be a fun to read.   If you like demons, action and battles, then I think these books may be for you.   The covers are stunning because the colors just pop out at you.  I think these covers also let your imagine run wild to tie in with the stories.   

Five Daughters of the Moon

The Five Daughters of the Moon (The Waning Moon Duology) –by Leena Likitalo
Date: July 25, 2017
Series: The Waning Moon Duology (Book 1)
Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Tor.com (July 25, 2017)

The Crescent Empire teeters on the edge of a revolution, and the Five Daughters of the Moon are the ones to determine its future.

Alina, six, fears Gagargi Prataslav and his Great Thinking Machine. The gagargi claims that the machine can predict the future, but at a cost that no one seems to want to know.

Merile, eleven, cares only for her dogs, but she smells that something is afoul with the gagargi. By chance, she learns that the machine devours human souls for fuel, and yet no one believes her claim.

Sibilia, fifteen, has fallen in love for the first time in her life. She couldn’t care less about the unrests spreading through the countryside. Or the rumors about the gagargi and his machine.

Elise, sixteen, follows the captain of her heart to orphanages and workhouses. But soon she realizes that the unhappiness amongst her people runs much deeper that anyone could have ever predicted.

And Celestia, twenty-two, who will be the empress one day. Lately, she’s been drawn to the gagargi. But which one of them was the first to mention the idea of a coup?

Inspired by the 1917 Russian revolution and the last months of the Romanov sisters, The Five Daughters of the Moon is a beautifully crafted historical fantasy with elements of technology fuelled by evil magic.

I spy this book at work today…the cover caught my eye.  I have read historical fiction with a bit of magic in it before.  This one would be interesting to read.  Would you read this?  What other historical/magic fiction have you read? 

I Spy Youth Books today

 

Christmas Genie by Dan Gutman

It’s the last day of school before Christmas vacation and Alex, Chase, and the rest of Mrs. Walter’s fifth-grade class couldn’t wish more for that final bell to ring.

But the day takes a crazy turn when a mysterious meteorite crashes through their classroom window and a genie pops out. He will grant just one wish for the whole class to share. Be careful what you wish for!

Dragon Masters by Tracey West and Graham Howells

This series is part of Scholastic’s early chapter book line called Branches, which is aimed at newly independent readers. With easy-to-read text, high-interest content, fast-paced plots, and illustrations on every page, these books will boost reading confidence and stamina. Branches books help readers grow!

DRAGON MASTERS has it all! Dragons, a Dragon Stone, a king, a wizard, and magic! In the first book in this fully-illustrated series, 8-year old Drake is snatched up by King Roland’s soldier and taken to the castle. He is to be trained as a Dragon Master. At the castle, he is joined by three other young Dragon Masters-in-training: Ana, Rori, and Bo. The Dragon Masters must learn how to connect with and train their dragons–and they must also uncover their dragons’ special powers. Does Drake have what it takes to be a Dragon Master? What is his dragon’s special power?

All Paws on Deck (Haggis and Tank Unleashed) by Jessica Young

Tank is a clumsy, outgoing Great Dane. Haggis is a dapper and grumpy Scottie dog. In the first book in the series, Haggis and Tank set sail as pirates. At first, Haggis doesn’t see what Tank does–that an adventure awaits them with just a little imagination! But soon, Haggis joins in the fun and the two friends go on a pirate adventure. They talk like pirates, swab the deck, and even search for buried treasure. This series is full of clever wordplay and homophones that make Haggis and Tank’s adventures even more fun!

Suitcase of Stars  by Pierdomenico Baccalario

Have you heard of Cinderella’s glass slipper? What about Sinbad the Sailor’s Flying Carpet? In this world, there are many magical items—but only one place where they’re safe: the Enchanted Emporium. For centuries, seven families have competed for ownership of the Emporium—and some of them are willing to do whatever it takes to get their hands on the powerful items housed within. Only Aiby Lily and her friend Finley have what it takes to stop the Emporium from falling into the wrong hands.

So these are the books that I spied today!  Take your time to check them out!  They all look interesting to me and I wonder if my children would read them.

Book update and more…

I know, it’ s been a long time since I have updated on what I am reading.  Life gets in the way.  Being a mother, a library worker and taking care of my house and trying to tend to my hobbies has made me spin around and fall asleep.   Life takes a path here and there. And now here are some updates…

So I did read the 3rd book – Bound by Flames (Night Prince #3) by Jeaniene Frost as it was totally epic!  I do need to get the fourth one as the author did tweet to me that it won’t be out until much later!  I have to wait.  Ohhhhhhhhh be still my heart.    I look forward to seeing her book.

I just finished Jane Vows Vengeance by Michael Thomas Ford.  The cover caught my attention at the library as it was going to the books sale.  I snagged it!  It was quite an interesting read.   Vampires, adventure, historical Jane Austen..imagination and some witty comments in there.   This is the second book as I have not read the first one.

