Among Friends (2012)

the story followed a group of friends who got together for a murder mystery party. while the original intention was to solve a mystery that involved murder, the party was hijacked by the hostess. through recorded videos or photographs, she revealed the darkest secrets and betrayals that the group of friends did to one another. things got even more twisted as friends refused to admit and she toyed with them, forcing them to bleed in any way possible.

despite the interesting plot, the film seemed to be some cheap production the moment they reached the house where the party was to be held. after half way through the film, things started to take place in the dining room, with everyone tied to a chair while the truth was forced out of them. from there onwards, the story practically went downhill where blood and torture became surprisingly uninteresting. it was a pity that such an original plot was wasted, instead of fully exploited. the dining table scene just brought everything down and lose its viewers.

Mirai Nikki Redial (2013) 未来日記リダイヤル

the story took place after the Mirai Nikki (2011) series, where Yuno life returned to normal. but often she felt something missing, something important. at the same time, she couldn't help being fascinated with Yukiteru, a boy in her grade, also the boy the kept appearing in her dreams.

with only 30 minutes long, the OVA focused mainly on Yuno. while it wasn't an astounding episode of gore and psychological attacks, having watched the Mirai Nikki (2011) series made it surprisingly rewarding. seemingly insane, Yuno was just a shy girl that sought for Yuki's love, further proven by her strong will to remember him. the episode felt rushed but entertaining with its comedies and fanservices. despite having a happy ending for most of its characters, it left behind an oddly sad feeling.

Adore (2013)

Lil and Roz were childhood friends who grew up together as neighbours. their sons also grew up together, developing a friendship as strong as their mothers'. one summer, all 4 of them spend so much time together that things got out of hand. emotions started intruding as the mothers found happiness in each others' sons.

it was acceptable to have a plot where one mother fell for her friend's son, but when it happened to 2 mothers at the same time, it was such a cliche. while the relationship had the power to jeopardize the friendship between 2 mothers, it surprisingly didn't. the possible conflict was wiped off as both couple continued their affairs, still hanging out with each other, even after knowing the truth. it was just odd if not boring. with separation came wives for the sons, who got married roughly the same time, and their daughters born roughly the same time. there were way too many things that was ridiculous and unbelievable for the film to be enjoyable.

Chuunibyou Demo Koi ga Shitai: Kirameki no... Slapstick Noel 中二病でも恋がしたい! 煌めきの... 聖爆誕祭 (2013)

the OVA was an Episode 13 for the first season of Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! (2012) series. with Christmas around the corner, Nibutani convinced Rikka that this was a golden opportunity for her to get closer to Yuuta. with Makoto's suggestion, they planned a Christmas party at Sanae's mansion, inviting everyone over. Christmas and Valentine's day were often excuses in anime series, pushing certain relationship along. despite all the positive pointers, it was slightly disappointing not to see our main characters finally giving each other a long-waited kiss. but then, the comedic effect was adorable enough for us to let it go. with second season being announced, hopefully they are still time for that.

Still Mine (2012)

Craig and Irene were getting old. with the change of times and regulations, they were no longer able to make a living from their small farm. Irene begun to show signs of early dementia. while their 2 children hoped to see more care provided for Irene, Craig insisted on taking care of her while milling lumber on their property to build a small house for them to live in. as much as he wanted to start building, authorities got involved as he was forced to go through regulatory processes such as applying for permits and blueprints, facing one roadblock after another just to earn them a house to live in.

the film was interesting until the building part. it shared the life of 2 elderly couple who depended on each other for the remaining of their lives. their relationship was engaging, the love they shared was definitely obvious and contagious to us viewers. despite Craig strong personality, seeing Irene suffered was the biggest challenge as she became incapable of looking after herself. despite being heartbroken of losing Irene to dementia, there were still plenty of tender moments shared between the duo.

Blemished #2: The Vanished (2013)

The Vanished are the forgotten people. they escaped from the society that restricted pregnancy, to form a small society with different believes. after joining the Vanished, Mina continued to fight for her freedom together with the Freaks. their small group consists of children with different ability. Mina the telekinesis, Daniel the seer, Hiro the mind reader, Mike able to taste emotions, where else Kitty smelled them. while they fought for a better life at the compound, they found that it could also be misled by some deceiving characters.

i received free e-books for the series from the author in exchanged for a review. second book into the series was less captivating than the first, but equally intense when it came to battles or fights. Dr Woods being the ultimate enemy was absolutely believing with his distasteful character. the bravery of the Freaks however, was what made this installment so interesting. Mina held all these separate pieces together as eventually, everyone either want her power or wish to destroy her. at some point, it was easy to get attracted into this world so different than ours. the growth in the children was something worth looking forward to. with limited parental figures to protect them, they showed maturity in every decision made.

