Fall of Ruin and Wrath by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Synopsis (via Goodreads): SHE LIVES BY HER INTUITION. HE FEEDS ON HER PLEASURE.

Long ago, the world was destroyed by gods. Only nine cities were spared. Separated by vast wilderness teeming with monsters and unimaginable dangers, each city is now ruled by a guardian―royalty who feed on mortal pleasure.

Born with an intuition that never fails, Calista knows her talents are of great value to the power-hungry of the world, so she lives hidden as a courtesan of the Baron of Archwood. In exchange for his protection, she grants him information.

When her intuition leads her to save a traveling prince in dire trouble, the voice inside her blazes with warning―and promise. Today he’ll bring her joy. One day he'll be her doom.

When the Baron takes an interest in the traveling prince and the prince takes an interest in Calista, she becomes the prince’s temporary companion. But the city simmers with rebellion, and with knights and monsters at her city gates and a hungry prince in her bed, intuition may not be enough to keep her safe.

Calista must follow her intuition to safety or follow her heart to her downfall.

I finished Fall of Ruin and Wrath in less than twenty-four hours, and I'm still thinking about it a week later. Talk about a book hangover! I just wish there had been more worldbuilding and that it hadn't ended on a massive cliffhanger. I'm going to have to wait an eternity to find out what happens next. 

I think I liked this one so much because of the similarities to ACOTAR, but they weren't overly obvious. There are mental shields, a very big stay-with-the-High-Lord vibe, and some questionable word choices. This book has Starborn, which is similar to SJM's Crescent City series. The elite class is also known as Hyhborn (very cold and unfeeling, ancient and powerful), while ACOTAR has Hybern. These are easily overlooked, but I can see where it would be problematic to some, especially as more details and descriptions are revealed. 

Calista is the main character, but I really wish we'd seen more of Grady and Naomi. I think there's a lot of potential for secondary character growth that we just didn't see in this one. Additionally, Thorne has his own cabal of friends (also similar to Cas and Az from ACOTAR) that I wish we'd seen more of. I think the book was too focused on Calista and we miss out on seeing so much more of the world JLA has created. 

I also wasn't fond of some of the language used. It was a direct contrast to the world and time period depicted. Everything felt fantastical, but the modern day language and expressions were distracting. It would take me out of the moment, which is never ideal. The book also has no business being this large. The spacing and the size of the font were a bit excessive - a lot of wasted space per page. If condensed to reflect what a normal book looks like, it would probably be a quarter of the size. 

However, despite the issues I found with Fall of Ruin and Wrath (a title I'm still not sure accurately reflects the book), I really enjoyed it. It's been a while since I devoured a book so quickly. I wanted to know about Thorne and his background. I wanted to see more of the world JLA created. Unfortunately, we don't really get a lot of information and explanations. A lot is alluded to, but I have a feeling it's being saved for book two. All of the questions formed during this book... hardly any are answered. 

I do think this one needs some more fine-tuning before it's published (spelling, grammar, inconsistencies out the wazoo), but the book as a whole is a gem. I'm looking forward to seeing how the next book addresses a lot of the issues in this one. Also, it would be nice if things felt a little less rushed... the pacing was weird in certain parts. 

The one FF scene was short-lived and too subtle. I would have enjoyed some flashbacks of certain people engaging in activities together. The dinner table scene was unbelievably hot (more of that please and thank you). The slow build and tension were there, although I think maybe seeing things from Thorne's perspective would have helped. It doesn't have to necessarily be duel POV, but maybe a chapter here or there that helped us see inside of his head. (★★★⋆☆)

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes used in this review are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

Unchained (Nephilim Rising, #1) by J. Lynn, Jennifer L. Armentrout

Synopsis (via Goodreads): Between the pissed off creatures that want demon-hunter Lily Marks dead and the fallen angel who just...wants her, Lily is about ready to trade in forever for a comfy job in a cubicle farm.

The fact that she and Julian are civil to one another is enough to have her thrown out of the Sanctuary, but she can't shake her not-so-angelic stalker or how he brings her dangerously close to ecstasy.

Her forbidden relationship with Julian provides the perfect fuel for suspicion when a traitor is discovered to be working within the Sanctuary. Lily quickly finds herself hunted by well, everyone.

Her only hope is to discover the real traitor before she loses everything--and she'll need Julian's help. That is, if Julian is really there to help her...and not destroy her.

Yeah, being a Nephilim isn't everything it's cracked up to be.

