Darke Academy Series by Gabriella Poole

Secret Lives - Book 1
'True graduates of the Darke Academy take
life by the throat, Cassandra. Remember that!'

The Darke Academy is a school like no other. An elite establishment that moves to a new exotic city every term, its students are impossibly beautiful, sophisticated and rich. And the more new scholarship girl Cassie Bell learns about the Academy, the more curious she becomes.

What sinister secrets are guarded by the Few - the select group of students who keep outsiders away? Who is the dark stranger prowling the corridors at night? And what really happened a year earlier, when the last scholarship girl died in mysterious circumstances?

One thing Cassie will discover is that a little knowledge may be a dangerous thing, but knowing too much can be deadly . . .

Blood Ties - Book 2
Cassie shivered. The hunger
was growing again; she could feel it.
The spirit was awake, and ravenous.

This term the secretive Darke Academy has moved to New York, and Cassie Bell is no longer the innocent new girl. Now she is strong, determined, and hiding secrets of her own. For Cassie has been introduced to the world of the Few and is struggling to come to terms with her astonishing powers, a dangerous romance and the malevolent spirit inside her, demanding to be fed.

When an old enemy returns, bent on revenge, Cassie is tested to the limit. Can she rescue her friends from an horrific fate, or will she end up destroying them to save herself?

Wherever the Darke Academy goes, death is never far behind . . .

Divided Souls - Book 3
'Sometimes, Cassie, the people you
love can be the most dangerous
enemies of all . . .'

Death has followed the Darke Academy to the ancient city of Istanbul. An unseen hunter is on the loose.

Scholarship girl Cassie Bell is fascinated by the city's beauty, but there's no time for her to relax. Torn between an old flame and a new romance, she must also choose between the select world of the Few and her loyalty towards her best friends.

And all the time a killer is stalking the Few. As Cassie is about to discover, no one is above suspicion . . .

What I thought
I've put the first three books together to review because I started them on Friday and finished them today so, for me, seemed the easy option.

Great books! I couldn't put these books down, they had me fixed to them the storyline was that good. I loved the fact the main character Cassie was British as well, so when she said things like 'get stuffed' and 'give over' I couldn't help but smile to myself because I must admit, I say 'get stuffed' most of the time.
I liked Richard a lot (even though he was a bit of a muppet at the end of book 1), he was charming, funny, easy-going, and he got on with almost everyone.
Ranjit was a completely different character altogether. I liked that he was quiet, and he had a air of authority about him. He was also very intense and secretive which also drew me to him.
I haven't heard if there's going to be a fourth book, but I'm keeping my ears open and my fingers crossed because the storyline just keeps getting better and better.

Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices Series) by Cassandra Clare

A bit about the book
Magic is dangerous -
but love is more dangerous still

When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray arrives in England during the reign of Queen Victoria, something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Friendless and hunted, Tessa seeks refuge with the Shadowhunters, a band of warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons. Drawn ever deeper into their world, she finds herself fascinated by - and torn between - two best friends and quickly realizes that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.

What I thought
Great book! I must say, I'm not a big fan of prequels, but I'd heard a lot of good things about this one, plus I'm a big fan of Cassandra Clare and I loved her Mortal Instruments series (this book being the prequel to that series), so I gave it a go, and I really enjoyed it.
The characters were great. I loved Jem, he was sweet and loyal and friendly towards Tessa. Then there was Will (who reminded me a lot of Jace from the Mortal Instruments series), who was sarcastic, rude, vain and so very up himself. That didn't stop Tessa speaking her mind though lol.
The storyline was good, and to me, it was a very easy book to get in to. If you liked the Mortal Instruments series then there's no doubt you will love The Infernal Devices series. I can't wait to read the next book, Clockwork Prince, out in September 2011!

Jealousy (A Strange Angels Novel) by Lili St. Crow

A bit about a book
Someone is dying to kill Dru . . .

Dru has taken on her her fair share of ghosts, suckers and zombies. Now she's being hunted by a four-hundred-year-old nosferat who has unleashed his bloodthirsty army of suckers on her. But Dru is armed, dangerous, and not going down without a fight.


Dru's finally made it to the Schola Prima - the vampire-fighting training facility and home of the Order - and life is about to get even more dangerous. There's a brand new svetocha in town - a redheaded vixen named Anna who's got the Order wrapped around her pretty little finger, and who'd rather kill Dru than share the spotlight. Dru has something Anna wants, and his name happens to be Christophe Reynard . . .

