Short Story Review: Ethan by P.T. Michelle

Ethan by P.T. Michelle
Series: Brightest Kind of Darkness #0.5
Publisher: Self-Published
First published: January 11th, 2013
Source: Received from author
Format: eBook (Kindle)
Pages: n/a

Goodreads Summary:

Ethan Harris never thought monsters and darkness would consume his daily thoughts, but every night the same visions repeat in his dreams. He’s careful to project a semblance of normalcy, keeping the suffocating darkness locked inside. As much as he wishes he could focus on girls, sports, and cars like other seventeen-year-olds; nothing distracts him from his own demons or shines through.

Until Nara Collins crosses his path. The blonde fascinates and intrigues him, giving him a measure of peace he’s never felt before.

When Ethan discovers there’s more to Nara than she allows others to see, that she might have a unique secret of her own, suddenly his world comes into focus.

Review(s): Brightest Kind of Darkness (#1) | Lucid (#2)

My Rating: 4.5 / 5

What I thought about it:

I've been in love with this series ever since I read Brightest Kind of Darkness, so of course I had to read this prequel novella as well. It's told from Ethan's point of view and starts off even before he and Nara have met, which gives us an idea about what his life used to be like. Instead of just filling the time until the release of the third installment, it adds more dimension to the story, especially after we didn't get to see Ethan a lot in Lucid.

There has never been a doubt that Ethan is a great character, but witnessing certain moments from his point of view just makes me love him even more. His life is anything but easy, but he still seems to care more for others than for himself. Witnessing his interactions with animals is both heart breaking and beautiful.

Of course my favorite part is when he sees Nara for the first time and develops feelings for her. Those two are such a wonderful couple and I'm already crossing my fingers for them to get their happy ending. All in all, Ethan is a wonderful prequel for a series that will always be one of my favorites. If you haven't read Brightest Kind of Darkness yet, I'd recommend you to pick up a copy of these books immediately.

Buy this novella:

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble

Have you read this series? What do you think about it?
Carina

Short Story Review: Iron's Prophecy by Julie Kagawa

Iron's Prophecy by Julie Kagawa
Series: The Iron Fey #4.5
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
First published: September 1st, 2012
Source: Bought
Format: Paperback (part of The Iron Legends)
Pages: 76

Goodreads Summary:

Meghan Chase is finally getting used to being the Iron Queen, ruler of the Iron Fey. Her life may be strange, but with former Winter prince Ash by her side at last, she wouldn’t have it any other way.

But when they travel to the Summer and Winter courts’ gathering for Elysium, the oracle from Meghan’s past returns with a dire prophecy: “What you carry will either unite the courts, or it will destroy them.” Now Meghan faces a devastating choice that may determine the future of all fey—and her and Ash’s unborn child…

This review might include spoilers for the previous books of the series.

My Rating: 5.0 / 5

What I thought about it:

I've been in love with this series ever since I started reading the first few pages of The Iron King and still cannot get enough of its characters and world-building. Julie Kagawa has managed to create such a beautiful albeit slightly scary world that sucks you in even with the smallest snippets of writing - so of course I ended up loving Iron's Prophecy, too.

This is set not too long after The Iron Knight and gives us a tiny glimpse into Meghan's life as the Iron Queen. It ends up setting the scene for The Lost Prince and gives us a few ideas about what Julie might have in store for those characters that we've fallen in love with. I just absolutely adored the little adventure that brought a couple of our favorite heroes back together and made me reminisce about their previous adventures.

I definitely recommend reading this before reading the first installment of the spin-off, The Lost Prince, because even though it's not necessary, it makes certain scenes and actions a bit more understandable. All in all, Iron's Prophecy is another wonderful novella and adds very interesting facts to the Iron Fey series.

Have you read this series? If yes, have you read Iron's Prophecy, too, or do you plan to read it?

If no, what are you waiting for?!

I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Carina

Short Story Review: Elemental by Brigid Kemmerer

Elemental by Brigid Kemmerer
Series: Elemental #0.5
Publisher: KTeen (Kensington)
First published: March 27th, 2012
Source: Bought
Format: eBook
Pages: 50

Goodreads Summary:

Earth, Fire, Air, Water – they are more than you dream.

