Soul Seekers:Fated by Alyson Noel

Having read the IMMORTAL and RILEY BLOOM series I'm proud to say that I'm a hue fan of Alyson Noels and was excited to her that she was going to release another series and knew that without a doubt it would knock my socks off.
Counting the days until its release was fun too because I would check out the reviews that had been posted and get even more fidgety for my copy to arrive. Lets just say when it did I made a very quick finish of my current read :)

Daire's fate was sealed from her birth and the moment she turns 16 the visions play a much bigger role in her life. She's never had a home and travels the globe with her mother, Jennika who is the make-up artist to the big blockbusters in Hollywood. Things take a drastic turn in Morocco and she lands a long drive to her grandmother whom she's never met in a last attempt to salvage what is left of her life.

I loved watching Daire grow as a person as the shoreline progressed, being this self centered person to an amazing young woman that would  give her life to save the people she loved even if it cost her a great deal. I found it amazing how she wouldn't give up when everyone else told her that it would not be possible to do what she knew deep in her heart.

We meet the 2 guys in her dreams, Dace and Cade. Its remarkable how different they in their appearance as well as their eyes which seems to play a big part for Daire. Her date is intertwined with theirs. I found theme to be one of my main draws, she describes how their eyes are so different, one absorbs the light while another reflects it. I become hypnotized eventually :)

Paloma has suffered a great deal but not because she's been selfish or that it was her destiny but because she had to carry a great burden until Daire came back into her life. Having lost my grandmother I felt a deep connection with her relationship with her granddaughter-the need to teach her as much as possible before the worst hit and seeing how they become isync with each-other had me in my own little tear bubble.
I look forward to more of their relationship in an attempt to have that relationship even if now its fictional.

I'm excited for the release of ECHO in September and know that its going to come back with a bigger punch and learning more about how Dace, Daire and Cade are connected will be interesting. Here's hoping that good will prevail over evil.

Happy Reading :)
Gillian
EB.com Soul Seekers: Fated by Alyson Noel

Dreamless by Josephine Angelini

Let me first start off and say WOW!

After reading STARCROSSED last year and having been left on a huge cliff hanger I started to count down the months until DREAMLESS would be released and the last couple of days leading up to finally having my own copy lead me to dangerous steps. All I can say is that the talented Josephine Angelini has done it again.

I find Josephine's writing to not only leave you hanging as you finish a page but you become so absorbed in the words on the page that it feels like you're the one walking through the Underworld thirsty and devastatingly hungry. Speaking to a friend whose just finished STARCROSSED and jumped into DREAMLESS we both agree that her work is far more intense and we seem to loose time while reading our books-can be good when you don't have to be at work by 8am but just happen to look at the clock and notice that you have 5 minutes to get your desk from the car park.

I was looking forward to see how Helen would grow in this book and I'm not surprised to say that she has far past my expectations. I'm not sure I would take the responsibility of freeing those I love as well as my own race from a curse that has plagued them for many millennia. Reaching the final chapter of STARCROSSED and having the bomb hit made for an interesting twist towards Lucas and Helen. I was deviated but what hurt the most for me was seeing how much she loved Lucas but trying her utmost best not to act on her feelings and he in turn avoiding her. That left me in tears and begging Josephine to come with the solution I so desperately needed.

True to any great story we need a love triangle, enter Orion. He is eye hurting gorgeous and try as you might to hate him it just doesn't come. He's so sweet and has been through his own hardships as a kid and even now as a teenager. I find it heroic how he will defend Helen to the death even if it means bringing on something much bigger them. By the end of the book you might be sitting on the fence because you won't be able to decide between the 2 guys but my feet are firmly on the ground for Lucas.

Claire has a much bigger role in DREAMLESS along with Matt and I loved how they could help. I'm running on a thought here that I know if I carry on will ruin the story line here so I'm going end that thought there and let everyone experience it for themselves.

One more confession, I truly missed Hector but the small parts he had I felt my heart swell and knew that the lack of him was best for DREAMLESS and without that what reason would Helen have to go after the one thing that only she as the Descender is destined to do, but at what price?

After reading STARCROSSED, I sat down and did some research on Greek Mythology and understood a little more in DREAMLESS. I cannot wait to see what else happens in the final installment, GODDESS. I'm hoping that my wish will come true and everything will work out in the end.

No one will be disappointed with DREAMLESS. Time to start counting down the release for GODDESS in 2013.

Happy Reading :)
Gillian
EB.com DREAMLESS by Josephine Angelini