𑁋

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

I read Unchained knowing it was written in 2013, and that it's the first book in an unfinished series, but I was willing to look past that for JLA. Unfortunately, this book didn't work for me. I might have enjoyed it more before reading Storm and Fury, but Unchained and Storm and Fury had very similar stories. Storm and Fury was just a shiny new version of Unchained, and that left a sour taste in my mouth. 

Both books are about Nephilim and demons, and they include the same archangel's offspring. Clearly, this one angel cannot keep it in his pants, and keeps fathering children that will change the fate of the world. Other similarities were the celestial shields, the main characters, and the plot. Trinity (Storm and Fury) and Lily (Unchained) were both raised and trained to be badass fighters of evil. Their circumstances varied slightly, but they had very similar personalities. Also, they're both betrayed in exactly the same way. It was disappointing how obvious everything was, especially the traitor. 

The sexual content was one of the few differences. Storm and Fury had dry-humping, and Unchained had kinky, rough sex. I don't mind sex in books, but Lily's relationship with Julian made me uncomfortable. He freely admits to stalking her for eight years, and she's mostly okay with that. Yes, he's saved her life a few times, but he also doesn't listen when she tells him to stop following her. At the start of this book, Julian is trying to put his hands up her skirt, and continues even when she very clearly says no. Twice. He just keeps chugging along because he thinks her body is saying something different. It was gross. 

Speaking of Julian, I feel like he was only there to save and screw. If Lily was in over her head, Julian was there to keep her safe. If Lily was alone, he was there to boink. They grind like two sticks trying to start a fire, but it quickly escalated into more. I wish we had seen more character development with Julian, and been told more about his past. Instead, he's evasive and secretive, until the last few chapters. We still don't know everything, only what caused him to fall from Heaven. 

Honestly, aside from Lily, there was very little secondary character development. Some of the book was told from Michael's perspective, but he doesn't really add a lot to the story. He's was crucial component, but I feel like I know nothing about him. Lily drops some big news about his mom, but that's not really addressed again.

There were a lot of inconsistencies in this book as well. I stopped writing them down after awhile. A few examples... 1) Lily, Luke and Remy knew one of the characters was a Nephilim because he shocked them whenever they touched him. "Luke shot back as if jolted—a fine zap of electricity that fired when coming into contact with another Nephilim." However, Luke pats Lily on the head and nothing happens. Lily holds Luke's hand and nothing happens. The Nephilim train together all the time and nothing happens. Lily rubs one out with another Nephilim and nothing happens. "Wincing at the thought of the beautiful Nephilim Luke had most definitely loved, she patted his heavily muscled arm." If they always shocked each other, they shouldn't have been able to touch, like, ever. 2) Lily knew what Michael's name was, and then she didn't. 

Random question: Does anyone know what it means to on "on a nut-jump killing spree"?

Lily's in her mid-twenties, but doesn't act her age. Her personality leaves a lot to be desired, and most of what happened throughout the book was just too unbelievable for me. After a funeral, Lily walks away and immediately gropes someone else, and I feel like she should have mourned her loss a little before trying to get her rocks off. 

I hate to say it, but I think I'm starting to outgrow Jennifer L. Armentrout. I really loved the Lux series, and some of her contemporaries, but lately her books have felt off. They're just not clicking for me liked they have in the past, and it's a bummer. I really didn't like how much this one resembled Storm and Fury, even though I know it's probably just a coincidence.

Storm and Fury (The Harbinger, #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Synopsis (via Goodreads): Eighteen-year-old Trinity Marrow may be going blind, but she can see and communicate with ghosts and spirits. Her unique gift is part of a secret so dangerous that she’s been in hiding for years in an isolated compound fiercely guarded by Wardens—gargoyle shape-shifters who protect humankind from demons. If the demons discover the truth about Trinity, they’ll devour her, flesh and bone, to enhance their own powers.

When Wardens from another clan arrive with disturbing reports that something out there is killing both demons and Wardens, Trinity’s safe world implodes. Not the least because one of the outsiders is the most annoying and fascinating person she’s ever met. Zayne has secrets of his own that will upend her world yet again—but working together becomes imperative once demons breach the compound and Trinity’s secret comes to light. To save her family and maybe the world, she’ll have to put her trust in Zayne. But all bets are off as a supernatural war is unleashed...

𑁋

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

I was so, so excited when I stumbled across Storm and Fury by JLA. I've really enjoyed her books in the past, and this one was no different. However, after reflecting on the story and my feelings, my initial rating of four stars dropped down to a three. I don't do half-star ratings, but if I did, this one would be a solid 3.5. 

