Review: Slaying Demons for the Feeble by Annette Marie

I'm bound to a demon.

For my entire life, I avoided magic at all costs. Now, I'm responsible for a demon who wields magic more powerful than the toughest mage or sorcerer.

Demons are evil.

That's what my textbooks say. That's what I see. He's ruthless, he's temperamental, he's cold. But he protects me without fail. I wonder if he's hiding a heart behind his hostility.

My demon is a monster.

Whether he's heartless or not, my contract with him is illegal and beyond dangerous. Together, we must find a way to return him to his own world before anyone discovers our secret. If that wasn't bad enough, I've come to realize something else:

My demon isn't the only monster I should be worried about.

*ARC received from the author in exchange of an honest review*

I'm going to do this as a review of two parts, so to speak: Part one will be general unspoilerish opinion and the second part will contain minor spoilers as I rumble on a little.
If you want to avoid any level of spoiler scroll quickly after the spoiler warning below!

❤

Slaying Monsters for the Feeble was another fantastic book by Annette Marie!
It was fast-paced, full of action and drove the plot of the series forward to a point where from book 3 onwards you won't be able to avoid Spellbound spoilers (for those that haven't read the sister series).
Robin and Zylas's relationship (for want of a better description) is still at the heart of the book but it has a different vibe than in the previous. They have a lot of misconceptions and frustrations to work through and watching them do so was both painful, frustrating and hilarious.
You get to see more of the magic world than we have before, diving into the world of vampires and let me just say that there are interesting connections to other characters in the Guild Codex world that I can't wait to see play out!
We also get to spend more time with Crow and Hammer Guild Members who are very much in the background in the Spellbound series which is awesome!
I inhaled the book in about 4.5 hours from cover to cover because I couldn't put it down. I didn't want to put it down. It held my attention from beginning to end and left me both giddy and annoyed when it ended because it'll next year until we get to see what happens next and while it doesn't end on a cliffhanger it doesn't exactly end with bunnies and rainbows so colour me desperate!

Slaying Monsters is a wonderfully addictive instalment in a wonderfully addictive series and, as is usual at this point with Annette Marie's books, I highly recommend it!

Minor Spoilers Ahead!

The book occurs within the same time period as The Alchemist and An Amaretto so for those - like me - that were hoping to see our favourite little bookworm team up with our favourite fiery bartender then you're going to have to wait just a little bit longer... That said, I think after events in this book (and in Amaretto) it is inevitable!
Slaying Monsters for The Feeble answered a few questions but it generated about a million more and left me desperate to see how Robin and Zyla's story will unfold and how it will play a pivotal role in determining Ezra's fate! (Because it will. It really really will.)

As I mentioned above, Robin and Zyla's are in an interesting place in this book.
They work together but there is no trust between them. They don't understand each other and it leads to a lot of frustrating misunderstandings where they think the worst of each other, lash out and hurt each other (not physically, I should add).
It made perfect sense that two people from very different worlds would struggle to find a middle ground but it made me kinda sad seeing it for the bond between the two is undeniable and I had such high hopes for them after book one... That said, this book showed how formidable they could be if they just trusted each other and by the end, they seemed to have reached a new level of understanding so I have super high hopes for them going forward! I hope they don't go backwards... I strongly suspect the things they can do when they work together is what makes the 12th house so special and will play a huge part in saving the day where Ezra is concerned!

Anyway... Read it! Read the series! Read both series! They deserve so much love!

Mini Reviews: Diamond Fire & Sapphire Flames by Ilona Andrews!

I love Ilona Andrews books!

Every single time I pick one up I know that I'm in for a treat because they have never let me down. Even when I like a book less than usual, it's still better than most books on the market.
I love their characters, their worlds and their humour and both these books in the Hidden Legacy series lived up to expectations!

Nevada Frida Baylor and Connor Ander Rogan cordially invite you to join their wedding celebration. Summoning, weather manipulation, and other magical activities strictly forbidden.

Catalina Baylor is looking forward to wearing her maid of honor dress and watching her older sister walk down the aisle. Then the wedding planner gets escorted off the premises, the bride’s priceless tiara disappears, and Rogan's extensive family overruns his mother’s home. Someone is cheating, someone is lying, and someone is plotting murder.

To make this wedding happen, Catalina will have to do the thing she fears most: use her magic. But she’s a Baylor and there’s nothing she wouldn't do for her sister's happiness. Nevada will have her fairy tale wedding, even if Catalina has to tear the mansion apart brick by brick to get it done.

Diamond Fire is a bridging novella between the first three books in the Hidden Legacy series, which focused on Nevada, and the next three books in the Hidden Legacy series which focus on Catalina - Nevada's sister.

