#Review - Revenge by Everly Frost #Fantasy

Series: Assassin's Academy #2
Format: Kindle, 429 pages
Release Date: January 10, 2020
Publisher: Ever Realm Books
Source: Kindle Unlimited
Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy

I only know three things for certain. First, the Assassin's Legion will stop at nothing to annihilate every student at Bloodwing Academy. Second, my power is growing rapidly and my true nature will soon be beyond my control. Third, Striker Draven's love will destroy me.

Oh, and there's a fourth: Striker's ex has returned and she's intent on getting him back.

Determined to protect my friends, I'll fight any attack on the Academy. I'll curb my inner nature to keep them safe. I'll even take on Striker's ex. But mind and body, heart and soul, love is my poison.  

Revenge is the second and final installment in author Everly Frost's Assassin's Academy, a series set in the Assassin's Magic world. While they two can be read as a standalone, it would behoove you to have some clue as to who the previous series characters are since they appear in this book. In fact, the author opens her prologue featuring Hunter Cassidy, Tansy Grey, & Slade Baines. It has been 5 months since the end of Hunter's series. Besides being pregnant, she's spent the past 5 months tying up loose ends and clearing her ledger readying herself for the baby's arrival.

Hunter is visited by Kaitlyn Hadrix who is the daughter of Adrian Hadrix, the man who Slade Baines has been seeking very badly. Peyton claims she will tell him where Hadrix is, but first she wants someone killed in return. Meanwhile, at Bloodwing Academy, Peyton Price has discovered that she is a Fury. She made a deal with the devil (Hadrix) to train her and her fellow students to protect them from what Hadrix claims is an imminent threat by the assassins like Hunter & Slade. Fury's are supposed to be Hell's executioners. A monster who judges other monsters.

As Hunter's fellow students discover what they really are (Striker = Hellhound; Lucinda = Dryad; Ashley = Gorgon; Bree = Siren) she has to deal with balancing her time at learning all she needs to do to survive, while putting her relationship with Striker on the back burner until she can figure out how much she is willing to change, and how far she is willing to go in order to save her friends and survive the alleged attack coming from Hunter's fellow assassins. Surrounded by people who feed them lie after lie, how ever will the students of Bloodwing gain their freedom? 

It was exciting to see Hunter, Slade, Archer, Cain, Tansy, and company again. It makes sense that both series are now fully wrapped up with no apparent open storyline to go back and fill. I would have liked to see Hunter and Peyton fight side by side. After all, in this world, only one supernatural is more powerful than a Fury and that is a Valkyrie. The relationship between Peyton and Striker is complicated. From the very beginning of this duology, it has filled with hope and heartbreak and everything in-between. I do look forward to seeing what Frost will come up with next.

**Recommended reading age is 17+ due to language and heat level.

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#Review - Rebels by Everly Frost #YA #Fantasy

Series: Assassin's Academy #1
Format: Kindle Edition, 322 pages
Release Date:  October 11th 2019 
Publisher: Ever Realm Books
Source: Amazon
Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy

Rebel or die.
 
My choices are simple. I've been sent to Bloodwing Academy because I'm one of the magically repressed. I should have magical powers, but I don't. Not yet. One day I'll wake up and my powers will be out of my control. I'll be a threat to everyone around me, but that doesn't mean they should lock me up. Especially with the dangerously fierce and irresistibly gorgeous, Striker Draven. As heir to the Draven fortune, he thinks he can have whatever he wants. He wants to pull me apart, rip out my power, and take my heart with it.

That's if I don't rip his out first.

My name is Peyton Price. My freedom will come at a cost. Body and mind, I have to decide if I'm willing to pay it.

Rebels is the first book in a two part series called Assassin's Academy. This book is set in the same universe as the authors previous series Assassin's Magic featuring Hunter Cassidy and Slade Baines who make appearances in this series as well. Event's in this book, begin before the events that happen in Assassins' Maze. 20-year old Peyton Price is being dropped off at Bloodwing Academy for the magically repressed by her family. It’s a school that has a one way ticket. There's no escape. The only way to leave is via body bag. 

