Fantasy's Ink

Manga Monday (7) Imadoki! Nowadays, Vol.1-5

2012-02-13T00:46:00.002-06:00

Manga Monday is weekly post where I review a manga. I've read hundreds of different manga over the years and would really love to share all the great manga I've found. Besides, it's good to explore things other than YA books once in a while. Every week, I'll post a review for a manga, occasionally it might be a graphic novel or manhwa (Korean manga). Though of course you can find all these manga in your local bookstore or library (I don't speak Japanese, although I'd love too!). If the manga has an anime (which I also love) I'll talk about it a little as well! So let's start:

Imadoki! Nowadays by Yuu Watase

For Tanpopo Yamazaki, life at the elitist Meiô Academy seems way out of her league. The daughters of wealthy families snub her; other students make light of the fact that she actually tested into Meiô instead of relying on family connections, and the cute boy she saw tending a dandelion the day before wouldn't even acknowledge her existence. Hoping to make friends and have some fun, Tanpopo starts up a gardening committee, but will this help her survive in a school where superficiality and nepotism reign supreme? IMA DOKI follows the trials and tribulations of a budding horticulturist as she makes her way down the winding road to friendship. From Yû Watase, one of Japan's most beloved shô jo artists, IMA DOKI packs comedic charm and heartfelt antics into an adorable bouquet of whimsical fantasy.

My Review:

This is a review for the entire manga series.

The mangaka Yuu Watase has definitely made some great manga, but a lot of them tend to be a bit tragic so I was a bit hesitant to try Imadoki!, but I'm glad it didn't turn out to to be tragic but still had the same feel of Yuu Watase's other manga.

Imadoki! is about a girl, Tanpop, who just moved from home in the country to attend a prestigious academy in Tokyo. Before the first day of school she runs into a boy, Koki Kugyo, who has a love for plants. The next day she meets the same boy but he acts coldly to her and she soon discovers that he is the heir to a prominent and wealthy family. Angered, Tanpop swears that he'll be her first friend in Tokyo. She creates a gardening club in the hopes that Koki would want to join since he loves plants. The manga series is about Tanpop's interactions with Koki as well as her interactions with the other students as she tries to make friends. But it's difficult since she's hated as she isn't wealthy like the other students.

Although it doesn't sound like anything special, Imadoki! was a heartwarming manga and I really loved Tanpop's character. Despite everything she's been through, she never lets any of the bullying get to her and was a very strong person (although ditzy at times). I loved all the other characters and besides Koki, Tanpop makes three other close friends who are just as lovable and I always love a close-knit group of friends.

The story was sweet, realistic and funny. It also taught a lot of important lessons. I was swept away with the story and didn't notice the time pass by. It also had no annoying cliff-hangers at the end of volumes. Imadoki! is a manga I would definitely recommend to any shoujo lover. So make sure to check it out when you have the chance and any other of Yuu Watase's work!

Rating:

Originality: 3

Plot: 5

Characters: 5

Art: 5

Total: 18/20 90%

In My Mailbox (35)

2012-02-12T01:05:00.000-06:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly memo hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren:

Bought:

Fallen In Love by Lauren Kate
I absolutely love Lauren Kate's Fallen series so I was excited to hear she was releasing a collection of short stories. The review will be posted on Valentine's Day so be sure to check it out! The model on the photograph honestly looks like she can pop out at any moment:

The Assassin and the Pirate Lord by Sarah J. Maas
This is an ebook exclusive novella to Sarah J. Maas' upcoming debut novel The Throne of Glass. Can't wait to read this because I love anything about assassins, who doesn't?

Hollowland by Amanda Hocking
This is free at Amazon Kindle so be sure to get yourself a copy!

Review:

Article 5 by Kristen Simmons
I LOVED Article 5, a stunning debut for Simmons. Checkout my review here.

The Darkening Dream by Andy Gavin
The summary for this sounds really good so I can't wait to give it a try plus the cover is absolutely gorgeous!

That's all I received for these last two weeks. Hope everyone enjoyed their week and make sure to leave me your IMM post link!

Review: Darkest Light

2012-02-11T00:03:00.000-06:00

Darkest Light
by Hiromi Goto

Release Date: January 31, 2012
Publisher: Penguin
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 288
Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

Prequel: Half World

The breathtaking follow-up novel to the award-winning Half World

The recently reunited realms of the Flesh, Half World and the Spirit are again at risk—something has been left undone. Gee, adopted as an infant, has been kept ignorant of his troubled past. Now at sixteen, he is a loner both despised and feared by his classmates. dark feelings, unbidden, slowly grow inside him. Even as he struggles to control them, his past catches up with him and compels him to journey to Half World. Abandoning his adoptive grandmother and the place he has called home, Gee must face what he used to be in order to determine his fate and the fate of the Three Realms. Aided by a surly cat and a troubled new-found friend, Gee must fight the monstrous and the horrific in Half World. Most difficult of all, he must overcome his own propensity for evil.

The nightmarish adventure picks up sixteen years after Melanie’s return in Half World. With a new dark hero whose unlikely companions are a heartless cat and a self-destructive Neo Goth girl, Darkest Light is a compelling journey through despair in a desperate search for redemption.

My Review:

Although I enjoyed Half World I have to say I enjoyed the sequel a whole lot more. I wasn't sure where the story would go but was exited to see how Hiromi Goto pulled off Gee, who was in his past life, the main antagonist of Half World. And I have to say she pulled Gee off splendidly. His character was so different from Melanie. Through the entire book he has an internal struggle and you could see how it was tearing him apart.

Like its predecessor, the world was exceptionally crafted and I could picture the world vividly. The story, characters, ideas - all of them were original and so different from the usual YA with so many books very similar to one another.

The characters were all just so well done and I loved every single one of them. Gee's feisty grandmother, his friend Cracker, the insufferable White Cat - all of them where just loads of fun. The writing pulled me in from the beginning and I was excited to see where Gee's story took me next.

Darkest Light and its predecessor Half World are definitely two books that us YA Canadians should be proud of. If you love a well-crafted fantasy world, a tale of redemption and a cast of fun characters than make sure to check out Darkest Light!

Waiting on Wednesday (43)

2012-02-08T00:00:00.002-06:00

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Cold Fury

by T.M. Goeglein

July 24th 2012

Putnam Juvenile

Having just turned sixteen, Sara Jane Rispoli’s birthday is anything but sweet.

Returning from her first high school dance, Sara Jane walks into a ransacked home and finds her family missing, the dog maimed and a psychopath in a ski mask who won’t rest until she’s dead. With nothing to go on but a clue hidden in a bust of Frank Sinatra, Sara Jane jumps into her dad’s 1965 Lincoln Continental and drives into the night.

The clues lead her to an ancient, worn notebook that contains a guide to a Chicago hiding in plain sight— safe houses, secret doors, mysterious phone numbers are all suddenly at Sara Jane’s disposal. But it also contains darker, more troubling secrets concerning the Rispoli family, including the revelation that a rare and powerful hereditary trait passed down from the time of Alexander the Great enabled certain male members of the Rispoli clan to become major figures in the Outfit, Chicago’s storied crime syndicate.

Sara Jane realizes the secret-filled notebook is the reason why her family was taken, and why she’s being pursued by three different factions: her turncoat uncle, Police Detective Dotty Smelt, and the huge, shambling freak in the ski mask. Learning of the gift awakens a realization in Sara Jane that she, too, possesses the powerful phenomenon.

With the help of a weight-challenged sidekick, an angry Italian greyhound, and a legion of guardian angel sewer rats, Sara Jane is chased, attacked, and fights back with cold fury, staying one step ahead of her pursuers and circumnavigating the male-centric Outfit while also keeping a growing romance alive.

Thoughts: I haven't read anything about the mafia before so I'm curious to see how this turns out. I'm also wondering what Sarah Jane's power is. Plus, this is written by a male author and we just don't see a lot of YA male authors.

Review: Article 5

2012-02-07T16:15:00.000-06:00

Article 5
by Kristen Simmons

Release Date: January 31, 2012
Publisher: Tor Teen
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 368
Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., have been abandoned.

The Bill of Rights has been revoked, and replaced with the Moral Statutes.

There are no more police—instead, there are soldiers. There are no more fines for bad behavior—instead, there are arrests, trials, and maybe worse. People who get arrested usually don't come back.

Seventeen-year-old Ember Miller is old enough to remember that things weren’t always this way. Living with her rebellious single mother, it’s hard for her to forget that people weren’t always arrested for reading the wrong books or staying out after dark. It’s hard to forget that life in the United States used to be different.

Ember has perfected the art of keeping a low profile. She knows how to get the things she needs, like food stamps and hand-me-down clothes, and how to pass the random home inspections by the military. Her life is as close to peaceful as circumstances allow.

That is, until her mother is arrested for noncompliance with Article 5 of the Moral Statutes. And one of the arresting officers is none other than Chase Jennings…the only boy Ember has ever loved.

My Review:

As soon as I read the summary for Article 5 I knew I had to give it a try. To say the least, my instincts ended up being correct and I absolutely adored this book. It grabbed my attention from page one and never once did I lose interest.

What was interesting about Article 5 was that the dystopian world was set in the not-so-distant future. I could honestly picture a corrupt world like that happening. Simmons just wrote it in a way where you were absolutely absorbed in the world and sympathized with the people.

My favourite aspect of the book was the world as well as the characters. No one was completely black or white. Simmons just managed to flesh out each character so well. All the characters were interesting and I disliked none but rather welcomed more interactions with them. Ember and Chase went through page upon pages of character development. And they were so easy to relate to, so human.

I really loved that Chase and Ember knew each other from before the start of the book, that they were childhood friends - and none of those forsaken love triangles! It just made their relationship that much more strong. Throughout the book, Ember keeps having memories and flashbacks of moments with Chase and those little instances just spoke so much about their bond.

The story just kept getting more and more intriguing and I couldn't wait to see what happened next. An incredible debut by Kristen Simmons - I'm excited to see where she takes us next in her world. Definitely a book I recommend - not just for dystopian lovers but anyone who loves action, romance, and a mind-blowing story.

FREE Two Days Only: A Vampire Novel with Actual Bite!

2012-02-07T00:00:00.011-06:00

The Darkening Dream

by Andy Gavin

Even as the modern world pushes the supernatural aside in favor of science and steel, the old ways remain. God, demon, monster, and sorcerer alike plot to regain what was theirs.

