​Don't miss the latest Shelf Byte podcast feature! You'll hear a spoiler-free book or audiobook review in 5 minutes or less!
​
In this episode guest reviewer and #3blogger1series podcast co-host, Nicola Onychuk shares her thoughts on Diamond Fire: A Hidden Legacy Novella by Ilona Andrews!  Have you read it already? If so, let's start a conversation about it. Comment below!

​A read and listen book review consist of time spent both reading the physical book and listening to the audiobook. I personally think that this is the best way to read books when you're short on time!  

Read on to find out why the first installment of this YA retelling earned a three bookmark rating.  Before I get into the review, full disclosure, at the time that I'm writing this review, I've already finished book two. The hype is true, book two is so much better than the first book, so just keep that in mind.

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens /Recorded Books
Release Date: May 3, 2016
Format: Kindle, Audio MP3
Pages: 626 | Audio Length: 22 hours 16 mins
Narrator:​ Jennifer Ikeda
Source: Kindle, Audible
Genre: Fantasy,  YA, New Adult
Review Date: February 13, 2017
Rating: 5 bookmarks

Synopsis:​ Feyre survived Amarantha's clutches to return to the Spring Court—but at a steep cost. Though she now has the powers of the High Fae, her heart remains human, and it can't forget the terrible deeds she performed to save Tamlin's people.

Nor has Feyre forgotten her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court. As Feyre navigates its dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms—and she might be key to stopping it. But only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future—and the future of a world cleaved in two.

With more than a million copies sold of her beloved Throne of Glass series, Sarah J. Maas's masterful storytelling brings this second book in her seductive and action-packed series to new heights.

The second installment of The Illuminae Files trilogy delivered just as much punch as the first installment. Read on to find out why Gemina scored a 5 bookmark rating!

​Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers | Listening Library​
Release Date: October 18, 2016
Format: Audio MP3
Pages: Hardcover: 659 pages | Audio Length: Approx 12.5 hours
Narrators: Carla Corvo, Steve West , full cast , P.J. Ochlan
Source: Publisher
Genre: YA Science Fiction, YA Fantasy
Review Date: November 30, 2016
Rating: 5 bookmarks

Synopsis: Moving to a space station at the edge of the galaxy was always going to be the death of Hanna’s social life. Nobody said it might actually get her killed.

The saga that began with Illuminae continues on board the space station Heimdall, where two new characters will confront the next wave of BeiTech’s assault. Hanna is the station captain’s pampered daughter, Nik the reluctant member of a notorious crime family. But while the pair are struggling with the realities of life aboard the galaxy’s most boring space station, little do they know that Kady Grant and the Hypatia are headed right toward Heimdall, carrying news of the Kerenza invasion.

When an elite BeiTech team invades the station, Hanna and Nik are thrown together to defend their home. But alien predators are picking off the station residents one by one, and a malfunction in the station’s wormhole means the space-time continuum may be ripped in two before dinner. Soon Hanna and Nik aren’t just fighting for their own survival. The fate of everyone on the Hypatia—and possibly the known universe—is in their hands.

But relax. They’ve totally got this. They hope.

Disclaimer: This audiobook was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I was excited to see where Kady and Ezra were in the scheme of things after the end of the first book, so I was ecstatic to return this world. I loved Illuminae so much that I jumped right into Gemina without even reading the description. When I started Gemina I was a bit surprised because while for the most part it picks up where Illuminae left off, there were two major differences. We now have different characters and a whole new setting. Of course because I was expecting one thing and got another, I was a tad confused for the first 8% or so trying to figure out what was what.  Note to self: read the book synopsis!

Meet Hanna Donnelly and Niklas Malikov. They are sort friends and end up along with Nik's cousin Ella Malikova trying to take back control of their space station.  Nik and Ella are from a notorious crime family and Hanna is the daughter of station captain’s daughter. Clearly they are an odd team, so the interactions between the three of them are priceless.

I completed Illuminae a while back and I finally have some time to tell you why this was so much more than an audiobook. So much more. It's a full cast audio production. Not only is the book presented in a unique way, it's prepared so artfully that it's turned into one amazing audiobook. Read on to find out why this unique story earned a 5 bookmark rating.

​Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers | Listening Library​
Release Date: October 20, 2015
Format: Audio MP3
Pages: Hardcover: 600 pages | Audio Length: Approx 11.75 hours
Narrator: Olivia Taylor Dudley , Lincoln Hoppe , Johnathan McClain
Source: Audible
Genre: YA Science Fiction, YA Fantasy
Review Date: November 16, 2016
Rating: 5 bookmarks

​Synopsis: This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do.

This afternoon, her planet was invaded.

The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than an ice-covered speck at the edge of the universe. Too bad nobody thought to warn the people living on it. With enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to fight their way onto an evacuating fleet, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit.

But their problems are just getting started. A deadly plague has broken out and is mutating, with terrifying results; the fleet's AI, which should be protecting them, may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a tangled web of data to find the truth, it's clear only one person can help her bring it all to light: the ex-boyfriend she swore she'd never speak to again.

Told through a fascinating dossier of hacked documents—including emails, schematics, military files, IMs, medical reports, interviews, and more—Illuminae is the first book in a heart-stopping, high-octane trilogy about lives interrupted, the price of truth, and the courage of everyday heroes. 

At first when I found out how this book was written - through dossier of documents, I wasn't sure if I would enjoy the format of the book so I put it off for a while. Several months later, I was still interested in this story and by then I'd heard that the audiobook was just amazing, so I thought, why not?  The Audiobook version it is. That was the best choice I made.  While I seriously love how the physical  book looks and I appreciate how unique this story is told, I was more than happy the full cast audiobook.

