Tag: Paranormal

New Adult/Adult, Paranormal

Haze by Rebecca Crunden

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Pages: 265

Publisher: Independent

Release Date: August 6, 2018

Genre(s): Contemporary with Paranormal Elements

Format: PDF Copy from Author

*** I received a copy of Haze from the author in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts/opinions in the review below are all my own and have not been influenced by this exchange in any way.***

Goodreads Synopsis

“When Eliza Owens gets a phone call in the middle of the night from a girl she’s never met, she doesn’t know what to think. The girl introduces herself as Paige, and says she used to date Erik Stern, Eliza’s fiancé. What’s more, she has something important to discuss.

The only problem? Paige has been dead for years.

Believing it to be a sick prank, Eliza tries to force it from her mind until Sam, Eliza’s older sister, tells her she met Paige only a few weeks before. And, according to Sam, Paige has nothing nice to say about Erik.

The fight which follows shatters the lives of everyone involved, and Erik disappears without a trace.

Five years later, Erik returns to town after his father’s death. Old wounds quickly resurface, and with them several burning questions. None the least of which is: Who spoke to Eliza and Sam if it wasn’t Paige? And why?” 

What Did I Think?

To describe this book in a few words …. dark, mysterious, and downright spooky!

The overall concept of Haze fascinated me from the get-go. The vibe is probably split 50/50 between contemporary and paranormal, which I found really intriguing, given that I haven’t encountered other books with such an even mix of both before. Though the narration isn’t truly alternating between our main protagonists, I found myself really enjoying learning about what Erik and Eliza were doing separately just as much as I liked the moments when the story was being told with them in the same location. I’m a total sucker for anything in books that breaks from the normal text, so seeing those journal entries pieced into Haze was so cool to see. Though the main plotline of the book is pretty intense and serious, I think the humor in the dialogue between characters kept me engaged and from getting too sad about the events that sparked our characters’ adventures. While Haze isn’t something I likely would have picked up on my own due to it being on the darker side of things, I thoroughly enjoyed the change of pace and exploring a novel with an overall concept so different from anything I’ve read before.

Though I’ve never experienced half of what Eliza, our main protagonist, has gone through in her life, I found myself so sympathetic to her cause, even when she turned to not-so-great habits to cope with these hardships. After the death of someone very close to her and another just up and leaving, it seemed perfectly reasonable for Eliza to crack and sink to her lowest point. I appreciated the realness we got to see from her character during this time even though it totally did break my heart to read about. However, Eliza’s fiery personality we see at the very beginning of the book is never fully smothered. I lived for the moments when she would put her foot down and stand her ground, even when I thought she was totally crazy for doing whatever it was she insisted on — it’s the effort and drive that counts, right? My favorite moments from Eliza were those where she used her inner strength to help pull others out from under the control of their own personal demons (though it was a little hypocritical in some instances). It didn’t happen often, but I couldn’t help but appreciate this compassionate yet insistent side to Eliza that I also think helped her move past her anger and bitterness for life. As a whole, I liked Eliza’s character okay, though I did find it difficult to connect with her in any real way outside of just being sympathetic to the struggles she has been going through since tragedy struck.

I found that I had a stronger connection with our second main protagonist, Erik. While I couldn’t connect with the tragedy he’s had to face and the people of Riverside’s general wariness of him due to his father’s past sins, I think his reserved yet sincere personality is similar to mine, making it easier for me to understand his motives (even if I didn’t always agree with how he approached things). I appreciated the fact that while Erik has made some pretty terrible choices in life, he does his absolute best to atone for his actions and make it up to the people he’s hurt. I also loved the fact that he didn’t hide what he was feeling or mince words — he’s always quick to tell Eliza how he feels about things, even though she did her best to avoid any emotional topics (to her own detriment, I think!). Overall, Erik’s charismatic nature was kind of hard to resist, and I couldn’t help but respect him all the more for how hard he tries to make up for time lost in Riverside with those he cares about.

I’ll be the first to admit that if there had been no Miles in this book, there’s a good chance it would have been way too dark for my psyche to handle. This dude brought all the humor, laughter, and a good time to all the situations he was put through and did so with a great attitude. I loved the banter he carries on with both Eliza and Erik, as well as how he wasn’t afraid to give them a piece of his mind when they needed it. I think everyone needs a friend like Miles in their life — funny, loyal, and ready to face whatever comes his people’s way right along side them!