1913, Salem, Massachusetts – Sarah Engelmann’s life is full of friends, books, and avoiding the pressure to choose a husband, until an ominous vision and the haunting call of an otherworldly trumpet shake her. When she stumbles across a gruesome corpse, she fears that her vision was more of a premonition. And when she sees the murdered boy moving through the crowd at an amusement park, Sarah is thrust into a dark battle she does not understand.

With the help of Alex, an attractive Greek immigrant who knows a startling amount about the undead, Sarah sets out to uncover the truth. Their quest takes them to the factory mills of Salem, on a midnight boat ride to spy on an eerie coastal lair, and back, unexpectedly, to their own homes. What can Alex’s elderly, vampire-hunting grandfather and Sarah’s own rabbi father tell them? And what do Sarah’s continuing visions reveal?

No less than Gabriel’s Trumpet, the tool that will announce the End of Days, is at stake, and the forces that have banded to recover it include a 900 year-old vampire, a trio of disgruntled Egyptian gods, and a demon-loving Puritan minister. At the center of this swirling cast is Sarah, who must fight a millennia-old battle against unspeakable forces, knowing the ultimate prize might be her very soul.

The Darkening Dream is a chilling new dark fantasy novel by Andy Gavin, creator of Crash Bandicoot and Jak & Daxter, that has received rave reviews on Amazon and Goodreads and is FREE for two days only on Amazon Kindle (February 7^th to 8^th)! Download your FREE copy HERE.

If you want a paperback version then be sure to enter the Goodreads giveaway by February 14^th where Andy Gavin is giving away 20 signed copies! Go HERE to enter!

Cover Reveal: The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater!

2012-02-03T11:02:00.001-06:00

The Raven Boys

by Maggie Stiefvater

September 18th 2012

Filled with mystery, romance, and the supernatural, The Raven Boys introduces readers to Richard “Dick” Campbell Gansey, III and Blue Sargent. Gansey has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on the hunt to find Glendower, a vanished Welsh king. Legend has it that the first person to find him will be granted a wish—either by seeing him open his eyes, or by cutting out his heart.

Blue Sargent, the daughter of the town psychic in Henrietta, Virginia, has been told for as long as she can remember that if she ever kisses her true love, he will die. But she is too practical to believe in things like true love. Her policy is to stay away from the rich boys at the prestigious Aglionby Academy. The boys there—known as Raven Boys—can only mean trouble. When Gansey and his Raven Boy friends come into her life, Blue realizes how true this is. She never thought her fortune would be a problem. But she was wrong.

I adored Stiefvater's The Scorpio Races - check out my review here! Maggie Stiefvater has written so many great books, each different from the last, so I'm quite excited to see how this new series will turn out. Plus I LOVE the cover, I'm so glad it's not another photograph of the main character (they're really starting to overuse those). So what do you think of this new series? Are you as excited as I am? Let me know your thoughts down in the comments!

Waiting on Wednesday (42)

2012-02-01T00:00:00.002-06:00

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Croak

by Gina Damico

March 20th 2012

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Sixteen-year-old Lex Bartleby has sucker-punched her last classmate. Fed up with her punkish, wild behavior, her parents ship her off to upstate New York to live with her Uncle Mort for the summer, hoping that a few months of dirty farm work will whip her back into shape. But Uncle Mort’s true occupation is much dirtier than that of shoveling manure.

He’s a Grim Reaper. And he’s going to teach her the family business.

Lex quickly assimilates into the peculiar world of Croak, a town populated entirely by reapers who deliver souls from this life to the next. Along with her infuriating yet intriguing partner Driggs and a rockstar crew of fellow Grim apprentices, Lex is soon zapping her Targets like a natural born Killer.

Yet her innate ability morphs into an unchecked desire for justice—or is it vengeance?—whenever she’s forced to Kill a murder victim, craving to stop the attackers before they can strike again. So when people start to die—that is, people who aren’t supposed to be dying, people who have committed grievous crimes against the innocent—Lex’s curiosity is piqued. Her obsession grows as the bodies pile up, and a troubling question begins to swirl through her mind: if she succeeds in tracking down the murderer, will she stop the carnage—or will she ditch Croak and join in?

Thoughts: Lex sounds like an interesting character and I'm curious about the world of Croak. Plus Grim Reapers, what more must me said!

Books I read in January 2012

2012-01-31T19:23:00.000-06:00

(Click on the tiles below to check out my reviews)

Witchlanders by Lena Coakley

Within by Clare C. Marshall

Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Mistwood by Leah Cypess

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

Half World by Hiromi Goto

My favourite book of the month and so far this year. This book surprised me in so many ways, make sure to check it out when you have the chance!

Review: Half World

2012-01-30T19:14:00.000-06:00

Half World
by Hiromi Goto

Release Date: January 1, 2009
Publisher: Puffin
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 221
Rating: 1 2 3 4 5
Sequel: Darkest Light

Melanie Tamaki is an outsider.

Unpopular and impoverished, she is the only child of a loving but neglectful mother. She barely copes with surviving school and life. But everything changes on the day she returns home to find her mother is missing, lured back to Half World by a vile creature calling himself Mr. Glueskin. Soon Melanie embarks on an epic and darkly fantastical journey to Half World to save her mother. What she does not yet realize is that the state of the universe is at stake....

Award-winning author Hiromi Goto’s novel is an adventurous, genre-bending fantasy of shape-shifting characters, tortured half lives, and redemption.

My Review:

Pros:

A fascinating mythology
Interesting cast of characters
A believable heroine
Teaches valuable lessons

Cons:

A few times the plot tended to be predictable
The introduction could have been done better

I wasn't quite sure what to expect with Half World but after reading the prologue I quickly got into the story. The prologue tells of the three realms: the Realm of Flesh, Half World and the Realm of Spirit. I was quickly captured by the idea of these three realms. Though the introduction after the prologue put me off a bit because the dialogue and the characters seemed two-dimensional and I believe the author could have done it better. It wasn't very consistent when you compare it to the later chapters which were written fairly well.

I sympathized with Melanie and thought her character was believable and well done. She wasn't a heroine right from the beginning but rather grew into the role, gaining courage later on. The other characters where just as interesting to read about. And it's interesting to note that Goto did quite a few female characters compared to the males. Haven't you noticed a lot of times, especially in fantasy, there is a wise and kind old man but never a woman. But in Half World, we had Ms. Wei, who I have to say is my favorite character and I really enjoyed how she spoke in third person all the time - very lovable!

Although a few times the plot was predictable, Half World was still a wonderful read. Half World was such a bizarre place and Goto described it so vividly. A delightfully original story and I'm excited to read the sequel, Darkest Light, to dive back into the world and see what's in store next. If you want a refreshing story, a believable heroine and an odd yet delightful world then make sure to check out Half World!

In My Mailbox (34)

2012-01-29T00:21:00.001-06:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly memo hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren:

Bought:

Somber Island by T. Lynne Tolles
I got this free over at Amazon Kindle. It sounds pretty good, so I can't wait to give it a try!

Won:
Variant by Robison Wells
Wither by Lauren DeStefano
Dark Eden by Patrick Carman
Legend by Marie Lu
Thank you to Dani over at Refracted Light Reviews for this dystopian prize pack! I'm especially looking forward to reading Legend.

I hope everyone enjoyed their week.

What did you get in your mailbox? I'd love to know! :)

Waiting on Wednesday (41)

2012-01-25T00:00:00.002-06:00

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

The Lost Code

by Rachel Hartman

May 22nd 2012

HarperCollins Children's Books

WHAT IS OLDEST WILL BE NEW, WHAT IS LOST SHALL BE FOUND.

The ozone is ravaged, ocean levels have risen, and the sun is a daily enemy. But global climate change is not something new in the Earth’s history.

No one will know this better than less-than-ordinary Owen Parker, who is about to discover that he is the descendant of a highly advanced ancient race—a race that took their technology too far and almost destroyed the Earth in the process.

Now it is Owen’s turn to make right in his world what went wrong thousands of years ago. If Owen can unlock the lost code in his very genes, he may rediscover the forgotten knowledge of his ancestry…and that less-than-ordinary can evolve into extraordinary.

Thoughts: The idea of Atlantis has always fascinated me. I also once thought of writing my own YA book concerning Atlantis - so you can see why I'm looking forward to this one!

Undeadly

by Michele Vail

February 28th 2012

Harlequin Teen

The day I turned 16, my boyfriend-to-be died. I brought him back to life. Then things got a little weird...

Molly Bartolucci wants to blend in, date hottie Rick and keep her zombie-raising abilities on the down-low. Then the god Anubis chooses her to become a reaper—and she accidentally undoes the work of another reaper, Rath.

Within days, she’s shipped off to the Nekyia Academy, an elite school that trains the best necromancers in the world. And her personal reaping tutor? Rath. Who seems to hate her guts.

Rath will be watching closely to be sure she completes her first assignment-reaping Rick, the boy who should have died. The boy she still wants to be with.

To make matters worse, students at the academy start turning up catatonic, and accusations fly—against Molly. The only way out of this mess? To go through hell. Literally.

Thoughts: It's funny that I heard next to nothing about Undeadly considering how good it sounds. I can't wait to get a copy of this one, the concept of Reapers and Anubis absolutely sold me!

Review: Nightshade

2012-01-24T21:52:00.000-06:00

Nightshade
by Andrea Cremer

Release Date: October 19, 2010
Publisher: Philomel
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 452
Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

Series: Nightshade, Wolfsbane, and Bloodrose

Calla Tor has always known her destiny: After graduating from the Mountain School, she'll be the mate of sexy alpha wolf Ren Laroche and fight with him, side by side, ruling their pack and guarding sacred sites for the Keepers. But when she violates her masters' laws by saving a beautiful human boy out for a hike, Calla begins to question her fate, her existence, and the very essence of the world she has known. By following her heart, she might lose everything- including her own life. Is forbidden love worth the ultimate sacrifice?

My Review:

Pros:

Interesting take on werewolves
Well-crafted world and society
Well-done main characters and side characters

Cons:

The beginning was too slow
Romance happened too fast

I kept hearing about how good Nightshade was. So many people seemed to love it and I felt left out - it was as if everyone read the book but me. So I'm happy that I finally had a chance to read it. At first I thought Nightshade would turn to your typical werewolf story but I was proved wrong.

They're not werewolves but rather guardians. And a lot of the usual werewolf concepts such as shifting in the full moon are excluded from the book. Instead, Cremer makes her own spin. The world with the guardians, the seekers, and the keepers was just so well-done and I enjoyed learning about the society in which Calla grew up in. There was just so much depth to it. It really reminded me of Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy series, the society of it was just as well crafted. This has to be my favorite aspect of the book.

