Title: Eternal Night
Author: Carina Adly Mackenzie
Series: Standalone for now
Genre: YA Mythology, Mystery
Format: Paperback
Release Date: August 26, 2014
Publisher: The Studio, a Paper Lantern Lit imprint
Source: eARC received from publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

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There are gods among us...

Six young gods are hiding in plain sight among mortals, living secretly in cities across the world. From lavish penthouse soirees to pulsing underground clubs, for them, the party literally never ends. Until now.

On a hot June morning, the body of a beautiful girl is found floating in the rooftop pool of the Jefferson Hotel, her white-ink tattoos revealing the story of a life much longer than seems possible. Only the immortals know the truth: Nadia was the goddess of hope. Now she’s gone, and the world as they know it is ending. The Hudson River has turned blood red. Storms rage overhead. Mania is rapidly spreading across the globe.

It is up to the remaining gods—Lola, Dean, Weston, Mark, Nike and Peitha—to put aside centuries of betrayal and heartbreak, and stop the mysterious source of darkness that is taking over… before the sun sets forever.

Carina Adly MacKenzie, writer for The CW's hit series "The Originals," has penned a steamy, romantic, and ultimately redemptive story of forgotten gods, the persistence of hope, and the power of love to save us.
 

I am a sucker for all things mythology so when I read the synopsis for Eternal Night I knew I wanted to read it. And I got even more excited when I saw who the author was and the projects she was involved in since I was a huge fan of them. But sadly the more I read the more I began to dislike this book.

I loved the concept of the book, having Greek Gods living in the real world without their powers seemed like a great idea. But for me there were just way too many characters for me to read. i felt overwhelmed by all of theme and got very confused more than once because I forgot which one had which storyline. And to be very honest I had a hard time connecting with any character so when something happened to them I honestly didn't feel for them when I really wanted to. I will say that there were a few characters that I liked more than others and I connected with them a lot more than the others.

The writing for me was an issue because there were so many long winded descriptions that I kept glazing over most of it because I didn't find it helpful to the story. There were a lot of descriptions of clothes and setting but it went too far. It distracted from my enjoyment of the book itself and I wanted so much more dialogue because I always think that when characters talk to each other to find out more about them, and in this instance I didn't get that.

Overall Eternal Night had a great concept and would make a great tv show or movie but as a book it was too much. There were too many character and too many pointless descriptions. And as for the end of the book, although we got some answers and I liked that, there was just too much crammed into a short period of time. I felt overwhelmed by all the info I was getting. In the end this book was just not for me.

Title: Promise of Shadows
Author: Justina Ireland
Series: Standalone (as of right now)
Genre: YA Fantasy, Mythology
Format: Hardcover, 371 pages
Release Date: March 11th 2014
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Source: eARC received by Publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review

Publisher
Amazon | Indigo | TBD | Goodreads




Zephyr Mourning has never been very good at being a Harpy. She’d rather watch reality TV than learn forty-seven ways to kill a man, and she pretty much sucks at wielding magic. Zephyr was ready for a future pretending to be a normal human instead of a half-god assassin. But all that changes when her sister is murdered—and she uses a forbidden dark power to save herself from the same fate.

Zephyr is on the run from a punishment worse than death when an unexpected reunion with a childhood friend (a surprisingly HOT friend) changes everything. Because it seems like Zephyr might just be the Nyx, a dark goddess made flesh that is prophesied to change the power balance. For hundreds of years the half-gods have lived in fear, and Zephyr is supposed to change that.

But how is she supposed to save everyone when she can’t even save herself?


Like I have said before i am a sucker for everything Greek Mythology and it so happens that I found Promise of Shadows in the Simon and Schuster catalog and once I saw the premise I knew I had to read it, and I have to say this is one of my favorite Greek mythology adaptations i have read in a very long time.

Zephyr is our narrator and I have to say I love her so much. I really wish she was a real person because I have a feeling we would be best friends. I think what I loved lost about her was the fact that she was not up front with the readers about her past and what she did. We first meet her when she is in Hell for killing a God. Now first of all this is bad-ass in a of itself because it is not everyday that you read about a girl kicking the ass of someone that is not only older than her but also very much larger than her. And I thought that was very refreshing to read.

I also loved the secondary characters and how much they added to the overal story arc. There was one in particular that I found very interesting and that was Tallon. He was Zephyr's childhood friend that comes back to rescue her because they believe that she is the savior for all. But the tension that is between these two character is amazing, and reading it was both frustrating and amazing at the same time. Their relationship was a large part of why I loved this book so much.

Another reason I loved this book was the mystery element, Zephyr might have been told that she is the savior of all mankind but what does that really mean? And quite frankly finding out with her as you read was a great way to get into not only the story but her character as well. I really loved her and I really hope that there is a second book to this story because I would really like to revisit these characters and see what is happening with them.

Title: The Shadow Prince
Author: Bree Despain
Series: Into the Dark #1
Genre: YA Mythology, Fantasy
Format: Hardcover, 512 pages
Release Date: March 11th 2014
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Source: eARC received by publisher through Edelweiss in exchange for honest review

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Haden Lord, the disgraced prince of the Underrealm, has been sent to the mortal world to entice a girl into returning with him to the land of the dead. Posing as a student at Olympus Hills High—a haven for children of the rich and famous—Haden must single out the one girl rumored to be able to restore immortality to his race.

