Jaime's Review of Soulbound (Legacy of Tril #1) By Heather Brewer

Soulbound (Legacy of Tril #1)

Heather Brewer

Hardcover: 394 pages

Release Date: June 19, 2012

Publisher: Dial (Penguin)

ISBN: 0803737328

Source: ARC from the publisher

Rating: Loved

From Goodreads. What's worse than being blackmailed to attend a hidden school where you're treated like a second-class citizen? How about nearly getting eaten by a monster when you arrive? Or learning that your soulmate was killed in a centuries-old secret war? And then there's the evil king who's determined to rule the world unless you can stop him... Meet Kaya, a young woman with the power to heal and the determination to fight. But struggle as she will, she remains tied to three very different men: a hero who has forsaken glory, a tyrannical ruler who wants to use Kaya, and a warrior who's stolen her heart. Kaya learns the hard way that some ties can't be broken...and blood is the strongest bond of all.

I’m sure you’re all sick of me saying OMG I loved this book but, I’ve been on an amazing book roll lately so sorry you’ll have to suffer  again ;) OMFG I FREAKING LOVED THIS BOOK!!!!!!

Y’all know I love a good fantasy story and this was another that had amazing writing, beautiful world building, loveable characters, and great plot twists! I think one of the things I loved the most was Heather created her own cuss words for the story and I believe that Fak will be a permanent fixture in my vocabulary from now on ;) so yes there’s a love triangle (I know peeps you’re probably saying “Ugh I’m sick of love triangles”) but this one is really different! As a matter of fact the MC Kaya doesn’t even know she’s in one lol. There’s two beautiful but different boys; Trayton who’s tall dark, handsome, caring, and just a great guy (only problem is he follows all the rules), and then there’s Darius the boy with a secret that has silver hair, a body that screams to be touched, a fast sword, and even faster temper. He’s basically a total Dek as Kaya says but, that doesn’t stop you from swooning and turning into a ball of goo in his presence. Yeah if you can’t tell I’m Team Darius I’ll go for the mysterious rule-breaker any day.

The world of Trill is super awesome! There’s beautiful lush rose gardens, a forest that seems to come alive, and a school that seems to be an entity all its own. There’s dragon-like monsters with blue scales and a bad guy that we hear about but don’t meet (I’m hoping in book 2) but don’t worry there’s enough WTF’ery and plot twists in the book that you won’t miss the bad dude. There’s blackmailing, lies, secrets, tons of action, and yes romance. Oh and the ending even though I figured it out I really did, I still didn’t see to coming! And yeah there’s a cliffhanger and the waiting is gonna suck but, it is a must read peeps!!!! Make sure you go buy it when it hits the bookstores!

Ok so choosing a passage for this one was really difficult I think I had half the book bookmarked lol. But because I love him Darius won so here’s a scene between Kaya and Darius!

Beyond the scent of the salve, I could smell something else. Something that reminded me of wild, wooded places. With surprise, I realized that the scent was coming from my host. Not a shock—Darius seemed to live for the outdoors. It was a pleasant smell, and reminded me of home, of walks in the forest and camping near the river. I sighed, relaxing back on the bed. Darius glanced up at me and I managed a small smile. My throat was raw when I said, “You remind me of home.”

His fingers slowed as they dipped into the pestle once again, his eyes still on mine. “In what way?”

Shrugging, I said, “You smell like the woods. Like wind and rain. It’s…nice.”

“Kaya…” His tone was something I barely comprehended. It was soft and wondering, unlike the man I knew Darius to be. He kept his eyes on his work, his tone even and focused. “If you feel the need to come talk to me, at least come during the day when it’s somewhat safer, okay?”

I couldn’t help but notice that he didn’t say that I shouldn’t come, only that I should be more careful about it. Did that mean he’d hoped I come see him eventually? And just what was that about, anyway? He hated me. Didn’t he?

Make sure to add Soulbound to your Goodreads shelves!

Pre-Order your copy now!

