Book Review Pale Demon By Kim Harrison

Goodreads Summary: New York Times bestselling author Kim Harrison takes her indomitable heroine on a wild journey of dark magic and supernatural adventure.

Pale Demon
Condemned and shunned for black magic, Rachel Morgan has three days to get to the annual witches' convention and clear her name or be trapped in the demonic ever-after...forever after.

But a witch, an elf, a living vampire, and a pixy in one car going across the country? Talk about a recipe for certain disaster, even without being the targets for assassination.

For after centuries of torment, a fearsome demon walks in the sunlight - freed at last to slay the innocent and devour souls. But his ultimate goal is Rachel Morgan, and in the fight for survival that follows, even embracing her own demonic nature may not be enough to save her.

Goodreads Rating: 4.45 stars with over 40,000 ratings
Genre Listing: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Witches, Demons, Vampires
Get the Book: Amazon, Book Depository
Goodreads Challenge: 15/30
2018 Reading Challenge: #60, The Main Character has the same hair color that you do (Find the challenge here.)

Previous reviews on the series: Black Magic Sanction,  White Witch Black Curse, For A Few Demons More, The Outlaw Demon Wails

Book Review:

I went into this book thinking it was going to be not as entertaining as the other books in the series. All of these characters in a car to go on a road trip? This is going to be boring. I should have known better because one minute I'm like 15% into the book, and then I'm at 65%, and it's 4:30 in the morning.  At this point, I didn't want to put it down, but my eyes were watering, and I had to force myself to take a break for some sleep. 

I was thrilled to see Rachel embrace her Demon status, and I loved what she did to the Everafter after accepting this new status. I was kind of hoping she'd stay there a little bit longer, but she quickly went back to the Hollows and found a way to stop her demon magic. A lot of her survival in this book is because of Trent, granted a lot of the trouble is because of Trent too. Given how the book ends, I think I see how the series is going to end as well.

I felt like this book was the start of some growing for Rachel and her friends. Ivy comes to terms with things and mentions how they're all starting to go different ways, which is true. I've already begun the next book in the series, and it touches on this quite a bit. So, I'm curious to see where Rachel's character grows from here.

I've been trying to think of what series' I can compare this with to give readers an idea of whether or not they'll like it or not. The series is highly regarded by Charlaine Harris, from what I can tell. So fans of Sookie Stackhouse will probably enjoy it as well. It actually reminds me of female-centered version of Jim Butcher's Dresden files as well. The entire series has a lot of snarky humor, a lot of action, an exciting world, a fantastic backstory for the characters and the magic, and is all around just great urban fantasy. I can't recommend this series enough.

Book Review of Death's Hand by S.M. Reine

Goodreads Summary: Policing relations between Heaven, Hell, and Earth is messy and violent, but Elise Kavanagh and James Faulkner excelled at it-- until coming across a job so brutal that even they couldn't stand to see one more dead body. Now they've been pretending to be normal for five years, leaving their horrific history a dark secret. Elise works in an office. James owns a business. None of their friends realize they used to be one of the world's best killing teams. After years of hiding, something stirs. Bodies are vanishing. Demons scurry in the shadows of the night. A child has been possessed. Some enemies aren't willing to let the secrets of the past stay dead...
Goodreads Rating: 3.72 stars with over 2,900 ratings
Genre Listing: Fantasy, Paranormal, Demons, Witches, Magic, Horror, Supernatural
Get the Book: Amazon, The Descent Series Book 1-3

Book Review:

I've had the Descent omnibus (books 1-3) on my kindle for ages. I finally got around to reading the first book in the series by SM  Reine, Death's Hand.

The concept of Death's Hand was very interesting. Elise is a young demon hunter partnered with a witch named James. The bond is called something along the lines of Kopis, and I forget what the other term is... Apsis? I don't think that's right, but it hardly seems relevant considering SM Reine didn't actually go into detail about it. Apparently, Elise is the only female Kopis and is the most powerful one at that. James is some super powerful High Priest witch. I really would have liked more detail here, because I feel like something was missing. I felt like the reader was just supposed to know what this magical bond was with little guidelines. Through context clues, I gather that the bond is a warrior and a witch pairing. History on this would have been really helpful. Why were they bonded? How did they become bonded? Did they chose one another or was it fate that made them a fighting duo? I can't answer these questions because they weren't answered in Death's Hand. I can't even start to explain how frustrating this is.