However, the beginning was too slow for my taste and I didn't exactly see where it was going. What also bothered me was that the romance was hard to swallow - it just happened too fast. I felt iffy about it for most if not all of the book. But I really enjoyed all the characters: Calla, Shay, Ren, the minor characters, and the antagonists. Another reason it reminds me of Vampire Academy - which also has a well-rounded cast.

I'm interested to see what will happen next in Wolfsbane. I would like to see how Calla deals with learning about the misdeeds and flaws of her society, and if there will be a big change coming to her world. An interesting start to the series and I'm hoping the story gets better from here. If you like Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy series then I suggest you give this a try.

In My Mailbox (33)

2012-01-22T00:00:00.003-06:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly memo hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren:

Won:

Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

Thanks to Aeicha over at Word Spelunking! Now all I need is a copy of Clockwork Angel. I LOVED Clare's Mortal Instruments series so I can't wait to start this one.

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Ultraviolet by R.J. Anderson

0.4 by Mike A. Lancaster

Numbers by Rachel Ward

The Declaration by Gemma Malley

I won these five books from Kat over at her blog. So a huge thanks to her! I've read and loved Delirium but it was from the library so I'm glad to have my own copy. The other four all sound pretty good so I can't wait to give them a try! I love the UK editions of The Declaration series, what do you think?:

And that's what I got in the mail this week- can't wait to start all of them! Hope everyone else enjoyed their week! :)

Review: Mistwood

2012-01-21T13:15:00.000-06:00

Mistwood
by Leah Cypess

Release Date: April 27, 2010
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 304
Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

Companion book: Nightspell

The Shifter is an immortal creature bound by an ancient spell to protect the kings of Samorna. When the realm is peaceful, she retreats to the Mistwood. But when she is needed she always comes.

Isabel remembers nothing. Nothing before the prince rode into her forest to take her back to the castle. Nothing about who she is supposed to be, or the powers she is supposed to have.

Prince Rokan needs Isabel to be his Shifter. He needs her ability to shift to animal form, to wind, to mist. He needs her lethal speed and superhuman strength. And he needs her loyalty—because without it, she may be his greatest threat.

Isabel knows that her prince is lying to her, but she can't help wanting to protect him from the dangers and intrigues of the court... until a deadly truth shatters the bond between them.

Now Isabel faces a choice that threatens her loyalty, her heart... and everything she thought she knew.

My Review:

The Shifter is a being that protects the kings of Samorna. An immortal with the ability to shift from human to mist to wolf to any other creature. The idea of the shifter really fascinated me and was one of may favorite aspects of the book.

Through the book Isabel struggles between being the Shifter and what it means to be human. She keeps telling herself that she is the legend, that she is the Shifter unclouded by emotions. But later on she wonders if being human is what she truly wants. That eternal conflict with herself and the puzzles of her past as they slowly come together was what made Mistwood such an enjoyable read.

The beginning chapter was a tad bit confusing although to be fair Isabel's mind was a jumble of thoughts and she had no idea what was going on or even who she was. But gradually we start learning about Isabel and her past. I loved how the plot unfolded and there was so many shock factors that I didn't see coming. Although the book was set in a fantasy world, the plot all happened within the castle. I really enjoyed the politics, the secrets and court games as one character tried undermine another. The plot just threw me in so many different directions.

My favorite character had to be Clarisse, Rokan's older sister, although perhaps not the best role model - I loved how the author fleshed her out. Although her attitude at times annoyed me I was still fascinated with her character and in the end I realized that's what a good character is able to do - to raise many emotions from you.

I've been wanting to read this book for quite a while and now that I have I'm glad it turned out to be such a great story! Although it doesn't add anything new to the fantasy genre, Mistwood had an unforgettable plot, full of secrets, assassination attempts, battles for the throne and the Shifter who's the thrust in the middle of all of it.

Read Liesl & Po for free!

2012-01-20T18:17:00.001-06:00

Until January 31st you can read Lauren Oliver's Liesl & Po free over at Harpercollin's site. If you're interested go here. Make sure to start soon as you have a little over a week before the offer ends.

Liesl lives in a tiny attic bedroom, locked away by her cruel stepmother. Her only friends are the shadows and the mice—until one night a ghost appears from the darkness. It is Po, who comes from the Other Side. Both Liesl and Po are lonely, but together they are less alone.

That same night, an alchemist's apprentice, Will, bungles an important delivery. He accidentally switches a box containing the most powerful magic in the world with one containing something decidedly less remarkable.

Will's mistake has tremendous consequences for Liesl and Po, and it draws the three of them together on an extraordinary journey.

From New York Times bestselling author Lauren Oliver comes a luminous and magnificent novel that glows with rare magic, ghostly wonders, and a true friendship that lights even the darkest of places.

Waiting on Wednesday (40)

2012-01-18T06:35:00.000-06:00

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Scarlet

by A. C. Gaughen

February 14th 2012

Walker Childrens

Many readers know the tale of Robin Hood, but they will be swept away by this new version full of action, secrets, and romance.

Posing as one of Robin Hood’s thieves to avoid the wrath of the evil Thief Taker Lord Gisbourne, Scarlet has kept her identity secret from all of Nottinghamshire. Only the Hood and his band know the truth: the agile thief posing as a whip of a boy is actually a fearless young woman with a secret past. Helping the people of Nottingham outwit the corrupt Sheriff of Nottingham could cost Scarlet her life as Gisbourne closes in. It’s only her fierce loyalty to Robin—whose quick smiles and sharp temper have the rare power to unsettle her—that keeps Scarlet going and makes this fight worth dying for

Thoughts: I LOVE anything Robin Hood so that's why I'm so looking forward to this book. And don't you just love the cover! Though I can't figure out if it's an illustration or a photograph, maybe a mixture of both?

Review: Mockingjay

2012-01-17T17:43:00.002-06:00

Mockingjay
by Suzanne Collins

Release Date: August 24, 2010
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 390
Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

Series: The Hunger Games, Catching Fire and Mockingjay

Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire, has survived, even though her home has been destroyed. Gale has escaped. Katniss’s family is safe. Peeta has been captured by the Capitol. District 13 really does exist. There are rebels. There are new leaders. A revolution is unfolding.

It is by design that Katniss was rescued from the arena in the cruel and haunting Quarter Quell, and it is by design that she has long been part of the revolution without knowing it. District 13 has come out of the shadows and is plotting to overthrow the Capitol. Everyone, it seems, has had a hand in the carefully laid plans–except Katniss.

The success of the rebellion hinges on Katniss’s willingness to be a pawn, to accept responsibility for countless lives, and to change the course of the future of Panem. To do this, she must put aside her feelings of anger and distrust. She must become the rebels’ Mockingjay–no matter what the personal cost.

My Review:

The one thing that put me off about Mockigjay was Katniss' attitude. She just kept on lashing out on everybody again and again. I know she's been through a lot but so has everyone else - give them a break! At the beginning of the series I believe I viewed her as a tough girl but in Mockingjay she was just downright cruel. She gets furious when someone acts unkind to her but when she does something similar to another she expects them to just take it. She was cold and a few times rather indifferent to the sufferings of many. Because of this I just didn't think she fit the role of a heroine well.

What I did like about the book is that it showed the atrocity of war. There was no romanticizing it. From the beginning to the end you can see the affect the war had on every single character. Even by then end of the book, Katniss has scars and you realize that they will never truly heal. And in the end the book taught a good lesson of war and humanity in general. It was also rather interesting seeing how the rebellion made Katniss into their mockingjay. How they prettied her up and shot her on camera to spread propaganda. It was rather creative of the author with all the ideas she came up for it.

I believe Mockingjay was a good conclusion, it was realistic, some might even find it depressing but overall the Hunger Games series deserves its popularity in my opinion. When the series first came out it didn't go with the current trend but yet brought us something fresh, unique and one heck of a story. An invaluable part of YA literature. Besides Katniss' attitude in Mockingjay I enjoyed this and the series as a whole because of the depth of the world and the originality and creativeness Collins put into the series. If you're a YA reader who hasn't read this series yet then I don't know what you're waiting for.

Manga Monday (6) Skip Beat! Vol. 1

2012-01-16T08:09:00.004-06:00

Skip Beat! by Yoshiki Nakamura

Kyoko Mogami is the childhood friend of superstar Sho Fuwa. Kyoko was so mindlessly in love with Sho that she followed him to the city on his quest to become a famous singer. But she soon realizes Sho was only using her as his personal maid to take care of household chores and pay the rent. Heartbroken, Kyoko won't suffer in silence--she's going to get her sweet revenge by beating Sho in show biz!

A funny and entertaining romance story of a "diamond in the rough" trying to find her place in showbiz, and the people around her.

My Review:

Kyoko is in love with her childhood friend, Sho - a well-known singer. She works hard to pay the rent to their expensive apartment. But she discovers Sho was using her and only brought her along with him to use her as his maid. Kicked to the curb, Kyoko only has one thing in mind - to get revenge on Sho by beating him in Showbiz!

There's always quite a few manga out there concerning showbiz. But I can see why Skip Beat is such a popular and long running manga. For one it's outright hilarious! I just couldn't stop laughing from all of Kyoko antics, she was just such a funny heroine. We saw a few more characters in the first volume - Sho of course as well as Ren, Sho's biggest rival but no one to really build an opinion on yet besides Kyoko.

Although the summary sounds like it could get cliche it really wasn't. Skip Beat strays from all the over-used plots in shoujo (manga targeted for girls). And I've read well past the first volume and so a heads up - the romance is really really slow. And I'm actually fine with that because the story works better that way. The manga is really all about Kyoko's exposure and adventures in the world of showbiz and acting.

The art is so-so I suppose. The mangaka has her own unique style, expect the drawings for Ren look really awkward. OK, all the really tall people in the manga look awkward and their heads are kind of small. The art does improve later on and honestly it was not that much of a set back for me.

Skip Beat is one of the most popular shoujo manga and I really don't think it's overrated . If you want to step away from the cliche stories of most shoujo, have a lot of good laughs and just an overall fun story than I suggest you give Skip Beat a try!

Rating:

Originality: 5

Plot: 5

Characters: 4

Art: 3

Total: 17/20 85%

Skip Beat Anime:

Skip Beat does have an anime. I've already watched the whole thing and absolutely LOVE it! I've seen it countless times. It has 25 episodes and follows the manga rather well. It doesn't make it's own ending since the anime is on-going but rather stops at the end of an arc. I HATE when anime adaptations make up their own endings in the last few episodes of the series - they're usually just downright horrible. The anime hasn't been dubbed but you can watch the subbed version on Crunchyroll - which is by the way, a legal anime streaming site.

