Perfect Couple (2014) 金玉良缘

Yuenbao had been brought up in the Jin family as their only heir. one day, he was assigned a bride by the Empress. as reluctant as he was with the marriage, he wasn't able to risk the lives of his family to rebel against the marriage. Qilin was brought up in the village by her adoptive mother. grateful towards her love, Qilin was determined to find her mother's son, who was taken by the Jin family. she took the place of the escaping bride and wed into the Jin family under the name of the bride, all in search of the missing son of her adoptive mother.

the series started out slightly exaggerated especially action wise, fortunately with the interesting storyline and captivating characters, i found myself enjoying it in no time. Qilin who started out being a rather annoying character, turned out to be so lovable when her true intention was revealed. the comedic effect that involved her seemed to come naturally as well. Yuenbao on the other hand, was a serious character that got caught up in Qilin's plot. when they started to fall for each other, the series became even more engaging that i was sad when everything came to an end.

Dead Beautiful #3: Love Reborn (2014)

the soul that Renee shared with Dante weren't enough to sustain the both of them. they were running out of time before they were dead. Renee had a legendary chest, a chest that contain the secret to eternal life. however, they had to solve the riddle, getting to the location in sequence and in time to obtain it. a team of Monitors led by Renee's granfather was pursuing them, as well as the Liberum and the Undead. Renee and Dante had to keep the chest safe at all cost. with the help of a mysterious man who left them letters and clues along the way, they found themselves traveling far distance for the precious secret.

having waited so long for the last book, i had a very difficult time getting back into the story. i remembered loving the previous two books, which very much had me disappointed with the third. it was perhaps caused by the difficulties that i had, failing for not being able to relive and enjoy it like i did the previous two. half way through the book, the chase across the wilderness suddenly seemed too painfully long to endure. i was pleased however, to have held on until the very end. the reward was satisfying enough to overrule the drag.

The Secret of the Halflings #1: Blood Oath (2014)

Raya had been living with her mother ever since her father left them years ago. she had grew to hate her father, whom she assumed abandoned them because he no longer loved them. on the morning of her seventeenth birthday, her mother surprised her when she announced that Raya will be living for a year with her father, in the Siren world. it explained her love for the water since childhood, and her mother also revealed the reason her father had left in the first place was to protect his little girl. but being half siren was the most disturbing part for Raya, because that made her a monster, a blood drinker.

i received a free e-book from the author in exchanged for a review. the book was an easy read with a full of potential plot. i was captivated by the flow of the story, which was the exact attraction that got me through the book so fast. however, by the end of the book, i found it slightly disappointed that i wasn't able to love the characters more. with the political conflict involved, sidetracking Raya's self-discoveries, i found myself understanding more about Elizabeth and Eden than Raya and Drew, especially since the book focused more about the thoughts for these supporting characters/villains, but mostly actions for the main characters. if not for the oath Drew made in front of the council, i would still be doubting his true feelings towards Raya.

Royal Reaper #1: Dead Girl Walking (2014)

Princess Ophelia was to wed Prince Astin when the time comes, but she was in love with Larkin, a commoner. she often sneaked out of the castle to meet him secretly after everyone in the castle went to sleep. one day meeting with Larkin, she was murdered. however, instead of falling dead, she found herself staring at her body with no one being able to see her. she later found out that she was a newly recruited Grim Reaper, joining the team by the name Leila. she had to cut all ties with her old life but found it every bit difficult when Larkin was the next to die.

the book was absolutely easy read. Leila was a character so believable that it was easy to fit in her shoes, experiencing what she was experiencing, especially the struggles against death, making her highly relatable. i was relieved to find their group consisted of only a few members, just so not being overwhelmed by supporting characters, but it was also slightly disappointing to know so little about them before they were removed from the scene completely. the uniqueness of the plot was the main attraction that kept me flying through the pages in no time. i had fun exploring their lives as much as the adventure Leila was forced to go through. with the cliffhanger that i was left with by the end of the book, i can't wait to lay my hands on the coming installment.

