Waiting on Wednesday (24)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine in which we showcase upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating.

The Mark of Athena (Heroes of Olympus #3)
by Rick Riordan 
Release Date: October 2, 2012

Goodreads Synopsis:

Annabeth is terrified. Just when she’s about to be reunited with Percy—after six months of being apart, thanks to Hera—it looks like Camp Jupiter is preparing for war. As Annabeth and her friends Jason, Piper, and Leo fly in on the Argo II, she can’t blame the Roman demigods for thinking the ship is a Greek weapon. With its steaming bronze dragon masthead, Leo’s fantastical creation doesn’t appear friendly. Annabeth hopes that the sight of their praetor Jason on deck will reassure the Romans that the visitors from Camp Half-Blood are coming in peace.

And that’s only one of her worries. In her pocket Annabeth carries a gift from her mother that came with an unnerving demand: Follow the Mark of Athena. Avenge me. Annabeth already feels weighed down by the prophecy that will send seven demigods on a quest to find—and close— the Doors of Death. What more does Athena want from her?

Annabeth’s biggest fear, though, is that Percy might have changed. What if he’s now attached to Roman ways? Does he still need his old friends? As the daughter of the goddess of war and wisdom, Annabeth knows she was born to be a leader, but never again does she want to be without Seaweed Brain by her side.

Narrated by four different demigods, The Mark of Athena is an unforgettable journey across land and sea to Rome, where important discoveries, surprising sacrifices, and unspeakable horrors await. Climb aboard the Argo II, if you dare. . . .

In The Son of Neptune, Percy, Hazel, and Frank met in Camp Jupiter, the Roman equivalent of Camp Halfblood, and traveled to the land beyond the gods to complete a dangerous quest. The third book in the Heroes of Olympus series will unite them with Jason, Piper, and Leo. But they number only six--who will complete the Prophecy of Seven?


The Greek and Roman demigods will have to cooperate in order to defeat the giants released by the Earth Mother, Gaea. Then they will have to sail together to the ancient land to find the Doors of Death. What exactly are the Doors of Death? Much of the prophesy remains a mystery. . . . With old friends and new friends joining forces, a marvelous ship, fearsome foes, and an exotic setting, The Mark of Athena promises to be another unforgettable adventure by master storyteller Rick Riordan.

Why I'm Waiting:

♥♥OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMG!!!!!!!!!!♥♥
Okay, if you can't tell, I'm pretty darn excited. I love Rick Riordan's books. They are always so fun and full of humor and awesome adventures. I've fallen in love with every single character and absolutely love the combination of the Romans and Greeks. Not to mention I must know what is going to happen after that awful cliffhanger in Son of Neptune! What's gonna happen?! Who is #7? What are the Doors of Death?! So many questions! Can't wait to find the answers :) 

So what are y'all waiting on this fine Wednesday?
Be sure to let me know in the comments below!

All the best ♥
Mackenzie 

Read More

Half-Blood (Covenant #1) by Jennifer A. Armentrout

Half-Blood (Covenant #1)
by Jennifer A. Armentrout
Pages: 281
Source: Bought/Amazon
Format: ebook

Rating: I liked it

Goodreads Synopsis: 

The Hematoi descend from the unions of gods and mortals, and the children of two Hematoi-pure-bloods-have godlike powers. Children of Hematoi and mortals-well, not so much. Half-bloods only have two options: become trained Sentinels who hunt and kill daimons or become servants in the homes of the pures. Seventeen-year-old Alexandria would rather risk her life fighting than waste it scrubbing toilets, but she may end up slumming it anyway. There are several rules that students at the Covenant must follow. Alex has problems with them all, but especially rule #1:Relationships between pures and halfs are forbidden. Unfortunately, she's crushing hard on the totally hot pure-blood Aiden. But falling for Aiden isn't her biggest problem--staying alive long enough to graduate the Covenant and become a Sentinel is. If she fails in her duty, she faces a future worse than death or slavery: being turned into a daimon, and being hunted by Aiden. And that would kind of suck.

My Review:

  So I finally gave into the peer pressure that is Half-Blood. And I enjoyed it. But, don't shoot me, I'm just not getting the whole "SQUEEEEEEEE OMGOMGOMGOMG THIS BOOK IS THE MOST FANTABULOUS THING IN THE WORLD!!!!! *cue happy dance* ". I mean I liked it and it was really entertaining and all, but it also had it's fair share of problems.

Normally I'm not one to compare books, but I feel like this is the best way to review it.

