Review: Betrayed by Ednah Walters

Title: Betrayed
Series: The Guardian Legacy #2
Author: Ednah Walters | Author Website
Available: Now
Genre: Fantasy
Reading Level: YA


Possible spoilers for book 1 in this review








Description via Goodreads:


Lil has come to terms with her life as a Guardian/demon hunter and the wielder of the Nephilim most powerful weapon-the Kris Dagger. She trains everyday to master her growing powers, gets along with her Guardian trainee friends, most of the time, and cherishes the time she spends with her human friends. 

Just when she feels she belongs, her nature-bender father contacts her and warns her about a betrayal by someone close to her. Then Bran, the boy she loves, starts to act strange and one of her human friends acquires a supernatural ability. While Lil struggles find a connection between these three things, she begins to realize that someone is manipulating her and will stop at nothing, including hurting those she loves, to lure her to the dark side.


My thoughts:


Betrayed jumps back into the action with the Cardinal Guardian trainees we met in Awakened (read my review here). Lil, who had to deal with her entire life being turned upside down in Awakened, really seems to have things together at the start of Betrayed. Then she receives a cryptic phone call from her demonic father that leaves her wondering if someone she thought she could trust is actually betraying her.


I was so excited to catch up with Lil and all her friends. I really liked Lil from the first time I met her in Awakened, and I have thoroughly enjoyed watching her character grow and mature over the course of this series. Things with boyfriend Bran are rocky at times during Betrayed, but without getting super angsty. I love that Lil doesn’t take his crap and almost always stands up for herself. I also couldn’t get enough when it came to her interactions with fellow trainee, Sykes. He is probably my favorite character in this series. His attitude and sense of humor makes it difficult to not become smitten by him


The world Ednah Walters has created is so cool! I dug the diverse group of demon bad guys sent to face off with Lil and her crew. The characters battling it out with a variety of demons, each with unique strengths and weaknesses, really helped to keep the action sequences from becoming redundant. One of my favorite things about Awakened was all the super cool powers the characters possessed. In Betrayed those powers have become even stronger, and I was really digging how kick ass this made all the characters when they fought the previously mentioned demons. As for Lil’s powers, you don’t want to miss out on how they’re evolving. She is definitely a force to be reckoned with. Betrayed contains loads of action and battles that will have readers on the edge of their seats. This made for a very quick moving pace that worked perfectly for the story. 


There is more to this series than just fierce fights and demon hunting. Lil and Bran have such an intense connection. It was disheartening seeing them argue and bicker during Betrayed. Everyone was so stressed about finding  the mysterious list and it showed. Bran’s behavior was also a little shady at times and definitely had me doubting his intentions. Bran’s shadiness was one of the key elements that kept me reading. I was dying to discover what the boy was up to and hoping he wasn’t the one betraying the lovely Lil.


If you’re into stories of the good guys and the bad guys battling it out (and don’t mind a little romance with your action), I really suggest you give this series a try!

My Rating:

Books in this series:

This series is also available in e-book!

Awakened (The Guardian Legacy)

Betrayed (The Guardian Legacy)

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Review: Lemniscate by Jennifer Murgia

Title: Lemniscate
Series: Angel Star #2
Author: Jennifer Murgia | Author Website
Available: Now
Reading Level: Young Adult




*Possible spoilers for Angel Star below*






Description via Goodreads:


For Teagan, these last few months have been heaven on earth- especially now that Garreth, her boyfriend and guardian angel, is earthbound. But perhaps Garreth is becoming a little more human than either of them expected.

Now, Teagan must realize that her world is once again about to shift, as she questions the faith she held in others against those once considered enemies.

In this continuation of Angel Star, Lemniscate will draw you even deeper into the world of dark and light as Teagan realizes the angel who could possibly save them all is the one angel she feared the most.


My thoughts:


Lemniscate picks up months after Angel Star’s dramatic ending. Teagan is thrilled to have her guardian earth bound and with her. When guardian, Garreth, starts to make some very human mistakes and in turn pulls away from Teagan, she isn’t sure what to do. She is also struggling with her mom’s new relationship. Pulled between the desire to be happy for her, and the fears of what changes this will cause to her life especially the fact that this means spending more time with one of her worst enemies. Nothing is simple for Teagan in this book. While dealing with normal issues faced by teens she also must fight forces of evil. 


