Beyond Reach by Siobhan Davis

(3/5 stars)

"Back on Earth, Ariana is caught in a dangerous crossfire between clandestine rebel organization Clementia and the power-hungry government. Refusing to divulge the location of the secret information entrusted to her by her late father, she desperately tries to bargain for her Mom, Lily, and Cal’s rescue. She’s fighting a losing battle, and the clock is ticking.

Presented with evidence of her fiancé Cal’s apparent betrayal, she loyally defends him despite her concerns. With her emotions in turmoil, matters become even more complicated as she grows closer to her ex-boyfriend Zane.

When the stakes are raised, a succession of shocking revelations rocks her world, setting her on a path that will not only change her destiny but the fate of humanity.

Confronted by a memory so abhorrent comes a truth she would do anything to forget.

But some things just can’t be undone."

*I received a digital copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*

When I finished True Calling, I was desperate to read its sequel right away. The cliff hanger was too much to bear, but I thought I'd be safe once I started and finished this one. Wrong. Nope, my emotions are even more all over the place and I have so many questions because...

What I liked: Siobhan Davis is a cliff hanger queen. She knows exactly how to build up tensions in a scene and drop a bomb that leaves you wanting more. And it's not like random things that you won't care about; it's actual game changing moments that leave you feeling unsatisfied in a good way. So in Beyond Reach, Ari's world get a million times bigger and the line of who to trust blurs like no other. I enjoyed seeing just how convoluted the government was and how everything related back to Ari and her gang. I also love Zane. Like a lot. Big fan, here. 

What I didn't like: I'm going out on a limb here and posting a spoiler, so WARNING SPOILER AHEAD. I was annoyed with the fact that Ari was pregnant. There, I said it. I don't like reading about teenage pregnancy if it's only something added in to cause further drama. I just kept thinking she shouldn't be taking so many crazy risks if she had a baby inside her. She was also way too obsessed about the fact that she was so sure the baby was Cal's. It was almost a bit naive considering she was on so many hormones and the government was doing all these experiments involving fertility etc. Maybe it's because I'm not the biggest Cal fan. He was just way too obsessed with her (and admits to stalking her house) and it feels like teenage lust instead of real love. 

I feel like I'm always pickier when it comes to sequels. Maybe I just get high expectations. Regardless, I'm still really looking forward to the conclusion of this trilogy. I feel like there's so much that's about to go down and I can't wait to see how it all turns out. 

-Annie

RT Booklovers Convention

This past week was the Romantic Times Bookslovers Convention in Dallas, and even though I couldn't go for the whole week (hey, a girl's gotta work and stuff), I hung out at the conference for Friday and Saturday's events. I'd never been to a conference this big so to say it was a bit overwhelming would be an understatement. There were so.many.people. Authors, readers, bloggers, industry professionals, they were all there and it was so cool interacting with them all! Also, there was merch galore, and during the signings on Saturday, I spent wayyyyy too much money on books. But I'm not even sorry about it. Here's what I was up to during the conference (all the panels I went to were YA):

Friday:

• Panel: After the happily ever after--sequels, prequels, spin-offs, and e-novellas
• Richelle Mead, Alyson Noel, Kathy Reichs, Abbi Glines, and Kami Garcia

• Panel: Happily ever after, with a dash of sex and a drop of angst
• Kiera Cass, C.C. Hunter, Stephanie Perkins, Gena Showalter, Rachel Vincent

• Mia and You- A Meg Cabot salute to her Princess Diaries readers
• Yes, you guys, I actually met Meg Cabot and got to talk to her and this was literally the best moment of my life, no big deal. Don't worry, there'll be a whole post on this experience in the future...

• Panel: Welcome to the dark side
• Susan Ee, Kami Garcia, Melissa Marr, Kimberly Derting, Brendan Reichs

Saturday:

So the only thing I got to do on Saturday was the book fair/signings because I had other plans for the day, but I got to meet so many amazing authors and buy too many books. It was great! Here's who I saw:

• Jennifer L. Armentrout
• Claudia Gray
• Sara Raasch
• Victoria Scott
• Melissa Marr
• Tessa Gratton
• Kasie West
• Meg Cabot
• Page Morgan

I had an absolute blast and it was such a fun experience. If you love books as much as I do, this is a convention that I definitely recommend--even if you only go for a day!

-Annie

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

(5/5 stars)

"When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

Perfect for fans of Kristin Cashore and George R. R. Martin, this first book in a sexy and action-packed new series is impossible to put down!"
Can I give this book more than 5 stars? Because I totally would if I could. It is amazing, phenomenal, absolutely stunning. It is, without a doubt, the best Beauty and the Beast retelling I've ever read.

What I liked: My, my, my that Sarah J. Maas is a pro at world building. This world was so alive, it practically leapt off the pages. It was complex but simple enough to understand, especially since it stayed true to the retelling for the most part. For as similar as the plot was to Beauty and the Beast, everything else was unique. Feyra is practically the opposite of Belle. She's such a strong character who isn't afraid to love and hate. There's so much complication in her life and relationships, and she handles it all with fierce fight and grace. Tamlin has that dark mysterious thing down to a science, and the fact that he's High Fae just adds to it all. I also want to mention that the curse of the masks was a cool touch and it really helped solidify their relationship for me. Besides all that, whew, this book is sexayyy...

What I didn't like: That it eventually ended? I mean, I guess, If I'm being picky, I could have used a bit more development between Feyra and Tamlin. Like maybe we could have seen them fall in love more, but really, that's not even a complaint because I still liked it the way it was.

I highly anticipated this book and had a lot of expectations from it (as I do with all of Maas' books at this point) and I'm so please to say it didn't let me down. If anything, it created another obsession. I can't wait for the next installment!

-Annie

Angelfall by Susan Ee

(5/5 stars)

"It's been six weeks since the angels of the apocalypse destroyed the world as we know it. Only pockets of humanity remain. Savage street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. When angels fly away with a helpless girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back..."

This book. Thisbookthisbookthisbook. I had read a lot of fallen angels books back when it was the super big thing to do, and was always disappointed by them. None of them were anything special. So when I started Angelfall, I was nervous. All for naught because it was that one special angel book. For real.

What I liked: Penryn is the queen of all queens. The world hasn't been kind to her, but she continues to push through without doubt. She takes care of her schizophrenic mother and disabled sister even after the apocalypse has begun. Penryn is loyal, relentless, funny, and a Badass with a capital "B". The fights scenes in this book were my absolute favorites. Penryn fights every chance she can get, there's no way you could ever call her passive. She's knowledgeable in martial arts and it shows, especially when she can take down a fully grown man. Get it, girl. I love the premise of this book. The concept of angels have always interested me in books, especially when it doesn't get preachy religious. This one puts us in a world where angels have taken over. They're the enemy, no question, but yet, they're fascinating. I especially love Raffe because duh. He's not fully bad boy, cocky, jerky, but he has a bit of those tendencies. He's still a good guy who's very protective over Penryn even if he pretends he's not. Their chemistry leaps off the page. You feel the feels. 

What I didn't like: I have no complaints. That is all. 

So now I need to download the next book right away. If anyone needs me, I'll be in a corner reading World After.

-Annie