As an air Elemental, 17-year-old Emily Morgan doesn’t have much power. That’s okay—she knows what happens to kids who do.

Like Michael Merrick. He’s an earth Elemental, one with enough power to level cities. Which makes him sexy. Dangerous. And completely off limits. At least according to Emily’s family.

But her summer job puts her in close contact with Michael, and neither of them can help the attraction they feel. When forces of nature like theirs collide, one misstep could get someone killed. Because Emily’s family doesn’t just want her to stay away from him.

They want him dead.

My Rating: 4.0 / 5

What I thought about it:

My first thoughts after finishing Elemental were: Why the hell didn't I pre-order a copy of Storm? It might have happened before, but usally it's not easy to fall in love with a story just by reading fifty pages, but that's exactly what happened for me with Elemental. 

Within fifty pages you don't get to know the characters as well as you would after reading three hundred pages. But that didn't stop me from starting to obsess over them, so I devoured Michael and Emily's story and ended up being disappointed. Disappointed because there wasn't more about them, especially after a somewhat cliffhanger-y ending that made me want to throw my Kindle against the wall.

Elemental is the perfect introduction to a series I'm expecting to be amazing. It shows you the basic aspects of the world these characters are living in without telling you too much. To be honest, it actually just made we wonder more about their elemental gifts and the problems they cause than I did after reading the synopsis. I definitely can't wait to continue, or rather properly start this series.

Have you started this series? What did you think about it?
Do you plan to read it?
Carina

Short Story Review: The Goddess Hunt by Aimée Carter

The Goddess Hunt by Aimée Carter
Series: Goddess Test #1.5
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
First published: March 1st, 2012
Source: Bought
Format: .mobi (Kindle)

Goodreads Summary:
A vacation in Greece sounds like the perfect way for Kate Winters to spend her first sabbatical away from the Underworld...until she gets caught up in an immortal feud going back millennia. Castor and Pollux have been on the run from Zeus and Hades's wrath for centuries, hiding from the gods who hunt them. The last person they trust is Kate, the new Queen of the Underworld. Nevertheless, she is determined to help their cause. But when it comes to dealing with immortals, Kate still has a lot to learn....

This might include spoilers, if you haven't read the first book.

My Rating: 4.0 / 5

What I though about it:

The Goddess Hunt is starting only a few days after the end of The Goddess Test and gives us a first glimpse into Kate's sabbatical of six months before she can return to her new husband Henry. I really loved the first book of Aimée Carter's series and was very happy to find out that there would be a novella published very close to Goddess Interrupted's release, the second book of this series.

And, as expected, The Goddess Hunt didn't disappoint. Of course there isn't anything happening that will influence the main story too much, but I always like being able to see a fictional world in between two novels. And considering there are so many different characters in this world, it turned out to be a very interesting and informative novella.

Even though I was warned by another review that Henry and Kate wouldn't have too much time together in The Goddess Hunt, I was still sad about how little they actually interacted. But considering that this takes place during Kate's sabbatical, it's understandable. And it actually just made me want to read Goddess Interrupted even more to see how their relationship will develop.

I devoured The Goddess Hunt in one, very short sitting and was happy to be back in Kate's world and read a few chapters from Henry's point of view. Aimée Carter has made it possible for me to get back into the story without any confusions, even though I have read the first book in the series almost a year ago. If you liked The Goddess Test, I'd definitely advise you to continue this series and read The Goddess Hunt before starting the second book.

Challenge(s):

YA Mythology Challenge 2012

Books in this series:

The Goddess Test (#1) - my review
The Goddess Hunt (#1.5)
Goddess Interrupted (#2 - March 27th, 2012)
The Goddess Legacy (#2.5 - July 31st, 2012)
The Goddess Inheritance (#3 - October 2012)

Have you read this series? What did you think about it?
Do you plan to read it?

Carina

Short Story Review: First Frost by Jennifer Estep

First Frost by Jennifer Estep
Series: Mythos Academy #0.5
Publisher: Kensington
First published: July 1st, 2011
Source: Bought
Format: .mobi (Kindle)

Goodreads Summary:
I am Gwen Frost, and I have a Gypsy gift. It's called psychometry - that's a fancy way of saying that I see images in my head and get flashes of other people's memories off almost everything I touch, even guys.