Here's the opening for the anime:

Again I keep forgetting to do these manga posts and I'm really sorry for that! I'm trying to do as many as I can beforehand so I can just schedule them up.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on these Manga Monday posts!

Book Blogger Confessions (#2)

2012-01-16T08:05:00.000-06:00

Book Blogger Confessions is a meme hosted by Karen at For What It’s Worth and Tiger from All-Consuming Books on the 1st and 3rd Monday of every month, to discuss some of the frustrations that are unique to book bloggers.

This weeks question is:

Q. Have you ever had reading/blogging slumps? How do you work through them or work around them?

I’ve honestly had quite a few blogging slumps. What gets me into a slump is boredom. When I start feeling bored or discouraged with my blog I promptly go into a slump. And it takes quite a while for me to recover. What always helps with blogging slumps is when I get inspired and have a new idea. Or when I really feel like sharing something. Design changes also help. Whether it be a new template, gadgets, or a header. These changes always help me feel like taking a fresh start. Recently I've been trying to make my blog more unique - to add a personal touch. And that's really been helping me to not feel bored.

Reading slumps on the other hand are easier to get through. I love reading, I really do. So every time I don’t feel like reading it turns to be more of a psychological thing. So I sit down, grab the book I'm currently reading and force myself to read a couple of pages - from there I just start getting so engrossed with the book that I forget I didn't feel like reading.

So for me, blogging slumps are harder. I get through them, as I said, by doing changes and improving my blog. Inspiration I suppose always helps. So I ask you this - What helps you get through blogging slumps? What can I do to improve my blog? I would love to hear your thoughts!

In My Mailbox (32)

2012-01-15T00:00:00.011-06:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly memo hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren:

This is everything I've gotten in the last two weeks combined since I'd like to share a decent number instead of one or two books.

Bought:

City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare

I LOVED Clare's Mortal Instruments series and can't wait to start this. I want to get a copy of Clockwork Angel first because I heard it's better if you read it before City of Fallen Angels.

Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

I read Starcrossed this week and absolutely loved it! If you're wondering if you should pick this up or if it's in your TBR pile then I urge you to give it a try! You can check out my review here.

Every Last Kiss by Courtney Cole

I got this free over at Amazon Kindle. This series caught my attention ever since I started following its blog tour. If you're interested make sure to get it here soon - I'm not sure when the deal expires.

Traded:

Mistwood by Leah Cypess

Unnatural by Michael Griffo

The Princess and the Hound by Mette Ivie Harrison

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

I traded all these with Ruby over at Ruby Reads. Mistwood, The Princess and the Hound, and Nightshade have all been on my wishlist for a long time so I can't wait to start them!

Won:

Across the Universe swag

I won the Across the Universe poster, wristband, bookmarks and the koi print from the author, Beth Revis. It was a nice surprise when it came in the mail since I didn't expect to win anything from her big giveaway. I still have not read Across the Universe but I really should soon - it sounds so good and everyone seems to love it!

And that's what I got in my mail folks. Hope everyone had a good week . What did you get in your mailbox? Let me know down in the comments! :)

The False Prince Book Trailer!

2012-01-14T16:28:00.003-06:00

Check Out a Sample of the Clockwork Angel Manga!

2012-01-14T15:32:00.001-06:00

Yen Press released some sample pages of the Clockwork Angel manga on their facebook page! Make sure to check it out here.

I like Jem and Tessa's designs, not so sure about Will - his face seems a little off but his full face was only shown in one scene.

I found more snippets online. At first I thought it was fan art but Tessa looks exactly the same from the samples so I guess these are from the manga too. Also Will doesn't seem as awkward in these - I suppose I was right and it was just the angle he was in:

(This one is cute!)

So what do you think? Any thoughts? Let me know down in the comments!

Waiting on Wednesday (39)

2012-01-11T00:00:00.000-06:00

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Seraphina

by Rachel Hartman

May 8th 2012

Random House Books for Young Readers

Four decades of peace have done little to ease the mistrust between humans and dragons in the kingdom of Goredd. Folding themselves into human shape, dragons attend court as ambassadors, and lend their rational, mathematical minds to universities as scholars and teachers. As the treaty's anniversary draws near, however, tensions are high.

Seraphina Dombegh has reason to fear both sides. An unusually gifted musician, she joins the court just as a member of the royal family is murdered—in suspiciously draconian fashion. Seraphina is drawn into the investigation, partnering with the captain of the Queen's Guard, the dangerously perceptive Prince Lucian Kiggs. While they begin to uncover hints of a sinister plot to destroy the peace, Seraphina struggles to protect her own secret, the secret behind her musical gift, one so terrible that its discovery could mean her very life.

In her exquisitely written fantasy debut, Rachel Hartman creates a rich, complex, and utterly original world. Seraphina's tortuous journey to self-acceptance is one readers will remember long after they've turned the final page.

Thoughts: I love the cover - we just don't see much illustrations in YA books anymore. The story sounds intriguing and it's about dragons must I say more!

Dreamless

by Josephine Angelini

May 29th 2012

HarperTeen

As the only Scion that can enter Hades at will, Helen descends to the Underworld in search of a way to overcome the Furies and end the cycle of revenge that has cursed the Scions. But she’s running out of time. Each descent weakens her both in mind and spirit. A mysterious stranger might be her only salvation, but the price may be her love for Lucas Delos.

As an unforgettable love triangle emerges, Josephine Angelini’s compelling saga becomes ever more intricate and spellbinding. The eagerly awaited sequel to the internationally bestselling Starcrossed, Dreamless delivers with a huge emotional impact that will leave readers satisfied—and longing for more.

Thoughts: A love triangle, don't know how I feel about that, but an adventure in the Underworld sounds interesting. I just finished reading Starcrossed yesterday - you can check out my review here - and loved it so much! I can't wait to try Dreamless though I hope that the story lives up to the first book.

Review: Starcrossed

2012-01-10T18:27:00.001-06:00

Starcrossed
by Josephine Angelini

Release Date: May 31, 2011
Publisher: HarperTeen
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 487
Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

Series: Starcrossed and Dreamless

How do you defy destiny?

Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is—no easy task on an island as small and sheltered as Nantucket. And it's getting harder. Nightmares of a desperate desert journey have Helen waking parched, only to find her sheets damaged by dirt and dust. At school she's haunted by hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood . . . and when Helen first crosses paths with Lucas Delos, she has no way of knowing they're destined to play the leading roles in a tragedy the Fates insist on repeating throughout history.

As Helen unlocks the secrets of her ancestry, she realizes that some myths are more than just legend. But even demigod powers might not be enough to defy the forces that are both drawing her and Lucas together—and trying to tear them apart.

My Review:

I honestly can't believe it took me so long to pick this up, it has always been on my wishlist but for some reason I was never really that interested in it - I think I thought it was about ghosts (next time I should really read the summary!). A few weeks ago I read the summary and looked at some reviews and I instantly knew I had to get a copy and I'm happy to say Starcrossed was everything I expected it to be and yet so much more.

Starcrossed is based off Helen of Troy - you know the face that launched a thousand ships. And although I don't like ghost stories very much I love Greek mythology. And the book certainly did have plenty of that yet Josephine Angelini managed to make her own spin.

The plot just kept me up on my toes and every time I thought - ahh I know where this is going, I was completely mistaken and perfectly happy to be proven wrong. The point of view is told through third person which I found suited the story much more than a first person narrative. From the beginning to end the book never once felt boring or tedious, and I ended up spending hours on hours reading the book because I just couldn't stop.

Another point I loved about Starcorssed was Lucas' family - he had such a big and rowdy family that I couldn't help but love. There were his parents Castor and Noel and his younger sister Cassandra. Uncle Pallas - and his children Hector and the twins Ariadne and Jason. As well as his free-spirited aunt Pandora. I also adored Helen's feisty best friend Claire as well as Helen's father, Jerry. Though I disliked that one character was portrayed simply as evil. I didn't like the idea that evil is inherited or is a personality. That was my only problem with the book though I still enjoyed it nonetheless.

I can't wait to read the next book Dreamless, which I believe is due for release in late May 2012. I'm definitely getting myself a copy, hopefully I'll be per-ordering it. If you love Greek mythology, a story that keeps you up and a quirky close-knit family then look no further since Starcrossed will give you all that and more.

Review: Within

2012-01-10T01:00:00.012-06:00

Within
by Clare C. Marshall

Release Date: November 13, 2011
Publisher: Faery Ink Press
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 184
Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

Trinity Hartell’s life changed after the accident. Left with irreversible brain damage, she becomes a burden to her mother, a cause for heartbreak for her boyfriend Zack, and a flattened obstacle for her best friend, Ellie.

But then she starts writing. Perhaps it’s a coincidence that the psychotic, murdering protagonist of her novel bears a striking similarity to the charming Wiley Dalton, a mayoral candidate in the upcoming election.

Or, perhaps not...

My Review:

I haven't really read any thrillers before - the author described it as a "supernatural thriller". I thought it was about a girl who loses her memories and starts writing - her writing being linked to murders that have recently been occurring. And the book was about that but not quite exactly how I pictured it.

For one the story is told through the point of views of the people that surround Trinity - her parents, her boyfriend Zack, her best friend Ellie, and Wiley Dalton a mayor candidate. I enjoyed all the point of views and we saw how Trinity's accident affected them all individually. At first I thought Trinity had amnesia and the book is about her regaining her memories but it wasn't really about that and the book has a darker tone to it.

In the beginning the book didn't really catch my interest, the first couple of chapters seemed like they were trying too hard to get you excited and wondering what happened to Trinity in the accident and honestly I didn't really care or feel anything. Though slowly the book starts building more and when Trinity starts writing that's where it gets interesting.

The murders and the cult that was behind it was a kind of creepy to say the least. I'm not really familiar with thrillers but I did enjoy reading Within I suppose. It was outside the usual books I read but nonetheless I enjoyed seeing the plot unravel and wondering if the mystery would be solved and the murderer caught. Though it didn't really have the kind of happy endings that I like.

It was a rather good experience for me to read things other than fantasy and paranormal. And if you're like me I think its good to widen your horizon. If you want to read a book that's outside the usual YA with mystery, deception and a little supernatural then I suggest you try Within.

Roald Dahl Challenge!

