My TBR List Review *March* ~ End of Days ~ Susan Ee #MyTBRL #TakeControl #TravelingtotheTerminus

My To-Be Read List is a meme hosted by Michelle @Because Reading. 

Gah! I'm late posting my review. I'm so sorry! I didn't start reading earlier enough and I was traveling this past week with my two younger kids doing college tours...which meant I was exhausted by the time we made it to our hotel every night so I never got much more than a paragraph read. *sigh* Anyway, here is my review served up with my apologies for my tardiness. :)


End of Days by Susan Ee
Penryn and the End of Days #3
Release Date: March 12, 2015
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Dystopia
Source: Purchased Paperback
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Challenges: #MyTBRL, #ShelfLove, #TakeControl, #TravelingtotheTerminus
Goodreads

Synopsis
After a daring escape from the angels, Penryn and Raffe are on the run. They're both desperate to find a doctor who can reverse the twisted changes inflicted by the angels on Raffe and Penryn's sister. As they set off in search of answers, a startling revelation about Raffe's past unleashes dark forces that threaten them all.

When the angels release an apocalyptic nightmare onto humans, both sides are set on a path toward war. As unlikely alliances form and strategies shift, who will emerge victorious? Forced to pick sides in the fight for control of the earthly realm, Raffe and Penryn must choose: Their own kind, or each other?

This final installment was fantastic! Ee managed to end Penryn's and Raffe's story in a pulse-pounding, gritty, and riveting manner. 

Highlights

• Setting
  Ee expertly portrayed not only post-apocalyptic San Francisco but also the desolate, scorching landscape of Hell (the Pit)
• Characters
  Of course, Penryn and Raffe are well developed but Ee managed to instill such life into each of her characters. I felt emotion for or towards each of them - good or bad, positive or negative. She even managed to make me feel empathy for Beliel.
• Action
  There was never a dull moment with action, battles, important decisions being made. I was flipping through the pages quickly in anticipation of what came next.
• Romance
  Even though this is YA Romance-lite, it was enough of an element to count and I enjoyed how the process of falling in love changed both Penryn's and Raffe's perspectives on each other's "people".
• Message
  I'm sure it's always been present but it was more prevalent in this final installment and I so appreciate what Ee had to impart about topics like racism and bigotry and humanity in general. Using what humans survived "the Attack" as well as the hellions and Angels, Ee spoke to how our differences and our flaws are what make us what we are...what make us beautiful and decent. Perfection is over-rated and being perfect - looking perfect - doesn't equate to superiority. And I most appreciated her ability to renew my faith in humanity by bringing a group of humans together with a common purpose and being witness to what is possible when that happens.

I still felt that the actions of the characters were realistic and I liked how members on all sides - human, hellion, and angelic - were able to have open-minds and change their views in regards to some things. Overall, this was an incredibly satisfying ending to Penryn and Raffe's story. I'm only sorry it took me so long to finish it!

My TBR List *March* ~ And the Winner is...

My To-Be Read List is a meme hosted by Michelle @Because Reading. I think it's a fabulous idea because it gets y'all in the game and it helps me knock off some of the many, many books on my TBR list. You're more than welcome to join in the fun! I've included the basic rules below but you can click on the graphic above to hop over to Michelle's site where you can find all the details. 

Here's how it works:
On the first Saturday of each month, I will make a post with three books from my TBR List (these books can be already on your ereader or bookshelf OR books you might want to purchase) and add your link on the linky that will be provided on Michelle's post. Y'ALL will help me choose which book I will read next. The following Saturday, I will announce which book won. Then the last Saturday of the month, I'll post my review.

Fun, right?!?

***

In 2018, I'm once again working at catching up on series and y'all get to decide which series I'm going to catch up on each month! :D


And this month's winner is:

End of Days
Penryn and the End of Days #3

Synopsis
After a daring escape from the angels, Penryn and Raffe are on the run. They're both desperate to find a doctor who can reverse the twisted changes inflicted by the angels on Raffe and Penryn's sister. As they set off in search of answers, a startling revelation about Raffe's past unleashes dark forces that threaten them all.

When the angels release an apocalyptic nightmare onto humans, both sides are set on a path toward war. As unlikely alliances form and strategies shift, who will emerge victorious? Forced to pick sides in the fight for control of the earthly realm, Raffe and Penryn must choose: Their own kind, or each other?



Thanks for voting, y'all. Be sure to check back on March 31st for my review! :)

Thirsty Thursday & Hungry Hearts #64 ~ World After by Susan Ee

This particular scene is from World After and I had to share it because it was one moment when Penryn, and Raffe, get to be relatively normal when everything else in the world is very far from normal.

