The Immortal Throne

Goodreads Synopsis:    Daphne Raines was not expecting to wind up Queen of the Underrealm. She knew it was risky to enter the underworld to save the love of her life, Haden, who had sacrificed his own honor as an Underlord for her sake. But she could never have predicted that she’d end up betrothed to Haden’s conniving half-brother, Garrick, new King of the Underrealm—and bound to his dark world.

Even worse, Haden is banished to the mortal realm, and has just days to live as poison takes over his body and mind. Only Daphne’s kiss can save him, but how can she escape Garrick and reach Haden in time?

Surprises lurk around every corner in the final chapter of this romance story as Haden and Daphne fight to fulfill their destinies, challenging their fates and confronting the reality that they might die in the process.

My Thoughts:

-    I have nothing but praise for this series! The ending did not disappoint. It was everything I wanted and more.

-    I love how these characters have grown and developed. They each had their own moments to shine, and I've grown really attached to each one. 

-    I was able to predict some of the story twists, but not all. There were still a lot of surprises for me, and I loved it.

-    Daphne's dad and Tobin really shined. They didn't have any special powers, but they really stepped up and didn't shy away from the battle. I loved how they did everything and anything they could to help Daphne. I especially loved Daphne's dad. He really redeemed himself and turned his whole life around. 

-    I enjoyed Haden and Daphne's relationship. Their relationship didn't take over the story even though it was central. There was still plenty of other things going on, and it was the perfect amount of romance to action/scheming/awesome stuff. 

-    This is my new favorite Persephone and Hades retelling. It was a really fun trilogy. I'm glad Bree didn't give up on it. She fought through all the obstacles, and I really admire that.

Previous books in the Into the Dark series

(covers are linked)

 

The Eternity Key

From Goodreads:    Fan-favorite author Bree Despain continues her modern-day romance trilogy inspired by the Greek myth of Persephone and Hades with this second book in her Into the Dark series. 

Haden Lord, the disgraced Prince of the Underrealm, has chosen love over honor and will do everything in his power to protect Daphne Raines, the human girl he was supposed to bring to the Underrealm. Haden’s choice is put to the test as the Skylords and a figure from his past arrive in Olympus Hills with a plan that could destroy all of the realms.

Embracing her destiny as the Cypher, Daphne begins to understand the immense power of her musical ability to control the elements, but she must come to terms with her feelings for Haden and what she must sacrifice in order to protect him and her friends.

Believing the Key of Hades is the only thing that can stop the Underrealm Court from releasing the monstrous Keres on the mortal world, Haden, Daphne, and their friends set out to find the Key before Persephone’s Gate opens again on the spring equinox.

My Thoughts:

-    I love this series! This book didn't have middle book syndrome at all. It moved the story along nicely and kept me hooked the whole way through.

-    The story is very well thought out. I love the twists and surprises.

-    The characters are awesome. I loved them in the first book, and each character grows so much in this book. Great character development!

-    The ending is awful, but in a good way. It is one of those cliffhanger endings where you want to chuck the book across the room and weep, but you love the author for it because it is just great storytelling. 

-    I love the relationship between Daphne and her father. Her dad made huge mistakes, but he is really stepping up as a father, and I love seeing good father figures in books. We need more of that.

-    I also love the Daphne and Haden relationship. It is full of tension!

-    Love this series! So many emotions! More gush gush gush! 

Previous book in the Into the Dark series

(cover is linked)

The Shadow Prince

Goodreads Synopsis:    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. 

My Thoughts:

-    This has been sitting on my nightstand since the launch party, and I am kicking myself for not reading it sooner. I loved it!

-    This is my new favorite Hades and Persephone story. It had everything: action, romance, friendships, mystery, tension, music, great characters, and a great story.

-    The plot was really well done. It was intricate and interwoven. I was hooked from the beginning, and the ending delivered. 

-    I loved every character. They were all great, and each have their own roles to play. I suspect some characters will play bigger roles later. 

-    I have nothing bad to say about this book. Just gush gush gush!

Bree and Katherine

I always forget to blog about going to author events! I need to be better about that.

On May 9th, I went to Bree Despain's launch party for The Eternity Key.

She calls this series The Little Series That Could because there has been so much opposition, but the series WILL be finished! It has been quite a journey for Bree, and I admire her for her diligence and determination to get this series published. I also admire her for loving her books so much that she would have rather seen the series die than put crap into her reader's hands.