This is a school designed to try and make everyone there show their abilities in whatever way the Bloodwing teachers feel fit. The running theory is that with fear that’s when powers show and they really do wrap their hands tightly around that. These teachers are insane and know no limits. On the first day she is there, Headmistress Osprey decides to try to torture Peyton with magic to see if she can figure out what Peyton is. Peyton is labeled as Unknown and shoved in the attic where the only threat to her is her next door neighbor Striker Draven.

 

Peyton has never once exhibited any magical manifestations even though she's past the age of those who come into their powers. Peyton's time here at the Academy isn't all fun and games, especially when Striker Draven seems to be the angriest and most dangerous person in this entire school. After being punished for something she didn't do, Peyton encounters a Harpy. Harpies transport prey to hell. They regenerate. They're strong. They're considered Class B monsters. The only beings more dangerous are Valkyrie and Keres who are not supposed to exist any longer. As we've learned from Hunter and Slade and Archer, that's not true at all. 

The point of this Academy is to build an army for Lady Tirelli who you would have met if you read the previous series. The Unknowns are the strongest and therefore shouldn't be underestimated. After Peyton kills the Harpy, those like Striker start to take her seriously. It's apparent that she's not a spy, that those in charge don't really want her to die, and that she's in as much trouble as the rest of them. Osprey wants to find out what she is and what she is capable of. Striker's beast is immediately protective of Peyton. 

Nobody has ever pushed Striker like Peyton will do over the course of this story. The Unknowns are supposed to be expendable by their families. Nobody will shed a tear if they just happen to die along the way. Peyton finds some friends among the 30 students with similar stories. Lucinda, Ashley, Joseph, and Lachlan are all trying to find out what they really are and what they are capable of. The students are lied to and told that the Assassins, especially Hunter, want them dead. When Peyton's powers due finally manifest, she may be the most dangerous being in this entire academy.   

The magic users who run the Academy are truly sadistic. Bloodwing is the ultimate prison with a singular goal set in stone. Beat out the hidden powers to serve a high calling. Bullies rule and using violence is encouraged. Striker is the typical tortured soul bad boy who has been trying to suppress what he is from being used by the school's leaders. He is often times found beating the crap out of someone to prevent them from being killed by the school's leaders who are always looking for an excuse. They dynamics between Peyton and Striker play out well since they are both dominate. Striker also has a plan for getting back at his step father for what he did to his mother. That is if he can find a way to escape.

The ending is wild. It absolutely sets the stage for the sequel and the end of the series.  

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#Review - Assassin's Maze by Everly Frost #Urban #Fantasy

Series: Assassin's Magic #3
Format: Kindle, 306 pages
Release Date: May 31, 2019
Publisher: Ever Realm Books
Source: Kindle Unlimited

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Can love survive?

When Hunter Cassidy exposed the true identity of the underground's brutal leader, she also uncovered the devastating truth about her own life.

With her time running out, Hunter must ally herself with her mortal enemy—the only woman with the power to destroy Hunter and everything she loves, including Slade Baines.

Determined not to lose Hunter, Slade will do anything to find the final Realm that holds the secret to saving Hunter and destroying their enemies once and for all.

But within the Realm is a maze of dangers, magical creatures of myth and legend, and a labyrinth of traps that will force Hunter and Slade to make deadly sacrifices, threatening their alliances, their lives... and their love.

 

"Only the reckless or the desperate will enter the maze. The path to the feathers is paved with death"

Assassin's Maze is the third and final installment in author Everly Frost's Assassin Magic trilogy. This story picks up immediately where Assassin's Mask finished. Valkyrie Hunter Cassidy, the assassin known as the Glass Arrow, is up against time. She has to find a way to fight and defeat the Valkyrie Queen Amalia. She has to discover the identity and location of the supposed last Keres in existence who can kill both herself and Slade Baines. The same Keres that her own mother sacrificed her life to save. 