Warm Bodies (2013)

R was a young zombie, who like other zombies, fed on humans. one day, during a hunt, he met Julie and felt an urge to protect her. what started out as an abduction allowed R to slowly regained his humanity as their feelings towards each other continued to grow. other than hiding Julie from the other zombies, R was challenged by Julie's father, who threatened to kill every zombie he came across.

after having so many vampire romances, zombie romance was a first. as lame as the idea was, it remained original. with little ability in uttering words, R was smart and talkative in his head. things were interesting before he got together with Julie, which just became typical. in this world, zombies didn't just remained zombies, they could returned being human or became worst, the Bonies, who shed their skins and looked like ghouls. it was all these little points that made the film worthwhile catching, but definitely not the romance. fortunately the flaw was bearable since zombie movies were usually worse than this.

Steins;Gate: Fuka Ryouiki no Déjà vu (2013) 劇場版 シュタインズゲート 負荷領域のデジャヴ

the story took place a year after the series. Okabe went through a tough journey across multiple World Lines after the invention of D-Mail, text messages that could be sent to the past, and landed at a possible Steins Gate World Line, where all his friends wouldn't be dead in a future ruled by SERN. however, he soon started to feel the side effects of constant time travel, causing him to vanish from existence. only Kurisu remembered him through déjà vu. it is now up to Kurisu to find a way to bring Okabe back.

the film was a finale to its series, closing the loop holes that the story created since the very first episode. this installment had little plot as its main focus was on the depths of the relationship between Okabe and Kurisu, proven to be the most heart wrenching, even breathtaking but still masterfully handled. the whole progress would mean a lot for those who watched the series, but little to those who didn't. the moment Kurisu breakdown not being able to remember Okabe but knowing somehow that someone important was gone, was every bit emotionally engaging to its viewers.

Before Midnight (2013)

Jesse and Celine were a couple and parents to twin girls they conceived when they got together for the second time. Jesse continued to struggle maintaining the relationship with his teenage son, Hank, who lived with his ex-wife. Jesse found success as a novelist while Celine was still considering a job with the government. the couple reminisced the moment they met and since then changed their lifestyle together. at some point they exchanged their fears about the future.

after having 2 children, it was surprising to find Jesse and Celine still display an outburst of emotions towards each other after spending 9 years together. it was sometimes difficult to see them together especially when Celine seemed to get annoyed by Jesse more than often. for 2 hours the film continued with its dialogues. with bad audio attached to the video we watched, it was quite a torture. not to mention that as middle-aged parents, they continued to banter like a bunch of teenagers, about nothing seemingly important.

Blemished #1: The Blemished (2012)

Mina is a Blemished, people with genes labeled as worthless, pushed towards the Operation that took away their rights to have a normal life bearing children. given little educations, the Blemished were trained to serve the GEMs, people that were bred to be perfect, given to wealthy, beautiful families. but Mina was different than the common Blemished, she had a hidden ability of telekinesis, a secret hidden to save her life. in her new school, she met with Angela and Daniel. their friendship soon became complicated as Daniel reviewed his hidden ability of seeing the future. Mina found herself drawn to his powers and impulsive nature. but at the same time, a GEM named Sebastian approached her.

i received free e-books for the series from the author in exchanged for a review. the moment i started reading, i found myself completely hooked on Mina's life turned adventure. every moment was filled with so much unknown that it was so addictive to not wonder what will happen next. the uniqueness of the plot line made everything mysterious. even romance in this sense, being forbidden and all was so alluring. the relationship between Mina, Angela, Daniel and Sebastian were seemingly complicated if not cheesy at first, but as i grew to love the characters, i found it hard to dislike any one of them, tasting Mina's struggle to choose between the boys. the book was equally delicious action wise. with plenty of everything i found myself surprised reaching the end of the book with no difficulty whatsoever. immediately i had to advance towards the second installment.

