The Retribution of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer #3) by Michelle Hodkin 

Publisher: Simon and Schuster 

Publication date: November 4th 2014

Mara Dyer wants to believe there's more to the lies she’s been told.

There is.

She doesn’t stop to think about where her quest for the truth might lead.

She should.

She never had to imagine how far she would go for vengeance.

She will now.

Loyalties are betrayed, guilt and innocence tangle, and fate and chance collide in this shocking conclusion to Mara Dyer’s story.

Retribution has arrived. 

-Goodreads description 

It's finally freakin' here. After months of anxious waiting, Michelle Hodkin has finally blessed us with the last installment in her best-selling series. I can unquestionably say that I have never read a series like this within the Young Adult book realm and this book is definitely an attestation to her unforgettably suspenseful writing style. Whilst it is a love story that puts quite an emphasis on romance, it doesn't feel like you're reading a romance novel. It feels authentic in its approach, combining fantasy, mystery and thrilling plot twists to keep the reader on their feet till the end.

Having read the previous book - The Evolution of Mara Dyer - quite a long time ago, I was scared that I wouldn't be able to keep up with the plot. It starts off right where the 2nd book finished off and in truth, it can be pretty confusing and disorienting to place just what is happening as you begin the book. However, if you have read the 2nd book recently, you should definitely have no problem as even I was able to get back on track after the first few chapters of this 470 thrilling page turner. 

I particularly enjoyed the first half of the book as it was really different to anything I have read not only recently but in a veeeery long time. Within YA, I feel like there is an unwritten taboo about mental instability and insanity when combined with what is seen as a romance story. However, Hodkins is not afraid to dip her toe in the water, giving the reader a sense of the darkness the lurks within Mara's mind. I also love the fact she addressed real life issues within what is really a fantasy series. Rape amongst other controversial topics were delved into which is is a very risqué move on her part. So bravo to you Hodkins. 

The second half of the book was a bit of a let down for me compared to the fast-paced action and ominous atmosphere within the first part. This was a shocker for me as the initial half was not romance-filled and lets be honest, I'm a total romance chick at heart. However, it does not impact my overall thoughts of the book being an undeniably amazing ending to the series. Once again, I really enjoyed the secondary characters within the book such as Jamie and Stella as they brought comic relief to what were the most gruesome situations. Their contribution to the story is undoubtedly evident and a big reason why I was not as mentally scarred as I was. 

One thing I have to mention though is despite the usefulness of the Mara's flashbacks throughout the book, I did NOT enjoy them as they simply did not intrigue me. Nevertheless, this is due to my personal preference and subjectivity.

To conclude, a heart-stopping finale that lives up to Hodkin's reputation.

BTW, Linked below is an awesome free excerpt of Chapter 8 from the audiobook which I received from my friends over at Audible. Thanks!
                                                              - Alana xxx

Talon (Talon #1) by Julie Kagawa 

Publisher : Harlequin teen

Publication date: October 28th 2014 

Long ago, dragons were hunted to near extinction by the Order of St. George, a legendary society of dragon slayers. Hiding in human form and growing their numbers in secret, the dragons of Talon have become strong and cunning, and they're positioned to take over the world with humans none the wiser.

Ember and Dante Hill are the only sister and brother known to dragonkind. Trained to infiltrate society, Ember wants to live the teen experience and enjoy a summer of freedom before taking her destined place in Talon. But destiny is a matter of perspective, and a rogue dragon will soon challenge everything Ember has been taught. As Ember struggles to accept her future, she and her brother are hunted by the Order of St. George.

Soldier Garret Xavier Sebastian has a mission to seek and destroy all dragons, and Talon's newest recruits in particular. But he cannot kill unless he is certain he has found his prey: and nothing is certain about Ember Hill. Faced with Ember's bravery, confidence and all-too-human desires, Garret begins to question everything that the Order has ingrained in him: and what he might be willing to give up to find the truth about dragons.

- Goodreads description

Oh, Lordy, Lord. Where to begin? What can I say Julie, you deeply disappointed me with  this book. Before going into this, I was like, this will for sure be a solid read because of course, it Julie freakin' Kagawa. I absolutely loved the Blood of Eden series and quite liked the iron fey series too. I assumed that it would probably fall into place snugly between the two but boy, was I wrong. 

