I'm here with another review for a book I received through Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion. This one is THE SWAY by Ruby Knight (wickedly cool name BTW!)
Read on to see where this one hit on the Addiction Scale for me :)

The Sway (Classified #1)

Her mission is to get close to him for inside information.
His mission is to kidnap her for a supernatural militant group.
Recruited in her teens for a life of espionage, Julia Caldwell, now 19, is the youngest CIA agent on record. Her mission is simple: get close to Cole Thomas for intel on his father, a known and dangerous weapons dealer. As she grows closer to Cole, something is off. He might not be who she thinks he is. And worse, his mission will put an end to hers.
Always believing the government’s story that her purpose in life was to keep the world safe, Julia doesn’t know who to trust or who to believe. But now, THE SWAY has a different story—a different purpose for her—that goes well beyond all she ever imagined


MY REVIEW:
THE SWAY by Ruby Knight first caught my attention with this totally cool cover! This cover designer deserves a big hug. And happily, this story delivers almost as much as the cover draws you in :D
Julia and Cole are cool heroes and despite the insta love of it all, I thought they had great chemistry and seeing them together felt right, even though they both started off as spies for opposing forces. There was a lot of confusion, for me, at the beginning, but I liked it! I know you're probably thinking huh? but hear me out. It was very fun to discover who the bad guys really were, and who the good guys really were through Julia's eyes (since this story is told in first person). Though some more foreshadowing would have been appreciated, to help the overall flow of info.
There was a lot of repetitive info dumps that jumbled and slowed the plot pace--totally NOT in a good way. This story could have possibly benefited from two or three pauses to let things settle a bit and to make it all feel more natural.
I loved the spy/mystery/thriller of this all, but I wish THE SWAY hadn't taken the leap that it did. (even if it did work overall, it would have been nice to see this story stay firmly rooted in real world and not Urban Fantasy.) Based on the book blurb I wasn't anticipating the x-men like chemically created super soldiers that have special abilities, almost like superpowers.
I won't spoil what Julia's is, but I give Ruby Knight credit for not making it a typical power you see in a lot of books.
Overall, a really cool, intriguing, breakneck paced thrill ride that had me hooked until the end. I would recommend this one to YA fans and fans of thriller spy stories.
-DynoMoon

The Midnight Sea
Kat Ross
(Fourth Element #1)
Publication date: May 10th 2016
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

They are the light against the darkness.
The steel against the necromancy of the Druj.
And they use demons to hunt demons….
Nazafareen lives for revenge. A girl of the isolated Four-Legs Clan, all she knows about the King’s elite Water Dogs is that they bind wicked creatures called daevas to protect the empire from the Undead. But when scouts arrive to recruit young people with the gift, she leaps at the chance to join their ranks. To hunt the monsters that killed her sister.
Scarred by grief, she’s willing to pay any price, even if it requires linking with a daeva named Darius. Human in body, he’s possessed of a terrifying power, one that Nazafareen controls. But the golden cuffs that join them have an unwanted side effect. Each experiences the other’s emotions, and human and daeva start to grow dangerously close.
As they pursue a deadly foe across the arid waste of the Great Salt Plain to the glittering capital of Persepolae, unearthing the secrets of Darius’s past along the way, Nazafareen is forced to question his slavery—and her own loyalty to the empire. But with an ancient evil stirring in the north, and a young conqueror sweeping in from the west, the fate of an entire civilization may be at stake…

Author Bio:
Kat Ross worked as a journalist at the United Nations for ten years before happily falling back into what she likes best: making stuff up. She lives in Westchester with her kid and a few sleepy cats. Kat is also the author of the dystopian thriller Some Fine Day (Skyscape, 2014), about a world where the sea levels have risen sixty meters. She loves magic, monsters and doomsday scenarios. Preferably with mutants.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

Hello Addicts, long time no book chat ;P I have a new review today THE MIDNIGHT SOCIETY by Rhonda Sermon! I apologize to Rhonda for not getting this posted sooner, but none the less, read on to see where the first book in  relaunched Sci-fi series fell on the addiction scale.



