Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea Book Review | Gatsby-esque Horror Romance

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
(Between #1)
April Genevieve Tucholke
Genres: Paranormal, Horror, Romance
Age Group: Young Adult
Publication Date: 3rd April 2014
Number of Pages: 360
Source: Netgalley

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You stop fearing the devil when you’re holding his hand…

Nothing much exciting rolls through Violet White’s sleepy, seaside town… until River West comes along. River rents the guest house behind Violet’s crumbling estate, and as eerie, grim things start to happen, Violet begins to wonder about the boy living in her backyard.

Is River just a crooked-smiling liar with pretty eyes and a mysterious past? Or could he be something more?

Violet’s grandmother always warned her about the Devil, but she never said he could be a dark-haired boy who takes naps in the sun, who likes coffee, who kisses you in a cemetery... who makes you want to kiss back.

Violet’s already so knee-deep in love, she can’t see straight. And that’s just how River likes it.

Blending faded decadence and the thrilling dread of gothic horror, April Genevieve Tucholke weaves a dreamy, twisting contemporary romance, as gorgeously told as it is terrifying—a debut to watch.

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea is a modern day Gatsby-esque drama including vintage mansions, wealthy families with the drama and infidelity all mixed together.

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea is narrated through Violet's perspective, a 17 year-old book-loving, intelligent teenage girl who's quirky and vintage style all stems from her grandmother Freddie. After Freddie's death a couple of years ago, Violet now likes to remember her grandmother by wearing her vintage clothes and imagining she's speaking to her in her head. But since Freddie's death, Violet's family has let their historic mansion turn to ruins and when Violet's parents run off to Europe to divulge themselves in art, Violet and her brother Luke are left to think of ways to earn money. Since they've never worked a day in their lives and their family is major part of small town, Echo's, heritage they post a flyer advising their guesthouse for rent. Cue River, the mysterious handsome 17 year-old stranger, who rides into town and rents Violet's guesthouse. But River is not to be trusted and as Violet starts to become interested in him, she learns that River is a compulsive liar and he's hiding a dark and horrific secret.

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea was an addictive read to begin with, I loved the Gatsby-esque similarities and location, and the beginnings of Violet's and River's relationship was intoxicating. Unfortunately though, as the story progressed and River's secrets began unravelling, the story started to become very predictable and began to feel a little rushed. Overall, a gorgeously descriptive and imaginative story but I would have preferred the action and horror aspects of the story to be a little more rounded and un-rushed.

If you're looking for a story with a vintage flair and will-they-won't-they romanic storyline then this is definitely a book to check out!

City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare | This series just keeps getting better!

City of Lost Souls 
(The Mortal Instruments #5)
Cassandra Clare
Genres: Paranormal, Fantasy, Romance
Age Group: Young Adult
Publication Date: 9th September 2012
Number of Pages: 544
Source: Bought

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WARNING! This synopsis contains spoilers for the first 4 books in this series.
Jace is now a servant of evil, bound for all eternity to Sebastian. Only a small band of Shadowhunters believe he can be saved. To do this they must defy the Clave. And they must act without Clary. For Clary is playing a dangerous game utterly alone. The price of losing is not just her own life, but Jace's soul. Clary is willing to do anything for Jace, but can she still trust him? Or is he truly lost? What price is too high to pay, even for love?

This series has stepped up yet another gear, with City of Lost Souls possibly being my favourite book in the series so far!

I've had a love/like/sometimes bored relationship with The Moral Instruments series up until City of Lost Souls. I loved City of Bones, liked City of Ashes, found City of Glass a little boring in places but overall liked it - I thought I would have loved it if I hadn't been spoiled on a couple of things - and liked City of Fallen Angels. Therefore when I was starting of City of Lost Souls I wasn't sure how I'd feel about it - but I loved it!! Possibly my favourite or at least 2nd favourite book of the series so far. I'm so excited to wrap up the series with City of Heavenly Fire, any day now.

City of Lost Souls was a breeze to read from start to finish. I loved the further development of characters who aren't necessarily main characters e.g. Maia and Jordan,  as well as the continuing relationship between Simon and Isabelle, Jace and Clary, and of course Alec and Magnus. The wealth of characters and POVs is definitely a major reason why I love this series.

The travel locations in this book also added a lot of variety to what could have been a very repetitive storyline - Venice, Paris, New York as well as the small settings within these locations were all amazing!