Hunter has to also discover the so called Maze which is supposedly the place where the original Valkyrie and Keres feathers are kept. Feathers that can restore Hunter, as well as Amalia back to full strength. In this book, we meet Archer Ryan, the woman her mother died to protect. The woman who has caught the attention of Cain, as well as the only one who is able to open the gates to the Maze itself. Hunter, Slade, Tansy, Vlad, Archer and Cain join forces to find the Maze. But, nothing is ever easy for Hunter or her allies.

I think the most impressive part of this book was Tansy. She battles against witches who stand in their way. She battles against a broken heart knowing Vlad isn't capable of feeling love. And, she may be the most powerful character in this book bar none. Tansy has also made her peace with Hunter and we do learn some interesting tidbits about Hunter's mother and Tansy's past. The part where Hunter, Archer, Cain and Slade enter the Maze was really good. They have different paths, different gates, and different challenges to face. 

They also have to face the worst moments of their lives and find a way to forgive themselves for their past. If you really want to be entertained, there is even an all out battle between Valkyrie and Keres in the land of the dead. The of this story is filled with some surprises. While this is the final story in this series, I would be interested if there was a spin off featuring Tansy and Vlad, or even Lutz Logan and a surprising romance that developed in this book. 

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#Review - Assassin's Mask by Everly Frost #Urban #Fantasy

Series: Assassin's Magic #2
Format: Kindle, 294 pages
Release Date: March 10, 2019
Publisher: Ever Realm Books
Source: Amazon, Kindle Unlimited
Genre: Urban Fantasy

Is love worth fighting for?
 
When Hunter Cassidy revealed her true power to Slade Baines during a fight for their lives, everything she wanted was ripped away from her.

Now, with her heart in pieces, Hunter is left only with her determination to find and destroy the deadly weapon that led her to infiltrate the Assassin's Legion in the first place.

But Hunter's quest proves more complicated than she expected, leaving her with no choice but to make a deal with one of the Legion's most formidable assassins—a deal that catapults her right back into Slade's life.

Now the Master Assassin, Slade's power grows by the day and so does his determination to fight the bond he formed with Hunter and the powerful attraction that keeps drawing them together. No matter what, he will protect her from the enemies she makes at every turn, including the new leader of the underground whose mission is to destroy them both.

When tragedy strikes, Hunter discovers that the weapon she sought is nothing like she expected. She and Slade will need to work together to defeat the rising power behind the underground. But can they fight together when their hearts are torn apart?

 

"Where the Valkyrie walks, darkness grows, paving the way for death with every step.”

Assassin's Mask is the second installment in author Everly Frost's Assassin Magic series. This story takes place several days after the tumultuous events of Assassin's Magic. At the end of the previous story, Valkyrie Hunter Cassidy, the assassin known as the Glass Arrow, made a choice. A choice that left her fleeing Boston, the Legion who she trained hard to overcome all sorts of hurdles, those that she loves, and enemies who wanted items that she needs in order to discover the so called weapon that her mother died protecting.

Quite the mouthful, yeah? Anyway, Hunter finds herself in Nebraska where she meets Vlad. Vlad is stationed on the border between the Legion and the Dominion. His real name is Alexei Vladimir Mason, the Dominion Master who was hoping to run into Hunter in order to form an alliance with her. An alliance that will force the pair back to Boston. Back to those she left behind. Back to her friends on Saber Lane, and back to Slade Baines who is now Legion Master.

The shock effect is that everyone believed that Hunter was dead, so her return from the dead throws a whole lot of questions at not only Hunter, but Slade as well. It also has made Saber Lane a dangerous place to be thanks to a new nemesis who has chosen to force Hunter into complying with her demands of finding her mothers weapon, or everyone she loves with perish. 