One of the reasons I wanted to read this book was  because of its the ravishingly delectable  cover- I mean, just look at it-  but also because it held substantial promise in terms of plot however it fell disappointingly short. And by short, I mean like face planting before take off. There is really nothing to say about this book but that it was boring, held no interesting character development- they're freakin' dragons, for God's sakes- and it seemed to drag on and on and on and on for an infinite amount of time. 

I considered stopping when I reached about 1/4 of the way through however I really wanted to see if the book would get increasingly better as I read which it sadly didn't. Having said that, if the 2nd book were to be released, I might pick it up because its one of those series. The kind where you know it will be bad but you can't help but want to find out what happens, even though you have basically no interest in the characters themselves. Weird, I know, but I've learnt to roll with it. 

An unsatisfying start to a series which should only be read if all others options have been exhausted.

                                                                                     - Alana, xxx

Snow Like Ashes (Snow Like Ashes #1) by Sara Raasch

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Publication Date: October 14th 2014

A heartbroken girl. A fierce warrior. A hero in the making.

Sixteen years ago the Kingdom of Winter was conquered and its citizens enslaved, leaving them without magic or a monarch. Now, the Winterians’ only hope for freedom is the eight survivors who managed to escape, and who have been waiting for the opportunity to steal back Winter’s magic and rebuild the kingdom ever since.

Orphaned as an infant during Winter’s defeat, Meira has lived her whole life as a refugee, raised by the Winterians’ general, Sir. Training to be a warrior—and desperately in love with her best friend, and future king, Mather — she would do anything to help her kingdom rise to power again.

So when scouts discover the location of the ancient locket that can restore Winter’s magic, Meira decides to go after it herself. Finally, she’s scaling towers, fighting enemy soldiers, and serving her kingdom just as she’s always dreamed she would. But the mission doesn’t go as planned, and Meira soon finds herself thrust into a world of evil magic and dangerous politics – and ultimately comes to realize that her destiny is not, never has been, her own.

-Goodreads Description

Like so many of the books I've been reviewing this month, Snow Like Ashes is a book that I had been looking forward to reading for a very long time. The concept seemed unique and I could see Raasch writing being a similar kind of style as Sarah J.Maas's Throne of Glass series. This was enough of a push to get me started but the fantasy genre aspect to it really hit the nail on the head.The high-fantasy genre, as you can probably tell, has really captivated me recently and I just can seem to get enough of the captivating world-building and the action, not to mention the romance ;) So, I was excited when I was finally able to get my hands on this bad boy which I am happy to say succeeded in all the right ways. 

Despite my utter satisfaction, I will admit that this book is pretty long, 422 pages long to be exact and there was deemed to be at least some parts that felt dragging. The beginning, although advancing pretty quickly into the action stages, had some character development issues. Meira, the protagonist of the story, is a badass who can hold her own in any situation however her character can feel flat at the start. A particular peeve of mine was her constant need to state that she was meaningless and was not useful in any aspect that mattered in order to recapture their kingdom, Winter. Whilst I admire a humble attitude, the endless echoes of these thoughts were quick to get on my nerves. As the narrative progressed, I did find that this was minimized but it is something you have to deal with. Besides this tiny annoyance, I was really able to connect with her humorous charisma and her dedication to the cause. 

Whilst the summary might outline a love triangle, readers quickly realize that this is not quite so accurate.  Mather, the king of Winter, is Meira's age and has grown up with her his whole life. Little do they know, they both harbor feelings for one another. Just as they begin to recognize the potential of their mounting relationship, the group of refugees once again face threats which force them to flee. This leads her to meet Theron, a noble, intelligent and oh-so-handsome prince from a rhythm kingdom. 

Lastly, the concept of the seasons as kingdoms didn't sit with me very well at first. Not only did I view it as childish but quite dull :/ Buuuuuut, after reading the book, I can 100% assure you that it gets better with time, trust me :)

Great read with interesting characters and strong story line!
                                                                          - Alana, xxx

Exquisite Captive ( Dark Caravan Cycle #1) by Heather Demetrios

Publisher: Balzer+Bray 

Publication date: October 7th 2014

Forced to obey her master.
Compelled to help her enemy.
Determined to free herself. 

