THE BLURB:
Nastasya has lived for hundreds of years, but for some reason, life never seems to get any better. She left her spoiled, rich girl life to find peace at River's Edge, a safe haven for wayward immortals. There, she learned to embrace River's Edge, despite some drama involving the sexy Reyn, who she wants but won't allow herself to have. But just as she's getting comfortable, her family's ties to dark magick force her to leave.
She falls back into her old, hard partying ways, but will her decision lead her into the hands of a dark immortal? Or will it be her first step to embracing the darkness within her?
The Review:
Okay, that was exhilarating! Wow, really, I thought I'd be disappointed with this book, but clearly I am not. I was thinking that it's actually better than the first book, which I so loved, and that's saying a lot.
Basically, I loved the plot, the love story, the main character, and most of all, the climax. Whenever I finish reading a book, I always evaluate and rate it depending on how I liked those four. With Darkness Falls, why, yes, of course I'd give it five stars! And here are the reasons why:
1. The Plot. Even from the first book, I did love the plot of this series. The main character's struggle to know her real self, learning magick, the fab partying with her friends (Incy, Boz, Katy, and Cicely), complicated love story, complicated best friend, the horrible flashbacks, and the mundane chores at River's Edge---yes, please. I find the whole plot refreshing. And much more now, in this second installment, because everything was heightened.
2. The Love story. Okay, so maybe this is the only part that didn't reach my expectations but, to hell with it, the story's still good! I admit, I had developed a little bit of feelings for Incy---before the whole fiasco, that is. Or maybe even then. And I think I might like him more than Reyn. Shut up. :P I like guys who are more affectionate than those who are just "drawn". It's just too cliche for me. :/
3. Nastasya. I LOVED her character so much! I loved her witticisms, her style, her humor...okay, essentially, I LOVED Cate Tiernan's writing style here because it's NEVER BORING. Anyway, I also loved her ability to learn from her mistakes (in the end), and how she transformed from being a callous and capricious girl to this matured and determined woman.
4. And lastly, the Climax. I am not going to spoil anything here by giving out any hint on how it all turned out, of course. But I'm going to say this: It was exhilarating, if a bit predictable.
So, there you have it. I hope you'd be more convinced to read this series, because it's really worth it.
Here are my expectations for the next and final installment of this trilogy:
**While it was said later on this book that Incy was sent to River's aunt to be "healed", I fervently hope that Cate Tiernan will bring him back on the story.
**A love triangle. I'm hoping for more love story, and so I'm looking forward to a love triangle, which is a first, because I hate love triangles. And I WANT it to be Reyn + Nasty + the "healed" Innocencio.
Oh please, Cate Tiernan, bring back Incy to the story! The healed Incy, that is. Pretty pleeeassee? O:)
THE BLURB:
When twenty-year-old police recruit Kiera Hudson is posted to the remote town of The Ragged Cove, her life is changed forever. Investigating a series of horrific murders, grave desecrations and missing persons, with her unique ability of ‘seeing’, Kiera soon realises her life is in danger.
But when Kiera is crewed with Police officer Luke Bishop, not only is her mind and heart opened to a terrifying new world, she comes to suspect that Luke might be involved in the killings.
In a race against time to unearth the truth, Kiera must discover the identity of who or what is behind the gruesome deaths on the ‘Vampire Shift’.
The Review:
So I've finally given this series a chance. I've been seeing this book's cover on my friends' shelves very often lately, but paid it no attention 'cause I thought the cover's a little too over-the-top (and cheesy). BUT, my curiosity got the best of me so I gave it a try and was reminded: Never judge a book by its cover.
Vampire Shift is about a 20-year-old police constable Kiera Hudson, the MC, who is recently assigned to investigate a very strange town called The Ragged Cove. There, she met her new colleagues, Murphy, Potter, and the eye-catching constable Luke Bishop. Kiera has a gift of seeing what other people can't---not like having a third-eye sort of gift, but more of being a very keen observer; that she notices every clue there is behind a crime scene that other investigators miss. With that said, Kiera is fully confident that she can and will solve the mystery behind the murders in The Ragged Cove. That is, until she found out that the answer to the said mystery is quite the opposite of everything she've concluded.
The story was really UNpredictable, at least for me. At the first few pages, I was rolling my eyes because I thought I have figured everything out by that time. I thought I was one step ahead of the main character in solving the mystery---which is, as you know, very annoying because nothing seems surprising anymore---but, boy, I was so wrong. I even came to a point wherein, like the main character, I don't know who and what to believe in anymore. Like, I'm doubting every character in the book because I was so clueless as who the culprit/s are. Another thing that I liked the most about this book, apart from the twist and turns of the story, is that every question I've had while reading it were answered; there were completely no loose ends. Except, of course, the cliff hanger in the end (but that's okay because there are sequels for that). And, I must point out that I liked Potter more than Luke, just sayin'. :P
So, if you haven't given this book a chance yet, then trust me my fellow booknerd, that this series is not to be missed!
THE BLURB:
Quitting her husband's house and moving back in with her horrible family, Lady Maccon becomes the scandal of the London season.
Queen Victoria dismisses her from the Shadow Council, and the only person who can explain anything, Lord Akeldama, unexpectedly leaves town. To top it all off, Alexia is attacked by homicidal mechanical ladybugs, indicating, as only ladybugs can, the fact that all of London's vampires are now very much interested in seeing Alexia quite thoroughly dead.
While Lord Maccon elects to get progressively more inebriated and Professor Lyall desperately tries to hold the Woolsey werewolf pack together, Alexia flees England for Italy in search of the mysterious Templars. Only they know enough about the preternatural to explain her increasingly inconvenient condition, but they may be worse than the vampires -- and they're armed with pesto.
The Review:
This book proves to be as intoxicating, as entertaining, and as humorous as the previous installments of this series. I enjoyed the story verra much that I was never bored reading it, honestly speaking. And yes, this series is one of my favorite series of all times---it is that good, I assure you. :)
