Book Review: Avenging Heart (Ignited Book 4) by Desni Dantone

Title: Avenging Heart
Author: Desni Dantone
Series: Ignited #4
Pages: 354
My Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤

Kris Young wants nothing more than to be a normal girl. Thrust into a life she didn’t ask for, and faced with a future that she does not want, she sets off an adventure that she hopes will lead to her freedom. With her best friend’s life, the future of the Kala-Skotadi war, and her own soul at stake, failure is not an option.

Old and new allies unite on a quest against the demigods and Kris’s half-sister, Circe, the mastermind behind it all. Together, they fight to sever Kris and Alec from their evil ties once and for all, and rescue Callie from her own doomed fate. But Circe has other plans for them.

When an unexpected loss strikes the group, will Kris lose the will to go on? Or will a need for vengeance drive her to finally succeed?

Find out how the story of Kris, Nathan, Alec, and Callie will end in the epic conclusion to The Ignited Series, where, in the race against time and evil, all bets are off . . . and no one is safe.

Avenging Heart was a true treasure, and I absolutely loved it! I admit, after reading the synopsis I was afraid of what was going to happen and pretty terrified to read it. I had fallen in love with these characters, so of course I didn't want anything bad to happen to them...however, at the same time, I had fallen in love with them, so I just had to know what Dantone had in store. Of course, Dantone completely blew me away!

This installment was packed full of action, emotion, and of course mythology. Also, not only do you get to see different sides to Nathan and Kris, but you also get to know some of the more "background" characters. And, they are pretty great! I was determined to dislike Lillian, but instead found myself liking her more and more.

I am also happy to say that I found myself blissfully satisfied with how this series wrapped up. Dantone did a perfect job! There weren't any unanswered questions and I didn't find myself feeling let down. It was just perfect! Don't get me wrong however, I would be up for getting some more Nathan, Kris, and Alec!

"Either outfit combined with the high black boots Lillian had set on the floor would make me look 'street corner on the wrong side of town' ready."

"And some plan it was. Wild...crazy...maybe even stupid. But necessary."

"My incredibly sexy, hard-nosed man needed help. It was enough to make a girl swoon."

Book Review: Salvaged Soul (Ignited Book 3) by Desni Dantone

Title: Salvaged Soul
Author: Desni Dantone
Series: Ignited #3
Pages: 384
My Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤

Life in paradise isn’t exactly what Kris thought it would be. Treated like a prisoner and forced to keep her romance with Nathan hidden, she struggles to adapt to island life with the Kala. Worse, her specialties are coming in faster than she can control, and she fears the Skotadi within her will soon win the battle for her soul. Her only hope is to embrace her Incantation lineage, master the skills she’s supposed to have, and free herself of her destiny. If only she could figure out how to do it…

The ghosts of Nathan’s past still inhabit the island. Adapting to the Kala way of life again is something he will grudgingly accept, as long as they agree to help Kris. But falling back into the Kala system means being a Kala soldier, and when the gods ask for help, he cannot refuse. Sent around the world on a mission, he faces new dangers and stumbles upon a startling discovery that could change everything…

Together, they face their biggest hurdle yet and put their relationship to the ultimate test. When old temptations arise, new enemies emerge, and emotions run high, can their love survive?

Once again, Dantone does not disappoint!! Just as with both Ignited and Sacrificed, I found myself instantly sucked in by Salvaged Soul!

The world that Dantone has created in her Ignited Series is a remarkable one. It is full of mythology, drama, and some amazing scenery. Despite Kris' complaints about how she feels like a prisoner at the Kala homebase, I wouldn't mind being there. It's an island surrounded by beautiful blue water! Which, of course, makes for some pretty great beach scenes 😉. Additionally, if that isn't enough, part of the book takes place in Greece!

To put the cherry on top, this book also alternates between Kris' and Nathan's points of view. I really love finally getting to see what goes on in Nathan's head, However, I wish the author would have gone one step farther and threw in Alec's point of view, because it would have been super entertaining, and not to mention he is one of my favorite characters!

I can't wait to see how this story plays out, although the synopsis for Avenging Heart has me a little nervous about the fate of some of the characters. I'm sure though, that it will be just as fantastic as its predecessors!

Alec grinned. "Honey, I don't need to use my paranormal skills to charm any girl, including you. It's called charisma, and I have it."

"And...you were right. I was wrong. It doesn't happen often, so I'll let you bask in the glory...for now."

"The way I see it, I've been told to go to hell so many times, I figure it's about time for me to go see what all the fuss is about. I'm looking forward to it."

Book Review: Sacrificed (Ignited Book 2) by Desni Dantone

Title: Sacrificed
Author: Desni Dantone
Series: Ignited #2
Pages: 346
My Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤

Kris Young is no normal seventeen year old.

She’s the worst thing to come along since the black plague, and she will do anything to alter the destiny she was made for. Failure is not an option. But if the shadows of evil overcome her…

Only one person can stop her.

When she meets Micah, she doesn’t expect him to save her life, or to offer his help. They were born enemies after all. Though he boasts noble intentions and a belief that, together, he and Kris could swing the tide of the war to the side of good once and for all, Kris can’t help but suspect that he is hiding something.

They have a plan…

Strengthened by new allies, Kris and gang take their fight to the Skotadi. As they discover shocking secrets and grow closer to learning of the evil-doers ultimate plans, Kris worries that time has run out. Struggling with her inner demons, she does the only thing she can to protect the ones that she cares about most, even if it tears her heart in two.

