Sophie Reads YA: ATOM

ARC Review: The Secret City (The Alchemist Chronicles #2) by C.J. Daugherty & Carina Rozenfeld

10:00

The Secret City
Series: The Alchemist Chronicles #2
Author: C.J. Daugherty & Carina Rozenfeld
Published September 1st 2016 by Atom

Goodreads Synopsis
'Remember: Demons lie'

Locked away inside the fortified walls of Oxford's St Wilfred's College, surrounded by alchemists sworn to protect them, Taylor and Sacha are safe from the Darkness. For now.

But time is short. In seven days Sacha will turn 18, and the ancient curse that once made him invincible will kill him, unleashing unimaginable demonic horror upon the world.

There is one way to stop it.

Taylor and Sacha must go to where the curse was first cast - the medieval French city of Carcassonne - and face the demons.

The journey will be dangerous. And monsters are waiting for them.

But as Darkness descends on Oxford, their choice is stark. They must face everything that scares them, or lose everything they love.
Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

The Secret Fire was one of my favourite books last year, and I knew I wouldn't be able to wait long to wait its sequel. When The Secret City went live on NetGalley, I immediately requested and downloaded it, and started to read it.

Picking up after the events of The Secret Fire, Sacha and Taylor find themselves in Oxford, for their own safety. Now that Taylor knows she is an Alchemist, and it's up to her to destroy the curse on Sacha's family, she throws herself into her training, as Sacha's 18th birthday, and the day when the curse will be unleashed, is quickly coming up. However, her training is slow going, and she feels like she'll never be able to achieve the incredible feat.

Sacha, on the other hand, is feeling useless. While Taylor spends her time doing something useful, he's kept secreted in the stuffy university buildings, for his own 'safety'. Chafing under the lack of freedom, Sacha wants to escape more than anything, even though he knows there will be consequences if he does. When he and Taylor escape the security of campus for a little while, they unwittingly bring danger to Oxford, and discover who is behind the summoning of the demon.

I love Sacha and Taylor so much, both individually, and together. Since the first book, they've grown so much, and lost all of their childish sensibilities, in the face of true danger. They realise that they need each other to succeed, and both would do anything to keep each other safe. After the evil alchemist turns up at their safe haven, they discover they need to return to France, to the site where it all began, so many years ago, when Taylor's ancestor cursed Sacha's family. During the road trip, Taylor and Sacha become closer than ever, and with how this book ends, I really can't wait for book 3.

The plot was ridiculously good! From the get go, there was danger, and it grew and grew, until I was proper scared for both characters. At times, I was on the edge of my seat and probably looked silly to anyone looking at me, because of all the emotions. Really, this was even better than book 1, which I didn't think would be possible, and I'm dying to get my hands on the sequel. An amazing book, that I can't recommend enough.

Dates Read:
August 25-26, 2016

Rating
5 Stars

4 Stars

ARC Review: The Shadow Hour (The Girl at Midnight #2) by Melissa Grey

10:00

The Shadow Hour
Series: The Girl at Midnight #2
Author: Melissa Grey
Published July 12th 2016 by Atom

Goodreads Summary
Everything in Echo's life changed in a blinding flash when she learned the startling truth: she is the firebird, the creature of light that is said to bring peace.

The firebird has come into the world, but it has not come alone. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction, and Echo can feel a great and terrible darkness rising in the distance. Cosmic forces threaten to tear the world apart.

Echo has already lost her home, her family, and her boyfriend. Now, as the firebird, her path is filled with even greater dangers than the ones she's already overcome.

She knows the Dragon Prince will not fall without a fight.

Echo must decide: can she wield the power of her true nature--or will it prove too strong for her, and burn what's left of her world to the ground?

Welcome to the shadow hour.
Goodreads

Review
See my review of book 1, The Girl at Midnight.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.

I really enjoyed The Girl at Midnight when I read it last year, and couldn't wait to get my hands on book 2, so when I was sent a review copy, I was overjoyed. In The Shadow Hour, Echo and her merry bunch - Caius, Jasper, Ivy, and Dorian - are hiding out in an abandoned warehouse after the battle in Germany, in which Echo became the Firebird they had all been looking for. The only one from her old life at the Nest she's still in contact with is the Ala, and when the Nest is attacked by an evil that was unleashed when Echo came into her Firebird powers, they must search for a cure to the poison that was spread, as well as a way to defeat the evil. However, all is not as it seems. Caius' twin sister, Tanith, the new Dragon Prince, is also searching for Echo, and for the darkness, for her own nefarious means.