MY REVIEW:



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Time for a new review curtsy of NetGalley and Spencer Hill Press! Presenting Anne Riley's PULL!
Read on my Addicts :)

Pull

MY REVIEW:
What a great cover PULL by Anne Riley has. And a pretty solid story base too! Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a review copy of this one :)
Clearly I liked this one, and I honestly did. The Drama, plot, twists and pacing were very nice and helped keep me glued to this one late into the night. I drew a LOT of similarities to The Mortal Instruments series though, maybe a few too many to make this story really shine the way it deserves to.
Rosie was a cool heroine. I loved that she cared so deeply about her family, especially her troubled little brother Paul. We don't get a lot of YA characters that are like that. It made her a stronger character in my opinion. I also loved when they were at her dying Grand father's side and he suddenly started talking in her head! Took me by surprise and had me dying to know how he did it and what his cryptic message meant. I also liked that her reaction to learning that people can "pull" (traveling back several minutes in time to prevent something bad). She freaked and thought she was going crazy and she didn't automatically believe an explanation that was forced upon her. She questioned it and it took the hero, Albert, Pulling to save her own life for her to grasp the concept. Yet even then she still didn't totally buy into it. Everything about her reaction was real and not like many many other YA books.
Now Albert. He was pretty cool and tough but not cave man about it. He also wasn't a chest beating Alpha which was a nice change of pace. It's hard to get a male hero that can be tough and badass but not obnoxious. I didn't like that he was reluctant to fully read Rosie in though. For liking her as much as he did I would have liked if he was more open without her having to make him tell her.
This brings me to our supporting character: Isaac, Casey and Dan--all like Rosie and Albert, able to "pull" through time. They were good supporters to the story and Isaac's dislike for Rosie helped add some more drama to the story (can we say Alec?)
Now, we can't have people with special abilities not have a name for themselves. These guys are called SERVATORS. The time puling aspect was cool and original but I didn't buy the group as a whole. I mean only 6 of them, in the whole world, really? I'm sure in the next book we will discover there are many more Servators, because that's the only way I can see this story surviving. The world building was lacking here. I liked that there was a real world feel but there was so much more that could have been explored and expanded upon.
Last thing, the romance. Rosie is a girl on the rebound when she fell for Albert. I think that forced feel to their relationship is what kept me from truly loving them. I did love them, but no where as much as I've loved other book couples.
All this said, PULL was a good read and I will certainly read the next book in this series! Assuming there is another coming, which I think there should be because of how the ending set it up. I really hope that when that comes we'll get a lot more answers and a slightly stronger world for these wonderful characters.
~DynoMoon

A Grimm Curse (Grimm Tales #3)

MY REVIEW:
A GRIMM CURSE by Janna Jennings was a fast read for me. I'll tell you now, I have never read any of the other books from this series before. I think that's why I was so excited to get this review copy from NetGalley.
A GRIMM CURSE was interesting, to say the lease. It's good because clearly you don't need to know anything about the rest of the series to get it. I knew this was going to be a huge mash up of fairy tales, from the Grimm perspective, obviously, but for me I feel like you could have cut two or three of them from the building blocks of the story. I counted at least five different tales that were all weaved into this one. It made for some confusing moments and feelings.
Cynthia was an interesting character and I liked her for the most part. I felt really bad for what her mother was putting her though. She's more than a princess though, and that makes her relatable for me.
I liked the Prince in this one, he was more than what was expected and the relationship between him and Cynthia was very real and cool. I loved their friendship because it felt genuine.
The addition of Rapunzel was good, but I can't say I was a huge fan of the book's ending. It was pretty confusing and is the reason this one only got a 3.5 star on the addiction scale.
Books that retell the classic fairy tales are always my first choice, and though I was not a fan of the ending here, I am definitely considering grabbing the first two books in this series to see how they are. I like Janna's writing style and the way she paces her books.
I think this series has a pretty good potential for being something special.
~DynoMoon

Hey Addicts, it's time for a review of THE GIRLS AT MIDNIGHT by Melissa Grey! It just came out last week YAH!! I was lucky enough to receive an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion so here we go. Read on Addicts :)

