The Cat's Meow: Shine Series

 

This is my second series read of 2014! Sadly I'm getting so drawn into the new releasing books and I've gotten a couple ARCs.

Jeri's Shade series have been sitting in my TBR pile since early 2012, I can't recall how I came across hearing about her books or if someone recommended the books to me. I know I wasn't on twitter(at least I think) But I had gotten a chance to meet her . . . Way back in May 2013, I can't believe a whole year has gone by!

Jeri became my second official Author that I have met, I've met Andrea Cremer multiple times but it was nice to finally get to meet someone new.

SO onto about her Shade series, Shade was focused around where people that were born after the "SHIFT" could see and talk to ghost, and then there were others that was born before the "SHIFT" and were called Pre-Shift, not always able to communicate with the ghosts or see them.

Aura was one of those that could see and talk to ghosts, most time she chose to ignore it until they start screaming at her in the face and while she is trying to live as much of a normal life as she can, but Aura wanted so badly to not speak or see ghosts until . . . her boyfriend dies. Then it seems that she didn't lose him entirely but it was getting harder to face what was real and what wasn't real.

Aura's boyfriend Logan was the most cliche boyfriend I have ever read, the musician boyfriend . .. The pressure of becoming famous. Then it became hard for Aura to let go of Logan and facing the reality of real life and Zachary.

Did I mention that this is taken in Baltimore? No . . . Maybe? Well here are some photos I have from my trip to Baltimore.

Some of my Favorite scenes and passages,

SHADE

I love the day Zach and Aura spent together at the pier, it took me right back to my trip I had in Summer 2013 and I even did a tour of historical ships, the only one I miss was the lighthouse but we started getting some bad weather. I even love the part where they run and hide from the DWP and they share their first kiss only to get caught by Zach's dad.

SHIFT

Running from the DWP in the woods all by themselves, those scenes were sweet but also adventurous the very first time they ever spent alone for one night.

I love and hate the prom passage, first it was the most sweetest thing and then it became the most worst thing. First Aura couldn't decide if she could go to prom with Zachary when she still had envision going with Logan until he die. Of course Zach is heart broken, feeling that he's competing against a dead guy. Then aura wants to go to prom with Zach but is rejected and Zachary prom date was the girl Aura always had been bullied by and Zach's date had other plans and thought it would be nice to try and rubbed it in her face via phone dialing.

SHINE

Everything of their alone time in a castle bed & breakfast, and touring Ireland was my highlight of the book. I love when characters are sent to other places in the world and that makes it more intriguing to make me travel to those places like Ireland.

I love when Aura finally learns about her father since he was a missing piece of her and a missing piece to her mother. It gave Aura a peace of mind knowing who he is and what he was, realizing that he was the key to what made the SHIFT happens.

Overall thought on the series?

I like it because it was different, it didn't fall under the norm of what YA been bringing and I hope that more author might be interested in writing more YA ghost/paranormal/Spirits aspect. I think there could be more expansion of where ghosts and spirits can become YA or even NA. Can you imagine reading Aura and Zach in an NA genre? Would the theme and pace be different or would it ruin the whole innocence of the characters? 

Book Review: Shine

Shine (Shine #3) by Jeri Smith-Ready

In this dramatic conclusion to the Shade trilogy, Aura and Zachary’s relationship sizzles as the secrets of the Shift are revealed.

Life can change in an instant, and no one understands that better than Aura. It’s been almost a year since her boyfriend tragically died. She’s finally letting go of Logan’s violet-hued ghost, but not her search to uncover the truth about her past.

As the first in a generation that can see ghosts, Aura is convinced she has a connection to the Shift. She’s trusted Zachary, ever patient and ever by her side, with all that she knows. But when the government threatens his life in an attempt to learn Aura’s secrets, she will stop at nothing to protect herself and the one she loves...even if that means betraying her own heart.

Paperback, 399 pages

Published May 1st 2012 by Simon Pulse 

Book Review

Aura has everything to look forward to when it comes to life, her ex-boyfriend/shade/ghost Logan has finally moved on and she can start enjoying life. After months of anticipation Aura finally gets to see Logan once again, but something is wrong . . . something was not right.

