Three-for-One Review: ETHEREAL,TREMBLE, and BURN (Celestra #1, 2), and 3) by Addison Moore

I've taken on the fun task of reading the entirety (so far) of Addison Moore's CELESTRA Series. So over the next few days, I will be posting three reviews of the books per post. Today, I have books one  two, and three: ETHEREAL, TREMBLE, and BURN.

Sixteen-year-old, Skyla Messenger is a dead girl walking. When her newly remarried mother moves the family to Paragon Island, to a house that is rumored to be haunted, Skyla finds refuge in Logan Oliver, a boy who shares her unique ability to read minds. Skyla discovers Logan holds the answers to the questions she’s been looking for, but Logan’s reluctance to give her the knowledge she desires leaves her believing Logan has a few secrets of his own. Skyla’s bloodlines may just be connected to the most powerful angelic beings that roam the earth, and the more she knows, the more danger she seems to be in. Suddenly an entire faction of earthbound angels wants her dead, at least she still has Logan, or does she?~From GoodReads

"It is that time in my life - a time for love and a time for death."

(ebook, 2%)

My blogging buddy, Autumn, has been telling me how awesome the CELESTRA series is for a while now. So I have to say, I had high expectations for the series. My expectations were blown away. I mean, really, there are so many angel series out there. And so often, they seem to fall a bit short in many readers' expectations. But ETHEREAL was wonderful.

What made it wonderful? For starters, the writing. Again, I had friends insisting I would love Skyla. And I really did. She's not a perfect heroine. She's real, and she's so darn funny. I love a character who can deliver the snark without being obnoxious.  I caught myself smiling as I read along. All the characters were fun to read. Their conversations were realistic and entertaining.

In addition to the character aspect, the story in ETHEREAL was great, as well. A lot of YA Paranormal books feel repetitive. But I never once had that "Oh, great. Not this old story again." feeling while reading ETHEREAL. While there are a lot of angel stories, I haven't read any with quite the same tone. Addison Moore's writing feels completely fresh and engaging.

Next topic: Logan and Gage. Many people began hounding me for my opinion as soon as I started reading. I kept thinking "Why are they asking me this already? I just started the book." But then, I started reading and I quickly realized why the fans are so passionate about these guys. Logan and Gage are both so endearing. I know a lot of readers, myself included, are wary of love triangles. And though this hasn't developed into a full-blown triangle yet, you know it's so going to happen. Love triangles get a bad rap because so often their not well-executed. But a love triangle done right, when both guys (or girls) are great choices, is a wonderful thing.

I'm highly impressed with ETHEREAL, and wildly excited to continue the series. The ending was a killer. As soon as I turned the last page, without a moment's hesitation, I opened up TREMBLE. And that says a lot for me.

Favorite Quote(s):

"Logan doesn't take his eyes off me. The intensity has returned to his face. His eyes seem to have garnered the ability to steal the light from the chandelier, cast it out at the world as though it were their own." (ebook,8%)

"It's an explosion of emotion when his lips connect with mine. A love song, and every glorious sunset I've ever seen all rolled into one. We write a poem with the dull ache of our passion."
(ebook, 57%)

Published March 26th 2011 by Addison Moore


You can purchase ETHEREAL at:
Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble

TREMBLE is the sequel to ETHEREAL (Celestra Series Book 1) Sixteen year-old, Skyla Messenger is determined to bring back the dead. For Skyla, being an angel from the coveted Celestra faction hasn't been easy. An entire band of wicked angels is after her blood, a Sector is after something far more sinister, and her newfound powers lead her on a quest to save her dead father. Skyla and her boyfriend Logan try to piece together a plan to take down the Countenance in order to maintain their relationship, but will Skyla's burgeoning feelings for Gage get in the way? And when Skyla decides to use her powerful blood to change the fate of another deceased soul, just who is going to stop her? ~From GoodReads

"Inevitably, we all die."

(ebook, 2%)

It is impossible for me to write a detailed review of TREMBLE without spoiling it! I want to dig into every little bit of the crazy, hot goodness that filled this book.  It was so much fun. TREMBLE took off in ways I never imagined. I thought the series would be this sweet story about a girl with angelic heritage and the boys who love her. Uh uh. Not even close. TREMBLE is insanity in the best way possible. There's action, crazy time-jumping, and swoony romance.