Daphne Raines has dreams much bigger than her tiny southern Utah town, so when her rock star dad suddenly reappears, offering her full tuition to Olympus Hills High’s prestigious music program, she sees an opportunity to catch the break she needs to make it as a singer. But upon moving into her estranged father’s mansion in California, and attending her glamorous new school, Daphne soon realizes she isn’t the only student in Olympus who doesn’t quite belong.

Haden and Daphne—destined for each other—know nothing of the true stakes their fated courtship entails. As war between the gods brews, the teenagers’ lives collide. But Daphne won’t be wooed easily and when it seems their prophesied link could happen, Haden realizes something he never intended—he’s fallen in love. Now to save themselves, Haden and Daphne must rewrite their destinies. But as their destinies change, so do the fates of both their worlds.


I am a sucker for all things Greek Mythology and this book is seeping with it, and that is why I knew I had to read it. And I am glad I did because it was a great start to new and exciting series!

What I think I loved most about this book was the way the story evolved. First we meet Haden who is a very complex and dangerous character, especially since he grew up in the Underworld with no experience with humans. The we meet Daphne who thinks she is an ordinary human but is really the key to Hadens whole world. When these two characters meet it is great collide of cultures of also of personalities. They bicker and fight but you can also tell that there is a hint of intrigue on both sides, and Haden knows there is a ticking clock always following him.

I did feel like this book was a little long winded for me, there were many times where the descriptions and character got to be too much and I think that drove a wedge into my reading experience. I found that there were a lot of characters and many of them had Greek names so they got confusing. I found that I wanted to know more about Haden then any other character because i felt like he had the most intrigue, BUT then there was this amazing twist at the end that blew me away and them everything changed. Daphne was now my main interested and I wanted to know all about the her life because the one we knew as readers was a lie and that was amazing!

Although there is a love interest in this story I loved that it was not your typical "love at first sight" kind of thing. It was actually quite amusing to read because each character felt differently about the other but you could see subtleties that gave clues as to the way they really felt. I liked that a lot.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. Although it was quite long winded i thought the two main characters were great and entertaining and then the end happened and it made me crave the next installment. If you love Greek mythology at all this book is for you.

Title: Teardrop
Author: Lauren Kate
Genre: YA, Mythology
Format: Hardcover, 441 pages
Release Date: October 22, 2013
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers

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Never, ever cry. . . . Eureka Boudreaux's mother drilled that rule into her daughter years ago. But now her mother is gone, and everywhere Eureka goes he is there: Ander, the tall, pale blond boy who seems to know things he shouldn't, who tells Eureka she is in grave danger, who comes closer to making her cry than anyone has before.

But Ander doesn't know Eureka's darkest secret: ever since her mother drowned in a freak accident, Eureka wishes she were dead, too. She has little left that she cares about, just her oldest friend, Brooks, and a strange inheritance—a locket, a letter, a mysterious stone, and an ancient book no one understands. The book contains a haunting tale about a girl who got her heart broken and cried an entire continent into the sea. Eureka is about to discover that the ancient tale is more than a story, that Ander might be telling the truth . . . and that her life has far darker undercurrents than she ever imagined. From Lauren Kate comes an epic saga of heart-stopping romance, devastating secrets, and dark magic . . . a world where everything you love can be washed away.


I have loved Lauren Kate since I read Fallen years ago, so when I saw that she was writing another series I was really excited. I will say that I absolutely love this cover, it draws you to it, and it did the same for me when I first saw it. But I will say that the cover does not really depict what  goes on inside the story, and I really wish that the "girl on the cover with a dress" thing would stop on YA covers because it does not help with understanding the plot.

I am not going to say that I loved this book, because I didn't. The writing, as per usual was amazing and flawless. Lauren has a way of grabbing your attention and keeping you interested, and she did just that with this book. I loved the main character, she was spunky and damaged with the death of her mother. I also loved her relationship with her Father and Stepmother, because it was strained and a little infuriating to read, and I loved that.

I also liked the love interest and how complicated it was. It was not the typical love story because one, there were two interest, and because both boys were shrouded in mystery. I did not know who to chose or who was better, but I also knew that both of these boys were hiding something and I really wanted to know what that was.

Now, the biggest issue for me was the plot itself and the "reveal" at the end. Although an interesting story, to me it was way to out there because it made no sense to me. Her tears will rise the lost city of Atlantis? I mean seriously? I think I laughed when I read that because it just seemed so out of the norm. I am all for taking a myth and messing with it to make a great new story, but for me, Atlantis is one of the cursed ones that does not work as a retelling because it just doesn't make plausible sense.

Overall, I enjoyed the story up until the end when everything was revealed. I felt like the Atlantis part ruined my overall feel of the book and I honestly do not know if I will read the rest of this series. But you never know, my feeling may change.

