Review: Hexbound by Chloe Neill

Title: Hexbound
Author: Chloe Neill
Series: Dark Elite #2
Genre: YA
Release Date: January 4, 2011
Publisher: Signet
Edition: Mass Market Paperback
Source: Publisher
Blurb:

They say absolute power corrupts absolutely. Turns out, even a little magic can turn you to the dark side. That’s why Lily has to learn how to control her newly discovered paranormal abilities, on top of avoiding the snobs who think they run her school, nursing a crush on a cute sophomore with a big, werewolf-y secret, and fighting the good fight with her best friend Scout as they take on Chicago’s nastiest nightlife—including the tainted magic users known as Reapers.

Then Lily’s invited to a private meeting with Sebastian. He’s hot, powerful, and offering to help her harness the magic flowing in her veins in a way no one else can. He’s also a Reaper. Lily can’t hide her suspicions. But she’ll soon find out that the line between good and evil isn’t always clear…

Those people that enjoyed Firespell will love this entry. The friendship between Lily and Scout is as strong as ever, they are partners in crime and best friends. Lily has to learn how to use her newly found ability and it was interesting seeing her "play" with her powers and watching her accept help from a very intriguing enemy. One of the most important things that happen in this book is that Lily realizes that things aren't as black and white as she has always thought.

Sebastian has become one of my favourite characters, he's a Reaper but at the end of the book I wasn't really sure if he was evil or not. I wish the author could have explored more the connection between Lily and Sebastian and I really hope she writes more about him in the next book.

As for Jason, we finally discover what his secret was. The truth is that I expected more: more information about the werewolves, more reaction on Lily's part and more explanations from Jason. On the positive side, I love the sweet relationship the have.

The thing I had more problems was the plot. The beginning of the book isn't very fast, and we keep getting information little by little only to solve all the issues in the last 20 pages, and even then there wasn't much of a resolution.

Anyway, this is a short and fast read, perfect for those who enjoyed the previous book. I really hope we get some solid answers in the next book.


Memorable Lines:
Scout snorted and crossed one ankle over the other, her shoes glinting in the sunlight.
“And now I know why I keep finding glitter on my bedroom floor.”
“Whatever. My shoes do not shed.”
I gave her a dubious look.
“Seriously. That’s just . . . um . . . horn dust from the unicorns that braid your hair while you sleep.”

Previous Book:
1. Firespell - Review

Next Book:
3. TBD (2012)

Rating:

Interview: Chloe Neill + Giveaway

Today, Fiction Kingdom is having it's first interview. Our first guest is Chloe Neill.

Hi Chloe, thanks for being here today.

Hi, Arantza! Thanks for having me!

- Do you have a specific time & place for writing?

I have a day job, so I usually write in the evenings before bed, usually in bed with my laptop while the dogs settle
down.

- What do you do when you need to disconnect from writing the books?

I stop writing altogether! After I've finished a deadline, I'll usually spend a month or two not writing at all. I find I
really need the time to do something else--return to the world, I guess.

- What project are you working on right now? Can you give us a few details?

I'm about to start editing HEXBOUND, the second book in my Dark Elite series. It's a really fun novel with a lot of fun "DIY" magic, and it will be released in January 2011. I'm also writing the fourth book in my Chicagoland Vampires series, which will probably be released in July 2011.

- Since Merit was changed into a vampire in Book 1 her friendship with Mallory has seen a few rocky moments. How is that going to affect their friendship? Are they going to have more problems now that Merit is living with the vampires?

I think all the character are learning to evolve and adapt because of their circumstances. Becoming a vampire--and one of Ethan's vampires--has definitely been a big change for Merit. Mallory has her magic to deal with, as well as Catcher, who's a handful on his own. I certainly hope that they can learn to work through the big changes in their lives and maintain their relationship.

- One of my favourite characters has always been Jeff. Are we going to find out more about him in Book 3?

Thanks! I love Jeff, as well. We might, possibly, meet Jeff's love interest in TWICE BITTEN. But that's all I'm saying! :)

- In the first 2 books shapeshifters were only mention (apart from Jeff). Is that because vampires and shapeshifters don't get along? Or maybe the vampires don't care about them?

Vamps and shifters didn't get along, due to some events in their past. But they also have very different attitudes about the world; vamps are very political, and shifters don't like politics. Vampires think shifters are lazy, and shifters think vampires are drama queens. But changing circumstances sometimes require enemies to rethink their positions.

