The Naturals #2 Killer Instinct

Presenting The Naturals #2 Killer Instinct by Jennifer Lynn Barnes.

Here is the summary of the book:

Seventeen-year-old Cassie Hobbes has a gift for profiling people. Her talent has landed her a spot in an elite FBI program for teens with innate crime-solving abilities, and into some harrowing situations. After barely escaping a confrontation with an unbalanced killer obsessed with her mother’s murder, Cassie hopes she and the rest of the team can stick to solving cold cases from a distance.

But when victims of a brutal new serial killer start turning up, the Naturals are pulled into an active case that strikes too close to home: the killer is a perfect copycat of Dean’s incarcerated father—a man he’d do anything to forget. Forced deeper into a murderer’s psyche than ever before, will the Naturals be able to outsmart the enigmatic killer’s brutal mind games before this copycat twists them into his web for good?

With her trademark wit, brilliant plotting, and twists that no one will see coming, Jennifer Lynn Barnes will keep readers on the edge of their seats (and looking over their shoulders) as they race through the pages of this thrilling novel.

Intriguingly mysterious, serial murders and the trill of the chase. Killer Instinct is the sequel to 'The Naturals' and it does not disappoint. Cassie, Lia, Sloanne, Michael and Dean are back and this time they are interfering in an active murder case. Add in a fast-paced plot, darkest of the dark secrets, the proverbial skeletons in the closet and sweet sweet romance and what you get is a sequel that more than most outdoes the first book.

The apparent character development is the most striking. We saw and loved them in book 1 and the same can be said for book 2 as well. We appreciate Cassie's loyalty. Her drive to put perps behind bars. She is a profiler and 'Killer Instinct' sees her getting more comfortable with her abilities. We see what lies under the all the numbers in Sloanne's head. Why Lia is loyal to Dean and who Michael really is under that easy smile. He cares in his own way.

Dean on the other hand saw the most development of them all. As his serial killer father continues to haunt him from behind bars. We see what makes him so closed off and hearts go out to his plight.But this case forces him to open up and deal with the situation head on, and we appreciate him more for that. Of course, romance plays a big part in this. It is surely moving forward but thankfully without exerting too much pressure on the plot.

Daniel Redding also serves a mention. There is nothing about him that is good. He is as horrible as they come. Even more so. And delights in mind games & manipulations. He may be behind bars but he knows what strings to pull and make a person tick. Agent Sterling, at first came across as a stuck-up snob. But throughout the ordeal and dealing with the 5 loosened her and we came to see her as who she truly was, what her past with Dean entailed and appreciated her more.

A fast paced plot. Marvelous writing. A murder mystery that will keep you guessing till the very end bringing you the very edge of your seats. There is not one moment here that would bore you. Great work Jennifer Lynn Barnes. If you love a good YA mystery thriller then this is for you. Highly recommended.

"Intriguingly mysterious & riveting and the Naturals are more than up for the task"

Genre :      Young Adult, Criminal Mystery, Thriller, Romance, Contemporary

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Release Date: 4th November, 2014

My Copy: publisher and netgalley

Rate:              5/5 (It was Amazing)

Other Books in the series (review links):
                #1 The Naturals 

Buy:           Amazon | Book Depository 

Half Bad Trilogy #1 Half Bad

Presenting Half Bad Trilogy #1 Half Bad by Sally Green.

Here is the summary of the book:

Wanted by no one.
Hunted by everyone.

Sixteen-year-old Nathan lives in a cage: beaten, shackled, trained to kill. In a modern-day England where two warring factions of witches live amongst humans, Nathan is an abomination, the illegitimate son of the world's most terrifying and violent witch, Marcus. Nathan's only hope for survival is to escape his captors, track down Marcus, and receive the three gifts that will bring him into his own magical powers—before it's too late. But how can Nathan find his father when there is no one safe to trust, not even family, not even the girl he loves?

Half Bad is an international sensation and the start of a brilliant trilogy: a gripping tale of alienation and the indomitable will to survive.

Its raw. Its different. Its an attention-grabber. From the makeup of the cover to that of writing. Sally Green's debut performance has managed ti astound and excite us all. Green plots a world and lays it out bare in front of us in its stark nakedness. The emotions are heightened. The drama crosses limits and every ounce of dangers finds new ways to make us fear for the characters.