In addition to the lack of detail regarding this magical bonding between Elise and James, I feel like I'm missing part of the story. For about half of the story, the timeline is non-linear, which drives me absolutely insane. It bounces between James finding Elise several years ago in a field nearly dead, a few years ago when they apparently saved the world, and then the present timeline. It's incredibly hard to keep up with, especially with so little detail on their origins and back history. I kept having to check to make sure I was reading the first in the series because it definitely doesn't seem like it. Side note to this, I skimmed some reviews on it, and apparently this is a companion series to something called Death's Avatar where these events are explained. This only makes me even more frustrated because this really isn't made known. I'm going to guess this other book makes this one make more sense, but if that's the case don't list this as the first in the series. That is just incredibly misleading. 

I didn't really feel like any of the characters were particularly likable. Elise is robotic and cold, with no actual feelings. James is okay, I guess, but I'm not sure what the relationship is with Elise. At times it seems more like a father/ daughter relationship, but then sometimes it seems like it could be pseudo-romantic. I just don't get any feelings towards either of the characters. The side characters aren't much better.

Faithful to the rest of this story's form, there are no details on the demons. Apparently, there are all these different classes of demons, but no real information is given on them. The most you get is oh this Demon is David, and he's this. Okay, that's super. Why is that important to me as a reader? This just continues on with the theme that this does not seem like it begins the series. I can't get over the missing information. I'm trying, but it's not going to happen. 

 I want to be impressed with Death's Hand by SM Reine, I really do. The truth, however, is that I'm not impressed at all. Combine the missing details with the fact that this book could use a serious once over by an editor and you have an interesting concept that ended up being a total let down. I need facts, I need details, I need characters to have feelings. This book has none of these things. I think my feelings may have been different if I knew this was a companion series to another book. Perhaps that book explains all of my questions, who knows. The point is if that book should be read first then it needs to be stated, and this shouldn't be marked as the first in the series. 

Book Review: The Coveted by Laura Thalassa

Goodreads Summary:  “In places that know more about heaven and hell than we do, you have a reputation, Gabrielle. To them you are known as the devil’s consort.”
When a body shows up near Peel Academy, all signs indicate the killer is a vampire. Ravaged throat, body drained of blood. At least that’s all it appears to be when the Politia, the supernatural police force, assigns Gabrielle to the case. Now it’s Gabrielle’s job to figure out who did it.

But after a second body turns up with the same lethal wounds, it’s clear that a serial killer is stalking the island. The murders have compromised the truce between the Politia and vampires, and as long as the killer roams free, it is in danger of dissolving. If that happens, no vampire is safe from persecution, not even Gabrielle.

Now Gabrielle must team up with Andre, her soulmate and the one person she’s tried to stay away from, to investigate the murders before the truce dissolves. And keeping her distance is proving to be impossible.

But Gabrielle has a bigger problem. The world of the dead know about her, and their whispers hint that something is coming for her. And it’s coming soon.
Goodreads Rating: 4.03 Stars with over 1500 ratings
Genre Listing: Fantasy, Paranormal, Vampires, Romance, Young Adult, Demons, Witches, Shapeshifters
Get the Book: Amazon, Book Depository
Previous Reviews on the series: The Unearthly

Review:

Edited 12/1/2016

I'm going to be addicted to this series. I can already feel it happening. The first book in the series I kind of hated myself for liking it so much. It was cheesy, and the main love interest was totally controlling. The Coveted still had a lot of those aspects, but I feel like there was a lot more character depth in it. There is still a lot of "Omg, Andre's so sexy" taking up space, but I didn't feel like it was as frequent as it was in The Unearthly.  I felt like Andre was less of a controlling jackass in this book. He was still controlling, but it wasn't as frequent, and he showed  a lot of concern for Gabrielle.

