Book Review: Everlasting (The Night Watchmen Series Book 1) by Candace Knoebel

Title: Everlasting
Author: Candace Knoebel
Series: Night Watchmen Book 1
Pages: 428
My Rating: ❤❤❤❤

What if your destiny lay on the other side of death?

The annual Culling ceremony is a day every coming-of-age novice looks forward to within the Primeval Coven. It’s the start to being initiated into the Night Watchmen, humankind’s protectors, and it’s the long-awaited day when novices discover if they’re a Hunter or a Witch.

But this day is not a happy one for Faye Middleton. Not when she’s known her whole life that she’s a Defect and is about to face banishment in front of her fellow novices. She’s forced to attend the Culling with little hope for her future, but what she discovers about herself is far worse than she could’ve imagined. And far more dangerous.

Thrown into training and separated from her friends, Faye must learn to adjust. She struggles to find her place within the Coven, and with Jaxen Gramm, the darkly handsome and extremely unnerving man assigned to watch and protect her. Emotions run high, and when she discovers a deadly secret about him, her struggles deepen. As corruption within the Coven begins to unravel, Faye pieces together her role in saving the future of her people, and within Jaxen’s life...but will the truth save her, or be her undoing?

I know you have probably heard me say this already, but I love free books!! I got Everlasting on my kindle, along with several other free books. I just cannot help myself, I see a free book in a genre I like and immediately click purchase! Sometimes I try to stick to the 4 1/2 or 5 star ratings, but Everlasting sounded pretty interesting, but had a 4 star rating. I also loved that it had 428 pages!!

Everlasting follows Faye, a girl who is dreading the Culling ceremony. In this ceremony, it is decided whether you will be a Hunter or a Witch. This ceremony also gives you an affinity mark. This mark will be shared with one other person, who in turn will be your partner for life. I know scary right? This is not what Faye is worried about though. Her whole life she has suspected or known that she is a defect. She believes that she will be forced to leave the Coven and have a normal human life. She already has her college acceptance letter and everything.

As like any paranormal book, we all know that things do not always go the way that the main character thinks it will. For Faye, circumstances really throw her for a loop. Not only is she a myth (you'll understand later), but she is somehow linked to the moody Jaxen Gramm, her best friend isn't having as good a time as she thought she would, and something has happened to her parents!!

This book is full of action! I thought that there was no way there could be another fight scene, but Knoebel would surprise me and throw another one in. Knoebel uses all of those 428 pages, they are not just fluff!!

Book Review: Lark (Lark Trilogy Book 1) by Erica Cope

Title: Lark
Author: Erica Cope
Series: Lark #1
Pages: 314
My Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤

The last time she checked, Mia Carrington was pretty sure that she was a normal girl with a completely ordinary life.

She goes to high school, has a crush on the gorgeous and mysterious new boy in town, and has strange dreams that she can’t help but feel are real somehow.

Okay, so maybe she’s not all that normal after all.

A freak accident changes Mia’s life forever when she is thrown into another world and left to deal with the revelation that she is the daughter of the King of the Light Elves. Throw in an ominous prophecy predicting that Mia will break a curse unleashing the Dark Elves on the world and well, things don’t look too good.

There is danger lurking at every corner in this strange world and Mia isn’t sure who she can trust…

The only thing she is certain of is that the Dark Elves know about her, and they will stop at nothing until they have her.

Mia is ready for her senior year! She has a job she likes, does well in school, and was even voted cheerleading captain. In addition to all of that, she met Grey. He seems to pay attention to no one else, but her. They even both work at the movie theater together. Despite this, Grey insists that they are good friends. Mia cannot help but wonder, "What if?" She thinks she knows Grey so well, but after an accident that should have resulted in a trip to the hospital, she learns that there is much more to him than meets the eye.

It turns out, that the world is a lot bigger, and dangerous than Mia realized. Her biological father that ran out on her mother before Mia was born, finally comes back into the picture. Turns out he is actually an elf king! As if things couldn't get any crazier, turns out Mia could be part of an ancient prophecy that could result in the dark elves being able to escape the underworld. Wow, no pressure right?

I really enjoyed Lark! The plot of this book is actually very similar to Amanda Hocking's Trylle trilogy. The same kind of stuff happens, but I think that Cope is actually going to take a different route in the rest of the series. Just because they are similar, does not mean that Lark is not worth reading! I loved the Trylle trilogy, and think that Lark is just as good!! Mia is a very relatable character. She describes herself as somewhat of an introvert that loves to read. I mean how can that not be relatable?

"We both know that the movie theater is probably number two on the avid reader's dream job list, number one being the library, of course."

"I'm pretty certain Senior-itis does in fact exist and that the disease is currently running rampant through my veins."

"This Jacoby character, regardless of how dreamy he may appear, is aiding and abetting my captivity. Not exactly the kind of guy you want to bring home to meet mom."

