Tag: angelfall

12 Book Boyfriends To Spice Up Your Valentine’s Day

Posted on by Zakiya N. Jamal in Blog

Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching and for those of us who don’t have plans, the best way to spend the holiday is with a good book. And why not a book with the man of your dreams? Here’s who I plan on spending my V-Day with. Who’s your favorite book boyfriend? Let me know in the comments below!

1. Owen Gentry (Confess)

81-uHo1jE6L._SL1500_.jpg

I just finished this book and I’m still not over it. Owen is amazing. He’s cute, funny, and so incredibly sweet. This book was incredible and so is Owen.

2. Will Herondale (The Infernal Devices)

81tPvW3NBvL

I love Will. Not only does he love books but he quotes them with ease. He’s a man after my own heart.

3. Etienne St. Clair (Anna and the French Kiss)

71N-hAxibZL.jpg

St. Clair is a Brit who grew up in America who can speak French. Talk about multicultural. Besides that he’s also hot, sweet, and an all around good guy.

4. Josh Wasserstein (Isla and the Happily Ever After)

isla

Oh Josh. He’s got some issues that he needs to work through but despite his struggles he still mentions to be so incredibly loving towards Isla and it’s wonderful.

5. Prince Kai (The Lunar Chronicles)

Cinder_Cover

Almost every guy in The Lunar Chronicles is one of my book boyfriends but Kai has a special place in my heart. The way he falls so hard for Cinder is so endearing and cute.

6. Levi (Fangirl)

static1.squarespace.jpg

Levi is such a cute, tall dork. I love how he just gets Cath and her fangirl ways. Any guy that willingly listens to a girl read her fanfiction is a great guy in my book.

7. Prince Maxon Schreave (The Selection)

10507293.jpg

Maxon and America are my OTP. The way Maxon falls head over heels for America and loves everything about her is too cute for words. He treats her like she’s already his queen.

8. Tobias “Four” Eaton (Divergent)

divergent_hq

Four is the definition of having a hard shell but being such a softy on the inside. He’s so protective of Tris and just loves her so much. It’s unbelievable.

9. Daemon Black (The Lux Series)

12578077-1

Daemon has such a bad boy persona and although I hate to admit it I’m a sucker for a bad boy with a nice center. And Daemon is just that and more.

10. Raffe (Angelfall)

51z+dDB4n5L

Raffe is literally an angel. With wings! Well, kind of. But Raffe isn’t a sweet angel with a halo. He’s got an edge but protagonist Penryn is able to wear him down.

11. Liam Stewart (The Darkest Minds)

10576365

If Liam’s good looks don’t immediately suck you in his Southern charm and drawl definitely will. He’s so genuine and kind, and he’ll instantly tug at your heart strings.

12. Adrian Ivashkov (Bloodlines)

Bloodlines_Novel.jpg

Adrian is the rich, bad boy you know you shouldn’t want but you just can’t resist his charm. Honestly, though, Adrian has a big heart and he treats his ladies right.

 

IT’S GIVEAWAY TIME!!

Posted on by Zakiya N. Jamal in Blog

IMG_6994

My first giveaway was such a success and I’m super excited to be doing another one. This one is a bit smaller than my first but still pretty exciting. Here’s what the prize pack includes:

Looking at it now I’d say that’s a lot of stuff. To enter click the link below. The giveaway closes on September 3 and winners will be announced on September 4. Good luck and may the odds be ever in your favor.

Click here to enter the giveaway!

Book Review: End of Days

Posted on by Zakiya N. Jamal in Book Reviews

18500665

Synopsis from Goodreads:

End of Days is the explosive conclusion to Susan Ee’s bestselling Penryn & the End of Days trilogy.

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?

With World After I was disappointed with the lack of Raffe and Penryn scenes. End of Days completely makes up for that (thank you Susan Ee).

Similar to World After, End of Days picks back up right where the last book left off. I love all the books in this trilogy just about equally but this book may have been the best end of a dystopian trilogy I’ve ever read. I still have some lingering questions (we’ll get to those later) but overall Ee did an excellent job of wrapping things up perfectly.

In this novel Ee gave us a lot of action, the same amount of gruesome scenes, the perfect amount of romance (enough to appeal to my shipper heart but not so much that it felt like chick lit), and she gave us a kick butt heroine who still had the hormones of a teen but didn’t let that stop her from being, “Penryn Young. Daughter of Man. Killer of Angels.”

