Unleashed by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie

Series: Wolf Springs Chronicles
Author: Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie
Page Count: 382
Published: November 22nd, 2011
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
  4 Stars ★★★★

Katelyn's mother dies suddenly, and she is sent to live with her grandfather in Wolf Springs. Living in a house in the woods, she feels isolated and yearns for her home in L.A. She fears that she'll never achieve her dreams now, stuck in this little town.


Her life is about to get a lot more complicated. Everything from the town's name to the legends of the Hellhound seem to involve wolves, and her grandfather refuses to allow her to go in the woods alone. Two girls die in the woods, seemingly mauled by an animal, and after her own terrifying encounter with a wolf on the road, Katelyn isn't sure what to think.


I can't say much else without giving some important details away....so forgive my vague descriptions.


I was not expecting to enjoy this book so much. I thought it would be a typical young adult paranormal story, with a love triangle and some issues with a supernatural hierarchy and maybe a bit of hocus-pocus thrown in. I was right about a few things, but this book still stood out in a positive way.


I was right about the love triangle. It's fairly tame compared to those in other young adult paranormal romances, but it's still there. It didn't particularly bother me, except that her attraction to the one guy, Justin, seemed really immature? She basically doesn't think around him for the first while. It's like she can't control herself. That really annoyed me. Meanwhile her feelings for Trick seemed a lot more genuine, and I liked him too! So it wasn't entirely a bad thing.


I was also right that there would be some issues revolving around a supernatural hierarchy. Again, I can't say much without giving anything away, but within the werewolf pack that Katelyn eventually comes across, there are issues with the alpha. I actually didn't mind this part either, because the issues weren't like those typically dealt with in books concerning werewolf packs. There was something added and unique to it....


I took issue with the pacing of the book. It wasn't horrible by any means, but a lot of the more explicitly paranormal stuff started after the second half, and well into the fourth quarter, which made the first bit drag on quite a bit. It also made the ending seem a bit rushed.


I certainly would like to read the next book. There are questions still unanswered, and Katelyn was, while sometimes annoying, a pretty nice protagonist. The writing style didn't stand out as either amazing nor terrible, so it's really the story that makes this book a four star read.


Overall, while this isn't anything too special, there are definitely unique elements throughout the story that make it stand apart from other young adult paranormal books. While the love triangle was a bit irritating at times, the ending left me wondering what would happen next.


I recommend this to those who love werewolf stories. If you're interested in books that take place in small towns with big secrets, you might want to give this one a try.


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Books I am Excited to Read

Hello everyone. Today I wanted to talk about some books that I am excited to read! Some of these books haven't been released yet, while others are fairly new releases.

I am super excited to read Midnight by Derek Landy. This is the new Skulduggery Pleasant book, and as a huge fan of the series, I can't wait to read it!

I'm excited to read Ruin of Stars by Linsey Miller. I enjoyed Mask of Shadows, and I can't wait to read more about Sal!

I want to read Song of the Dead by Sarah Glenn Marsh, the sequel to Reign of the Fallen. I cannot wait for this book's release!

 

Black Wings Beating by Alex London is also on my "Excited to read" list! I enjoyed Proxy and Guardian, so I'm hoping I'll enjoy this one too.




These are only a few of the books that I am excited to read. If I kept going, this post would be miles long! Are you excited to read any of these? What books are you looking forward to?

Era of Undying by Emilie Knight

Series: N/A
Author: Emilie Knight
Page Count: 202
Published: January 19th, 2018
Publisher: Createspace
  4 Stars ★★★★

 I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. 

Pen is a Blood Warrior. She can, with a small cut, draw her blood out of her body, and use it as a weapon. Nobody knows that she is the Blood Warrior, so she's worried when she is caught after slaying a group of people, using her blood as a weapon. 

There are more important things going on in her world, though. People aren't dying. The horribly sick remain alive and suffering,  and the gravely injured somehow hold on to their consciousness. With the help of Tellus, captain of the city watch, she ventures out to find Nyx, a goddess she hopes can fix this problem. However, the journey won't be easy. 

This was an interesting fantasy, with lots of action. I was excited to accept the author's review request because I've been getting more and more into fantasy. I was not disappointed with this book!

I thought the characters were all very interesting. Pen had gone through so many trials, dealing with being the Blood Warrior, the loss of her family, and her rough journey to find Nyx. I found her a strong and likeable character, despite her violent side. I became surprisingly attached to Tellus throughout the book, and by the end, I wanted to read more about him! I was sad when the book was over. 

I found the idea of a Blood Warrior very, very interesting. The idea of creating weapons with one's blood greatly appealed to me! Furthermore, the idea of people suffering, yet not dying, was both fascinating and morbid. I love that the author explored some of the consequences of this issue, and sometimes I cringed at the idea of what people may be feeling in such a world. 

I also loved the violence and fighting. I find sometimes that action or fight scenes in books seem like nothing but filler, but the violent and fighting scenes in this book all served a purpose and never felt like just a filler or fluff. 

I do think that this book could have been a bit longer. I wanted to know more about Pen and Tellus. I wanted to spend more time in this world. I wanted more things to happen, more adventures and fights! I also think that this book could use another editing session, as there were many typos throughout. 

Overall this was a very enjoyable fantasy read. With great fighting scenes, interesting characters, and an intriguing premise, I was not disappointed! I recommend this book to those looking for a short fantasy novel with themes of death and family.



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