What's even more disturbing, is that Slade has changed so much, and become so powerful, that Hunter blames herself for allowing it to get to this point by running away. Err, she actually flew away, but you get the point. This is a story filled with twists, action, surprises, some romance, and some scenes that are more likely there for the shock and awe factor  and to make readers understand that Hunter is no longer the Alpha dog in this world.

It's fair to say that Hunter has some real eye opening moments in this book. Her mother really didn't do her any favors by keeping her in the dark of what she was doing until the day she was murdered. Hunter is now playing a game of catch up, a game that has suddenly become more deadlier than just fanatics at the Legion who hated everything about Hunter and wanted her destroyed. 

It is fair to say that I was saddened deeply by the devastating loss of someone close to her, as well as another character who has protected her since she was a baby. I can only presume that the author had reasons for doing what she did with both characters. I know that's vague, but I try to avoid spoilers at all costs. I did like the connection between Vlad and Tansy who grows even more amazing with each story.

I am glad that I won't have to wait that much longer until the third book is released this coming June. Can't wait to see what happens next. Should be a wild ride. 

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#Review - Assassin's Magic by Everly Frost #Fantasy #Romance

Series: Assassin's Magic # 1
Format: Kindle, 323 pages
Release Date: December 26th 2018
Publisher: Ever Realm Books
Source: Kindle Unlimited
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Romance

Is love worth the danger?
 
When Hunter Cassidy plans to infiltrate the Assassin's Legion, posing as an assassin-in-training, she is prepared to encounter danger every step of the way. What she doesn't expect is the ruggedly handsome and relentlessly fierce trainee, Slade Baines.

It's hard enough that Hunter is the first female to be accepted to train with the Master Assassin himself. Even when she beats the other candidates, the Master ranks her lowest of all. In the male-dominated Legion, the other trainees see her as a weak link to be driven out of their ranks.

When they try to force Hunter out, Slade gets in their way, becoming an unexpected ally. Despite her best intentions, Hunter finds herself lowering her guard around him, which only makes carrying out her secret mission more difficult and puts her in danger of falling for him.

But there's more at stake than Hunter's heart. The Master Assassin possesses the key to locate a weapon that Hunter must ensure remains hidden at all costs. In her quest to stop this deadly power from falling into the wrong hands, she must make a choice between following her heart... or fulfilling her destiny.

 

Assassin's Magic is the first installment in author Everly Frost's Assassin's Magic. 20-year old Hunter Cassidy has entered the Home of the Assassin's Legion in Boston. Her mother died 4 years ago and Hunter is on a mission to retrieve an important object to make sure her mother did not die in vain.  She is the only female in the entire group that has been chosen to compete as Novices to become Superiors, and later Masters if they manage to survive. 

Even though she is tougher and more of a badass than 90% of her class mates, there are those who have no use for female assassins. No matter how much she may exceed in her training, there are those who will do anything to trip her up and ensure that she fails. Hunter isn't someone to take lightly. Her mother was the assassin known as The Glass Fox. She taught Hunter her everything she needed to know in order to survive before she was cut down in the prime of her life. 

Now, Hunter is on a mission to not only hide who she really is, but to collect answers as to who was responsible for killing her mother. In this world, assassins live by 6 main rules. If you violate any one of them, there are severe consequences for the person who breaks a rule. But, someone crossed the line.  As Hunter bobs and weaves her way through a grueling 6 months of training, including missions to assassinate men who are abusing women, she is neck and neck in competition with Slade Barnes. 

Slade is impressed with the way that Hunter doesn't back down to anyone. Not the diabolical Master who hates her very existence. Not the superiors who try to trip her up, and especially not her fellow Novices who try to stand in her way of becoming a Superior. Hunter and Slade form a sort of alliance to keep her safe from blind attacks on her when she's not looking. Meanwhile, Hunter has to do whatever it is in her power to keep her real identity or fear being made a target for assassination.

