Book Review: Hammered

Hammered (Iron Druid Chronicles #3)
by Kevin Hearne
Paperback, 310 pages
Published July 5th 2011 by Random House Publishing Group
Source: Bought
Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository | Barnes & Noble

Summary:

Thor, the Norse god of thunder, is worse than a blowhard and a bully—he’s ruined countless lives and killed scores of innocents. After centuries, Viking vampire Leif Helgarson is ready to get his vengeance, and he’s asked his friend Atticus O’Sullivan, the last of the Druids, to help take down this Norse nightmare.

One survival strategy has worked for Atticus for more than two thousand years: stay away from the guy with the lightning bolts. But things are heating up in Atticus’s home base of Tempe, Arizona. There’s a vampire turf war brewing, and Russian demon hunters who call themselves the Hammers of God are running rampant. Despite multiple warnings and portents of dire consequences, Atticus and Leif journey to the Norse plain of Asgard, where they team up with a werewolf, a sorcerer, and an army of frost giants for an epic showdown against vicious Valkyries, angry gods, and the hammer-wielding Thunder Thug himself.

Review:

Can Atticus and Oberon get anymore awesome? Yes, yes they can. Hammered, the third book in the Iron Druid Chronicles, is a proof to that. Although, there was less exposure for Oberon in this book compared to the first two, the hound still managed to show off his intelligence to the readers. He had proven that he could stand his ground on a debate whether bacon lattes exist or not, and had even managed to come up with his own theory about them. He could also use a 5-syllable-word in a sentence, how about that?

Hammered picks up three weeks after Hexed. The third book in the Iron Druid Chronicles is basically all about keeping one's end of the bargainS. Yes, it's plural. On the first half of the book, the bargain Atticus had to keep was of  Laksha's, an Indian witch who helped him kill the bacchants who had been terrorizing Arizona in book 2. On the second half was of the vampire, Leif's. After Leif assisted Atticus on his battle against the German witches on the previous book, Atticus now had to fulfill his deal to Leif which was, to help him get to Asgard to kill the Norse thunder god, Thor.

There were new characters introduced in Hammered. All of them had grudge on Thor and wanted him dead. Aside from Leif, the werewolf alpha from Arizona, Gunnar, who was also a friend of Atticus joined the team. I have a feeling that the events in this book are going to have so much impact on the succeeding books. Before his battle against the god of love, Aengus Óg, in Hounded, Atticus was pretty much contented in hiding from him. But when he managed to kill him, all the enemies started coming after him one after the other. However, I feel like that after this book, the enemies are going to be even more all out. The premonitions by the Morrigan and Jesus (he's a very nice guy and he even had beer with Atticus) made the whole story even more nerve-wracking and hilarious (of course!) for me.

Like the other books in the series, Hammered overflowed with mesmerizing fight scenes and hilarious characters. Really, if you've read Hounded and Hexed and found them hilarious, brace yourselves because Hammered is twice as fun as the first two books. However, Hammered was also twice as sad as the first two. A character I liked (but you might not) died so I was a bit down when I finished this. But other than that, well, you just have to meet Atticus. The humor was much more memorable here because I could absolutely connect with his dry sense humor. Some of my favorite Atticus moments? (1) That time when he was having a pee pun party with a thousand year old vampire; (2) That time when he showed off his talent of switching language from Shakespeare to LOLcatz; (3) That moment when he sang It's A Small World After All with a vampire, a werewolf, a thunder god, an alchemist and a wizard while being surrounded by Norse giants; and of course, (4) that time when he "squeed" and danced around when he met "Neil F****** Gaiman"! Gods, this series is awesome!

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Waiting on Wednesday (25): Prophecy

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

My WoW:

Prophecy (Prophecy #1)
by Ellen Oh
Hardcover, 320 pages
Expected publication: January 2nd 2013 by HarperTeen

Synopsis:

The greatest warrior in all of the Seven Kingdoms... is a girl with yellow eyes.

Kira’s the only female in the king’s army, and the prince’s bodyguard. She’s a demon slayer and an outcast, hated by nearly everyone in her home city of Hansong. And, she’s their only hope...

Murdered kings and discovered traitors point to a demon invasion, sending Kira on the run with the young prince. He may be the savior predicted in the Dragon King Prophecy, but the missing treasure of myth may be the true key. With only the guidance of the cryptic prophecy, Kira must battle demon soldiers, evil shaman, and the Demon Lord himself to find what was once lost and raise a prince into a king.