2012-01-09T15:04:00.002-06:00

Runs from January 01 2012 to December 31 2012. Jump in whenever you can.
You don’t have to have a blog to participate.
Read as many or as few books as you’d like. [I'm shooting for all 15 in my collection]
Physical books, ebooks, audiobooks are all welcome.
His children’s books are the primary focus of this challenge. You are welcome to read a few of his adult books to count towards the challenge.
For bonus fun please feel free to watch the movie adaptations in addition to the books.

I absolutely love Roald Dahl! I have all his children books (excluding two of his children poems) - I've read most of them though there's quite a few still in my TBR pile and I hope I can finish reading all of them by the end of the year. If you're interested in the challenge make sure to check out the host's page.

My TBR Pile for the Challnge:

1. The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar by Roald Dahl
2. The Minpins by Roald Dahl
3. The Gremlins by Roald Dahl
4. James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
5. The Enormous Crocodile by Roald Dahl
6. Boy by Roald Dahl
7. Going Solo by Roald Dahl

Vampires, Werwolves, Angels, Fairies......

2012-01-08T00:53:00.001-06:00

Vampires

A corpse supposed, in European folklore, to leave its grave at night to drink the blood of the living by biting their necks with long pointed canine teeth.

Werewolves

A person who changes for periods of time into a wolf, typically when there is a full moon.

Angels

A spiritual being believed to act as an attendant, agent, or messenger of God, conventionally represented in human form with wings and a long robe.

Fairies

A small imaginary being of human form that has magical powers.

Ghosts

An apparition of a dead person that is believed to appear or become manifest to the living, typically as a nebulous image.

You would be blind not notice but YA authors are putting too much strain on these mythical creatures and ignoring a lot of other great myths. I'm not saying that they're not interesting - they are. But are they really doing it because they feel that they're interesting or is it to make money because of trends? Honestly I feel like they're treating us readers like idiots. Give us a little credit, I mean we love reading and we'll try anything that catches interest or that sounds interesting.

But reading YA books with the same idea, the similar cover and the one word titles just doesn't strike me as original or particularly catches my interest. They will not come up with new ideas or publishers will not let them because they think these would sell so perhaps it's not really the authors' fault. Maybe I'm being a hypocrite because I still read these book and even enjoy them but I would love to read different stories with different myths. What are your thoughts on this, do you agree or disagree? I would love to hear your opinions.

Review: Witchlanders

2012-01-05T18:44:00.003-06:00

Witchlanders
by Lena Coakley

Release Date: August 30, 2011
Publisher: Atheneum
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 400
Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

High in their mountain covens, red witches pray to the Goddess, protecting the Witchlands by throwing the bones and foretelling the future.

It’s all a fake.

At least, that’s what Ryder thinks. He doubts the witches really deserve their tithes—one quarter of all the crops his village can produce. And even if they can predict the future, what danger is there to foretell, now that his people’s old enemy, the Baen, has been defeated?

But when a terrifying new magic threatens both his village and the coven, Ryder must confront the beautiful and silent witch who holds all the secrets. Everything he’s ever believed about witches, the Baen, magic and about himself will change, when he discovers that the prophecies he’s always scorned—

Are about him.

My Review:

The summary caught my attention, the story sounded really interesting and we honestly don't get a lot of male protagonists in YA plus fantasy is my favorite genre - so I was pretty excited to start Witchlanders. Though I have to admit, at first it was confusing. The first chapter sprung a lot of things on you and I was a little nervous that the rest of the book would turn out the same way but I'm happy to say that after the first chapter you start to gradually learn about the world.

And what a fantastic and imaginative world it was! There are two races in the world - the Witchlanders and the Baen. The Witchlanders follow the goddess and use magic through the telling of bones while the Baen worship the god Kar and use magic through song (really reminds me of the book - The Singer of All Songs). Their cultures, religion, magic and stories were my favorite part of this book and it didn't, in any way, have the same feel or overused plots and magic of most fantasy. No, Witchlanders was a new tale in every way and I praise Lena Coakley for her originality.

The plot was very intriguing and I had no idea where it would go. I enjoyed reading from Ryder's point of view as well as Falpian - the secondary P.O.V. Quite a lot of times in books, especially fantasy - I prefer one point of view over another and I would quickly skim over the one I didn't like very much. But Ryder and Falpian's perspectives both equally held my attention.

I love this book as a stand-alone yet at the same time would love a sequel - a bit conflicted there. I think ending off how it did still leaves room for a lot of things but I fear a sequel might somehow ruin the story. I don't know, basically I'm trying to say the first books are always the best - but doesn't the quality go down from there? And fantasy, with its big world, usually goes down the worst. Either way I liked how the book ended and would still be interested to see how a sequel would turn out.

I recommend Witchlanders if you're looking for a new read instead of the same YA paranormal books lately. I guarantee you've not read a book like Witchlanders before. I always felt like YA fantasy doesn't get enough attention and I'm glad there's still authors out there who are giving it a chance.

Cover Reveal: City of Lost Souls

2012-01-04T15:36:00.002-06:00

My favorite cover so far from the series! The models look so much like Clary and Jace. I just bought City of Fallen Angels this week and can't wait to start it! I loved the first three Mortal Instruments books and I can't wait to see what happens in the continuation of the series. So what do you think of the cover? Do you love it as much as I do?

USA Today also released the prologue to City of Lost Souls you can check it out here.

Waiting on Wednesday (38)

2012-01-04T08:46:00.001-06:00

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

The Golden Lily

by Richelle Mead

The second thrilling installment in Richelle Mead’s Vampire Academy spinoff series.

Tough, brainy alchemist Sydney Sage and doe-eyed Moroi princess Jill Dragomir are in hiding at a human boarding school in the sunny, glamorous world of Palm Springs, California. The students—children of the wealthy and powerful—carry on with their lives in blissful ignorance, while Sydney, Jill, Eddie and Adrian must do everything in their power to keep their secret safe. But with forbidden romances, unexpected spirit bonds, and the threat of Strigoi moving ever closer, hiding the truth is harder than anyone thought.

Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, Richelle Mead’s breathtaking Bloodlines series explores all the friendship, romance, battles and betrayals that made the #1 New York Times bestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive. In this second book, the drama is hotter, the romances are steamier, and the stakes are even higher.

- To be released June 19th, 2012

I really enjoyed Bloodlines and I'm excited to see what happens in the next book - what new developments arise. Though I really hope the book doesn't go downhill and exceeds my expectations because I'm not quite sure where Mead will take it.

Review: Switched

2012-01-03T07:00:00.006-06:00

Switched
by Amanda Hocking

Release Date: January 3, 2012
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 318
Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

Series: Switched, Torn, and Ascend

When Wendy Everly was six years old, her mother was convinced she was a monster and tried to kill her. Eleven years later, Wendy discovers her mother might have been right. She’s not the person she’s always believed herself to be, and her whole life begins to unravel—all because of Finn Holmes.

Finn is a mysterious guy who always seems to be watching her. Every encounter leaves her deeply shaken…though it has more to do with her fierce attraction to him than she’d ever admit. But it isn’t long before he reveals the truth: Wendy is a changeling who was switched at birth—and he’s come to take her home.

Now Wendy’s about to journey to a magical world she never knew existed, one that’s both beautiful and frightening. And where she must leave her old life behind to discover who she’s meant to become…

My Review:

I was curious to see how this book would turn out. Trolls were a new one for me. I've also heard many good things about author Amanda Hocking - so when I started the book I was expecting it to be good and at first I was disappointed.

In the first few chapters I thought Wendy came off as nothing but a brat really and the story was a bit bland but after about three chapters it became more interesting and I got caught up in the story. My earlier impressions of Wendy were misplaced and she grew to be a more lovable character but at times I still felt she was causing unnecessary pain to her brother and aunt.

Still, as I said the story caught me and I was brimming with questions and excitement as I read about the troll society. The story was well done and it didn't feel slow like it did in the beginning but rather every chapter was thrilling to read about. I really enjoyed meeting the characters and seeing how they interact. Finn, Willa, and Tove grew on me even the cold Elora.

The abilities of the Trylle (trolls) were interesting and I wished we could have learned more about Wendy's powers but I suppose that's another thing to look forward to in the next book. I also wanted to learn more about the kingdom of the Trylle, what's threatening it and it's politics (never thought I'd be saying that!). The new re-published St. Martin's edition also had a short story that's never been published called “The Vittra Attacks” set within the world. I'm wondering how the characters that I saw in them will play a role in the next book. It was four chapters long and interesting to read.

I believe the many great things said about Hocking's stories are well deserved. This book definitely went in the right direction for me and I'm looking forward to the next book in the series as well as any other books by Amanda Hocking - her book Wake, to be released in the summer 2012 particularly sounds interesting. With it's exciting story, romance and a small kingdom full of plots and secrets - I'm sure that's it's a story that will leave you caught and wanting more.

Book Blogger Confessions (#1)

2012-01-02T07:46:00.001-06:00

This weeks question is:

Q. How has the "job" of book blogging changed your reading habits? Both pro and con.

The pros of book blogging would have to be that I hear about books coming out early and every year I'm introduced to tons and tons of books that I absolutely love! But with all the review books and tour books sometimes it's hard to just sit back and enjoy other books you've had for ages in your TBR pile or books you want to reread.

I also don't ever believe I had this problem since I started blogging: I finish a book and then as soon as I start a new book the details of the previous book just get fuzzy. After a while I get so frustrated that I grab the book and see what I forgot. I've also become addicted to recording everything I read and writing a review for it.

I also don't read the same why I did before. I always decide to read a certain amount of pages everyday so I can fit in all the books I have to read for that month and when I'm reading I keep flipping the book to see if I'm close to that amount of pages I set out. But before blogging I just read as much as I wanted at anytime. And I hate to say it but I had more of a passion for reading.

But I really do love blogging and I don't want anything to get in the way of that and my love for reading. Hopefully these discussions will help me and other bloggers relate and sort out our problems. I would love to hear your thoughts! Does any of what I said happen to you? And if you're participating in the meme please leave me a link to your post!

Review: The Hollow

2012-01-01T00:00:00.003-06:00

The Hollow
by Jessica Verday

Release Date: September 1, 2009
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 513
Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

Series: The Hollow, The Haunted, and The Hidden

When Abbey's best friend, Kristen, vanishes at the bridge near Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, everyone else is all too quick to accept that Kristen is dead and rumors fly that her death was no accident. Abbey goes through the motions of mourning her best friend, but privately, she refuses to believe that Kristen is really gone. It only makes things worse that everyone now treats Abbey like either a freak show or a charity case. Thank goodness for Caspian, the gorgeous and mysterious boy who shows up out of nowhere at Kristen's funeral, and keeps reappearing in Abbey's life. Caspian clearly has secrets of his own, but he's the only person who makes Abbey feel normal again...but also special.