A conundrum in itself. On one hand you have the writing. Short clipped sentences. With an almost journal like style, beautifully executed. On the other hand is the world divided into good and evil. Divided into White and Black witches. But labels don't do any good in the jarring divide. Both factions are dangerous, bloodthirsty, vengeful and either of them are not cruel. The Black Witches are vicious in the ways of acquiring what they want and the good witches are equally ruthless in meting out judgment.

This is a world of Black & White and the only grey is Nathan, a young half-white, half-Black Witch. Born to the greatest Black Witch, Marcus Edge (a line of Black Witches fraught with notoriously violent members) and Cora, a White Witch mother. But Nathan is nothing like him. Being raised by White Witches, doesn't mean that that alone is going to be enough.

As each new rule (resolution) they pass, they clip his wings one by one. But he is tool they want fashioned to be a killer and of course the only place they want him in is a cage. Its jarring reading about everything Nathan feels. Readers feel it too. Your hearts just can't help not sympathize with his situation. Enemies in every direction. Everything he does, all that he says, the council learns. Our hearts go out for his plight. Sally Green truly achieves a riveting tale that hits all the right notes.

"An astoundingly riveting debut by Sally Green" 

Genre :      Young Adult, Paranormal, Romance, Urban Fantasy

Publisher: Penguin

Release Date: 27th March, 2014

My Copy: bought (paperback)

Rate:              4/5 (Really Liked It)

Buy:           Amazon | Book Depository 

The Chronicles of Light & Shadow #3 Sky Pirates

Presenting The Chronicles of Light & Shadow #3 Sky Pirates by Liesel Schwarz.

Here is the summary of the book:

Following A Conspiracy of Alchemists and A Clockwork Heart, Sky Pirates is the third book of the Chronicles of Light and Shadow series, starring the spunky dirigible pilot Elle Chance and the handsome warlock Marsh. For urban fantasy fans and readers of Gail Carriger's Changeless and Cherie Priest's Boneshaker, a fun, fast-paced, action-packed new historical fantasy adventure series starring vampires, fairies, and the unforgettable heroine, Elle Chance.

Set during the Belle Epoque, Sky Pirates is a thrilling and inventive historical fantasy novel, where the myths and legends of Old Europe live side by side with the wondrous creations of modern scientists and aviators. It's also set in a world haunted by vampires, fairies, and other supernatural creatures. And it mixes a thrill-a-minute page-turning plot with a genuinely moving love story. In Sky Pirates, Elle and Marsh escape to the jungles of Cambodia in search of a sacred temple that holds the key to erasing the barrier between Shadow and Light.

Following on the heals of its predecessor, The Clockwork Heart, Sky Pirates deals with the consequences of everything since then. Elle has lost her husband. Hugh Marsh is more of a dead/undead wraith now deciding to be faraway from his wife to keep her safe. Her coping mechanism on the other hand, is to throw herself into continuing her work as a pilot to the Water Lily. Her work brings her on the tangent of the Captain Dashwood and he is looking to settle some scores.

After the proverbial tug-of-war Elle looses her ship and joins the pirate's ship under Dashwood. Of course the Council of Warlocks and Patrice are not far behind either. And now Elle has to decide, her dashingly handsome husband Hugh or the hunky pirate Captain Dashwood (sorry I like Hugh better). While it was clear from the synopsis, that there was going to be love triangle but I loved the tension filled dialogues between Elle & Dashwood. And again I say while looking to reading more about these three, I am not a fan of triangles, so I do hope she decides soon.

I didn't much like Elle in the Clockwork Heart but in Sky Pirates, she redeemed herself somewhat. In a roundabout way this is a much more balanced book. Centered around Belle Epoque, there is abundance of Steampunk, the element of fantasy, of emotional contemplations and dangers in every page. Liesel Schwarz did a lot of work here and it shows as Elle learns to work through everything life or the author's pen throws at her.

"A fast and action-packed historical fantasy in the life and times of Elle Chance"

Genre :     Young Adult, Paranormal, Romance, Historical Fantasy, Steampunk

Publisher: Del Ray

Release Date: 3rd June, 2014

My Copy: publisher and netgalley

Rate:             4/5 (Really Liked It)

Books in Series(review links):
         #1 A Conspiracy of Alchemist 
         #2 A Clockwork Heart

Buy:         Amazon | Book Depository

TOURZ DE CODEX: Promo Spotlight - The Many Lives of Ruby Iyer [& Giveaway]

About the Book:-

A girl desperate to rescue her best friend, a cop willing to do anything to save the city he serves, and a delusional Doctor bent on its annihilation. 