Right now I’m currently reading “Summoning” by Carol Wolf.  This book reminds me of Vampires/Werewolves type of scene.  Not Twilight type but the story is more geared to World of Darkness type of thing.    So far I like it.  I love the main character named Amber who is a wolf shifter and can kick butt.  Her story is rather unique!

 

One more update: I watched “Pride and Prejudice Zombies” which was interesting.  I know the plot of Pride and Prejudice because I have read the book a few times (it’s one of my favorites!) and seen the various films of it.  The Zombie side was quite interesting and unique.   Historical with sword fighting and the action was awesome.  I loved the costumes in this movie too.    I may purchase the movie down the road.

This is a short update! I am going to try to do more updates when I can.  As I mentioned before life is busy here at times.   On that note, earlier tonight I was outside with my amazing children as the air was chilly and felt perfect to have a bonfire (sadly I do not have a fire pit or anything for that) .  Then my mind wandered to the thought of having someone to snuggle with in this chilly weather would be perfect.  Mind you, a romance relationship is the last thing on my mind.  I have other priorities in life and I thought it was interesting how this thought came to my mind tonight.  Maybe I can use this thought in writing one of my stories!

Til then….

Dark Elements by Jennifer L Armentrout

WHITE HOTE KISS {Dark Elements Series #1} – Jennifer L. Armentrout
Publisher: Harlequin
Publication Date: Feb 25, 2014
Series: Dark Element Series #1
Pages: 400
Age Range: 14 +

SUMMARY:
One kiss could be the last

Seventeen-year-old Layla just wants to be normal. But with a kiss that kills anything with a soul, she’s anything but normal. Half demon, half gargoyle, Layla has abilities no one else possesses.

Raised among the Wardens—a race of gargoyles tasked with hunting demons and keeping humanity safe—Layla tries to fit in, but that means hiding her own dark side from those she loves the most. Especially Zayne, the swoon-worthy, incredibly gorgeous and completely off-limits Warden she’s crushed on since forever.

Then she meets Roth—a tattooed, sinfully hot demon who claims to know all her secrets. Layla knows she should stay away, but she’s not sure she wants to—especially when that whole no-kissing thing isn’t an issue, considering Roth has no soul.

But when Layla discovers she’s the reason for the violent demon uprising, trusting Roth could not only ruin her chances with Zayne…it could brand her a traitor to her family. Worse yet, it could become a one-way ticket to the end of the world.

STONE COLD TOUCH {Dark Elements Series #2} – Jennifer L. Armentrout
Publisher: Harlequin
Publication Date: Oct 21, 2014
Series: Dark Elements Series #2
Pages: 464
Age: 14 +

SUMMARY:
Every touch has its price

Layla Shaw is trying to pick up the pieces of her shattered life—no easy task for a seventeen-year-old who’s pretty sure things can’t get worse. Her impossibly gorgeous best friend, Zayne, is forever off-limits thanks to the mysterious powers of her soul-stealing kiss. The Warden clan that has always protected her is suddenly keeping dangerous secrets. And she can barely think about Roth, the wickedly hot demon prince who understood her in ways no one else could.

But sometimes rock bottom is only the beginning. Because suddenly Layla’s powers begin to evolve, and she’s offered a tantalizing taste of what has always been forbidden. Then, when she least expects it, Roth returns, bringing news that could change her world forever. She’s finally getting what she always wanted, but with hell literally breaking loose and the body count adding up, the price may be higher than Layla is willing to pay….

EVERY LAST BREATH {Dark Elements #3} – Jennifer L. Armentrout
Publisher: Harlequin
Publishing Date: July 28, 2015
Series: Dark Element Series #3
Pages: 400
Age: 14 +

SUMMARY :
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…

MY THOUGHTS:
I’m so glad I read all of these books!  The last book Every Last Breath stunning cover caught my attention first as I found out it was the third book in the series so I decided to start off with the first. I was immediately thrown into Layla’s world. Every free moment I had (which was mostly at night since my children come first) I read and read and read. Once I finished the first book, I wanted to know what was going to happen to Layla next. It was on to the second book White Hot Kiss! Once again I was glued to the book at any free moment I had. As it ended, I wanted more but sadly I had to put a hold on the third book from the the library. Within two days, the book was ready for pick up and off I went with my children. Libraries rule!

I was into Layla’s world of wardens and demons. It was an interesting concept of the supernatural side of things. (Think Supernatural, Angel, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.) I could identify with Layla because she was unique and that she didn’t see herself in a positive light until the end of the book.

As I read each book one by one, I understood Layla more and more.  I loved the ending of this book.  It was a roller coaster ride.  The whole series will keep you on your feet and you will not want it to end.  Besides aren’t the covers stunning!  You cannot resist this story.   Go get these series today as you won’t regret it.

(Sorry for the late and short review!  My brain finally realized I needed to get this review done one way or the other!  This series is really good. I really enjoyed them and could not put them down.  So go grab one today and follow this amazing author!   I love all of her work.)  

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