Gale Reads: Empower [Violet Eden Chapters # 5] by Jessica Shirvington

Finally! I'm done reading the last book in the Violet Eden Chapters. It really a sort of an achievement for me whenever I finish a series because that meant I have completed the story :)

TITLE: Empower
AUTHOR: Jessica Shirvington
GENRE: Young Adult, Angels, Love Story, Paranormal
PUBLISHED DATE: November 12, 2013 
# of BOOKS IN THE SERIES: 5 titlse, this is the final installment

SYNOPSIS:
It has been two years since Violet Eden walked away from the city, her friends, her future and - most importantly - her soulmate, Lincoln. Part angel, part human, Violet is determined to stand by the promises she made to save the one she loves.
Living in the perpetual coldness of a broken soul she survives day to day as a Rogue Grigori in London.
But when an unexpected visitor shows up at her door, the news he bears about someone she swore to protect leaves Violet with no choice.
Even worse, she fears that this might all lead back to the night she tries hardest to forget. And what was taken without her permission.
Violet is going back to New York ... and she knows exactly who is going to be there.
With Phoenix in her dreams and Lincoln in her heart she knows it is only a matter of time before the final choice must be made.  


COVER TALK:
I don't want to talk & rate this anymore. The original book cover (left) is just so boring and has no appeal whatsoever. I love the other version (right, red) way way better because it has more personality :)

MY REVIEW:
I would recommend you read my review of the first 4 books before reading this post because I have given a good intro for the series in those. Just click here.

I am so so glad that the author made the character of Violet Eden mature book after book. She turned from a whiny love crazed teenager with all those angst that is so immature for someone who has a big responsibility to a wonderful mature girl who knows what she is capable to do & what she must do. She is not totally ruled by her emotions anymore & can control her feelings & actions way better. I guess it's a nice touch for the author because it showed great character development not only for Violet but also to all the other character in the story because she's not the only one who matured. 

This finale is full of action & twists that it became a page turner, which is a little unexpected because I didn't have that much high hope with the series. I loved all the fight scenes that happened. And the ending is the best for each character. I just hoped she didn't have to kill the one that I liked since it's not essential to the story. Anyhow, I really admire each scene of this book and I am now adding this series on my to-buy list for physical copies :)


OVER-ALL RATING: 4.5/5

Perfect ending for a good series. If you love books about strong women then this is for you.


OVER-ALL RATING FOR THE SERIES: 4/5

It is a good series, just not the best in the YA genre that I have read. It started slow in the first 3 books but started to pick up in book 4 & 5. I did love the concept about Gregoris & Nephilims & Angels but the premise & everything is not unique. I would have loved to see more depth to the story. But this is still a good series to read especially if you love books about angels.


Thanks for dropping by!

Gale Reads: Archangel's Storm (Guild Hunter#5) by Nalini Singh

Hello everyone! Just finished another book last night. My sister let me borrowed her iPad again so I was able to read my ebooks, yay! Thank you Mei! :)

TITLE: Archangel's Storm
AUTHOR: Nalini Singh
GENRE: Dystopian, Romance, Paranormal, Angels, Vampires
SERIES: Guild Hunter Series #5 - Jason
PLOT: (according to Goodreads)
With wings of midnight and an affinity for shadows, Jason courts darkness. But now, with the Archangel Neha’s consort lying murdered in the jewel-studded palace that was his prison and her rage threatening cataclysmic devastation, Jason steps into the light, knowing he must unearth the murderer before it is too late.

Earning Neha’s trust comes at a price—Jason must tie himself to her bloodline through the Princess Mahiya, a woman with secrets so dangerous, she trusts no one. Least of all an enemy spymaster.

With only their relentless hunt for a violent, intelligent killer to unite them, Jason and Mahiya embark on a quest that leads to a centuries-old nightmare… and to the dark storm of an unexpected passion that threatens to drench them both in blood.

COVER TALK:
There are 2 covers available for this book and I'm loving this version than the other one.

I think it looks great with all the shadows surrounding this black-winged angel. It really signified Jason through and through. I am also happy that they didn't particularly showed the angel's face in the cover so I can still create and imagine what he looks like just from the author's description.