Novellas are often a hit or miss because it's pretty darn hard to fit in character building, world-building and an interesting story into 100 or so pages but Ilona Andrews are really kinda good at it and Diamond Fire was no exception!

As per the blurb, the book focuses on Catalina having to use her particular brand of magic - which she has kept locked down and hidden as it's dangerous to her - in order to solve a crime and save Nevada's big day!

The book was funny, fun and fabulous.

Catalina is an interesting young woman with deep-rooted fears and genuine concerns when it comes to her magic but she is also determined, loyal and smart. I loved seeing her push her limits in this one and can't wait to see what she's like a few years down the line!

I love the Hidden Legacy world where magical families essentially rule, fued with each other 'like medieval warlords' and are laws unto themselves.
If you are new to the world then this is a great place to step in and pick it up!

(Although, I'd 100% recommend starting at the beginning because Nevada and Seth Rogan are the shizzle!)

❤

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Ilona Andrews comes an enthralling new trilogy set in the Hidden Legacy world, where magic means power, and family bloodlines are the new currency of society…

In a world where magic is the key to power and wealth, Catalina Baylor is a Prime, the highest rank of magic user, and the Head of her House. Catalina has always been afraid to use her unique powers, but when her friend’s mother and sister are murdered, Catalina risks her reputation and safety to unravel the mystery.

But behind the scenes powerful forces are at work, and one of them is Alessandro Sagredo, the Italian Prime who was once Catalina’s teenage crush. Dangerous and unpredictable, Alessandro’s true motives are unclear, but he’s drawn to Catalina like a moth to a flame.

To help her friend, Catalina must test the limits of her extraordinary powers, but doing so may cost her both her House–and her heart.

Be still my heart! This was a fun one!

Fun and quirky with a plot that had me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end.
I loved it.

Catalina is now 21 years old and the head of her house.
She's grown into her power and has become an outwardly confident character with a take-charge attitude who is absolutely determined to do what needs to be done to defend her family, her house, and her friends.
However, she retains deep insecurities about her power and the effect it has on other people and is remarkably vulnerable for one so powerful. My heart broke for her more than once throughout this novel and I imagine it'll continue to do so throughout the series.
She's such a likeable character that I just want her to be happy... But her burden is a heavy one so happiness isn't going to come easily!

I loved her reactions to Alessandro.
How she both wanted him and was scared to want him and I absolutely adored how he was immune to her power for more reasons than his own power cancelling hers out!
I enjoyed getting to know a bit more about Alessandro... But I need to know so much more!
Why does he do what he does for a 'living'? Why does he walk away at the end of this novel? What is he hiding?
More than anything, I need to know how he and Catalina can bridge the gap that opened at the end - because that's going to cause wounds - nevermind Catalina's bargain with her wicked grandmother!
Does all that sound cryptic? Good! Because if I say anything else it'll be too spoilery but all the questions need to be said because there are nothing but questions as far as Alessandro is concerned!

Sapphire Flames is a kick ass start to Catalina's trilogy and she stepped so far out of Nevada's shadow here that I didn't even miss the fact the Nevada and Rogan were in Europe so barely part of the story... That's how kick ass Catalina was.
I'm so excited to see what comes next in this world!
If you've never dipped a toe into this world then Sapphire Flames would be a good place to start!

Zombie Apocalypses, Haunted Houses and Queens of Nothing

I love participating in weekly bookish memes, answering questions and making lists, but sometimes the answers are not enough to make a decent post... On their own! And sometimes, I just don't have space to do all I want to do!

So, on those weeks, I'll be combining rather than skipping!

Zombie Apocalypse: What would you do?

I'd probably get eaten after tripping over my own feet while trying to run away.

I'd like to think I'd bravely fight off zombie attacks while managing to keep myself - and my family - fed, sheltered and healthy like an absolute boss but I'm uncoordinated and generally hopeless, lol. 

My husband would probably do okay though... Maybe I should just stick close to him and make myself useful where I can. 

That said, I'd be a pretty good medic, I think! 

Although, that wouldn't be much use if someone was bitten would it? Don't those bitten turn into zombies too? Or am I mixing up my monsters?

I've yet to read book one and book two but I've waiting for book three so I don't have pesky cliffhangers and years of impatient annoyance. 

(That's my story and I'm sticking to it! It has 100% not got anything to do with procrastination.)

The Queen of Nothing

He will be destruction of the crown and the ruination of the throne.

Power is much easier to acquire than it is to hold onto. Jude learned this lesson when she released her control over the wicked king, Cardan, in exchange for immeasurable power.

