Beneath These Cursed Stars by Lexi Ryan

 

Spoiler alert. It's not necessary to read the first two books in the previous series,These Hollow Vows, but it will greatly enhance your reading pleasure with this one

“Princess Jasalyn has a secret. Armed with an enchanted ring that gives her death’s kiss, Jas has been sneaking away from the palace at night to assassinate her enemies.

Shape-shifter Felicity needs a miracle. Fated to kill her magical father, she’s been using her unique ability to evade a fatal prophecy.

When rumors of evil king Mordeus’s resurrection spread through the shadow court, Jasalyn decides to end him once and for all. Felicity agrees to take the form of the princess, allowing Jas to covertly hunt Mordeus—and starting Felicity on the path that could finally take her home.

While Jasalyn teams up with the charming and handsome Kendrick, Felicity sets out to get closer to the Wild Fae king, Misha. Kendrick helps Jasalyn feel something other than anger for the first time in three years, and Misha makes Felicity wish for a world where she’s free to be her true self. Soon, the girls’ missions are at risk right alongside their hearts.

The future of the human and fae realms hangs in the balance as fates intertwine. Between perilous tasks, grim secrets, and forbidden romances, Jasalyn and Felicity find that perhaps their stars are the most cursed of all.” - taken from Goodreads.

Readers will recognize Jasalyn as Brie’s younger sister who was held captive by Mordeus in the earlier books. Bitter, when she is captured by a group determined to end Mordeus once and for all, Jas joins in as her doppelganger, Felicity, goes to the Wild Fae court to find a hidden portal. Soon both girls are caught up in their new roles where their futures offer new possibilities that they never dreamed possible. This book does end in a cliffhanger that will leave readers wondering what happens to both Jas and Felicity.

Visit Lexi Ryan’s website.

Nimona by Noelle Stevenson

“Nemeses! Dragons! Science! Symbolism!

Nimona is an impulsive young shapeshifter with a knack for villainy. Lord Ballister Blackheart is a villain with a vendetta. As sidekick and supervillain, Nimona and Lord Blackheart are about to wreak some serious havoc. Their mission: prove to the kingdom that Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin and his buddies at the Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics aren't the heroes everyone thinks they are.

But as small acts of mischief escalate into a vicious battle, Lord Blackheart realizes that Nimona's powers are as murky and mysterious as her past. And her unpredictable wild side might be more dangerous than he is willing to admit.” - taken from Goodreads.com

I’ve been wanting to read this graphic novel for quite some time so when the audio version went on sale, I decided to give it a try. Boy, am I glad that I did. I wasn’t sure how a graphic novel would translate into audio but with a full cast of characters, original music, and sound effects, the story of Nimona and Lord Blackheart comes to life. A highly enjoyable listen.

Visit Noelle Stevenson’s website.

Legion by Julie Kagawa (Talon Saga book 4)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first three books in the series, Talon, Rogue, and Soldier, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

“Dragon hatchling Ember Hill was never prepared to find love at all--dragons do not suffer human emotions--let alone the love of a human and a former dragonslayer, at that. With ex-soldier Garret dying at her feet after sacrificing his freedom and his life to expose the deepest of betrayals, Ember knows only that nothing she was taught by dragon organization Talon is true. About humans, about rogue dragons, about herself and what she's capable of doing and feeling.

In the face of great loss, Ember vows to stand with rogue dragon Riley against the dragon-slaying Order of St. George and her own twin brother Dante--the heir apparent to all of Talon, and the boy who will soon unleash the greatest threat and terror dragonkind has ever known.

Talon is poised to take over the world, and the abominations they have created will soon take to the skies, darkening the world with the promise of blood and death to those who refuse to yield.” - taken from Goodreads.com

After the double cliffhanger of the last book, Soldier, readers will pick up the action immediately where it left off. Told from several points of view, fans of the Talon Saga will find out the mission of the Talon organization and Ember’s part in it. After another shocking but more satisfying ending, readers will be eagerly awaiting the conclusion of the story with Inferno in 2018.

Visit Julie Kagawa’s website.

Snakeroot by Andrea Cremer (Nightshade Legacy book 1/Mightshade series book 6)

Even though it would seem that this book is the start of a new series, it is actually a continuation of the Nightshade world. It greatly helps if you have read the first three books in the Nightshade trilogy and the Nightshade prequels. I wouldn't want you to get lost reading one of my favorite series.

"Return to the world of Nightshade."

Adne has suffered from nightmares about her mother's death. They were replaced by something much worse on the day of the Searchers' greatest victory when the Rift was closed. Now each night, Bosque Mar is waiting for her and she goes to him when beckoned. Never in the same place but the nightmare is always the same. Mar has been banished for. The human world but the harbinger still visits Adne's dreams. Logan Bane sent two men to take things from the library at Rowan Estate. One got away with books on the beginnings of the Keepers and the family tree. The second man was stopped and he had a box containing some relics from keeper history. The surviving Searchers realize that Logan is going back to the beginning of Keeper history for something. Adne decides that whatever Logan is looking for, she must find it first.

