Nocturnal Predators Reviews

* I received an eARC of this novel via Netgalley. This has not influenced my review.

This is the book I've been waiting over 6 years for and it was oh so very worth it! If I thought the last book in this series was action-packed this one took it to a whole new level. Things were happening one right after the other! There were times where I found myself holding my breath and bracing for the worst. The writing carried this story so well! I went through so many ups and downs. This book made me a blubbering mess and I loved it SO much!

I don't even know what to say about the characters at this point. Dez and Kale are so good together but the world keeps dropping bombs on their precious relationship and their family. Considering they stood the test of time throughout this series I'm pretty sure they have a great future ahead of them.

Brandt stood out to me this time around. I adored the revelations by the almost end of the book. It all made sense! I was so happy and yet sad for the decisions that had to be made that involved Dez and Brandt, Kale and so many more.

Considering the open-ended ending I'd love to see Brandt continue with this series from his perspective. I'd also love to see an end to Denazen. Like, burn it down to the ground and dance on its ashes type of deal. I'd also love for a certain not-a-sister to die a permanent death. Though I have a feeling that if we get another book in this series she's probably going to play a big part as the bad guy because I really don't want to see her "reformed". Her rightful place is in a ditch because of everything she did or helped do to Kale and Dez.

My Favorite Quotes:

"The bond we had came along once every ten lifetimes."

"The truth didn't always set you free. Sometimes it made you a prisoner, chained to an idea that would never become a reality."

"Monsters weren't generally born. They were created."

This series just keeps getting better and better as the books progress! This was the most action-packed book in the series so far. I was on the edge of my seat for 90% of it. There were very few moments where it felt safe to take a deep breath and know that things were going to be ok. The writing was also amazing where the overall pace of the story is concerned.

My heart broke for Dez with the ending of the last book. This book, however, started off with a bang. It was so good yet so heartwrenching! I liked how determined Dez was to get things back to how they were. I loved how she never gave up and fought for Kale despite the circumstances.

Kale just does not have much luck where this series is concerned. He's been dealt a bad hand in life with a sprinkling here and there of good. He'll never be the old Kale but maybe new Kale is going to be even better. My heart just breaks for the circumstances he's in.

I almost take back what I said about Alex. He was also dealt a terrible hand in this book and I kind of, sort of feel for him. It doesn't excuse what he's done and said in the past but now it's kind of a moot point.

The ending was mind-blowing considering I thought Ginger knew everything. Though I bet she knows but won't say because it'll affect things moving forward and she's learned her lesson due to someone in a past generation of hers. The revelation about Dez was also interesting and made total sense. Now I just need answers and for Kale and Dez and the rest of the sixes to have a chance at a better life.

My Favorite Quotes:

"He was sleeping beauty and I was the prince."

"Hope was a fragile and dangerous thing. It had the ability to build you up higher than the clouds - and then drop you."

"Whatever it was I did to steal your heart when we met, I'll do it again. I swear."

This novel was frustrating but still very worth it and so very good! The writing was fantastic in keeping a steady pace all the way to the cliffhanger ending. I'm so glad the next book is already out!

Dez was what I found frustrating throughout this novel. She did something big that went against her character's basic mold and it made reading this novel anger-inducing. I understand the rationale behind it and she even calls herself out on it in the novel but I still can't get over my frustration.

Kale is so self-sacrificing, sweet and naive yet he can turn into an elite assassin in 5 seconds flat. So you win some and you lose some, I guess? I disliked how Kale glued himself to Jade but I understand his naive motivations even though I didn't want to see it.

Throughout this novel I wanted SO much to have someone knock some sense and/or teeth out of Alex. Hindsight is 20/20 and whatnot but he needs to understand that Dez has moved on and back off. He did get a little better by the end though.

This novel started out with a bang and ended in a bang. Both events were mindblowing and unexpected but made for an amazing story! I'll be skipping the Brandt short story for now and probably come back to it when I finish this series because I NEED to know what happens next and how things start going right again for Kale and Dez, pretty please?

My Favorite Quotes:

"Sometimes love is painful."

"Destiny is not something to toy with. Things are what they are."

"Knowing you'll be okay is worth anything I could possibly go through. Please remember that."

My Favorite Quotes:

The Audio Book:

Unfortunately, this was the first book in this series where everything felt lukewarm until the very last chapter. That last chapter did SO much for this book and my heart. I'm so glad things got better though, but boy do I know how to pick em! I've been Team Erza since the beginning and I'm putting my foot down Annette Marie! You can't do that to Erza, you just CAN'T!

Tori was sassy as ever in this novel and I love to see how her fighting skills are improving little by little as each book gets released. Though in this novel we see her show more emotion than what is considered, at this point in the stories, normal for her. My heart was breaking right along with her because this is the moment I, as part of Team Erza, have been waiting 5 books for! Things just have to go right, they just have to!