This Freshest Hell (2013)

Maggie was a new girl in town. she met with Lily, a girl who doesn't fit in anywhere and they became best friends in no time. they discovered their common dark secret, one being sexually abused by her father, another a priest. together they explored their psychic abilities while challenging the unknown. Maggie was the more aggressive one among the duo, often found going for revenge; while Lily was more suicidal. they performed a dark spell from a witchcraft book, which will be triggered 10 years later. the spell forced them to choose between dying and living as an undead, which both choose the second option.

i received a free e-book from the author in exchanged for a review. the book was divided into two sections, the first part focused on the beginning of their friendship, formed during their human years; the second part focused on their undead life. for the first half of the book, i found myself struggling through the pages. the story jumped all over each other, overly elaborating their perfect friendship that i found difficult to believe. although i was no fan to long-winded introductions, i felt that they opened up to each other way too soon, making it seemed like instead of struggling to reveal the dark and painful past that they hid for so long, it was more like boasting about it. the second half of the book however, was far more interesting in comparison. the gruesomeness and bluntness was truly impressive, enough to make me felt glad that i didn't give up on the book.

Rouge #2: Embers & Ice (2014)

the story was divided into two parts, one following Hunter, another Joshua. after being caught by the agents, Hunter was brought to ICE, an institution that gathered and studied children with different special abilities. Hunter became one of their newest subject. she was forced through cruel experiments and agonizing tests to measure her ability. here, she learned that no one lived passed the age twenty-one and Will, her new best friend in ICE was now twenty-one. on the other hand, Joshua was escaping his lab after agents hunted him down. he drove for days with Jenny and Eli, whom he resurrected from the dead, only to be caught by a police instead.

i received a free e-book from the author in exchanged for a review. despite being a long read, i was every minute engaged in the book. like the first installment, the book was very fast paced and filled with so much actions there were simply no dull moments through the pages. the switching between Hunter and Joshua could sometimes turned out to be quite annoying since it depends on which character had the more intense situation at hand. with the mass amount of characters introduced, all being held captive in ICE, i was pleased to find myself seeing each and every one of them in my mind, loving them so much that their death and pain had goosebumps rippled like waves on my skin, right into my scalp. the ending like usual, was another cruel cliffhanger! just like the last installment, i wanted so much to get my hands on the next book!

The Danaan #1: The Forgotten Ones (2013)

Allison had planned to never date but to finish school and get a good job, just so she could take care of her Schizophrenic mother, Beth. she had always felt guilty, feeling like she ruined her mother's life. Beth was pregnant with Allison when her lover, Liam left. since then, Beth hadn't quite been herself, having an episode every now and then especially when Allison looked so much like Liam. one day, Liam appeared, claiming that he could rescue Beth, explaining Beth's situation to be an ability performed by a Danaan. as distrustful as Allison was towards her father, she believed his stories about the Danaan, the long forgotten people of Irish.

i received a free e-book from the author in exchanged for a review. the first half of the book was rather enjoyable, a seemingly normal teenage romance no matter how much Allison tried to deny her feelings for Ethan. at this point, it was difficult to like either one of them, one being too closed off, another being too flirtatious. the moment Liam appeared, i was looking forward to their confrontation and a change of scenery. it started out promising, until all the names started appearing. at some point after knowing the main villain was called Breanh, i tend to skim over all the other names. fortunately the abilities they had was interesting enough to spike some interest, i managed to held on until the very end.

The Dwellers #1: The Moon Dwellers (2012)

the story took place in a ruined world, where people were divided into the Tri-Realms - the Sun Realm, the Moon Realm, and the Star Realm. Tristan was from the Sun Realm, also the son of the President. but he was nothing like his father, he wanted people from the Moon and Star Realms to be treated better, he wanted a change political-wise. Adele had been held captive in the Moon Realms ever since her parents were captured for treason, her sister Elsey was sent to the orphanage. with the help of some new friends she made in the prison, Adele escaped, on a mission to rescue her family. Tristan on the other hand, sneaked out of the Sun Realm into the Moon Realm.

despite all the uninteresting political details, i was very much drawn to Adele's escape. it was so engaging that i often found myself fearing for her. her connection with Tristan was the most mysterious of all, especially after reading the note Adele's mother left behind. the pain seemed to be a significant clue to their coming success. there were times i was frustrated with Cole's humor, perhaps disgusted because there were more than once uncovered to be lies. he was the only character that failed to have me root for him until his very death. with all the havoc, i was disappointed that Adele and Tristan had so little time together. but on the bright side, that short amount of time was like fireworks, overwhelming my every senses, bringing me to the verge of tears reading their goodbyes. i can see myself reading the second installment of the series, led by my curiosity on how their relationship would turned out to be.