Man of Steel (2013)

right before planet Krypton was destroyed, Jor-El launched their newborn son Kal-El on a spacecraft to Earth. General Zod, a military commander disposed the council and was banished to a Phantom zone. however, he was later freed after the planet exploded. Kal-El landed in a small town, adopted and raised by the Kent, who named him Clark. Clark grew up learning to hide his superhuman abilities. when the US military investigated a spaceship in the Arctic, Clark entered it and communicated with the preserved consciousness of Jor-El, learning about his past.

despite the promising title, the film failed in many levels to capture our interest. while story telling was intense for the first half of the film, the remaining was reserved for Zod and his attacks, which at the same time, stopped all story telling. apparently Clark only had himself to depend on, while Zod had a full army of weird people and spaceships. at some point, the whole thing became boring and went downhill ever since. nor did the romance did Superman any justice. it was unbelieving, far from warming our heart, with Lois unable to break through her character of being a stalker or fan.

Hentai Ouji to Warawanai Neko (2013) 変態王子と笑わない猫

Yokodera had always been kind of perverted even when he hid it well enough for no one to notice. he learned about a cat statue that grants wishes and approached it, hoping that he could be himself and express his lustful thoughts whenever he wanted. while he was at the statue, he met with Tsukiko, a girl from his high school, her wish was to conceal her emotions from always showing on her face.

instead of focusing solely on panties and cleavages, the series was wise enough to deliver a genuinely refreshing combination that the storyline and character developments were not forgotten. Yokodera was the focus of the whole series. despite his perverted obsessions, he was smart while interacting with the girls, causing them to have genuine good feelings towards him in return. even though the series doesn't create something unique or cover new grounds, it was definitely entertaining enough for a nice, lighthearted fun.

The Croods (2013)

the Croods were the last of the cavemen families that survived by avoiding danger at all times. they hunt during the day, shield themselves in the cave during nightfall. one day, the very same day they discovered that the end of the world was upon them, they met with Guy, a boy that ventured on his journey towards the highest mountain in the land. with their cave destroyed, the Croods followed Guy on their very first adventure through the unfamiliar land.

despite the unattractive character drawings, every character stood out in their very own way, having personalities that outshone each another and became lovable almost immediately. in fact, it was difficult to distinguish who would be a favorite or even the main character. we laughed throughout the animation, from humorous banters to awkward situations. the scenery was astoundingly colorful and the animals impressively creative. there were no dull moments, minutes into the animation we were glued to the screen, enjoying every second ever since.

Touch of Death #2: Stalked by Death (2013)

after the trade with Hades to release every undead that Victoria had summoned, Jodi had to start an Ophi school, for every necromancers born under the 13th sign of the zodiac. with Hades watching her closely, she couldn't afford any slip ups for him to own every Ophi. having trouble to convince other Ophi to join her school, Jodi had to fight to contain her power, especially since the appearance of Chase, a hot guy who joined her school and tried to jeopardize her relationship with Alex. every time Chase touched her, she felt her power being boosted. but at the same time, also caused her power to surge out of control, raising the dead unconsciously.

second book into the series, the progress wasn't predictable but having 2 guys fighting over a girl could really ruin the goth part of it. as mesmerizing as being a necromancer and descendent of Medusa be, Jodi remained a less likable main character. the cocky boyfriend that seemed like a bad guy in the first book turned out to be a victim in the second book, while another cockier guy became the new challenge, where both were equally distasteful characters. to make matter worse, Jodi wanted both of the guys, unwilling to decide which one she wanted more. as tiring as it was to go through the repetitive fights between Alex and Chase, with Jodi fuming and calling bunch of undead from the cemetery, the intensity of how Jodi's power went crazy was engaging enough to pull me through the book.

Kakumeiki Valvrave (2013) 革命機ヴァルヴレイヴ

the story took place in a world where human lived in a city in space, thanks to the development of Dyson Sphere. the community was divided into 2 main forces - the Dorssia Military and the ARUS (Atlantic Rim United States), while the minor nation of JIOR declared neutrality. Haruto was a high school student in JIOR until the Dorssian Military began their abrupt invasion. JIOR had a chance only when Haruto met the mysterious humanoid weapon - Valvrave.

the series was released in 2 parts, with its second half airing later this year. with plenty intense actions and character dramas, though remained mysterious and unresolved, was enough to entertain and create high hopes towards the second half of the series. the characters started out being childish, but it was pleasant to notice maturity developing in some of them as more events unfold. some fought for love, others for survival and revenge, the mass of students engaged in adult affairs of wars and politics was impressive and emotionally engaging.