Oliver was way less annoying this book than he was in Unearthly, which was nice. I was glad to see that Leeanne ends up playing a huge part in this book. It just doesn't seem like it until the end of it. There's quite a bit of mystery in this book, which I enjoyed. Some of it was easy to predict, some of it wasn't. It kept me interested, and I didn't want to put it down. There's also some new supernatural beings that are introduced in this one. I felt that Gabrielle stood up for herself in this one. I think she could end up being a really strong character throughout the series. I got the feeling that Gabrielle was growing and coming to terms with her powers.  I enjoyed that in a lot of ways she saved herself and her friends, but her friends also saved her. It wasn't one way or the other.

I will say, this series is getting dark. A lot of the situations in this one were creepy, which surprised me, given that I felt the first book was somewhat cheesy. I'm looking forward to seeing what the rest of the series has in store. I'm hoping it goes the route that she stays with the Politia. I think that Gabrielle makes a good cop, and the supernatural murder mystery aspect is fascinating.

Book Review of White Witch, Black Curse by Kim Harrison

Goodreads Summary: New York Times bestselling author Kim Harrison returns to the sinister and seductive Hollows for the newest blockbuster adventure featuring Rachel Morgan, witch and bounty hunter.
White Witch, Black Curse

Some wounds take time to heal...and some scars never fade.

Rachel Morgan, kick-ass witch and bounty hunter, has taken her fair share of hits and has broken lines she swore she would never cross. But when her lover was murdered, it left a deeper wound than Rachel ever imagined, and now she won't rest until his death is solved...and avenged. Whatever the cost.

Yet the road to hell is paved with good intentions, and when a new predator moves to the apex of the Inderland food chain, Rachel's past comes back to haunt her.

Literally.

Goodreads Rating: 4.34 stars with over 35,000 ratings
Genre Listing: Fantasy, Paranormal, Vampires, Witches, Demons, Magic, Fiction, Romance, Supernatural
Get the Book:  Amazon, Book Depository
My other reviews for Kim Harrison's Books: For A Few Demons More, Outlaw Demon Wails, Black Magic Sanction

Review:

Edited 12/1/2016
I'm probably going to keep this somewhat condensed, as I'm not feeling well at all. I managed to finish this in my sickly boredom and figured I'd go ahead and write my review while it's fresh in my mind.
This was a little hard for me to get into compared to the others in the series. Usually, I jump right into these books, but with WWBC, I didn't get into it until halfway through. For much of the book, I thought that Rachel was incredibly whiny. It wasn't as action-packed as the other books, and I felt like a lot of it was just her trying to heal. Towards the middle, but closer to the end I started to get into it, and it got me hooked like all of the others. I don't binge on this series too much, so I could just be not as into it because I've read a few in a row now.
I didn't feel like this one had as much character depth as the previous books in the series. Rachel spent half the book trying to deal with a compromised aura and chasing a banshee. I don't feel like anyone grew in this book.
This next thought is tied in with the previous sentiment, but it's going to have spoilers. I wanted to separate it so people can skip over if they want. Anyways. I feel like Rachel being shunned should have been a more significant thing. I felt like the way it all happened was just kind of "Oh, I can't sell you this because you're shunned." And Rachel just went along like it was nothing. In the same regards, I felt like everything dealing with Marshall was just awkward. The going from friends to something more, the breakup. It was all just really uncomfortable. I will say that I'm glad that the whole ordeal with Kisten gets solved. Hopefully, now Rachel and Ivy can both move on with it.
I think the addition of Pierce is going to be interesting, and I'm excited to see where that goes. I will say it's what wants me to read the next book the most. I'm probably going to take a hiatus from this series, though. One I'm getting burnt out on it again, and two this was the last book I had. I'm weird about reading a series in both Kindle and paperback, so I'll probably wait until I can get to a bookstore and buy more in the series in paperback.
Overall, I wasn't in love with it like I was the rest of the series. It had some good moments; it had some bad moments. I'm not sworn off from the series, but I don't feel like I need to rush right out and read the next book either.

Book Review of The Outlaw Demon Wails by Kim Harrison

Goodreads Summary: When you dance with demons, you lay your soul on the line...
In the Hollows, where the natural and the supernatural co-exist - not always peacefully - desperate times often call for unorthodox measures. But bounty hunter-witch Rachel Morgan did the absolutely unthinkable to save the lives of her friends: she willingly trafficked in forbidden demon magic. And now her sins have come home to haunt her.