Spirit World (2013)

Riesa had the ability to hear the dead. but after her stepfather sent her to a mental institution and performed an exorcism on her, she learned to keep her ability from everyone. her therapist helped her to build a wall to keep the voices away, but the spirits never did go away. one day, she was approached by a good looking young man, Garrett, who claimed to know what she was going through and offered to help her. her best friend Connor disliked Garrett immediately but couldn't help that Riesa fell in love with Garrett. after training with Garrett and the Ghosts, they realized that Riesa had so much potential that a powerful Ghost had taken notice of her, who also planned to use her ability to gain control of the human world.

i received a free e-book from the author in exchanged for a review. Riesa started out being quite a unique character. she was different and smart, even a little freaky especially with her stepfather in the picture. i loved the potential her story would turned out to be, but was disappointed with the messy relationship she had with Connor and Garrett. i enjoyed reading about her stepfather more the two guys, which turned out to be a very bad thing since she was with one or another throughout the book. the distracting romance ruined the paranormal part of the story for me, especially after the initial interest i held towards the Ghosts.

Count On Me (2014)

Belle was an autistic, a disorder that caused impaired communication and often excessive rigidity. she often got bullied for being different. they called her names, pushed her around, doing everything to make them felt superior over her. Kayden had been living across from Bell since childhood, where they used to play together until one day he just stopped coming. when his mother left them, Kayden was left with an angry brother who blamed him for everything. like most of the tough kid in school, Kayden was also a bully, until he decided to defend Belle one day, when she was bullied. soon, the duo realized that they are falling for each other. yet with so many obstacles in their way, they weren't sure they could make it work.

i received a free e-book from the author in exchanged for a review. the book was a surprisingly fast read. i was pleased to learn about autism, something that i wasn't exposed to in real life before. Belle was a character so easily to fall in love with and more than often, I found myself tearing up for her struggles. Kayden on the other hand, also had struggles that he was facing, especially the part of keeping his violent brother a secret from everyone from school. they had seemed like such an awkward pair, but their romance was so unexpectedly sweet, revealing a side of them hidden from most of the world. it was truly an emotional read, one i didn't expect from any romance. yet with such a different storyline, it was so impressive that the book succeeded in delivering both the pain as well as the love so amazingly well, i felt like i was in their shoes. the book was definitely a satisfying emotional ride that i was glad to have gotten on board.

The End of You and Me (2014)

Kate had been best friends with London since they were children. their house was opposite each other, where Kate lived with her parents and London lived with his mother who was rarely home. their friendship was so tight that it was like they were a couple, yet they never did cross the boundaries of friends. to her dismay, Kate's father disapproved their friendship; where else her mother loved London. one day, a new student joined her class. Anastasia was a beautiful girl who often got what she wanted, except her parents' love and attention. she put herself between Kate and London, stirring things up when it seemed like she was helping.

i received a free e-book from the author in exchanged for a review. the story was a very fast read, which i managed to finish in one sitting. it was engaging and very relaxing until the twist came. initially i assumed the twist would be Kate finally realized that she held special feelings for Anastasia. while i was waiting for that to happen, i never did saw the actual one coming, which turned out to be far more crazier and had me dislike Anastasia that very instant. she disappointed me, forming a typical bully characteristic. she started out being so stunning, a complete opposite of Kate, who seemed so much more duller in comparison. it was extremely heart breaking to see how things turned out wrong in the end, suddenly making the title an obvious hint. despite not being a huge fan of sad ending, I was pleased with how unexpected the story often went, making it a very entertaining read.

Shade (2014)

Shade was ashamed of her full name, Galactic Shade Griffin, which always caused her to be laughed by her new classmates. following her mother who broke with another boyfriend, they moved to a new town, into an old Victorian house. she had the entire attic bedroom to herself and later discovered that it was haunted by a ghost named Brandon. in school, she became best friends with a goth girl named Annie. when Annie went missing after Halloween, Shade was broken hearted and determined to find Annie. since she was involved in the school forum and newspaper, she set out to discover the truth behind the missing girls from school together with Kailee and George.

i received a free e-book from the author in exchanged for a review. when the book first started introducing Brandon, i assumed it would be a paranormal romance novel. to my surprise, the seemingly ordinary school life soon transformed into a mystery of missing girls. the transformation along with Shade's messy relationship with her unstable mother, her awkward and lacked confidence self, were overwhelming at times. but with so many feelings, especially the cutting revealed, it was easy getting in her shoes, feeling what she was feeling while quite easily, rooted for her as well. it surprised me that such a serious and complicated mystery could proven to be such an easy read after being combined with the paranormal genre. the book was an absolute fast read, which i managed to finish in two sittings. the increased intensity near the last quarter of the book was truly quite a treat!