Although she doesn't like to do it, Bree did a reading for us.

Jenni, Tori, and Suey were there too!

Bree signing the book!

She also had these cool Cupid's Arrow rings. Each color meant different things. I chose black which was anti-love.

A blurry picture of all of us 

On May 15, Jenni and I went to the Provo Library to see Katherine Applegate.

Here is Gene introducing the author:

Katherine had a great presentation. She told us the story of the real Ivan, and I was trying not to cry. She also told us about the book and the journey it took to being published.

I loved this picture! This is Katherine in her bed, in her pjs, with a notebook, and a TON of crumpled up pieces of paper. She said this is what an author looks like. Writing is process and it can be hard at times.

I bought the non-fiction picture book of the real story of Ivan for my daughter. Here is Katherine signing it.

This is the author signing The One and Only Ivan.

Another blurry picture with an author.

My new goal for the future is to bring a notebook and take notes and stuff during author events, and then I'll have info for blog posts!! I also try to put these up shortly after the event.

The Savage Grace

Goodreads Synopsis:    A troubled soul. An impossible choice. A final battle.

Wrestling with the werewolf curse pulsing deep inside of her, Grace Divine was finally able to find her brother, but it nearly cost her everything.

With her boyfriend, Daniel, stuck in wolf form and Sirhan's death approaching, time is running out for Grace to stop Caleb Kalbi and his gang of demons. If she fails, her family and hometown will perish. Everything rests on Grace's shoulders.

The final installment in The Dark Divine trilogy brings Daniel and Grace's love story to a breathtaking conclusion.

My Thoughts:

-    This book was fantastic! I loved it! It was the perfect ending to this trilogy!

-    In the beginning there was so much pain and sadness. It was quite depressing, but then Grace realizes what she is meant to do, and the everything starts getting hopeful and happy!

-    I love how Grace reconciles her relationships and how she became so loving and compassionate. I want to be her friend!

-    There were some epic Buffy fights! I loved all the action and battle scenes! It was thrilling! Paranormal action is so much fun! All the characters were pushed to the limits, and the danger and fear was so tangible! More books need action like this!

-    I really love how everything was resolved. I feel like this ending was appropriate. It was hopeful yet solemn. There is one thing I still wonder about though. I'm sure there will be epic battles in the future for Grace and Daniel, but I'm happy with how everything ended. 

-    There was a bit towards the end that happened to be VERY similar to a Bible story. It is the one about an ear getting chopped off and a certain divine individual heals the ear. Ya, I noticed that! 

-    The character development from the first book to the end of this one was brilliant! I loved how Grace and Daniel's characters evolved. I loved the change that came over each character as they faced their own individual challenges. Jude's character was especially complicated, and I admit I cried for him. 

-    I really like the Divine family and the struggles they went through. I respect this family very much, and I can't even begin to understand how hard everything was for Grace's parents. It would be awful to see your children go through so many hardships. I think Grace's parents played their roles very well. They were there for their children, but ultimately let them do what they had to do regardless of the danger. 

-    I still saw and felt the Twilightish elements, but I've accepted it. I just tell myself this is like Twilight but good.

-    I think what I loved most about the series was that it wasn't just about a boy and girl in love. I wasn't just about werewolves. It was about people! It was about relationships, growing, challenges, forgiveness, heartache, redemption, and so much more! I loved all the morals and lessons! They way that Christianity is mixed into the story is well done and so uplifting. I felt good after reading each book. 

Previous Dark Divine Books

(Click on cover to see my thoughts)

 

The Lost Saint

From Goodreads:    A family destroyed. A love threatened. An enemy returns.

Grace Divine made the ultimate sacrifice to cure Daniel Kalbi. She was infected with the werewolf curse while trying to save him, and lost her beloved brother in the process.

Desperate to find Jude, Grace befriends Talbot, a newcomer to town. But as the two grow closer, Grace's relationship with Daniel is put in danger - in more ways than one.

Unaware of the dark path she is walking, Grace begins to give into the wolf inside of her - not realizing that an enemy has returned and a deadly trap is about to be sprung.

Bree Despain delivers sizzling romance and thrilling action in the heart-pounding sequel to the The Dark Divine.