Cannot wait for the final book - give me now!! :-)

Dangerous Dream Book Review | Dangerous Creatures #0.5

Dangerous Dream
(Dangerous Creatures #0.5)
Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
Genres: Supernatural, Paranormal, Romance
Age Group: Young Adult
Publication Date: 13th December 2013
Number of Pages: 46
Source: Netgalley

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The #1 New York Times bestselling Beautiful Creatures series continues in this brand-new digital-exclusive story.

Catch up with Ethan, Lena, and Link as they finally graduate from high school and get ready to leave the small Southern town of Gatlin. But when Dark Caster Ridley makes an appearance, the sometime bad girl can't resist picking a fight with her sometime boyfriend, Link. Angry and rebellious as ever, Ridley ends up alone in New York City and becomes entangled in the dangerous underground Caster club scene, where the stakes are high and losers pay the ultimate price.

Where's a Linkubus when you need him?

Ridley and Link are back!

This short story by Beautiful Creatures authors, Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, is introduction back into The Caster Chronicles world and cleverly transitions the narration from Ethan over to Link and Ridley beginning their spin-off series – an element I thoroughly enjoyed and felt tied the two series together nicely.

Ridley and Link are as argumentative and unruly as usual whilst maintaining their version of a functional relationship. That is, until Link says three ‘little’ words that sends Ridley running away and leaving Link to wonder where she is. Ridley being Ridley, ends up in an unexpected situation which then leads us into the story of Dangerous Creatures (Out 20th May).

Dangerous Dream was an enjoyable read and I loved each and every page. I really enjoyed The Caster Chronicles (maybe not so much Beautiful Chaos but all the rest were good) and therefore I was glad to have a small narrative by Ethan before switching over to Link & Ridley’s narratives for the Dangerous Creatures Series. Ridley and Link were always my favourite characters in The Caster Chronicles so I’m super excited they are getting a spin-off series - I can’t wait to learn even more about them, especially their thoughts now they are both narrating. Fabulous – A must read!

Dangerous Creatures is available for pre-order		The Caster Chronicles/ Beautiful Creatures Series also available

City of Glass TMI #3 | Book Review

City of Glass 
(The Mortal Instruments #3)
Cassandra Clare
Genres: Supernatural, Paranormal, Romance
Age Group: Young Adult
Publication Date: 24th March 2009
Number of Pages: 541
Source: Birthday Present

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To save her mother's life, Clary must travel to the City of Glass, the ancestral home of the Shadowhunters - never mind that entering the city without permission is against the Law, and breaking the Law could mean death. To make things worse, she learns that Jace does not want her there, and Simon has been thrown in prison by the Shadowhunters, who are deeply suspicious of a vampire who can withstand sunlight.

As Clary uncovers more about her family's past, she finds an ally in mysterious Shadowhunter Sebastian. With Valentine mustering the full force of his power to destroy all Shadowhunters forever, their only chance to defeat him is to fight alongside their eternal enemies. But can Downworlders and Shadowhunters put aside their hatred to work together? While Jace realizes exactly how much he's willing to risk for Clary, can she harness her newfound powers to help save the Glass City - whatever the cost?

Love is a mortal sin and the secrets of the past prove deadly as Clary and Jace face down Valentine in the third installment of the New York Times bestselling series The Mortal Instruments.

City of Glass is the third book in The Mortal Instruments Series and was due to be the conclusion but more books have since been published. Knowing this, I was intrigued to see how the story would conclude and what elements would remain unanswered in order to warrant another 3 books. After finishing this book, I am now even more intrigued to see how this series carries on because it was neatly tied together in City of Glass.

This series has been hit or miss with me. I loved book 1 City of Bones which I devoured in only a day or two - this was mostly due to the starky humour that Cassandra Clare injects into her characters. However, book 2 City of Ashes, was a bit blah for me as I felt it was predictable and repetitive with the humour lacking from book 1. I was therefore hesitant to continue with the series but, after hearing more and more great things from fellow booktubers and bloggers, I decided to carry on.