A Foundation Novel #2: The Fighter (2014)

the story continued after Jace got together with Peyton. but instead of following the story on Peyton's point of view, it now followed Jace's point of view. during his parents' divorce, Jace had choose to follow his fragile looking mother, while Jax left with their father. after the death of his mother and Jax, his father had been reliving the pain of losing his favorite child by seeing Jace everyday. he turned to alcohol, drowning himself in it until he released everything on Jace. to further complicate matters, his father brought home a new woman Samina, along with her daughter Gia.

i read the story free on Wattpad. it was refreshing reading more about Jace, knowing about his painful struggles at home especially for being so perfect on the outside and also being a perfect boyfriend to Peyton. initially he had me sympathizing over his situation, even feeling proud of him for being so tough, withholding the abuse to protect his father in some ways. but the moment he laid eyes on Gia, i smelled trouble. it was obvious Jace was no match for her, especially after he jumped from one girl to another before landed on Peyton's lap in the first book. unfortunately, this second installment wasn't completed when i was reading and i never did find out what happened later. seeing where the story went, i feel that i am no longer interested in how the story end. if i were Peyton, i would have left him to rot the moment he asked for a time-out.

A Foundation Novel #1: Pieces of Me (2013)

Peyton was an overweight girl who was constantly bullied and embarrassed by even her sister, causing her to be very conscious of herself. her love for music brought her together with her best friend, and soon they were forming a band together. their success brought many attention to her, some good and others bad. it made her proud of their achievements yet often insecure as well. from her performance with the other bands, she got to know Colton, a stunning young man who believed in her, boosting her confidence in ways that made it possible for her to perform on stage like he did. at the same time, she got to know Jace, a handsome guy she had a huge crush from school, whom she found out had an evil twin out to get her.

i read the book free from Wattpad and was pleased to find it entertaining and not long-winded like most romance turned out to be. it had been a while since i finished a romance without feeling frustrated with its overly detailed and way too often make-out sessions. fortunately, most part of the book was spent following Peyton's struggles in life, getting over her insecurity as well as gaining self-confidence. with mass amount of possible candidates that lined up to be her boyfriend, it got a little overwhelming and unbelieving at times, but fortunately it didn't went too much overboard to have me dislike her character, especially after all the dramas, i finally found myself rooting for her, satisfied with her growth.

Laika in Lisan (2014)

Laika was a historian and tutor from Trea. she had always been fascinated by Lisan, their neighboring country that isolated itself from the world. in Lisan, the citizens worshiped their leader, Lord Hamin, calling him their Father. for years, Laika learned about Lisan's culture, the language, knowing everything found available about this mysterious country. one day, Laika was invited to become a scholar in Lisan. she grabbed the chance excitedly, leaving behind her underachieved life in Trea. but few days after she set foot in Lisan, she was terrified to find her team slaughtered in their sleep, leaving her struggling to survive the unfamiliar land, until she met Rodya, a man who lived in the mountains.

i received a free e-book from the author in exchanged for a review. even though it was a detailed read especially political wise, i was pleased to find it remained simple and straightforward. the time spared for romance was a welcome relief every now and then. i surprised myself by finishing the book without even skipping lines. it was unfortunate that the book spent more time on Laika's explorations than the exciting confrontation and climax, which very much made the story felt that it ended abruptly. at that point, i was still expecting Laika to have more interactions with Lord Hamin, or even his son Aland. as much as the story tried to create a pitiful backdrop by having us pictured the poor conditions the people in Lisan was living in, i was more interested in getting to know Laika, Rodya, and Aland, digging for character development to help us feel what they were feeling.

Mary Hades #1: Mary Hades (2014)

after being released from the psychiatric hospital, Mary's parents decided that spending a holiday at the secluded Nettleby would do everyone good. Mary expected a boring week stuck in a caravan with her parents. fortunately she had Lacey, her best friend with her, even though Lacey was a ghost. Seth was a local, doing part-time at the small carnival in their village. not long after Mary reached Nettleby, deaths started occurring. when she went on a ride with Seth, things got furthermore out of hand, where the duo almost died. behind the handsome face, Mary found out that Seth was hiding a dark secret, a secret that could uncover the mysteries behind all these deaths.

i received a free e-book from the author in exchanged for a review. having been crazy over the prequel, i was delighted to find that it was only the beginning of a delicious series. this installment was another fast read, which i managed to finish in one sitting. Mary was a character easy to love and very believable as she struggled to whether trust her instinct or logic. although i choose Lacey over Seth, none of these were characters possible to dislike. even the terrifying Amy who gave me goosebumps, or the heartwarming Amy who brought tears to my eyes, were characters whose appearances were so welcoming. there were plenty of suspense and twists that i didn't see coming, often brought me to the edge of my seat, afraid to miss even one line of excitement. seeing how the book ended, i am now eager to find out how Mary and Lacey cope with their new ambition, putting her unique ability to use.