Title: The Chaos of Stars
Author: Kiersten White
Genre: YA, Mythology
Format:  Hardcover, 288 pages
Release Date: September 10, 2013
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: eARC provided from publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for honest review

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Isadora’s family is seriously screwed up.

Of course, as the human daughter of Egyptian gods, that pretty much comes with the territory. She’s also stuck with parents who barely notice her, and a house full of relatives who can’t be bothered to remember her name. After all, they are going to be around forever—and she’s a mere mortal.

Isadora’s sick of living a life where she’s only worthy of a passing glance, and when she has the chance to move to San Diego with her brother, she jumps on it. But Isadora’s quickly finding that a “normal” life comes with plenty of its own epic complications—and that there’s no such thing as a clean break when it comes to family. Much as she wants to leave her past behind, she can’t shake the ominous dreams that foretell destruction for her entire family. When it turns out there may be truth in her nightmares, Isadora has to decide whether she can abandon her divine heritage after all.


I have a been a huge fan of Kiersten for a long time, since she started writing the Paranormacly series, and honestly there were other books I have read of hers that didn't really do it for me, like Mind Games, but when I saw that she digging into Egyptian Mythology I knew I needed to read it. And i am so glad that I did because I would have missed out on an incredible story.

I thought the premise for this story was amazingly original because it put a spin on a genre that has been many times over. Instead of their being a human trust into the middle of mythological characters, there is a girl who is fully aware of who her family is and the fact that they are immortal. What she doesn't understand is why she isn't. Isadora is a character that I love to read, because she is fiercely independent but still longs to be loved by her family. No matter how many times she tries to deny it, her family means everything to her and i loved reading that.

What would a YA novel be without a love interest right? And I really loved this, not only because he was adorable and cute, but because of what it meant for Isadora. She refused to believe that she felt anything for him when it fact it was the exact opposite and the reveal of their true identities was brilliant because it brought forth a story line that includes mystery and the unknown. Which I love and honestly I cannot wait to see where Keirsten goes next because the end of this book was amazing and I seriously hope that there is more in this world because there is more there, and I really hope I get to read it someday. This was a refreshing way of looking at Egyptian Mythology and if you love that type of thing, this book is definitely for you. It is dark and funny, with some amazing historical facts mixed in. Amazing.

Title: Antigoddess
Author: Kendare Blake
Genre: YA, Mythology
Format: Hardcover, 33 pages
Release Date: September 10, 2013
Publisher: Tor Teen
Source: ARC received from publisher for honest review

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The Goddess War begins in Antigoddess, the first installment of the new series by acclaimed author of Anna Dressed in Blood, Kendare Blake.

Old Gods never die…

Or so Athena thought. But then the feathers started sprouting beneath her skin, invading her lungs like a strange cancer, and Hermes showed up with a fever eating away his flesh. So much for living a quiet eternity in perpetual health.

Desperately seeking the cause of their slow, miserable deaths, Athena and Hermes travel the world, gathering allies and discovering enemies both new and old. Their search leads them to Cassandra—an ordinary girl who was once an extraordinary prophetess, protected and loved by a god.

These days, Cassandra doesn’t involve herself in the business of gods—in fact, she doesn’t even know they exist. But she could be the key in a war that is only just beginning.

Because Hera, the queen of the gods, has aligned herself with other of the ancient Olympians, who are killing off rivals in an attempt to prolong their own lives. But these anti-gods have become corrupted in their desperation to survive, horrific caricatures of their former glory. Athena will need every advantage she can get, because immortals don’t just flicker out.

Every one of them dies in their own way. Some choke on feathers. Others become monsters. All of them rage against their last breath.

The Goddess War is about to begin.


I am sucker for anything having to do with Gods, Mythology and anything ancient. So when I saw what this book was about, I knew that it was way up my ally and I needed to read it. What I didn't expect was the level of storytelling and writing that I encountered. Unlike most, I have not read the Anna series, and honestly I don't know why. Kendare's writing is phenomenal in this book, and I can only imagine what her other is like.

What I love most about this type of story is the way it can be manipulated and changed in so  many different ways. I mean retelling of Greek myths have been around for centuries, but I honestly don't think that I have encountered one quite like this. Kendare took the gods that we know well, and made them human. And she took out human world and made it fantastical. it was amazing to read, and honestly I could not put this book down because the tension was so intense that I needed to know what happened next.

What I think I loved most about this story was the mixture of ancient characters with human ones. And I thought it was very original the way the gods were integrated into the story. They were not exaggerated versions of the people we have read about, they seemed real and "human" at times, even though their egos could get in the way.

The love story in this book was heartbreaking and beautiful at the same time. There was no sexual tension because the two characters were already together, but it is what happens to them that effects their relationship and I loved watching them try and figure out what their true feelings were, especially when the big reveal happens.

I am not one for cliffhanger endings or ending that are incredibly sad, and I will warn you that this one has some of both. I wanted to throw the book again ts a wall at certain point at the end, I had to convince myself that the author would not be that mean, but in fact she was. But I commend her for it, because the more I thought about the more I realized that it was what needed to be done for the story to continue. And I seriously cannot wait to see where this series goes. It was a breath of fresh air in a genre that has grown tired.