Book Review: Whisper of Light by Jennifer DeLucy

Title: Whisper of Light

Author: Jennifer DeLucy

Series: Light #2

ISBN: 978-1936305414

Publisher: Omnific Publishing

Pub. Date: 2010

Source: Purchased

Genre: Romance/ Fantasy/ Paranormal Romance

Pages: 272
Rating: 5 Kisses
Author's Website

Synopsis (from Goodreads): The saying goes that all men are created equal... but Nicole Abbot knows better. Lacking the supernatural gifts of the Sentients she has known all her life, Nicole has lived with her nose pressed to the glass, withering beneath the guilt of her own inadequacies and the disapproving glare of her father. It's easy to believe that the universe has forgotten all about her, but things are not always as they seem. With the arrival of Christian Wright, a handsome but complex Combatant with a troubled history, Nicole is forced to question everything she has ever believed about herself, proving that sometimes, our most flawed perceptions are those reflected in a mirror. Jennifer DeLucy again plunges us into the world of lingering spirits, dark apparitions, and malicious vampires. But this time she takes us to the California coast where we get to know a new ensemble of gifted souls that are just as vibrant and endearing as the Sentients we came to love in Seers of Light. In Whisper of Light, DeLucy delivers exciting supernatural encounters as well as very human interactions that will both break your heart and make it soar.


My Reveries and Ramblings:
I love this book.  I love this series. The. End.   Seriously, though, Ms. DeLucy has delivered an amazing book.  I’ve read this book probably 3 or 4 times now.  Every time it’s just as amazing as the first.  I even have the same reactions: OMG! AWWWWWWWWWWW! NONONO!
I actually skimmed through the book again before writing this review and had the urge to read the first book (Seers of Light) so I did (that was probably the 5th or so time I’ve read that one).  What I love about Whisper of Light as well as the whole series is that Ms. DeLucy fleshes out her characters so well.  I relate to her heroines and all the secondary characters remind me of people I know.  They all have talents, likes, dislikes, quirks, flaws, motivations and insecurities.  No one is completely evil or completely good.  Everyone is gray. Even Duncan.   Ugh. He was horrible.  You find out why he treats his daughter the way he does...but still...no excuse!  But that is a driving force in why Nicole is the way she is.  Just like with the first book, with Lily, I felt like I really related to Nicole.  Nicole was never weak.  She was always strong, just hidden and scared.  Scared to forgive herself. 
This causes her to sacrifice things in her life to hopefully gain approval from her father or to make up for her what happened to her mother.  Cue Christian.  Christian is hot, British, and kind.  On his own self-forgiving journey, he sees Nicole’s strength and challenges her to be brave and start thinking about herself (not in a self-absorbed way, just in a stop putting yourself last kind of way).  I will admit, I was skeptical about having Christian be the love interest in this book.  I found him so annoying in Seers of Light.  But I found I really really liked him! 
Part of the way through the book, we get to see William and Lily for a little bit.  (OMGOMGOMG) It’s very brief, but left me very happy.  What’s great about these few scenes is that we get to see their relationship through an outsider’s eyes.  Let me tell you, there’s so much love, it made me tear up.  (I swear I could be an empath :P) 
Finally, my favorite thing about this book and this series is Ms. DeLucy’s story and writing.   Jennifer DeLucy’s writing flows so well.  Her ability to write  non-cliched dialogue and story at the same time as making her characters speak like normal people makes her one of my favorite authors.  This book wasn’t that plot driven.  However the characters were so interesting and the dialogue was so real and at times funny that I barely noticed.  This book is more about relationships, what it means to be a family, and what it means to love (not only others but oneself).  I like the spiritual aspect of the books, as well.  Don’t get me wrong, it’s not religious! These books have soul.  

I HIGHLY recommend this book and this series.  There’s tons of paranormal stuff, romance, drama, and even even some humor.  
(Hey, guess what?? This book is currently $2.99 on kindle and Nook!)