Now as the exiled mortal Queen of Faerie, Jude is powerless and left reeling from Cardan’s betrayal. She bides her time determined to reclaim everything he took from her. Opportunity arrives in the form of her deceptive twin sister, Taryn, whose mortal life is in peril.

Jude must risk venturing back into the treacherous Faerie Court, and confront her lingering feelings for Cardan, if she wishes to save her sister. But Elfhame is not as she left it. War is brewing. As Jude slips deep within enemy lines she becomes ensnared in the conflict’s bloody politics.

And, when a dormant yet powerful curse is unleashed, panic spreads throughout the land, forcing her to choose between her ambition and her humanity…

I'm betting a lot of people are waiting for this one, right?

You're spending a night in a haunted house. What book would you bring with you?

I'm a mood reader, so I'd bring my Kindle so I could read whatever I felt like at the time plus when the lights go out, I wouldn't be interrupted as it has a backlight.

I suppose the plummeting temperatures would negatively impact battery life but if it's fully-charged we should make it to the morning.

And since nothing has been said about what else I can take into the house I'd like to request that I get to take in my phone to act as a back up reading device (and to drown out the spooky sounds), a torch (with extra batteries), candles and matches in case anything powered by electric fails and, I suppose, a paperback to read by the candlelight... Although I've no idea which one I'd choose!

Oh! And I need a blanket and warm socks.

Maybe some earmuffs?

Holy water?

Snacks? Definitely snacks...

Why am I in a haunted house again?

I don't like being scared...

What about you? What would you bring?

Review: The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan (Kane Chronicles)

Since his mother's death six years ago, Carter Kane has been living out of a suitcase, traveling the globe with his father, the brilliant Egyptologist, Dr. Julius Kane. But while Carter's been homeschooled, his younger sister, Sadie, has been living with their grandparents in London. Sadie has just what Carter wants—school friends and a chance at a "normal" life. But Carter has just what Sadie longs for—time with their father. After six years of living apart, the siblings have almost nothing in common. Until now.

On Christmas Eve, Sadie and Carter are reunited when their father brings them to the British Museum, with a promise that he's going to "make things right." But all does not go according to plan: Carter and Sadie watch as Julius summons a mysterious figure, who quickly banishes their father and causes a fiery explosion.

Soon Carter and Sadie discover that the gods of Ancient Egypt are waking, and the worst of them—Set—has a frightening scheme. To save their father, they must embark on a dangerous journey—a quest that brings them ever closer to the truth about their family and its links to the House of Life, a secret order that has existed since the time of the pharaohs.

Audiobook: Narrated by Jane Collingwood & Joesph May

Duration: 13hrs 44min

Rick Riordan can do no wrong in my eyes. The guy is a book writing ninja! His stories are well thought out, entertaining, full of humour, diverse and completely magical.
The Kane Chronicles were a perfect example of his book writing awesomeness.

Unlike his Percy Jackson and Heroes of Olympus books, the Kane Chronicles features not demigods but magicians and not Greek/Roman gods but Egyptian!
The differences between how the Egyptian gods work compared to the Greek gods took a little bit of getting used to as did the fact that the tone of this book was very conversational... As in, Carter and Sadie alternate as the narrator and they tell the story as though you're sitting in a room talking to them. It was weird but it didn't take long for me to adapt.

The Egyptian Gods were interesting... I must admit that I knew/know relatively little about them compared to the Greeks and Romans so the myths and stories shared throughout this book were fascinating!

The story was fast-paced and there was a lot of world building.
Carter is a fourteen year old boy who was separated from his twelve-year-old sister Sadie when their mum died - they were only six and eight when separated.
Carter stayed with his father and Sadie was raised by their mother's parents.
Carter travelled the world with his dad and never really had anywhere to call home or a normal life and Sadie had a 'normal' life living in London.
They only saw each other a couple of times a year so aren't all that close in the beginning and neither of them knows anything about magicians and gods so you learn as they do and you get to know them over the course of the book as you watch them get to know and bond with each other.

There were action and danger, humour and poignant moments, battles and acts of lunatic bravery and I loved it! Carter and Sadie are good kids and the supporting cast of random characters from the baboon to the Egyptian cat goddess, Bast, had me smiling from ear to ear.

As per all of Riordan's books, the book had its own self-contained plot as well as the beginnings of a series plot. I can't wait to continue the series and find out what fate has in store of Carter and Sadie next as they progress in their magical journey.

I highly recommend this series for kids and adults alike!

💬

“Well, if you need me, I'll be outside, playing with sharp objects.”

💬

“Fairness does not mean everyone gets the same. Fairness means everyone gets what they need.”

💬

“My dear, I'm a cat. Everything I see is mine.”

Traits I Love, Love, War and Spooktacular Reads!