I did enjoy City of Glass, however all the fantastic elements – Sebastian, Idris, Clary’s Mum etc - were all a bit flat for me as I’d either been spoilt already (Sebastian’s reveal) or had predicted it was coming (Clary’s Mum). This makes reviewing this book very hard as I really can’t say I really liked it because there was just no excitement. The hard part is because I know if I’d not been spoilt on some of the story developments I would have loved it more. I therefore have to review this book only 3 stars because of the reasons I’ve previously described. I will be continuing with the series, but not in a rush.

Frostbite - Vampire Academy #2 | 5 Star Book Review

Frostbite 
(Vampire Academy #2)
Richelle Mead
Genres: Supernatural, Paranormal, Romance
Age Group: Young Adult
Publication Date: 10th March 2008
Number of Pages: 256
Source: Bought the new boxset in November 2013.

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Rose loves Dimitri, Dimitri might love Tasha, and Mason would die to be with Rose... 

It’s winter break at St. Vladimir’s, but Rose is feeling anything but festive. A massive Strigoi attack has put the school on high alert, and now the Academy’s crawling with Guardians—including Rose’s hard-hitting mother, Janine Hathaway. And if hand-to-hand combat with her mom wasn’t bad enough, Rose’s tutor Dimitri has his eye on someone else, her friend Mason’s got a huge crush on her, and Rose keeps getting stuck in Lissa’s head while she’s making out with her boyfriend, Christian! The Strigoi are closing in, and the Academy’s not taking any risks... This year, St. Vlad’s annual holiday ski trip is mandatory. 

But the glittering winter landscape and the posh Idaho resort only create the illusion of safety. When three friends run away in an offensive move against the deadly Strigoi, Rose must join forces with Christian to rescue them. But heroism rarely comes without a price..

This series just keeps getting better! I really liked Vampire Academy and was so annoyed with myself for not reading the series sooner, and Frostbite has further cemented that thought in my mind.

I had no idea how they were going to develop the story in this book but wow, just wow. I loved the ski and winter setting because it matched the season I was reading it in but regardless I think I would have loved it. I really liked new characters Adrian (competition for Dimitri – anyone agree?) and Christian’s Aunt. They added many different layers to the story development and I hope they continue to be present during the rest of the series.

I read this book in a day so that says it all - so gripping and addictive! If you have not read this series yet, then what are you waiting for? Don’t be a sucker like me and think that it’s your typical YA vampire book (aka Twilight etc) because it is so much better than that!

The Watchtower by Lee Carroll | Urban Fantasy Fey Story

The Watchtower
(Black Swan Rising #2)
Lee Carroll
Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance
Age Group: Young Adult
Publication Date: 4th August 2011
Number of Pages: 397
Source: Borrowed from the Library

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With her fair share of problems - money (lack of), an elderly father, a struggling business - Garet should be just like any other young, feisty, single New Yorker. If only it was that simple...

It begins with the old silver box that had been soldered shut. All Garet has to do is open it. A favour for the frail owner of the antiques shop. Who wouldn't help?

Only it's then that things start to change. Garet doesn't notice at first, the shifts barely perceptible. But the city in which she grew up is beginning to reveal a long-hidden side - darker, and altogether more dangerous: parallel world of chaos, smoke and blood.

And now it's out of the box...and it has no intention of going back in.

The Watchtower is the second book in the Black Swan Rising series and after reading book 1 (Black Swan Rising) at the end of 2013, I decided to loan book 2 from my local library to investigate if this series was worth continuing. I had enjoyed book 1 but felt like some of the world-building and literature references within it were confusing, I was however interested to see how the relationship between Will and Garet would develop further. Read my review of Black Swan Rising.

The Watchtower was a more enjoyable read than Black Swan Rising, in part due to the London and Paris settings, the more varied Faerie folk that are introduced within this book (Jean Robin, Morgan, Octopus lady) and also the retelling of Will’s journey to vampirism. At times however, I did find young Will incredibly annoying and also Garet’s journey felt lumpy as she was just passed onto Faerie to Faerie with no great events happening in-between.

I did however enjoy the alternating chapters between Will and Garet and the two time periods within The Watchtower. This made the uneventfulness of the book read a little quicker because of the back and forth chapters but when all the characters ended up in the Summer Country the POV got a little confusing to follow as I was finding it hard to keep up with which Will was in which chapter!

The ending to The Watchtower though has posed a predicament for me, I was 100% positive I wasn’t going to carry on with the series whilst reading the book but after the cliff-hanger ending I may just have to read the third book (The Shape Shifter) to find out what happens next!