One thing I do have to mention, I forgot so much of The Girl at Midnight, that I struggled with the first few chapters of this book, until I went and read some reviews. There's no sort of recap at the beginning, like you sometimes find in sequels, and I think that was a mistake in this case. However, once the proper action and plot kicked in, it was easy to keep up.

The characters were really fun to read. Echo was a bit difficult at times, but having the voices of all the previous Firebirds in her head, and the realisation that it may have been her fault that the evil, sort of Firebird twin was released, made it understandable. Caius and Echo's relationship had developed, and they were sort of on the precipice of a true relationship, until Echo's ex, Rowan, had to swoop in and ruin it all. I wasn't a fan of him in book 1, and he didn't do much to redeem himself this time around either. He tries to 'claim' Echo, calling her his girlfriend, especially when Caius is around, though they'd definitely broke up. I found the whole love triangle aspect annoying and frustrating, and seriously hope that doesn't continue in book 3. The other characters, especially Jasper and Dorian, were a breeze to read, and they made up for the annoyingness of Rowan.

The plot, though, made up for the issues mentioned above. I can see how this book is setting up the action for book 3, and be warned, there is another awful cliffhanger. Hopefully the wait for book 3 won't be too long, and I do hope there's a recap this time around, or else I'll probably have to resort to finding and reading reviews beforehand. A solid sequel, though not perfect. I'm still looking forward to the conclusion of the series though.

Dates Read:

August 12-16, 2016

Rating
4 Stars

5 Stars

ARC Review: The Secret Fire (The Alchemist Chronicles #1) by C.J. Daugherty & Carina Rozenfeld

10:00

The Secret Fire
Series: The Alchemist Chronicles #1
Author: C.J. Daugherty & Carina Rozenfeld
Published September 10th 2015 by Atom

Goodreads Synopsis
French teen Sacha Winters can't die. He can throw himself off a roof, be stabbed, even shot, and he will always survive. Until the day when history and ancient enmities dictate that he must die. Worse still, his death will trigger something awful. Something deadly. And that day is closing in.
Taylor Montclair is a normal English girl, hanging out with her friends and studying for exams, until she starts shorting out the lights with her brain. She’s also the only person on earth who can save Sacha.
There’s only one problem: the two of them have never met. They live hundreds of miles apart and powerful forces will stop at nothing to keep them apart.
They have eight weeks to find each other.
Will they survive long enough to save the world?
Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.

As you probably know, C.J. Daugherty has quickly become a favourite author of mine, and as soon as I found out that C.J. had a new series coming out, I knew I needed it! In this series, which she has co-written with French author, Carina Rozenfeld, we are treated to the dual point of view story of Sacha and Taylor, teenagers from France and England, respectively. Sacha is a 17 year old, living in Paris, who knows he can not die, no matter once. Due to some curse placed on his family, he will die on his 18th birthday, and not a second earlier. He is now closely approaching said birthday, when he is contacted by an English girl, in order to tutor him. This girl is Taylor, also 17, whose sole ambition is to do well in her exams and go to Oxford university to study with her grandfather. She soon finds herself thrown into a magical world when she manages to blow up sound systems, etc., using just her mind. Taylor is the only person who may be able to reverse the curse on Sacha, but dark magicians and creatures are doing everything they can to separate them.

Taylor and Sacha were wonderful protagonists. Both of their voices were distinctive, and I could imagine that I was actually living their lives with how descriptive their words were. I loved them both equally, and was invested in their lives as much as they were. When they actually met up in person, I was so giddy. The tension between each other was palpable. I think I actually swooned when Sacha called Taylor sweetheart. Sacha and Taylor are my newest OTP, and I need more romance-y feels from them in the sequels!

The plot was really intricate too. Though it is set in the modern world, in both the rural English countryside, and the bustling city of Paris, the history of the curse and the Alchemists really made it feel sort of outer-worldly. More people than you would expect are involved, in one way or another, and that also helped it to feel fully integrated in normal life. I really felt for Taylor, as she had no clue what was happening at first, was was simply shoved, head first, into this magical world, which was a tad scary. Imagine finding out that you are the 'saviour' of the known world, and if you don't succeed, the while world is going to go to pot? Yeah, that's what Taylor is facing. At least with Sacha, he had some forewarning, though it was still morbid knowing he can't die until a certain day, when he will definitely die. No wonder he was a bit of a basket case to begin with. Once Taylor and Sacha realised how involved they were with everything, and that they could work together to stop the end of the world, I felt like they matured a lot, and really came into their own, in terms of their abilities.

