Home of the Alpha Showdown, and one-stop shop for urban fantasy, paranormal romance and fantasy news and reviews.
Arcana Rising (Arcana Chronicles #4) Kresley Cole Published: Aug. 15, 2016 (Valkyrie Press) Purchase: Book Depository or Amazon Review Source: Purchased Reviewed by: Chelsea Rating (out of 5): 4.5 Stars Note: While this review will be spoiler free, it assumes you’re familiar with the characters and the story up to this point. If you haven’t dived into the Arcana Chronicles, we highly recommend it. Start... 
Day Zero (Arcana Chronicles #3.5) Kresley Cole Published: Aug. 1, 2016 (Valkyrie Press) Purchase: Book Depository or Amazon Review source: purchased Reviewed by: Jenn Rating (out of 5): 5 stars Note: This review will be spoiler free, but does assume you’ve read the other Arcana Chronicle books. If you haven’t, you should! Check out our review of Poison Princess. I love the Arcana Chronicles, it’s truly... 
True Born (True Born Trilogy #1) L.E. Sterling Published: May 3, 2016 (Entangled: Teen) Purchase: Book Depository or Amazon Review source: copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review Reviewed by: Amy Rating (out of 5): 3 stars The Plague was not born out of the recesses of disease; it’s something that is in our very DNA. Growing slowly at first, it soon evolved, attacking us from the... 
The Glittering Court (The Glittering Court #1) Richelle Mead Published: April 5, 2016 (Razorbill) Purchase: Book Depository or Amazon Review source: purchased Reviewed by: Amy Rating (out of 5): 2.5 stars Just as a precursor to this review, it’s with a heavy heart that I give a book by Richelle Mead a measly 2.5 stars which—egads!—I still feel might be rather generous. Still, upon research, there’s a... 
Yesterday we told you how much VBC’s Amy liked Rebecca Zanetti’s Mercury Striking. The post-apocalyptic novel blends romantic suspense with dystopia, and that, my friends, is our jam. It’s the first book in the Scorpius Syndrome series, it releases next Tuesday, and we want you to read it. While the guaranteed path is to just pre-order the book right now (you can go to Amazon, we’ll wait), we also have an... 
The Scorpion Rules (Prisoners of Peace #1) Erin Bow Published: Sept. 22, 2015 (Margaret K. McElderry Books) Purchase: Book Depository or Amazon Review Source: copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review Reviewed by: Amy Rating (out of 5): 2.5 stars After the world goes through a climate shift the entirety of the earth’s landscape changed. Of course this caused displacement within the... 
The Stars Never Rise (Stars Never Rise #1) Rachel Vincent Published: June 9, 2015 (Delacorte Press) Purchase: Book Depository or Amazon Review source: Library Reviewed by: Amy Rating (out of 5): 4 stars In The Stars Never Rise the country has been decimated by demons. While demons have not been completely annihilated, anyone who managed to survive live in cities behind walls—cities that are controlled... 
As we edge toward the end of July, I’m eager for new, fresh reads. Also, I’ve been sick this month, and for some reason that always puts me in a bit of a reading funk. My tastes change and I want something entirely different. I flit from genre to genre when I’m feverish, apparently. In the event the general sweltering-ness of summer has you craving a refreshing read, I snagged a little something to help.... 
Rook Sharon Cameron Published: April 28, 2015 (Scholastic) Purchase: Book Depository or Amazon Review source: copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review Reviewed by: Amy Rating (out of 5): 4.5 stars After the Great Death occurred in the Time Before and the use of technology was outlawed and punishable by death, the Red Rook becomes a form of salvation for those awaiting their turn under... 
The Glass Arrow Kristen Simmons Published: Feb. 10, 2015 (Tor Teen) Purchase: Book Depository or Amazon Review Source: purchased Reviewed by: Amy Rating (out of 5): 4 stars In the future, women are viewed as commodities. Their value is based on their breeding ability. They are kept in confined areas where they are primped and pampered in order to sell to the highest bidder. If they prove to be of value... 