The Cracked Chronicles #1: Win the Rings (2014)

Jace was brought to the Cracked since she was five. like all the children held captive in Cracked, she was a shifter, trained to serve their country when the time came. she had become one of the strongest fighter and with her outstanding performance, she was awarded a Captain title and given a mission to capture a runner outside Cracked's wall. Gray was also a shifter, who shared a telepathic bond with his sister, Nia. right before he was tested and captured, Nia rescued Gray and they had since then been on the run for sixteen years. what started out to be a straightforward pursuit turned complicated when they realized a third party also had the intention to get their hands on him.

i received a free e-book from the author in exchanged for reviews. despite the seemingly uninteresting military backdrop, i found myself getting extremely absorbed into Jace's character. she was a tough character that after all the harsh training still held plenty of self preservation and pieces of her mind. she worked hard to earn her title and freedom, no matter how unlikely it seemed. it was completely impossible to not root for her, especially after she revealed a side of her that defended justice. Gray on the other hand, was barely a weakling but managed to squeeze so much sympathies from me. his gentleness often landed him in a mess yet his need to do good was highly acceptable, also the very reason that made him so lovable. his skill to survive was quite impressive and often so mesmerizing that it was easy to get lost in his world. having Jace and Gray finally met brought such excitement that i was thrown out of my mind being left with such a huge cliffhanger. i definitely can't wait to find out more about their interaction in the next installment.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)

after the events took place in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012), Bilbo was still travelling with Thorin and the Dwarves. the Orc party was still tracking them, forcing them to seek out Bolg, a skin-changer for help. when Gandalf discovered a graffiti imprinted on a ruin, he left to investigate. the group lost their way and was captured by giant spiders. their escapes landed them in the Elves' sanctuary. from there, they set out to complete the journey to the Lonely Mountain, hoping the Secret Door would give them access to the treasures guarded by the dragon Smaug.

having watched the previous installment almost a year ago left us forgetting what the story was about. fortunately, their journey continued to be overwhelming, with plenty of scenes changes, from escaping the giant spiders' nest, to being captured by the elves, to being washed down by the river. the film was again about enjoying the ride than truly remembering the story. in this installment, the part where Bilbo continued using the magical ring was no surprise for us. but the part where he always managed to save the dwarves still remained difficult to stomach after all these times. having watched all the trilogies from LOTR to The Hobbit, the series had stopped impressing us but still managed to provide fair entertainment nonetheless.

The House of Magic (2013)

when his previous owner moved, Thunder the cat was abandoned. seeking shelter from a storm, Thunder came across a seemingly haunted house. while frightened by many of the automatons coming alive, Thunder found the owner, an old magician a soothing sight. everyone was eager to accept Thunder into their home, but Jack the rabbit and Maggie the mouse were eager to evict him. the situation worsen when the magician landed in a hospital and his nephew, Daniel took the chance to sell the mansion for some extra cash. determined to keep the house until the magician returned, Thunder led the group towards keeping outsiders from being interested in the house.

the film had a very pleasant animation, making Thunder so fluffy and inviting. despite the simple plot, the whole adventure in overall was highly entertaining. having two sets of villain were unexpected for an animation, one being Jack and Maggie, another being Daniel. Jack and Maggie, Thunder had to win over; while Daniel, he had to get rid off. the first glance of the house was spooky only because it was so huge and had so many abandoned prop collected from the magician's work. it was satisfying to see how some of these seemingly useless junk was later put to use, creating hilarious effects. character wise, Thunder had become a favorite easily after the film started. even Jack and Maggie were stunning in their roles, making it somewhat difficult to dislike them.

Vampire Academy (2014)

Rose was a Dhampir, a half-vampire trained to be a Guardian. Moroi were vampires that co-existed peacefully among the human, having the ability to control the four elements and drinking only from wiling donors; while Strigoi were evil vampires that drink only to kill. Princess Lissa was a Moroi, also the last of her line. Rose had an unbreakable bond with Lissa, making them best friends. with many aimed to harm the Princess, Rose must protect Lissa by all means.

Vampire Academy was a series by author Richelle Mead. first adaptation remained mostly true to its book. Rose became a character a bit too loud to our liking, but she did her part well by protecting the princess. a few characters here and there, who seemed to have a higher rate of becoming a villain didn't turn out to be a villain. on the contrary, the seemingly innocent one turned out to be one. although that didn't come as a huge surprise, it was pleasant to find some twists. it was a pity that the guys seemed to not stand out from one another. taking less effort to identify them would have been perfect.