I'm seriously invested in this book, and series, and just wish I had book two in my hands. The acknowledgements from both authors at the end of the book were so sweet, and I love that the idea of co-authoring the book came over a cup of coffee. I can't wait to see more of Taylor and Sacha's story, and would say everyone should just drop everything, and get this book ASAP - you will not be disappointed!

Dates Read:
August 22-24, 2015

Rating
5 Stars

5 Stars

Review: The Girl at Midnight (The Girl at Midnight #1) by Melissa Grey

10:00

The Girl at Midnight
Series: The Girl at Midnight #1
Author: Melissa Grey
Published April 28th 2015 by ATOM

Goodreads Synopsis
Beneath the streets of New York City live the Avicen, an ancient race of people with feathers for hair and magic running through their veins. Age-old enchantments keep them hidden from humans. All but one. Echo is a runaway pickpocket who survives by selling stolen treasures on the black market, and the Avicen are the only family she's ever known.

Echo is clever and daring, and at times she can be brash, but above all else she's fiercely loyal. So when a centuries-old war crests on the borders of her home, she decides it's time to act.

Legend has it that there is a way to end the conflict once and for all: find the Firebird, a mythical entity believed to possess power the likes of which the world has never seen. It will be no easy task, but if life as a thief has taught Echo anything, it's how to hunt down what she wants . . . and how to take it.

But some jobs aren't as straightforward as they seem. And this one might just set the world on fire.
Goodreads

Review
This book was absolutely perfect, well deserving of one of my most anticipated 2015 books!

In The Girl at Midnight, we follow the story of Echo, a teenage, human girl, living in the Avicen world. Echo, a thief, very gifted at her 'job', is sent on a sort of scavenger hunt in order to find the legendary Firebird, a mythical entity which is crucial in stopping the long war between the Avicen and the Drakharin. Throughout her journey she meets new people, some of which are enemy Drakharin's, and discovers more about herself than she ever thought possible.

I know that this book has been slated to entertain fans of The Mortal Instruments, The Grisha Series, and the Daughter of Smoke & Bone series, but I never really saw that many similarities between this book, and those others (thank god, considering how much I disliked the DoSaB series). I felt like The Girl at Midnight was the perfect fantasy series starter, and I was hooked from page 1. As said earlier, this was one of my most anticipated 2015 books (I actually won a giveaway for it way back in July), and I'm so glad I waited for it. As you may have been able to tell, YA Fantasy is one of my go-to genres, and this series is definitely up there with the greats on my favourites lists.

Echo, I thought, was a wonderful character - strong, feisty, and a little vulnerable at times - and the character development she underwent throughout the entire book blew me away. I can't wait to she how she grows further in subsequent instalments. With regards to the romance, I was not a fan of Rowan, at all, and definitely preferred Caius as Echo's love interest. However, we were also treated with another romantic couple (love-triangle, maybe), one which I was just as invested in.

I definitely felt as if this book was a beautifully written, and executed, story, and as soon as The Shadow Hour is available to pre-order, it will be right at the top of my wishlist. Anyone who has not yet read this book, I would definitely encourage them to, as I'm sure, if they enjoy fantasy, at least, this it will be one of their favourites, too.

Dates Read:
May 4-5, 2015

Rating
5 Stars

5 Stars

ARC Review: Endgame (Night School #5) by C.J. Daugherty

10:00

Endgame
Series: Night School #5
Author: C.J. Daugherty
Published June 4th 2015 by Little Brown/Atom (UK)

Goodreads Summary
Broken. Scattered. But not defeated.

The spy is gone but the cost has been high - the rebels at Cimmeria Academy have lost their leader and Carter West is missing. Nathaniel can taste victory. But Allie and the other survivors aren't done yet. First they have to get Carter back. Then they plan to make Nathaniel pay.

One way or another - the game must end.

Endgame is the thrilling fifth and final book in the internationally bestselling Night School series.
Goodreads

Review
See my reviews for previous books:

- Night School (#1)
- Legacy (#2)
- Fracture (#3)
- Resistance (#4)

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

When I was approved for this eARC, I was so excited! Endgame was one of my most anticipated 2015 books, especially considering how Resistance ended. As soon as I was able to, I dove right in, and was so entranced by the book that I devoured it in less than a day!

Endgame begins immediately after the ending of Resistance - and by immediately, I mean mere seconds later. The action is present, right from the get go. Allie, and the other characters, are trying to come to terms with what happened in Resistance, and some are struggling more than others. Throughout the whole book, I felt as though the action was always present, and even during the brief 'lull' periods, there was still a lot happening to entertain the readers.