Book Review: Found (The Crescent Chronicles Book 3) by Alyssa Rose Ivy

Title: Found
Author: Alyssa Rose Ivy
Series: Crescent Chronicles #3
Pages: 234
My Rating: ❤❤❤❤

Levi might be hot, strong, and have a cool set of wings, but it's not enough to make up for keeping Allie in the dark.

Allie's tired of being left with more questions than answers. She's tired of loving a guy who refuses to level with her. Most of all, she's tired of her life spinning out of control.

Desperate to save Jess no matter the personal cost, Allie has to face the possibility that the only one she can trust is herself.

Allie's story continues and is filled with just as many twists as ever. Not only does Ivy have the awesome dialogue down, but she is also good with creating some shock factors. There were places that the plot went that I would not have ever expected. Ivy has created a very interesting world, and she must have thought so to, because she is not stopping here! Although Found is the last book in the Crescent Chronicles, she has actually used that same world, and some of the same characters in two new book series. Both the Empire Chronicles and the Allure Chronicles take place in a world with the underground society. I also think that the society will actually be expanded upon and hopefully more shifters will be introduced in the two newer series.

Yes, here I am talking about the new series, so I'll go ahead and get back to the book that I actually just finished. So, Found takes place where Focus left off. I actually pictured the story unfolding one way, but I was very surprised to actually see the story go in a different direction. This was not a bad thing, the little twists the story had were pretty entertaining. Despite writing more books in the same world, the actual Crescent Chronicles was wrapped up very nicely. Ivy did a great job on this series and I am so glad she decided to write more books involving some of the characters I came to know and love!

"You are a very threatening princess."

"Be careful or I'll beat you up with my tiara."

Book Review: Focus (The Crescent Chronicles Book 2) by Alyssa Rose Ivy

Title: Focus
Author: Alyssa Rose Ivy
Series: Crescent Chronicles #2
Pages: 387
My Rating: ❤❤❤❤

Freshman year of college is hard even when you're not tied to the future king of a supernatural society.

Allie dives into college head first with Hailey as her roommate and the city of New Orleans as her backyard. As things within The Society heat up, Allie realizes that whether she's with Levi or not, she's in far too deep to turn back.

 

After what happened towards the end of the first book, Flight, Allie has found herself in way over her head. She is angry and Levi has a lot to make up for. It is actually entertaining to watch his various attempts in achieving her forgiveness. Don't worry though, the book is still full of great sarcasm and one-liners! Also, interestingly enough, we get to know Jared a little better. In addition to that, the crazy girl that Hailey was scared to room with makes an appearance!

I really enjoyed Focus and Ivy didn't let me down, I was still laughing just as much as I did when I read the first book in the series. Just like what I said when I reviewed Flight, I'm almost 100% positive that Ivy loves writing this crazy fun dialogue. There is no way she does not laugh while writing some of these things!!

 "This was one of those non-glamorous parts about college that people never tell you about - worrying that the dilapidated apartment hosting a party would fall apart with you in it."

Book Review: Flight (The Crescent Chronicles Book 1) by Alyssa Rose Ivy

Title: Flight
Author: Alyssa Rose Ivy
Series: Crescent Chronicles #1
Pages: 268
My Rating: ❤❤❤❤

Sometimes you just have to take flight.

A summer in New Orleans is exactly what Allie needs before starting college. Accepting her dad’s invitation to work at his hotel offers an escape from her ex-boyfriend and the chance to spend the summer with her best friend. Meeting a guy is the last thing on her mind—until she sees Levi.

Unable to resist the infuriating yet alluring Levi, Allie finds herself at the center of a supernatural society and forced to decide between following the path she has always trusted or saving a city that might just save her.

I tend to be a bit sarcastic and excuse my language, a bit of a smart-ass. I am also a somewhat combative person that likes to argue. It's only natural that the characters in books that turn out to be my favorites are the same way. Flight centers around a recent high-school graduate named Allison, or Allie for short. Not only does she have the traits that I just listed, but she has also always made straight A's and has actually been accepted into Princeton. Wanting one fun summer where she can figure things out, she takes a job at her father's newest hotel purchase in New Orleans.

She immediately meets Levi, who could very well be one of the most arrogant guys she has ever met. Despite making a vow to swear off guys for a while, she cannot help but be drawn to Levi. She starts to care for him, but keeps telling herself it is only a summer fling. As she gets closer to Levi and his friends, she learns about things that she had no idea even existed in the first place. She wanted an adventure, but you know the saying "Be careful what you wish for..."

I couldn't help but love Allie, I mean Allison is my middle name after all. She is not afraid to stand up and make snarky comments right back. I'm sure Ivy had a fantastic time coming up with the dialogue in this book! It is so easy to get swept up in the plot and scenery, I mean this book makes me wish that I was down in New Orleans!!