My gift makes me kind of nosy. Okay, okay, maybe a lot nosy--to the point of obsession sometimes. I want to know everything about everyone around me. But even I don't want to know the secrets my friend Paige is hiding or the terrible loss that will send me to a new school - Mythos Academy, where the teachers aren't preparing us for the SATs, but to battle Reapers of Chaos. Now I have no friends and no idea how my gift fits in with all these warrior whiz kids. The only thing I do know is that my life is never, ever going to be the same...

My Rating: 4.0 / 5

What I thought about it:

What I love about prequel novellas like First Frost is the fact that they're giving you a glimpse into a new world, which helps you to decide whether this series might be something for you. But I don't like not being able to pick up the first book of a series immediately afterward, when I really enjoyed that novella - and that's exactly the case with First Frost.

We meet Gwen Frost and her extraordinary "Gypsy gift". I loved being explained so much about a main character's gift so soon and while I expect that there are still a few secrets surrounding this, it's refreshing to already somewhat know what kind of supernatural elements you will be confronted with.

Like Gwen, we are also introduced to Mythos Academy, a boarding school she is supposed to go to. I know that for some people the boarding-school-setting is used a bit too much, but I always love it and I'm really looking forward to find out more about this mysterious place. We have also met a few other characters that I can't wait to see again.

All in all, I'm really looking forward to start Touch of Frost, the first book of this series, after reading First Frost. If you're unsure about whether you want to read this series, pick up the prequel novella and you'll probably want to get the other books immediately afterward. I'm really hoping to be able to squeeze Touch of Frost into my reading schedule very soon.

Books in this series:

First Frost (#0.5)
Touch of Frost (#1)
Kiss of Frost (#2)
Dark Frost (#3, May 29th, 2012)
Crimson Frost (#4, January 2013)

Have you read First Frost / this series? What did you think about it?

Do you plan to read it?

Carina

Short Story Review: My Soul to Lose by Rachel Vincent

My Soul to Lose by Rachel Vincent
Series: Soul Screamers #0.5
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
First published: July 1st, 2009
Source: Bought
Format: eBook (Kindle)
Pages: 87

Goodreads Summary:
It was supposed to be a fun day, shopping at the mall with her best friend. Then the panic attack started and Kaylee Cavanaugh finds herself screaming, unable to stop. Her secret fears are exposed and it's the worst day of her life.

Until she wakes up in the psychiatric unit.

She tries to convince everyone she's fine--despite the shadows she sees forming around another patient and the urge to scream which comes burbling up again and again. Everyone thinks she's crazy. Everyone except Lydia, that is. Another patient with some special abilities....

My Rating: 4.5 / 5

What I thought about it:

When I decided to join the Soul Screamers Reading Challenge to finally start this series, I thought it would be a good idea to read the novellas and novels in the right order and start with My Soul to Lose. I definitely didn't regret this decision, because this little novella was a perfect introduction into the series.

While we don't get to know many characters, reading this was a good way to get to know the main character Kaylee and witness how she struggles with her "panic attacks" which elicit a terrible urge to scream. I felt very sorry for her while reading My Soul to Lose which made me hope that her life would be a little bit easier in the first novel of the series My Soul to Take. 

After a very bad "panic attack" she wakes up in the psychiatric unit of a hospital. While she worries about her own sanity, she's even more scared that people will keep her locked up. Only Lydia, a girl she meets there, might know more about what is happening to Kaylee. Lydia is definitely a very intriguing character and I'd love to see her again in future instalments of this series.

All in all, My Soul to Lose is a great introduction into the Soul Screamers series. I immediately connected with Kaylee and wanted to know how her story continues. While I don't think it's necessary to read it, I'd definitely recommend it - especially if you're new to the series like I am.

Challenge(s):

Soul Screamers Reading Challenge

Books in this series:

My Soul To Lose (#0.5)
My Soul To Take (#1)
My Soul To Save (#2)
My Soul to Keep (#3)
Reaper (#3.5)
My Soul to Steal (#4)
If I Die (#5)
Never To Sleep (#5.5)
Before I Wake (#6, June 2012)

Have you read My Soul to Lose? What did you think about it?

