Book Review - Fire by Heather James

Is control over the elements a gift, or a curse?

Roxy thinks that she is in control of everything: with flames flaring at her fingertips and an equally fiery attitude, what more could she need? But then she meets Brae, a prince from a rival Realm, who turns her assumptions of superiority upside down.

Jasmine has none of Roxy’s confidence or intensity. But she does have a secret - and Brae - and she’s not going to give either up willingly.

 

 

A YA fantasy about opposing nations, each holding different elemental powers, Fire is one of those self-pubs that you could easily see being picked up by a publishing label.  With just a bit of work and polish, this novel could compete with YA fantasies like Graceling and Touch Of Power.  Not without its flaws, Fire is a short and compelling journey told through the eyes of two very different protagonists.

The first thing I noticed about this novel was its prose and structure.  I love me my indie writers, but let’s face it.  Most of them could use with some major editing.  Heather James writes like a pro, making it easy to immerse yourself in her world and her characters.  The build-up of her world was a bit slow, but it was smooth and believable.  If I’m completely honest, there were a few times when I’d feel my attention drifting, but it was never very long before it was back on track.

Book Review -Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Starting over sucks.

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I'd pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring.... until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.

And then he opened his mouth.

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something...unexpected happens.

The hot alien living next door marks me.

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon's touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I'm getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades.

If I don't kill him first, that is.



So over the past year or so, my goodreads feed has exploded with Daemon obsessions and Obsidian avatars.  Being the self-admitted fangirl that I am, I finally decided to ignore the creepy cover and Twilight comparisons and see what all the fuss was about.  I expected to love this book.  I expected to swoon over Daemon so hard that real boys (yet again) would cease to exist for me until my great-book afterglow faded.  I expected to be rocking back and forth in a corner somewhere, eagerly awaiting Onyx’s delivery to my doorstep.  I didn’t get that.

Now, don’t give me that look.  That eye-rollingly, head-shakingly exasperated look that says “Another one she doesn’t like?  This girl just doesn’t get it.”  Because I do.  I do get it.  Daemon is hot, his budding relationship with Katy has that agonizing, antagonistic, slow build-up that only the best have.  The passion between the two sizzles whenever they’re in the same room.  It’s for that very reason that Onyx is on its way to my doorstep as I type this.  But it’s because of all the problems I had with the general storyline and Lux race that I’m completely fine with the waiting.

Book Review - Lola And The Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion...she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit--more sparkly, more fun, more wild--the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.

When Cricket--a gifted inventor--steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.





You remember my glowing, gushing, girly review for Anna And The French Kiss, right?  If not, or if you need a refresher, here’s the gist of it; Omg St. Clair! *massive fangirl attack*  It’s like…I can’t even…. JUST READ THIS BOOK!!!  Lola is the companion novel to Anna, and I fully expected to go gaga over Cricket and Lola’s slow-burn romance to a similar degree that I did St. Clair and Anna’s.

That…didn’t happen.

Now I’ll fully admit that this book suffers significantly for being in the shadow of its predecessor.  I probably judged it more harshly for that reason, expected more from it, and ultimately had a more negative reaction to it than I would have had it been a debut or completely unrelated novel.  But the fact remains that I was completely underwhelmed and unimpressed by Lola And The Boy Next Door.

Follow Me On Bloglovin! (Last Push, I Promise)

Okay so, as I'm sure you all know, Google Reader is dead.  Which means you may not be seeing this post, kind of defeating the purpose of it, but I had to at least give my wonderful followers one last reminder about the wonderful BlogLovin and the services it offers.  (Basically, it's the Google Reader that didn't die.)  It's a fantastic way to follow your favorite blogs and be able to get the gist of their posts all in one little place.  You can follow me by simply clicking the bloglovin widget on the side there.

There has also been talk of GFC fading out before too long, too.  In my blog's earliest days, I spent so much time and put so much effort into building those GFC followers, so if it dies, I *may* have a minor breakdown. 

 

But in the long run, what matters is this; I'm the blogger, you're the readers, and my biggest mission is to make it so you can read what I post as easily as possible.  If you haven't checked out BlogLovin yet, seriously, do.  It's wonderful and convenient and easy, and all of my favorite bloggers are shining their magnificence on one page for me there.  With all the changes Google is making with its blog options (damn you, Google) it's a blogger's best friend.

 

So, follow me there or not (but srsly, do), I had to get my last bloglovin reminder in.  Thank you to every single person who thinks this blog deserves a small portion of their time.  Even though I haven't been as active as I'd like to lately, PaperFantasies is one of my few safe havens, and I have you to thank for keeping both it and my motivation alive.