Okay, so to start... the dry-humping. I don't like it when a character is overly concerned with someone's virginity. Trinity mentions that it wouldn't have been a big deal, because she'd assumed Zayne had been with other people before, but she liked him more when she discovered he was still unfucked. I don't think that should matter, if you really want to be with someone. It's fine when people want to be handsy and take things slow, but they had no intention of taking things slow. They simply wanted to swim without diving into the deep end. Really, that's fine, but it was weird to read about. Honestly, at one point I thought they'd decided to just go ahead and do it, but no, it was just excessive grinding in all the right places. I think it would have been more realistic for them to just boink.

Secondly, Trinity is a really confident character, but she puts herself down a lot. She thinks she looks like a bug being squeezed whenever she's surprised and her eyes get large (something that's mentioned more than once). She claims her friend looks like a goddess while she looks like a dirty dryad, and it was frustrating to read about. I wish she'd been happier with herself and her appearance. 

Thirdly, there's a lot of repeated information, but that could change before this is published. Trinity would look at the stars and claim she could only see four, but then she would close one eye and see three (she does this a few times). Also, Trinity is 18 and Zayne is in his twenties, but the language didn't reflect that. 

A few examples:

1. "That was utter crazy pants with a side of dangerous sauce."
2. "...that flipped my bitch switch into power on like a mofo mode."
3. "Holy crap on a cracker the size of Texas..."

Additionally, Trinity's blood is supposed to attract demons, and the clan has gone to great lengths to make sure that doesn't happen. However, she's an adult female, so she's going to have a monthly period. What do they do then? It's not like they can stop that from happening. No one mentioned monthly demon attacks, and very few people know what she is, so I'm assuming that detail was overlooked. But then... "I bit down on my lip until I tasted blood..." Why would she do that knowing it would bring a horde of crazy demons to her location? At least, that's what I assumed would happen since her blood has been such a big issue from the start (nothing actually happened). Yes, she could have been on birth control, but that wasn't mentioned, and swallowing the blood from her lip may have negated the effects, but it wasn't clarified. 

Everything surrounding Misha was anticlimactic. I was expecting something... more from the story. It's hard to elaborate on without being spoilery, but I was disappointed with how certain issues where resolved. 

Gargoyles! Storm and Fury is about gargoyles! Did anyone else watch that 80's cartoon? I really liked JLA's spin on them, and how they were actually living creatures made to fight demons. The angels and demons trope isn't usually my thing, but this was mostly about gargoyles and demons with a dash of angels. Of course, all of the gargoyles are sinfully attractive, but it was interesting that they could shift forms whenever they wanted to. I think they all had red hair, but I don't know if that was intentional. Wait... maybe Zayne was blond... hmm.

The book mainly focuses on Trinity, and there aren't any secondary characters worth mentioning, besides Zayne the love interest and Misha the best friend. I wish Zayne had been more honest with his feelings and whatnot from the start, but he isn't, which causes a lot of unnecessary drama between the two. I did like him as a character, and thought he had an interesting backstory, but wish that had been elaborated on. 

Roth was awesome, and I loved his familiars, but he's just there in the background to help the story along. Someone else mentioned that he was in another series, but I haven't read it. Maybe I would have felt differently if I had?

I'm curious what's out there killing both Wardens (the gargoyles) and demons, and what role Trinity is supposed to play. She and Zayne have a complicated relationship, which only gets worse as the story progresses. I hate that they fought their feelings the entire book, briefly gave in to what appeared to be a glorious grinding session, and then went back to not touching one another (because of his perceived feelings and the fact that it's maybe forbidden). 

It was an enjoyable read overall, and I read it in a single day, but it was also ugh. I was so frustrated with the characters and how they handled their feelings, but also with how disappointing the ending was. At the end JLA mentions that she shares the same degenerative eye disease that Trinity has. It was interesting to read about something the author similarly struggles with. I cannot imagine what it would feel like to have limited eyesight, and to know that one day you might lose it altogether. 

Storm and Fury wasn't the epic adventure I was expecting, but I did have a lot of fun with the story.

2018 End of the Year Giveaway!

Hello lovelies! I just wanted to say thank you for visiting and commenting on this blog! I really enjoy seeing your thoughts and love it when they turn into discussions. The book blogging community is so unbelievably supportive and understanding, and I'm lucky to be a part of it!