The Palace: the Lost Daughter (2014) 宫锁连城

the General's wife had given birth to three daughters previously. if she were to give birth to another girl, her position would highly affected. to her dismay, her forth child turned out to be indeed a girl. she had her nanny exchanged the child with a baby boy before informing the General. the baby boy was named Hengtai and was brought up like her own child, trained to be perfect into serving the Emperor. the baby girl was adopted by commoners and raised in the street, named Liancheng. coincidentally, the duo met and slowly developed feelings for each other. their romance led Liancheng into the General's mansion and her origins was uncovered.

the series was highly addictive as each episodes added a different and often unexpected twists to it. their romance was somewhat complicated with the involvement of the Princess, who married Hentai, and Yuxiu, who wanted revenge by destroying Hengtai and his family. in the meanwhile, Liancheng also held the interest of Yicheng, a man who also grew up in the street. his continuous pursuit often messed things up, but made the challenge towards Hengtai even more interesting nonetheless. despite the unsatisfying twists of having the duo separated twice throughout the series, each reunion was so different and unique in its own way that the wait was very much worthwhile every time.

The Wife’s Secret (2014) 妻子的秘密

the Li family had two brothers, Li Tian and Li Minglang. while Minglang, the younger brother was announced the heir of the Li Enterprise, the elder brother Litian, was vengeful and feeling very insecure especially after finding out that he was adopted. Baihe was Minglang's girlfriend before her parents were killed in a car accident. being framed, she lost all her family's wealth to debts. with the risk of bankruptcy, Minglang's mother was against their marriage initially, especially with the interference of Ningxia, a secretary that's deeply in love with Minglang and vowed to keep him for herself.

the series started out promising, especially with the unchanging love Minglang held for Baihe during her most difficult times facing the threats of debtors. Litian played a huge role in breaking the duo apart, causing them to lack communication by misleading them through the trust they held for him. as much as i sympathized with his character, it was difficult to hate him as much as Ningxia, another main villain for the series. however, Ningxia in comparison, was much more convincing. her desperation for love and acknowledgement made her a highly distasteful character, but her effort was equally admirable. despite the happy ending, the experience was far from satisfying, nor was their reunion heartwarming, just essential after the mass amount of episodes painfully endured.

Mine #2: Mine to Spell (2014)

Cynthia was the second eldest in their family, after Serena, who gained her independence status from Zade. just when their family's harsh days were over, Cynthia reached the age to wed. to keep the spotlight off Serena, she decided to wed a guy, convincing everyone that Serena was a good owner. but when she met Edward, she realized he only wanted her magic. under dire circumstances, she was forced to reveal her magic, casting spells to free herself from Edward. to remind the women that they could perform magic, Cynthia joined the tournament, fighting against warlocks to earn herself a place among them.

i received two free e-books for the series from the author in exchanged for reviews. while the first book followed the struggle for freedom of Serena, the second book followed a different attempt at freedom of Cynthia. although i didn't cry as much for Cynthia as i did for Serena, i was pleasantly entertained throughout the book. she overwhelmed me equally much with her tough personality, showing a side of her undisclosed in the previous books. her secret of having been playing with magic since childhood was an unexpected twist, not to mention how unacceptable it was in the society she was brought up in. watching her growth in magic was as rewarding as watching the growth of her relationship with Lukas. it was so satisfying that for once, a series managed to stay so focused and not get sidetracked by romance. yet a hint every now and then had me feeling so heartwarming and gratified with the presence of these men. having been left with a huge cliffhanger, i am now left longing for the next installment, which hopefully would be available soon.

Mine #1: You Are Mine (2013)

like every other girls, Serena knew she would one day be sold to a warlock. unlike some of them who looked forward to wed, Serena wanted freedom, something she could never had. afraid of being tarnished, Serena made sure to follow the rules, be as obedient as she could be, following the orders of her father to wed Thomas, a potential Chancellor. meeting Thomas for the very first time, he was all over her, making her very uncomfortable with the closeness and his absurd requests. but when Thomas was killed by a barbarian named Envadi in a fair competition, Serena suddenly became the property of Envadi. as terrifying as it was, Serena went on a different and unexpected kind of adventure while preparing herself to become Envadi's wife.

i received two free e-books for the series from the author in exchanged for reviews. the story followed Serena through her engagement to marriage in several different phases. having read about Katherine from the prequel: Mine to Tarnish (2013), i was expecting and constantly waiting for the story to focus on two main characters. before i knew it, i was so completely absorbed into Serena's story i was rooting for her in no time. the moment Katherine surfaced, i was thoroughly thrilled seeing her positioned herself perfectly as a seamstress, owning a shop to help her earned her way helping those who needed it. since then, i was pleasantly satisfied and less distracted with Serena's encounters, falling for her equally hard as i did Katherine. Envadi on the other hand, was another mesmerizing character, so huge yet so gentle. more than once, the duo brought tears to my eyes, earning their spot to be my favorite pair.

