Hex - A Witch and Angel Tale by Ramona Wray

Title: Hex - A Witch and Angel Tale
Author: Ramona Wray

Release Date: 1st February 2011

My Rating: 4/5

Blurb: Like most girls at Rosemound High School, seventeen-year-old Lily Crane is acutely aware of Ryder Kingscott. Hands down the cutest guy in school, Ryder is cool, mysterious, and utterly untouchable... especially for Lily. For when she touches someone, Lily instantly learns all about their lives. And while such a skill might seem nifty, in truth it is wrecking Lily's life. So she is shocked when Ryder asks her out, and even more shocked to discover he has a rival. Lucian Bell is the gorgeous new kid who can't take his eyes off of Lily.

Being pursued by two hotties should make a girl happy, but Lily is skeptical. The boys act as if they've met before, hating each other with a passion that could only be rooted in a dark, dangerous past. A past full of terrible secrets. The kind of secrets that could get a girl killed.

My Review:
Hex, A Witch and Angel Tale is an easy, suspenseful read that keeps us wondering who is good and who is evil. Are there lies in the truth? Is there truth hidden amongst the lies? To me, Hex is a guilty pleasure. Who doesn't like a bit of forbidden romance and a love triangle with steamy boys?

I am not a huge fan of angel stories (due to reading a bunch of unremarkable stories involving them) but I do like my witches. Thankfully, this is not your run-of-the-mill angel story and I didn't feel the need to roll my eyes. My attention was always caught due to the suspense created by the number of twists thrown at us and also because I was trying to figure out how the characters in the prologue related back to Lily, Ryder and Lucian. It was quite the page-turner.

Lily, quite simply is a witch. Due to her abilities, she can not have any skin to skin contact with people, for if she does, their whole life and all the details flashes before her eyes, putting her in immense pain. Because of this she has one friend, has never had a boyfriend and is labelled a freak by the occupants of the small town she lives in. Personally I would have liked a little bit more about her abilities but I suppose that would have taken the story in a different direction. She is a persistent girl and when it comes to Ryder and Lucian, she won't stop until she knows the truth. That said, she is very trusting and once something is explained to her, she takes it as the truth. But is she trusting the right person? She likes to follow her instincts, but could her instincts be wrong?

Ahh, the boys. Like all the girls in the story, Ryder Kingscott makes me swoon. Over confident? Yes. But just so yummy. Lucian kind of had me on edge from the beginning as he appears to be Mr Smooth and way too perfect. But maybe I was just won over by Ryder as we are introduced to him first. He's a tough act to follow.

This is for fans of Fallen, Hush Hush, Immortal and/or Twilight (but not restricted to!).

Torment by Lauren Kate

Title: Torment
Series: Fallen Book 2
Author: Lauren Kate

Release Date: 30th September 2010

My Rating: 3/5

Blurb:

Lucinda is sure that she and Daniel are meant to be together forever. Now they are forced apart in a desperate bid to save Luce from The Outcasts, immortals who want her dead. As she discovers more about her past lives Luce starts to suspect that Daniel is hiding something. What if he has lied to her about their shared past? What if Luce is really meant to be with someone else?


My Review:
For those of you who have read my review of Fallen, you will know that I had mixed opinions about the story. Once again I am in the same frame of mind.

First off, do not read Torment until you have re-read Fallen. I read Fallen more than 6 months ago and have read at least 50 books since so I spent the first few chapters trying to remember what had happened, what the mythology was and which side different characters were on.

In Torment, Daniel sends Luce off to Shoreline, another school, to keep her safe while he focuses on keeping away those who want her dead. Shoreline is nothing like Sword and Cross and Luce manages to actually have a good time and make new friends, especially with Shelby and Miles. These characters are great and I love the time she spends away from Daniel.

I enjoyed Torment more than Fallen and I think the main reason is because I really dislike Daniel's character and he isn't in this book as much as he was the first. He is still very secretive and cryptic and it's so frustrating! I feel as if I am Luce and all the secrets are being kept from me because, as the reader, we don't know much more than Luce does. The suspense is built up a lot as we have to wait until the end to really find out any big revelations, but even then we are still left in the dark about many things!

Also, for those who pay attention to fantastic book covers, we once again have another stunning cover.

This is a frustrating series and I can't decide if I love it or hate it. As you know, I don't post spoilers, but I will give you a little something to keep building the suspense until this is released...I am totally Team Miles...