The guys have been great companions to Tori in the magical world! I love how they each have distinct personalities and quirks. Though Aaron came off as a stuck up *ss in a few parts of this story I'm glad he was called out on his BS. Erza became a much bigger part of this story than I was anticipating and I'm both elated and terrified for the next novel.

The ending. Broke. My. Heart. We were finally getting to know Erza and things were starting to look up but then that happened and I refuse to let it come to pass. Tori has to find a way to work things out. Dare I say no matter the cost! I just need the audio book for the latest book in this series to become available already.

The Audio Book:

The narration was great as always! The voices and tones were good and distinct enough for me to not get lost in conversations between 3+ characters.

My Favorite Quotes:

"People are so impressionable, they can die of imagination."

"Nobody can make you feel inferior unless you let them."

"And I wish, most of all, to protect you, no matter the consequences."

This was everything I wanted and SO MUCH more! Jennifer has done it again! Her writing has come such a long way since I read the Lux series. She knows how to write long books and keep me interested the whole way through.

Luc is now my favorite of all the book boyfriends I've encountered over the last decade or so! He's sweet and caring with a possessive streak that rears it's ugly head when things become dire. I also love that he's not afraid of a little something called emotions and feelings. I know it sends shudders through almost every book boyfriend I've read about in the past too.

Evie has been dealt a really bad hand and it just keeps getting worse as time goes by. Luc is the star that lights her way because without him this would have probably not even started (read the book and this sentence will make sense, I promise!). It's a breath of fresh air when something happens to her and she doesn't keep it a secret from Luc and they work on resolving the problem together with their friends. Their communication skills were fantastic in this book.

The author has been very trigger-happy in this series and that scares me a little for future books. People are dying left and right: bad guys, good guys and everyone else in between has been fair game.

My only point of criticism is how these books are released. I would rather have the author work on and release one series at a time than have her working to 2+ series and release only one book per year in that series.

I truly don't know what to expect from this series in the following books (which will be a total of 5). I'm excited and optimistic that things are just going to keep getting bigger and better where the books are concerned. Though their adventure needs to span a total of 5 books so it'll probably be getting worse for the characters until we get to that last book.

The Audio Book:

The narration was fantastic! She has a nice range of male and female voices and I didn't get lost in the dialogue because voices sounded the same.

This book was a nice breath of fresh air! The world-building was good and I have a feeling that it's going to become more and more prominent as the series progresses. The writing style and overall pacing of the story were also very good.

Daria was an interesting character to get to know! It's been a few years since I've read about a healer and I had forgotten how fascinating the powers can be. I liked that the author brought together an everyday paranormal creature with a less known/recognizable one. Though let's all just say how annoyed I was with her at ditching her security for a meeting that was sketchy from the getgo.

Logan was also a breath of fresh air when it came to his emotions. I still get taken aback when a book has a hero that actually emotes and has the maturity to have a conversation that mentions *gulp* feelings of any kind. I liked how attentive and protective he was with Daria and the people she loved. He was such a sweet guy with a controlling streak when things got dire.

Logan's packmates stood out in the story, which is a strange sentence coming from the person that usually lets the background characters blur together when they're introduced one on top of the other. Each one had distinct personalities and abilities. I hope we eventually get to read their stories when they find their respective mates.

The ending was bittersweet and emotional! I understand that their respective lives must go on, but I just want them to be happy together. I can't wait for the next book in the series!

My Favorite Quotes:

"It may take a few years, five years, ten years ... h*ll, maybe even twenty years, by at some point in the future you'll be able to remember them without it choking you."

"I don't operate on luck."

This book started off very interesting! I love mythology-based stories, it gets even better when it's mentioned that one of the creatures that are part of this story are gargoyles. Having more obscure creatures be a big part of a story is amazing to see.

The writing style is a bit too descriptive for my taste but that was lessened by speeding up the audio narration. One thing the author does well is create tension and angst between Eve and Asher. There were some points where it could be cut with a hacksaw and it still would have taken some work. Though it got frustrating towards the end because it was never explained why they couldn't be a couple in the first place other than "that's a no-no".

Eve started off very innocent and sweet and I don't mean that as a compliment. There was bearly any spunk to her at all. Her friends dictated her life in terms of going out and "being social". Personally, I wanted her to have a bit more personality. When things started going it didn't get any better because everyone kept everything from her always. There were small tidbits here and there that she would overhear but it never made much sense because she didn't know any background on anything anyway. This trope of keeping the main character in the dark with the reader is one of the tropes that can go so wrong when not done properly. I think the story would have been better had this been executed better.

