HarperCollins Publishers | July 2019 | 448 pgs

Source: Library 

(This review contains little spoilers of the first book, Kill the Queen.)

This is the second installment of Jennifer Estep's Crown of Shards series and the story picks up right where it left off in the first book. 

Three months have passed after the royal massacre at Seven Spire palace in the kingdom of Bellona. Lady Everleigh "Evie" Blair managed to overcome a conspiracy at the last minute but she couldn't save Queen Cordelia from her death. Now that Evie is the new gladiator queen of Bellona, not only she has to gain confidence from the Bellonan people that she'd be competent in her new role but also to think of Bellona's future and what she should do to prevent the Mortans from attacking them again. Why, she'd nearly died from poison from a recent secret assassination if not of her enhanced sense of smell and her immunity to magic. 

For diplomatic reason as well as to secure an alliance, she travels to the neighbouring kingdom of Andvari despite dangers are lurking everywhere. But King Heinrich of Andvari wouldn't let things off so easily for her; after all one of his sons, Prince Frederick, and a respected lord were killed in her land during the royal massacre. 

To complicate matters, it seems there are more dark magic works and conspiracies even in Andvari court and she is keen to flush out the traitor even if it means she has to sacrifice her love for Lucas Sullivan, the bastard prince of Andvari, even though she isn't sure if they even have a future together given their status. 

I've to say I enjoyed this installment more than the first one. While the first book was very much on the world-building and the characters (well, it still is in this one), this latest installment was more onto emotional struggles and of course, lots more conspiracies and not to mention some romance element, too. I'm also glad to see a stronger Evie here as she portrayed her new role as a Winter Queen while still trying to maintain her good old self. And, are you fascinated by gargoyles like I do? Well, they're both deadly and adorable creatures here, depending on the circumstances. All in all, this was a very satisfying read to me. Crush the King is the title for the next installment and I'm so looking forward to it, which will only be available in March 2020.

I enjoyed reading the first two books of the Cainsville series, and needless to say I "devoured" it the moment it arrived in mail. I wanted to know how Olivia Jones goes about finding the truth surrounding her birth parents being serial killers, as well as her relationship between Gabriel Walsh and Ricky Gallagher. The former used to represent her parents during the trial but is now Olivia’s boss as they began to work together to unravel the truth behind her parents' crimes. Olivia thinks Gabriel is a man of steel who is void of emotions but the more they work together the more she is convinced he is not really the person she thinks he is. As for the latter, Ricky is the son of a bikers gang leader who has the looks and brains as well. He and Olivia fell for each other badly in the previous installment and readers are able to see their relationship just escalates in this installment. But that is not all, Gabriel begins to feel some emotions towards Olivia and although they are hardly romantic, readers will see a new side of Gabriel and how the three of them are somewhat connected to an age old folklore surrounding faes, huntsmen and other fantastical creatures alike. 

Aside from being troubled by her ex-fiancé, Olivia will also find some shocking answers concerning her birth parents and the real reasons of the crimes they had committed. Truth be told, there are a lots of things happening in this installment and Olivia sees a lot more visions than before that leaves her baffled and more determined to unravel the truth about her birth parents and her identity as well. 

A much as I enjoyed this installment and found it satisfying for more answers being revealed, there are multiple plot lines here which had my mind spinning in various directions; ranging from Olivia’s ex-fiancé obsessive stalking, the relationship and conflicts between the faes world and finally the motivation behind Olivia’s birth parents' murders. That said, I was quite satisfied to note some little change in Gabriel, emotionally wise. He had a rough childhood and it would be good to see him get out of his tortured emotional shell, slowly. 

I wasn't sure if there would be an intense triangle love entanglement in the future but at the rate now it is always interesting to see how these three characters interact with one another, and how Olivia connects with them individually.

As this is a sequel to Anna Dressed in Blood, please note there are some spoilers in this review pertaining to the first book. However, my thoughts would be vague for this sequel. 

Six months have passed since Anna Korlov sarcrificed herself and was perished to hell, together with the Obeahman who'd tried to kill them all. Cas, our hero, has difficulties forgetting Anna despite his sidekicks, Carmel and Thomas, asked him to let everything go. How could he, when she had saved him twice? Plus, he has fallen in love with her. Despite Anna is a ghost and she would never come back, Cas still pines for her and thinks no other girls would be able to compare with his dear Anna. 