Black Swan Rising by Lee Carroll | Urban Fantasy Fey Story set in New York City

Black Swan Rising
(Black Swan Rising #1)
Lee Carroll
Genres: Supernatural, Paranormal, Fantasy, Romance
Age Group: Young Adult
Publication Date: 25th November 2010
Number of Pages: 400
Source: Netgalley

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With her fair share of problems - money (lack of), an elderly father, a struggling business - Garet should be just like any other young, feisty, single New Yorker. If only it was that simple...

It begins with the old silver box that had been soldered shut. All Garet has to do is open it. A favour for the frail owner of the antiques shop. Who wouldn't help?

Only it's then that things start to change. Garet doesn't notice at first, the shifts barely perceptible. But the city in which she grew up is beginning to reveal a long-hidden side - darker, and altogether more dangerous: parallel world of chaos, smoke and blood.

And now it's out of the box...and it has no intention of going back in.

Garet James thinks she’s a normal 20 year old but she’s really a Watchtower, one of the four fey protectors of the universe! When Garet enters a watchmakers shop one day and acquires a silver box matching her mother’s swan engraved ring, events begin to happen which turn her life upside down: A group of suspicious burglars shoot her father, putting him in the hospital, and steal some of the expensive paintings from his gallery; a mysterious mist covers New York causing everyone to go a little ‘mad’; and Garet starts to see people for what they really are… the fey. With the help of Oberon, her father’s nurse and the King of the Fairies, aiding her to discover her true identity, ancestral heritage and powers, Garet soon learns about the evil alchemist John Dee who is set on releasing the demons Despair and Discord on NYC.

I’d been reading a lot of Young Adult books before reading Black Swan Rising and this was one of the reasons I picked it up as I knew it was more of an adult read. The beginning of the book felt slow but I related this to the adult and descriptive writing style which I had not experienced for such a long time. However, elements of the vast world-building of the fey and the villain, John Dee, also contributed to this ‘slow feeling’ because aspects of the history, the explanations of alchemy and the New York setting went over my head. I even had to google some of the history of alchemy to understand some of the world-building. Some elements of the story I did like however were the references to England and William Shakespeare which I was able to relate to and grasp a little better. However I also struggled to fully understand some of these references but I’m not an English Literature graduate or classical reader - Maybe this was a sign I need to increase my knowledge :-)

Overall, Black Swan Rising was more enjoyable the further I got into the story however my feelings are it had all the ‘right elements’ but never quite excelled. I enjoyed the introduction of Will Hughes’ character and, although the romance element was all a bit ‘blah’, I do hope to learn more about Will and his family’s heritage as well as how he and Garet develop their friendship/family connection/romance relationship. Certainly from the ending, it looks like this may be a major plot within book 2 which I will be picking up and continuing with shortly.

Darkness Watching (Darkworld #1) by Emma L. Adams | UK New Adult Paranormal Book Review

Darkness Watching (Darkworld #1)
Emma L. Adams
Genres: Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Supernatural
Age Group: Upper Young Adult/ New Adult
Publication Date: 30th September 2013
Number of Pages: 387
Source: Xpresso Blog Tours & Author

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Seventeen-year-old Ashlyn is one interview away from her future when she first sees the demons. She thinks she’s losing her mind, but the truth is far more frightening: she can see into the Darkworld, the home of spirits– and the darkness is staring back. 

Desperate to escape the demons, Ash accepts a place at a university in the small town of Blackstone, in the middle of nowhere – little knowing that it isn’t coincidence that led her there but the pull of the Venantium, the sorcerers who maintain the barrier keeping demons from crossing from the Darkworld into our own world. 

All-night parties, new friendships and a life without rules or limits are all part of the package of student life – but demons still stalk Ash, and their interest in her has attracted the attention of every sorcerer in the area. Ash is soon caught between her new life and a group of other students with a connection to the Darkworld, who could offer the answers she’s looking for. The demons want something from her, and someone is determined to kill her before she can find out what it is. 

In a world where darkness lurks beneath the surface, not everyone is what they appear to be..