Into the Darkest Corner was one of my book club reads from September. This book is a well crafted page turner that will have you feeling all sorts of emotions. Rage, heartbreak, disappointment, victory and relief.  Read on and find out why this title earned my highly coveted 5 bookmark rating!

Publisher: Harper 
Release Date: January 2, 2013  (first published January 1st 2011)​
Format: ebook
Pages: 410 (ebook)
Source: Scribd 
Genre: Thriller, Suspense
Review Date: October 17, 2016
Rating: 5 bookmarks

Synopsis: When young, pretty Catherine Bailey meets Lee Brightman, she can't believe her luck. Gorgeous, charismatic, and a bit mysterious, Lee seems almost too perfect to be true.

But what begins as flattering attention and spontaneous, passionate sex transforms into raging jealousy, and Catherine soon discovers that Lee's dazzling blue eyes and blond good looks hide a dark, violent nature. Disturbed by his increasingly erratic, controlling behavior, she tries to break it off; turning to her friends for support, she's stunned to find they don't believe her. Increasingly isolated and driven into the darkest corner of her world, a desperate Catherine plans a meticulous escape.

Four years later, Lee is behind bars and Catherine—now Cathy—is trying to build a new life in a new city. Though her body has healed, the trauma of the past still haunts her. Then Stuart Richardson, her attractive new neighbor, moves in. Encouraging her to confront her fears, he sparks unexpected hope and the possibility of love and a normal life.

Until the day the phone rings . . . 

​​This story is dark...VERY dark. Hence the title, Into The Darkest Corner.  My book club was more vocal than they'd ever been when discussing a book selection. 

I could see the writing on the wall as the story began with a court case. The man being interviewed on the stand sounds like he just got out of a horrible situation with a crazy woman...but I knew things weren't what they seemed. From the first page I was reading compulsively wanting to find out how it all was going to end, but at the same time, there were moments when I was nervous to turn the page. Nervous to see just how bad things were going to get for Catherine.

Today I have a review of the newest installment of one of my favorite urban fantasy series. The Beast. Read on and find out why I recommend this series to anyone that's a fan of urban fantasy!

Publisher: NAL
Release Date: April 5, 2016 
Format: ebook (Kindle)
Pages: 508 (Hardcover)
Source: Amazon 
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy
Review Date: June 6, 2016
Rating: 5 bookmarks

Synopsis: Nothing is as it used to be for the Black Dagger Brotherhood. After avoiding war with the Shadows, alliances have shifted and lines have been drawn. The slayers of the Lessening Society are stronger than ever, preying on human weakness to acquire more money, more weapons, more power. But as the Brotherhood readies for an all-out attack on them, one of their own fights a battle within himself…

For Rhage, the Brother with the biggest appetites, but also the biggest heart, life was supposed to be perfect—or at the very least, perfectly enjoyable. Mary, his beloved shellan, is by his side and his King and his brothers are thriving. But Rhage can’t understand—or control—the panic and insecurity that plague him…

And that terrifies him—as well as distances him from his mate. After suffering mortal injury in battle, Rhage must reassess his priorities—and the answer, when it comes to him, rocks his world...and Mary’s. But Mary is on a journey of her own, one that will either bring them closer together or cause a split that neither will recover from... 

​When I find myself more than 10 books into a series, I start to feel like I really know these characters.  While story mainly focused on Mary and Rhage, we got a lot of face time with other characters that we know and love.  Wrath and Mary, Vishous and Jane, Layla, Quinn and Blay, etc. The list goes on and on. We even are introduced to a new female character that has ties to someone within the group. I sense a new coupling on the horizon! It's a skill how J.R. Ward is able to meld all of the lives and separate plot lines from dozens of characters together so seamlessly. It's a talent that not many can master. She's done it.  

The Black Dagger Brotherhood legend becomes even more in depth and complex by continuing on with a spin-off series by J.R.Ward.  Set in the same world of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, the story branches off and takes us into the next generation of fighters. Today I'm sharing my thoughts on Blood Kiss, book one of the BDL series.

Publisher: Signet
Release Date: December 1, 2015 
Format: ebook (Kindle)
Pages: 397
Source: Amazon 
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy
Review Date: January 18, 2016
Rating: 5 bookmarks
​
Synopsis: Paradise, blooded daughter of the king’s First Advisor, is ready to break free from the restrictive life of an aristocratic female. Her strategy? Join the Black Dagger Brotherhood’s training center program and learn to fight for herself, think for herself…be herself. It’s a good plan, until everything goes wrong. The schooling is unfathomably difficult, the other recruits feel more like enemies than allies, and it’s very clear that the Brother in charge, Butch O’Neal, a.k.a. the Dhestroyer, is having serious problems in his own life.

And that’s before she falls in love with a fellow classmate. Craeg, a common civilian, is nothing her father would ever want for her, but everything she could ask for in a male. As an act of violence threatens to tear apart the entire program, and the erotic pull between them grows irresistible, Paradise is tested in ways she never anticipated—and left wondering whether she’s strong enough to claim her own power…on the field, and off.​

It's near impossible to talk coherently about this book without spoilers, but I'm going to try my best.  We were first introduced to Paradise, Craeg, and Payton briefly as minor characters in The Shadows, the most recent book of the BDB series.  Blood Kiss picks up exactly at the end of that title.  While you don't need to read the previous series to get on board with this one, I do recommend making yourself familiar with the brothers, their mates, and who they are. I found a great summary sheet of sorts that will help you as you are introduced to more and more characters. There's also a helpful character cheat sheet found here.