MY REVIEW:

I am a fan of the Guild Hunter Series because it is the best among the genre of angels and vampires. It is not Biblical in any way and does not have exaggerated  information. The angels here are beings with extreme powers and capabilities and I liked it that the author didn't put any religious annotations whatsoever on them. I really don't like mixing religious information with fantasy fiction because it really ruins the story for me (like the Halo Trilogy). The vampires here are also just regular mortals that were changed/made by the angels so that they can be their immortal servants. It is also  sort of a dystopian compared to fantasy because it is set up on a different Earth where angels and vampires are roaming freely and the mortals are at the bottom of the social pyramid.

In Archangel's Storm, Jason is the lead character. He is the spymaster of the Seven -- the elite group of people that assists and protect Archangel Raphael -- and one of the most intriguing member aside from Aodhan. He is actually the second member to have had a story... Raphael being the first (you can read my review on his books here) followed by Dimitri (Archangel's Blade) the leader of the group. I am guessing either Aodhan or Venom will be the next Seven who will have a book because they were both mentioned extensively in this one :)

I really liked this book because aside from being a page-turner, it is also full of information about the "whys" when it comes to Jason. It also consists of background information about Neha and her family which can  have an impact on future Guild Hunter stories. I also enjoyed the couple of chapters showing Dimitri and Honor's story because this made the book series a lot more fluid in transition from one book to the next. We  also have glimpses of Raphael and Elena which is great. I miss reading about them and knowing how Elena is coping about her transition to becoming an angel. 

Lastly, I love the woman Nalini chose for Jason. I think Princess Mahiya is the perfect match for him because she is strong and courageous and they both share the same childhood - very dark, traumatic and full of pain -- which makes them understand each other perfectly. I really believe Nalini hit it big this time compared to Dimitri. 



Note: I can't believe I forgot to upload a Gale Reads about Dimitri's story. I will reread it again before I post a review because it was so long already since I've read that hehe :)

All my concerns before with the first 3 books are settled. I guess I just got a bad copy of the ebook that time because this one have a better version -- Italized recollection part -- so I didn't get confused like before. My only remaining concern right now are the typographical errors and few grammatical mistakes. There's a couple of them all throughout the story and I'm quite picky about that in books. I hope the proofreaders do a better job next time.

OVERALL RATING: 4.5/5

I love everything - the story, character development, conclusion -- except for the errors in writing. Those really made me off-track and I like reading flawlessly so that bothered me. Nevertheless, this is a great read and is definitely worth the wait.

I hope book 6 will come out soon! Can't wait to read more about this world Nalini Sing created :)

WILL I RECOMMEND THIS? Definitely! This series is definitely a must read to all book lovers especially those who love romance in the paranormal/dystopian genre :)

Thanks for dropping by!

Gale Reads: Endless by Jessica Shirvington

Endless is the 4th installment of the Violet Eden Chapters by Jessica Shirvington. I still haven't read any news if this series will continue with a 5th or 6th book or it will end with this one.

This book was released last month and I was able to get an ebook copy last week. I have already reviewed the first 3 in this blog..It was very detailed and I suggest you check it out first before reading this post..just click here.

TITLE: Endless
AUTHOR: Jessica Shirvington
SERIES: Violet Eden Chapter -- book 4
GENRE: love story, young adult, paranormal, angels
SYNOPSIS: (according to Goodreads)
Love will kill us all.

Angels are real. They aren't always kind. Violet Eden is certain of all this because she is Grigori - part angel, part human. She has felt the influence of both light and dark.

When Hell unleashes its worst, Violet must embrace every facet of her angel self to save the people she cares about and the world as she knows it. But death is not the worst thing that Violet will face. For her, the endless question 'Can love conquer all?' will finally be answered.

COVER TALK: 
As I've said in my previous cover talk, I am not fond of the covers on this series. The first book, Embrace, is beautiful, but the rest are not. They didn't left any impression on me at all because they look so boring. Lucky me, I read them through ebook or else I wouldn't even give these books a second glance in the bookstore and I won't be able to read it hehe.

MY THOUGHTS:
This is the final installment of the series unless the author decided to make this a 5 or 6 books saga...because I felt like it could have one more book to make it complete. Book 4 ended in a way of a cliffhanger, in some sense so I am actually hoping it will have a continuation or else I will be so disappointed. 

