9) Hourglass by Claudia Gray

The Blurb -

Bianca will risk everything to be with Lucas.

After escaping from Evernight Academy, the vampire boarding school where they met, Bianca and Lucas take refuge with Black Cross, a fanatical group of vampire hunters. Bianca must hide her supernatural heritage or risk certain death at their hands. But when Black Cross captures her friend—the vampire Balthazar—hiding is no longer an option.

Soon, Bianca and Lucas are on the run again, pursued not only by Black Cross, but by the powerful leaders of Evernight. Yet no matter how far they travel, Bianca can't escape her destiny.

Bianca has always believed their love could survive anything . . . but can it survive what's to come?

My Thoughts -

The third book in the Evernight series was one I have been dying to read and a book I was very happy to find under the Christmas tree! Although I have been very pre-occupied with all my Kindle books I decided that during the week I will try and take a 'real' book in my bag with me instead of always taking the Kindle. After all there are all those paperbacks and hardbacks still on my bookshelves. So when I went back to work this week I grabbed the paperbacks I really wanted to read and Hourglass was one of them.

I have to admit that the first third of this book didn't have me jumping for joy. Maybe the fact that Bianca and Lucas were off with the bad guys (well good guys...depends on which side you are on) and it made me cringe. The boot camp style life and the annoying people were only made a little more interesting when the location changed to New York City. However I my biggest hope was that the couple would get away from the strange vampire killing cult as soon as possible.

A slight spoiler alert here but I am sure that if Bianca and Lucas hadn't left the Black Cross then I may have left them. I was ready to give up. It was only when the story took a turn around that I knew things were changing for the better and I was excited about the story again. I was rewarded with some very interesting developments and a far better second half of the Hourglass.

I have at least four other YA series waiting for me on my tbr pile that have something to do with a school or/and vampires and/or ghosts. So it was extremely pleasing to read this story and see that the plot has grown away from the school element and has grown up a little. Maybe the author will take this back to its roots at some point but right now I am happy to stay away from the typical and some what boring story lines that everyone else seems to be doing. Keep being creative and I will keep reading!

So Evernight is still on my must read list. I would love to get a copy of the four book when it comes out but I am not sure if this series is really on my must buy list. Sure the end of this third installment left me wondering what will happen next but I am not in a rush to find out. Why not? Because this is a story that is original and hard to forget. I really don't have a problem giving myself a break inbetween and digesting what has happened so far. I know I can jump back into this one at anytime and still know what is going on and still enjoy it.

A must read for any YA paranormal readers. If you like Vampire Academy or the House of the Night series then you will absolutely love this.

148) Eternal by P.C. Cast & Others

The Blurb -

More Love Stories With Bite presents all-new YA stories featuring vampires, the romantic heroes and heroines that still hold the reading public enraptured. A mix of writers from the first anthology and new contributors makes for a fresh new collection with all of the dark romance of its predecessor, and a book that’s sure to thrill vampire romance fans old and new.

The Review -

Most people around here know what I think of Anthologies so it may come to you all as a shock when I say that this one was actually good. Not only were the big names on the front but they really did their best and dealt out a good mix of stories. Sure there was one I didn't really like but there is always going to be one you don't like.

Before I break the book down story by story let me just be clear - This book is edited by P.C. Cast and she has written an introduction for the book. She has however not added a story to the anthology. Don't be disappointed! You have been warned :)

"Bloodshed" by Claudia Gray

This first story is set in the Evernight Universe and I loved it. I have only read two books in the series but this story can stand on its own very well. Patrice is the main character in this tale and the plot centers around the Second World War. All in all this was not only interesting to read but very touching. The only problem I had with this story was the use of the German language. There was a little mistake that made me cringe.

"Say Yes" by Lili St. Crow

I won't go into details because I don't want to give anything away. Lets just say that this starts off good and then flowed into an even better ending. This story was well written and had a dark edge to it. I would love to hear more from this character in the future and hope this was just an introduction to something else.