As Rachel hunts for the truth behind a terrifying murder, the discovery of a shocking family secret is about to throw her entire life into question. And the long-lost ancient knowledge she seeks resides in the demonic ever-after. But there are some lines that should never be crossed--like the one Rachel Morgan's stepping over...again!

Goodreads Rating: 4.38 stars with over 41,000 ratings

Genre Listing: Fantasy, Vampires, Paranormal, Witches, Demon, Supernatural, Fiction, Romance

Get the book: Amazon, Book Depository
My other reviews of Kim Harrison's books: White Witch, Black Curse, For A Few Demons More, Black Magic Sanction

Review: 

Edited 12/1/2016
I'm going to try to do this without spoilers, but I make no promises. The Outlaw Demon Wails is going to be a hard book to discuss without spoilers. Wish me luck, I guess!
I thought that  The Outlaw Demon Wails took a predictable turn in a lot of ways. I had a pretty good guess as to how it was going to go with Al and Rachel from the previous book. I'm not disappointed it went that route, just not surprised. In fact, I was kind of hoping it'd come to this, so it makes me very excited to read the next book.
I'm ... confused... I guess by the "big family secret" in this book. I suppose this is where I need to go back and reread the earlier books because I was under the impression that the person it involves was a Vampire and not a witch. Maybe that's just my lack of reading comprehension skills, but it just threw me off and not necessarily in a good way. I was mostly thinking "Wait... what?" during that whole ordeal.
I would have liked to see more of Marshall. He seemed sweet. Maybe he'll be in the next book, but I'm not counting on it. Rachel's relationship with Trent is just odd. They hate each other; their dads were best friends, they frequently try to screw each other over but then end up working together in some fashion. I get the weird feeling there's going to be some dysfunctional romantic relationship there in the future.
I like the new addition of Bis. I hope he sticks around. I like little side characters like that.
I mostly feel that this was just a segue novel to bigger things. It didn't have a whole lot of action, just a bunch of plot twists. I enjoyed it, and it has me in complete anticipation for the next book. I imagine that the 7th book is going to be a thriller given all the information provided in The Outlaw Demon Wails.

Book Review of For A Few Demons More by Kim Harrison

Goodreads Summary: Despite dating one vampire and living with another, Rachel Morgan has always managed to stay just ahead of trouble...until now.
A fiendish serial killer stalks the Hollows, and no one living in or around Cincinnati - human, inhuman, or undead - is safe.

An ancient artifact may be the key to stopping the murderer - a mysterious relic that is now in the hands of Rachel Morgan, fearless, independent bounty hunter, and reckless witch. But revealing it could ignite a battle to the death among the vast and varied local supernatural races.

Rachel's been lucky so far.
But even she can't hide from catastrophe forever.

Goodreads Rating: 4.3 stars with over 42,000 ratings

Genre Listing: Fantasy, Paranormal, Vampires, Witches, Fiction, Magic, Demons, Romance, Supernatural

Get the book: Amazon, Book Depository
My other reviews of Kim Harrison's books: Outlaw Demon Wails, White Witch, Black Curse, Black Magic Sanction

Review:

Edited 12/1/2016
The Hollows is one of my favorite series. I've been reading it for a few years now. That being said, it is not a series I can binge read, hence why I've been reading it for years and just finished book five. I love Rachel as a character. She's so incredibly flawed, but not in a way that seems unrealistic.  I think that Kim Harrison has created a brilliant world with so many details. I  think my favorite thing about the story is the details about the magic. It's very obvious that a lot of thought went into it and everything just seems right.
In the series, there's a definite progression for Rachel and her friends in each book. At the beginning of the series, Rachel's a very straight-laced character and doesn't stray far from her black and white ideas of what's right or wrong. In For A Few Demons More, she is forced to redefine her views, which leads to a whole lot of Demon-Dabbling (Ugh, Spoiler. Sorry.)  It's got me interested to see where this takes her in the next book. I might read the next book in the series sooner than I usually would!
It's been a while since I've read the other books in the series, but I don't feel like this had as much action as the other books did. There were action parts, but they seem to spring up out of nowhere. The downside to taking so long to read these books is I often forget what happened in the previous books. The Hollows is not a series to be read out of order. There's very little catch-up in these books, which is honestly fine by me. Too much rehashing of previous books can be daunting.
I felt that Ivy's presence was a little lacking in this book. I get why it had to be that way, but still. I like Ivy. She's one of my faves. I'm hoping she'll be around more in the next book. This book also leads me to believe my heart is going to break over Jenks' family soon. :( I love those little pixies.
I was wondering why Kisten wasn't in the first part of the book much. I think it had taken a few chapters before he showed up. Given what happens to him at the end and the way it happens, I feel like Harrison was just tired of writing him and needed him to be out of the scene. I hope that means there's going to be a new love interest in the sixth book, but we shall see. I'm kind of okay with this mostly. He seemed cheesy to me, and I wasn't ever a massive Kisten fan.
I am, however, a Ceri fan. That Elf is a certifiable badass. She is probably my favorite character in the series, and I would *LOVE* for there to be a series about her, maybe in her days as Al's familiar. PLEASE make this happen. Would read.
I had been wanting to read this book for like a year but had to wait until my belongings were out of storage. It was worth the wait. For A Few Demons, More had all of the humor, magic, and shenanigans that I've come to love in this series. Excited to read the next book. 

Book Review of Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

Goodreads Summary: Danger and betrayal, love and loss, secrets and enchantment are woven together in the breathtaking finale to the #1 New York Times bestselling Infernal Devices Trilogy, a prequel to the internationally bestselling Mortal Instruments series.
THE INFERNAL DEVICES WILL NEVER STOP COMING

A net of shadows begins to tighten around the Shadowhunters of the London Institute. Mortmain plans to use his Infernal Devices, an army of pitiless automatons, to destroy the Shadowhunters. He needs only one last item to complete his plan: he needs Tessa Gray.

Charlotte Branwell, head of the London Institute, is desperate to find Mortmain before he strikes. But when Mortmain abducts Tessa, the boys who lay equal claim to her heart, Jem, and Will will do anything to save her. For though Tessa and Jem are now engaged, Will is as much in love with her as ever.

As those who love Tessa rally to rescue her from Mortmain’s clutches, Tessa realizes that the only person who can save her is herself. But can a single girl, even one who can command the power of angels, face down an entire army?

Danger and betrayal, secrets and enchantment, and the tangled threads of love and loss intertwine as the Shadowhunters are pushed to the very brink of destruction in the breathtaking conclusion to the Infernal Devices trilogy.

Goodreads Rating: 4.58 stars with over 160,000 ratings
Genre listing: Young Adult, Romance, Fantasy, Paranormal, Historical Fiction, Angels, Demons, Supernatural, Magical
Get the Book: Amazon , Book Depository
My other reviews of Cassandra Clare's books: Clockwork Prince, Clockwork Angel, City of Lost Souls

Review:

Edited 12/1/2016

Halfway through this book, I started asking my friend Kayla all kinds of spoiler questions. She wouldn't budge and give anything away, but she did tell me that "everything is how it's supposed to be." This couldn't be a more perfect way to sum this third installment of the Infernal Devices up. I know that the Mortal Instruments is the more famous of Clare's series, but I think this one is really what has her heart and soul in it.

One thing that I loved about the Clockwork Princess is that a lot of the characters got their own time to shine. Yes, the book primarily focuses around Tessa, Will, and Jem, but we also get to see a lot of behind the scenes with Henry, Charlotte, Jessamine, Sophie, and the Lightwoods. It made me feel a lot closer to these characters.


I don't want to say too much about this book because I don't want to spoil anything about it. I felt it was well done, and ended perfectly. I guess there will be a fourth ID book. This book ties up all of the loose ends, and like Kayla said; everything is how it's suppose to be. I've also been instructed that I need to read the latest MI book. The to-read list keeps growing. If you like the Shadow Hunters and have read, the other two ID books make sure to read this one too. Sorry for the short review on this. I just really can't say much without spoilers.



Five out of Five moons

Book Review of Death's Dilemma by Candice Burnett

Goodreads Summary: Cendall, history’s first female Grim Reaper, has had one hell of a year. She has gone from the top of her class to the realm’s biggest traitor. Working with the enemy, Cendall finds herself enrolled in a human high school, protecting a soul she was originally supposed to collect.