It definitely had answered all the questions that were raised since the first book, the author were able to wrap every conflict nicely...but it didn't have a good ending for the main characters. I felt it lacks something when I finished reading the last sentence in the book. It really made me feel like I need to pickup the next one to know what will happen next.


Endless is so much better compared to the first 3. My irritation with Violet were actually eased because in this installment, her immaturity vanished completely. She is still obsessed with her "soul mate" status with Lincoln but I understand it better now. She doesn't have a choice but to feel that way because her very soul is reaching for it and her will power can only endure so much since she is still young and have very strong senses. 

[Spoiler alert] If you don't want to know any details about the story, please feel free to stop reading until here and just come back after you finished reading Endless :)

I also loved the fact that Violet and Phoenix were able to talk everything out and sort their feelings for each other. He was also able to elevate his status which is a great ending for him in some way. I just wish he can forget his love for Violet so that he won't hurt anymore.

Also, I really hated the fact that Violet needed to go away and leave Lincoln after she brought him back. I don't get it why after all the trials they endured together, they won't be able to stay as a couple. They love each other so much but they always get hurt because of it. I really hope this is not a tragedy like Romeo and Juliet coz I hate those kinds of stories. And hopefully, this will still have a book 5 at least to finish Violet's story.



OVER-ALL RATING: 4/5

It is a good book for the series but I don't think it should be the final installment. The story of Violet Eden needed a lot more telling, IMO :)

Thanks for dropping by!

Gale Reads: The Violet Eden Chapters Book1-3

Hello everyone! I'm back with another book review and this time it is an ongoing series by Jessica Shirvington called The Embrace Saga or The Violet Eden Chapters.

The series currently have 3 books released and the fourth is gonna come out on September 2012 which will be titled Endless. According to the author, she is still not sure whether she would still push with a 5th and 6th book or stick with a 4 books saga.

Genre: Young Adult, Love Story, Paranormal (Angels)

Author: Jessica Shirvington

Status of the series: On-going

Synopsis:

Violet Eden is a regular teenager who loves art and coffee, or so she thoughts. She started experiencing changes in her life when she reached 17 and was given a gift by her dead mom. She learned that she is a warrior, a Grigori (half human - half angel), and that her mother was the one who placed her in that situation before she died. 

The story evolves around her adventure into becoming one of the strongest Grigori and also her struggle in keeping her human life intact.

COVER TALK:
Sorry guys for forgetting to post this past...I hope you can still read this now.

I am not a fan of the covers, well, except for Embrace (#1) which is perfect for me because I love the hint of violet wings at her back. It were able to portray what the story is about but it doesn't have an all-out-on-your-face angel image on the cover to say this is about angels.

Personally, I am not fond of books with real persons on the covers because it destroys the image of the character that my mind conjured up. I prefer to imagine what the characters look like and I know fellow book lovers will agree with me on that. Nothing beats your imagination ^_^

With that said, I am giving this series 2/5 for the covers. Sorry, Jessica, they are just boring and not what up to what I like personally.

MY REVIEW:

I really was excited to read this series because it involves angels and it is set in the present. I have this fascination with angel stories since I was in high school but I have a hard time finding good ones. I think what intrigued me in this story is that it revolves a girl who is caught up in between the battles of Grigori and Exiles and she needed to fight in order to survive.. and it is not the typical story of a girl who have fallen in love with a fallen angel.

The first book intrigued me coz I didn't know who she will end up with at all. Unlike other angel books I've read lately, the love triangle in this series is set up quite beautifully and not forced. There's both pull and push for each of the guy and it makes you wonder who is better. Even after the 3rd book, you don't clearly know who she will end up with but you are 100% sure who she really loves with all her heart. I liked Phoenix (the gorgeous angel) compared to Lincoln (her Grigori partner) but that's just my personal preference hehe ^_^

I also want to commend the author because you can really see that she put a lot of effort in researching. The plot even though it is fictional have revolved to a lot of mythology, fables, religious beliefs, folklores etc. She was able to connect everything without making it too preachy and religious. I really liked it whenever she incorporates happenings from old beliefs and stories. For a first book, she really did a good job.

So to summarize, here are the things that I love in this series so far:

- Unique take on the concept of angels (both fallen and not)

- The love triangle is not forced and clear cut like other YA books

- It is full of mythology, fables, and old traditional stories that is well connected (fictionally)

- The main characters have their own strengths and weaknesses that we can relate to

- I love how the author showed what Phoenix feels and thinks even if it's just one chapter.