The Girl at Midnight 

MY REVIEW:
Something that has never happened to me before happened while I was reading THE GIRL AT MIDNIGHT by Melissa Grey. I DIDN'T GET TO FINISH! I was fortunate enough to receive an ARC of the book from the publisher via Netgalley, but before I could finish the last 12 chapters the book archived and now I can't see what happened. Talk about a mean tease.
But I will however review what I did get to read of this new YA series. Up until the book was archived, i was enjoying THE GIRL AT MIDNIGHT. I liked the world building, it was richly detailed without being to over the top. Yes I did draw a lot of similarities to the MORTAL INSTRUMENTS but, oh well. I loved how Melissa used the magic in her world. The whole magic dust thing to put on a door so you can transport from place to place--anywhere in the world-- was great. Like give me some right now great!
The detail of the two races Melissa created was enough to help me get past my similarities issues. The two races, 1-the Avicean- a race of bird people (they were really cool with their feathers for hair) and 2-the Drakharin- a race of dragon people (some with major personalities!) were awesome. At first I thought the Avicean's were so cool then the Drakharin showed up and bam, they're my fav's. Okay maybe that was because of Caisus, but I'll touch that hottie in a second.
First the heroine, Echo! I like that when we met her she was stealing a wallet and squatting in a public library--okay that was sad-- but the next part, where she lifts an Avicean woman's wallet but gets caught is great. Why you ask, because that woman took Echo in and told her that names have power and that Echo should choose one, thus she chose Echo! I really appreciated that Echo came off as her age, not too mature or too young and annoying. It was a really nicely executed thing.
WARNING: this book POV hops and is in the 3rd person. Me personally, I love that style of writing, I think you get more as a reader and it keeps the author from having to do silly cop out like scenes so the reader can put two and two together.
Echo is a character with a balance of loyalty, snarky sassiness and relentless determination to do what she thinks is right. You gotta give props for a determined character who doesn't waver. She's also very logical at times, which is a big bonus when you're searching for a "firebird" that both races want that has the power to stop the centuries long war raging between the two races.
Now we get to Caisus. The fallen prince and former ruler of the dragon people. His sister ruthlessly booted him out of power. So he decides to go off and find the firebird with his motley crew and runs into Echo and her crew. Together they all search for this magical firebird.
The whole host of secondary characters was kinda vast but I liked most of them. They all seemed to have something to add to the story.
I will also give credit to Melissa for taking THE GIRL AT MIDNIGHT to some "dark and touchy" places. She did a great job of making the scenes tasteful enough and being sure that they added to the overall plot. She didn't just drop them in for the sake of dropping them in.
My few hits for this story was that while nice and fun, it wasn't VERY original. There were a LOT of comparisons that could be drawn to other popular YA books. The beginning of the book was also slow and kinda like okay, did I forget my coffee? Maybe these chapters need the espresso shot with a side of red bull. Sadly, since I haven't gotten to finish the book, because of it archiving in Netgalley (and me not having enough time to sit down and get it finished) My review can only be based on what I've read so far. Once I get some free time to go sit at the book store and finish the last dozen or so chapters maybe my rating will go up.
I would definitely recommend this book to fans of YA paranormal, urban fantasy and adventure lovers! Guess next time I just need to be a faster reader :)

Till next time Addicts!
~Dynomoon

Melissa Grey penned her first short story at the age of twelve and hasn't stopped writing since. As an undergrad at Yale, she learned how ride a horse and shoot a bow and arrow at the same time, but hasn't had much use for that skill since graduating in 2008. 
Her debut novel, THE GIRL AT MIDNIGHT, will be published by Delacorte/Random House in spring 2015.
To learn more about Melissa, visit melissa-grey.com and follow her on Twitter @meligrey.

Hey Addicts, I've got another review, courtesy of Xpresso book tours. In exchange for my honest review they gifted me an Advanced Readers copy of VENGEANCE BE MINE by Louisa Lo. It's an Urban Fantasy New Adult novel, the first in a series that seems to promise a lot of greatness! Read on to see if it delivered.