With her powers building and feelings for a particular enemy growing stronger, Cendall must learn to control herself and navigate her emotions as the threats against her and her assignment escalate. As she begins to come to terms with the fact that a master Demon is hot on their trail, an old friend brings to light that a bounty has been placed on her head, and she is the most wanted individual in the realm.

Faced with the impossible task of defending herself and the soul she has grown to care for, Cendall must make a choice she never wanted to make and confront death’s greatest dilemma.

Goodreads Rating: 5 stars with 4 ratings

Genre Listing: Fiction, Paranormal, Grim Reapers, Fantasy, Supernatural, Death, Angels, Young Adult, Guardians, Demons

Get the Book: Amazon

Review:

Edited 12/1/2016

I don't even know where to start with this review, but this supernatural book is so fantastic. A while back I read the first book in the series, Death has a Daughter and fell in love with it. Death's Dilemma finally came out, and it was well worth the wait. It is going on my favorite shelf, along with Death has a Daughter.

Typically when I wait a while to read a sequel, I spend half the book trying to remember what happened in the last book. That wasn't the case with Death's Dilemma, though. After a few chapters I was hooked, and about 30% in it started to get really action packed.

This is going to be a short review, I have a lot to say about it, but I don't want to give out spoilers. It kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end. Cendall's transition out of the Grim Reaper world is fascinating. I can't wait until the third book comes out.

If you like Grim Reapers, Angels, and a whole lot of action (with a smidgen of romance), and haven't read Death has a Daughter, read it. Once you read Death has a Daughter, get Death's Dilemma and instantly binge on it. You will not regret it. I'm pretty sure you can get both books on Amazon for under $5.00.

I adore Cendall. She's such a badass, but she's also genuinely heroic and caring. I think one of the things I enjoyed about this book is that not only do you see her tougher side, but you also get to see her more emotional side too. She's an adamant female lead character.

The only issue I have with it is I think it could go through the editing process again. It's nothing major, but the e-book version I purchased had random symbols on a few pages, and then some of the wording seemed to be off. It wasn't anything major, though, or anything that made it annoying to read. 

Five out of Five moons! 

Book Review of For the Birds by Angela Roquet

Goodreads Summary: Lana Harvey isn't just any reaper. She's the new captain of the Posy Unit, a specialty group dedicated to harvesting mass quantities of souls from natural disaster sites, battlefields, and the like. The new title didn't come without a price, though. Lana made some promises along the way, and now it's time to follow through... even if that means putting herself in the path of the three Fates, a fickle and mighty force to be reckoned with. The Fates run a soul recycling plant in Limbo City, and if Lana isn't careful, they just might recycle her

Goodreads Rating: 4.26 with 65 ratings

Genre Listing: Paranormal, Angels, Demons, Grim Reapers, Romance, Fantasy

Get the Book: Amazon
My other reviews for Angela Roquet's books: Pocket Full of Posies, Graveyard Shift

Review:

Edited 11/24/2016

If you haven't been able to tell, I'm addicted to this paranormal series now. It's so good. I picked this up last night after I finished Pocket Full of Posies. I was going to give myself a rest from reading (what?) today, but my power was out because of a storm... So I decided to dive into this. I'm going to keep this short and sweet tonight.

I think that one of the things I love about this series is that I never know what's going to happen. A lot of books I read, I make an attempt to predict what's going to happen. This series always keeps me guessing, though.

This book, in particular, has me intrigued. Lana's secrets are coming out, she's getting herself into more complex situations, and more and more influential people are taking notice that she's not just any reaper. I think that she came into her own this book. She's taking all of the responsibility and becoming a force to be reckoned with.

I liked that this book ended on a positive note. A lot of the past obstacles seemed to be squashed, so it makes me wonder what's going to happen in the 4th book when it comes out. I also really like her relationship with Bub. I'm super excited to see where the series goes, but alas I get to be in bookworm turmoil until it gets released. Now, what am I suppose to read?

