Hello everyone! Long time no speak (my own fault for trying to relaunch my blog a month before my dissertation was due and I had to start revising for finals...) so I hope you are all well! I've got a review of a great book for you today. Do you need to escape from the stress of revision or busy lives? Then this book is perfect for you! Here's why... Title:  Slay  Author:  Kim Curran Series:   Slay, #1 Pages:   297 Publisher:  Usborne Date of Publication:  3rd May, 2018 Source:  Bought Synopsis from Goodreads: Meet SLAY – SLAY do two things and they do them well: they play killer music and they slay killer demons. When Milly, the lonely daughter of a world-famous opera singer, arrives home to discover that her mum has been taken over by something very evil, she finds herself in mortal danger. But the last people she expects to rescue her are the hottest boy band on the planet… Enter SLAY: playing kickass gigs in...

Title:  The Madness Underneath Author:  Maureen Johnson Series:   Shades of London Pages:   290 Publisher:  HarperCollins Children's Books Date of Publication:  26th February, 2013 Source:  Publisher for review* Synopsis from Goodreads: When madness stalks the streets of London, no one is safe… There's a creepy new terror haunting modern-day London. Fresh from defeating a Jack the Ripper killer, Rory must put her new-found hunting skills to the test before all hell breaks loose… But enemies are not always who you expect them to be and crazy times call for crazy solutions. My Thoughts: (This is a review of a reread, because being the terribly inconsistent blogger that I am, I never actually reviewed this when I read it the first time round. Soz about that.) So the  Shades of London series has been in my favourites ever since I first read the first book, back when it came out. In preparation for reading The Shadow...

Title:  Department 19 Author:  Will Hill Series:   Department 19, #1 Pages:   489 Publisher:  HarperCollins Children's Books Date of Publication:  1st September, 2011 Source:  Bought Synopsis from Goodreads: Jamie Carpenter's life will never be the same. His father is dead, his mother is missing, and he was just rescued by an enormous man named Frankenstein. Jamie is brought to Department 19, where he is pulled into a secret organization responsible for policing the supernatural, founded more than a century ago by Abraham Van Helsing and the other survivors of Dracula. Aided by Frankenstein's monster, a beautiful vampire girl with her own agenda, and the members of the agency, Jamie must attempt to save his mother from a terrifyingly powerful vampire. "Department 19" takes us through history, across Europe, and beyond - from the cobbled streets of Victorian London to prohibition-era New York, from the icy wastes of Arctic Russia t...

Title:  Silver Shadows  Author:  Richelle Mead Series:   Bloodlines Pages:   380 Publisher:  Penguin Date of Publication:  29th July 2014 Source:  Publisher for review* Synopsis from Goodreads: Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets—and human lives. In The Fiery Heart, Sydney risked everything to follow her gut, walking a dangerous line to keep her feelings hidden from the Alchemists. Now in the aftermath of an event that ripped their world apart, Sydney and Adrian struggle to pick up the pieces and find their way back to each other. But first, they have to survive. For Sydney, trapped and surrounded by adversaries, life becomes a daily struggle to hold on to her identity and the memories of those she loves. Meanwhile, Adrian clings to hope in the face of those who tell him Sydney is a lost cause, but th...

Title:  The Indigo Spell  Author:  Richelle Mead Series:   Bloodlines, #3 Pages:  432 Publisher:  Puffin Date of Publication: 12th February 2013 Source:  Publisher* Synopsis from Goodreads:  In the aftermath of a forbidden moment that rocked Sydney to her core, she struggles to draw the line between her Alchemist teachings and what her heart is urging her to do. Then she finally tracks down the elusive, enigmatic Marcus Finch – a former Alchemist who the organisation denies exists, and who lives in shadows, on the run. With Marcus's help, Sydney realises that the group she's been loyal to her whole life has been hiding the truth from her. Is it possible that her golden lily tattoo might have more power over her than she thinks? As she struggles to come to terms with what that might mean, Sydney is compelled to use her growing magical powers to track down an evil magic user who is targeting powerful young witches. Using magic ...

Title:  Hidden Author:  Marianne Curley Series:   Avena, #1 Pages:  325 Publisher:  Bloomsbury Children's Books Date of Publication:  14th March 2013 Source:  Publisher* Synopsis from Goodreads: For as long as Ebony can remember, she’s been sheltered. Confined to her home in a secluded valley, home-schooled by her protective parents, and limited to a small circle of close friends. It’s as if she’s being hidden. But something is changing in Ebony. Something that can’t be concealed. She’s growing more beautiful by the day, she’s freakishly strong, and then there’s the fact that she’s glowing. On one fateful night, Ebony meets Jordan and she’s intensely drawn to him. It’s as if something explodes inside of her—something that can be seen from the heavens. Ebony still doesn’t know that she’s a stolen angel, but now that the heavens have found her, they want her back. My Thoughts: I haven't read an angel book for a long time now, b...