Let me say this first: If you loved Vampire Academy, then you'll love this.
See? Now you can just skip the rest of the review! 
But for those of us out there who had a few issues with VA, then this review is for you.


1. If you didn't like the sex, alcohol and language of VA, then you won't like this. 

Pretty straightforward I'd say. I personally have a love/hate relationship with this part. It's definitely risque and its under the assumption that it's all teenagers do (TTS), but if it doesn't bother you then enjoy!!

2. If you didn't like Rose, Alex isn't much better. 

My main problem with Rose was that she crossed the line into B-ville wayyyy to much. She also just couldn't understand why people called her a whore even though she acted like one. Alex is similar, but actually a little better in my book. There is the fine line between snarky and mean and whereas Rose crossed it often, Alex doesn't. Well, not as much at least. I liked her rough and tough attitude, but at the same time she was a bit too rough around the edges for me. Oh, not to mention she makes an incredibly stupid decision. At least she admits it was stupid though. I guess I can give her points for that. 

3. If you didn't like Dimitri, don't worry. You've now got Aiden to swoon over!

Aiden is sexy instructor done right. When I read VA, I just didn't get all the SQEEing over Dimitri. He wasn't really fleshed out and just wasn't anything special in my book. But Aiden? Oh, goodness! Swoon alert! He's a great mix of masculinity and sensitivity. He's your average stoic instructor, but he's so much more than that! He's wise and really cares about Alex and people in general. He's such a sweetheart (with a tough side) and I love that he treats Alex fairly. And he doesn't put up with her crap. That right there made me swoon. He put Alex in her place when she needed it, but never condescended her. He made my heart a-flutter. 

4. If you like the plot of VA, then you'll probably like the plot of Half-Blood. 

It's got some of the same basic concepts, but the plots themselves are different. I think that if you are okay with 1-3, then you should give it a try. I personally liked the unique take on mythology and thoroughly enjoyed the action-packed awesomeness. The plot definitely kept me coming back for more (even though I wanted to smack Alex for that decision!).


Overall:

I enjoyed it. I really did. I liked it so much better than VA, so I believe others will too. That's not to say there aren't similarities. I just think this is VA done right. I definitely say give it a shot if you've been interested in it for a while. It's a bit rough, but no doubt entertaining! 

Read More

Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter

Goddess Interrupted (the Goddess Test #2)
by Aimee Carter
Release date: March 27, 2012
Source: Netgalley
Format: e-book


Rating: I liked it/It was alright


Goodreads Synopsis:
Kate Winters has won immortality.

But if she wants a life in the Underworld with Henry, she’ll have to fight for it.

Becoming immortal wasn’t supposed to be the easy part. Though Kate is about to be crowned Queen of the Underworld, she’s as isolated as ever. And despite her growing love for Henry, ruler of the Underworld, he’s becoming ever more distant and secretive. Then, in the midst of Kate’s coronation, Henry is abducted by the only being powerful enough to kill him: the King of the Titans.

As the other gods prepare for a war that could end them all, it is up to Kate to save Henry from the depths of Tartarus. But in order to navigate the endless caverns of the Underworld, Kate must enlist the help of the one person who is the greatest threat to her future.

Henry’s first wife, Persephone


My Review:


I have to say, I did not enjoy this book as much as its predecessor. 


Kate....Oh, Kate. One thing I loved about you was your heart and your selfless and admirable qualities. How I found you lacking those. Instead, you whined and complained and gave the ultimatum more times than I could count. I understand you love Henry and want to be with him, but the guy was in love with his old wife for one thousand years....that's not something you get over easily. Sorry hon, but I think its gonna take a little more than a few months for him to get over it. Quit giving him the ultimatum, quit putting your own selfish desires before everyone else's and give him a chance. One redeeming quality? At least you recognized it when you were acting selfishly. However, thats kind of a moot point when you don't do anything about it. The only point when you actually did do something? When you already ruined everything. Good job. Don't worry, I still think your awesome. I'm still rooting for you. And at the end, I was incredibly happy for you (you know, until the very end. read it to find out). 


Henry...you poor thing you. I feel for you, I really do. But eventually you are going to have to get over it.  Wanna know an awesome saying? Life moves on! However, at least I understand why you are standoffish. And, I'm alright with that. Let Kate help you! You can do it!


Alright, now that I've reprimanded the characters, time to move onto the plot. 