Flight 346 the plane Zachary was supposedly boarded has crash, no survivors . . . but when Aura finds out that Zachary was not on the plane she starts to worry. If he wasn't on the plane then where was he?

The DMP are up to something and it all has to do with Eowyn's research and Aura's mother.

Only Zachary and Aura can figure out the clues about the SHIFT, why are they the key to SHIFT?

Shine will take you on a hunt to find the answers, but how far will the truth about the SHIFT will go?

This book ended with the right farewell, and I was satisfied as a reader of how it ended along with how the final journey took place. I give this 4.5 Cat's Tails UP.


MEOW . . . MEOW . . . MEOW

I'm going to give it my best on my thoughts since I read this book awhile ago, I really did enjoy Shine the way Jeri wrote the final journey of Aura and Zachary.

Their relationship is put to the test when it all started with the beginning of the first couple of pages, where just for a moment that there was a near "THE END OF ZACH" but I thought about it and realizes and told myself that he couldn't die right away, it just not possible.

I love when writers writes their characters to travel to amazing places, as many of you realizes that Zach was the sexy with Scottish accent and he also is the best boyfriend Aura could ever have by gifting her plane ticket to Ireland for her and his birthday.

Aura and Zach grew very close to one another while on their birthday hideaway, but they also have a goal of figuring out Aura's mom journal and learning about the extent of how the Shade/Shift started. Aura also learns a little more about who her mom was and whose her dad is.

This book really push Aura and Zach to their breaking point but they were stronger because they love each other and love is something you can't beat or break. 

Book Review: The Goddess Inheritance

The Goddess Inheritance (The Goddess Test #3) By Aimee Carter

Love or life.
Henry or their child.
The end of her family or the end of the world.
Kate must choose.

During nine months of captivity, Kate Winters has survived a jealous goddess, a vengeful Titan and a pregnancy she never asked for. Now the Queen of the Gods wants her unborn child, and Kate can't stop her--until Cronus offers a deal.

In exchange for her loyalty and devotion, the King of the Titans will spare humanity and let Kate keep her child. Yet even if Kate agrees, he'll destroy Henry, her mother and the rest of the council. And if she refuses, Cronus will tear the world apart until every last god and mortal is dead.

With the fate of everyone she loves resting on her shoulders, Kate must do the impossible: find a way to defeat the most powerful being in existence, even if it costs her everything.

Even if it costs her eternity.
 

Paperback, 303 pages

Published February 26th 2013 by Harlequin Teen 

Review

Kate spent the last nine month in captivity and now the moment has come . . . the birth of her and Henry's child. It was Calliope finally fulfilling what she warn Kate she will do, but Kate didn't think that taking an defenseless child would matter to her.

Eager to protect her child, Kate unthinkably agrees to a deal with Cronus but figuring out how to save humanity and the gods. But whenever Kate willingly takes Cronus's offer, he will still destroy the world.
The council must try to put Cronus back to where he belong,before the world is destroy but they lack of a plan, and already too many people have died.

Will Kate and Henry be able to save the world? Or will it all end in turmoil?

This was a turn around from Henry being distance to wanting to be with Kate. The maternal instinct kicks in and not only Kate worry about her son, she's is willing to do whatever it takes to get him back. I give them 4 Cat's Tails Up, it was a good read and pace very well.


MEOW . . . MEOW. . . MEOW

So over all I like Goddess Inheritance, I like the fact that it pretty much take off after how Goddess Interrupted ended. 

So Kate has a baby, and it was apparent that was Calliope's plan all along. But it got me thinking, if she is the goddess of Marraige, Woman and Fertility.  Why didn't she do it sooner? I know she failed to kill Kate in the beginning but she did ploy Henry and Kate to sleep together. 

The whole thought behind having a weapon that can kill any god was very small. Calliope rarely used it although she wanted to the first chance she got. Then it wasn't until the very end where the weapon is finally used in it's proper manner. I just thought that the whole weapon idea was lacking emphasis. 