While I very much enjoyed Haze, there were some things I wasn’t super keen on. One of the main issues I had dealt with the lack of development from the main characters. I thought there were so many times where a moment would help one of our protagonist start to change course but never did. While not all characters have to have a huge amount of development, it just seemed like all of them stayed relatively stagnant throughout the course of the novel — I just expected so much more from them, in the end. I also had some issues with pacing. I’m a huge fan of fast-paced plots, but this one almost moved TOO fast, leaving some plot holes and the storyline feeling rather incomplete in the end. I think slowing down the action and spending some additional time on transitions (i.e. making it clear when a character left one place to go to another, as one example) would have made the plot a little more clear and easier to follow. The only other component of Haze I just wasn’t sold on was the ending bit. No spoilers, but it just went too far into the paranormal. Did I enjoy it? Totally, but it didn’t work for me in terms of consistency with the rest of the book.

Haze is a quick read sure to satisfy any reader’s paranormal contemporary romance craving! It was spooky, funny, and a whole barrel of mystery I had a blast uncovering alongside our crew of characters. If you’re looking for a dark, ghostly read to get you in the mood for the fall season/Halloween, Haze would be the perfect choice!

Who Would I Recommend This Book To?

***NOTE: While nothing is necessarily explicit, there are certainly mature themes mentioned on more than one occasion (drug usage, some components of romance, and violence) that you should be aware of before giving Haze a read!***

If you are a fan of the New Adult/Adult paranormal/paranormal romance genres and don’t mind a substantially dark read, Haze is the perfect choice for you!

I’d also recommend Haze to fans of Jennifer L. Armentrout’s Don’t Look Back and Becca Fitzpatrick’s Hush, Hush series.

Paranormal, Young Adult

Rage and Ruin by Jennifer L. Armentrout

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Rage and Ruin (The Harbinger, #2)

Pages: 608

Series: Harbinger #2

Publisher: Inkyard Press

Release Date: June 9, 2020

Genre(s): Paranormal Romance

Format: Hardcover

*If you have not read Storm and Fury (Harbinger #1), please STOP READING HERE. The review below CONTAINS SPOILERS! However, you are welcome to check out my review for Storm and Fury, as it does not contain any spoilers!*

Goodreads Synopsis

“Half-angel Trinity and her bonded gargoyle protector, Zayne, have been working with demons to stop the apocalypse while avoiding falling in love. The Harbinger is coming…but who or what is it? All of humankind may fall if Trinity and Zayne can’t win the race against time as dark forces gather.

As tensions rise, they must stay close together and patrol the DC streets at night, seeking signs of the Harbinger, an entity that is killing Wardens and demons with no seeming rhyme or reason. Forbidden to be with each other, Zayne and Trinity fight their feelings and turn to unusual sources for help—the demon Roth and his cohorts. But as deaths pile up and they uncover a sinister plot involving the local high school and endangering someone dear to Zayne, Trin realizes she is being led…herded…played for some unknown end. As anger builds and feelings spiral out of control, it becomes clear that rage may be the ruin of them all.” 

What Did I Think?

Boy do I have some THOUGHTS for you on this book, my friends! Since this is the second book in the Harbinger series and you already know all about the overall concept established in Storm and Fury, let’s begin with a little recap of what we know so far and where Rage and Ruin picks up:

At the end of Storm and Fury, we learn that Zayne is now Layla’s official replacement Protector, which, while somewhat exciting because we already know they will be spending a lot of time together, also reestablishes the (unfortunate, for all of us shippers out there) main trope that’s at the forefront of the Harbinger series: forbidden love. In the first book, Layla and Zayne were kind of like “Ehh, ya know, we shouldn’t be together even though we totally want to be,” but now it’s like “WOAH, NO. We can’t do this because the golden rule is that Trueborns and their Protectors CANNOT be in a relationship with each other or we’ll get struck down by the Alphas or worse.” This shift in dynamic obviously causes some issues between Zayne and Trinity, who are still feelin’ some type of way about each other. Oh, and don’t forget the the Harbinger is still out there somewhere on the prowl, and these two still have no idea who it is or what it wants.