Do you plan to read it?
Carina

Review: Everblossom by Larissa Hinton

Everblossom: A Short Story and Poetry Anthology
by Larissa Hinton
Publisher: Self-Published
First published: August 12th, 2011
Source: Received from author
Format: e-book (Kindle)
Pages: n/a

Goodreads Summary:

An anthology that will quench your thirst for more than the ordinary.

Everblossom is a journey through poems and short stories that may seem ordinary on the surface but dig a little deeper and the world not only shifts. It changes.

From the author who brought you Iwishacana/ Acanawishi, she now brings you a dash of everything from dark fantasy to the paranormal to even romance. So prepare yourself to delve into the three stages of the flower from bud to blossom then back to seed, you'll go through them all with a whole new perspective on what it all truly means.

My Rating: 3.0 / 5

First thoughts:

This anthology is different. At some points it's a little bit macabre and makes you wince, at some points it's sad and then again it makes you smile. I'm not entirely sure what I expected from this, but I was definitely surprised. If you're looking for a short book to distract you from heavier reads, you should pick this up.

More detailed:

Everblossom is a quite short anthology and therefore a very fast and easy read. It's a mixture of short stories and poems, which is the reason why I was immediately intrigued by this. In my opinion, anthologies are great books to pull yourself together after a heartbreaking read and prepare yourself for the next longer novel. And Everblossom definitely made this possible.

When I started reading this, I was especially looking forward to the poetry since it's been a long while since I've read a few poems. But in the end I turned out to like the short stories a lot better. My favorite short story is Changes whose characters and their secrets immediately intrigued me. I would love to read more about them!

What I was missing is a real connection between the individual parts. Every short story and poem by itself is intriguing, but the transitions from one story/poem to another weren't very smooth. I'm not sure though whether it's because of the very short length of the individual works or whether a different order would have done the trick.

Like I've mentioned above, this anthology can be a little bit creepy and macabre at certain points, which Larissa Hinton already points out in her introduction. I really enjoyed these parts, but I would recommend this for an older audience. All in all, Everblossom is an intriguing and easy read which I definitely enjoyed.

Books by Larissa Hinton:

Everblossom
Iwishacana/Acanawishi

Have you read Everblossom? What did you think about it?

Do you plan to read it?

Carina

Short Story Review: Things About Love by Jackson Pearce

Things About Love by Jackson Pearce
in Enthralled: Paranormal Diversions
Publisher: HarperCollins
First published: September 20th, 2011
Source: Bought
Format: Paperback
Pages: 78 - 106

Short Summary:

This short story is set in the universe of Jackson Pearce's novel As You Wish. We meet Lawrence who has been assigned Juliet, a genie and his new guard. While Juliet wants to find out more about human emotions and, most importantly, what it's like to love, Lawrence wants to fall in love himself - but he can't seem to find the right candidate.

My Rating: 5.0 / 5

What I thought about it:

This is definitely my favorite short story of this anthology so far. It made me want to read As You Wish and others of Jackson's books immediately. Her writing is fantastic and I was pulled into this short story immediately.

Lawrence and Juliet are very intriguing characters, who are very easy to relate to. This short story is told from points of view and makes it a lot easier to understand the reasons for their behaviour and their background stories.

As the title already suggests, this is a story about love. About finding out what it feels like and about wanting to feel it. It's beautiful, it's heartbreaking and it's hopeful. Things About Love is a wonderful short story and makes this anthology even more special.

Other short stories from this anthology which I've already reviewed:

Giovanni's Farewell by Claudia Gray
Scenic Route by Carrie Ryan
Red Run by Kami Garcia

Have you read any of Carrie Ryan's novels? What did you think about them?

Carina

Christmas Guest Post: Cicada Holiday Companion Short Story by Belle Whittington

Merry Christmas!

I hope everyone one of you will have awesome holidays with your loved ones, give away lovely presents and receive some in return. I love you! ♥

Huge thanks to Belle Whittington for this lovely Holiday Companion Short Story for her novel Cicada. If you haven't read Cicada yet, go ahead and check out my review here. I really love this short story, because it creates a really great christmassy mood. Enjoy!

