One Was Lost by Natalie D. Richards

Damaged. Deceptive. Dangerous. Darling. Are they labels or a warning? The answer could cost Sera everything.

Murder, justice, and revenge were so not a part of the plan when Sera set out on her senior camping trip. After all, hiking through the woods is supposed to be safe and uneventful.

Then one morning the group wakes up groggy, confused, and with words scrawled on their wrists: Damaged. Deceptive. Dangerous. Darling. Their supplies? Destroyed. Half their group? Gone. Their chaperone? Unconscious. Worst of all, they find four dolls acting out a murder—dolls dressed just like them.

Suddenly it's clear; they're being hunted. And with the only positive word on her wrist, Sera falls under suspicion…  

My review:
First, thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

I love this book! It's the closest thing to horror I've ever read. It was more mystery thriller but I could totally see this being a horror movie.
The main character is really well developed. Sera has a lot of struggles from her past that effect her throughout the book. She's scared of becoming like her mother.
Then there's Lucas. Everyone thinks he's dangerous because of an accident that happened before. And Sera is trying to stay away... pretty unsuccessfully.
Emily is an amazing character. She has emotional baggage as well and throughout the book we get to see her come out of her little shell.
Jude is a stuck up rich kid. He's private and... deceptive. But he also undergoes a change during the book that leaves him less of a jerk.

I love how this book has many underlying themes. It's not just about a creepy stalker. It's about finding yourself and about judging people based on appearances.

The book is written in First Present Tense it feels like you're there with Sera; experiencing everything with her. It was a brilliant choice for this type of book.

My favorite part has to be the romantic tension between Lucas and Sera. I wont give to much away but there's defiantly a past between the two. It makes for some pretty great encounters and for some much needed sass in the book. And knowing me I LOVE MY SASS! Percy Jackson, Leo Valdez, Daniel Wing... I live for sassy characters.

Overall I loved this book and will defiantly keep my eye out for this author in the future. 

The Red Sun and Kalifus Rising by Alane Adams

Sam Baron just freed Orkney from the ravages of the Red Sun—but now, imprisoned by Catriona, leader of the Volgrim Witches, Sam finds the darker side of his half-god, half-witch heritage released, and he fears he might destroy what he saved. Unable to resist the witches' enchantments, Sam has become their most potent weapon, and is leading an army of monstrous men against Skara Brae.

Sam’s only hope for salvation lies with his three best friends and a mystical artifact known as the Moon Pearl. Keely travels north in search of the pearl, while Howie prepares for the gathering onslaught. Leo seeks a powerful artifact in the underworld, and faces an ancient evil that could be an even greater threat than Catriona and her cronies.

As Sam's friends rush to save him, other forces are at work in Orkney's shadows—forces that could help free Sam, or condemn him to the darkness forever. 

Rating: 4 out of 5
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ACR of Kalifus Rising.

I love this book. I'm a huge sucker for mythology, it's why I love Percy Jackson so much. This is the only book I've read based on Norse mythology and I have to say I'm hooked.

I should probably start with The Red Sun. I loved the idea behind it but this book didn't really enthrall me. This one is more of a 3 out of 5. I'm a big sucker for romance. It's one of the top things that I love about a book, but there wasn't any romance at all in this book!

I love the characters though. You have the main protagonist, Sam Baron. He stands up to the bullies and is friends with the outcasts. He's basically you're average protagonist and even though it's typical I love it. He does have one thing going for him though. He has a humongous temper, he gets blackout angry.

Then you have Howie, the kid that gets picked on. Howie is super sweet and has a huge heart. He's Sam's best friend and they always stick up for one another.

Then there's Keely. I love Keely. She's a book work and super smart. not only does she help Sam through the whole son of Odin thing but she has her own demons from her past haunting her. She's not just a sideline character, she has her own story as well, and it's something I love about her.

And last but not least, Leo. The Umatilla warrior. He's brave and loyal and defends his friends no matter the danger.

I felt like this book was a lot like Percy Jackson but wasn't exactly the same and I really enjoyed that.

Now Kalifus Rising... was fantastic! We meet new people like Theo and yes the author added Loki to the mix.

The characters really branched out from the first book. They all got there own quests and they all go there separate directions. Now the books aren't just about Sam, the other three are just as important, they have all been elevated to the same status as Sam.

Leo, Howie and Keely are all brought back to Orkney where they are deemed Odin's chosen one's.

Howie is Protector of Orkney. Everyone finds this hilarious and unbelievable because he's the scrawny kid who couldn't hurt a fly if he tried. Howie does grow up in the book though. You get to see him gain new skills and maturity without loosing his sense of humor, which I love.

Keely is The Seeker. Her quest is to find a moon pearl... in dangerous, harsh wintery weather. She's forced to deal with the demons of her past, and her new hair is amazing I might add. Did I mention she has magic now... Moving on!

Leo is The Sacrifice. he also seems to be the only one that doesn't like the role he's been put in. If it was me I would love to be the Sacrifice... just kidding... it sounds terrifying. But who better to face a terrifying task then the brave Umatilla warrior.

What I really love about this book is that Sam gets captured by the Witches and is unable to fend off their magic and his own dark magic pooling inside him. We actually get to have a bad protagonist for once! I love how the author portrayed his struggle to fight the dark and how she made the choice for him to give in. Most of the time they fight the darkness successfully but here we get to witness an author going against the status quo.

I love this book series and highly recommend it! Can't wait for the next book!