Given all that Trinity has been through, I think it’s fitting to talk about her journey in Rage and Ruin first. After being the one forced to kill her previous Protector, Misha, as well as dealing with some other heartbreaking issues, Trinity certainly carried around a lot of baggage in this book. I thought her reactions to various events in this book were written very realistically, as I know many people who tend to just shut down when having to deal with tragedy and trauma. I think her inability to cope in a healthy way made her push those who care about her away and made her more hot-tempered than she already was, which was both frustrating and understandable. I also found myself relating more to Trinity this go-round, particularly in terms of our shared ability to “compartmentalize” thoughts so we can focus solely on the tasks at hand. I loved that we still got to see the super awesome warrior that Trinity is, but also the more vulnerable side of her, particularly when she opens up about her eye condition. I loved watching Trinity’s character go through some serious emotional development in this book (it was MUCH needed), and I look forward to seeing how these breakthroughs influence her decision-making and her characterization in general in the final book in this trilogy.

Zayne REALLY shocked me in this book (mostly in good ways, don’t worry!). He’s still the kind, considerate, gentlemanly, and handsome guy we all love, but a different side of him definitely came out (dare I say it) more often than his old one. I think many of the changes in Zayne were a result of his new-found responsibilities as Trinity’s Protector, but also due to the fact that he was coming to terms with understanding that his feelings for Layla weren’t what he thought they were, and those for Trinity may be stronger than what he really wanted to admit. I thought this balance between the “old” and “new” Zayne worked really well, considering everything he was juggling and the amount of pressure he was under. I’m curious to see how things change for Zayne in the last book in the series and how he adapts to the new challenges that have been thrown his way.

As with Storm and Fury, I enjoyed seeing what Roth, Layla, and Cayman were up to in Rage and Ruin! Even though the reader could already tell from the first book that Roth, Cayman, and Layla are close to Zayne (and now Trinity), it’s clear in the second book that the connection that they all have with one another resembles that of family rather than just friendship. I love the dynamic between all of these characters, and I can’t wait to see them in action together in the next book.

While I wish I could give this book five stars because in a lot of ways it deserves it, I hesitate for two reasons. The first is that there was one conflict that was drawn out WAY TOO LONG (to the point where I was literally angry at my favorite author, which NEVER happens. I’m usually just mad at the characters). This conflict also made both characters seem very immature for their ages, especially since their characterization appeared to the the opposite for the rest of this book and all of the last one. The second issue (more of a personal want that didn’t really happen) was the fact that I just expected more action. I think I went into it with the expectation that there would be some awesome fight scenes, and there were, but overall I just wanted more on this front. Also, no spoilers, y’all, but the book should have ended after the second to last chapter, just my opinion. Just give it a read and you’ll pick up with I just threw down.

As you can probably surmise, there was a lot going on in Rage and Ruin, but it all managed to come together well. I enjoyed that this book was a little more fast-paced and while I expected more action-packed scenes, I found myself appreciating the different sides of the characters when they were at their most vulnerable — a rarity from this crew. I’ve had so much fun jumping back into this world of gargoyles, demons, and so many other paranormal critters, and I can’t wait (but I’m also terrified) to see how this series wraps up with Grace and Glory, coming out next year!

Who Would I Recommend This Book To?

*NOTE: This book, like Storm and Fury, does have a good amount PG-13+ references and scenes (specifically in relation to the romance), so just be aware of that going in!*

So obvious, I know, but if you enjoyed Storm and Fury, I highly recommend you continue the series by reading Rage and Ruin!

Paranormal, Young Adult

Storm and Fury by Jennifer L. Armentrout

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Amazon.com: Storm and Fury (The Harbinger Series Book 1) eBook ...

Pages: 512

Series: Harbinger #1

Publisher: Inkyard Press

Release Date: June 11, 2019

Genre(s): Paranormal Romance

Format: Hardcover

*Note: While you do not need to read the Dark Elements series before picking this book up, I highly suggest it because many of the characters from those books pop up in Storm and Fury! However, there are no spoilers for the Dark Elements series in my review below!*

Goodreads Synopsis

“Eighteen-year-old Trinity Marrow may be going blind, but she can see and communicate with ghosts and spirits. Her unique gift is part of a secret so dangerous that she’s been in hiding for years in an isolated compound fiercely guarded by Wardens—gargoyle shape-shifters who protect humankind from demons. If the demons discover the truth about Trinity, they’ll devour her, flesh and bone, to enhance their own powers.

