{Review} Bind the Soul (Steel & Stone #2) by Annette Marie

Posted by Melanie
Release Date: January 9th, 2015
Finished Date: February 22nd, 2015

Publishers: Self Published
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Romance
Source: For Review
Format: eBook

Pages: 304

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US 

The most important rule for an Apprentice Consul is simple: Don't get involved with daemons. Well, Piper is planning to break that rule — big time.

After a near-deadly scandal with the Sahar Stone, she has the chance to return to the only life she's ever wanted. All she has to do to keep her Apprenticeship is forget about Ash and Lyre. Ash might be enigmatic and notoriously lethal, and Lyre might be as sinfully irresistible as he is irritating, but they’re not bad for a couple of daemons.

There's just one problem: Ash is missing.

Really, she shouldn't risk her future for him. He lied. He betrayed her. But he also saved her life, damn it. Wherever he is, he's in trouble, and if she doesn't save his sorry butt, who will? But with every dangerous secret she unravels, each one darker than the last, she slips deeper into Ash's world — a world with no escape for either of them.

BIND THE SOUL is the second book in the Steel & Stone series.

The Review: BIND THE SOUL is the second book in the Steel & Stone series.
Wow, wow, wow! What a sequel this was! I loved it!
The story had it all – danger, action, battles, magic and a nice dash of romance. Piper is again thrust into the thick of things when she decides to go hunting for Ash with Lyre. Ash has been missing for a while following the showdown from book one, we know he went back to Asphodel and back to Samael but Piper isn’t convinced he is there willingly and unharmed. Piper and Lyre end up jumping through hoops for any information that they can get leading Piper on a slippery slope with her father and her position as Apprentice Consul. In the quest for that information, she must turn to Micah who leaves her with more to chew on than what she needed to know and just when they finally think they are getting somewhere…. She is kidnapped, Somehow, Samael knows that she can wield the stone and he wants her to unlock it for him but Piper hasn’t got a clue how she came to use it and Samael wants that information and will use any means to get it – giving Piper and insight to the control he holds over Ash. It’s during this time that Piper gets to grips with something that will help her, to help Ash but to do that… she needs to unravel a few secrets first before all hell breaks loose.
Piper really developed throughout this story, she was more willing to take risks, she did not let fear rule her, she sacrificed herself for those she believed in and she really got to grips with the stone. In this you can truly see her as a leader and along with her friends - could change the world that they inhabit. I loved how things progressed with her and Ash, although it does take a while. They aren’t in a definite relationship but you can tell their feelings are becoming deeper with the life threatening situations they share, they have bonded on a level most people would never feel and I think it’s perfect for them and especially Ash because he is so intense. You can tell that their bond will become something amazing and not easily broken because Piper really steps up and shows her loyalty and determination. I still feel that Lyre is holding a torch for Piper but the connection to Ash is way deeper and as a reader I have definitely been drawn to Piper and Ash.
The storyline takes place a few weeks after book one and it doesn’t take long before Piper is faced with more danger. There are multiple people after her for one thing or another so it feels like she will never be safe. I loved the story progression in this, the first part of the book had that UF feel as we see Piper and Lyre gathering information from dubious sources, making deals they really shouldn’t and getting blindsided by others agendas….. That’s without lethal Raum tracking her for Samael and it’s a good job she gets captured - because it puts her right where she needs to be and really puts her in the enemies hands and out of her comfort zone. This in turn gave the book a more fantasy feel and brought some amazing fight scenes and action that took my breath away, Piper really impressed me here and we meet a few new characters along the way. It’s not all plain sailing though because war is coming and it will be over the Sahar stone and the one who can wield it…..Piper. The latter part of the book again is filled with action, some truly wonderful scenes to read about and I was astounded by it all, the author has done an amazing job of bringing this world and its characters to life and I was sucked into the story from the very start. It has everything I love in a book of this genre and it literally kept me gripped to the story, I was so engrossed with what was going on and hoping it would never end….. but it did…. And now I want more! You NEED to read this series, which is all I can say. 

{Review} Chase the Dark (Steel & Stone #1) by Annette Marie

Posted by Melanie 
Release Date: October 17th, 2014
Finished Date: January 10th, 2015

Publishers: Self Published
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Romance
Source: For Review
Format: Kindle

Pages: 302

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US 

Piper Griffiths wants one thing in life: To become a Consul, a keeper of the peace between humans and daemons. There are precisely three obstacles in her way.

The first is Lyre. Incubus. Hotter than hell and with a wicked streak to match. His greatest mission in life is to get Piper — plus every other female in a ten mile radius — into bed, and when not actively working on that, he’s annoying the crap out of her.

The second is Ash. Draconian. Powerful. Dangerous. Scarier than most people's worst nightmares. He knows too much and reveals nothing. Also, disturbingly attractive — and scary. Did she mention scary?

The third is the Sahar Stone. Top secret magical weapon of mass destruction. Previously hidden in her Consulate until thieves broke in, went on a murder spree, and disappeared with the weapon.

And they left Piper to take the fall for their crimes.

Now she’s on the run, her dreams of becoming a Consul shattered and every daemon in the city gunning to kill her for something she didn’t actually steal. She’s dead on her own, but there’s no one she can trust to help her—no one except two entirely untrustworthy daemons.

...See problems one and two.

The Review: I absolutely loved this book, in my opinion it was YA perfection!
The character of Piper drew me in straight away, as did the mysterious demon duo of Lyre & Ash as we join all three in a battle against time to prove their innocence, save Piper’s father and keep the coveted Sahar Stone out of the wrong hands.
The story got off to an action packed start and that action did not stop throughout the book giving me a thrill of a read. Piper is special, she is the only female to survive being born with two Haemon parents, the cost of this is that she has no magic. Piper more than compensates for this as she trains to become a member of the Consul and is well equipped to defend herself. That is until her whole life is turned upside down and she has to put her trust in an Incubus – Lyre – and a Draconian – Ash which begins not only an amazing story but also a very tentative love triangle. I know what you all think – urgh love triangles – I’m not a fan of them myself but it was nicely done here and no one is falling madly in love right now, it was the stirring of feelings between these young people thrust into life threatening situations. Lyre is the happy go lucky, fun character with his flirtatious banter that no one can resist but Piper so that leaves Ash who of course, is the bad boy, constantly brooding, sure of himself, alpha in the making but there’s just something about him that draws you in and makes you want to know more. I like both of these options for her, I’m leaning towards one but would be happy with either at this point.
Now, it’s not all about the romance….in fact that’s just a tiny smidgen of the content of this book but believe me the storyline is awesome! We have a magical world filled with lots of different magical people – Haemons (part daemon/part human) who possess magic, humans and Daemons that come in all shapes and forms. There is a sort of Heaven and Hell but they are known as the Overworld and Underworld that don’t necessarily equate to good and evil, there is a lot of enemies on all sides – daemons against daemons, humans against daemons, Haemons against daemons, and daemons against everyone else- so there is a lot of room for conflict but this story focuses on the Sahar Stone, Piper has it and everyone wants it – meaning that she is constantly running & fighting for her life and to protect the stone throughout the book. Multiple enemies are doing all they can to capture Piper leading her into perilous situations where she is forced to fight for her life without any magic (she doesn’t have any). It isn’t all cut and dried though because there are plenty of twists and turns to keep everyone on their toes, the book full of action and the story at a great pace – I could not put it down! It had everything I want to read in a UF – action, great characters, awesome world building, diverse species, secrets and lies, twists and turns and a smidge of romance…. Now I want more! 

Thank you to Annette Marie & NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review.