All throughout this series, we've seen Allie grow from a troubled teenager, into someone who knows what she wants, has discovered who she is, and is ready for responsibility. I've truly felt as though Allie has had some of the best character development I've ever seen, and the place she was in at the end of this book, and the end of the series, was the best I could hope for! The romance took somewhat of a back seat in this book, but what was there was beautiful, and the action packed events made up for this. I've not been quiet on who my OTP for the series is, and I loved how this developed.

All of the other characters we have loved, and some we haven't, for the whole series had wonderful sub-plots throughout Endgame, and their story lines all wrapped up very well, in my opinion. Quite frankly, this book tied up all the loose ends, and the book ended so well, so fulfilled, that I couldn't possibly have wished for a better ending.

Considering I hadn't even started this series before March, it has quickly become one of my all time favourite series, UKYA and otherwise. Although I am absolutely gutted that the series has ended, Endgame was the perfect series conclusion, and I couldn't be happier with the way it ended! Once again, I could not recommend this enough, and five stars feels too low for such a beautiful, wonderful novel/series.

Date Read:
May 16, 2015

Rating
5 Stars

5 Stars

Review: Resistance (Night School #4) by C.J. Daugherty

10:00

Resistance
Series: Night School #4
Author: C.J. Daugherty
Published June 5th 2014 by Atom

Goodreads Synopsis
After months on the run, Allie returns to Cimmeria Academy to find the school in turmoil. The atmosphere is thick with danger. Overshadowing it all is Nathaniel. He is close – very close – to getting everything he wants.
A secret civil war is tearing the British political elite apart. And Allie’s family is in the thick of it. Both sides want her. She knows Nathaniel will take her by any means necessary. But she is determined to fight him to the end.
Her friends are ready to stand by her – even to die for her. But if anything happens to them she won’t be able to live with herself.
The fightback starts here. Everything is at stake now. The winner takes all…
Goodreads

Review
See my reviews for previous books:

- Night School (#1)
- Legacy (#2)
- Fracture (#3)

Resistance is by far my favourite instalment in the Night School series so far, though Endgame could take that place in June.

After the action packed ending of Fracture, I was not expecting Resistance to start so intense. From the get go we are thrust into the action, and the whole book is fast paced.

In this book we finally discover who the spy at Cimmeria was, and I was very surprised by which person it was. Allie starts to learn who she can trust around school, and I definitely liked the group dynamic between the friends she can trust.

As I said the action was greater in this book, and we've finally reached a stage where the end is in sight, but which side it will favour is still unknown. Personally, I like the uncertainty of it all, but the ending was so unexpected and sudden, that I'm not sure how I'll be able to wait until June to read Endgame.

I've always been a member of Team Carter, and I've got to say this book was perfect for my team. I still like the Allie/Sylvain dynamic, but see them more as a brOTP than an OTP.

Everyone should read this series, it has beautiful writing and a fantastic plot line!

Dates Read:
March 30 to April 1, 2015

Rating
5 Stars

5 Stars

Review: Fracture (Night School #3) by C.J. Daugherty

10:00

Fracture
Series: Night School #3
Author: C.J. Daugherty
Published August 15th 2013 by Atom

Goodreads Synopsis
Devastated by the loss of her friend and under constant threat from an unknown spy at Cimmeria Academy, Allie Sheridan is finding it hard to cope.
In Fracture, the third book in the Night School series, she’s not the only one losing it – everything is falling apart. And when Nathaniel begins to reveal his game plan, Isabelle starts to lose control.
As the school slides into a deadly morass of paranoia and suspicion, everyone is guilty until proved innocent. Anyone can be held without proof, and convicted without a trial. No one is safe.
This time Nathaniel doesn't need to hurt them. This time they’re hurting themselves.
Goodreads

Review
See my reviews for previous books:

- Night School (#1)
- Legacy (#2)

Fracture begins with an upset Allie, planning to leave Cimmeria. After her failed escape, Allie struggles to come to terms with the events of Legacy, and the fact she still feels, even more so than earlier, that she can't trust anyone at Cimmeria.

The romance in this novel, though subdued, is still there, and I've got to say I definitely preferred Sylvain in this book than the previous books, though Carter is still my favourite of the two. Carter did come across as a bit of a jackass in this book, which made me definitely dislike him, and I agree that him and Allie definitely appeared not to be a suitable fit here because of that.

Allie, who is struggling so much, is the perfect teenage protagonist in this series. She never appears wholly perfect, she makes mistakes, and is emotional - just like any teenage girl would be.