Halo by Alexandra Adornetto

Title: Halo
Series: Halo Book 1
Author: Alexandra Adornetto

Release Date: 1st August 2010 (Australia)

My Rating: 3/5

Nothing much happens in the sleepy town of Venus Cove. But everything changes when three angels, Ivy, Bethany and Gabriel, are sent from heaven to protect the town against the gathering forces of darkness. They work hard to conceal their true identity and, most of all, their wings.

But the mission is threatened when the youngest angel, Bethany, is sent to high school and falls for the handsome school captain, Xavier Woods. Will she defy the laws of heaven by loving him?

Things come to a head when the angels realise they are not the only supernatural power in Venus Cove. There's a new kid in town and he's charming, seductive, and deadly. Worst of all, he's after Beth. The angels and Xavier must work together to overcome the dark forces, but will Beth survive the battle?

Halo is the first book in what promises to be a rather exciting trilogy. I was initially a bit skeptical as it does fall into the supernatural love category we have seen so much of in the last couple of years. But, I did really enjoy reading it and once I was a couple of chapters in I read the rest in one sitting.

Halo is very well written and the descriptions throughout are very detailed, although not excessively. I loved the references to the different angels and their abilities but also the underworld, our resident bad guy is described perfectly. Bethany is very naive, having never lived on earth and of course because she is an angel, and this led to a lot of funny scenes, questions and explanations as she needed some of the simplest things explained to her.
I don't usually like it when a reviewer describes something as being to similar to Twilight or that you will love it if you loved Twilight, but I am going to make an exception for this book. I found there were quite a few parallels to Twilight, and not just in the highly intense relationship and instant devotion between Bethany and Xavier, but other areas as well. While I won't go into detail, I will be interested to know if others agree with me on this matter.

There were a lot of references to God and how He feels and how He will 'enlighten us in due course' and while it was coming from the perspective of an angel, I did feel a little like I was being preached to, something I am personally not entirely comfortable with. Having said this though, I was able to look beyond it as it gave more integrity to the angels.

Please take note that I did read an advanced readers copy yet to go through it's final editing stages and certain things may change. One thing I hope will be rectified will be which country the town of Venus Cove is set in. I'm still unclear as whether or not it is set in America or Australia. I read most of it assuming it was set in the US after the references to prom and college but then I picked up on the fact that both rugby and soccer (two sports Xavier plays) are usually how we refer to these sports in Australia whereas in the US it is usually football. Also, authors generally set their novels in their own country as it is what they are familiar with (yes I am generalising here). Maybe I am being petty, but it is something that bugs me. Maybe we are not supposed to know where it is set? Maybe that is the beauty of it, that it could happen anywhere...

Might I also add, is that not one of the most stunning covers you have ever seen?!

Fallen by Lauren Kate

Title: Fallen
Series: Fallen Book 1
Author: Lauren Kate

Published: 7th December 2009 (Australia)

My Rating: 2/5

Seventeen-Year-Old Luce is a new student at Sword & Cross, an unwelcoming boarding/reform school in Savannah, Georgia. Luce’s boyfriend died under suspicious circumstances, and now she carries the guilt over his death with her as she navigates the unfriendly halls at Sword & Cross, where every student seems to have an unpleasant, even evil, history.

It’s only when she sees Daniel, a gorgeous fellow student, that Luce feels there’s a reason to be here, though she doesn’t know what it is, nor does she understand Daniel’s frosty demeanor towards her. For Daniel is a fallen angel, doomed to fall in love with the same girl every 17 years . . . and watch her die. And Luce is a fellow immortal, cursed to be reincarnated again and again as a mortal girl who has no idea of who she really is.

I have mixed opinions of this book. I feel the first half just took too long and I just wanted something major to happen or for something to be explained. It took too long for the revelations to start. That said, the last 150 pages had me speed reading to see what would happen next.

I feel the sequel will be a lot more interesting and engaging now that the ground work has been laid, almost like this was a prequel. Keep an eye out for it in September 2010.

Essentially, not enough was explained, leaving me with many unanswered questions, and what was explained, took too long.

I really liked all of the characters except for Daniel as I just wanted him to help Luce understand what was happening. I found it frustrating!

Also, I think the cover is absolutely stunning, one of the best I have seen in a long time, and I think it will get people to pick it up in the first place, it's what made me.