How can Dru trust the Order to protect her, when its leader wants her gone?

What I thought
Brilliant book! This series has been absolutely amazing, and there's still more to come.
I love Dru, she's a young girl, but she's so strong and tries to not let anything get her down. She's been through so much and she's still determined to fight or die trying.
In this book, I got to see more of her feminine side which was nice, because obviously there's only so much one person can take, and Dru's obviously proved she can take nearly anything.
I have one point to share about this series and it's about Graves and Christophe. I like Graves, he's stuck by her through thick and thin and Dru feels totally safe with him. Then there's Christophe, watching out for her, most of the time from a distance. Anyway, I must honestly say, I would love to see Dru with Christophe, I think Graves character feels more like the brotherly kind. Well, that was just my opinion, and I can't wait for the next book in the series, Defiance.

First Drop of Crimson (A Night Huntress World Novel) by Jeaniene Frost

A bit about the book
The night is not safe for mortals. Denise MacGregor knows all too well what lurks in the shadows - her best friend is half-vampire Cat Crawford - and she has already lost more than the average human could bear. But her family's past is wrapped in secrets and shrouded in darkness - and a demon shapeshifter has marked Denise as prey. Now her survival depends on an immortal who lusts for a taste of her.

He is Spade, a powerful, mysterious vampire who has walked the earth for centuries and is now duty-bound to protect this endangered, alluring human - even if it means destroying his own kind. Denise may arouse his deepest hungers, but Spade knows he must fight his urge to have her as they face the nightmare together . . .

What I thought
Great book! I came across this book when a group of friends (a group of friends that are addicted to paranormal romance as much as me lol) was talking about a spin-off series from Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress series, so I thought I'd give it a go. I wasn't disappointed. I love Jeaniene's style of writing and the storyline was brilliant. It kept me hooked and it didn't take me long to read it. It looks like Spade is another vampire I need to add to my list of 'Vampires to Remember' because he's got the cruel/kind thing off to a T. I definitely recommend this book to all paranormal romance fans!

Awakened (A House of Night Novel) by P.C. & Kristin Cast

A bit about the book
How far will the bonds of friendship stretch?
How strong are the ties that bind
one girl's heart?

Exonerated by the Vampyre High Council and returned to her position of High Priestess at Tulsa's House of Night, Neferet has sworn vengeance on Zoey. But Zoey has found sanctuary on the Isle of Skye and is being groomed by Queen Sgiach to take over for her there. Being Queen would be cool, wouldn't it? Why should she return to Tulsa? After losing Heath, she will never be the same - and her relationship with her super-hot-warrior Stark may never be the same either . . .

And what about Stevie Rae and Rephaim? The Raven Mocker refuses to be used against Stevie Rae, but what choice does he have when no one in the entire world, including Zoey, would be okay with their relationship? Does he betray his father or his heart?

What I thought
Great book! I couldn't wait to get my hands on this book, so when my daughter walked in, after coming back from town, and handed me a Waterstones bag, I could have hugged her to death, bless her.
In this book, it was great having Zoey back and in reality once again. Having her and Stark together as a couple was nice, and that's what Zoey needed for a change, something good happening in her life.
I thought I would actually tire of this series - this being book 8 in the series - because usually with long series I start to get bored quite easily if the story lines start getting a bit dull, but that isn't the case with the House of Night series. The only downfall, for me, is that it's starting to drag on a bit with Neferet (yes, I know she's a big part of the series and a lot of people will disagree), so I can't wait until she gets a wide awakening. Other than that, a great book and I'm looking forward to reading Destined - the next book - and hopefully Neferet will get a good sorting out in that one lol.

Alpha (Shifters Series) by Rachel Vincent

A bit about the book
"The only thing I knew,
beyond a shadow of a
doubt - I would live and
die for my Pride"

Everything is about to change for werecat Faythe when her father is ousted from the council that controls their secret world. And a shocking tragedy jeopardises her future as Alpha of the pride.

Now a rebel on the run, Faythe's biggest fight lies ahead. Old allies from the supernatural world are ready to stand by her side. And weretoms Marc and Jace would give their very souls in the duel for Faythe's heart...