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Cicada Holiday Companion Story
by Belle Whittington

   Christmas in our small, inconsequential, southeast Texas town is usually a cold and rainy time of the year. In retrospect, the snow and sleet that covered everything, including the haunted forest, in a blanket of white must have been a harbinger that everything was about to change. However, at the time we thought it was a good omen. At the time we thought that all the sadness of losing our father and brother would finally disappear and we could recall the memories of Christmases past without shedding tears or hiding the pain under a pillow at night when all the rest of the world had fallen asleep, dreaming of sugar-plums and Santa Clause.
   And so we filled Sprinkles with the spicy, sweet aromas of Christmas, drawing in customers with candy canes painted on the front windows and strings of twinkling lights swirling around the shrubs in front of Mom’s bakery. Giant gingerbread men dangled from the branches of the Norfolk pine tree that Andrew had bought at the Willis Boy Scout Christmas tree lot, and strands of popcorn and gumdrops adorned the tree, forming giant Ws from the blinking star on the top to the piles of the deceptively-wrapped empty boxes stacked beneath the decorated boughs.
   Mom closed the bakery early on Christmas Eve. Most of the regular customers had already picked up their boxes of decorated, spicy gingerbread men or bags of sugar-sprinkled Christmas cookies, so there was no reason to stay open when we had a party to prepare for at home.
   I’ll always remember how weird Everett had behaved the days leading up to Christmas. Well…weirder than usual, I should say. But it was a good kind of weird, just like all of his weirdness was. When Mom and I arrived at home from the bakery, he was already there, attempting to shovel the newly-fallen snow from the driveway and sidewalk. Mom tooted the horn on the van, and he spun around, raising a hand to wave at us. He slipped on the ice and tumbled off the top step onto the snowman he and Andrew had made earlier.
   “Bug Boy, you’ve killed the snowman!” I giggled, bounding out of the van and offering to give him a hand.
   “I’ll build a new one…just for you,” He pulled me down into the snow with him. Tumbling off the mound that had formed the base of the snowman, I landed on my back and Everett on his elbow above me. “I’d do anything for you,” his blue eyes blinked behind his foggy, snow-covered glasses.
   I caught myself stroking the side of his face with my gloved hand and a strange sensation sprang to life inside of my stomach, twirling and growing rapidly. “Everett…” I whispered, my breath hanging in the air around us like a mysterious fog.
   Before I could say anything else, a snowball thrown by Andrew plastered across the side of Everett’s head. He was immediately on his feet pulling me up with him. The snowball fight that followed was epic!
   By the time we were frozen to the bone, Mom was calling us to come inside for hot chocolate topped with fluffs of whipped cream and crushed candy cane bits. A fire burned brightly in the fireplace, and the twinkling Christmas tree lights reflected blurred, colorful dots across the walls and ceiling.
   “The guests will arrive soon,” Mom said as she plopped a platter of cookies on the coffee table in front of us. “Better grab a cookie while you can. They are fresh out of the oven!”
   Everett shoved a chocolate chip cookie in his mouth and mumbled something that sounded like, “omnomnomnom…”
   “I better go clean up before everyone gets here,” Andrew said, looking down at his sweatshirt smudged with motor oil from working on his pickup truck.
   After he left the living room, Everett rushed to the stack of presents under the tree and plucked a small one from behind a very large green-foil-wrapped gift that was in the obvious shape of a guitar. The tag on the larger present proved what I was thinking. It was to Andrew from Everett. I giggled and shook my head as he made his way back to the couch and sat down next to me.
   “This is for you,” he pushed his glasses up with his index finger and handed me the small present that had been concealed behind the large, foil-wrapped guitar. “Open it.”
   “Now?” I looked at the square present bundled in striped paper and bound with a bundle of ribbons way too big for a box that size.
   “Yes!” He nodded, smiling. “While we’re alone.”
   I untangled the ribbon that had been wrapped around the package multiple times and ripped the paper off. Before I could register what it was, Everett blurted out, “It’s an iPod! You said you wanted one, remember? A few months ago…we were at the mall and someone walked by with headphones in, and you said you wanted one.”
   “Oh, my gosh! Everett! But it cost so much! You didn’t have to do this!” I said while opening the box to reveal the shiny mp3 player.