Touch of Death #1: Touch of Death (2013)

Jodi was in junior high, spending time with her new boyfriend Matt and best friend Melodie. her normal life changed into a disaster ever since the day she hit a deer while driving to school, the very same day the school nurse died and a guy with green eyes started stalking her. the stalked revealed himself as Alex, explaining that Jodi's kiss could kill and her touch could bring back the dead. soon Jodi discovered that she was part necromancer that was born under the 13th zodiac sign, Ophiuchus, also descendent of Medusa.

the story started out by going through some very bad days for a normal teenager. though she wasn't a distasteful character, there were parts of her that made her less likable, especially the number of times she pricked her fingers somewhere, it happened so often that we saw it coming miles away. the confrontations between the protective boyfriend, Matt and stalker, Alex were predictable if not lame. for more than a dozen of times i hoped for Matt to be the bad guy just so it was more believable; while Alex being such a bossy person and bully, shouldn't have been the good guy at all, he was just too eerie and impossible to like after all the drama.

Aiura (2013) あいうら

the story followed the high school life of 3 girls - Amaya, Iwasawa, and Uehara. they were high spirited, slightly annoying, having no motivation. their lives could turn out to be interesting even when nothing was happening.

at first glance, the plot had almost nothing to offer or attract. but having only 4 minutes every episode, the randomness was more than enough to entertain. despite using the term "everyday life", the girls were more often thrown into situation that normal people wouldn't experience. fortunately, it was rooted enough to feel relatable for its viewers. with the aid of its characters and their casual interactions, the whole thing would in the end felt natural and acceptable instead. even though the series targeted having nothing happened or pointless conversations, it was still fun to watch.

School Spirits #1: School Spirits (2013)

Izzy and her mother was the last of the Brannicks. for centuries, her family were trained to hunt magical creatures. one night, her sister, Finn disappeared on a mission and her mother decided to move them. in the new town, Izzy was sent to a high school to end a haunting. but soon they discovered that a series of haunting had plagued the high school, where Izzy was able to see the ghost of Mary, who died centuries ago. being home-schooled since young, Izzy had to disguise herself an average teenager among her new friends Dex, Romy, and Alexander.

the book had its good and bad times. more than half of the book was spent on and on about Izzy's self-pitying or her banters with Torin, the warlock trapped in the mirror or with Dex, the mysterious boy that seemed to wield magical powers. not forgetting friends making and romances, which were frustrating as i was eager to know more about the ghost and its haunting. even when there were finally actions, it would soon be replaced with romance or something equally insignificant. despite its flaws, since it was only the first book into the series, i look forward to a more engaging sequel.

Yuyushiki (2013) ゆゆ式

the story followed the school life of 3 girls - Yuzuko, Yukari, and Yui, who recently joined their high school Data Processing Club. their new friendship were formed, creating wacky situations even when least expected.

with a very shallow plot and very few characters, the series failed to be significant at first glance. surprisingly, with great character interactions, the series actually delivers. all 3 girls had different characteristics - one airhead, one serious, and one somewhere in between. while none of these girls stood out on their own, they shone the brightest together, thoroughly filling up for each other. the humor mostly came from the conversations between the girls, where it veered wildly all over the place, yet remained natural and believable.

Unbound #3: Oath Bound (2013)

after Jake died, his sister Julia took over the Tower syndicate. however, the will stated that all power went to Jake's eldest heir. Lynn was Jake's wife, their children were supposed to own the syndicate but they were both too young. hidden from even Jake's knowledge was Sera, his secret daughter hidden by her protective mother. unknown to Julia and Lynn, Sera was both a Jammer and a Blocker. seeking revenge brought her into the hands of Kris, a Traveller like his sister Kori, and Binder Kenley. together with Blinder Ian, Reader Anne, Seer Hadley, Tracker Liv and Cam, the mini group of mafia aimed to completely take down the Tower syndicate, as impossible as it may sound.

final book into the series turned out to be a blast and definitely the best among the three. Sera was raised in the outskirt, away from all syndicates, making her somewhat naive towards the dark lives of those involved. things got slightly complicated when she fell for her kidnapper, Kris. when things got sorted out and she realized she was in good hands, everything got even more interesting and intense, both action and romance wise. it was fun seeing the Daniels siblings bantered and depended on each other as much as their lives depended on it. humor was least expected but very much present throughout the book, making it an awesome experience to have.