Night School plays a major role in this instalment, with more secrets and intrigue coming out, and the action is ramped up even further. Yet again, the ending was dramatic, and full of feels, and I'm so pleased I was able to read Resistance immediately after finishing this.

I would recommend this book to everyone, it has quickly become one of my favourite series.

Dates Read:
March 28 to 30, 2015

Rating
5 Stars

5 Stars

Review: Legacy (Night School #2) by C.J. Daugherty

10:00

Legacy
Series: Night School #2
Author: C.J. Daugherty
Published January 3rd 2013 by Atom

Goodreads Synopsis
In the last year, Allie's survived three arrests, two breakups and one family breakdown. The only bright point has been her new life at Cimmeria Academy. It's the one place she's felt she belongs. And the fact that it's brought dark-eyed Carter West into her life hasn't hurt either. But far from being a safe haven, the cloistered walls of Cimmeria are proving more dangerous than Allie could have imagined. The students and faculty are under threat, and Allie's family - from her mysterious grandmother to her runaway brother - are at the centre of the storm. Allie is going to have to choose between protecting her family and trusting her friends. But secrets have a way of ripping even the strongest relationships apart...
Goodreads

Review
See my review for the previous book:

- Night School (#1)

Just as amazing as Night School, if not better!

Legacy begins following the aftermath of Night School, with Allie on the run from people trying to hurt her. She immediately returns to Cimmeria, but because of everything that has already happened, she, quite rightly, is confused on who she can trust, and who is out to hurt her. The events of Legacy ramp up the action we already saw in Night School, making the series much more enjoyable and full of suspense.

Allie really starts to come into her own in this book, starting to deal with what Night School expects from her, whilst all the while trying to work out who to trust. All of the characters evolved in this book, some for the better, some for the worse, which is a credit to Daugherty to make me like characters I really hadn't earlier, and vice versa, especially Sylvain.

A lot of information comes out in this book, especially to do with Allie and her heritage, and yet again, the events at the end of the novel made me raring to read more.

I would definitely recommend this amazing UKYA Book to everyone!

Dates Read:
March 26 to 27, 2015

Rating
5 Stars

5 Stars

Review: Night School (Night School #1) by C.J. Daugherty

10:00

Night School
Series: Night School #1
Author: C.J. Daugherty
Published January 1st 2012 by Atom

Goodreads Synopsis
Allie Sheridan’s world is falling apart. Her brother’s run away from home. Her parents ignore her. And she’s just been arrested.
Again.
This time her parents have had enough. They cut her off from her friends and send her away to boarding school, far from her London friends.
But at Cimmeria Academy, Allie is soon caught up in the strange activities of a secret group of elite students.
When she’s attacked late one night the incident sets off a chain of increasingly violent events. As the school begins to seem like a very dangerous place, she finds out that nothing at Cimmeria is what it seems to be.
And that she is not who she thought she was.
Goodreads

Review
Night School tells the story of Allie Sheridan, a teenage girl who is having a tough time dealing with her brother's disappearance. After being arrested for the third time, her parents decide to send her to the mysterious Cimmeria Academy, whose students include the children of the country's most powerful and influential people. Though the boarding school may house teenagers, electronics of any kind aren't accepted: no phones, mp3 players, laptops, TVs, anything.

Allie's life at Cimmeria starts out like any new student: struggling to keep up with school work, trying (and succeeding) in making new friends, and dealing with boy drama. However, this soon takes a turn when she realises that basically everyone is keeping secrets, from the teachers to her fellow students, including Sylvain, whom she has become very close to over the course of her stay. She discovers there's a secret society of sorts within the school - called Night School - that The Rules expressly forbids it to be discussed. And that this group is somehow organised with the devastating events of the Summer Ball. These events thrust Allie into the action, as she struggles to understand why she was actually sent there, and in turn discovers more about herself.

I really loved Allie as a protagonist, as she seemed like a typical teenager struggling with loss, and that usual teen angst. Her, and the other characters, especially Jo, were all very likeable, though I did have some reservations about Sylvain, and the fact that he always seemed to be hiding something. The romance between Allie and Carter was so cute, and I would like to see more develop with this in further books.

This book had a distinct vibe of the Gallagher Girls series by Ally Carter, which I absolutely loved, and the fact that this series is UKYA made it even better - I just love reading British books, and I know I don't read enough of them. I can't wait to read more, and would definitely recommend this book, and series.

Dates Read:
March 25 to 26, 2015

Rating
5 Stars