Logan Bane has lost everything in life; his standing, his inheritance, his pack. He tried to play both sides. Rebellion from afar looked good, but up close it was bloody. With his father dead, Calla made him call Bosque Mar out of the Rift so that Shay, the Scion, could close it and trap Mar forever. One of the few Keepers to survive the war, Logan has been on the move constantly to keep from being found by the Searchers. Now he is obsessed with the history of the Keepers and the books he had stolen from Rowan Estate have pointed him in the direction of the Roth twins, Chase and Audrey or rather their father's personal library. Without Mar, the Keepers will age and no longer look youthful. Logan is looking for a way to release Bosque Mar from the Rift.

With the help of the Roth twins, Logan is able to cast a spell that calls forth someone unexpected, Ren Laroche. Killed by his father in the battle at Rowan Estate, he is trapped as a spirit between the human world and the Nether. Unable to find answers on his own, he is able to answer any question Logan asks him and learns more about what he has become. Then, Ren recognizes Adne's cries and finds himself back in the garden at Rowan Estate. He howls and this time, the Haldis pack answers him. Ren smells blood and sees a dark shadow standing over something lying on the ground. The closes he gets he finds Basque mar standing over an unconscious Adne. Ren shifts to human form and Mar tells him they are both alike, they can walk across the eons. He hasn't hurt Adne. Show him the loyal that he shows his newfound sister and Mar will teach Ren everything he needs to know. Shay, as a wolf, shows up and Ren shifts back to show him how to drag Adne to the rear of the house for help. Sarah, Shay's distraught mother, watches from a window and believes that her son hasn't lost his humanity. She is determined to bring her son back to her as a human. Other than being unconscious, there is nothing wrong with Adne.

What is happening to Ren? Why is he caught between worlds? Can he eventually cross over? Why is Bosque Mar haunting Adne's dreams? What does he want with her? Why does Logan need the box of artifacts left behind at Rowan Estate? What will going back to the beginning of Keeper history tell him? Can he find a way to open the Rift back up to allow Bosque Mar to escape? Will Sarah find a way to turn Shay back into the boy she misses?

Visit Andrea Cremer's website.

Hidden by Sophie Jordan (Firelight book 3)

“A dangerous journey. Shattered bonds. Undying passion.”

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the second book in the series, Vanish, Stop! Vanish ended with a true cliffhanger. I wouldn’t want to ruin the story for you.

Miram has been captured by the enkros and even though she is partly to blame for her predicament, Jacinda feels guilty. Now bonded with Miram’s brother Cassian, Jacinda is experiencing his emotions over her disappearance. In a desperate attempt to rescue her, Jacinda talks Cassian and Will into allowing the enkros to capture her. With her bond to Cassian, he and Will should be able to locate her in the laboratory. But once Jacinda is inside, things are not what she expected and they quickly spiral out of control.

Will Jacinda be able to save not only herself but Miram as well? What secrets does she uncover while being held prisoner? Can she discover any information about her father? And who will Jacinda ultimately decide to be with; Cassian or Will?

In nonstop action from the first page, the Firelight trilogy is neatly concluded for fans of Jacinda.

Visit Sophie Jordan's website.

Bloodrose by Andrea Cremer (Nightshade book 3)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first two books in the series Nightshade and Wolfsbane, Stop! I don’t want to ruin one of my favorite series for you!

“Calla has always welcomes war.”

With Monroe’s death and the realization of the truth behind Ren’s motives, Calla’s world is turned upside down. All she knows is that she must rescue Ren from the Keepers in Vial and bring him to the Searchers, even if it incurs Shay’s wrath. In the midst of gearing up for the war, Calla must also deal with Shay and Ren fighting to become her alpha mate. Her own feelings for both boys confuse her as well. In order to succeed in getting all the pieces of the Elemental Cross and going to war, Calla stands alone as the lone alpha wolf of her pack. But in the end, “is love worth the ultimate sacrifice?” How the war end and what will become of Calla when it’s over?

A two book sequence that’s a prequel to the Nightshade trilogy that details why the Keepers and Searchers went to war will begin with Rift on August 7, 2012 and will be followed by Rise in 2013.

Visit Andrea Cremer's website.
Visit the Nightshade website.

Vanish by Sophie Jordan

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't read the first book in the series "Firelight, Stop! I don't want to ruin the series for you.