Just when Abbey starts to feel that she might survive all this, she learns a secret that makes her question everything she thought she knew about her best friend. How could Kristen have kept silent about so much? And could this secret have led to her death? As Abbey struggles to understand Kristen's betrayal, she uncovers a frightening truth that nearly unravels her -- one that will challenge her emerging love for Caspian, as well as her own sanity.

My Review:

This is my second time reading The Hollow. And I have to say that I enjoyed it the second time just as I did the first. There were many mixed reviews for The Hollow, and I'm one of those that absolutely loves this series. The book starts right in the middle of a funeral for Abby's best friend, Kristen. I really give it high points for starting off like that. We are thrust right in the middle of Abby's emotions and thoughts of her friend's sudden death.

The book was fairly slow, but I enjoyed it despite that. If you don't like slow paced books then this might not be for you. But I found myself falling in love with Abby's everyday life. What I loved the most about The Hollow is how the whole town as well as the book is centered around The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and the author of it - Washington Irving - who the town idolizes. I was charmed by Abby's frequent visits to his grave and how she spent time taking about her life and troubles to the dead author. After I first read the book I quickly bought myself a copy of Irving's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.

Another thing that interested me was Abby's perfume making. I enjoyed reading about the different scents she made for people and was rather interested in the whole process. The characters were all interesting and I enjoyed their interactions with Abby. The cast was rather small, barely any people, but I enjoyed it nonetheless and wouldn't want more added.

Overall The Hollow is a favorite series for me and I enjoyed the second book The Haunted even more than the first. I still haven't got around to reading the last book - don't ask why. I just never gotten around to getting a copy of the last book. But as soon as I have the chance I'll make sure to do it. I fell in love with Abby's story and the small town of Sleepy Hollow. The Hollow is a charming tale and an interesting take on The Legend of the Sleepy Hollow.

Dowload a Free Copy of Jessica’s Guide to Dating on The Dark Side For your e-Reader

2011-12-31T14:42:00.000-06:00

I already have a copy of Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side but I thought I would share that, until January 6, you can download the book free from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Go here to get a copy. I absolutely LOVED Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side and can't wait to read Jessica Rules the Dark Side which will be out next Tuesday.

Books I Read In 2011

2011-12-31T01:00:00.003-06:00

Shadowspell by Jenna Black
Defiance by Lili St. Crow
The Lost Saint by Bree Despain
The Van Alen Legacy by Melissa De La Cruz
Sebastion by Anne Bishop
Torment by Lauren Kate
The Morganville Vampires Volume 1
Summer’sCrossing by Julie Kagawa
The Iron King by Julie Kagawa
Winter’s Passage by Julie Kagawa
The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa
The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa
The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong
Afterlife by Claudia Gray
Delirium by Lauren Oliver
Airborne by Constance Sharper
Sirensong by Jenna Black
Bitter Frost by Kaitlin Gow
Passion by Lauren Kate
The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa
Heist Society by Ally Carter
Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers
Timeless by Alexandra Monir
Enchanted Ivy by Sarah Beth Durst
Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson
Family That Wasn't, The by Gene Twaronite
Strange Case of Finley Jayne, The by Kady Cross
Girl in the Steel Corset, The by Kady Cross
Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins
Strange Angels by Lili St. Crow
Betrayals by Lili St. Crow
Jealousy by Lili St. Crow
Defiance by Lili St. Crow
Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
Fateful by Claudia Gray
Dark Heart Forever by Lee Monroe
Dark Heart Rising by Lee Monroe
Misguided Angel by Melissa De La Cruz
Wither by Lauren DeStefano
Divergent by Veronica Roth
The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Childs
Reckoning by Lili St. Crow
The Mephisto Covenant by Trinity Faegen
The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima
Inheritance by Christopher Paolini
The Exiled Queen by Cinda Williams Chima
The Space Between by Brenna Yovanoff
Bloodlines by Richelle Mead
Scary School by Derek The Ghost
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
Switched by Amanda Hocking (review will be posted soon)
Unearthly by Cynthia Hand
The Gray Wolf Throne by Cinda Williams Chima
On a Dark Wing by Jordan Dane
The Hollow by Jessica Verday (review will be posted tomorrow)

The bolded/italicized are books that I've reread. You can click on the tiles to check out my reviews. I didn't read very much this year because in the beginning of the year I read very little - I don't quite remember why, probably because of school and my sudden obsession for manga! :) Hopefully I can read about double the amount in 2012 and read around a 100 books and of course plenty of manga!

My Top Ten Books of 2011

2011-12-30T01:00:00.004-06:00

1. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

At first I was not going to pick this up, the cover just put me off and ahh another dystopian! After so much people recommended it and the high ratings, I decided to give it a try. And it was so worth it! With it's captivating story, beautiful writing, romance, and the action - this is a book I would highly recommend to any YA reader!

2. Divergent by Veronica Roth

Divergent has the most interesting plot out of all the books of 2011 in my opinion. And Tris the best character, she had her own original personality and was not a Mary Sue in any way.

3. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Taylor wrote a beautiful tale with Daughter of Smoke and Bone. I loved loved the mythology aspect of this book– the angels and chimaera.

4. Inheritance by Christopher Paolini

The last book in the Inheritance Cycle, this series has always and will always be a favorite for me. Despite the many negative reviews (you can't please everyone) I believe Paolini ended off the series well.

5. Delirium by Lauren Oliver

The writing, I absolutely LOVE the writing. The story was beautifully written and the dystopian setting and its impacts was well executed.

6. The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

My favorite of Stiefvater's books - The Scorpio Races is stand-alone that had an captivating story of water horses in a small secluded islands. I don't want a sequel - I'm happy with how it ended!

7. The Iron Queen By Julie Kagawa

I loved this series as a whole and The Iron Queen was, without a doubt, the best. The setting is what makes this a favorite series for me!

8. Passion by Lauren Kate

My favorite part of this book is that all the mystery is finally solved. I always enjoyed this series but hated how we were left in the dark, Passion reveals everything and the pacing - which was slow to begin in the previous books - improved.

9. Timeless by Alexandra Monir

The music aspect of this book was what made it a top favorite for me.

10. The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross

Kady Cross manages to paint the world vividly. I loved her descriptions of the clothes, the machines, and the overall setting.

Cover Reveal: Before I Wake

2011-12-29T16:46:00.001-06:00

I'm a bit surprised that the cover was released so early since the last book came out just a while ago. I've never read this series but I'm starting to get interested in it. If you've already read the Soul Screamers series - what do you think? Should I give it a try?

Waiting on Wednesday (37)

2011-12-28T01:00:00.000-06:00

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Wentworth Hall

by Abby Grahame

A lush, historical novel about the secretive Darlingtons of Wentworth Hall!The prettiest people often have the ugliest secrets…

Eighteen-year-old Maggie Darlington has turned into an entirely different person. The once spirited teen is now passive and reserved. A change Lord and Lady Darlington can’t help but be grateful for.

It’s 1912, and the Darlingtons of Wentworth Hall have more than just the extensive grounds to maintain. As one of Britain’s most elite families, they need to keep up appearances that things are as they have always been…even as their carefully constructed faÇade rapidly comes undone.

Maggie has a secret. And she’s not the only one…the handsome groom Michael, the beautiful new French nanny Therese, the Darlingtons’ teenage houseguests Teddy and Jessica, and even Maggie’s younger sister Lila are all hiding something. Passion, betrayal, heartache, and whispered declarations of love take place under the Darlingtons’ massive roof. And one of these secrets has the power to ruin the Darlingtons forever.

When scandalous satires start appearing in the newspaper with details that closely mirror the lives of the Darlingtons, everyone is looking over their shoulder, worrying their scandal will be next. Because at Wentworth Hall, nothing stays secret for long.

- To be released May 1st, 2012

I'm not really into Historical Fiction or Contemporary if it doesn't have any fantasy elements to it. But I might give this one a chance since the summary is intriguing and I LOVE the cover, don't you? What books are you waiting for, let me know down in the comments!

Challenges for 2012

2011-12-27T05:48:00.008-06:00

I always forget to sign-up for challenges in time - but luckily I made it in time for all these. If any challenges interest you press on the titles and you will be directed to the host's challenge page with info and sign-ups for the challenge. These are tentative lists since I doubt I will read all of them and more will be added later on.

2012 Debut Author Challege

1. Incarnate by Jodi Meadows
2. Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood
3. The Alchemy of Forever by Avery Williams
4. The Selection by Kiera Cass
5. The Gathering Storm by Robin Bridges
6. Harbinger by Sara Wilson Etienne
7. Winterling by Sarah Prineas
8. Katana by Cole Gibsen
9. Undeadly by Michele Vail
10. Wentworth Hall by Abby Grahame
11. Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock
12. Cinder by Marissa Meyer

2012 YA/MG Fantasy Reading Challenge

1. The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen
2. Winterling by Sarah Prineas
3. The Crimson Crown by Cinda Williams Chima
4. Untitled (Daughter of Smoke and Bone #2) by Laini Taylor
5. Spellcaster by Claudia Gray
6. Incarnate by Jodi Meadows
7.
8.
9.
10.

The Sophomore Reading Challenge

1. Insurgent by Veronica Roth
2. Hallowed by Cynthia Hand
3. Fever by Lauren DeStefano
4. Untitled (Shatter Me #2) by Tahereh Mafi
5. The Girl in the Clockwork Collar by Kady Cross
6. Timekeeper by Alexandra Monir
7.
8.
9.
10.

Get Steampunked! 2012

1. Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld
2. Goliath by Scott Westerfeld
3. Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
4. Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare
5. The Girl in the Clockwork Collar by Kady Cross

Goodreads 2012 Reading Challenge

I always forget to sign-up for the debut challenge but I made it in time this year! I'm also so glad that I found a fantasy challenge. I love fantasy - if you haven't already figured it out from my blog's name! I already had a list going for sequels coming in 2012 that I wanted to read and when I found the Sophomore Reading Challenge I thought why not? The steampunk challenge sounded fun - a sub-genre I'm a little new to. For the Goodreads 2012 Reading Challenge I'm hoping to read 100 books.

So what challenges did you sign up for? Let me know in the comments!

And the Winner is.......

2011-12-26T17:10:00.003-06:00

And the winner of Fantasy's Ink's 2nd Anniversary Giveaway is .......... Mary!!! Congrats Mary and I hope you enjoy your book! :)

Also a big thank you to everyone who entered, hope you all enjoy the holidays and the winter break!