Note: There might be spoilers in this part so beware and proceed with caution

Now, for the negative areas on this books. If you want to read this because of the action and battle scenes, and also because you love a strong heroine, then you are gonna be disappointed like me. I think it is my mistake of comparing Violet Eden to Rose Hathaway of Vampire Academy or to Kate Daniels of Magic Bites. I thought she is gonna be a strong willed woman and ready to fight for those people she cared about but I was wrong. 

Violet Eden is one hell of a conflicted chick. She have all the power she needs, all the means to improve physically, all the guidance a newbie can have but what does she do? She moped and moped that life isn't fair, that she doesn't want to be special and powerful, and that she hates her mom for putting her in that situation. BUT  whenever there's an enemy and they threatened her love ones she wants to kick ass...well, maybe I just hated the fact that she doesn't do anything to improve her knowledge and skills to make her judgements better and that she can't decide whether to embrace her Grigori self or leave it to become normal. I personally thinks she is just too immature.

Aside from being a whiny teenager, she was also always preoccupied with her intense attraction to the man of her life that it makes me so bored to be in her head. I hate whiny love struck teenager that even in the most crucial of times (as in you're gonna die tomorrow scene), she still thinks of how hot and sexy he is and that he makes her feel all gooey inside when he's near. Come on, there's always time for everything, right?

To summarize the things I hated in this series:

- I hate Violet whenever she becomes a whiny love crazed teenager that keeps on "drooling" whenever the guy she likes is near.

- I can't be sure if she is self sacrificing or suicidal.

- It is hard to know the story through the eyes of the lead character when she is always near death or swooning with sexual tension.

- There's lack of fighting scenes to make me entertained.

OVER-ALL RATING for the 3 books: 3/5

I love the way it was written and how the author incorporated all these folklores seamlessly and how she gave life to all the characters around Violet. I just hoped she did not make this story about a love crazed teenager who can't mature fast enough.

WILL I CONTINUE TO READ THE NEXT BOOK/s? Yes. I am hoping that Endless would bring my opinion up about this book and that it would give a proper closure to everything. I'm really crossing my fingers for that.

RECOMMENDED TO:

- Those who like paranormal, young adult books especially angels.

- Those who like love stories with Romeo & Juliet twist

- Those who want to read a well connected folklores and mythology :)

Thank you so much for dropping by and reading my long review. I hope you guys find this helpful. I still recommend you tried the series for yourself coz to each his own and you might like these kinds of stories.

XOXO,

Gale Reads: Halo by Alexandra Adornetto

As I've mentioned this morning, I will do a review of the book Halo by Alexandra Adornetto which I was able to finish reading last night.

Alexandra Adornetto started writing when she was still a teenager. She wrote Halo in 2010 when she was only 18 years old. You can read her bio here.

Halo is the first book in the Halo Trilogy. As I've said, it was released in 2010 and was followed by Hades in 2011 and the last part Heaven is scheduled to be released this year.

I chose to read this book because (1) I got attracted with the cover and (2) it is about angels. If I will grade this book by the cover alone, I will give it 100%. I love love love it! It's so perfect ^_^

Since I was a teenager, I love reading and watching stories about angels...regardless if they were fallen or not. I read some reviews online before and it seems to have quite a follower so I pushed through and read it.

The story is set in a small town called Venus Cove. Three angels (the archangel Gabriel and Ivy and Bethany) were sent there to keep the peace in the community and counteract the evil forces that are wrecking havoc there. The problem arised when the youngest angel, Bethany, was sent to high school and fell in love with a human boy named Xavier Woods.

My Verdict:

So, okay, I don't really know what to say. I think it's actually my fault because I have quite a big expectation for it and it did not meet that. The idea of the story is great but the execution is not. I hated every moment that Beth comes into the scene which is ridiculous because 95% of the book is through her perspective. I hated her dumbness the most. Where can you find an angel that lacks so much wisdom and commonsense? I hated her damsel-in-distress act and her self-centered view on things too. To tell you guys honestly, I hated everything about her, period.