Vengeance Be Mine (Cosmic Balance #1)

Megan is a typical university student trying to figure out her place in the world, except instead of hoping to pass the bar or get into med school, she’s studying to become a licensed vengeance demon. 
Nineteen-year-old Megan Aequitas is the only vengeance demon and trickster hybrid ever born. In a world where vengeance demons are respectable, rule-obsessed guardians of the Cosmic Balance, and tricksters are playful, happy-go-lucky perpetrators of chaos, being half and half is, well, tricky. 
Determined to prove herself worthy of her vengeance blood, Megan enrolls in University of Demonic Studies’ prestigious co-op program. Wreaking karmic revenge on wrongdoers from cheaters to crooks sounds fun and simple, if it weren’t for the unsuspecting human roommate, Megan’s flamboyant trickster half-brothers, a changeling-raised fellow outcast, and a trio of evil wannabes. Then one assignment turns deadly when Megan discovers a plot to unleash an ancient force so authoritarian, most creatures would be deemed too unworthy to exist. 
After a lifetime of being embarrassed by her trickster tendencies and striving to fit in vengeance society, Megan now has to learn to embrace both of her worlds if she wants to save them. 

MY REVIEW:
What can be said for VENGEANCE BE MINE by Louisa Lo? Well, a-MAZ-ing cover, great blurb that hooks a reader, fun and snappy characters, a strong voice and a diverse cast.
All very good things for this NA book that is breaking away from the mold that 90% of NA books follow, proudly declaring it's self Urban Fantasy NA.
Let's start with the heroine, Megan.
Megan is a one of a kind character--quite literally! She's part vengeance demon and part trickster, and boy does she suffer for it. Being bullied, cast aside by both sides of her heritage but she's got a strong support foundation in her parents, trickster brothers and vengeance demon sister. Megan is strong, learning to be confident and to embrace both sides of who she is. And because she spent so much of her life being bullied, it's only fitting that she start this book by standing up to the bullies within her Vengeance demon college. That's right, you heard me. I would say Megan is your typical loaner who learned to stop caring what people thought of her. Louisa Lo did a great job capturing her unique voice and creating a kick ass, snarky, loving, hilarious girl, even if Megan does fall a little into the typical mold of UF heroines.
The 3 other characters that featured prominently: Esme--Megan's half sister on her father's side who is full blooded Vengeance demon. Grandma Aequitas--her Vengeance demon grandmother. And Fir--her half brother on her mothers side and full blooded trickster.
Each of these three characters represented something very different for Megan.
Esme-- The picture of a perfect Vengeance Demon heiress who despite all prejudices and, though she doesn't really understand Megan, loves and supports her anyways. She is always there and loyal to her sister. I loved the relationship between the two girls and everything they did for each other.
Grandma A-- For Megan, she's the very picture of all the hate and bigotry that has been thrown at her her entire life. Yet as we discover, things are not always what they seem. This matriarch of Vengeance perfection has a lot of hidden layers.
Fir-- I LOVED him! Despite the chaos he and his three other trickster brothers caused, I adored him. He was funny, smart and loyal. What more could you want in a big brother?
Notice I've not mentioned anything about a romance.
That's because there is none. Not really. There's this guy, Gregory, though he first introduces himself as Pete. He's a vengeance demon mercenary--those who are not accepted by the higher echelon of the vengeance demon hunter society. He's interesting because he pops up out of no where, makes a lasting impression, then randomly shows up again later. He's described as a beyond sexy and a total bad ass. He helps Megan out every time he does make an appearance, but there wasn't enough about him to really let me sink my claws into him.
That last sentence about sums up my overall feeling about VENGEANCE BE MINE. There was just enough with the characters to keep my interest, but not quite enough to make me itch for the next book.
The world building, writing style, plot, pace, character development was all well and good, but none of it was really grab a hold of me amazing. (Outside the cover)
Maybe that's because I'm the type of person who doesn't really like books that are light on romance. And this one is VERY romance light. I'm not saying I wanted all the crazy stupid college sex scenes that are so prevalent in NA. But there's something to be said for the extra layers of emotion, depth and tension that always comes with the romance dynamic.
I will read the next book in the series, but mostly to see if anything comes of the barely touched upon "relationship" between Megan and Gregory.
VENGEANCE BE MINE is perfect for fans of Urban Fantasy and kick butt heroines!
This fun new first in the Cosmic Balance series is set to release on April 30th so don't miss your chance to grab a copy!
~Dynomoon