Meh.....total love/hate relationship going on. This plot really could've gone somewhere! I think it was a nice turn of events. However....it felt very anti-climatic. All of a sudden your like "yeah! something's gonna happen! woot!" and then....its done. I don't really quite know how to explain it. The plot was extremely interesting its just that when it came time for something awesome to happen, it didn't. Also, for some weird reason, this kind of feels like a filler book to me. I know that the plot actually contributes to the series as a whole, but I guess since it felt anti-climatic is why I feel as if this was a filler. I feel as if this book could have been more fleshed out and not so heavily focused on Kate and her complaining. Until the end. The end is where it got really interesting. And that bring me to.....


YOU CAN'T END A BOOK LIKE THAT! o_O Mind is blown. Seriously, WHAT?!? I'll give you credit Aimee Carter, you now have someone who will get the next book by whatever means necessary. 


Overall, I enjoyed the plot but I think it could have been more fleshed out. I think that if the book focused more on the plot instead of Kate's complaining, this could've been much more interesting. However, I will still continue. I'm invested enough to want to know what happens (and that cliffhanger really helps). I believe those who absolutely fell in love with the first book won't be disappointed by this next book. For those who are skeptics? I think you should still give it a chance. Although this may feel like a filler, I can tell the next book will be very interesting. 

All the best ♥

Part of my 2012 Mythology Challenge

Read More

The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter

The Goddess Test (The Goddess Test #1)
by Aimée Carter
Release Date: April 19, 2011
Pages: 293
Source: Bought/Amazon
Format: ebook


Rating: I really liked it


Goodreads Synopsis:
In a modern-day take on the myth of Persephone, 18-year-old Kate Winters is thrust into a mythical world, where she must pass seven impossible tests and outsmart a spiteful god in order to save the life of not just her mother but of her captor as well.


My Review: 


In a sentence: 

The Goddess Test is a beautiful story of hope, perseverance and fighting for what you love with a protagonist that you can't help but admire. 

The Myth: 

I like the author’s new take on the myth of Hades and Persephone. Instead of Henry (aka Hades) being the bad guy, he was just a guy that fell in love and got his heart broken. Her version gives you a new perspective of this old myth.

A is for Admirable:

Normally my favorite heroines are the ones who are strong, fierce, and can kick-butt (literally) but I also like intelligent, loyal, passionate and admirable characters. Now, when all of these characteristics are put together, they make for some awesome heroines. But if the MC has most of them, then I still really enjoy it. In the Goddess Test, while Kate may not have been physically strong, she did not fall short in the passionate and admirable categories. Kate has had so much loss in her life that she is tired of seeing death and deterioration. I loved her passion to protect her mother and do anything for her. However, it was her fierce passion to help Henry that truly made her admirable. She was willing to risk her life for a guy she didn’t even know, just because she was tired of seeing the death of those around her.

Soft Spot:

 I also found that I had a soft spot for Henry. Normally, I like a man’s man that's rough and rugged and knows how to wield a weapon or the delicious bad boy (guilty pleasure ;) ) but I found myself liking Henry. No, not loving him and swooning over him, but feeling sorry for him and wanting to help him and give him a hug. He’s just a lonely guy that had his heart broken and all he wants is someone to care about him. Is that so much to ask? I felt myself learning to care for him right along with Kate.

Dowfall: HUGE SPOILER! HIGHLIGHT AT YOUR OWN RISK. THIS IS ONLY FOR THOSE WHO HAVE READ THE BOOK!

…..I hate that it was Hera who killed all those girls. It doesn’t even make sense!!!!! Hera is the goddess of marriage. No matter how many times Zeus cheats on her, she would never cheat on him because that would break the vows of her marriage. The goddess of marriage would not break the vows of her marriage. Catching my drift? So I’m kind of indifferent about it. While I understand she was lonely and wanted to be with Henry because they shared that sense of loneliness, I still can’t wrap my head around the fact that it was Hera.

end spoiler

Tests:

I actually like the tests. While I’m kind of bothered that you don’t really know what is a test and what isn’t (though that may just be because I wasn't paying that much attention :P ), I ended up liking it when I found out at the end. I thought the ideas of the test, not so much the execution, was brilliant. However, another spoiler I don’t really like that they chose the seven deadly sins when the gods pretty much break all of them. Pretty much, they want her to have good morals and be a good person but its alright for them not to be? Hypocritical. end spoiler.

Overall:

Overall, I enjoyed the story. The plot was intriguing enough to keep my interest, and Kate’s admirable actions won my heart over. While I did have some issues with it, the unique take on the myth and the MC’s actions makes this a book worth reading.

Part of my Mythology Challenge

All the best ♥

Read More