   “Turn it over,” he said, while guiding my hand. “I had it engraved. See? It says ‘To Blair. From Bug Boy. And I just had that little heart put on there. It’s no big deal. Just a little heart.” He pushed his glasses up again and smiled.
   That weird sensation swirled again in my stomach, like fireflies fluttering around a glowing candle. “It’s so pretty, Everett!” I turned it over in my hand once more, stroking the engraving and the little heart. “It’s perfect. Thank you.” Those last two words were almost a whisper.
   I meant to turn my face back toward him and hug him. But he was quicker. He placed one hand on my right cheek and his lips found their way to my left one, kissing me once…twice…moving closer to my lips…when…Andrew walked in and cleared his throat, completely ruining the moment.
   “Uh…it’s snowing again and David and Natalie just pulled in,” he ran his hand through his ruffled brown hair and stammered awkwardly. “Just thought you’d want to know.”
   “Oh, okay,” I blushed, looking anywhere but at my big brother. Andrew walked out, leaving Everett and me alone once more.
   “You have to wait to open my present,” I smiled, looking up into Everett’s bright eyes.
   A wide smile blazed across his face, speaking more than I could discern. It contained a double-meaning that I couldn’t figure out. So I did the safe thing and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and turned to go to the kitchen where the guests were beginning to congregate.
   David’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Hargrave, arrived shortly after he and Natalie. Mrs. Hargrave was carrying a large, red poinsettia, and Mr. Hargrave had a bottle of wine in one hand and a box of cigars in the other. They were Grandpa’s favorite cigars, and he slapped Mr. Hargrave on the back while inviting him into the living room for a smoke.
   Grandma, dressed in a Christmas sweater and jingle bell earrings, poured more hot chocolate into mugs while shaking her head. She’d been trying to get Grandpa to stop smoking for years, and she had recently gotten him to cut way back on the cigars. He’d usually chewed on a short cigar without ever lighting up. But judging by how quickly he retrieved a lighter from his shirt pocket, it looked like he planned on lighting one up.
   Natalie was carrying a brightly-decorageddecorated gift bag stuffed with tissue paper and a small stack of Christmas cards, each decorated with a candy cane. She hugged me and stuffed the handles of the gift bag into my hand telling me that it was for me. Then, the excitement got the best of her, and she blurted out that she’d gotten me a manicure kit and some holiday-scented bubble bath. I hugged her and thanked her, knowing that I must appear to be a complete heathen compared to her perfectly-manicured self.
   Everett’s dad, Mr. Forster, arrived just as Mom was getting the ham out of the oven. He exclaimed how he was starving and was glad that he’d arrived just in time and plopped a tattered paper bag on the counter just before the bottom ripped open. He reached into the bag and pulled out a vegetable tray, a fruit tray, and a bottle of apple cider. He’d just made a stop by Kroger on his way to our house from the university where he taught history.
   As Mom was crumpling the tattered paper bag to toss it into the kitchen trash, Mr. Forster reached into his coat and quickly produced a leather-bound book. He slipped it into Mom’s apron pocket as if to keep from calling attention from the others in the room. Too late. Even though no one else noticed, I did. And I also noticed how Mom nodded and left the room, with her hand stuffed into her apron pocket, and headed for Dad’s study. I made a mental note to search for that little book as soon as I got the chance.
   Andrew began singing Deck the Halls really loud and snapped me back into the moment. Before I knew it, David had joined in and Mom, Grandpa, and Mr. Hargrave had returned to the kitchen, singing along. So I had no choice but to add my voice to the chorus, however out of tune it was. I glanced behind me to see that Everett was still wearing that same broad, goofy smile on his face while singing.
   I giggled, knowing there would be a time when I would hold onto that memory. Knowing that one memory, surrounded by loved ones in the kitchen on Christmas Eve, with that smile on Everett’s face would get me through a tough time…
   Little did I know that it wouldn’t be that far in the future that I would grasp onto that one memory to keep me in the present and give me hope. Little did I know on that snowy, wintry Christmas Eve, that one day, a year from now, I would find myself lying bloody and broken on the jungle floor in South America, grappling with whether I should give up or try to fight for my life.
   Little did I know that one memory would make me choose to fight…