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Book Review: Shadow Fall by Erin Kellison

Title:  Shadow Fall

Author: Erin Kellison
Series: Shadow #2

ISBN: 9780505528308

Publisher: Leisure Books
Pub. Date:  July 2010
Source: Publisher

Genre: Paranormal Romance/Fantasy

Pages: 322

Rating: 4 kisses

Excerpt | Segue Institute Website |  Author's Website

Synopsis (from Dorchester Website):  

Sacrifice
Custo Santovari accepted pain, blood, even death, to save his best friend. But a man with all his sins just isn’t cut out to be an angel.
Mystery
One moment he’s fleeing Heaven; the next, he’s waking up stark naked in Manhattan. In the middle of a war. Called there by a woman who’s desperately afraid of the dark.
Shadow
It gathers around Annabella as she performs, filled with fantastic images of another world, bringing both a golden hero and a nightmare lover.
Wolf
He pursues her relentlessly, twisting her desires even as she gives herself to the man she loves. Because each of us has a wild side, and Annabella is about to unleash the beast.

My Reveries and Ramblings: My Reveries and Ramblings: 
If you haven’t read the first book, stop reading now and go read it (Shadowbound).

      Now, for those of you who have read Shadow Bound, get ready for a whole dose of action, romance, and suspense. The story begins with Custo in heaven. He’s somehow ended up as an angel, much to his displeasure. Wanting to help and warn Adam of a betrayl, Custo tricks Shadowman into switching places with him. Lost and trying to find his way back to Segue, Custo sees a woman dancing and is drawn to her power, just as the wolf is. Wolf has been hunting Annabelle trying to find a way out of Shadow and into her world. When Custo accidentally lets him into the real world, both his and Annabelle’s worlds are upturned.
      My favorite thing about this series is Ms. Kellison’s characters. She doesn’t write her characters in terms of good or bad. Each character has good and bad qualities. Custo is my favorite example of this. He’s not good. And he knows it. At the same time, he’s not evil. Every choice he makes is based off what he can gain. This is true of every character in literature, except that Custo is very selfish. The only times he is not selfish is with Adam and Annabelle. There are so many layers to Custo’s character-I love it!
      Annabelle was also different from most heroines. She’s a principle ballerina in her company. Having sacrificed so much and worked so hard, she starts to reap the rewards. However, after Wolf notices her hidden power when she dances, he becomes obsessed. Cue Custo. After he saves Annabelle, she is forced to accept protection from both Custo and the Segue Institute. Throughout the book, Annabelle is torn between her love of dance and her love for Custo. Her journey to find the balance between the two was interesting to read.
      I really liked this book, even more than Shadow Bound. I adored Custo and all of his complexities. Wolf is a creepy, perverse, and terrifying villain-which made this book all the more absorbing. This book is very well written, engaging, and so worth reading!

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Book Review: Angel Star by Jennifer Murgia

Title: Angel Star

Author:  Jennifer Murgia

Series: Angel Star #1

ISBN: 978-0982500538

Publisher: Lands Atlantic Publishing LLC

Pub. Date: May 2010

Genre: YA/Supernatural/ Romance/Angels/Fantasy/Christian 

Pages: P-256

Rating: 2 Kisses

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Website: Author's

Synopsis (from Goodreads.com): Seventeen-year-old Teagan McNeel falls for captivating Garreth Adams and soon discovers that her crush has an eight-point star etched into the palm of his right hand-the mark of an angel.

But where there is light, dark follows, and she and Garreth suddenly find themselves vulnerable to a dark angel's malicious plan that could threaten not only her life, but the lives of everyone she knows.

Divinely woven together, Angel Star takes readers on a reflective journey when one angel's sacrifice collides with another angel's vicious ambition in a way that is sure to have readers searching for their own willpower.