Update: Since the previous winner didn't replay in time, a new winner has been chosen - Jamila.

In My Mailbox (31)

2011-12-25T02:42:00.001-06:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly memo hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren:

Review:
Blood Rights by Kristen Painter
Flesh and Blood by Kristen Painter
Bad Blood by Kristen Painter
(Big thanks to Orbit publishers!)

I wanted to read this series ever since I heard of it; I love the sound of it and the matching covers! Hope you all had a great week and Happy Christmas to everyone that celebrates it! :)

Review: On a Dark Wing

2011-12-23T02:47:00.003-06:00

On a Dark Wing
by Jordan Dane

Release Date: December 27, 2011
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 384
Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

The choices I had made led to the moment when fate took over. I would learn a lesson I wasn't prepared for. And Death would be my willing teacher.

Five years ago, Abbey Chandler cheated Death. She survived a horrific car accident, but her "lucky" break came at the expense of her mother's life and changed everything. After she crossed paths with Death—by taking the hand of an ethereal boy made of clouds and sky—she would never be normal again.

Now she's the target of Death's ravens and an innocent boy's life is on the line. When Nate Holden—Abbey's secret crush—starts to climb Alaska's Denali, the Angel of Death stalks him because of her.

And Abbey finds out the hard way that Death never forgets.

My Review:

I didn't know what to expect of On a Dark Wing. The summary didn't really shed a lot of light for me. But looking back this is probably the best summary you could give because the plot is entangled so much that it would spoil too much in the end. When I read the beginning of the book it was rather slow and I had no idea where it was going. After a while I started thinking if this was contemporary novel but after about a 100 pages or so I understood were it was headed.

On a Dark Wing deals with a lot of issues. And it never felt like the usual YA novels - a definite good thing. It taught lessons while at the same time delivering an interesting story. It dealt with issues such as: Cyber-bullying, how if feels like being bound to a wheelchair - which Abby's best friend Tanner went through after an accident years ago, and dealing with the loss of someone close- as Abby has struggled with after the death of her mother and the guilt she feels that it was her fault. It was a bit of a dark story but touching in a lot of ways too I suppose.

The only supernatural element of this story was the Angel of Death or as he's simply called Death. Death was an interesting character and I enjoyed seeing his perspective of the world. He was my favorite character and in a lot of ways he reminded of Death - the narrator of The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.

Despite the Angel of Death, I still felt like the book needed more supernatural elements. This is just a personal taste, but I usually enjoy fantasy and things with a lot of paranormal and supernatural in it. On a Dark Wing felt like more of a contemporary that used death to better shed light into the issues of the things I mentioned previously. And as I pointed out the book was rather slow in the beginning and I was confused were it was headed a lot of times.

Despite this On a Dark Wing is a rather touching story on a girl's sense of loss and the realizations of whats important in life and how to deal with the loss. If you want a light read with a lot of fantasy elements then I suggest you look elsewhere. But if you want a story that's refreshing and different then the usual YA, that actually teaches something, all wrapped up in a dark haunting tale then I suggest you give On a Dark Wing a try.

Thank you for stopping by my post! Don't forget to stop at some others bloggers' posts to check out more reviews, interviews and giveaways (10 blogs will be giving away signed copies of On a Dark Wing and a special gift from Abby!). Here's the full list of the participating blogs.

And if you haven't entered make sure to stop by to be entered in the Grand Prize, you could win your very own Kindle Fire! If you would like to enter go here.

Cover Reveal: The Girl in the Clockwork Collar

2011-12-22T15:07:00.009-06:00

I really enjoyed The Girl in the Steel Corset (you can check out my review here!) so I can't wait until this is out. The cover's background and the model's dress does match that of The Girl in the Steel Corset. From the summary, I'm guessing the girl on the front is the girl Jasper loves. If you want to see a better resolution of the summary go to Harlequin Teen's Facebook page.

So what do you think of the cover for The Girl in the Clockwork Collar!

Waiting on Wednesday (36)

2011-12-21T12:34:00.000-06:00

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Winterling

by Sarah Prineas

With her boundless curiosity and wild spirit, Fer has always felt that she doesn’t belong. Not when the forest is calling to her, when the rush of wind through branches feels more real than school or the quiet farms near her house. Then she saves an injured creature—he looks like a boy, but he’s really something else. He knows who Fer truly is, and invites her through the Way, a passage to a strange, dangerous land.

Fer feels an instant attachment to this realm, where magic is real and oaths forge bonds stronger than iron. But a powerful huntress named the Mor rules here, and Fer can sense that the land is perilously out of balance. Fer must unlock the secrets about the parents she never knew and claim her true place before the worlds on both sides of the Way descend into endless winter.

Sarah Prineas captivates in this fantasy-adventure about a girl who must find within herself the power to set right a terrible evil.

- Will be released January 3, 2012

Winterling caught my attention a while back. There's so few YA fantasy books as it is, so I'm happy to see this one being released. Plus the summary sounds really intriguing - makes you wonder what the world is all about!

Review: The Gray Wolf Throne

2011-12-20T22:10:00.002-06:00

The Gray Wolf Throne
by Cinda Williams Chima

Release Date: August 30, 2011
Publisher: Hyperion
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 517
Rating: 4.5/5

Series: The Demon King, The Exiled Queen, The Gray Wolf Throne, and The Crimson Crown

Han Alister thought he had already lost everyone he loved. But when he finds his friend Rebecca Morley near death in the Spirit Mountains, Han knows that nothing matters more than saving her. The costs of his efforts are steep, but nothing can prepare him for what he soon discovers: the beautiful, mysterious girl he knew as Rebecca is none other than Raisa ana’Marianna, heir to the Queendom of the Fells. Han is hurt and betrayed. He knows he has no future with a blueblood. And, as far as he’s concerned, the princess’s family killed his own mother and sister. But if Han is to fulfill his end of an old bargain, he must do everything in his power to see Raisa crowned queen.

Meanwhile, some people will stop at nothing to prevent Raisa from ascending. With each attempt on her life, she wonders how long it will be before her enemies succeed. Her heart tells her that the thief-turned-wizard Han Alister can be trusted. She wants to believe it—he’s saved her life more than once. But with danger coming at her from every direction, Raisa can only rely on her wits and her iron-hard will to survive—and even that might not be enough.

The Gray Wolf Throne is an epic tale of fierce loyalty, unbearable sacrifice, and the heartless hand of fate.

My Review:

Though not as good as the first it's still pretty close and definitely better than the second. As the summary says Han finally discovers that Raisa is the princess heir of the Fells. Since that was the biggest barrier between Han and Raisa and now that it's down - the point of views start to intermingle more and the story starts to become one. Instead of almost two separate stories as with the previous two books.

My favorite aspect of The Gray Wolf Throne is that it's all set in the Fells. And the middle through the end is set in the court. It was interesting to see how Raisa copes with everything. As well as Han's change of perspective as now he's in the courts and people from all sides are distrustful of him since they know him as Cuffs Alister - a thief and a murderer. We saw a bit more of Melloney, Raisa's sister and I'm glad the author didn't forget her - she was too much in the background and rarely mentioned. Though I knew her and Raisa never really had much of a friendly relationship.

The story, in my opinion, was the best paced of all the three book and I never felt like skipping one point of view over another - which I sometimes felt like doing in the previous books since I found Han's perceptive more interesting. But I can safely say I never grew bored or tired with either of their views. And was excited to see what would happen next in the twists and turns of the story.

The only flaw I found is with the romance. Honestly most of the time I just wanted to ring Raisa's neck. She seems to have feelings for Han, Amon, Micah, and Nightwalker. Can't she just pick one and get it over with? She keeps telling herself she can't be with most of them because she's the future queen. Ok I get that, but why does she feel the need to play around with them - to lead them on? Honestly I felt nothing with the whole romance aspect of this series and as I said in my review for The Exiled Queen, it's definitely not why I'm sticking around.

Despite that I enjoyed the plot of the books and the general strife and conflict of the Seven Realms. I enjoyed seeing how everything came together. And this fantasy series was so easy to get into compared to others that would leave me exhausted. This is a new favorite series for me and I'm - without a doubt - going to be reading The Crimson Crown, the final book in the series, once it's released. If your looking for a good fantasy series, please look no further!

Unearthly and Hallowed Cover Wars

2011-12-19T00:00:00.001-06:00

Personally my favorite would have to be the Australian covers for both books. I absolutely love the model's dresses in both Unearthly, with its a startling red dress, and Hallowed, with its white one. And Hallowed is definitely eye catching with its snowy landscape. So what are your favorite covers? Let me know down in the comments!

In My Mailbox (30)

2011-12-18T12:41:00.000-06:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly memo hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren:

Review:
Witchlanders by Lena Coakley
(Thanks to the author)

Within by Clare C. Marshall
(Thanks to the author)

Half World by Hiromi Goto
Darkest Light by Hiromi Goto
(Thanks to Penguin Group Canada)

The Peculiars by Maureen Doyle McQuerry
Warriors of the Black Shroud by Peter Howe
The Gathering Storm by Robin Bridges
(Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers)

Won:
Vanish by Sophie Jordan
Won it over at Bewitched Bookworms, big thanks to the folks over there!

That's all I received this week. I'm pretty excited to read all these, especially The Gathering Storm! Hope everyone else enjoyed a good week as well!

First Post-Inheritance Interview with Christopher Paolini!

2011-12-16T21:02:00.000-06:00

For those that haven't seen it yet, check out the first interview with author Christopher Paolini after the release of his much awaited final book in the series - Inheritance. It contains a lot of spoilers so only read it if you've already read Inheritance. Be sure to check it out - Christopher Paolini let's us know why he chose the endings for the characters as well as any future plans for more books! You can find the interview here.

Review: Unearthly

2011-12-15T20:04:00.002-06:00

Unearthly
by Cynthia Hand

Release Date: January 4, 2011
Publisher: HarperTeen
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 435
Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

Series: Unearthly and Hallowed

In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees . . . .

Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn't easy.

Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place—and out of place at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side.

As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make—between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?

My Review:

There are many reasons why I liked this book - one was that the heroine and not the male lead was a supernatural. I also liked that the book started right off the bat about angels and that Clara knew she was an angel right in the beginning. The story didn't come off as cliche or overused.

Family has a big importance in this book and we saw a lot of Clara's family instead of them being in the background. I loved Clara's close relationship with her mother and the scenes of them together as a family along with her younger brother, Jefferey. I also liked Clara's close relationship with her friends Wendy and Angela.

