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.