My Reveries and Ramblings:  Angel Star, written by Jennifer Murgia, is the story about good vs evil, or light vs. dark.  Teagan’s life isn’t that great:  she has only one friend, Claire, is the object of torture by a group of girls at school, is plagued by nighmares, and her father disappeared when she was a baby.  One day while sitting on a bench, a new transfer student, Garreth, approaches and talks to her.  He seems to shine/glow.  She realizes that not only does she feel strongly for him, he makes her feel safe from the nightmares and the dark shadows that seem to follow her.  Garreth is her guardian angel.  He has watched over her and kept her safe for years.  He is finally allowed to appear to her as a human, but only for eight days.  During those eight days her destiny will be revealed. 

       I had mixed feelings about this book.  I really liked the chemistry between Garreth and Teagan.  Their bond was beautiful.  Whenever Teagan was worried he would breathe for her, calming her.  It was so sweet.  Their dynamic was the best part of the book.  Hadrian, Lucifer’s brother, is the dark angel.  He tries to corrupt people’s guardian angels so that he can control humans.  Garreth and Teagan are constantly running from him.  When Hadrian starts targeting people close to Teagan, they stand and fight.  While Garreth symbolizes light, Hadrian represents the darkness.  Teagan finds herself drawn to Hadrian and the darkness only to be reminded of her light, Garreth.  This situation is parallel to the good-angel-bad-angel-on-your-shoulders.  Both are trying to pull Teagan in different directions and get her to do something.  It is both an internal and outward struggle for Teagan. 

       There were many things I didn’t like about this book.  There were times when I was confused as to the location of the characters; one minute they are talking in the car, the dialogue going, with no mention of leaving the car then all of a sudden they are in the park on a swing set swinging.  There were times when I couldn’t tell the difference between her nightmares and reality because she kept “waking up” suddenly in her bed like it was all a bad dream.  I could never tell if the action sense took place in her nightmare or in reality.  I really liked the basic story of Angel Star.  I think Jennifer Murgia could have slowed it down a bit by adding more detail to the action scenes and adding more depth to the characters. 

       Overall, this book wasn’t for me.  I didn’t really like it.  In all honesty, I only continued reading, and will probably read the sequel, Lemniscate, because of Garreth and Teagan’s relationship.  Their connection was deep, like down to the soul deep.  It was fascinating.  Jennifer Murgia’s idea was fresh and different from many of the angel books I’ve read. 

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Book Review: Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

Title: Paranormalcy

Author: Kiersten White

Series: Paranormalcy #1

ISBN: 9780061985843

Publisher: Harper Teen

Pub. Date:  August 2010

Genre: YA/Paranormal/Fantasy/Romance

Pages: H-352; P-368

Rating: 5 Kisses

Buy: Amazon | Book Depository

Extra(s): Read an Excerpt

Website: Author's 

Synopsis (from Goodreads.com):  Evie’s always thought of herself as a normal teenager, even though she works for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she’s falling for a shape-shifter, and she’s the only person who can see through paranormals’ glamours.  But Evie’s about to realize that she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.  So much for normal.

My Reveries and Ramblings:  I really enjoyed this book.  If I had to give a one word review for this book it would be AWESOME.  It was so much fun.  Kiersten White weaved together a fantastic story stuffed with action, suspense, a bit of mystery, romance, and just about everything paranormal. 