***

Raffe comes back from foraging with a box of cereal and a jar of peanut butter. I wanted to get moving but he insisted that soldiers need food to fight properly. Besides, he said he needed time to think about his next step. So he took off into the night with his very handy night vision while I sat in the house beside my candles.
The cereal is raisin bran and the raisins taste like heaven--I mean, nirvana--or whatever wonderful place doesn't remind me of deadly angels.
For once, our hands are clean, so we eat handfuls of cereal and lick the peanut butter straight from our fingers. I suppose this place probably has utensils in the kitchen but why bother? There's something kind of fun about scooping the gooey goodness with our fingers and licking it like ice cream.
Raisin bran and peanut butter. Who knew it could taste so good? If we could just add a bit of chocolate, it would probably make a great, peanutty, crunchy chocolate bar for the high school bake sale. Okay, maybe it wouldn't taste quite so good compared to the foods in the World Before, but right now, it tastes amazing.

My TBR List Review ~ June ~ World After ~ Susan Ee

My To-Be Read List is a meme hosted by Michelle @Because Reading. 


World After by Susan Ee
Penryn & the End of Days #2
Release Date: November 19, 2013
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Dystopia, Paranormal Romance
Source: Purchased paperback
Rating: 4.5 Bookworms
Challenges: #MyTBRList, #ShelfLove, #TravelingtotheTerminus
Goodreads

Synopsis
In this sequel to the bestselling fantasy thriller, Angelfall, the survivors of the angel apocalypse begin to scrape back together what's left of the modern world.

When a group of people capture Penryn's sister Paige, thinking she's a monster, the situation ends in a massacre. Paige disappears. Humans are terrified. Mom is heartbroken.

Penryn drives through the streets of San Francisco looking for Paige. Why are the streets so empty? Where is everybody? Her search leads her into the heart of the angels' secret plans where she catches a glimpse of their motivations, and learns the horrifying extent to which the angels are willing to go.

Meanwhile, Raffe hunts for his wings. Without them, he can't rejoin the angels, can't take his rightful place as one of their leaders. When faced with recapturing his wings or helping Penryn survive, which will he choose?

Confession: I wouldn't have thought I'd have enjoyed this as much as I did knowing Raffe wasn't as big a presence. But there you have it.... :D

For me, World After was fantastic! It was fast-paced, gritty, and enthralling. I'm overly anxious to see how it all ends so it's a good thing book 3 is already on my shelf.

What Worked

• The anticipation. Ee kept me glued to the pages and on the edge of my seat waiting to see what would happen next.
• The thought-provoking actions of both humans and angels. Seeing how the humans reacted to and in situations, their fear of the unknown and of the "different". It was at times gut-wrenching. Would I react differently? Hmm... And learning more about the "why" behind all that's going on - the angels' appearance on Earth and the destruction they've wrought - was rather chilling. We see angels as benevolent beings and these angels are far from that description.
• The detail. Ee deftly crafted this "world after" with San Francisco as its focal point. Her description of the landscape, the buildings, the people left following the attack is gritty, brutal, and terrifying. She doesn't shy away from the violence wrought by either side.

What Could Have Worked Better

• More Raffe *sigh*

Okay, okay so there's not really much of anything I'd change. I think the actions of the characters is so realistic and I find it fascination to see how far both side - human and angel - are willing to go for what they want...what they're willing to sacrifice - be it to save themselves or those they love. Like I said, I'm overly anxious to see this to the end.

My TBR List ~ June ~ And the Winner is...

My To-Be Read List is a meme hosted by Michelle @Because Reading. I think it's a fabulous idea because it gets y'all in the game and it helps me knock off some of the many, many books on my TBR list. You're more than welcome to join in the fun! I've included the basic rules below but you can click on the graphic above to hop over to Michelle's site where you can find all the details. 

Thanks to everyone for voting! The winner for this month is:


World After
Penryn & the End of Days #2

Synopsis
In this sequel to the bestselling fantasy thriller, Angelfall, the survivors of the angel apocalypse begin to scrape back together what's left of the modern world.

When a group of people capture Penryn's sister Paige, thinking she's a monster, the situation ends in a massacre. Paige disappears. Humans are terrified. Mom is heartbroken.

Penryn drives through the streets of San Francisco looking for Paige. Why are the streets so empty? Where is everybody? Her search leads her into the heart of the angels' secret plans where she catches a glimpse of their motivations, and learns the horrifying extent to which the angels are willing to go.

Meanwhile, Raffe hunts for his wings. Without them, he can't rejoin the angels, can't take his rightful place as one of their leaders. When faced with recapturing his wings or helping Penryn survive, which will he choose?



Check back on the 24th for my review!

My TBR List ~ June ~ Polling is Open!

My To-Be Read List is a meme hosted by Michelle @Because Reading. I think it's a fabulous idea because it gets y'all in the game and it helps me knock off some of the many, many books on my TBR list. You're more than welcome to join in the fun! I've included the basic rules below but you can click on the graphic above to hop over to Michelle's site where you can find all the details. 

Here's how it works:
On the first Saturday of each month, I will make a post with three books from my TBR List (these books can be already on your ereader or bookshelf OR books you might want to purchase) and add your link on the linky that will be provided on Michelle's post. Y'ALL will help me choose which book I will read next. The following Saturday, I will announce which book won. Then the last Saturday of the month, I'll post my review.