Nalia is a jinni of tremendous ancient power, the only survivor of a coup that killed nearly everyone she loved. Stuffed into a bottle and sold by a slave trader, she’s now in hiding on the dark caravan, the lucrative jinni slave trade between Arjinna and Earth, where jinn are forced to grant wishes and obey their human masters’ every command. She’d give almost anything to be free of the golden shackles that bind her to Malek, her handsome, cruel master, and his lavish Hollywood lifestyle.

Enter Raif, the enigmatic leader of Arjinna’s revolution and Nalia’s sworn enemy. He promises to free Nalia from her master so that she can return to her ravaged homeland and free her imprisoned brother—all for an unbearably high price. Nalia’s not sure she can trust him, but Raif’s her only hope of escape. With her enemies on the hunt, Earth has become more perilous than ever for Nalia. There’s just one catch: for Raif’s unbinding magic to work, Nalia must gain possession of her bottle…and convince the dangerously persuasive Malek that she truly loves him. Battling a dark past and harboring a terrible secret, Nalia soon realizes her freedom may come at a price too terrible to pay: but how far is she willing to go for it?

Inspired by Arabian Nights, EXQUISITE CAPTIVE brings to life a deliciously seductive world where a wish can be a curse and shadows are sometimes safer than the light.

-Goodreads description

Ahhh...where to start? Truly, I enjoyed this book a lot. I think that it isn't often when you come across a jinni-inspired book in YA, even in high fantasy which is partly why I decided to pick this one up on my recent trip to B&N. Having read some iffy reviews on goodreads, I had hoped for the best; the best being mediocre to acceptable. I am happy to report that it far exceeded my expectations. As I began reading, I couldn't help but feel as if the style and tone of the book mirrored something I had read before but I just couldn't... quite put my finger on it. After reading some other reviews, I came upon a reviewer who had compared it to Laini Taylor's books....YES, THIS IS EXACTLY LIKE THAT. Now, while I don't see myself rating Exquisite Captive as highly as the Daughter of Smoke and Bone series, it still lands pretty high on my list of favorite YA fantasy's of the year.

The book is written in third person and follows the story of Nalia, who is a Jinni slave on the Dark Caravan, and the only surviving Ghan Aisouri after her caste was massacred by the Ifrit. Having escaped her near death, she is brought through the portal leading to Earth where another dreadful future awaits her. She is sold as a slave to grant wishes for her master, the undeniably handsome and mysterious Malek who has some secrets of his own hiding in the dark. Nalia wants nothing else but to be free of her master so that she can return to Arjinna and save her brother, who has been imprisoned by the Ifrit. However, without her master demanding his third wish, she is bound to him for eternity. Unable to bear the thought of leaving her brother for dead, she strikes a deal with the enigmatic Raif who promises freedom in exchange for an object which could supply the revolution with an undeniable advantage and change the world for all Jinni.

*First of all, I just quickly want to say that I love that this was written in third person. Personally, I think more writers should employ this as it build suspense for the readers and keeps them more engaged *

Nalia is our strong and brave protagonist who is a Ghan Aisouri, a Jinni with access to all four of the elements. Its needless to say that she is a badass, able to hold her own against her master as well as other Jinni. However, at the same time, the reader is able to experience a vulnerability to her character as she feels like she belongs nowhere, not on Earth or in Arjinna. This softness made her all the more likable as it really helped her character develop in between her tough and harsh exterior. 

In terms of romance, I'm sad to tell you that there is a love triangle..... yep, a love triangle. The first is Malek, her cruel yet irresistible master whilst the other is Raif, the leader of the revolution. Now, while I might get some heat for this, I totally ship Malek and Nalia. Although I am aware that Malek was callous and brutal and ruthless, he never really crossed the line for me. Whilst he might have pushed her against a wall to hard and held her wrists too tight, it was never without reason as you'll discover in the book. I just can't come to hate him when I know that he is trying to make amends for behavior which isn't really his fault. Despite that, he still takes ownership of his mistakes all the while being positively charming and downright charming.  Knowing my feeling on the romance, I'm just gonna skip out on Raif. He's nice and everything but I just wasn't able to make a connection to him like I did to Malek. 

Overall, I'd give this a double thumbs up for its unique concept and romance. Definitely recommend.
                                                                          -Alana,xxx