I love participating in weekly bookish memes, answering questions and making lists, but sometimes the answers are not enough to make a decent post... On their own!

So, on those weeks, I'll be combining rather than skipping!

This week's topic... Character Traits I Love

Okay, so I don't need every character I like to have all these traits (that'd be weird) but give them a combination of them and you're almost guaranteed I'll like them!

Loyalty

Bravery

A wicked sense of humour

Intelligence

Kindness

A little bit twisty and dark but with a good heart.

Weird and quirky.

This hasn't been a fantastic series but it's kept me entertained enough to see it through to the end and therefore I'm excited that the sixth and final book will be releasing in just a few short weeks!

The final showdown has arrived.

Nemain, the murderous, self-appointed Queen, has her sights set on the magic running through my veins. She'll stop at nothing to steal my power and begin her reign of terror over every fae in the world.

Worse, my mating bond with Balor hurtles us closer and closer to danger. A new prophecy makes one thing clear—our love will either save the world. Or, it will end it.

I have no choice but to fight. To save all of Faerie from Nemain—and my love for Balor—I must do whatever it takes. Even if that means losing it all.

What are you looking forward to this week?

Name one book that gets you in the mood for Halloween.

I don't think I have a book that gets me in the mood for Halloween. 

I don't need anything to get me in the mood for Halloween.

I love it! However, how fun and spooktacularly festive are these covers?!

Okay, they're not Halloween scary, they're the fun, camp, and cutesy Halloween and that's the type of Halloween I love.

I guess, if I had to choose something, rather than a particular book that gets me in a Halloween mood, it'd be a specific genre of books.

I really gravitate towards UF reads at this time of year.

However, this year has been a bit of an anomaly in that I've been binging UF pretty much consistently and have discovered so many new series/authors that I'm not showing signs of stopping! 

I imagine I'll soon max out my things that go bump in the night quota and will be super excited to dive into Christmas... Yep. I said Christmas when we're in Halloween season! I must be broken.

(Please don't throw things.)

What about you? What book (if any) gets you in a Halloween mood?

Numerous Titles, A Necromancer and some Zombies!

It's October peeps! How exciting! (And scary, where's the year gone?!)

Halloween is coming! Autumn is here! We'll soon be counting down to Christmas... This is a good time of year.
😊

This week's topic... Book titles with numbers in them.

This was a hard one! However, I tried and sort of succeeded! 

Ten Reasons to Stay and Five Reasons to Go are a duology that absolutely gutted me when I read them last year and they immediately came to mind when I thought of this topic.

First Grave on the Right is book one in Darynda Jone's Charley Davidson series and the only one of the series I've read. They ALL have titles which play on the book number in the series, btw. 

Once Burned and Twice Tempted are books one and two in Jeaniene Frost's Night Prince series and though I read them long ago, I don't remember huge amounts about them except they're about Vlad from her Night Huntress series.

Can you believe that I've actually read Once by James Herbert? No, me neither... But I did! Back when it released. I was more adventurous with my genre choices when I was a teenager!

Twice Bitten - book two in the Chicagoland Vampires - was the book that sold the series to me. I was hooked by the time I finished it. 

I still haven't read anything by Christina Lauren but I will! I WILL... But I won't be starting with Twice in a Blue Moon. I only chose that one for the title. 😆

One Day will forever until the end of days be known as the book that was utterly engrossing but utterly depressing thus never to be read ever ever again. Ever. 

Ten Tiny Breaths was everywhere back when it released and continued to be everywhere for years to come. But I never read it. It sounded too depressing. I haven't to this day read anything by Tucker either but one day I might. 

Have you read any of these?

This week's can't wait selection is actually a series of novellas - not a single book!

This week, I can't wait to continue reading The Journals of Octavia Hollows, by Stacey Rourke.

I recently listened to book one on audiobook and thoroughly enjoyed the story about a quirky necromancer who can bring anyone/thing back from the dead with just a touch.

It was a lot of fun watching her get tangled up in otherworldly problems as she tries to solve the mystery of what happened to the love of her life so I'm all in to see what happens next... I'm going to binge them during Fraterfest!

Anyone else taking part in Fraterfest?

This week's question...

You've dropped your favorite book while being chased by a herd of zombies. Would you go back to retrieve it?

What kind of question is this?

Of course not!

Stopping to retrieve anything - except maybe your weapon - while being chased by a herd of zombies puts you very firmly into the too stupid to live category and you deserve to be terminated.

A book is not going to stop the ravening hoard from eating your brains!

 A book - no matter how precious and irreplaceable - is not more precious and irreplaceable than you.

So run!

Okay, I gotta ask... Would you stop to pick up the book?