Jaime's Review of The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

The Immortal Rules

Julie Kagawa

Hardcover:  512 pages

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Release Date: April 24, 2012

ISBN: 0373210515

Source: ARC from the publisher

Rating: Obsessed

From Goodreads.
You will kill. The only question is when.

In the dark days since the insidious Red Lung virus decimated the human population, vampires have risen to rule the crumbling cities and suburbs. Uncontested Princes hold sway over diminished ranks of humans: their "pets." In exchange for their labor, loyalty and of course, their blood, these pets are registered, given food and shelter, permitted to survive.

Unregistered humans cling to fringes, scavenging for survival. Allison Sekemoto and her fellow Unregistereds are hunted, not only by vampires, but by rabids, the unholy result of Red Lung-infected vampires feeding on unwary humans. One night, Allie is attacked by a pack of rabids, saved by an unlikely hero...and turned vampire.

Uncomfortable in her undead skin, Allie falls in with a ragtag crew of humans seeking a cure, or cures: for Rabidism and for Vampirism. She's passing for human...for now. But the hunger is growing and will not be denied. Not for friendship—not even for love.

This book was awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was like a mix of Mad Max, Escape from New York, and The Walking Dead with vampires! Ok young-uns you’re probably saying Mad who? Escape what? Just trust me and watch the movies in all of their cheesy goodness ;) I mean it was everything I love about Paranormal and Dystopian all in one book! I knew when I heard about Immortal Rules months ago I had to read it Julie is an author that I love I she’s on my auto-buy list and always will be. Plus I have an undying love for vampires lol no pun intended. Also her Iron Fey series is still one of my all time favorites!

Ok so this story was brilliantly written and I loved how Julie split it up into parts. Human, Vampire, Monster, and Wanderer. It was so cool to see the evolution of Allison she was a tough human and even more of a badass as a vampire! What I loved was that she never hid from her “monster” as she called it she knew what she was and instead of ignoring it and trying to act human she acknowledged it and turned it into an asset; all the while trying to reign in the hunger and not hurt the ones she cared about. I really wanted to be her! I fell in love with her maker Kanin with the first word he spoke; he was eerily calm and had this strange sense of dry humor that I really liked. Then there’s the human boy Zeke he’s blonde haired and blue eyed which I normally don’t go for but he was just sooooo damned nice, and caring, and generous it was hard not to fall for him. There were a few other characters that I really liked and some I hated with such vehemence I wished for their deaths lol. Yes at a whopping 485 pages I know this one look intimidating but I finished it in 3 nights once I picked it up I found it hard to put it down!

I had a really hard time picking a passage to share there were sooooo many good ones but I think my favorite was right after Alison has turned and her and Kanin are searching for an appropriate weapon for her to use…..

A chuckle interrupted me. Kanin stood a few yards away, arms crossed, shaking his head. His mouth was pulled into a resigned grin.

“I should have known,” he said, coming forward. “I should have known you would be drawn to that. It’s very fitting, actually.”

“It’s perfect,” I said, holding up the sword. “What is it, anyway?”

Kanin regarded me in amusement. “What you’re holding is called a katana. Long ago, a race of warriors known as samurai carried them. The sword was more than a weapon—to the samurai, their blades were an extension of their souls. It was the symbol of their culture and their most prized possession.”

I didn’t really need the history lesson, but it was pretty cool to think that there was an entire race of people who’d carried these, once. “What happened to them?” I asked, sheathing the sword carefully. 

“Did they all die out?”

Kanin’s grin grew wider, as if he was enjoying his own private joke. “No, Allison Sekemoto. I would say not.”

The Immortal Rules comes out on April 24^th so make sure to pre-order your copy now! Make sure to add it to your Goodreads lists too! Also add Julie’s blog to your reader for all her awesome news!

Thanks soooo much to Harlequin Teen for the advanced readers copy you are awesome as always!

You know you want this book so go here and pre-order it now!!!!!!!