Mine #0.5: Mine to Tarnish (2013)

the story took place in a world where warlocks, men with magical powers towered over the women and the slaves, also known as the tarnished. like all women, Katherine was taught to be obedient towards the men. but being a rebel at heart made her questioned her destiny and fate. the moment Katherine was sold to an old and cruel warlock, she was in despair. her mother took pity on her and decided to help her escape by giving her some sleeping powder to be slipped into the warlock's drink. she successfully escaped into the unknown, until she came across a house her mother mentioned for her to request help from, and met with Charles, a tarnished. since then, her quest of survival began.

i received two free e-books for the series from the author in exchanged for reviews, where else this prequel gotten free from Amazon. first few pages into the book, i was holding on until i get the rough backdrop of where the story was setup in. i was doubtful to find the setting somewhat historical, since i was never a huge fan of the genre. but as i traversed through the pages, i found myself absorbed into their adventure. before i knew it, i had goosebumps and was bouncing in my seat, feeling involved like i was with them in their every encounter with dangers. it was a feeling i rarely had for prequels, which hopefully signified a promising series ahead. Katherine was an easy to like character. she appeared helpless at first, so fortunate to have Charles leading her through their escapes. she started to really shine while witnessing her mother's death, who was cruelly tortured for assisting in her daughter's escape. it was a painful scene to experience, but completely worthwhile when Katherine stroke back, the satisfaction thoroughly overruled the heart wrenching feeling i felt alongside Katherine.

The Ways #1: Echoes of Balance (2014)

Chloe was one the last Naimei. for centuries, the Naimei kept the balance of the universe in check. when Chloe was hunting vampires like what she usually do, she was stunned to find out from an unlikely source that the Original Demons were threatening to return. as a Naimei, she was obligated to step in and help. her assigned mission was to befriend and protect a human girl named Aurelia, unknown of her rare thought-weaving ability. Aurelia ability was able to alter, edits, even rearrange thoughts, seemingly important for the Original Demons. during her discoveries, Chloe came across demons and vampires that offered to help, but she had to figure out who she can trust before falling into the wrong hands.

i received a free e-book from the author in exchanged for a review. the book had a very historical feel to it since it involved an ancient bloodline called the Naimei. at first, Chloe's life seemed simple, hunting vampires as her little effort to keep the balance of the universe. then it had gotten more interesting when two vampires approached her, Sam and Josef, each with a completely different personalities, making them highly suspicious characters. i had a great time following Chloe and Aurelia's life; but struggled when it came to the Naimei's lifestyle. the people that were supposed to guide Chloe seemed to appear and vanish as pleased, having no significant characteristics to them. when Mikhail, Chloe's brother appeared, i even felt slightly annoyed as he repetitively grabbed the spotlight from Chloe. with the numerous amount of characters introduced, it was unfortunate that i haven't even had the chance to love Chloe before she was overshadowed by the others.

Ripsters #1: Date with the Dead (2013)

Jolie was a socially awkward girl whose only friend was Drew, a ghost. she had the ability to communicate with the dead, her mom read palms and cards for a living, and they had difficulties paying the rent. to help her mom with the money, Jolie made use of her ability and started a ghost hunting business, called Ripsters (Rest In Peace Sophisticated Technology for Efficient Removal of Spirits). in the previous town they resided, Jolie had a group of ghost hunters that worked with her; but now in a new town, she was forced to work alone until she came across unlikely people that would formed quite an interesting team with her.

i received a free e-book from the author in exchanged for a review. the book was such a fun and fast read that i found myself flying through the pages in no time. having Drew with her made Jolie a very interesting and funny character to read. their romance was seemingly serious yet hilarious at times, i often found myself battling against myself whether Jolie should get a living guy to date or stay with Drew since they were so perfect together. i didn't see myself liking Reese or Hayden, even Brit, but before i knew it, i was rooting so hard for them that i surprised even myself with how much more i wanted to know about them. the charm of Ripsters lied in the unique combination of its members, so different yet so compatible together. while i still voted Drew over Hayden, the friendship Jolie built with Brit truly overwhelmed me, bringing tears to my eyes at times. now that i am so hooked, i can't wait to lay my hands on the second installment just to have more adventure with Jolie.