I guess the author being a teenager can only give so much when it comes to expressing things. And of course, because she was living the experience of a high school student at the time she wrote the book, the events and also the point of view will be more realistic on what a senior high school student thinks. I don't know, really, I'm speechless because I'm so disappointed.

The only thing I like about Halo aside from the book cover are Xavier Woods and the 2 other angels. That's it. And since this is a trilogy, I will stop here and not read the other 2 anymore. I'm so happy that I read this as an ebook and I did not pay for this.

OVER-ALL RATING: 1.5/5. If not for the cover and story line, I would give this a lower score.

WILL YOU RECOMMEND THIS? No. This is such a waste of time. There are a lot better Young Adult books out there like Clarity and Iron Fey.

But if you're still a teenager, maybe around 10-16 years old, you probably will enjoy this because the way it was written and how the story was told is through the eyes of a teenager so you'll probably be able to relate with her.

Thank you for dropping by! ^_^

Gale Read: Guild Hunter Series by Nalini Singh

My first ever "Gale Reads" will be about Nalini Singh's Guild Hunter Series. I have finished four books from the series and I am not sure exactly on how many are there but I will do a review on the first 3 first because it follows the same characters and it is like one story divided into 3 parts.

Summary:

The first three books of the Guild Hunter Series follows the life of a vampire hunter named Elena Deveraux and how she lived in a world where vampires, angels and humans live together.

Archangels are the rulers, regular angels are members of the high society, vampires are workers/slaves of the angels and guild hunters are the human authories that handles problems with vampires when they decided to escape their owners and create havoc in the human populace.

The story started when Elena was given a mission by the great Archangel Raphael that she cannot resist. It's a do-or-die situation that created a lot of conflicts between the two main character.

My opinion:

The concept itself is so unique for me. This is my first book about angels and it is also my first encounter with a story having angels, vampires and humans interacting together. I am always in awe with angels..I love collecting figurines and such but I have never tried reading a story about them. So when my BF's sister lended me her copy of Angel's Blood, I did not hesitate to read it.

I read the other 2 in ebook form because I can't wait to borrow again. I was hooked in the story and I wanted to know what happened to the main characters as soon as I finished the first book.

Did I love it? Yes, I did! And here are the reasons why I definitely enjoyed reading it.

- Elena is not a damsel-in-distress character. I love stories with the female heroine as a fearless and skilled warrior and that they don't need protection that much from the men. (Think Tomb Raider's Angelina Jolie. )

- The author created a wonderful backdrop for the 2 lead characters. I was able to imagine the scenery especially how the city looked like.

- I love the author's way of describing each character. She stated it with so much detail that I can really see what the wings of the angels look like...the colors, the length, everything. Even the description of the guild hunters and vampires are detailed so it's like watching a movie.

- The love story between Raphael and Elena is so beautiful and unique. It made me want to fall in love with an angel and be as strong as Elena. Full of love, passion, loyalty and magic.

- The ending is wrapped up in a way that there are no loop holes and everything was well explained.

I could have given this series a perfect score but I have a gripe... that I did not like in the books.

I got a little confused with all the recollection parts...the transition, I mean. One moment Elena and Raphael are talking then the next paragraph will be in another story line which turned out Elena is thinking about an old memory. I just hope there is a distinguishing characteristic to show that it is a recolection and not part of the actual scene. They could have made it in italized form or something as to not confuse the reader..

Aside from the transition, everything is okay for me. This book is really a page-turner and so entertaining especially for readers who are into paranormal romance.

RATINGS:

Book Cover - 5/5 - I love old style book cover and it really captured what I had imagined Elena would look like. It also showed the transition of the story from book 1 to 3.

Story - 5/5 - I love it! Very entertaining and really a page turner. I wish they can show more of Rapahel and Elena on the next few books in this series.

Writing Style - 4/5 - Like I said, I hope she can fix the transition of actual and recollection.

Would I recomend reading this? YES! This is really a good series and I enjoyed every moment I was inside that realm. I am definitely buying my own copy to include in my collection.

I would recommend this book to readers who love:

- angels and vampires

- a strong heroine

- lots of fighting scenes

- a good romantic story with a happy ending

- readers 16 years old and above

So, guys, what's your favorite books about angels? Share them in the comment box below so I can read them too!

Thank you for dropping by. Till my next post. Bye! ^_^