Asher was a mysterious and standoffish character that I disliked at first. His tender moments eventually overpowered his bad moments and I concluded that he was the lesser of two evils. It's implied that he's still keeping a big secret from Eve and I'm close to pulling my hair out in annoyance due to all the secrets making up this story. Can everyone ever get on the same page?!

I had an inkling that something was going to go wrong with their idiotic plan at the end. I wasn't surprised if I'm honest. Most of the girls Eve hung out with throughout the novel didn't really stand out to me. They all blurred into one, except the B with an itch whose name I don't care to remember (she can go die in a ditch somewhere for all she adds to the story).

The Audio Book:

I've seen a lot of criticism thrown this narrator's way and I have to disagree. I really enjoy her narrations! She has a good enough range where each character has a distinctive voice and accent, which means I don't get lost in conversations with 3+ people. Personally, she reads at a slower pace than I find comfortable so I fixed that by speeding the audio book up to x1.25. What we can take away from this narration is that taste is subjective and that's totally fine! Everything will not be for everyone!

This book was worth the time I waited for the audio book to release and SO much more! This is the kind of book I want to read all year round! It was suspenseful and action-packed with quirky characters who shouldn't fit together but still find a way to make it work!

Robin was such a good character! She's the last thing you expect when you think of a demon contractor but her dynamic with Zylas is incredible! I love that she's an introvert who has a hard time standing up for herself. Her love of baking is adorable and made my mouth water multiple times throughout the novel.

Zylas was an interesting and mysterious character. His motives are still up in the air but the author still found ways to showcase his soft spot for Robin. There were quite a few times that I found myself grinning like a fool during the audio book because of those scenes.

What I wouldn't give to be a fly on the wall of Annette Marie's mind right now! This was the best book to start the year off with! The universe this series is set in has proven itself to be fantastic and I can't wait for all the other books to come!

The Audio Book:

Cris Dukehart does a great job with the narration! I was surprised she even enunciated the alien language Zylas speaks. She seems to be expanding her range of female and male voices. I liked this audio book very much!

I wasn't expecting much from this book, yet it still managed to kind of bore me. The first 4 hours or so of this novel almost had me DNFing it. I'm glad I pushed through but I'm not sure I care enough about the characters to move onto the third and last book of this trilogy.

Reagan was only okay this time around. I still find myself liking her sense of humor but it's too played up and in your face. It's like she's waiting for a camera close up after a punchline in a sitcom so she can wink and the audience can laugh. She was as kick*ss as ever in this novel which is what keeps the story trudging along.

Darius is getting creepier and creepier with every novel that's gone by. He inserted himself in Reagan's life without her consent and even after she's told him to stop he's still in the same exact place. He a master at building these very perilous circumstances to pressure her into giving in to him or something bad with happen to both of them by external forces. He still rubs me the wrong way and I can't really defend him at this point.

The epilogue was eye-opening and intriguing but, like I've mentioned, I don't know if I'm invested enough in everything to pick up the next book. Only time will tell...

The Audio Book:

I adore Nicole Poole's narrations! She has an amazing vocal range for male and female voices with and without accents.

My Favorite Quotes:

My Favorite Quotes:

"Just because you can't relate doesn't mean they don't exist. You never know what hides beneath the façade of another human being."

This book made me realize something that I probably should have figured out while I was reading the Dark Elements series. My problem with those novels was always one character (Layla) and not the overall story because I ended up loving this novel. Even though it was more on the slow end of the spectrum it made for a fascinating journey!

The new heroine Trinity has a much better head on her shoulders. Maybe it's because she's 18 and more "mature". All I can tell you is that I gravitated towards her as a character. She fights for what she believes is the right choice, doesn't attract drama like the plague and *bonus* knows how to talk things out like an adult without whining or throwing a fit.

Zayn was very toned down from what I remember him being in the Dark Elements trilogy. Though that's probably my fault because I just couldn't take the drama Layla was causing and skipped the third book altogether. From what I pieced together from the information provided in this story I have a very vague idea of what happened to him and it makes that third book sound amazing, if only it weren't for Layla... Anyway, Zayn was very responsible and has matured quite well. He has a temper but is still respectful enough to let things go and converse about it later on.

Roth was a fantastic part of this book! Without Layla being present and the drama she brings with her, I really enjoy his personality! The more I think about it the more I realize that I disliked Layla not the story or the universe the author built in the Dark Elements series.

The twist at the end was like a knife twisting in my heart! Trinity and Zayn just found each other and now this happens. I want to know more about their protector bond and how they're going to deal with the consequences of having it and their possible blossoming relationship (maybe I'm being too hopeful!). Here's to a year-long wait!

The Audio Book:

I didn't dislike the narration but I think a different narrator should have been chosen. Lauren Fortgang has a decent range of male and female voices but she can only go so far. Roth's voice, in particular, was unfortunate and it felt like I was hearing her destroy her voice for an end product that was dubious at best.