When Wardens from another clan arrive with disturbing reports that something out there is killing both demons and Wardens, Trinity’s safe world implodes. Not the least because one of the outsiders is the most annoying and fascinating person she’s ever met. Zayne has secrets of his own that will upend her world yet again—but working together becomes imperative once demons breach the compound and Trinity’s secret comes to light. To save her family and maybe the world, she’ll have to put her trust in Zayne. But all bets are off as a supernatural war is unleashed… “

What Did I Think?

Let me just preface by saying that this is one of my favorite first books in a series to date! The overall concept of this book was really something I had never seen before in the YA before. I mean, come on! How many books have you read with real-live gargoyles that can shift back into human-ish form in .2 seconds? I also thought the dynamic between all the different groups of creatures– humans, Wardens, demons, etc.– was well-constructed and explained concisely enough so that the world and events that were taking place made sense to the reader, but didn’t go into so much detail that the reader became uninterested in the overall storyline.

I love the way Trinity, our main character, is immediately established. Right from the get-go, the reader can tell that she is a force to be reckoned with. She’s a kick-butt warrior who sticks to her guns. She is never afraid to push back against those who try to coddle her because of her unique gift, and I have mad respect for the fact that she was always willing to put herself in the line of fire to save the people she cares about, but not in a self-sacrificial, martyr type of way that you often see in YA. Instead, she’s confident in her abilities and knows she can easily take care of the problem, and that if she stepped aside and let others fight her battles for her, then they likely wouldn’t make it out alive. Usually this part of a character is what they develop into, and seeing this already present in Trinity straight off the bat was a nice change of pace! It also made Trinity’s journey of connecting with the more raw, vulnerable side of her character that much more compelling because she is such a tough cookie whose been through a lot just in the last year of her life. While I can’t say her character had an astronomical amount of character development in this book, I can say that the parts that were developed (i.e. becoming more in touch with her emotions and understanding that sometimes people aren’t always as they seem) were done beautifully. Needless to say, I am Team Trinity all the way, and so excited to see how much further she comes as the series goes on!

You didn’t think I was going to miss out on a opportunity to rave… err, I mean talk, about Zayne, did you? While we do meet Zayne in the Dark Elements series, I can honestly say that his character has changed drastically since then, and for the better. In Storm and Fury, his character had so much more depth while still maintaining some of his original, totally lovable qualities: witty, kind, understanding, and always a gentleman, regardless of circumstance. Like Trinity, Zayne’s established as super strong and powerful from the start, and the growth in his character comes out as he begins to come to terms with the more emotional parts of his past and present. I appreciated that Zayne’s maturity shone in this book, and how even though his feelings for Trinity emerged kind of quickly (and hers for him), he thought logically about the circumstances instead of just jumping in head-first when really, they both have a lot of baggage they need to sort out individually. As a whole, I really enjoyed Zayne’s character, and there’s no denying that he and Trinity make a dynamite team (and yes. I know I’m being super vague here, but I TOTALLY ship them, in case you were wondering!).

I thought the pacing of Storm and Fury was right on the money and there were so many moments where I got chills because the phrasing was that beautiful. The ending of the book was CRAY, don’t get me wrong, but it felt satisfying and, in some ways, almost complete in the sense that the reader knows that while there’s more to come, what we have is good enough for now to hold us over. If I had to pick just one aspect of this book to be my favorite, I would have to say that the characters– both main and supporting– were what really stood out to me. Their personalities were all so distinct, and I found myself connecting to each and every one of them, even if we aren’t all that similar. There are so many more journeys ahead for Trinity, Zayne, and the rest of the crew, and I’m excited to see what kind of trouble they manage to get themselves into next!

Who Would I Recommend This Book To?

*NOTE: This book does have a few select PG-13+ references and scenes, so just be aware of that going in!*

If you read the Dark Elements series and fell in love with Zayne, Storm and Fury was literally made for you so you have got to check it out! If you haven’t read the Dark Elements series but love JLA’s other works, I think you’ll really enjoy this book, as well!

If you are someone who likes books that rely somewhat heavily on romantic elements to balance out the fantasitical/paranormal genre, it’s very likely you’ll enjoy this book.

While there are not many books I can think of that are SUPER similar to Storm and Fury (which is one of the reasons I love it so much), if you’re a fan of Sarah J. Maas’ characters and world-building and Alexandra Bracken’s unique concepts, I think you’ll feel right at home reading Storm and Fury!