Escape with Undeadly

Undeadly

By: Michele Vail

The Goodreads Blurb: Molly Bartolucci wants to blend in, date hottie Rick and keep her zombie-raising abilities on the down-low. Then the god Anubis chooses her to become a reaper—and she accidentally undoes the work of another reaper, Rath. Within days, she's shipped off to the Nekyia Academy, an elite boarding school that trains the best necromancers in the world. And her personal reaping tutor? Rath.  Life at Nekyia has its plusses. Molly has her own personal ghoul, for one. Rick follows her there out of the blue, for another...except, there's something a little off about him. When students at the academy start to die and Rath disappears, Molly starts to wonder if anything is as it seems. Only one thing is certain—-Molly's got an undeadly knack for finding trouble...

Undeadly was a book I bought on a day I was feeling low. The premise seemed like it had so much promise. I love mythology and was excited by the idea of modernized Egyptian mythology. So I went into the book with a lot of excitement and found it to be a disappointment.
Undeadly had two major flaws. The first was the plot. The plot was confusing. The book throws you into a world of necromancy with explanations and new facts emerging in an order that had me stumbling to catch up. It also included sub-plots that were hard to follow or understand. I felt like the book included useless aspects as well as wandering plot lines.
The second major flaw was the characters. Molly Bartolucci was the most annoying character! I couldn't connect with her and often she just grated on my nerves. I often felt she behaved much younger and immaturely than any sixteen year olds I have been around. I 
I was excited by the idea of a necromancy boarding school, but was left frustrated and was let down. I know that some maybe can overlook these issues, or may disagree that they exist.While I'm not going to read Undeadly again I understand that some people really enjoyed it.
Check out Undeadly on Goodreads or Amazon.

Escape with the Scent of a Soul

The Scent of a Soul

By: Jennifer Thompson

The Goodreads Blurb: Fleeing her recent past, Lilliah Woods finds refuge in the anonymity of the present day inner-city slums. As she settles into the seedy apartment she must now call home, she meets mysterious Marek Jamison when he materializes in her doorway demanding to know who she is. From that moment, he becomes a guardian and guide as she gradually discovers his hidden world. As their relationship develops, Lilliah learns of Marek's dark past and of a brothers' quarrel he has been embroiled in for years. The quarrel turns into a larger battle of good and evil, liberty versus tyranny, and the separation of love and lust. With Lilliah as the ultimate prize, the deadly conflict reaches out to threaten her family, and the outcome of the final battle will determine her fate. Lilliah must embark on an unexpected path that teaches her to trust in the man she has come to love, and give of herself as she never thought she could...


When I first heard the title I was a little thrown, but after reading the book I felt it really fit the novel. I was grateful that Jennifer Thompson gave me the chance to read her novel. I could tell a lot of time went into this work and it really was a success.
The novel is very long, at 57 chapters and 464 pages, but I don't feel like anything could have been left out. I read it in one day because the action makes it difficult to put down! I was frustrated every time I had to stop reading. I also felt like I got way more of a story. It builds up multiple characters and develops the major ones very strongly. I felt like it gives you more then most novels and this may come from the length or from the writing.
Lilliah is a strong female lead who I really admired and connected with. She values her family, sticks to her values, and knows how to take care of herself. But I also like that she can accept help and isn't too proud either. I think that she was a driving force for me in this book, because I liked her reactions and personality.
I love the relationship she develops with Marek. I felt the pacing for relationships and actions were well-done. I know for me I couldn't help but drool over some of the descriptions of Marek and go "I want one!". I also appreciated that this was a clean romance, since I always prefer not having to read that sort of thing.
I think all fans of paranormal romance will enjoy this read. It keeps your attention and is worth a chance. I know she is writing a continuation of two of the side characters stories called The Sound of a Silent Heart and I plan to read it when it comes out!
Check out The Scent of a Soul on Goodreads and Amazon.

BTT #2

Welcome to another Booking through Thursday question! This week it is:

What’s the last book that made you spring to your feet, eager to spread the word and tell everyone how much you enjoyed it?

My first thought was Evren by Marian Tee. It was free on Kindle one day so I downloaded it, but didn't read it for several months afterword. But when I started reading it I devoured it!

Goodreads blurb: Sixteen-year-old Deli Winters wakes up, dying. A voice asks her if she wants help, no matter the cost, and she agrees. The next thing she knows, a monster is bathing her in fire. She has become Evren: immortals with dragons for souls. Deli is pretty, bubbly, and stubbornly optimistic. She’s not what anyone would think the ideal girlfriend would be for someone like Lucian Chevalier, her gorgeous, aloof, and perpetually busy savior. But Deli is in love with him and in between dodging the traps of Sanger High’s Queen Bee and working hard at becoming an ass-kicking Evren warrior chick to avenge her parents’ murders, Deli is determined to win Lucian’s heart…whether he likes it or not.

It is an amazing young adult book with magic and dragons! It has mystery/intrigue as well as romance. I feel in love with Lucian and while Deli got annoying, she is so innocent it makes her appealing. I think that it was an exciting read because it was so original. It had so many ideas I had not experienced in other books so that made it even more appealing. And it could have gone graphic, but it didn't which is my preference.

LJ

Escape with Obsidian

Obsidian

By: Jennifer L. Armentrout

With a 4.38 out of 5 on goodreads and one of my favorite tags (love/hate relationship) I knew that Obsidian was a paranormal romance I didn't want to miss. But it still sat on my to-read shelf for awhile until I finally bought it for my Kindle. And as the 4/5 star rating suggests I am happy with my purchase! If you want a paranormal romance with a heroine who isn't a pathetic wait-to-be-rescued kinda girl with a thing for bad boys your going to enjoy Obsidian.

The Goodreads blurb: Starting over sucks. When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I'd pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring.... until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up. And then he opened his mouth. Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something...unexpected happens. The hot alien living next door marks me. You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon's touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I'm getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades. If I don't kill him first, that is.

Katy has not lead an easy life and moving to nowhere in West Virginia her senior year turns out to be just the beginning of another chapter of difficulties. But I like that she is her own person. She gets passionate about the things she loves, is beyond loyal, and sticks up for herself. Daemon is the handsome boy next door. He is a devoted brother which is appealing as well. But in reality he behaves like a total douche. Especially to Katy. But his redeeming qualities do make him attractive. And as the plot continues you fall for his charms.

Beyond the awesome character and the plot that moves just slow enough to build tension and seem realistic in its relationships the kindle edition had some fun extras. I loved reading the two scenes from the point of view of Daemon. And it has a teaser for the next book. Which I'm planning on getting. Eventually. This book could be a great stand alone, but it also leaves enough open for you to want to read the next one.

Check out Obsidian on Goodreads or Amazon.