Author Bio

Emma spent her childhood creating imaginary worlds to compensate for a disappointingly average reality, so it was probably inevitable that she ended up writing fantasy and paranormal for young adults. She was born in Birmingham, UK, which she fled at the first opportunity to study English Literature at Lancaster University. In her three years at Lancaster, she hiked up mountains, skydived in Australia, and endured a traumatic episode involving a swarm of bees in the Costa Rican jungle. She also wrote various novels and short stories. These included her first publication, a rather bleak dystopian piece, and a disturbing story about a homicidal duck (which she hopes will never see the light of day).

Now a reluctant graduate, she can usually be found in front of her writing desk, creating weird and wonderful alternative worlds. Her debut novel The Puppet Spell, published in 2013 by Rowanvale Books, is a fantasy tale for young adults and the young at heart, inspired by her lifelong love of the fantastical, mythology, and video games. Emma also writes supernatural fantasy novels for older teens and adults. Her next book, Darkness Watching, is the first in the upper-YA/New Adult Darkworld series, and will be published in September 2013 by Curiosity Quills Press.

Author Links:
Website: http://emmaladams.weebly.com/
Blog: http://throughthegateway.blogspot.co.uk/ 
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ELAdams12?ref=hl
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ELAdams12
Goodreads profile: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6563991.Emma_L_Adams

Darkness Watching is a fantastic story set in the UK about a new University fresher, Ashlyn, who sees super creepy purple eyes staring at her in the most inconvenient places. Her first encounter of the mysterious eyes is during one of her college exams and her mind is set alight with thoughts on what they could be and whether anyone is able to see them. However, the eyes are soon the least of Ashlyn's troubles and University applications take over Ashlyn's time. As time pass, Ashlyn's starts to lose all hope of being accepted by any of them, but then she finally receives an acceptance letter from Blackstone, a rural small town University with the perfect English Literature course.

As Ashlyn settles in to the joys and not so happy aspects of being a University fresher, she also starts to learn more about the purple eyes which have continued to stalk her since that day. As events unfold she starts to mistrust her new friends and questions those who are suppose to be helping her. In the end though, not everything is what is seems and maybe her suspicions about someone where true...

Darkness Watching was such an enjoyable read and a lovely paranormal University fresher set story, not something I've come across before, especially not set in the UK. Emma L. Adams manages to capture the fresher lifestyle perfectly and doesn't spoil the story by involving lots of the mad partying and drinking. I'd certainly say this is an Upper Young Adult story due to the University lifestyle however the content was not as 'adult' as most New Adult novels which I actually liked about it. There the odd swear word and reference to sexual content but nothing you wouldn't hear in a high school playground. (Or was that just my school :-S).

The supernatural content to the Darkness Watching story was also interesting and as the story develops and I found out more and more about Ashlyn's abilities and heritage, I got more and more gripped by the story. The final few chapters were my favourites as the twists and turns just kept coming and I wasn't sure how the book was going to end. Definitely recommend for all paranormal and fantasy fans.

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Skulk by Rosie Best | Urban Fantasy YA Book Review

Skulk
Rosie Best
Genres: Paranormal, Fantasy, Horror
Age Group: Young Adult
Publication Date: 1st October 2013
Number of Pages: 387
Source: Netgalley (Published by Strange Chemistry)

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When Meg witnesses the dying moments of a shapeshifting fox and is given a beautiful and powerful stone, her life changes forever. She is plunged into the dark world of the Skulk, a group of shapeshifting foxes.

As she learns about the other groups of shapeshifters that lurk around London – the Rabble, the Horde, the Cluster and the Conspiracy – she becomes aware of a deadly threat against all the shapeshifters. They must put aside all their enmity and hostility and fight together to defeat it.

London's true essence portrayed and paired with fantasy elements that perfectly match it's urban setting.

Skulk was truly one of those fantastic books that you only come across every so often. It was gripping and gruesome, and kept you guessing as to who the bad and goods guys actually were. The London setting within this book was perfect as it portrayed London's tourist, business and 'upmarket' areas brilliantly as well as showing the other side of London through its gritty back alleys and run-down tube stations. 

The main character, Meg, is also not your typical YA heroine. She's a curvy, food-loving graffiti artist from the luxurious and expensive Kensington in West London. Her mother, a Member of Parliament, would be mortified if she knew her daughter roamed the streets at night painting graffiti art on the side of bridges or run-down buildings but Meg (aka Thatch) has high aspirations of becoming as well known in the underground graffiti scene as her idol, E3. 