My Thoughts:

-    I don't know why I can't stop reading these! This is usually not my cup of tea!

-    I thought the beginning was a little slow, but it picked up and I couldn't stop reading. This book never left my side, and I read every chance I got. 

-    April is so dumb but fun. I find her really annoying, but she is a good friend, and I think Grace really needed her. April reminded me A LOT of Tomoya from Cardcaptor Sakura. Kudos to Brodi Ashton for her input on a bling bling stake! ha ha!

-    I don't know what to think about Daniel and Grace's relationship in this one. I hated it, but I understood it. Every relationship has bumps, and I'm glad they reconciled and became closer because of their struggles, but I hated the lying and poor choices. 

-    How old are Grace and Daniel? Aren't they too young to know what true love is? I can't really complain though, I started dating my hubby when I was 18, but I was out of High School and in College. I don't really know how I feel about this. 

-    I really like the Christian messages in these books. I think religion gives guidance and comfort to people, and this story really shows that. I really liked the theme of helping others and being good Samaritans. I wish my school/seminary had a service project like the one in this book.

-    There was a lot more action and violence in this book, and I LOVED IT!! The epic demon killing was fun! I also liked the battle at the end.

-    This book was very Buffy the Vampire Slayerish. I liked it! It was also Twilightish, which I hated. 

-    I liked the new characters, and I liked that I didn't know who to trust or not. Little warning signs went off in my head about a couple of them. I liked the added suspense of not knowing who the enemy really was. 

-    Grace made a lot of poor choices. I get that most of it was the wolf inside, but I'm glad she got a little kick in the butt at the end. Her pride was getting the way, so I'm glad she was humbled and realized what was going on. 

-    I figured a love triangle would appear, but I REALLY didn't want it to. Oy! Why? Why do books have to do this!? We've already established that Daniel and Grace have "true love" for each other, so lets just leave them alone! 

-    The ending was a bit of a cliffhanger, so I think I'll go devour the 3rd book now!

Previous Book in Trilogy

(Click on cover to see my thoughts)

The Dark Divine

Goodreads Synopsis:    Grace Divine, daughter of the local pastor, always knew something terrible happened the night Daniel Kalbi disappeared--the night she found her brother Jude collapsed on the porch, covered in his own blood--but she has no idea what a truly monstrous secret that night held.

The memories her family has tried to bury resurface when Daniel returns, three years later, and enrolls in Grace and Jude's high school. Despite promising Jude she'll stay away, Grace cannot deny her attraction to Daniel's shocking artistic abilities, his way of getting her to look at the world from new angles, and the strange, hungry glint in his eyes.

The closer Grace gets to Daniel, the more she jeopardizes her life, as her actions stir resentment in Jude and drive him to embrace the ancient evil Daniel unleashed that horrific night. Grace must discover the truth behind the boy's dark secret...and the cure that can save the ones she loves. But she may have to lay down the ultimate sacrifice to do it--her soul.

My Thoughts:

-    I've put this book off for a long time. After the fiasco that is Twilight, I actually didn't want to read this book at all, but I was really surprised at how intoxicating this book was! I couldn't put it down! I'm slowly coming around to liking paranormal books. 

-    Yes, the book has Twilight elements, and I hated that, but this book had better writing, characters, and story!

-    I really loved that this was very mysterious and dark. I wanted to know everything about Daniel. I was dying to know what happened between him and Jude. 

-    I loved Grace's character! She was so compassionate and genuinely wanted to help people. She was willing to sacrifice things and go the extra mile! 

-    I really liked the Divine family. Their family was a very typical Christian family, and I liked how the their bond was strong yet weak. 

-    The part about forgiveness really hit home for me. I've been hurt very deeply by someone close to me, and it is hard to get over the pride and hurt feelings to forgive them. I really appreciated the pastor and his bit about the Prodigal Son.

-    I didn't really like Pete. I thought he could have been left out of the book. I didn't like that Grace had any sort of relationship with him. I felt like it wasn't needed, and he was a jerk. 

-    My heart bleeds for Don! That poor poor man!

-    I feel really sad that I let one book ruin a whole genre for me. I shouldn't have done that cause I've been missing out! I've learned my lesson. Never say never!

-    I think this book could have stood by itself. I'm really curious to find out where the story goes from here, because I liked how this one wrapped up.