"Letters to Romeo" by Nancy Holder

This was the bad apple in the bunch for me. I have never been a fan of Shakespeare and this strange story really couldn't end quick enough for me. I am sure a lot of romanticists out there will love this one but it just didn't grab me at all.

"The Other Side" by Heather Brewer

Wow! This was one short but it did have a huge twist at the end. This one led me down the wrong path and totally surprised. Loved it!

"Drama Queen's Last Dance" by Rachel Caine

A lovely little tale from the Morganville series. This story is told from Eve's perspective and wasn't too bad. I actually expected Eve to be totally different when it came to her point of view and thinking but she came across as pretty normal. Nice little peak into the town of vampires you just have to love.

"Thief" by Jeri Smith-Ready

The best is always saved till last in an anthology and while some of the other stories in this book really did shine this one shined the most. Jeri is a wonderful storyteller and she should be proud of this little gem. Again I don't want to give anything away but love conquers all and vampires rock.

A near perfect anthology and I am definitely going to look out for more love stories with a bite. YA and the Paranormal go together so well and this anthology is proof of that. Well done!

139) Stargazer by Claudia Gray

The Blurb -

The vampire in me was closer to the surface . . .

Bianca, born to two vampires, has always been told her destiny is to become one. But she has fallen in love with Lucas, a vampire hunter who infiltrated Evernight Academy, the exclusive vampire boarding school she attends. Bianca will do anything to be with Lucas, even if it means lying to the powerful vampires of Evernight.

Her deceit leads her to dig deep into the mysteries of the school, and Bianca discovers that even those she trusts the most have their own dark secrets. When a ghostly force begins attacking Evernight—and targeting Bianca—she learns a shocking truth about her past that will forever change her future.

My Thoughts -

I can't remember when I read the first book, Evernight, but the other day it suddenly popped into my head and I wondered why I hadn't carried on with the series. Then I checked my bookshelf and found Stargazer amongst all the to be read books. I curled up with it and started reading.

Within pages I realised what I liked about the first book. Bianca is a nice calm main character and doesn't think she is something she isn't. Realistic and constant, she guides the reader through the story without getting too dramatic. I also like the concept in this book. Evernight, a place for vampires to go to learn how to live in the modern world. Funny and interesting, Evernight so much different to the House of the Night and Vampire Academy books.

So I enjoyed reading Stargazer and I am already looking for a copy of Hourglass, the third book in the series. I want to see what happens with the wraiths that made themselves present in this book and also what will become of Bianca and Lucas. Lots of twists and a small cliffhanger made sure that this series is going to be a must read for me. Another YA series to keep me occupied!

185) Evernight by Claudia Gray

Bianca wants to escape from the spooky looking Evernight Academy. The students all seem to know each other somehow and Bianca doesn't fit in with them one bit. However she is stuck in the Academy because her parents are teaching there and hopefully that won't make her more of an outsider than she already is. Maybe she should just run away...

Then Bianca meets Lucas. There is some connection between them that she can't understand. Bianca is ready to risk everything to be with Lucas and he feels the same. However there is a dark secret Bianca has been keeping from Lucas about what she is. What she doesn't realise is that Lucas has a secret of his own. The both of them seem to be able to handle their differences but will their friends and family be able to?

Evernight is a book I have wanted to try for a long time. So when a copy arrived from a friend I was happy to finally be able to try a new series and new author. The book started off feeling very spooky and I was very interested in the way the story was developing. The book continued to grab me and intrigue me but the 'vampire' revelation happened a little too quick for my liking. In the end I was left with the certainty that I have to see what happens next.

While quite original this book reminded me of three other Young Adult series I that I already enjoy. There were hints of the Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead and The House of the Night books by P.C & Kristen Cast. Hard not to think of both of these series seeing as Evernight takes place in a 'school' for vampires. The romantic involvement between the main characters kept reminding me of the Twilight books. Such a deep and fierce connection so quickly is just like Bella and Edward. Although the roles were reversed in this story.

So if any of those series mentioned above are on your list of books read or to be read, then you may want to take a look at this series too. I devoured this in only a few hours and enjoyed it. The second part in this series, Stargazer, has now be added to my wishlist.