Kate learn how to go to places astrally I would call it, most of those was to her son's nursery, she can't touch him but she can see him and in some sense her son can see her or sense her presence. I like this part because Kate's son was taken away from her right at birth by Calliope but Kate won't give up on seeing her son and hold her son for the first time. another part of this was having Henry there but turns out that Cronus been disgusing himself as Henry. 

Henry still yet have to meet his son, because one he wasn't aware Kate was pregnant in the first place and when he did find out, she had already given birth and having their son be ripped away from his parent by Calliope. Henry and Kate now not only think about the world well being but they worry for their son, whether they were prepare to be parents they were ready to face the world ending to get their son.

Zeus or Walter, have been foolish throughout this whole thing, he would rather watch a few Billions people die while trying to figure out a plan and he used his own daughter AVA to be a betrayer to Kate, but Ava must defend herself while getting all the scrutiny and in the end, she dies saving Kate, she die proving the love for Kate and Henry's son. 

Kate was finally to hold her son, she and Henry along with the rest of the Council was able to send Cronus where he belong and Calliope was dead. The threat was gone and Kate and Henry could finally start their lives as parents and gods of the underworld.

Don't Let it End! Currently Reading

This is a very sad time for me . . . I am reading the final book of an amazing series. It's one that I've gasped, scream, cried and the ooh ahhs.

I've been a huge fan of this author by all of her series that she's written and anxiously waiting for what her new projects are about. Rachel Vincent is her name and she's an amazing author for both Young adult and Adult Fiction.

Now what is this book I'm talking about? It's the Soul Screamers series, it consist of seven books and three novellas. Before I Wake has a super short story called "A Day in the Afterlife of Tod". This is her longest series she ever wrote dated back in 2009 when My Soul to Take was released.

Rachel has a theme for her Soul Screamers books based on the seven deadly sins, My Soul To Take’s theme was vanity. My Soul To Save was greed, My Soul To Keep was gluttony (addiction), My Soul To Steal was envy, and If I Die was lust and Before I Wake was Sloth. Now With All My Soul it's WAR.

OK I've yapped on the series and the author (Bio is at the end of the post), now what is WAMS?

With All My Soul

What does it mean when your school is voted the most dangerous in America? It's time to kick some hellion butt...
After not really surviving her junior year (does "undead" count as survival?), Kaylee Cavanaugh has vowed to take back her school from the hellions causing all the trouble. She's going to find a way to turn the incarnations of Avarice, Envy and Vanity against one another in order to protect her friends and finish this war, once and forever.
But then she meets Wrath and understands that she's closer to the edge than she's ever been. And when one more person close to her is taken, Kaylee realizes she can't save everyone she loves without risking everything she has....

 

So I will be spending the rest of today and tomorrow reading this book and then probably read it again and review it for myself and my bloggers friends/followers. As well for Fiktshun's Soul Screamers mini-challenge.

I can't wait to see what happen, does Kaylee get a happy ending? I will be writing the most important review of my life just because this is the final book and I'm not going to write it lightly.  Happy reading to me and FYI doesn't the gold just suit Kaylee?

Meet Rachel Vincent

Rachel Vincent is the author of the Shifters series, from Mira books. Stray, Rogue, Pride, Prey, Shift, and Alpha are available in the US, Canada, the UK, and Australia, and are being published in Turkey, Norway, Sweden, Finland, India, France, Hungary, and Italy.
Also, look for the Soul Screamers books, Rachel’s young adult series! My Soul to Take, My Soul to Save, My Soul to Keep, My Soul To Steal, If I Die, and Before I Wake are available now, and With All My Soul will be on the shelf in the US and Canada on April 1, 2013. The Soul Screamers series is also being published in the UK, Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, India, Vietnam, Thailand, Hungary, and Spain.
Rachel’s new adult series Unbound debuted with Blood Bound on August 23, 2011 in the US and the UK, to be followed by Shadow Bound on May 22, 2012.

Stalk her on her Blog, Facebook, Twitter and she just recently join Tumblr
http://www.rachelvincent.com/blog/
https://www.facebook.com/#!/rachelkvincent?fref=ts
https://twitter.com/rachelkvincent
http://rachelkvincent.tumblr.com/