I decided to celebrate the end of the year with a giveaway! December is zooming by, and I've barely had time to breathe. We're also in the middle of a move, so my life is pretty insane right now. I loathe packing boxes, but I love finding new places for everything! Fingers crossed everything is sorted out by the beginning of the year! Apologies for my absence as well! 

Last month I went to The Origin Event that was hosted by Jennifer L. Armentrout, so both The Darkest Star and the book sleeve were autographed by JLA (she really is a beautiful person)! The book sleeve was made specifically for this book's release, so I was happy they still had a few when I arrived!

Good luck everyone!

The Darkest Star (Origin, #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout -- signed

The Darkest Star book sleeve -- signed

Watch You Burn by Amanda Searcy

My Almost Flawless Tokyo Dream Life by Rachel Cohn (12/18)

Words We Don't Say by K.J. Reilly

Me and Me by Alice Kuipers

Bring Me Back by B.A. Paris -- ARC

Not pictured: swag from The Origin Event

Rules:

This giveaway officially starts on December 14th and ends on December 29th. The winner will be announced on December 30th on this post within the Rafflecopter form, and also notified via email. The winner will have 48 hours to respond or I will have Rafflecopter select another winner (read my full giveaway policy here).

International friends -- your giveaway will be a little different! Instead the books mentioned above, you can choose one book (up to $15) from The Book Depository! Just make sure they ship to you, which can check here. I know it's not the same thing, but I didn't want to leave anyone out!

If the first winner is international, a second winner will be chosen for the books listed above.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Problem with Forever by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Narrated by Amy Landon

Synopsis (via Goodreads): A story about friendship, survival and finding your voice.

Growing up, Mallory Dodge learned that the best way to survive was to say nothing. And even though it's been four years since her nightmare ended, she's beginning to worry that the fear that holds her back will last a lifetime. Now, after years of homeschooling, Mallory must face a new milestone—spending her senior year at a public high school. But she never imagined she'd run into Rider Stark, the friend and protector she hasn't seen since childhood, on her very first day.

It doesn't take long for Mallory to realize that the connection she shared with Rider never really faded. Yet soon it becomes apparent that she's not the only one grappling with lingering scars from the past. And as she watches Rider's life spiral out of control, Mallory must make a choice between staying silent and speaking out—for the people she loves, the life she wants and the truths that need to be heard.

“The past never went away and it was not designed to do so. It would always be there, and it should be acknowledged.”

I want to start off by saying Amy Landon rocked as a narrator. Mallory has trouble speaking, and I could really feel it through Landon's words. She would pause often and struggled to voice Mallory's thoughts and feelings. I think that really honored the character Armentrout created. Mallory has a lot of issues in the beginning, but as the story progresses, we hear her speech improve as her confidence grows. Amazing job by all!

My husband and I have friends that started an adoption process when their son was still a baby, but because of all the technicalities and paperwork... he was almost four before he was able to come home with them. Books like this, that show the scary and terrible side of foster care, only solidify my feelings about adopting children out of the system. 

Jennifer L. Armentrout did a wonderful job crafting characters that felt authentic and layered. It wasn't just Mallory and Rider, but all of the other secondary characters that made an appearance. No one was there as filler, even if they only showed up on a few pages. If a person was mentioned, they meant something to someone, or were vital to the overall story. 

I feel like this book lasted longer than it did, but only because my hold from the library expired and I had to wait for it to become available again. I didn't have any trouble getting back into the story, but it did make it feel like I'd been listening to it for ages. (The audiobook was 10+ hours, if that helps.)

The Problem with Forever touches on a lot of really important topics. Some were harder to read about than others, but I think the author handled them all incredibly well. The foster care system has its flaws, and not all foster parents take children into their homes for the right reasons. It's an ugly truth about the world we live in, and it shapes the future of a lot of children. They are kicked out of the system once they turn eighteen or graduate from high school, and then they are expected to just make it on their own. Very few people have their lives figured out at eighteen, and even fewer are financially stable. We fail so many kids on a daily basis, and then we are surprised when they get involved with drugs or other crime-related activities. They're just trying to survive, and they're trying to do it in a world that has never cared about them.

“I learned that even monsters could have a positive impact.”

Again, I think Armentrout brings attention to a lot of these issues, and she does it in a way that gives people hope. Mallory's story was both horrible and uplifting. She's has lived through things that no child should ever experience. It has shaped the person she is today, but it will forever leave a scar. If you're looking for an authentic, honest story, this is definitely a book to consider. It will make you think about life and what it means to truly live. I felt a strong connection to all of the characters, and I really hope some of them get their own story one day.