When Ruby Iyer's best friend is kidnapped by the despotic Doctor Kamini Braganza, she will do anything to rescue him. Anything, including taking the help of the reticent Vikram Roy, a cop on a mission to save Bombay. The city needs all the help it can get, and these two are the only thing standing between its total destruction by Doctor Braganza’s teen army. As Bombay falls apart around them, will Ruby be able to save her friend and the city? Will she finally discover her place in a city where she has never managed to fit in? And what about her growing feelings for Vikram?

About the Author:-

A near life experience told Laxmi Hariharan to write. She never stopped. Laxmi is the creator of Ruby Iyer, and the Amazon bestselling, eLit Gold winner The Destiny of Shaitan (Bombay Chronicles, 1). She has been a journalist, and a global marketer with NBCU and MTV. Laxmi also blogs for Huffington Post, among others. London is where she writes. Bombay is what fires her imagination. Reach her @laxmi or at http://www.laxmihariharan.com/

Links to connect:-

Goodreads

Amazon
Amazon (UK)
Amazon (US)
Amazon (India)
Facebook
Twitter

Giveaway:-

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Carrier #2 Shadow of the Mark

Presenting Carrier #2 Shadow of the Mark by Leigh Fallon.

Here is the summary of the book:

Their love could destroy them all.

Through the ages, Marked Ones have harnessed the powers of the four elements: Water, Fire, Earth, and Air. Much about the elements is shrouded in mystery, but one thing is certain: A relationship between two Marked Ones has the potential to cause widespread devastation.

Megan and Adam—Air and Water—are determined to defy the risks.

But the power that swirls inside Megan is growing in twisted ways. And the closer she is to Adam, the closer Megan comes to unleashing a dark force that could spell destruction for the entire Marked line.

The great stories always fall under the categories, ones that stay etched in our minds and the ones that get blurry after sometimes due to some of us readers going through more than 100 book a year. Somehow Leigh Fallon's Carrier series falls in the second category. There's no doubt, I love Carrier of the Mark. I love a good YA romance with a well done starcrossed romance but its been done so many times and matter of the fact Shadow of the Mark had been sitting on my shelf for a bit too long.

Of course I loved the sequel but I just had to review the first book to refresh what happened. Megan and Adam were stronger than ever. The pull is still very strong. They are still forbidden to be together. Also the problem from the first book maybe done and gone but trouble still finds its way to our heroes. Rian was just brilliant. He just shone through here. And Aine was a breath of fresh air. The cover is beautiful but its not original at all just a reposition of the first one.

Shadow of the Mark starts soon after the first one finishes. There is loads and loads of drama and angst. Marked can never be together but Megan & Adam are prepared to defy the norm. Who to trust and who deserves caution. Everyone has their own motive. But the pull is still there, I just finished it a few days back and I can still feel it although events happen that are already spewing out the dire consequences. And I am more than interested to see where Fallon takes them in the next book.

"A fantastic sequel abound in danger, secrets and an all encompassing forbidden love"

Genre :      Young Adult, Paranormal, Romance

Publisher: Harper Teen

Release Date: 9th July, 2013

My Copy: bought (ebook)

Rate:              4/5 (Really Liked It)

Other Books in the series (review links):
                #1 Carrier of the Mark 

Buy:           Amazon | Book Depository 

Bhinian Empire #2 Empire of Shadows

Presenting Bhinian Empire #2 Empire of Shadows by Miriam Forster.

Here is the summary of the book:

Cast out of her family three years ago, Mara turned to the only place that would take her—a school where students train to protect others. But Mara is stunned when guarding a noble girl in the Empire’s capital turns out to be more dangerous than she could’ve imagined. More shocking still, she finds the boy she thought she had lost forever outside the gates of her new home.

Mara knew her life in the dizzying Imperial city would hold dangers. How could she have known that her heart, as well as her life, would be at stake?

Empire of Shadows will take readers on a spellbinding journey into the world Miriam Forster first introduced in City of a Thousand Dolls—a world with a divided society, deadly courtiers, heroic traitors, and deeply laid conspiracies.

After a vividly enriching experience with City of a Thousand Dolls, Miriam Forster returns with the next book in her Bhinian Empire series. And its a trip to the past as Nisha Arvi's parents Mara and Emil take center stage. This is their story. How they meet and what circumstances prompt them to leave Nisha at the estate and explain what we saw the first time round. And Forster did not disappoint.