       Paranormalcy is told through Evie’s POV.  Evie grew up in the foster care system, never knowing her parents, until she was 8 years old.  That was when she was almost the victim of a vampire attack.  She freaked out in front of the vampire because she could see through his glamour to the dead corpse beneath it.  This ability caught the attention of the agent “bagging and tagging” the vampire.  No other paranormal or human can see through paranormal glamour.  Since Evie didn’t have a family, the International Paranormal Containment Agency (IPCA) adopted her.  Her mother figure, Raquel, makes sure Evie is tutored as well as trained.  At 16, she can successfully “bag-and-tag” a paranormal.  Even though the IPCA is much better than the foster care system, Evie still longs to go to a normal high school, complete with a locker and friends.  The only friend she has is a mermaid, Lish, who talks through a monotone communicator since she can’t actually speak English and lives underwater.  When a paranormal takes the shape of Raquel and starts looking through her office, Evie, who can see through his glamour, tasers him (with Tasey!).  When he drops to the ground unconscious, he turns transparent, like water, but still solid like a person.  Evie succumbs to her curiosity and starts spending time with “water boy,” Lend.  Evie has never seen a paranormal like him, neither has anyone at IPCA, and because of that (and the fact that he broke in) he is kept there.  Lend can change how he looks and can shift into other people easily.  One day is an adorable Chinese boy and the next, the star of Easton Heights, Evie’s favorite TV show.  He also enjoys shifting into Evie’s form.  Although he can’t get her eyes right.  As they spend more and more time together, Evie finds she has a crush on Lend.  Evie’s ex, Reth, doesn’t seem to want to let go.  Reth, a faerie, shows up randomly temporarily kidnapping Evie or burning her throughout the book.  Of course Lend is quite helpful during these visits, coming to her rescue, or at least trying.  Reth also doesn’t seem too concerned about the paranormals all over the world dropping dead.  In fact, he seems more concerned with spending uninterrupted time with Evie. 

       Evie was such an interesting character.  Her POV was so refreshing and so much fun.  Having grown up in the IPCA, she’s never been to a high school or had any normal human friends her own age.  She’s in her element when she’s on an assignment or inside the IPCA, but she really wants to live a normal teenage life.  After meeting Lend, she gets a taste as to what her life could have been if she wasn’t different.  After being plagued by dreams of a girl named Vivian and learning that she isn’t actually allowed to leave the ICPA, she goes through an identity crisis.  Evie learns that what you are doesn’t define who you are.  She learns that it’s the choices we make that choose our paths and who we are. 

       Lend helps Evie a lot in Paranormalcy.  While she’s going through her identity crisis, he is right there helping her figure it all out.  When Lend and Evie first officially meet, he doesn’t trust her enough to show her his true form, even though Evie and see it underneath his disguises (glamour).  He is insecure with who he is, as a paranormal.  He doesn’t know where he fits in since he’s one of a kind.  I thought he was so cute!  He was so admirable and such a great guy.  He and Evie were perfect together. They both complimented each other.  Evie could see Lend perfectly.  In fact, she even preferred his true self better than the main form he takes.  There is one scene later in the book when he shows her what he really looks like.  In it Evie thinks he is gorgeous and he is so shy about how he looks, my heart just melted.  When he spoke to her in that scene, Evie heard his real voice and told him that she didn’t think she could go back to hearing his fake voice.  It was such an intimate scene, probably one of my favorites in the whole book.   This theme of beauty on the inside is seen throughout. 

       Ah, Reth.  I’m not sure how to describe him.  He’s Evie’s ex-boyfriend (well, ex-almost-boyfriend).  Evie, who grew up feeling cold and alone, confused having a crush/like-liking someone with the faerie feeling Reth was giving her.  Reth would always fill her up with warmth, almost touching her heart.  This made Evie scared that he would steal her heart and soul after they “broke up.”  Reth has a terrible temper.  Get him mad and he might kill.  Threaten Evie, and he most definitely will.  He is extremely protective of her.  But Evie would rather never see him again.  I felt like his intentions were good, and I think he cared about Evie, but at the same time I’m not sure.  His actions were a bit on the sketchy side. 

       Paranormalcy was a delightful read.  I had a lot of fun reading it.  When Evie experienced “normal life” for the first time, it wasn’t odd or unbelievable.  Kiersten White didn’t make Evie naïve, ignorant, and gullible.  She also didn’t make her into that teenaged character who acts like she’s 25, not 16.  Evie was very much 16, but she wasn’t stupid.  Evie was very well aware of her situation and her surroundings.  It was very believable.  This skill made the story so much more engrossing.  I really cared about the characters and what happened to them.  I can’t wait until the next book, Supernaturally, comes out in August of this year (2011)!!!