Find Belle online:

Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr

Buy paperback (CreateSpace) | Buy paperback (Amazon)

Buy e-book (Smashwords) | Buy e-book (Amazon)

Merry Christmas! ♥

Carina

Short Story Review: Red Run by Kami Garcia

Red Run by Kami Garcia
in Enthralled: Paranormal Diversions
Publisher: HarperCollins
First published: September 20th, 2011
Source: Bought
Format: Paperback
Pages: 57 -77

Short Summary:

In Red Run we meet Edie, a young girl who wants to take vengeance for her brother's death by killing the ghost who has killed him. But when she finally meets said ghost on the Red Run, the road where her brother and five other teenagers were killed, she finds out that nothing is like what it seems.

My Rating: 4.5 / 5

What I thought about it:

I already really enjoyed the first two short stories of this anthology and Red Run continues in making this a very enjoyable book. A few small excerpts from Edie's past make it easy to understand the current situation she is in and let the reader identify with her decisions.

The setting of this story, the Red Run, is creepy which made me try to read as fast as possible. At the moment I'm very fond of scary novels and Kami Garcia's short story is perfect for this mood. But again, I wish this were longer, but that's a problem I have to live with since I knew what I was getting myself into by buying an anthology.

All in all, Enthralled: Paranormal Diversions continues to be a wonderful distraction from learning or other important things I should be doing and it makes me want to try out different new authors, including Kami Garcia.

Other short stories from this anthology which I've already reviewed:

Giovanni's Farewell by Claudia Gray
Scenic Route by Carrie Ryan

Have you read Enthralled or anything written by its authors? What did you think?

Carina

Short Story Review: Scenic Route by Carrie Ryan

Scenic Route by Carrie Ryan
in Enthralled: Paranormal Diversions
Publisher: HarperCollins
First published: September 20th, 2011
Source: Bought
Pages: 29 - 56

Short Summary:
This short story is set in the world of Carrie's The Forest of Hands and Teeth novels. The sisters Margie and Sally are hiding in a cabin and spend their time making plans for their next trip, the next time they need to hide again. While being there, they meet Calvin who has an intention that is hard to define.

My Rating: 4.0 / 5

What I thought about it:

I haven't read anything written by Carrie Ryan before, but I'm so happy I got to read this short story now. So far I've heard good things about The Forest of Hands and Teeth and I love the glimpse into this world I got in this short story.

Scenic Route shows me a world which is both, scary and fascinating at the same time. Margie and Sally's struggle for survival is heartbreaking, but at the same time I really enjoyed witnessing their interactions. Even though this is a short story, it's evident how much they care about each other.

Calvin is a lovely addition to Scenic Route as well. I would have loved to find out more about him, but considering the length of this story it probably wasn't possible. I'll definitely take a closer look at Carrie's novels now - Scenic Route makes me want to spend more time in this world.

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Have you read any of Carrie Ryan's novels? What did you think about them?

Carina

Short Story Review: Giovanni's Farewell by Claudia Gray

Giovanni's Farewell by Claudia Gray
in Enthralled: Paranormal Diversions
Publisher: HarperCollins
First published: September 20th, 2011
Source: Bought
Pages: 3 - 28

Short Summary:
Giovanni's Farewell tells the story of the twins Ravenna and Cairo who have been inseparable since birth. But Cairo is changing and his weird behaviour makes Ravenna worry about her brother, her best friend. On a school trip in Italy, Ravenna meets the gorgeous Giovanni who shows her that Cairo's behaviour might not be as weird as she thought.

My Rating: 4.5 / 5

What I thought about it:

This short story is amazing. Within a few pages I was completely sucked into Ravenna's world and would have loved to spend more time with her, Cairo and - most importantly - Giovanni. Claudia Gray managed to captivate me with her writing very fast and Giovanni's Farewell is a story that I'd love to read as a novel as well.

I don't want to give away too much, but Ravenna and Cairo intrigued me a lot and I love the little details about their past and their upbringing. Giovanni is a character who is easy to like and makes you want to know more about him.