Told in the oscillating perspectives of Mara and Emil, Empire of Shadows is just that. A standalone. A story unto its own and our lead pair made for great protagonists. One exiled from her Tiger-sune clan & working to regain her honor. The other, the elder heir to the Arvi clan, slated to be the leader but not at all in want of the position. "City of a Thousand Dolls" gave us an express view of its namesake and "Empire of Shadows" gives us the world outside from the evergreen forests to Kamal, the largest city, the capital of the Empire.

Simply speechless. A full fledged galvanizing-ly action-packed read. Empire of Shadows has everything you want in it. Danger, secrets, conspiracies, court politics, sweet sweet romance and teeny-tiny bit of magic involved. Mara & Emil were the perfect anchors and they shoulder the responsibility of carrying over the full burden of the plot extremely well. The cover of course compliments it all pretty, deserving the attention it garners. You just can't stop admiring it can you!

A strong and resilient heroine in Mara and an intensely loyal hero and love interest in Emil. Mara is a protector. She will go to great lengths to protect the entity she cares for. Bouts of guilt and grief but she is survivor and such hard lessons have only hardened her resolve to do whatever honor demands of her. Emil was just too sweet. He respected her and opted for Mara to make up her mind, for them to have a chance.

Without any lag, the plot ploughs forward, hooking us in its throws. Unexpected twists at every turns and traitors in highly unlikely places. We meet a lot of familiar faces and read more about the Empire at large. Finishing with an epic and thrilling conclusion, the connections between book 1 & 2 are realized. Of course there is much more left unsaid and we are all the more eager to read more stories about the Bhinian Empire.

"Epic & vividly exotic adventure that will keep you transfixed till the end"

Genre :      Young Adult, Paranormal, Dystopia, Fantasy, Romance

Publisher: Harper Teen

Release Date: 4th November, 2014

My Copy: publisher and edelweiss

Rate:              5/5 (It was Amazing)

Other Books in the series (review links):
                #1 City of a Thousand Dolls 

Buy:           Amazon | Book Depository 

Doctor Who: The Blood Cell

Presenting Doctor Who; The Blood Cell by James Goss.

Here is the summary of the book:

"Release the Doctor — or the killing will start."

An asteroid in the furthest reaches of space - the most secure prison for the most dangerous of criminals. The Governor is responsible for the worst fraudsters and the cruellest murderers. So he's certainly not impressed by the arrival of the man they're calling the most dangerous criminal in the quadrant. Or, as he prefers to be known, the Doctor.

What does impress the Governor is the way the new prisoner immediately sets about trying to escape. And keeps trying. Finally, he sends for the Doctor and asks him why? But the answer surprises even the Governor. And then there's the threat — unless the Governor listens to the Doctor, a lot of people will die.

Who is the Doctor and what's he really doing here? Why does he want to help the Governor? And who is the young woman who comes every day to visit him, only to be turned away by the guards?

When the killing finally starts, the Governor begins to get his answers...

After The Crawling Terror, 'The Blood Cell' is another 12th Doctor (Peter Capaldi) and it has a lot to recommend it. An eye-catching cover and the first line of the synopsis is one too. I wasn't disappointed at all. Hooked till the last page. Till the last line. But there is something more that sets it apart from the rest. Unlike all the other Doctor Who who I have read, the whole thing is told in the perspective of another character (the Governor).

Written in 1st Person point of view of the incharge of the Prison, the Governor. The author totally did justice to not only the Doctor and Clara but to the Governor's backstory in the lot as well. Also because it is the Prison in general that is fashioned as the central character of the story. With its ins and outs and all the mysterious threat that surrounds its inmates. 

The author did a great job of emulating this incarnation too. Here I felt he put Capaldi's Doctor in words the best. This one is much darker, impulsive with an angry face. And there is that ingenuity too. He is much like the classic Doctor incarnations and has successfully carved a niche for himself. Clara is also not far behind and Goss' lines fits her in quite amazingly. The Governor in question is another one marvelously incorporated as the narrator.

The Blood Cell is much more darker then all the others I have read. With heightened emotions and its dark theme, we feel everything that happens and its not all pleasant I tell you. The Prison itself has some great dirty, deceptive secrets and it makes the story even more attention grabber than ever.

"A scintillating adventure in the dark reaches of The Prison"

Genre :      Fantasy, Sci-fi, Tv tie-in

Publisher: Broadway Books

Release Date: 9th September, 2014

My Copy: publisher and edelweiss

Rate:              5/5 (It was Amazing)

Other Books on Doctor Who 
                        (review links)
    
Buy:           Amazon