Question is, where will her heart lead her?

Miss Dantone really blew me away with Ignited, so I had pretty high expectations for its sequel. I am extremely pleased to say that she did not disappoint!!  Sacrificed was just as good, if not better than the first!

Kris is a pretty no-nonsense girl that somehow manages to get herself involved in a lot of drama. At times, I think she may just be a drama magnet. Somehow, not one...not two...but three, yes three, guys waiting in the wings. So, obviously there is quite a bit of drama in this book, which, of course makes it super interesting!

In addition to the boy drama Kris faces, there is also the drama that goes along with being what she is. Along with this revelation, new twists and turns keep coming up. I really love where Dantone is taking the story, it's really exciting! So far, I love this story and cannot wait to read book 3!!

"Awesome. Just what I wanted to be - the weirdo in a herd of black sheep..."

"It was a little unnerving, Alec being quiet. I wasn't used to it."

"If anything could stunt the despair brought on by the events of the last thirty-six hours, it was bacon."

Book Review: Ignited (Ignited Book 1) by Desni Dantone

Title: Ignited
Author: Desni Dantone
Series: Ignited #1
Pages: 344
My Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤

Seventeen year old Kris Young is on the run from a throng of superhuman golden-eyed freaks hell-bent on seeing her dead, and she doesn't know why. Good thing she has her guardian angel to protect her...sort of.

Kris is aided by Nathan, the mysterious man that ends up being anything but angelic when he rescues her for the fourth time in fourteen years. Even if the handsome hero illusion is shattered by his harsh treatment of her, he knows how to fight this strange enemy and is determined to keep her safe at all costs.

As the body count rises in their wake, Nathan introduces Kris to a world in which not everyone is human and the battle lines between good and evil are clearly drawn. Kris's piece in the puzzle is something neither is aware of and, as they uncover the truth, neither is prepared for what they find. Overcoming twists and revelations that shatter both of their lives, they discover that nothing is as it seems and nothing, least of all their hearts, are safe.

From debut author, Desni Dantone, Ignited is the first novel in a tale of first love, mystery and adventure that will introduce you to an exciting new world as Kris discovers how she fits in it.

Ignited grabbed me from the first chapter and refused to let go. It appears that it still has a hold on me, since upon finishing it, I immediately had to start the second book, Sacrificed!

Kris has been through a lot in her life, and somehow despite all of the hardships she has been through, someone always seems to save her. Her guardian angel, or so she believes. When she gets into another sticky situation, her "guardian angel" has no choice but to once again save her life. Only, this time he can't just leave her, and instead must take her with him. 

At first, Kris is thrilled, she finally gets a chance to ask her mystery man some long overdue questions. She soon learns however that her guardian angel isn't much of an angel. Instead, Nathan turns out to be infuriating, he just barks orders at her and hardly ever smiles. Being the queen of sarcasm, Kris, pushes his buttons to no end, and absolutely loves it!

The bickering between Kris and Nathan is somewhat overshadowed by the underlying chemistry between them. So, not only does Kris have that to deal with, but she also has to outrun the "golden-eyed freaks" that are after her and figure out why they even want her. 

As you can believe, this makes for a very, very interesting action-packed story! I absolutely loved reading it! I won't give too much away, but I greatly appreciated the fantasy/paranormal twist that Dantone weaved into the story!

"Things could have been worse. It could have been a gym day and my sports bra had hit the floor at his feet. I should be grateful that it was only a pack of cheese-flavored crackers he held out to me."

"He was the type of guy that could take a small hit to his ego. It wasn't going to go anywhere."

"If only I had known that one day I would have been forced to run for my life, I might have put more effort into gym class this year."

"You learn that in the boy scouts?" I was impressed, though he couldn't tell through all the sarcasm.
"I wasn't a boy scout."
No kidding. I was pretty sure they taught manners.

"He was spill my hot chocolate all over myself and barely notice that I had third degree burns hot."

"I'm sorry," he sputtered. "I don't think I heard you right. Did I hear you say I was nice?"

"I couldn't help the trace of sarcasm in my tone. It was in my nature after all."

Book Review: The Awakening (Sapient Salvation Book 2) by Jayne Faith

Title: The Awakening
Author: Jayne Faith
Series: Sapient Salvation #2
Pages: 200
My Rating: ❤❤❤

Maya survived the first Tournament challenge only to learn that new and powerful enemies lurk in the Calistan palace. Even Lord Toric’s affection and guards aren’t enough to keep her safe, and she's still on her own in the Tournament--the alien lord is forbidden from interfering. As the list of deadly foes grows, Toric and Maya must uncover the traitor in the royal family who aims to murder Maya and destroy the Calistans' chance at reclaiming their homeland. Will Maya summon the strength and luck she needs to meet her highest destiny?

I enjoyed the first book in this series and was a little saddened to see that the second book didn't really live up to my expectations. It started off good, but then started to lag when I got towards the middle of the book. However, after a while it picked back up again, and then once again, it ended abruptly.

One thing that I absolutely loved about The Awakening was how we were able to get more points of view than just Maya and Toric's. I wasn't expecting the perspective change, but am so thankful that Lunaria's point of view was thrown in. Turns out, I really like her character!

Despite the slowness towards the middle of the book and the cliffhanger, I still like the overall story and am extremely interested to see where Faith takes it. I just have way too many questions that I desperately need answered!!