Intrigue and mystery, ancient lore and action-packed fantasy come together in this heart-stopping first book in a trilogy.

I prefer male MC's in my adventure YA's, but dude, Graceling. I loved Katsa in Graceling and this sounds a bit like it. Hopefully not too much like Graceling, though. 

Their Promise Release Day Blitz‏

Hey guys! This FAB novella called Their Promise by Brina Courtney releases today, 27th August 2012. Let's all wish her a happy book novella birthday! :]

The Blurb

One moment can change your life.

One moment to find love.

One moment to lose it.

Goodreads | Buy the Book

Watch the Trailer

About the Author

Brina Courtney is a young adult author obsessed with chocolate, crime shows, and fantasy movies. She's spent the last few years as an elementary teacher and a high school cheering coach. She lives in a small town in Pennsylvania with her husband and two very loud, small dogs.

Goodreads | Blog | Twitter | Facebook

Stacking the Shelves (2)

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga @ Tynga's Reviews and is based from Kristi @ The Story Siren's In My Mailbox. Click the image to head over to Tynga's Stacking the Shelves posts.

From Edelweiss and NetGaley:


Trapped (Iron Druid Chronicles #5) by Kevin Hearne - Yesssss!!! I was so ecstatic when I found this available for request on Edelweiss and I almost went ballistic when Del Rey approved my request.
Point of Retreat (Slammed #2) by Colleen Hoover - I loved Slammed and though I'm a little unsure about the sequel, I'm still excited to read more about Lake and Will.
The Lost Prince (Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten #1) by Julie Kagawa - OMG Ethan, Y U GROW UP SO FAST?? I loved The Iron Fey series, so I'm so excited for this one and ohhh, just look at that bodeh!! <333

That's all I got this week. How about you, what did you to your shelf this week?

Book Review: Slammed

Slammed (Slammed #1)
by Colleen Hoover
ebook, 314 pages
Published January 5th 2012 by Colleen Hoover
Source: Stolen Borrowed from my mom. Thanks, ma! :)
Buy the book: Amazon | Apple iBookstore | Barnes & Noble

Summary:

Following the unexpected death of her father, 18-year-old Layken is forced to be the rock for both her mother and younger brother. Outwardly, she appears resilient and tenacious, but inwardly, she's losing hope.

Enter Will Cooper: The attractive, 21-year-old new neighbor with an intriguing passion for slam poetry and a unique sense of humor. Within days of their introduction, Will and Layken form an intense emotional connection, leaving Layken with a renewed sense of hope.

Not long after an intense, heart-stopping first date, they are slammed to the core when a shocking revelation forces their new relationship to a sudden halt. Daily interactions become impossibly painful as they struggle to find a balance between the feelings that pull them together, and the secret that keeps them apart.

Review:

Ever heard of slam poetry? If not, I suggest that you take a look at this video first. The poem the guy is performing is called "The Lake" which was written by one of the characters in this book.

So, are you done watching it yet? I came across that video on Colleen's website while checking out Slammed. I'd never heard of slam poetry before this book and while I thought poetry was cute, I couldn't help thinking "ultra gaaaay" when boys wrote love poems (sexist, much? Sorry boys! At least you're all cute! <3 ) but then I watched the video and then I couldn't think about "ultra gaaay" anymore. All I could think about was "ULTRA HOOOT!" I wanted to marry that guy! Or Will, the character who wrote the poem. Or Colleen since she wrote the book. But most especially Will Cooper. Yes, definitely Will Cooper. After watching the vid, I immediately stole grabbed my mom's kindle and read Slammed to my heart's content.

Slammed is filled with interesting characters that are so easy to love. I didn’t know what to make of Lake at first because she sounded so bored of her life. Her boredom sort of leaked onto me and the tone she used to speak with her mom, I didn't like, so I immediately found her a bit uninteresting. Then she did something really cute for her little brother, Kel, and my disinterest was suddenly replaced by a warm approval of her character. Lake is a relatable character who is quick to connect with. Her family moved to Ypsilanti after selling their house in Texas due to debts left by her father's sudden death several months ago.