Skyla is still the same headstrong, cleverly sarcastic girl we meet in ETHEREAL. But she becomes a total powerhouse in TREMBLE. Now that she knows what's up, for the most part, she's determined to do whatever it takes to make things right in her world. She wants to save her dad, who's been dead for two years. She wants to learn more about Chloe, who's been dead almost a year. She wants to rid the world of the even Countenance faction, that's been around for millenia. It's a tall order to say the least. And Skyla, ready or not, considers herself up to the challenge.

And...the biggie: Logan and Gage. Wow. So much about this little love triangle should make me upset. But it doesn't and here's why. Both guys, up to this point, are a great match for Skyla. When Skyla was with Logan, I would think "Yes, this is exactly how it should be. Perfect." Then Skyla was with Logan. And I have to say, she didn't want this situation. She was happy with Logan. But forces beyond their control have pushed all three into this mess. But anyway, when Skyla was with Gage, I would melt. He is a complete sweetheart, head over heels in love with her. Every time his heart was crushed by Skyla and Logan, my heart hurt for him. The balance in the situation can be explained best in this passage:

"I watch Logan and Gage in equal parts-Logan as the quarterback and Gage as safety. Logan in all his quarterback glamour and Gage caught in the thick of the fight, always looking out for the other guy-protecting. The analogy isn't lost on me. It tells our story in so many ways." (ebook, 25%)


Also, there's another guy on the scene, Marshall. I don't like Marshall. He's charming and handsome, but he's a weasel. Having said that, I fully expect to either like or fall (somewhat) in love with him in the future books. He's just one of those characters that can worm his way into your heart.

TREMBLE was an out-of-this-world exciting, sweet, and fun addition to the series. I read it at an inhuman pace, trying to figure out what was going to happen to poor Skyla next. The amount of craziness surprised me and I can't get enough.

Favorite Quote(s):

"Gage - those sweet soulful eyes, that painful angst of his that shreds me to pieces."  (ebook, 24%)

"Kissing Gage is like lying in the grass on a warm spring day. You forget the beauty, how amazing it can make you feel until you're right there in the meadow glowing in the radiance." (ebook, 24%)

Published May 26th 2011 by Addison Moore

You can purchase TREMBLE at:
Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble

Sixteen year-old, Skyla Messenger is having difficulties with the living and the dead. With Chloe’s diary in her hands, Skyla embarks into the mind of one of Paragon’s most twisted former residents. After accidentally kick-starting the faction war, Skyla finds herself in more danger than ever before. So, when Marshall offers her a taste of the gift of knowing, Skyla attempts to use it to alter the outcome of future prophesies. And now that Skyla’s love life seems to involve one boy too many, she must choose who to be with. If she waits too long, the decision just might be made for her. ~From GoodReads

"The future wafts in and out of my life like a ghost..."

(ebook, 1%)

I don't know how to write this review without being spoilery. So from here on out, vague is the name of the game. And enthusiastic.

Wow. I don't even know where to begin with BURN. My friends told me this series was a wild ride. And I got that, but I didn't get it. Just when I had things sorted out, author Addison Moore virtually picked the entire story up and shook it, letting the pieces fall back into place like glitter in a water globe.

Addison is still torn between Logan and Gage. I know this won't end well. It just can't. I mean, Logan and Gage are cousins and they live together! It's sooo sad. Marshall is still around, and that dude is on the prowl. And yeah, I still think he's a creep. A really funny, sexy creep. But still.

Skyla is still on a mission to make the world safe for Celestras, and to avenge her father. She dives headfirst into massively dangerous situations, and more often than not, makes things worse. But for some reason, I love her still. Skyla is impulsive and lets her heart lead the way. She's also outrageously funny, and isn't afraid to get into a good catfight. For example:

"'Anyway, I don't break hearts, and I'm not a slut,' I pause as I make my way past her. 'Besides, they would never kick you out of L.A. for sleeping around. They erect statues and throw parades for shit like that.' " (ebook, 37%)

With lines like that, how can you not love her?

BURN was one fun ride through CrazyTown. I laughed, I swooned and more than once my eyes popped out as I said "WTF?!?". All in all, good times.

 Favorite Quote:

"There's something hauntingly seductive about Logan under this full squatting moon-something in his eyes, that suggests there are still so many more layers to this person than I could ever imagine." (ebook, 15%)

" 'Skyla.' My name comes out broken, just shy of a whisper. 'I'd do anything to be with you. And if that means giving you all the time in the world to make up your mind, I'll do that.' " (ebook, 21%)


Published July 13th 2011 by Amazon Digital Services

You can purchase BURN at:

Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble



Source: Received the books from author for review purpose.