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Book Review: Everlasting by Angie Frazier

Title: Everlasting

Author: Angie Frazier

Series: Everlasting #1

ISBN: 978-0545114738

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Pub. Date:  June 2010

Genre: YA/Romance/Adventure/Fantasy

Formats: Hardcover, ebook

Pages: H-336

Website: Author

Extra(s): Read an Excerpt 

Rating: 3 Kisses

Buy: Amazon | Book Depository

Synopsis (from Goodreads.com):  Sailing aboard her father’s trade ship is all seventeen-year-old Camille Rowen has ever wanted. But as a girl of society in 1855 San Francisco, her future is set: marry a man she doesn’t love, or condemn herself and her father to poverty.

On her final voyage before the wedding, the stormy arms of the Tasman Sea claim her father, and a terrible family secret is revealed. A secret intertwined with a fabled map, the mother Camille has long believed dead, and an ancient stone that wields a dangerous—and alluring—magic.

The only person Camille can depend on is Oscar, a handsome young sailor whom she is undeniably drawn to. Torn between trusting her instincts and keeping her promises to her father, Camille embarks on a perilous quest into the Australian wilderness to find the enchanted stone. As she and Oscar elude murderous bushrangers and unravel Camille’s father’s lies, they come closer to making the ultimate decision of who—and what—matters most.

Beautifully written and feverishly paced, Everlasting is an unforgettable journey of passion, secrecy, and adventure.

My Reveries and Ramblings:  Several months before Camille’s marriage, she goes on one last voyage with her father.  Just before reaching their destination in Australia, Camille discovers a secret her father has kept for 16 years-her mother did not die during childbirth and she is still alive. Before Camille can extract more information from her father, the ship goes down with her father-leaving Camille in the care of Oscar, her father’s first mate.  He agrees to go with Camille to see her mother and get the map to the stone of Umandu.  If Camille can get to the stone before her father’s rival, then she can bring her father back to life.  With the help of Ira, their Australian guide, and Monty, Oscar and Camille travel through the wild Outback.  With each day comes a bunch of near-death experiences and fast paced action scenes. 

       I wanted to love this book.  The first half of the book was a bit disappointing.  There were a few really juicy scenes that I loved, but overall, I thought it was okay.  The second half blew me away.  I found myself flipping rooting for Oscar and Camille.  I loved their relationship.  Oscar was constantly caring for Camille.  He saves her life many times throughout the book.  It’s so cute.  My absolute favorite part of the whole book was actually in the beginning when they were on the ship and the storm was bringing it down.  Camille ran on deck and was scared.  Oscar embraced her and said “My Camille” calming her and letting her know that he’d keep her safe.  It was just TOO cute.  My heart was melting!  Basically whenever Oscar opened his mouth I was melting.  He just had that effect on me.  I found Camille, while ahead of her time with her independence, quite selfish at times.  I thought choosing to marry Randall instead of pursuing her interest in Oscar, at the beginning of the novel, because her father’s business was failing was honorable of her.  However, there was one scene where I wanted to slap her.  She basically was wondering why she couldn’t marry Randall and still continue her thing with Oscar.  I mean come on!  That is so selfish.  She only decides it wouldn’t work, not because its wrong, but because she thinks Oscar wouldn’t like to be considered second best.  But I other than that I thought she was brave and had a back-bone.  I loved Ira.  He was so funny-kind of like an uncle.  He stuck with them through their journey even though he would get nothing out of it. 

       While I was disappointed with this book, I still thoroughly enjoyed it.  It was a swashbuckling adventure.  Everlasting read like a movie.  I literally could see everything very clearly in my mind, including music!  Think Pirates of the Caribbean meets Titanic.  It was great.  I liked Everlasting and will definitely be reading the next book when it comes out.  

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