Across their new house lived Will Cooper, a 21-year-old guy whom Lake became fast friends with. I should warn you that there is an insta-love here. Gods know how much I dislike instant romance, but strangely enough, it didn't bother me at all in this book. If anything, I really adored Lake and Will's relationship though there were also times that I found their romance tedious especially when they go all "hey, you're sad, let's hug each other so you can feel my sexiness but sorry, we still can't be together" or something along the lines. But at the same time, it wasn't hard to sympathize with both characters especially as the story progressed and the plot is slowly uncovered. I didn't know what I was expecting when I read Slammed, only that it had some awesome poems that I'd love. Other than that, I thought it was going to be a light read but no, because as the story moved on we find out the real reason why Lake's family moved to Ypsilanti and we'd experience all the heart breaks that followed.

I loved how Lake dealt with her problems and I loved that Will and her friends were always there for her. Eddie, Lake's best friend has a backstory that will surely tug at your heartstrings. She's a happy spontaneous character. You wouldn't think she'd been through all those hardships once you meet her. Will is a very responsible older brother to Caulder. All the sacrifices he made for his younger brother will move you as well. Kel and Caulder are smart and perceptive younger brothers with dry sense of humor. All in all, Slammed is a well-written, heart-warming novel that delves deeply into love and family; of making the right choices at the right time; and of accepting and making the most out of what's left to us.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars!

Waiting on Wednesday (24): Trapped

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

My WoW:

Trapped (Iron Druid Chronicles #5)
by Kevin Hearne
Paperback, 320 pages
Expected publication: November 27th 2012 by Del Rey

Synopsis:

After twelve years of secret training, Atticus O’Sullivan is finally ready to bind his apprentice, Granuaile, to the earth and double the number of Druids in the world. But on the eve of the ritual, the world that thought he was dead abruptly discovers that he’s still alive, and they would much rather he return to the grave.

Having no other choice, Atticus, his trusted Irish wolfhound, Oberon, and Granuaile travel to the base of Mount Olympus, where the Roman god Bacchus is anxious to take his sworn revenge—but he’ll have to get in line behind an ancient vampire, a band of dark elves, and an old god of mischief, who all seem to have KILL THE DRUID at the top of their to-do lists.

Oh, Atticus. I knew you ought to have a hot bod but I never really gave much thought to it until I saw the cover of Trapped. And look, Granuaile is behind him as well! This is the first book in the series where Atticus is not alone on the cover. Anywaaay, I finished book 3 sometime ago and am midway through book 4 and dude, I tell you, this series just keeps getting better and better and better!

Book Review: Hexed

Hexed (Iron Druid Chronicles #2)
by Kevin Hearne
Paperback, 320 pages
Published June 7th 2011 by Del Rey
Source: Bought
Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository | Barnes & Noble

Summary:

Atticus O’Sullivan, last of the Druids, doesn’t care much for witches. Still, he’s about to make nice with the local coven by signing a mutually beneficial nonaggression treaty—when suddenly the witch population in modern-day Tempe, Arizona, quadruples overnight. And the new girls are not just bad, they’re badasses with a dark history on the German side of World War II.

With a fallen angel feasting on local high school students, a horde of Bacchants blowing in from Vegas with their special brand of deadly decadence, and a dangerously sexy Celtic goddess of fire vying for his attention, Atticus is having trouble scheduling the witch hunt. But aided by his magical sword, his neighbor’s rocket-propelled grenade launcher, and his vampire attorney, Atticus is ready to sweep the town and show the witchy women they picked the wrong Druid to hex.

Review:

Hexed was just as fun as Hounded! Atticus and Oberon were as hilarious as ever. I have to say though, my respect for the hound shot up way higher than Atticus in this book. In Hounded, I thought Oberon thought like a 5-year-old kid. He still did in Hexed sometimes, still demanding sausages and bacon. But most of the time, his intelligence beat that of Atticus. He could handle complex conversations with Atticus and could even come up with jokes that would surely crack you up.

In the first half of Hexed, a character we only heard about from Hounded was introduced. A trickster god, Coyote, tricked Atticus into helping him kill a fallen angel who had been causing havoc on a school where one of Coyote's people was studying. In the second half, Atticus was forced to form an agreement with a coven of Polish witches to help annihilate another coven who had become a threat to both the Polish witches and Atticus, as well as to the very few people who were close to him.

Just like Hounded, Hexed was also filled with heart-stopping action-packed scenes that would surely challenge your imagination. One of the things I so loved in this series is the abundance of mythologies. In book 1, we met lots of awesome gods and goddesses and strange creatures from different pantheons and here in book 2, we are introduced to more of them. There was also a lot of running and fighting around naked and the gore leveled up as well.

The characters were just as hilarious and more clever, and the story itself was both enjoyable and nerve-wracking at the same time. But just like Hounded, one of the drawbacks of Hexed for me was that Atticus seemed to always get his way. There were also the rare times when I felt the tediousness of the plot. Although the events were unpredictable, the results were not. But even though I knew how the fights were going to end, I can't deny that this brought me to the edge of my seat for almost the entire duration of the book. If you're looking for a read that exudes with exhilarating fight scenes and one that would also make you double over with so much laughter, you must pick up this series NOW.

Rating: 4/5 stars

Book Review: My Life Next Door

My Life Next Door
by Huntley Fitzpatrick
Hardcover, 395 pages
Published June 14th 2012 by Dial Books For Young Readers
Source: Bought
Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository

Summary:

A gorgeous debut about family, friendship, first romance, and how to be true to one person you love without betraying another

“One thing my mother never knew, and would disapprove of most of all, was that I watched the Garretts. All the time.”

The Garretts are everything the Reeds are not. Loud, numerous, messy, affectionate. And every day from her balcony perch, seventeen-year-old Samantha Reed wishes she was one of them . . . until one summer evening, Jase Garrett climbs her terrace and changes everything. As the two fall fiercely in love, Jase's family makes Samantha one of their own. Then in an instant, the bottom drops out of her world and she is suddenly faced with an impossible decision. Which perfect family will save her? Or is it time she saved herself?

A dreamy summer read, full of characters who stay with you long after the story is over.

Review:

The first time I saw this book on Goodreads, I squealed in delight. I thought it had the cutest premise ever. Not the most original one out there, but a cute premise is cute. It sounded like something I'd like at first then dislike for a while but will ultimately love in the end. So, did I like it a first? Yes, yes I did. Did I dislike it for a while? Oh, yes. But did I ultimately love it in the end? YES!

Although I predicted my feelings for this book, what really went on in the book was far from predictable. My Life Next is Door is well-paced but kinda dragged for a bit around the middle part. The romantic relationship between Jase and Sam started out early in the book but it didn't feel like insta-love at all (thank goodness!); but it was also sort of alarming because when a relationship is already perfect in the first quarter of the book, you just know that something big is about to happen. And indeed, something big did happen. But I'm not going into more details there. All I can say is that it will definitely shock you. It will make you cry for a while and then make you want to cuddle all the characters.

Samantha was quite a relatable protag even though it was a little hard to connect with her at first. I didn't love her character but I liked her and I enjoyed seeing her character grow. Between Sam and her older sister, she was expected to be the responsible one. I thought she was going to be a boring character but when she met Jase and the rest of Garretts, it was then that her life started to become interesting. She learned that there was more to life than the life her mother had painstakingly built inside the fence. Her relationship with Jase was both innocent and passionate and it was delightful to see them work around their relationship and learn more about life together. Another character I liked was Tim. While Samantha and Jase appear to be the most loved characters in this book by majority of the readers, I found Tim more amusing and dare I say, adorable, despite his foul language and alcoholic self. I hated him at first because he was a selfish addict who cared about no one; he even went so far as endangering the lives of her sister and Sam. I wanted to pluck him out of the book and throw him into rehab. However, as the story progressed and we get to see more of him, it was just hard not to love him. The character that I found the most convoluted though, was Clay Tucker. I didn't like the guy and his ability to talk himself into everything and into anyone both fascinated and scared me.

Then there's also the Garretts family. One does not simply forget to include the Garretts when writing a review of My Life Next Door. Because seriously? That family is full of awesome and cute. Each of the family members have personalities that are far apart from each other but all of them are simply adorable. George and Patsy are my favorites! They are too cute they make my knees go weak. Seeing their family together was aww-inducing; the chaos, the banters, the FUN! Makes you want to have a Garretts family of your own. If you're looking for a quick heart-warming read with adorable characters and an unpredictable solid plot, My Life Next Door is the book for you.

Rating: 4/5 stars

Book Review: Serial Hottie

Serial Hottie
by Kelly Oram
Paperback, 374 pages
Published July 10th 2012 by Bluefields
Source: Bought
Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository

Summary:

Ellie’s sweet sixteen is a summer of firsts. First car. First kiss. First boyfriend. First serial-killing stalker?

Hockey-obsessed tomboy Eleanor Westley has never been the object of a guy’s affection before. So when the hottest boy she’s ever seen moves in across the street and starts treating her like she’s the center of his universe, naturally she’s going to be a little skeptical. But everything starts to make sense when girls who look just like Ellie start dying all around the city. Obviously the new guy is the killer, and of course he only likes her because he wants to slice her into tiny pieces. Right?