The Lantern Project #1: Archipelago (2014)

Lilly had been growing a pair of wings since being a child. to hide her differences, her parents kept her sheltered and homeschooled. one day, while searching for a lilac hair dye, she came across a man too interested in her choice of color. not before long, she found the man on their doorstep, asking for her and questioning about her abilities. determined to keep Lilly safe, her parents moved them to another location. but again, the man found them and this time, he brought an army of people and had her parents killed. before they were able to capture her, Lilly escaped and flew away. she was later rescued and managed to find shelter at the Charity Academy. before she was able to feel safe or settling down, she was finally captured by the man and was brought to the Firestone Institution.

i received a free e-book from the author in exchanged for a review. the book started out promising, especially the simplicity of Lilly's life with her parents. however, once the characters started getting involved in one way or another, i became tired of all the names and abilities that i had to memorize. eventually, all the names tend to glaze over for me, appearing insignificant from another. when i managed to capture some interest in Jake, a possible guy to have a romantic relationship with Lilly, he apparently didn't feel the same way. then moving on to the twins, before stopping at Cory. it was quite a hectic read that i found myself absorbed at times, dragging at times, with the hope of finally reaching the climatic moment. Dr. Kibbsty wasn't quite what was expected, especially being a genius and the mastermind villain, he seemed too easy to fool by a bunch of kids. fortunately, Lilly was a very interesting and lovable main character, which was solely the reason i managed to go through the book pages by pages.

Elements of Power #2: Water (2013)

after rescuing everyone from the Helian realm, Jasmine and her friends decided to pay the Brizan Realm a visit. the main intention was to get Jasmine's abilities under control and also to discover the truth about her parents. they were finally able to figure out why Jasmine hair was purple, unlike anyone within the four realms. purple was the result of combining red and blue, making her a child of a Helian father and Brizan mother. it wasn't long before the Queen of Brizan, her mother approached her and told her about her birth and giving her away to the Arcan realm for adoption. but before they had time to bond, the Queen's commander, Emmanuel decided that Jasmine was a threat and was determined to get rid of her once and for all.

i received a free e-book from the author in exchanged for a review. second book of the series was a far more easier read compared to the previous. while the first book focused its stories on the Arcan and Helian realms, the second book moved the focus to the Sephan and Brizan realms. while Jasmine and her friends moved their location from Arcan to Brizan; Roxy escaped from Helian and landed mistakenly in Sephan. knowing so little about the Sephan, it was actually quite interesting to watch how the Sephan worked. even though the story continued to focus partially on the political aspect, the election was easier to enjoy and wasn't as overwhelming. seeing how the story ended with a cliffhanger, i very much looked forward to a third installment, wanting especially to know how the unlikely sisters, Jasmine and Roxy, would work out their differences and relationship with Brae.

Elements of Power #1: Fire (2013)

the story took place in a world formed by four realms: Arcan the air realm, Helian the fire realm, Brizan the water realm, and Sephan the earth realm. people from each of the realm had different abilities, all depending on their elements. Jasmine had been adopted into the Arcan royal family since she was an infant. she became close with Brea, the Prince, believing that they would eventually get married. however, she often felt unsettled for not knowing her parents or origins. lately to complicate things, she found herself having prophetic dreams. it worsened when Brea was sent to Helian for a meeting that the Helian King had called forth, gathering leaders from all four realms with the hope of working together.

i received a free e-book from the author in exchanged for a review. starting the book, i was quite overwhelmed with the mass amount of details i read, especially when it came to the four realms. after dragging myself through the first half of the book, i was pleased to find myself enjoying more as the youngsters started taking over the spotlight. the focus was mainly on Jasmine, Brea, and Roxy, the Helian Princess. while Jasmine grew from a weak character into a stronger one by the end of the book, she didn't exactly succeeded in becoming a lovable character. it came as a surprise to me because i expected myself to fall for the main character like always, especially for having such a perfect growth. Roxy on the other hand, who was originally a tough character, transformed into a weaker character and filled with so much emotions, i couldn't believe when i rooted for her as the role seemed to suit her surprisingly well. throughout the book, i was most captivated with how each of these characters and their relationship with Brea progressed, also with their astounding abilities that had so much room to expand.