Hayate no Gotoku! Cuties (2013) ハヤテのごとく！ Cuties

the story took place after the events of Hayate no Gotoku! Can't Take My Eyes Off You (2012), where Nagi, Hayate and Maria returned to their daily lives at the mansion.

4th season into the series, this installment had no particular plot but evolved around random events and happenings. Hayate continued to be surrounded by girls who fought for his attention. since its very first season, the series and its harem doesn't really stood out for a reason, but surprisingly it remained in the market for more than 5 years now. this point alone, make as little sense as the plot did. the most obvious improvements were the art, where its characters and backdrops had became more and more beautiful and smooth over the years.

Unbound #2: Shadow Bound (2012)

Kori was a Traveller, a shadow walker that travel instantly from one shadow to another. she was confined in the darkroom for 6 weeks after betraying her boss, leader of the Tower syndicate. after being released, Tower assigned her one final job, a chance for her to redeem herself and secure a future for her sister, Kenley. her mission was to recruit Ian, a powerful Blinder, who could create darkness out of nothing. Ian had no intention of joining any syndicate, he feigned interest for a chance to kill Kenley, a powerful Binder who was hidden by Tower for binding his contracts. once the Binder died, all contracts would be void. little was Ian prepared to fall for Kori.

while the first book - Blood Bound (2011) focused on Liv and Cam, who were blood and name Trackers, this installment focused on Kori and Ian, who were Traveller and Blinder. it was surprisingly intense to see from another person's perspective, whom originally was the enemy now became the victim. impressively, the way both books were written, it was absolutely impossible to not root for both of the main characters at all times. yet seeing the good guys becoming the bad guys in another person's perspective was proven to be emotionally complicated yet oddly satisfying.

Mushibugyou (2013) ムシブギョー

gigantic insects were roaming around town, eating humans, threatening their lives. to protect the people, the shogun created a new unit, the Mushibugyou, by accumulating members who each had their own specialty and unique fighting skills. their job scope was to kill all insects found, exterminating the harm at all cause.

the series was action packed and fast paced. the plot was not exceptional nor unique enough to stood out. but it required little explanations nor long winded dialogues as the focuses and explanations were usually more than enough while being presented through the fighting scenes. the plot developments were dynamic, which made it less predictable, thus little dull moment. despite the seemingly uninteresting historical backdrop and rough art, the series was entertaining enough to be satisfying.

G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013)

the G.I. Joe were framed for stealing nuclear warheads by Zartan, who was impersonating the President. under his order, the G.I. Joe were to be terminated. while most of the G.I. Joe were killed, including Duke, the remaining survivors were Roadblock, Flint, and Lady Jaye. in the meanwhile, Storm Shadow and Firefly rescued Cobra Commander from an underground prison. upon learning that Storm was alive, the Blind Master sent Snake Eyes and Jinx, Storm's cousin, to bring him back for questioning. Roadblock and his team sough out General Colton, who provided them with weapons and going after the President with the hope of revealing the truth.

it was difficult to expect much from action films nowadays, other than fights and explosions. it was slightly surprising to find certain amount of humor to get the film going at some point. despite being predictable, the visual and fighting sequences were definitely entertaining to watch. with all the exaggeration, there were a sense of seriousness and believability to it that rooted the film, making it relatable. seeing The Rock playing his humorous macho role was an eye-candy, seeing Bruce Willis was an add. it was always fun having these huge men hung together. the simplicity of the plot gave it little time on character development but more on actions, which was in fact, good enough!

Haiyore! Nyaruko-san W (2013) 這いよれ！ニャル子さんW

Nyaruko claimed to be an alien that took human form. while she lived with her friend Mahiro on earth, living a seemingly ordinary life, they were often targeted by strange creatures that only appeared in myths. Mahiro was just a random high school student that wanted a peaceful life, he was utterly clueless with the true nature of his friend and those coming after them.

like its previous installment - Haiyore! Nyaruko-san (2012), this series was equally relaxing. despite the possible development, it wasn't an intense romance series either. it had no actual plot, just some random parody and humors with references to other anime series that were more well known. the leaping through dimension scenes were sometimes too exaggerated to enjoy, where else their everyday lives, bantering and fighting for attention, were much more interesting in comparison.