The more Ellie gets to know Seth the more she’s convinced he’s a psychopathic killer. The problem is he’s the sweetest psychopathic killer she’s ever met. Not to mention he’s brutally hot. No matter how hard she tries, she can’t help but fall for him. Will Ellie find true love, or will her summer of firsts turn out to be a summer of lasts?

Review:

Serial Hottie has got to be one of the most hilarious books I've read all year! The characters were so much fun! I almost rolled on the floor laughing during Ellie and Seth's first meeting. It was probably one of the most embarrassing and awkward way of meeting your crush, especially when you both have been spying on each other for days.

At first, I thought Ellie was that type of character that was an outcast and only had one friend (or three, in this book). She was a tomboy who had no girly bone in her body and had no regards with having fist fights with boys her age. She never had a crush and had never been kissed. Until this hottie, Seth, moved across their house and started showing interest on her. I know this all sounds very cliched, but believe me when I say it's not. I had mixed feelings about Ellie at first. She was very rude to Seth and her sister, Angela. But as the story progressed, I just couldn't help admiring her growth as a character.

Seth was very sweet and he genuinely liked Ellie. The problem was, every time he tried to show her his affection, it always came out the wrong way. There were times that I just had to pity him for how rude Ellie treated him. But however sweet Seth was, he might not be the type of guy you'd like to spend the rest of your life with, or be your boyfriend. He was too creepy, overprotective and controlling that sometimes, I couldn't blame Ellie for suspecting him as the serial killer. Even now after I read the book, I'm still having second thoughts about their relationship. But also, I couldn't blame him for what he'd become because what he was in the book was only the result of something traumatic that happened when he was younger.

I can't say whether this was predictable or not as I was fooled many times by the author into thinking who really the serial killer was, but maybe toward the end it all became obvious. Anyway, all in all, Serial Hottie is a quick, light read that's not only about serial killers and teenage love. It's also about family and friendship, but   devoid of angst and drama. If you're looking for an easy and fun read, I suggest that you read Serial Hottie now!

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Book Review: Intangible

Intangible (Intangible #1)
by J. Meyers
ebook, 264 pages
Published January 31st 2012
Source: Author
Buy the book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Summary:

Twins Sera and Luke Raine have a well-kept secret—she heals with a touch of her hand, he sees the future. All their lives they’ve helped those in need on the sly. They’ve always thought of their abilities as being a gift.

Then Luke has a vision that Sera is killed. That gift they’ve always cherished begins to feel an awful lot like a curse. Because the thing about Luke’s ability? He’s always right. And he can’t do anything about it.

Review:

Sera and Luke are no ordinary twins. Sera had the power to heal and Luke, to see the future. After a devastating event that happened with their grandmother when they were younger, the twins both decided that it was best to keep their talents a secret.

Intangible was told from third person point of view that switches among the characters. The book starts with a prelude, an excerpt from one of the interesting events that would happen in the future. The first half of the book was a little dull and I felt slightly detached from all the characters. I would've had a hard time reading this if I weren't holding on to the prelude to finally happen. Plus, Meyers' story-telling was captivating and almost hypnotic. The third person POV also amped the mystery and intrigue factor that even though I couldn't connect with the characters, it was hard to put the book down. The author also didn't seem to have a problem with unfolding secrets after secrets through different character point of views. When you thought that the only secret was that of Luke and Sera's, you'd be surprised what Meyers had in store for you. It gave me the feeling as if I was eavesdropping on the characters' thoughts as they revealed their deepest, darkest secrets. It was intensely distressing, to be honest.

It was unfortunate, however, that even on the second half, I still couldn't connect with Sera and Luke. There was also the problem of insta-love and my dislike for the guy that Sera had her eyes on. I take my OTP very seriously and I tend to get depressed when the guy I like didn't get the girl, so I had to endure all their sexy times together. Ick. But I love the ending. It seemed like the pairing I was rooting for would finally happen in the next book. Well, hopefully.

All in all, Intangible was an enjoyable read with complex characters and spellbinding narration. This sort of reminded me of Tahereh Mafi's Shatter Me and Shelley Workinger's Solid. So if you liked both, I'd totally recommend Intangible to you.

Rating: 3/5 stars

Disclosure: Review copy was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

You may also download Intuition, the prequel to Intangible, on your Kindle for free! It also includes the first chapter of Intangible. :)