Missing her or not, Cas now finds himself seeing Anna everywhere. Is it real or just his hallucinations? He has no answers; but there's one thing he wants to know is, what happened to her after she opened that door to Hell in her basement on that fateful day. 

Girl of Nightmares takes off right where Anna Dressed in Blood left. In this sequel, we see a more vulnerable Cas. He's still a warrior in every sense, but his fighting spirit clashes with his doubts; thinking if Anna is back and/or if she suffers where she was perished. He's suffering too, both in his mind and heart. I missed the old witty Cas back in Anna Dressed in Blood; however this vulnerable side of him made me think that he too has sentimental values, and not just any boy who would forget and move on. For this, I couldn't help but to feel empathy towards him. Thomas, on the other hand, has made me looked at him in a new light in this sequel. If I thought he was nothing but a psychic in the first book, then this sequel has made him into someone more important; someone whom Cas relies on when he is in need of him. 

If Anna Dressed in Blood is an action-packed paranormal, then I have to say Girl of Nightmares has something more; it was emotional and there are definitely more actions, since Cas and his sidekicks would do anything to save Anna from Hell, and from the Obeahman. The journey there was an extremely intense read! 

I was sorry that this story has come to an end; I'd enjoyed it so much. The ending. . . I just have to say it was satisfying. I couldn't think of any ending better than that. 

Oh, before I end this post, Ms. Blake has another new paranormals out - Antigoddess and Mortal Gods, and I'm very curious about these two books. Hopefully they would be as good as Cas and Anna's stories. 

I'm late to the party, at least when Kendare Blake's books are concerned. But of course, as they always say, it's better to be late than never, so here I am. 

I'm always fascinated by the ghost slayer theme, be it movies or books. I'm not talking about the hardcore horrors, just the entertaining and fun ones that allows me to escape from reality once in a while. Reality can be harsh sometimes and we all need something fun and adventurous to take our minds off even if it's only for a while. Reading Anna Dressed in Blood did that to me because it's a story between a ghost slayer and a ghost called Anna, whom he'd set his eyes on to slay since hearing about her hauntings. But most of all, this is also a love story and I knew I'd be in for a good reading treat. 

Theseus "Cas" Cassio Lowood is not your ordinary 16-year-old boy who loves having a little fun here and there. Sure, he loves good old fun but his idea of real fun is travelling to places and hunt ghosts down. He inherited his late father's athame; a deadly tool which allows him to kill the dead. His mother, on the other hand, has a knack in fortune telling and selling occult stuff online. One may call her a witch who's good with herbs but she's more like any mother who worries non-stop about their children. They also have a spirit-sniffing cat called Tybalt. 

Now Anna is a ghost unlike Cas has hunted and slayed in the past. Cas heard of her name through a friend, and apparently there's a legend of her haunting and killing people that scared most people. But, Anna Korlov actually had a sad story behind it. She was murdered in 1958 when she was on her way to a school dance; her white dress stained with blood. She'd kill anyone who steps into her old Victorian house. 

However, as much as Cas wants to slay Anna, he found out that beneath that scary demeanour Anna is simply an ordinary sixteen-year-old girl who's trapped in an old rage and revenge which makes her kills. And on top of it, Anna didn't kill Cas despite knowing that he wanted to kill her. 

There are some explanations regarding Anna's past and the way she died. But the climax of this story is when they encounter another supernatural who's more powerful and murderous than Anna, and by then Cas has found himself fallen in love with Anna. 

Told from Cas' perspective, Anna Dressed in Blood is an extraordinary ghost story in my opinion; one which is both horrific (there's gore but not many that would put you off) and romantic. Before then, I didn't know that these two elements could mix but it works beautifully in this story. So much so that it made my heart ache, just thinking about Cas and Anna and had me wonder how they'd get a happily-ever-after ending out of the mess they are in. Secondary characters such as Carmel (the popular girl in school) and Thomas (the psychic) add interest and entertainment to the story as they assist Cas in the ghost huntings. 

Overall I enjoyed this story. And I've to say the outcome of the ending left me quite speechless, which is a natural reaction given that there is a sequel - Girl of Nightmares. Needless to say, I'm going to devour it after writing this.