Yet as their enemies draw near Faythe knows that she - and she alone - can lead the pride into what may be their final battle.

What I thought
Brilliant book! Well, what the end of a brilliant series, I will definitely miss Faythe and the boys (well toms should I say). This book was a brilliant final book and I couldn't put it down, I was angry one minute and crying the next, it was a very emotional read. It's always sad to see the end of a great series, but this book made it a brilliant ending. People that have read this series will know what I mean with what I've said and people that haven't read the series really need to go buy, swap or go to the library because your really missing out on a amazing adventure!

Shift (Shifters Series) by Rachel Vincent

A bit about the book
Sometimes you have to make
a tough choice, knowing it
might get you killed.

When vicious half-human, half-bird creatures kill two of her Pride and kidnap young tabby Kaci, sassy werecat Faythe is ready to wage war.

Yet with an injury preventing her from shifting into cat form, Faythe has to rely on her intelligence - and the help of hot-headed enforcers Marc and Jace, who are both ready to do battle for her heart.

With only forty-eight hours to save Kaci, Faythe faces impossible choices in the biggest test of her Alpha potential yet...

What I thought
Great book! This fifth book in the series was action packed throughout, and I loved the fact that Faythe shows she's not just a pretty face. I really do love her character, her strength, mentally as well as physically is amazing. Then there's Marc and Jace, I really do feel her pain, she loves them both but obviously can only choose one, and they both have within themselves everything that Faythe needs from a boyfriend if only she could combine them then they would be the perfect man, or in her case, werecat. I've only got Alpha to read now which is the last book in the series, and I'm sure it's going to be totally brilliant!

Betrayals (A Strange Angels Novel) by Lili St. Crow

A bit about the book
Dru Anderson's not afraid of the dark.
But she should be.

Poor Dru. Her parents are long gone. Her best friend Graves has been bitten by a werwulf. And she just learned that the blood flowing through her veins isn't entirely human. Now Dru's strange and handsome savior, Christophe, has her hidden away at a secret Schola for djamphir and wulfen teens. Trouble is, she's the only girl in the place. The really bad news? Dru's killer instinct says that one of them wants her dead.

With all eyes on her, discovering a traitor within the Order could mean a lot more than social suicide . . .

What I thought
Good book! This second book in the Strange Angels series has been sitting on my bookshelf for quite a while now. It wasn't because I didn't want to read it, I just had a lot of series to read and some of those series had a lot of books in them. Anyway I've just swapped a book for Jealousy - the third book in this series - so I read Betrayals as soon as I found out I'd got the third one coming, and I wasn't disappointed. Dru is a brilliant character, she has so much strength in her which I really like. Graves is her best friend and he is definitely a friend she can count on. He is totally loyal and he would literally walk through fire for her, who wouldn't want a friend like that. Then there's Christophe, Dru's still not hundred percent sure about him, she's been told all kinds of different things about him so the juries still out on him. I'm quite excited to found out how this all ends, and will she be with Graves or Christophe by the end of it. This a a good YA book, definitely for fans of Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy series.

Slave to Sensation (A Psy-Changeling Novel) by Nalini Singh

A bit about the book
Dive into a world torn apart by a powerful race with phenomenal powers of the mind - and none of the heart.

In a world that denies emotions, where the ruling Psy punish any sign of desire, Sascha Duncan must conceal the feelings that brand her as flawed. To reveal them would be to sentence herself to the horror of 'rehabilitation' - the complete psychic erasure of everything she ever was . . .

Both human and animal, Lucas Hunter is a Changeling hungry for the very sensations the Psy disdain. After centuries of uneasy co-existence, these two races are now on the verge of war over the brutal murders of several Changeling women. Lucas is determined to find the Psy killer who butchered his packmate, and Sascha is his ticket into their closely guarded society. But he soon discovers that this ice-cold Psy is very capable of passion - and that the animal in him is fascinated by her. Caught between their conflicting worlds, Lucas and Sascha must remain bound to their identities - or sacrifice everything for a taste of darkest temptation . . .

What I Thought
This book was a refreshing change from what I usually read and I really enjoyed it. I'm not gonna bore you to tears with pointless ranting, all I'm going to say is if you like books that are Gothic, romantic, action packed, funny, and sexy, then this is definitely a book for you. I am now looking for Visions of Heat (the second book in this series), just hope it doesn't take me long to get a hold of it.