In Love with Power (2012) 山河恋·美人无泪

Taiji was the first Emperor of Qing dynasty. he formed alliances with the Mongols and Manchu clans through marriage. first he married Jerjer, who became his first wife; later he married Jerjer's nieces, Yuer and Lanzhu. Yuer and Lanzhu were half-sisters, but due to the clan's hierarchy, Yuer was a princess, while Lanzhu was a servant. while Taiji's love was divided among his concubines, soon Lanzhu held all his attention and became his favorite. knowing she will never be Taiji's favorite, Yuer focused on her son's upbringing with the help of Dorgon, Taiji's younger brother.

while Yuer was a character easy to love, her naivety was sometimes frustrating to watch. being pampered since young, she trusted too easily, especially her half-sister Lanzhu. with revenge in her mind, Lanzhu was sidetrack many times, switching targets along the way. as for Yuer, having made the mistake of choosing the wrong man to marry, she paid with her happiness. her sense of justice and determination got her through the most difficult times, which led her to bring her grandson, Emperor Kangxi to his throne. despite being an unhappy woman, Yuer was strong, seeking peace in every little thing.

Shingeki no Kyojin (2013) 進撃の巨人

hundred of years ago, humans were almost exterminated by titans. the titans were gigantic, had no intelligence and devour humans. a small group of humans survived by building themselves a city protected by extremely high walls. hundred of years later, the humans had increased its numbers. the titans haven't appear for many years. one day, Eren and his sister Mikasa witnessed the city wall being destroyed by a titan that appeared out of thin air and started devouring humans.

despite the dark backdrop and odd character art, the uniqueness of the plot itself was truly impressive. for the first few episodes, things and explanations were fairy jumbled up, with dreams and fears carved into their lives. fortunately soon enough things got interesting, with magnificent fighting scenes. there were very little dull moment throughout the series, some even left behind impressions deep enough that required a re-watch.

A Shade of Vampire #4: A Shadow of Light (2013)

vampire Prince Derek had been caught by the Hunters, together with his beloved Sofia, the daughter of the Hunter's leader, Aidan. being separated with his daughters for years, Aidan had intentionally left Sofia with his best friend for fear of involving her with his affairs with the Hunters, against all vampires. after returning to The Shade, Derek was in dismay to find out that his kingdom was in a mess, with war upon them. at the Hunters' Headquarter, Sofia fought to return to The Shade to be reunited with Derek, but was held back by the protective cell of her father.

after witnessing so much round of violence and romance between Derek and Sofia, i was surprised to find myself tearing up for Claudia and Yuri instead. that short reunion alone was enough to be overwhelming and satisfying in many levels. the concept that Sofia was an Immune, despite how many attempts there were to turn her, it never succeeded in making Sofia a vampire, was interesting. things were further complicated when Aidan mentioned a possible cure for vampirism and an unexpected introduction were made on the Original Vampires. at some point through the book, it occurred to me that Sofia was repeatedly reminded to be the sunshine in Derek's life, but perhaps it was his negativity that got to him, where Sofia was just a much more positive person to start with.

Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai 2 俺の妹がこんなに可愛いわけがない。 (2013)

siblings Kirino and Kyousuke continued to have an awkward relationship, until their otaku habits brought them together.

while the previous season focused on Kirino's passion in the otaku culture and forcing her brother for help; the second season focused on the relationships between its characters. other than the relationship between Kirino and Kyousuke, Kuroneko and Ayase were also involved. while some reactions seemed significantly exaggerated, it was definitely pleasant to see that the feelings and intentions were there. the conflicting emotions were also many times reminded when it came to Kuroneko and Ayase's involvements. being a huge fan of its first season, it was satisfying to find that the second season was equally entertaining.

A Shade of Vampire #3: A Castle of Sand (2013)

the relationship Sofia had with vampire Prince Derek felt like a sandcastle, temporary and threatened to crumble any minute. her return to The Shade, an island resided by the remaining vampires saved by Derek 400 years ago, was like a dream come true for Derek, with his dark sides overclouding his senses gradually. but with Gregor, Derek's father as the king of The Shade and shed pure hatred towards Sofia who could help Derek control his dark sides, Sofia's life was greatly at stake. in the meanwhile, Ben, Sofia's best friend joined the Hunters, an organization that was determined to burn down The Shade.

third installment into the series, the book was a delicious treat. finally progressing forward from the obvious, presenting surprises and twists that had me doing a joyous cheer every now and then, even until the very last page. the combination between Derek and Sofia was truly a piece of work, impressive and sometimes overwhelming especially emotionally. while Derek sometimes felt like a beast at the end of Sofia's leash, he often came up with a piece of his mind, so wondrous and glorious that it shouldn't have come from a vampire at all.