Four out of five moons 

Book Review of Pocket Full of Posies by Angela Roquet

Goodreads Summary: Not Your Grandma's Afterlife…The promise of peace in Limbo City is threatened once again, but this time, the terrorists have a more specific target in mind: Lana Harvey. The up and coming reaper thought to pass her classes at the Reaper Academy were going to be her biggest challenge, but when a rebel demon sends her apartment up in flames, she realizes that her victories from the previous year haven’t gone so unnoticed after all…

To make matters worse, the Afterlife Council has taken notice of Lana too. The Egyptian god Horus is blackmailing her into joining the Posy Unit so she can do an illegal side job for him, and Cindy Morningstar, Lucifer’s daughter, insists that she take a two-week training course with the devilishly tempting Beelzebub, much to her angelic boyfriend’s chagrin.

Goodreads Rating: 4.35 with 75 ratings

Genre Listing: Paranormal, Demons, Fantasy, Angels, Grim Reapers, Mythology, Romance

Get the Book: Amazon 
My other reviews of Angela Roquet's books: For The Birds, Pocket Full of Posies

Review:

Edited 11/24/2016

I like this series a lot. As soon as I finished with Graveyard Shift, I instantly bought Pocket Full of Posies, and before I started this review, I purchased For the Birds. I may or may not have a book addiction.... Anyways. I will say that I liked Graveyard Shift better, but this one was still good. It didn't have as much humor in it as the first book, but I assume that's because there was so much chaos that it had to be a little bit darker. Lana was still sarcastic, which I love. 

This book was all about Lana bettering herself through school and actually kind of taking control of her life. She gets a lot of things thrown her way that FORCES her to have some ambition if nothing else for her safety. I'm excited to see where these advancements and significant changes in her life take her. 

So this is a spoiler, but I have to talk about it. The angelic boyfriend gets SUPER controlling and intervening. It's obvious that he does it to protect her, but it gets to the point where she almost can't even make a decision for herself. I've been complaining a lot about controlling boyfriends in books. So let me tell you how happy I am to read that she kicked him to the damn curb because of it. I swear if I read one more book where the main character falls more IN LUV with their boyfriend the more he controls them, I'm going to scream. I think that's kind of why I like Lana so much. She does whatever the hell she pleases, and not afraid to stand up for herself. Go Lana! 

So here are some great quotes (I'm getting obsessed with highlights) from the book. 

This book has the quotes at the beginning of the chapter just like the first. This is one I liked. It's from George Eliot, but I don't remember what chapter. The mark says page 54. "It's never too late to be what you might have been." 

"I was beginning to wonder if there was a vaccine for annoyance." This was early on in the book when Lana is getting annoyed with her friends. If this vaccine exists, sign me up.

"But that wasn't what grated my cheese." This made me chuckle because I say that something grates my cheese when I get annoyed. 

"It was time to stop worrying so much and start enjoying some of the crazy life was throwing my way." This is at the end of the book, and I just like it because it reminds me that I need to do this from time to time. 

So overall, I enjoyed the second installment. I'm not prepared to give it five moons, but it's a definite four-mooner. 

Four out of Five Moons

Book Review of Graveyard Shift by Angela Roquet

Goodreads Summary: The Inferno has Evolved… Lana Harvey is a reaper and a lousy one at that. She resides in Limbo City, the modern capital of the collective afterlives, where she likes to stick it to the man (the legendary Grim Reaper himself) by harvesting the bare minimum of souls required of her. She’d much rather be hanging out with Gabriel, her favorite archangel, at Purgatory Lounge. But when a shocking promotion falls in her lap, Lana learns something that could unravel the very fabric of Eternity. If the job isn’t completed, there could be some real hell to pay.

Goodreads Rating: 3.97 with 223 ratings
Genre Listing: Fantasy, Paranormal, Angels, Reapers, Romance, Demons, Humor, Adult,
Get the Book: Amazon
My other reviews of Angela Roquet's books: For The Birds, Pocket Full of Posies

Review:

Edited 11/24/2016

I found this book free on Amazon, and let me tell you; it is an absolute gem. Lana's a likable character and Grim Reaper. She does what she has to get by in her job, but breaks the rules to help good souls she reaps that are destined for the Sea of Eternity. In the story, we see Lana go from this do the bare-minimum type of reaper to an ass-kicking reaper who fights off demons. If you're looking for a quick read with a strong female character, this might be for you.