All in all, Giovanni's Farewell is a lovely short story and a great start for Enthralled. I definitely can't wait to read more of these and I really need to pick up a book by Claudia Gray soon. Her writing is amazing!

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Carina

Short Story Review: Daimon by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Daimon by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
First published: May 10th, 2011
Source: Free e-book
Pages: 62

Goodreads Summary:
For three years, Alexandria has lived among mortals—pretending to be like them and trying to forget the duty she'd been trained to fulfill as a child of a mortal and a demigod. At seventeen, she's pretty much accepted that she's a freak by mortal standards... and that she'll never be prepared for that duty.

According to her mother, that’s a good thing.

But as every descendant of the gods knows, Fate has a way of rearing her ugly head. A horrifying attack forces Alex to flee Miami and try to find her way back to the very place her mother had warned her she should never return—the Covenant. Every step that brings her closer to safety is one more step toward death… because she's being hunted by the very creatures she'd once trained to kill.

The daimons have found her.

My Rating: 5.0 / 5

First thoughts:

Once I was finished with Daimon, all I wanted to do was pick up a copy of Half-Blood to find out how Alex' story will continue. Within a few pages Jennifer L. Armentrout got me addicted to a series that I'm sure I will love.

More detailed:

I have heard so many amazing things about this series, but I never thought it was possible to fall in love with it simply by reading the quite short prequel. But Daimon is a great short story that makes me want to read its sequel immediately.

I had read that other people are reminded of the Vampire Academy series and I have to admit that I'm agreeing with them. While the story doesn't deal with vampires, the basic idea seems quite similar to me - but since I absolutely love Vampire Academy I have no problem with that and am looking forward to see how this world will develop.

Alex seems like a really intriguing character who does remind me a little bit of Rose as well, but, like I said above, it doesn't annoy me yet. I can't wait to see how she will deal with her situation and what will happen to her. All in all, Daimon is a really intriguing and well written short story and I will pick up a copy of Half-Blood as soon as possible.

Following novels of the series:

1. Half-Blood
2. Pure (April 3rd, 2012)
3. Deity (November 6th, 2012)

Have you read Daimon? What did you think about it?

Do you plan to read it?

Carina

Short Story Review: Unveiled by Trisha Wolfe

Unveiled by Trisha Wolfe
First published: September 18th, 2011
Source: Received from author
Buy this: Amazon / Barnes & Noble

Goodreads Summary:
Amongst the wasteland lies the gleaming city of Karm. A Camelot-esque utopia built from the ashes of a dying world.

Seventeen-year-old Fallon is no daughter of Karm.
She's its assassin.

Raised by a secret society of rebels, she's bent on bringing down the king's sham of an existence. But her first mark, one of the king's top knights of the Force, makes her question everything. Even her heart.

My Rating: 5.0 / 5

First thoughts:

I'm very happy that I received a review e-copy of Unveiled, because even though it's a short story, it was a fantastic read and totally captivated me. Trisha Wolfe created a wonderful and very interesting world that I would love to see more of.

More detailed:

Unveiled is a short story set in a very intriguing world since it combines a somewhat historical setting with a dystopian future; I have never read anything like this before and I would love to find out more about this world. It's both, beautiful and scary and I can imagine that it would be the perfect setting for a dystopian novel.

While I usually love to read short stories that are additions to a series, it was really refreshing to read a short story with completely new characters in a new world. And despite it being very short (it didn't take more than thirty minutes to read), I could relate to the characters immediately and had no problem understanding the storyline. On top of that, the love story in Unveiled is very beautiful and relatable, too. Both, Fallon and Xander are great characters who are very likeable and it would be great to see how their story will develop in the future.

I also loved Trisha Wolfe's style of writing. This is of course the reason why getting into this short story is incredibly easy and why identifying with new characters within a few pages is possible. It's beautiful and flows easily. I'm definitely looking forward to read more of her work. All in all, Unveiled is a fantastic novelette which you definitely should take a closer look at. You won't be disappointed.

Trisha Wolfe's novel:
Destiny's Fire (2012)

Have you read Unveiled? What did you think about it?
Do you plan to read it?

Carina