Review: Hex You

Hex You by P.C. Cast
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Mercy and Hunter are now the protectors of the Gates since their mother was murdered by a demon. These gates lead to different underworlds where creatures of legend and mythology are real. When Mercy and Khenti get trapped in the Ancient Egyptian Underworld, Hunter must determine what needs to be done to get them out. Of course, one catastrophe is not enough. Amphitrite has not been completely defeated and she plans to get revenge on Hunter. Since Hunter is stretched thin with too many magical attacks, the Gates are no longer keeping the creatures at bay. Will Hunter save her twin and the residents of Goodeville? What sacrifices will need to be made along the way?

Hex You is the third book in the Sisters of Salem series. This supernatural novel takes off quickly and does not spend a lot of time rehashing events from the previous books (thank goodness), yet I had no problem following along and quickly remembered who everyone was. This is not a very long book so the twists and turns came regularly and the characters were varied, yet relatable. I believe this is supposed to be a trilogy (and this part of the story is complete), but I can see Cast and Cast creating more stories in this world they created.

View all my reviews

Review: Going Dark

Going Dark by Melissa de la Cruz
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Josh is at the airport ready to head home after a wonderful trip to Rome with his girlfriend.  The problem is she has disappeared.  They were having lunch before going to the airport when she suddenly got angry and left.  When he gets home he doesn’t know what to do.  He decides to do nothing … until people begin to wonder if he did something to her.  How do you prove you are innocent when there is no body?  What really happened?

Going Dark is a stand-alone mystery that had me thinking I knew where it was going and left me surprised with the truth.  This is not a jaw-dropping surprise, but it didn’t end with what I was thinking during the first half of the book.  Cruz has stepped out of her normal fantasy genre and has hit a home run with a great escape read that is also a quick read.  I recommend Going Dark to all mystery fans.

View all my reviews

Review: Queen Among the Dead

Queen Among the Dead by Lesley Livingston
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Magic has been banned in the kingdom of Eire but the Druid priests are keeping it alive in secret.  Neve is the youngest princess and Ronan is on the path to be a Druid priest.  Their roles may be against each other, but when Eire is threatened they work together in an attempt to have Neve on the throne.  What will Neve learn about magic and herself?  Will the kingdom of Eire survive?

Queen Among the Dead is a stand-alone fantasy adventure that will bring Irish legends to a new set of readers.  I love retold fairytales and legends and was looking forward to this novel, but the final result left me feeling unimpressed.  I’m not sure what was missing, but my mind kept wandering and I had to stop often and try to think about the story to help it make sense to me.  A good read, but shouldn’t be rushed to the top of a TBR list.

View all my reviews

Review: The Stranded

The Stranded by Sarah Daniels
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Forty years after an apocalyptic war, the decedents of the passengers of Arcadia are still on the ship.  Some have a plan to get off the ship and onto the mainland, but many know that they are stuck until their last breath because the residents of Arcadia are not allowed to leave.  Esther is working hard to better herself, but life is not fair and many obstacles are in her way.  Nik wants to liberate the Arcadia and is willing to do anything to break free.  When these two lives cross, the lives of everyone around them are also changed.

The Stranded is the first book in the Stranded series and it isn’t really in one genre.  I would almost say it is a sci-fi adventure, but that doesn’t do it justice either.  The entire time I was reading this book I was thinking about how I would react … how would I behave … what would I do to survive?  This is a series, so there isn’t a clean ending, but readers are not left with a cliffhanger.  I will definitely be looking for book number two next summer.

View all my reviews