I could not wait to read Lemniscate after falling in love with the world and characters in Angel Star. Jennifer Murgia has a knack for creating characters with so much depth and heart. Her take on heaven and hell is absolutely fascinating and not to be missed. Teagan is such a selfless character, and she proves this again and again over the course of Lemniscate. I adore her! 


I found the plot to be a little more angsty than book one, but it worked. Teagan acted like you’d expect any teen girl who is balancing boy and family woes to behave. I love that she had all of this happening, but still managed to maintain a respectful attitude when it came to her mother. The few times Teagan let her emotions get the best of her she felt awful after for not being nicer to her mom. I truly love the normalcy this mother and daughter relationship exudes. 


Lemniscate also seemed to be heavier on the action. Bad guys are after Teagan once again and she’ll have to figure out how her new mark factors into the danger she seems to attract. This worked well for the pacing, and I found I’d flown through this story in the matter of hours. It grabbed my attention on page one and never let go. The ending left me with several questions including one BIG question. I won’t divulge what that question is, but I can say I’m fiending for the next book in this series like you wouldn’t believe.


If you haven’t tried this series you really must. It is truly a breath of fresh air. I can’t wait to see where Teagan takes us next!

My Rating:

Stop by tomorrow to read my interview with Jennifer Murgia!

Books in this series:

Source: Purchased by me!

Review: Awakened by Ednah Walters

Title: Awakened
Series: The Guardian Legacy #1
Author: Ednah Walters
Available: Now


4 out of 5 Stars












Description from Goodreads:


Most teens turn sixteen and get the license to drive, Lil Falcon gets the license to kill demons, but no one told her she is not supposed to fall in love with one. 

Orphaned as a child and raised by an eccentric grandfather, Lil is concerned with surviving high school and is unaware she's a Guardian—a being with super powers charged with killing demons and protecting humanity. But when she meets Bran, a mysterious boy with amazing abilities, his psi energy unlocks her latent powers. 

But Bran has a secret that can destroy their growing relationship. He's part demon. But in her heart, Lil knows Bran is not evil. So when her grandfather is kidnapped by a powerful nature-bender and Bran is the only one who knows where he's being kept, Lil convinces the other Guardians to trust him, not knowing her grandfather is just the bait. And the truth that she discovers in the demonic enclave may just destroy everything she believes in, unless she makes the right choice—love and sacrifice.


My thoughts:


Celebrating her Sweet 16 brought more changes to Lil’s life than she ever could have fathomed. Suddenly she is hearing voices, and can cause wild storms just by getting a little emotional. She soon discovers she is a Guardian, and the one boy she can’t stop thinking about just might be her enemy.


This is a great book! The action was practically non-stop. The world it took place in was very intriguing. Guardians are teleporting all over the world to stop demons from inciting chaos. Most natural disasters can be blamed on demons with control over the elements. Then there is the whole throwing energy ball business. So cool!


The characters were fun and engaging. Lil was just the right mix of sweet and sassy. I loved how easily she handled all the changes in her life, and the secrets that kept on emerging. She wasn’t afraid to stand up for herself, and wasn’t about to forget who she really was while adapting to her new life as a Guardian. She’s a strong female protag, which I always find impressive. Bran is definitely at heartthrob status. I loved the chemistry between those two, and the eventual reveal of why they feel what they feel (insert dreamy sigh here). Nothing like forbidden love to really stir things up. A strong start to what I feel will be a fantastic series. 


Found yourself effected by the Angel mania sweeping Young Adult literature? Enjoy a tale of Good vs. Evil? If so, I highly recommend adding Awakened to your must read list.

Ednah Walter on the web:

Website | Blog | Twitter

Order from Amazon:

Awakened (Book One of the Guardian Legacy)


Awakened Trailer:

Source: Received from author in exchange for my honest review.