Seriously, Raffe is hot and all that but Penryn made this book for me. I’m so tired of seeing these dystopian heroines being portrayed as the hero but they actually do nothing. Katniss, although great, really didn’t change anything. She was just a symbol. Tris did actually change things but I’ll save my comments about that for my review of Allegiant.

My favorite part about End of Days was Penryn really coming into her hero role. She was making her way there throughout the novels with multiple heroic acts but this was the first time we really got to see Penryn be a leader and I loved it. No matter what her feelings are for Raffe she never lets that get in the way of protecting herself, her family, and mankind from the angels. To me that makes Penryn the ultimate boss. You go girl!

Now if you don’t want to be spoiled stop reading here because although I loved the book there’s one question that was not answered that needs to be brought up.

Again, stop reading if you don’t want to be spoiled.

Last warning, there are spoilers ahead.

Have you left yet? Okay, good.

Overall the book was great and yes it tied up the trilogy nicely and I’m so glad Raffe and his Watchers (who are my favorites, by the way) are staying on Earth and Raffe and Penryn get to live happily ever after. Except, do they? Because isn’t Raffe basically immortal? So won’t he not get older? How will that work?

They can get married and have kids but Penryn will age and Raffe won’t. How will they handle that? Or is Raffe somehow mortal now? I need to know! Ee please answer my questions. Give me a short story or something.

Moreover, do a second epilogue because honestly I could’ve done without the first one. It didn’t really add anything to the book other than letting us know Paige will be okay, which really could’ve been just another sentence in the last chapter to be honest. Why give us an epilogue and not explain Raffe’s immortality? Or go further into the future and so the world actually becoming better and the angels being gone. I rather the book just ended with the last chapter because the epilogue was truly disappointing.

Even so, I still love this book and the trilogy as a whole. A job well done indeed.

Favorite Line: 

‘You accept me just the way I am, regardless of whether or not I even have wings. Even when I had my demon wings, you’ve never looked at me with pity. You’ve never wavered in your loyalty. That’s who you are—my brave, loyal, lovable Daughter of Man.’

Stars: 5 out of 5. Even with the unanswered question I still have to give this book five stars. I’ve reread scenes from this book so many times it’s kind of embarrassing.

Borrow or Buy: Buy. Is this a real question?

Other Reviews

Reading Books Like A Boss

Cuddlebuggery

Love is not a triangle

Book Review: World After

Posted on by Zakiya N. Jamal in Book Reviews, Books

514jJ7R+6QL

Synopsis from Amazon:

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?

*Warning this review will contain spoilers for Angelfall. Read at your own risk*

I finished this book in a day. A legit day. I was hooked. I’m pretty sure I sped read just because I needed to see more of Raffe and Penryn. I was disappointed to find, however, that their first scene together didn’t come until I was at 72% in the book. Even so, I really liked this book.

Not as action packed as Angelfall, World After begins right where we left off with Penryn scaring everyone by “waking from the dead”. The lack of action was made up for with the increase of knowledge. In this novel we learn more about the politics of the angels, what exactly it is Uriel, the Politician, is up to, and why Raffe is so damn afraid to admit his feelings for Penryn.

This novel also delved into Raffe’s past a bit with the help of his handy, dandy sword, Pooky Bear. Although there wasn’t a lot there was still definitely enough action to keep me entertained and glued to this book. Moreover, Susan Ee, refuses to shy away from gruesome and violent scenes, and just goes for it, which I actually liked.

What I also liked about this book was seeing more of Penryn’s mom and Paige. It was nice to see their family dynamic instead of just hearing about how it used to be. Additionally, although Penryn’s mom is still definitely crazy, I came to respect her more in this novel.

Overall, I kept reading for the Raffe and Penryn scenes but I enjoyed the novel for it’s high stake drama and fight scenes. Definitely need to read the next book as soon as possible. I need to know what happens next!

Favorite Line:

I look up to say something but [Raffe] puts his finger to my lips and whispers, ‘Don’t talk. You’ll just spoil my fantasy of rescuing an innocent damsel in distress as soon as you open your mouth.’

Stars: 4 out of 5. I really would’ve preferred more Raffe and Penryn. Otherwise, great book!

Borrow or Buy: Buy!! I’ve already reread some scenes because I’m still not over how good it is.