Title:  Finale  Author:  Becca Fitzpatrick Series:  Hush, Hush #4 Pages: 454 Publisher:  Simon & Schuster Children's Books Date of Publication:  25th October 2012 Source:  Publisher* Synopsis from Goodreads: Will love conquer all? Nora and Patch thought their troubles were behind them. Hank is gone and they should be able to put his ugly vendetta to rest. But in Hank's absence, Nora has become the unwitting head of the Nephilim and must finish what Hank began. Which ultimately means destroying the fallen angels - destroying Patch. Nora will never let that happen, so she and Patch make a plan: lead everyone to believe they have broken up, and work the system from the inside. Nora will convince the Nephilim that they are making a mistake in fighting the fallen angels, and Patch will find out everything he can from the opposing side. They will end this war before it can even begin. But the best-laid plans often go awry. Nora is put t...

Title:  The Lost Prince Author:  Julie Kagawa Series:  The Call of the Forgotten, #1 Pages: 379 Publisher:  Harlequin Teen Date of Publication:  23rd October 2012 Source:  Publisher via NetGalley* Synopsis from Goodreads: Don’t look at Them. Never let Them know you can see Them. That is Ethan Chase’s unbreakable rule. Until the fey he avoids at all costs—including his reputation—begin to disappear, and Ethan is attacked. Now he must change the rules to protect his family. To save a girl he never thought he’s dare to fall for. Ethan thought he had protected himself from his older sister’s world—the land of Faery. His previous time in the Iron Realm left him with nothing but fear and disgust for the world Meghan Chase has made her home, a land of myths and talking cats, of magic and seductive enemies. But when destiny comes for Ethan, there is no escape from a danger long, long forgotten. My name is Ethan Chase. And I may not live to see m...

Title:  Poltergeeks Author:  Sean Cummings Series:  Poltergeeks, #1 Pages: 320 Publisher:  Strange Chemistry Date of Publication:  4th October 2012 Source:  Publisher event* Synopsis from Goodreads: 15-year-old Julie Richardson is about to learn that being the daughter of a witch isn't all it's cracked up to be. When she and her best friend, Marcus, witness an elderly lady jettisoned out the front door of her home, it's pretty obvious to Julie there's a supernatural connection. In fact, there's a whisper of menace behind increasing levels of poltergeist activity all over town. After a large-scale paranormal assault on Julie's high school, her mother falls victim to the spell Endless Night. Now it's a race against time to find out who is responsible or Julie won't just lose her mother's soul, she'll lose her mother's life. My Thoughts: Poltergeeks is pure fun. It was my second read from Strange Chemistry books, a new YA impr...

Title:  Alice in Zombieland  Author:  Gena Showalter Series:  White Rabbit Chronicles, #1 Pages: 404 Publisher:  MIRA Ink Date of Publication:  5th October 2012 Source:  Publisher* Synopsis from Goodreads: She won’t rest until she’s sent every walking corpse back to its grave. Forever. Had anyone told Alice Bell that her entire life would change course between one heartbeat and the next, she would have laughed. From blissful to tragic, innocent to ruined? Please. But that’s all it took. One heartbeat. A blink, a breath, a second, and everything she knew and loved was gone. Her father was right. The monsters are real…. To avenge her family, Ali must learn to fight the undead. To survive, she must learn to trust the baddest of the bad boys, Cole Holland. But Cole has secrets of his own, and if Ali isn’t careful, those secrets might just prove to be more dangerous than the zombies…. I wish I could go back and do a thousand things diffe...

Title:  Unspoken Author:  Sarah Rees Brennan Series:  The Lynburn Legacy, #1 Pages:  370 Publisher:  Simon & Schuster Children's Date of Publication:  27th September 2012 Source:  Publisher* Synopsis from Goodreads: Kami Glass loves someone she’s never met . . . a boy she’s talked to in her head ever since she was born. She wasn’t silent about her imaginary friend during her childhood, and is thus a bit of an outsider in her sleepy English town of Sorry-in-the-Vale. Still, Kami hasn’t suffered too much from not fitting in. She has a best friend, runs the school newspaper, and is only occasionally caught talking to herself. Her life is in order, just the way she likes it, despite the voice in her head. But all that changes when the Lynburns return. The Lynburn family has owned the spectacular and sinister manor that overlooks Sorry-in-the-Vale for centuries. The mysterious twin sisters who abandoned their ancestral home a generation ...

Title:  Foretold Author:  Jana Oliver Series:  The Demon Trappers, #4 Pages:   438 Publisher:  MacMillan Children's Books Date of Publication:  2nd August 2012 Source:  Publisher* Synopsis from Goodreads: Riley’s always known that Beck had a chequered history, but she’s not prepared for what it actually means to be in love with a guy with this many dark secrets. Now that he’s finally admitted to himself that he’s in love with her too, there’s no more hiding the truth about his past. And as it turns out, fending off a demon apocalypse is nothing compared to what’s to come... My Thoughts: When I first started this series, I was under the impression it was going to be a trilogy. I can't remember if that was just me assuming that it would be, or whether it originally was planned to be a trilogy and then they added a fourth book, but when I heard that said fourth book had been added, I was kind of annoyed. So many trilogies were gaining fourt...

