Book Review: The Flame Never Dies by Rachel Vincent

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The Flame Never Dies
The Stars Never Rise #2

Author: Rachel Vincent
Reading Level: Young adult
Genre: Paranormal | Demons | Dystopia
Released: 16th August 2016
Review Source: Publisher

For fans of Cassandra Clare and Richelle Mead comes the unputdownable sequel to The Stars Never Rise, a book Rachel Caine, author of the bestselling Morganville Vampires series, called “haunting, unsettling, and eerily beautiful.”

ONE SPARK WILL RISE. Nina Kane was born to be an exorcist. And since uncovering the horrifying truth—that the war against demons is far from over—seventeen-year-old Nina and her pregnant younger sister, Mellie, have been on the run, incinerating the remains of the demon horde as they go.

In the badlands, Nina, Mellie, and Finn, the fugitive and rogue exorcist who saved her life, find allies in a group of freedom fighters. They also face a new threat: Pandemonia, a city full of demons. But this fresh new hell is the least of Nina’s worries. The well of souls ran dry more than a century ago, drained by the demons secretly living among humans, and without a donor soul, Mellie’s child will die within hours of its birth.

Nina isn’t about to let that happen . . . even if it means she has to make the ultimate sacrifice.

Rachel Vincent: the author who will end books, series and situations in a place of unexpected. It will shock you, leave you wanting more and consume your thoughts.

The Flame Never Dies is the second and final installment of the duology. It continues with Nina, her pregnant sister, and their group of exorcists who are still on the run. They managed to escape the clutches of the Church but with the rising threat of Pandemonia and it's evil ruler Kastor, the gang have aquired quite the list of enemies.

This installment felt a little less about Nina and her discovering a word she thought she knew, but more as the group as a whole. In this book, the need to keep Mellie and her unborn child safe is a main focal point.

"If I can't find a soul for my sister's baby, I will damn well give that kid my own."

 
I almost expected for that to happen. The world they live in is daunting, seems unbeatable. It's not a happy place or a nice place. For somebody to live another has to die. The urge to keep her family and friends safe is scary and despite her character growth it made her reckess. Fighting against time to find a soul for her neice or nephew she grows desperate, needing the danger away from them for the baby's sake. Instead, Finn is faced with some harsh truths of his history, Nina has a face-to-face with Kastor and Nina has to make one of the hardest decisions of her life.

The Flame Never Dies ended with a very open ending and it was completely painful. But you know what? It still kicked ass. It was kind of perfect. The author leads her readers to plans of what they want to happen but there's still a lot of room for imagination, and with the ending--anything can happen. We don't know what happened after Adam was dropped off at the children's home. We don't know if Nina and friends survive. Did they manage to conquer? We dont know any of it. That's the hardest part.

Book Review: If I Die by Rachel Vincent

If I Die
Soul Screamers #5
Author: Rachel Vincent
Reading Level: YA
Genre: Paranormal/Fantasy
Released: September 27th 2011
Review Source: Harlequin Teen
Available: Amazon

Summary:(from goodreads) The entire school's talking about the gorgeous new math teacher, Mr. Beck. Everyone except Kaylee Cavanaugh. After all, Kaylee's no ordinary high-school junior. She's a banshee—she screams when someone dies.

But the next scream might be for Kaylee.

Yeah—it's a shock to her, too. So to distract herself, Kaylee's going to save every girl in school. Because that hot new teacher is really an incubus who feeds on the desire of unsuspecting students. The only girls immune to his lure are Kaylee and Sabine, her boyfriend's needy ex-girlfriend. Now the unlikely allies have to get rid of Mr. Beck…before he discovers they aren't quite human, either.

But Kaylee's borrowed lifeline is nearing its end. And those who care about her will do anything to save her life.

If I Die is the fifth book in the Soul Screamers series. Oh how I wish I had read the previous books in the series before this one. I really loved this world and the characters, but some times I felt lost because I didn't have the back story from reading the other books before this one. I know for a fact that I enjoyed this one so much that I am going to go back and read the others and then this one again for the full effect.

I have to say that the back cover teaser on this book had me hooked. "No one wants to be THIS teacher's pet...The entire school's talking about the new math teacher, Mr. Beck. Everyone except Kaylee Cavanaugh. After all, Kaylee's no ordinary high-school junior. She's a banshee-she screams when someone dies. But the next scream might be for Kaylee..." Eek! How is that for a hook? Saying the main character might die. OMG! Most of this story revolves around Kaylee and friends trying to prove that Mr. Beck is bad news, all while trying to find a way to keep herself from dying. Time is ticking, though, and lots of interesting things happen as the story unfolds. Kaylee and Nash get closer and there is one thing she wants to do before she dies, but is Nash the right guy to share herself with in that way?

The characters in this book were well developed and so wonderful to get to know. Kaylee is a very well rounded character and I found myself really rooting for her to not have to die throughout this book. Her boyfriend, Nash, also a banshee, is described as being very dreamy, and has a brother, Tod, who is a reaper and is equally (if not more so) drool-worthy. Then there's Kaylee's BFF Emma, and Sabine, the mara who wants to be with Kaylee's beau. They are quite the group of characters and I am looking forward to the next book, Before I Wake, and catching up on the other books in the series.

Book Review: Stray by Rachel Vincent

Stray
Shifters #1
Author: Rachel Vincent
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy/Paranormal
Published: June 1st 2007 (reprint 2010)
Available: Amazon

Summary: (from goodreads) There are only eight breeding female werecats left . . . And I'm one of them.

I look like an all-American grad student. But I am a werecat, a shape-shifter, and I live in two worlds.