Fun, right?!?

***

I'm continuing my quest, and working at one of my Bookish Resolutions to catch up on series (since I'm behind in 148 series) I'm once again having y'all decide which series I'm going to work at catching up on this month! :D

FYI, this will be my theme all year. And since I'm letting random.org choose from the list of series I'm behind in, you might see books show up more than once. ;)


Your Choices Are:


Dance with the Devil
Dark Hunter #3

Synopsis
Zarek's Point of View:

Dark-Hunter: A soulless guardian who stands between mankind and those who would see mankind destroyed. Year, right. The only part of that Code of Honor I got was eternity and solitude.

Insanity: A condition many say I suffer from after being alone for so long. But I don't suffer from my insanity - I enjoy every minute of it.

Trust: I can't trust anyone...not even myself. The only thing I trust in is my ability to do the wrong thing in any situation and to hurt anyone who gets in my way.

Truth: I endured a lifetime as a Roman slave, and 900 years as an exiled Dark-Hunter. Now I'm tired of enduring. I want the truth about what happened the night I was exiled - I have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Astrid (Greek, meaning star): An exceptional woman who can see straight to the truth. Brave and strong, she is a point of light in the darkness. She touches me and I tremble. She smiles and my cold heart shatters.

Zarek: They say even the most damned man can be forgiven. I never believed that until the night Astrid opened her door to me and made this feral beast want to be human again. Made me want to love and be loved. But how can an ex-slave whose soul is owned by a Greek goddess ever dream of touching, let alone holding, a fiery star?




Carpe Corpus
Morganville Vampires #6

Synopsis
In the small college town of Morganville, vampires and humans lived in (relative) peace-until all the rules got rewritten when the evil vampire Bishop arrived, looking for the lost book of vampire secrets. He's kept a death grip on the town ever since. Now an underground resistance is brewing, and in order to contain it, Bishop must go to even greater lengths. He vows to obliterate the town and all its inhabitants-the living and the undead. Claire Danvers and her friends are the only ones who stand in his way. But even if they defeat Bishop, will the vampires ever be content to go back to the old rules, after having such a taste of power?





World After
Penryn & the End of Days #2

Synopsis
In this sequel to the bestselling fantasy thriller, Angelfall, the survivors of the angel apocalypse begin to scrape back together what's left of the modern world.

When a group of people capture Penryn's sister Paige, thinking she's a monster, the situation ends in a massacre. Paige disappears. Humans are terrified. Mom is heartbroken.

Penryn drives through the streets of San Francisco looking for Paige. Why are the streets so empty? Where is everybody? Her search leads her into the heart of the angels' secret plans where she catches a glimpse of their motivations, and learns the horrifying extent to which the angels are willing to go.

Meanwhile, Raffe hunts for his wings. Without them, he can't rejoin the angels, can't take his rightful place as one of their leaders. When faced with recapturing his wings or helping Penryn survive, which will he choose?



Okay, now vote! And thanks! :D


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#ShelfLove Review ~ Angelfall ~ Susan Ee

Angelfall by Susan Ee
Penryn and The End of Days #1
Release Date: August 28, 2012
Genre: YA Fantasy
Source: Purchased paperback
Rating: 4.5 Bookworms
Goodreads

Synopsis
It's been six weeks since angels of the apocalypse descended to demolish the modern world. Street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. When warrior angels fly away with a helpless little girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back.

Anything, including making a deal with an enemy angel.

Raffe is a warrior who lies broken and wingless on the street. After eons of fighting his own battles, he finds himself being rescued from a desperate situation b a half-starved teenage girl.

Traveling through a dark and twisted Northern California, they have only each other to rely on for survival. Together, they journey toward the angels' stronghold in San Francisco where she'll risk everything to rescue her sister and he'll put himself at the mercy of his greatest enemies for the chance to be made whole again.

Seriously. I'm kicking myself for hoarding this one. I've had Angelfall since it was first published - in paperback because it wasn't available electronically and it sounded so good I couldn't pass it up. So what the?!? Yeah, kicking myself...

Ee does an incredible job at depicting a post-apocalyptic world - the destruction, the fear of the survivors, the courage of those survivors. She conveyed the determination that human beings would have to take back their world and punish those who would dare try to take it. She painted scenes to provoke consideration of humans' perceptions of angelic beings, examining the politics within angelic ranks. And she beautifully portrayed the bravery of a young woman doing whatever she had to do to save not only her family but someone who she should consider her enemy.

Penryn  has overcome so much in her short life and she's more than proved her mettle. Raffe is a little more enigmatic but I hope to learn more about him. The only reason this isn't a 5 Bookworm read is that there was a point in the story that dragged a bit, for me. Otherwise, the pacing was perfect.

I'm anxious to know more about what the angels are doing, what the resistance has planned next, and how Penryn and Raffe will fit in the new world order.