Evangeline Hollis is an interior designer, but a casual fling with a hunky stranger made her a Mark of Cain - a celestial bounty hunter charged with sending rogue demons and other Infernals back to hell. This she has herself to blame because the mysterious man reminds so much of her long ago crush, Alec Cain. Eve encountered Alec ten years ago and they were very much attracted to each other, but Alec had no intention of having her until now.

However, Eve is no longer the fresh young girl he met decades ago and now that she has become a Mark of Cain, she has to destroy the evil infernals and fight for survival not that she could help it. To complicate matters, she feels herself trapped between siblings Alec and Reed; the latter being the one who had marked her initially.

What I had expected to be an exciting urban fantasy with a kick-butt heroine became a great disappointment to me because I find there is not much actions going on except the beginning of the first few chapters, and also that it emphasize too much on the relationship between Eve and the two brothers who does not see eye to eye with each other. At some point, I wonder if there are too much attention on the trio and wonder if it would read as a romance instead, but then I think the elaboration helps in a way in describing the complicated relationship between them and so forth. There are also some sexual references so I do not recommend this book to young readers.

All in all, I think Eve of Darkness has an interesting concept featuring a team of bounty hunters, Archangels and demons but I did not find myself being hooked to the plot or care for the characters. Eve is an interesting character, but at times I find her contradicting. I also have questions regarding her being a marked one but I suppose there might be some answers explained during the sequels?

Another thing that puzzles me is the genre of this book; I do not know if this is classified as an urban fantasy or a paranormal romance since I found it under the fantasy section but it read like the latter.

Nevertheless, I have the other two installments, Eve of Destruction and Eve of Chaos in my pile but I have no idea when to read them next but please do not let my opinions deter you from reading this book though.

(Let me know if I have missed yours.)

ISBN-10: 0441014569
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
Published: December 2006
293 pgs


My name is Anna Strong. I was thirty on my last birthday, and I will be thirty when you read this. In fact, physically I will never be older than thirty no matter how many mortal years I have on this earth. I am vampire. How I became, and what is the nature of my existence, is the reason for this story. I tell it the way it happened so you will learn the truth as I did. It may not be what you expect. ~ Foreword from The Becoming


Anna Strong is a bounty hunter; in other words she is known as a bail enforcement agent. Together with her work partner, David, they are to look for a man who called himself John Donaldson who had skipped out on his bail bond. Unfortunately, the race turned out badly when David is hurt during the search and Anna ends up being attacked by Donaldson unexpectedly when she went out to look for David and Donaldson as she is getting too impatient waiting for David to bring Donaldson while waiting in the car.

The next thing she knew she is lying in the hospital bed with an attractive doctor by her side. Dr Grant Avery is concerned of her overall well being, but that is because he knew she had been turned into a vampire, and in fact he is one of them actually. When Anna came to know about it, she is shocked but she overcame this and took it quite well under the guidance of Dr Avery. With her newly telepathic skills and night vision, Anna vows to find Donaldson for revenge not only for personal reason but he is a threat to others as well.

During this time, Anna is also attracted by Dr Avery despite she is into a relationship with Max, who is mortal and a DEA agent. Their relationship is rather discreet due to his deep undercover operation, and most of the times there is no telling when she will hear from him until he gets in touch with her.

And when her house is burnt to ashes and David has gone missing, naturally her first thought goes to Donaldson but it turns out there is someone behind who is out to get her. To add on to this intrigue, there is also someone whom she dubs 'Casper' who has been helping her in several dangerous situations through telepathic ways, and she will do anything to find out everything by all means.

The Becoming is Jeanne C. Stein's first installment of the Anna Strong series, featuring this heroine from a first person POV. Having read several vampire novels in the past, I find the plot to this story original but most of all it breaks away from the traditional belief of vampires (for example, they have telepathic ability and they are not really afraid of sunlight due to long-term immunity et cetera.) There are more surprises and intrigue as compared to the action scenes in this story; and I quite enjoyed reading Anna Strong being a strong and fearless heroine. I have the rest of the installments in my pile and I definitely look forward to reading them in the near future.

ISBN-13: 9780142408162
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
Published: March 2008
224pp






"No one likes to think it of their father; but there are days when I can't help but feel that somehow I got stuck with the biggest loser of all loser dads." And so, this sentence begins the story and adventure of Miguel Schreiber, a seventeen-year-old high school senior after he meets a girl called Lainey, whose family has moved from Australia to New ford at a lakeside beach town.