Title:  Endlessly Author:  Kiersten White Series: Paranormalcy, #3 Pages:   385 Publisher:  HarperCollins Children's Date of Publication:  2nd August 2012 Source:  NetGalley* Synopsis from Goodreads: Evie's paranormal past keeps coming back to haunt her. A new director at the International Paranormal Containment Agency wants to drag her back to headquarters. The Dark Faerie Queen is torturing humans in her poisonous realm. And supernatural creatures keep insisting that Evie is the only one who can save them from a mysterious, perilous fate. The clock is ticking on the entire paranormal world. And its fate rests solely in Evie's hands. So much for normal. My Thoughts: When asked what my favourite books are, often some of the first books that pop into my head are the Paranormalcy series by Kiersten White. These books are AWESOME, and I couldn't wait to get my greedy little paws wrapped around my copy of Endlessly so that I could fi...

Title:  The Golden Lily Author:  Richelle Mead Series:  Bloodlines, #2 Pages:  418 Publisher:  Puffin Date of Publication:  7th June 2012 Source:  Publisher Synopsis from Goodreads: Tough, brainy alchemist Sydney Sage and doe-eyed Moroi princess Jill Dragomir are in hiding at a human boarding school in the sunny, glamorous world of Palm Springs, California. The students--children of the wealthy and powerful--carry on with their lives in blissful ignorance, while Sydney, Jill, Eddie, and Adrian must do everything in their power to keep their secret safe. But with forbidden romances, unexpected spirit bonds, and the threat of Strigoi moving ever closer, hiding the truth is harder than anyone thought. Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, Richelle Mead's breathtaking Bloodlines series explores all the friendship, romance, battles, and betrayals that made the #1 New York Times bestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive. In th...

Title:  The Immortal Rules  Author:  Julie Kagawa Series:  Blood of Eden, #1 Pages:  485 Publisher:  MIRA Ink Date of Publication:  24th April 2012 Source:  Publisher* Synopsis from Goodreads: Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten. Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them. The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked—and given the ultimate choice. Die… or become one of the monsters. Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad. Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend—a possible cure to the di...

Title:  The Alchemy of Forever  Author:  Avery Williams Series:  Incarnation, #1 Pages: 256 Publisher:  Simon & Schuster Date of Publication:  26th April 2012 Source:  Publisher* Synopsis from Goodreads: After spending six hundred years on Earth, Seraphina Ames has seen it all. Eternal life provides her with the world's riches but at a very high price: innocent lives. Centuries ago, her boyfriend, Cyrus, discovered a method of alchemy that allows them to take the bodies of other humans from jumping from one vessel to the next, ending the human's life in the process. No longer able to bear the guilt of what she's done, Sera escapes from Cyrus and vows to never kill again. Then sixteen-year old Kailey Morgan gets into a horrific car accident right in front of her, and Sera accidentally takes over her body while trying to save her. For the first time, Sera finds herself enjoying the life of the person she's inhabiting--and falling in love w...

Title:  Fins Are Forever Author:  Tera Lynn Childs Series:  Fins, #2 Pages:  298 Publisher:  Templar Date of Publication:  1st April 2012 Source:  Publisher* Synopsis from Goodreads: On Lily Sanderson’s eighteenth birthday she’ll become just a girl—still a mer girl, true, but signing the renunciation paperwork will ink Princess Waterlily of Thalassinia out of existence. That leaves plain old Lily living on land, dating the boy she loves, and trying to master this being human thing once and for all. Now that Lily and Quince are together, mer-bond or not, she’s almost content to give up her place in the royal succession of Thalassinia. But just when she thinks she has everything figured out, Lily’s father sends a certain whirlpool-stirring cousin to stay with her on land. What did Doe do to get herself exiled from Thalassinia and stuck in terraped form, when everyone knows how much she hates humans? And why why why is she batting her eyelash...

Title:  The Last Echo Author:  Kimberly Derting Series:  The Body Finder series, #3 Pages:  358 Publisher:  Headline Date of Publication:  29th March 2012 Source:  Publisher* Synopsis from Goodreads: In the end, all that’s left is an echo. Violet kept her morbid ability to sense dead bodies a secret from everyone except her family and her childhood-best-friend-turned-boyfriend, Jay Heaton. That is until forensic psychologist Sara Priest discovered Violet’s talent and invited her to use her gift to track down murderers. Now, as she works with an eclectic group of individuals—including mysterious and dangerously attractive Rafe—it’s Violet’s job to help those who have been murdered by bringing their killers to justice. When Violet discovers the body of a college girl killed by “the girlfriend collector” she is determined to solve the case. But now the serial killer is on the lookout for a new “relationship” and Violet may have caught his ...