This book has a lot of comedic value in it. For example, Lana and her friends, Josie and the archangel Gabriel, play poker. They don't play just any poker, though, they play with a grim reaper set of cards, and the winning combination of cards are given a death name- like the electric chair, stabbed, and a gunshot wound. There's also a lot of puns and satire. It's a great read.

I felt that Angela Roquet created an incredibly unique world in this story. She didn't just put Reapers into the human world; she also gave them their world. There are so many details set into this world. I think that the thing I loved the most about this book is that it combined so many beliefs and gave them all a place in the afterlife. Whatever you believe, there's a place for you in the Afterlife that Angela Roquet dreamed up. Because of that, there's a crash course in a variety of different beliefs and mythologies.
I figured out how to highlight things on my Kindle Fire finally. I know, I'm a smart cookie. I'm so excited to be able to highlight quotes in books I love now. To celebrate, I'm going to try to share some of the ones from the book. Also, to the ones below each chapter starts off with a quote about life, death, or religion. It's neat.
About one of the Goddesses, "She obviously fancied herself a temptress, but nagging hussy would have been more accurate."
About the Egyptian gods being related/ married to each other, "Whatever floats your boat, I guess. As long as it doesn't sink mine."
"Humans may fear death, but they never pass up an opportunity to gawk at it."
These are just a few of the statements in the book I enjoyed. I think this is still free on Amazon, but please do not let that fool you. I know some free books can be questionable at best, but this is an excellent read. It's quick, it's light, it's funny, but it's fantastic. I'm probably going to get the second and read it here pretty soon. I like Grim Reaper stories lately.

                            Five out of Five Moons

Book Review of Heir of Skies by Rachel Higginson

Goodreads Summary: Stella is a Star, sent by a Council of Elders to live on Earth and protect the planet from the Darkness, a terrifying evil that would suck the good from every living thing and leave the planet empty and desolate. She has until her twenty-fifth birthday before the Protectorship becomes hers and Earth is left solely her responsibility. Stella’s fate goes on fast forward as she struggles to balance the rest of high school with the duties of protecting humanity from the deadliest kind of evil. With her parents and Seth, the boy intended to be her Counterpart, by her side she faces down demons and fallen angels in an effort to protect the last inhabited planet in the universe. But evil is not her only enemy. She also fights her future as she tries to decide if she’s willing to give up her human relationships, especially that of her best friend Tristan, in order to save humanity.
Goodreads Rating: 3.98 with 487 ratings.
Genre Listing: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Angels, Supernatural, Demons, Romance
Get the Book: Amazon 

My other reviews of Rachel Higginson's books: Heir of Darkness

Review:

Edited 11/24/2016
I feel like this review takes a little more explaining than usual. I found this book in a free book bundle on Amazon called the "YA Little Black Book." It was an e-bundling of around eight YA books. I was going to try to review it as one book, but I realized pretty quickly that was going to get lengthy and confusing. The first book in the bundle was Starbright by Rachel Higginson. However, it's apparently gone through a name change and is now Heir of Skies.  It's e-book only, so the Amazon link goes to the Heir of Skies version, and then since it was E-book, there is no Book Depository for it. However, I linked the book bundle for anyone who is interested.
Now that we got that underway let's get started. I just want to declare my love for the concept of this book. I would have never in a million years thought about stars being turned into supernatural beings. I've wanted to read more angel books, so I'm glad that I was able to read this book. The book kept me on my toes. I had a slew of possibilities running through my mind and was surprised pretty frequently. Some of my theories included Jupiter being a trader, Tristan somehow working for the Darkness, her parents being involved somehow. I had all kinds of crazy ideas. I'm going to try not to get into any spoilers, though.
I felt that Stella was an unyielding character. She didn't have any qualities that annoyed me, which was refreshing. Overall I felt like she was able to get control over situations quickly, instead of whining incessantly about it. Oh and she juggles all that encompasses being a star all while being an average teenager.
I thought that the love triangle was a little bit predictable, but at the same time, I believe it was necessary for her to fully accept her destiny. I'm excited to see what happens in the next book. In fact, I was going to work more on the book bundle this was in, but as soon as I finished Starbright/Heir of Skies I bought Sunburst/Heir of Darkness. Soo yeah. Going to read that this weekend probably.

Four out of five moons