Miguel is fascinated by her instantly the moment she steps into his father's used comic and records store one evening, and not to mention she has a dog the size of a large German shepherd which its fur is the exact same colour as her hair. Miguel soon finds out that she is trying to get out of Johnny Ward's way, who also happens to be Miguel's long-term enemy from school. Miguel assures her that he and his two friends wouldn't dare to step into the store as he told her the 'history' between his father and Johnny. After this incident, the friendship between Miguel and Lainey blossoms and soon they became a couple.

But Lainey has a secret; and Miguel seems to have strange dreams after his encounter with her but that doesn't stop him from finding answers behind everything. And as it turns out, Lainey and her twin sister are shapechangers and they are half human, half dingo. Tallyman, their father is sent to capture them by Warrigal, the first Dingo, so that he can have one of their blood to free himself from being held prisoner in a tree.

And now it is up to Miguel and Johnny to find a way to defeat these two powerful enemies so that the girls will be free from their grasps ever.

Well, what can I say about this book? It was a page-turner and it has got me hooked from the first page right to the end. I have never read anything by Charles de Lint, but this story is so good and intriguing that I will make sure to check out his books in future.

Charles de Lint has portrayed all the characters very well in Dingo; and I feel connected with the protagonists in this story. And what most rewarding I find this book is, I find hope and love in this magical story. And although Miguel doesn't think he is a hero and is just an average boy, but he shows great determination and courage which I greatly admire. Dingo is one great read and I am sure it will please not only to young readers but to the adults as well.

(Click onto this link to learn more about dingo.)

I have only read two books by Neil Gaiman so far (Caroline and The Wolves In The Wall), and although they are classified under Children/YA genre, still I enjoyed reading them a lot. Neverwhere is actually my first attempt of his full length 'grown up' novel.

Richard Mayhew is a businessman living in London, and he has a fiancee named Jessica who demands a lot from him. Anyway, on his way to meet her superior for a meal, he sees a homeless and injured girl on the street. Although Jessica threatened him that she would call off their engagement if he had decided to help the girl, this doesn't stop Richard from doing so. Thus he brought her home and nursed her, although he doesn't understand why he would help her in the beginning.

The girl, whose name is Door, is actually fleeing from a pair of hired assassins whom had killed her family and that was when she stumbles upon "London Above" and meets Richard. Asides from the strange place she is from, she is also able to communicate with rats and pigeons. But it was until when Richard realizes people could no longer see or hear him, he has to join Door's quest to "London Below" to find out about her family's murder and prepare a battle to save this strange underworld from the others whose aim to destroy it.

Neil Gaiman once again has succeeded in weaving a great fantasy story filled with thrill and suspense. Through his great imaginative mind and skillful writing, he took his readers on a fantastic journey in Neverwhere. This is an extraordinary fantasy story in my opinion, and I am definitely looking forward to more of his books in the near future.

ISBN-13: 9780515143805
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA), 336pp
Pub. Date: November 2007
Series: Sign of Seven Series, Book 1


Caleb, Fox and Gage were only ten-year-old boys when they accidentally released an ancient evil at their Maryland town when they sneaked off home to celebrate their birthdays. The three of them not only were good buddies but they also borne on the same day and year. Because of their 'deeds', the town plunges into madness when unexplainable things would happen for a week every seven years.

Twenty-one years later, the three boys now fully grown hoped to find a way to stop the evil before the evil plays havoc to the town again, and as the years passed its power was getting stronger.

Enter heroine, Quinn Black who was a writer and she was eager to report this paranormal event for her next book. Sparks fly as they get to know each other more, and they were determined to 'solve' the mystery together with two other women, Layla and Cybil who believed everyone of them have some connections to this paranormal experience.

Blood Brothers is an entertaining read, and as I flipped through the pages I was keen to find out what would happen next. The plot is intriguing, and in usual Nora Roberts' style, she has once again created engaging and well-liked characters in this book. I also enjoy reading her witty dialogues. However, I thought the romance between Caleb and Quinn was a little rushed. This isn't a flaw in my opinion as I think Nora Roberts focused more on the paranormal element than the romance in this book. It is still considered a good read, although I'd love to read more of the romance development between Caleb and Quinn. I am looking forward to reading how the protagonists are going to defeat the evil in this trilogy.

As usual, it has been a great pleasure reading with Julia and Alice. I am sure we will be reading together again with Nora Roberts' next installments.