Jacinda has committed the ultimate betrayal to her drake pride, she revealed their secret to drake hunters in order to save Will’s life. When Cassian is driving her family back to their pride, they are stopped by Will’s family. In trying to figure out how to escape without further endangering their lies, Jacinda’s twin sister, Tamra, does the unthinkable, she finally manifests. Once back home with the pride, Tamra is now the darling since her newfound abilities will ensure the pride’s survival. Jacinda is the outcast, especially when everyone finds out that she is in love with a drake hunter.


Soon Jacinda is torn between her feelings not only for Cassian and Will, but her family as well. Is Cassian in love with Jacinda for who she is or only what she can do? Can Jacinda put aside everything she has ever known to be with Will? And what happens when unintended consequences make Jacinda rethink some of the decisions she has made?

Sophie Jordan leaves readers with an awesome cliffhanger to set up the third book in the series.

Visit Sophie Jordan’s website.

Firelight by Sophie Jordan

"A hidden truth. Mortal enemies. Doomed love."

When Jacinda and her friend Az sneak out early one morning to fly, they know they are breaking the rules of their pride. Jacinda and Az are draki, descendants of dragons, who are able to elude hunters by shifting into human form. When they encounter a group of hunters, things quickly go down hill for the pair. Az panics and Jacinda, the faster of the two, decides to draw the hunters to herself. Jacinda is injured and forced to hide in a cave along the shores of a deep pool. When one of the hunters, a gorgeous young boy her age comes looking for her, she never expects him to let her go. Even more surprising is what Will whispers when her touches her, beautiful.

Soon the hunters leave and Jacinda goes to look for Az. She is shocked to learn Az made it back to the pride and an alarm has been sounded. There hasn't been an alarm since her father's disappearance years ago. But Jacinda isn't an ordinary draki. She is the first fire breather in her pride in four hundred years and faster than Cassian, the alpha draki's son who has his eye on her. When her mother, who no longer manifests into draki form, decides to take her daughters away from the pride, Jacinda is crushed. Her twin sister, Tamra, who never manifested and is human, is thrilled to be leaving, especially since her crush on Cassian will never be reciprociated. Their mother takes them to the desert where her own draki dried out years earlier.

Tamra is enjoying their new life while Jacinda is miserable. Jacinda knows her draki is doomed until she feels a dangerous presence in her midst. She knows it is Will before she even sees him. It takes everything Jacinda has not to manifest in the school hallway. Tamra tells her to stay away from him, which becomes impossible when he sits next to her in study hall. Soon two other dangerous boys begin talking to Will. He intorduces Jacinda to his cousins Xander and Agnus and Jacinda realizes that they are hunters as well. Will tells her he is not a good  guy and leaves when the bell rings.

Jacinda feels her draki withering in the dry heat of the desert, except when it threatens to erupt around Will. Jacinda is desperate to get back to her pride, even though she realizes that her mother has been less than truthful about the pride and will become Cassian's mate. Will she risk everything to be with Will in an attempt to keep her draki alive even though he is her natural enemy? And what will happen when she realizes she is in love with Will and Cassian finds where they are hiding?

Jacinda's story continues in Vanish. 

Visit Sophie Jordan's website.

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

Evie works for the International Paranormal Containment agency (IPCA). She is the only human on earth who can see through a paranormal's glamour to see their true facades. In the crazy world of vampires, werewolves, etc. which she takes part, she considers herself normal, even though her best friend is a mermaid and her ex-boyfriend is a faerie. Evie has resided at the IPCA center since she was eight-year-old. Never knowing her parents, she spent her early years in foster care until the day she wandered into a graveyard and started screaming. That's when the APCA found her and took her in. Other paranormal agencies where clamoring for Evie's services so the IPCA was formed.

For the past eight years, Evie's job has been to "bag and tag" paranormals around the world to save them from humans. Her life is on the solitary side since she is one of the few normal people who work there. But things change when an unknown paranormal breaks into the center and takes Evie's boss' form. Evie is able to see through his glamour and captures him. She soon finds herself drawn to the shapeshifter known as Lend. They are close in age and Evie is lonely for companionship since Reth, her faerie ex-boyfriend did something to repel her. She begins sneaking into Lend's cell and a friendship soon forms. Evie's boss, Raquel, is not happy and orders her to stay away. Since IPCA doesn't know who or what Lend is, they keep hin prisoner. When Lend informs Evie that someone or things is killing paranormals, she realizes that IPCA has been less than truthful with her.

As Evie and Lend's friendship grows, Reth starts to become meddlesome. When Evie starts to have weird dreams about a prophecy and Reth becomes possessive, she begins to wonder who or what she is. When the paranormal killer breaks into the IPCA center, Evie breaks protocal and escapes with Lend. Why are the paranormals dying and who is doing it? What is with Reth's possessive nature and why the werid dreams? What is Lend's secret, but more importantly what is Evie's? Join Evie on a fast paced and hilarious adventure to find where she belongs in the world. Her story will be continued in Supernaturally in 2011.

Visit Kiersten White's website.