- What can you tell is about Gabriel Keene, the shapeshifter leader?

He's tall, handsome, devoted to his wife, and very much an alpha male. :)

- There is a big difference between Merit's grandfather and the rest of her family. Is there a familial conflict in the horizon?

Where Chuck and Joshua Merit are concerned, there's always a conflict on the horizon. But as events escalate in Chicago, I think we'll definitely see them come to a head.

- After reading the books, everyone seems to choose a favourite between Catcher and Ethan (I personally prefer Jeff). Why do you think they're so popular?

Personally, I like Catcher because he's very confident in who and what he is, and while he definitely has a sense of humor, he's not going to change himself for anyone. Ethan, although he's sometimes an insensitive lout, has a very strong sense of protection for his vampires. He must learn, of course, how to deal with his affections for one particular vampire. We'll see if he can rise to the challenge.

- Is Celina going to give trouble soon?

Absolutely. We spend a lot of time in TWICE BITTEN learning about shifters, but trouble is definitely on the horizon, and Celina's right in the middle of it.

- Have we seen the end of Merit's relationship with Morgan? Is he going to fight for her?

Oooh, definitely can't answer that one. Folks will have to read TWICE BITTEN to find out!

Thanks so much for having me today!


Thanks again to Chloe for being here today.

Twice Bitten it's the 3rd book of the Chicagonland Vampires series and will be released on July 6th.

She's also giving away a swag pack of Twice Bitten to a commenter.
All you have to do is comment on this post.
Want an extra entry? Then follow this blog and/or tweet about the interview (leave a link on your comment).

I'll announce the winner this sunday, June 13th.
US/ Canada Only

Review: Firespell by Chloe Neill

Title: Firespell
Author: Chloe Neill
Series: Dark Elite #1
Genre: YA
Release Date: January 5th 2010
Blurb:
As the new girl at the elite St. Sophia’s boarding school, Lily Parker thinks her classmates are the most monstrous things she’ll have to face…



When Lily’s guardians decided to send her away to a fancy boarding school in Chicago, she was shocked. So was St. Sophia’s. Lily’s ultra-rich brat pack classmates think Lily should be the punchline to every joke, and on top of that, she’s hearing strange noises and seeing bizarre things in the shadows of the creepy building.



The only thing keeping her sane is her roommate, Scout, but even Scout’s a little weird—she keeps disappearing late at night and won’t tell Lily where she’s been. But when a prank leaves Lily trapped in the catacombs beneath the school, Lily finds Scout running from a real monster.



Scout’s a member of a splinter group of rebel teens with unique magical talents, who’ve sworn to protect the city against demons, vampires, and Reapers, magic users who’ve been corrupted by their power. And when Lily finds herself in the line of a firespell, Scout tells her the truth about her secret life, even though Lily has no powers of her own—at least none that she’s discovered yet…




I really liked Lily since the beginning. She's smart, loyal and a little bit reckless. She tries the best she can at her new school, even though things aren't going so well.
At the beginning Scout is a bit of a loner, but she makes fast friends with Lily, even though she's keeping secrets from her. It was really interesting seeing the relationship both girls have with their parents and how they progress, especially the one with Lily and her folks.

We also get introduced to Michael and Jason. They are both the love interests of Scout and Lily respectively. Appart of that, they're part of the same secret group as Scout. The girls have another roomate, Lesley, and I have to say that I felt sorry for her. She tries so hard to make friends with them, but they're always too busy.

The beginning was a little slow, then at the middle of the book we get dumped with a whole lot of information and then all the action happens in the last chapters. I wished all of it could had been better distributed.

The mystery starts in this book and I really hope it keeps going forward in the next one. This was a good start of a promising series.

Memorable Lines:

"Do you have his number?" Scout asked, reaching around for her messenger bag. "I could give it to you."

Veronica practically growled, then turned on her heel and headed for the cafeteria door. Mary Katherine, lip wrinkled in disgust, followed her. Amie looked vaguely apologetic about the outburst, but that didn't stop her from turning tail and following, too.

"Nicely done," I complimented.

"Mmm-hmm," Scout said, straightening in her chair again. "See what I mean? TBD."

I lifted my eyebrows. "TBD?"

"Total brat drama," she said. "TBD is way too much drama for me, especially at seven thirty in the morning."


Next Book:
Hexbound - January 20th 2011


Rating: