Book Review: Cast in Angelfire by S.M. Reine

Cast in Angelfire by S.M. Reine is the first book in the Mage Craft series. Newcomers to Reines work might be able to catch up with this new series, but I have not finished reading all the previous series, and feel like what I had read gave me big clues. If I had caught up before starting this book I feel like I would have enjoyed it even more. So, I would suggest either starting fresh here, or reading everything else first.

Eighteen-year-old Marion can’t remember anything before waking up in the hospital. All she knows that a lot of people want to kill her. She quickly has to come to terms with the fact that her would-be assassins are not human. Vampires, faeries, and angels and real and they all want Marion dead. Marion turns to Lucas Flynn: a mysterious doctor who seems to know more than he’s letting on. He is as good with a gun as he is with a scalpel. He fights like a demon but claims that he’s human. And he’s hellbent on protecting Marion. Lucas claims that Marion is a mage: half-witch, half-angel with terrifying powers that could crack the world. But Marion can’t remember how to cast magic any more than she can remember where she comes from. Marion must find her identity and her power…before the forgotten sins of her past catch up with her.

Cast in Angelfire was really well done. I liked the dynamic of Marion not knowing anything, which made it easier to catch up to were the world the book takes place in. I liked that we got to explore the world, characters, and Marion herself right along side her. There are multiple points of view used in the storytelling, but it worked well here, giving readers a better view of the bigger picture. My only complaint is common with just about any book aimed at the young or new adult novel. There is a leaning towards a love triangle, though it is never firmly set into play. I could really do without that, or the possessive boyfriend troupe. However, that and the reordering of my reading pile are my only real issues here, which are small problems as far as I am concerned.

Cast in Angelfire was awesome, but also made me realize how far behind I was in the world that Reine has created. I really enjoyed the story, and the glimpses of what characters and bits I already knew from other books. It was a really gripping read, with mystery and character development that I look forward to following. 

Book Review: Fashionably Dead by Robyn Peterman

Fashionably Dead by Robyn Peterman is the first book in the Hot Damned series. Astrid has had a less than typical life. She has an ice cold mother, and has just lost her grandmother who just happened to have raised her and just left her a tidy inheritance. As she tries to get her life together Astrid decides it is time to quit smoking, and somehow ends up as a vampyre. Now she has an obscenely profane Guardian Angel who looks like Oprah and a Fairy Fighting Coach who’s teaching me to annihilate like the Terminator. Then there is the possibly killer rogue of a vampyre that she is lusting after, who happens to want her in return, and the fact that all the other Vampyres think she is some sort of Chosen One.

Fashionably Dead is a fun and quirky book that combines romance, urban fantasy, and a whole lot of humor. Astrid teaches art at the local senior center and loves Prada a little too much for her budget. When she discovers that her attempt to quit smoking came with the side effect of not being able to breathe her life is turned upside down. Now she is adjusting to life as a vampyre, which includes having an angel that swears more than she does, and fairy trainer, a best friend that is ore than she appears, joining a vampyre house, and an abundance of people with celebrity names or appearances. It is a fast paced, and laugh filled ride that keeps you guessing. While I did see some of the big surprises coming I still enjoyed the ride. 

Fashionably Dead is a fun book for a quick read. There are tons of jokes and puns, some hot moments, and some serious action. A series that I will continue with for fun and light reading. I was annoyed with the cliff hanger ending, but the southern "bless your hearts" balanced that out for me.

Book Review: Sojourner by Maria Rachel Hooley

Sojourner by Maria Rachel Hooley is a young adult novel. Seventeen-year-old Elizabeth Moon has been dreaming about dying in different times her entire life. In each dream there is always a haunting face watching her death. When she returns home to Hauser’s Landing with her guardian, the very place her father disappeared, she meets Lev Walker, who looks an awful lot like the guy in her dreams. Then there is the most eligible bachelor in school, who will not leave her alone, graffiti, mysterious accidents, and more making the return to a prejudice small town harder than it should be. When Lev finally shares his secrets everything begins to close in on Elizabeth and she is not sure who or what to believe in.

Sojourner had promise. A girl that does not seem to fit in no matter where she goes because of her mixed heritage and desire to simply fly under the radar. Lev is the mysterious boy that seems to care but also seems to invade Elizabeth's dreams and stands by to watch her die time after time. It all takes place in a town that is prejudice against Native Americans, and most likely anyone that they can label as other. So far so good. But then, I started reading the book. There are so many parallels with Twilight that i had trouble getting past it. Super small town, new girl immediately being fought over, supernatural boy that seems to be trouble, good guy that carries his own brand of trouble, girl driving a temperamental pick up truck, ice causing some accident, accident prone girl in need to constant supervision, and so on. 

Some of the writing her was better, and Elizabeth seemed to want to be a more independent soul than Bella, but in the end I think the mirroring here was just to much for me, even though I liked Twilight the first go round (I blame pregnancy hormones) the more i think about Bella's dependency and whining the more I wish I never saw the movies, never mind read the final book. therefor I will not be continuing on with this series.

I would recommend Sojourner to readers that did, and still do, love Twilight. The angst and desperation and high school drama are all here along with the idea of a destiny that can not seem to be avoided.If you disliked Twilight, then I would suggest that you skip this read.