Demons at Deadnight by A & E Kirk

Demons at DeadnightA & E KirkReleased: January 7th, 2012Pages: 404 (paperback)Publisher: CreateSpaceSource: Authors + Bought

For seventeen-year-old Aurora Lahey, survival is a lifestyle.
DEMONIC DESTINYAurora has the crappiest superpower on the planet. And it’s just unleashed a hit squad from hell. Demons are on the hunt, salivating to carve her carcass into confetti.
CHARISMATIC KILLERSThe Hex Boys—mysterious, hunky, and notorious for their trails of destruction—have the answers Aurora needs to survive. But their overload of deadly secrets and suspicious motives makes trusting them a potentially fatal move.
LETHAL ALLIESThe battle to save her family, herself, and stop demonic domination may cost Aurora everything worth living for, and force her to reveal her own dark secrets. But no worries. She needs the Hex Boys to pull this off, and, chances are, teaming up with these guys will get her killed anyway.

Aurora Lahey's problems seem to always begin with a demon. And unfortunately, once she moves back to Gossamer Falls with her family, the local demons start showing an above average interest in killing her. Luckily, Aurora has an upbeat, mysterious woman and a secretive group of guys known as the Hex Boys to look out for her and the Lahey's. But, the closer Aurora becomes to Hex Boys, the more secrets she unveils – and Aurora might be closer to danger than she anticipated. 
It was so easy to love this story. Aurora's humorous yet genuine personality jumps off the pages. She's smart, caring, and relatable. The plot itself never ceases to keep building suspense and excitement. At each concluding chapter, I found myself unable to stop reading and instead compelled to continue on. A & E Kirk's debut novel went above and beyond my expectations. Demons at Deadnight will captivate you with its humorous quality, nonstop action, and authentic characters. This story is a must-read. 
Highlights: Great characters, and plenty of fun banter¹. Aurora's family actually acts like a family (caring & embarrassing). The Hex Boys have more than just good looks - they have layered personalities. Any scene involving Aurora and the Hex Boys was usually hilariously awesome. I even enjoyed the budding romance, which is high on attraction and annoyance. Despite some lingering questions, I felt satisfied with what was learned in this novel. 
Lowlights: A cliffhanger ending, but it's not too bad. Some clichés². A few times, the pacing became a bit too fast, and I had to backtrack. 
Rating:  
1. Seriously, it's so fun. I was constantly grinning. ~> 2. But, there's some joking about it. Team Blake, anyone? ;) ~>


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Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Daughter of Smoke and Bone
By: Laini Taylor
Release: September 27th, 2011
Pages: 420 (hardcover)
Publisher: Little, Brown, & Company
Source: Vine Program + Bought
Summary:

Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages--not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out....read more at Goodreads.

Undeniably enthralling, Daughter of Smoke and Bone is the standout story of the year. And how could it not be, with blue-haired, artsy Karou and the mystery of her past at the heart of the story? With a beaded necklace capable of granting wishes and more talents than she can reasonably account for, Karou fascinated  me as a lead character right from the first page. Whether it's the enchanting (and real) characters in she draws in her sketchbook or Karou's amusing antics against her scumbag ex-boyfriend, every aspect of Karou's unusual life will make you even more curious to continue reading.

But it's not until Akiva - smoldering and intense Akiva - appears that Karou's world gets a little more interesting...and complicated. Laini Taylor takes readers through a journey of love, heartbreak, secrets, and revelations in Daughter of Smoke and Bone. The settings for the story don't disappoint either, whether it's Brimstone's shop¹, Poison Kitchen in Prague, or the lively streets of Marrakesh, every word makes this story easily visualized. Daughter of Smoke and Bone is a story completely worthy of being on your wishlist - or better yet, on your "favorites" bookshelf. 

Highlights: Utterly unique and completely captivating, Laini Taylor's words keep you glued to the pages. Taylor managed to make her characters 3-dimensional, from Karou, Zuzanna, Brimstone and all the others. But it's the story overall that I loved the most - I was over angels and demons, but Taylor's unique outlook and twist on everything managed to interest me. Even the romance made sense, and I love how it started out.
Lowlights: The latter half was interesting, but felt slightly disjointed from the beginning of the book. The cut-off ending² about killed me, yet I've read worse cliffhangers. Honestly though, I was surprised that it ended where it did. Rating:   

1 Coolest shop ever. Seriously. Even if it's a little twisted and creepy (what with all the teeth and Karou's very unusual adopted family). 2 Putting in a "To be continued" or cliffhanger seems to be a common theme among series lately, much to my dislike. But I'll give Taylor a pass this time, because otherwise, this story kept me hooked. 


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