Despite reservations from my family and my Pride, I escaped the pressure to continue my species and carved out a normal life for myself. Until the night a Stray attacked.

I'd been warned about Strays -- werecats without a Pride, constantly on the lookout for someone like me: attractive, female, and fertile. I fought him off, but then learned two of my fellow tabbies had disappeared.

This brush with danger was all my Pride needed to summon me back . . . for my own protection. Yeah, right. But I'm no meek kitty. I'll take on whatever -- and whoever -- I have to in order to find my friends. Watch out, Strays -- 'cause I got claws, and I'm not afraid to use them . . .

I've never read a werecat book before and I thoroughly enjoyed this book by Rachel Vincent. At first I thought from the little blurb it was going to be a smidge different that what was revealed, either way I loved it. Faythe is a werecat and there aren't very many females left, the female sex is very low in being born in their kind.

Faythe has grown up very headstrong and she never wanted to just stay home and be looked after because the female werecat is very precious to the Prides. She decides she wants to go to college to get an education and spread her wings. She is supposed to watch out for Strays who come around because they could hurt her if they knew she was just out on her own. We then meet Marc, I love / hate Marc because hes one of those supreme Alpha males that are just super demanding and it's their way or the highway. Faythe and Marc together is a sight to see. Also Faythe going werekitty is pretty awesome too, the way it's described and how she feels is just awesome i loved it.

There are other characters in the book, her Father whom I love because he can just get into debates and its fun for him. And there is Jace, I adore him, and some things happened that I was very up in arms about and i felt that they shouldn't have happened. BUT i cannot reveal too much because the storyline is amazing and you should totally read this book. I know I'm definitely going to go out and buy some more from this series. This book has love, heartbreak, suspense, shock, and some sex and drama. Definitely a good read, go out and buy it!

Book Review: Blood Bound by Rachel Vincent

Blood Bound
Unbound #1
Author: Rachel Vincent
Pages: 400 Paperback
Reading Level: Adult
Release Date: August 23rd 2011
Review Source: Mira
Available: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Alibris

SUmmary: (from goodreads) By blood, by word, by magic…

Most can't touch the power. But Liv Warren is special— a paranormal tracker who follows the scent of blood.

Liv makes her own rules, and the most important one is trust no one.

But when her friend's daughter goes missing, Liv has no choice but to find the girl. Thanks to a childhood oath, Liv can't rest until the child is home safe. But that means trusting Cam Caballero, the former lover forbidden to her.

Bound by oath and lost in desire for a man she cannot have, Liv is racing to save the child from a dark criminal underworld where secrets, lies, trauma and danger lurk around every corner…every touch…every kiss.

And more blood will be spilled before it's over…

Blood Bound is one of the most suspenseful books I have ever read. It’s constant mystery, secrets and lies keeps you guessing and turning pages not realizing your almost finished with the book. I didn’t want it to end although it’s ending was remarkable. I loved that I was able to learn what happened with the other characters before the book ended not leaving me guessing. (I hate that). However, I do know that another book will be a sequel to this one because of how it ended.

I loved the fact that the author didn’t try to tell you everything at once. As you went along in the book, you learned along with the characters how everything evolves and falls in to place and how it happened in the first place. I love reading books that are in that sequence because I don’t get confused and irritated and give up on the book. Good Job! I also liked that the story was completely different from anything I have ever read in the sense of paranormal. I love that it’s paranormal but I love it even more that it’s completely different then what you’d expect from a paranormal book. Overall, I loved this book and I am looking forward to reading the sequel.

Liv Warren is the main character in this story and she’s a “tracker”. A “tracker” who can find anyone in a wide range with the scent of their blood. While at a party, she’s approached by her best friend Elle, who’s a “Seer” (she can see the future) and is told that she must stop seeing Cam because something horrible will happen in the future. Cam is also a “tracker”. However, he can find people in a wide range by using their names. But it’s not that simple. People with skills give their children two middle names, one from the father and one from the mother, in which none will ever know what name the other gave. The only person who will know it’s entire name will be the one who’s named.

That’s just a little inside scoop of what to expect in this story besides the summary from goodreads. There are a lot of “Skilled” people in this story with all different types of skills, but you will have to read the book in order to find out more. I highly recommend that you do, as it will not disappoint. You can read the 1st chapter HERE as a treat. 

Book Review: Reaper

Reaper
Soul Screamers #3.5
Author: Rachel Vincent
Pages: 64 pgs
Reading Level: YA
Published: November 16th 2010
Review Source: Free Kindle eBook

 Summary: (from goodreads) Tod Hudson was a typical teenager. He liked girls, sports, food and tolerated his younger brother, Nash. In fact, he had his whole life in front of him--and due to his bean sidhe heritage, it was going to be a very long life indeed. And then the car accident occurred.

Suddenly Tod's future wasn't so sure, and he had to make a choice. Life... Death... or something Between....

An ebook exclusive Soul Screamers series novella.

I will begin this review by saying I have not read any other of the books in the series, this is my 1st time reading Rachel's work. I wanted to get a feel of her writing with this short story before I invested time into the series. I did enjoy short novella, it's very appealing. In this novella to get to learn about Tod. This is set before the start of the series. Im not sure if its better to read before you begin the series or a few books in, because they are parts that I have no clue about. SO maybe starting it once you have a few books in helps you understand everything that is going on.

Tod life gets changed upside down when his mother leaves him in charge of watching his brother. The brother decides to leave to go see the girl that he loves, so of course Tod goes after him. So thats when everything take a big turn and might even put one of them in severe danger.