This story had lots of potential to succeed. The book is filled with twists, and action, and devious characters who try to trip Hunter up. She does have some curious allies which include Superior Ridley, Cain Carter, as well as the Guardian who sanctions all assassination requests. I love books about assassins, but I could have done without all the unnecessary pages and pages of X-rated sex. There's some interesting back story's as well, especially when it comes to the revelation of who is really Hunter's father. The sequel, Assassin's Mask, releases in March. I'll be sure to look for it on Kindle Unlimited.

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#Saturday Review - Fear My Mortality by @EverlyFrost @Month9Books (Young Adult, Science Fiction)

Series: Mortal Eternity # 1
Format: E-Galley, 312 pages
Release Date: April 5, 2016
Publisher: Month9Books
Source: Publisher
Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction

The future is bright for 16-year-old Ava Holland and the residents of Evereach. They don’t have to worry about old age or even getting sick. In their world, humans regenerate, heal, and live for hundreds of years. Mortality isn’t something to fear. Disease has been all but eradicated.

Everything changes when Ava watches her brother die and he doesn’t regenerate. Ava’s genetics are called into question by the government, scientists, extremists, and Ava herself. Could her genes hold the answer to mortality? Is she an anomaly or something to be feared? 

Determined not to become anyone’s guinea pig, Ava doesn’t stick around to find out. She wants answers too, but the only person who can help her is 17-year-old Michael Bradley, the boy who killed her brother. If either of them have even the slightest chance of survival, they must find the genetic keys hidden in Ava’s DNA before it’s too late.

Fear My Mortality is the first installment author Everly Frost's Mortal Eternity series. Thanks to a war between Evereach and Seversand where nobody actually died, children are now tested to ensure that they can't be killed. This has stopped unnecessary wars that seem to pop up like out of control gophers on golf courses. People are placed into two categories: slow healers, and fast healers. But, nobody saw Ava coming.

16-year old protagonist Ava Holland faces her own Implosion Day (first death day) where she is supposed to see her own blood and regenerate after dying. It is a hopeful day that means her transition to adulthood where she can grow her hair longer, drink, and move away from her parents. Unfortunately, fate throws Ava a nasty curveball ball when her brother Josh races to save her, but dies at the hands of 17-year old Michael Bradley. The most shocking part of Josh's death is that he doesn't regenerate like he is supposed to.

Freaked out, and with good reasons, Ava faces a battery of forced tests, a loss of parents, and friends, and an unknown future where everyone in the government, and others want to use her blood as a weapon. Almost everyone finds reasons to use her and push her to her extreme limits. I dare say the worse offenders are the Bashers who are extreme to the core and see's whole new avenues with Ava's blood. 

Let's get to the reasons I loved this book so much. I adore Ava. Here is a girl who is looking forward to the future when her brother goes and gets himself killed. A brother who kept a huge secret to himself, but in the end, did what he could to try to save her. That is all that matters to me. Ava knows that she may be used as a weapon against her own countries adversaries and that no matter how far she runs, she will never quite be free. After being injected with a strange nectar, Ava becomes Black Widow on steroids. 

She's quicker, she's stronger, and she realizes that the nectar gives her the ability to stay alive. Ava could have raged against societies unfairness and went into a room with quiet music and coloring books since her feelings were hurt so badly. She could have cried and whined her way through the entire story. She didn't do any of that. Instead, she gathered up her courage and puts her smarts to good use. She doesn't let anyone push her around, not even Michael Goddamn Bradley who has his own pain and issues to deal with but becomes Ava's fiercest protector. 

Michael Goddamn Bradley who goes through great lengths to help Ava even at the expense of his own pain and suffering which puts him at odds with his own family. Fear My Mortality is a fast-paced, action packed, twisted sort of story that is filled with situations where Ava can't sit around tweeting about how badly she's been treated and why. She makes choices and even though they lead to thrilling chase scene at the end, she doesn't turn back and give up.

It should be obvious now that I have little or no regrets about reading this book. I found only minor issues with the story, certain lags, but overall this story is brilliant and enjoyable. I am definitely all in when it comes to reading the sequel.

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