As Meg is out one night painting graffiti on her school's wall, she encounters an injured fox carrying a gem-like stone in its mouth, but what shocks Meg more is when the fox turns into a naked man and utters the words 'the fog' as his last words. What fog? What's the significance of this gem-like stone? A fox turns into a man? What the f***? All these questions are answers throughout the book and as more twists and turns are thrown at Meg (and us as the readers), we learn more and more about the shape-shifting world and how Meg fits into it all. 

My favourite aspect of this book is the seamless joining of all the 'normal' London elements with the urban fantasy elements. I mean shape-shifters whose animal shapes are foxes, spiders, ravens, rats and butterflies - these are all such British, especially London, creatures and not the most luxurious ones at that. It this true sense of London mixed with such realistic urban fantasy elements that makes for such great world-building within this book. I mean evil pigeons- perfection - name me one British person who likes pigeons? 

I strongly recommend this book to everyone, whether you're British or not, you will no doubt love this book!

Silent Echo: A Siren's Tale Review + GIVEAWAY | Blog Tour Stop

Silent Echo: A Siren's Tale
Elisa Freilich
Genres: Paranormal, Fantasy, Romance, Mythology
Age Group: Young Adult
Publication Date: September 10th 2013
Number of Pages: 330
Source: eGalley from Diversion Books

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Read an excerpt of Silent Echo: A Siren's Tale via Scribd

Haunted by silence, a mute teenage girl is mysteriously given back her voice ... and it is divine. 

Rendered mute at birth, Portia Griffin has been silent for 16 years. Music is her constant companion, along with Felix, her deaf best friend who couldn’t care less whether or not she can speak. If only he were as nonchalant about her newfound interest in the musically gifted Max Hunter. 

But Portia’s silence is about to be broken with the abrupt discovery of her voice, unparalleled in its purity and the power it affords to control those around her. Able to persuade, seduce and destroy using only her voice, Portia embarks on a search for answers about who she really is, and what she is destined to become. 

Inspired by Homer’s Odyssey, SILENT ECHO: A Siren's Tale is an epic story filled with fantasy, romance and original music.

About the Author

Raised in rural Monsey, New York, Elisa spent her days reading whatever crossed her path and developing a keen appreciation for the ever-present music in her home – from classical to rock.

After her college years at Boston University, Elisa continued her creative pursuits, working as a junior VP of Marketing at a corporate graphic design agency and, later, as an interior decorator. Eventually, Elisa left the workforce to raise her family, in her now hometown of Englewood, NJ.

When Elisa is not writing, her creative outlets still abound. She is fierce with a set of knitting needles, a hot glue gun and any ingredients that can somehow be fashioned into a sinful and highly caloric babka.

Website // Tumblr // Twitter




Silent Echo: A Siren's Tale was an interesting read. I thoroughly enjoyed the mix of modern and mythology worlds, and the use of poetry within this novel was thoroughly enjoyable. I have never read another story similar to this!

The beginning of Silent Echo starts with the strange happenings around Portia's birth which teases you as to what is going to be discovered throughout the book. I'm new to Siren's myself and although I'd heard some 'tales' about Siren's being mermaids that lured sailors to their deaths, I really liked the spin on Sirens within Silent Echo as they are bird-related which actually went well with the concept of the Sirens singing beautiful bird-like songs.

The use of song lyrics and poetry in this novel was also welcoming, I haven't read a story involving this element before and I liked to read it aloud and create the poetic rhythm. The Bust-a-move poem/song lyrics mash-up was probably my favourite :-)

My favourite element in this book was the mythology/historic. I'm not a mythology buff so I can't comment on whether it is 'in-keeping' with most sources but for a YA read, I thought it was approached and used well and didn't come across as modernised or overly-simplified for the YA age group. The use of olden English language also helped portray the mythology and historical element well.

Although I did mostly enjoy this story, at certain points I did find the story slow but this was often during the present day chapters and I could possibly contribute this to my enjoyment being more focused on the mythology aspects. I also felt that I didn't warm to the characters in this story and I didn't  certainly didn't feel any strong feelings towards Portia and Max's relationship. I grew to like Felix, Portia's best friend, near the end of the story but I still wouldn't say I was routing for him to win Portia's affections. 

Overall this story was an enjoyable read and the ending has left this story open for an interesting sequel, if considered. I do however also think the ending would make a great open ending for this book if it is a stand-alone novel.  

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