Other Reviews

There were books involved …

Prettybooks

The Flyleaf Review

Man Crush Monday: Raffe

Posted on by Zakiya N. Jamal in Books

28ae33bad9780c3ebae29e320b89428e

Stoic, brooding, and cocky are just three words to describe the angel, Raffe. A warrior angel, Raffe has been through some things in his immortal life. Being in charge of The Watchers, angels living on Earth, he is forced to deal with their half human/half angel children, the Nephilim, who are seen as abominations that eat human flesh.

Besides that Raffe is an archangel putting him a step above other angels and in line to become the next Messenger of God. In summary, Raffe is a boss with a lot of enemies. He’s courageous and strong but he also has a sense of humor and a soft spot for a certain human. He likes crack to corny jokes and knows exactly what to say to make people feel better when they’re moping.

What makes Raffe great is even though he tries to hide his feelings he can’t help but care. This is best evidenced by his friendship/something else with Penryn. He doesn’t want to care about a human but he just can’t seem to help himself.

More than that, Raffe is just plain attractive. He’s got the body of an angel, literally. With abs, strong arms, dark brown (black?) hair, and a hint of danger, he’s the definition of hot. Who wouldn’t want to jump in his arms and have him fly you away?

You can fall in love with Raffe by reading the Angelfall trilogy and trust me you really want to.

Book Review: Angelfall

Posted on by Zakiya N. Jamal in Book Reviews

51z+dDB4n5L

*This book is part of my POPSUGAR 2015 Reading Challenge*

Synopsis from Amazon:

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 Raffe, an injured enemy angel. Traveling through a dark and twisted Northern California, they journey toward the angels’ stronghold in San Francisco, where Penryn will risk everything to rescue her sister and Raffe will put himself at the mercy of his greatest enemies for the chance to be made whole again.

How I’ve neglected to discover this trilogy until now is besides me. This is the first book that has genuinely made me grateful I decided to do the POPSUGAR challenge. I’m hooked and can’t wait to read the next two books.

The novel follows Penryn, a girl who’s had to be strong for her family, which includes her schizophrenic mom and handicapped younger sister, Paige. Feeling like the protector of her strong family, Penryn is devastated when Paige is taken by the enemy angels and is willing to do anything to get her back. That includes making a deal with the devil angel, Raffe, who lost his wings in a battle with the same angel that took Penryn’s little sister.

Teaming up with the understanding that they’re on opposing sides, the two head off to find the Aerie, the angels home on Earth. Along the way they run into Penryn’s mom, a human gang, a human resistance group, creatures neither Penryn or Raffe have ever seen before, and of course, angels. Making friends and enemies the pair begin to realize there may be more in common between humans and angels than they thought.

However, Raffe knows the risks of an angel getting too comfortable with a human and wouldn’t dare let anything beyond a mutually beneficial partnership happen between himself and Penryn. Meanwhile, there’s a battle for power amongst the angels and secret dealings amongst them. While the humans struggle to recover in this post apocalyptic world the angels have their own issues.

Romance, drama, comedic relief, and more violence than I was expecting, this book was fantastic. Obviously, there’s a great similarity between this novel and The Hunger Games (teenage girl taking care of her mother and sister is not a new plot device). However, Susan Ee does an amazing job of creating a new dystopian world. She plays on this idea of what would the rapture really look like. We’re given warring angels who aren’t even particularly sure why they’re attacking the Earth and some who aren’t even sure God exists.

It’s a twist on an idea anyone that’s walked around New York City has heard from someone screaming on a street corner: “The End Is Near!” Ee gives us beautiful angels that are creatures of destruction and blurs the lines between who we believe are the good guys and the bad. Honestly, it made me want to reread the Bible and see if I could glean any knowledge about what the angels could be doing on Earth and if Ee is really drawing from the Bible or if it’s all fiction. Yeah, it’s that good.

Definitely a book you should pick up if you haven’t already. I listened to the audiobook for this one and it was fantastic, however, it doesn’t necessarily add anything to the story that you wouldn’t get from just reading the novel. Either way you read it, just make sure you do.

Favorite Line:

“Sometimes, as we’re stumbling along in the dark, we hit something good.”

Stars: 5 out of 5. I loved it!

Borrow or Buy: Buy! Honestly, I wish I had this on my Kindle instead of just on Audible. I might buy it. For reals.

Other Reviews

Dear Author

Knite Writes

What A Nerd Girl Says