I couldn't even guess what will happen next in the book and it wasn't predictable in any way. Every time I tried, my guess was thrown off course. The plot was well-coursed I suppose. The only flaws I found was that I sometimes wished that there was a little less of daily and school life and more supernatural elements. And I wished we knew more about the angels instead of most of it being shrouded in mystery. It was a good story I admit, but the writing was nothing special.

I'll probably be reading the next book - Hallowed. The book had an interesting and enjoyable plot and the first book has a lot of potential, hopefully it doesn't all go downhill from here - because I'm not sure what the next book will bring or add. If you like YA books about angels then this one might be for you.

Waiting on Wednesday (35)

2011-12-14T05:41:00.000-06:00

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Fallen in Love

by Lauren Kate

What makes your heart race a little faster? Just in time for Valentine's Day, it's Fallen in Love, four wholly original new stories collected in a new novel set in the Middle Ages by Lauren Kate. Fallen in Love gives fans the much-talked about but never-revealed stories of Fallen characters as they intertwine with the epic love story of Luce and Daniel. The stories include: Love Where You Least Expect It: The Valentine of Shelby and Miles , Love Lessons: The Valentine of Roland; Burning Love: The Valentine of Arriane; and Endless Love: The Valentine of Daniel and Lucinda. - Will be released January 24th 2012

Rapture

by Lauren Kate

The sky is dark with wings...

In RAPTURE, the highly anticipated fourth and final novel in the FALLEN series, Luce and Daniel are together... but for how long? Can history be rewritten? Or are some punishments eternal? - To be released June 12th 2012

I can't wait until both these are out! I love the Fallen series. I don't believe I can wait until June but luckily January is just around the corner for Fallen in Love. I hope Rapture has a good conclusion to the series and doesn't end up terrible like I've seen happen a lot lately with final books in a series.

The Infernal Devices: Clockwork Angel graphic novel will be released!

2011-12-13T03:54:00.000-06:00

A lot of YA books lately are being made into graphic novels and I just found out that Yen Press will be releasing The Infernal Devices: Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare into a graphic novel. You can read the announcement here.

Still the series is pretty popular (I LOVE Cassandra Clare's books) so I suppose that this was going happen sooner or later. Yen Press has featured Will on their magazine's latest issue:

It seems to have more of a manga style than the usual graphic novel - which I love!

The release date for it should be announced soon and I don't believe the City of Bones graphic novel has been released yet. Still I'm happy they're releasing these graphic novels - it should get more people into them as well as manga. I'll definitely be buying a copy of both!

Also for those that haven't seen it yet, here's the cover for the City of Bones graphic novel:

I'm sorry I didn't post a Manga Monday post but I was up for hours trying to finish my homework and a bunch of papers - so I didn't have much time. But for sure I'll be posting one next week!

Personally I prefer the art for The Clockwork Angel since I love manga styled drawings. So what do you think? Will you be giving either of these graphic novels a try? Let me know down in the comments!

In My Mailbox (29)

2011-12-11T22:25:00.001-06:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly memo hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren:

Goliath by Scott Westerfeld

I'm not sure who sent this out, but whoever did big thanks - I absolutely love this series!

Bought:

Tegami Bachi: Letter Bee, Volume 1 by Hiroyuki Asada

I watched the first few episodes of the anime and really enjoyed it, though I'm probably going to start reading the manga instead since it's usually better than the anime. I'll be doing a Manga Monday post on it soon.

Review:

Switched by Amanda Hocking

(Thanks to St. Martin's Griffin)

Currently reading - so far it's getting really good!

And that's what I got this week, hopefully everyone else had an enjoyable week as well! :)

Review: Daughter of Smoke and Bone

2011-12-11T20:28:00.005-06:00

Daughter of Smoke and Bone
by Laini Taylor

Release Date: September 27, 2011
Publisher: Little, Brown & Company
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 418
Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages--not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.

When one of the strangers--beautiful, haunted Akiva--fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

My Review:

As soon as I read the summary, I was completely caught and knew I had to read the book, and it was everything I expected it to be and so much more:

The whole book really felt like a tale. I mean a fairy tale like tales of the Brothers Grimm or Chris Hans Anderson. Laini Taylor is a brilliant storyteller that's for sure. The opening line really made it that much more like one: Once upon a time an angel and a devil fell in love.....It did not end well. A bit cliche, I know, but it really made it feel more like one. And the book was not just about romance - it's about war and hope, finding your place, and adventure and magic. Though I'm definitely not saying the romance was bad - like the rest of the story it was well-done.

I loved loved the mythology aspect of this series – the angels and chimaera. You’ve probably read about angels and perhaps even a little on chimaera. But Laini Taylor spins a completely new and original tale on these two. And learning about them – their cities, culture, war and everything else made me feel like I was transported to a different place and time and painted a perfect picture in my head. The setting was also done vividly and I really enjoyed learning about the city of Prague, I kept googling places Karou mentioned!

I fell in love with Karou's adopted family - the chimaera: Issa, Twiga, Yasri, Kishmish, and of course Brimstone - Karou's adopted father. I was so excited to see what happens next in the book - the mystery concerning Brimstone and what he does with the teeth? Who is Karou really? Who these strange angels are? Basically the whole book was a roller coaster that I couldn't stand to get off. I kept wishing there was more pages and that the book would continue on for a long time.

So should you try this? That's a YES. Daughter of Smoke and Bone was more than your usual YA, it really has potential to be a classic. With it's breathing-taking tale, mythology and setting I'm sure anyone who appreciates literature - or just a great story in general - will love it!

Cover Reveal: The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

2011-12-08T15:34:00.001-06:00

You will kill. The only question is when.

In the dark days since the insidious Red Lung virus decimated the human population, vampires have risen to rule the crumbling cities and suburbs. Uncontested Princes hold sway over diminished ranks of humans: their "pets." In exchange for their labor, loyalty and of course, their blood, these pets are registered, given food and shelter, permitted to survive.

Unregistered humans cling to fringes, scavenging for survival. Allison Sekemoto and her fellow Unregistereds are hunted, not only by vampires, but by rabids, the unholy result of Red Lung-infected vampires feeding on unwary humans. One night, Allie is attacked by a pack of rabids, saved by an unlikely hero...and turned vampire.

Uncomfortable in her undead skin, Allie falls in with a ragtag crew of humans seeking a cure, or cures: for Rabidism and for Vampirism. She's passing for human...for now. But the hunger is growing and will not be denied. Not for friendship—not even for love.

At first glance I thought it looked like the Iron Fey covers, but a closer inspection shows otherwise:

The Immortal Rules gives off a darker feeling, and that blood tear is just creepy - still I like the overall cover.

What do you think? Love it or hate it? Please, let me know in the comments!

Review: Shatter Me

2011-12-08T03:31:00.003-06:00

Shatter Me
by Tahereh Mafi

Release Date: November 15, 2011
Publisher: HarperCollins
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 338
Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

Juliette hasn't touched anyone in exactly 264 days.

The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war-- and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

In this electrifying debut, Tahereh Mafi presents a world as riveting as The Hunger Games and a superhero story as thrilling as The X-Men. Full of pulse-pounding romance, intoxicating villainy, and high-stakes choices, Shatter Me is a fresh and original dystopian novel—with a paranormal twist—that will leave readers anxiously awaiting its sequel.

My Review:

I didn't know what to make of Shatter Me when I first heard about it. At the time I believe I was thinking Ahh another dystopian! The cover also put me off, the model just didn't seem to match the summary for the book, but then again never judge by the cover, right? So many bloggers have given it high ratings and recommended it and since I know they're rarely wrong I decided to give it a try.

I am so happy, so ecstatic, that I did! Let me just tell you the cover doesn't give this book justice. It's action-packed, full of romance and the story just blew me away. I was captured by page one and the book never once made me feel irritated or even bored. The book is beautifully written and I'm not just saying that. Most YA books seem to have the same bland writing and I usually can overlook it if the story is good enough. But Mafi's writing is original and captivating. She managed to capture Juliette's voice perfectly.

The characters were all extremely well-done, I understood all of them. They all had personality in my opinion. The antagonist was also done extremely well, he didn't come off as cliche evil. The romance starts quite early on, though it never felt rushed nor did it make me roll my eyes as it was unbelievable like some YA.

The line - a superhero story as thrilling as The X-Men, really caught my attention when I read the summary and as I read through the book I didn't understand how it had anything to do with it. But near the end I thought X-Men was a perfect description and it really just made me that much more exited for the next book! Some other reviewer mentioned this before and now when I think about it, Juliette really reminds of Rogue from X-Men (I love the shows and movies!!!).

So if you're wondering if you should pick this up then I strongly urge you to give it a try, this is one of my favorite books of the year and I can't wait until the next is out! With it's captivating story, beautiful writing, romance, and the action - this is a book I would highly recommend to any YA reader!

Waiting on Wednesday (34)

2011-12-07T15:14:00.000-06:00

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

The Gathering Storm

by Robin Bridges

St. Petersburg, Russia, 1888. As she attends a whirl of glittering balls, royal debutante Katerina Alexandrovna, Duchess of Oldenburg, tries to hide a dark secret: she can raise the dead. No one knows. Not her family. Not the girls at her finishing school. Not the tsar or anyone in her aristocratic circle. Katerina considers her talent a curse, not a gift. But when she uses her special skill to protect a member of the Imperial Family, she finds herself caught in a web of intrigue.

An evil presence is growing within Europe's royal bloodlines—and those aligned with the darkness threaten to topple the tsar. Suddenly Katerina's strength as a necromancer attracts attention from unwelcome sources . . . including two young men—George Alexandrovich, the tsar's standoffish middle son, who needs Katerina's help to safeguard Russia, even if he's repelled by her secret, and the dashing Prince Danilo, heir to the throne of Montenegro, to whom Katerina feels inexplicably drawn.

The time has come for Katerina to embrace her power, but which side will she choose—and to whom will she give her heart?

- To be Released January 10th, 2012

Giveaway Update

2011-12-06T21:17:00.000-06:00

Just a heads up, I'm extending my Two Year Anniversary Giveaway to December 22nd. If you haven't entered the giveaway, be sure to check it out - you could win any one of these books:

Review: Scary School

2011-12-05T23:46:00.003-06:00

Scary School
by Derek The Ghost

Release Date: June 21, 2011
Publisher: HarperCollins
Age Group: Middle Grade
Pages: 237
Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

Series: Scary School and Monsters on the March

You think your school's scary?

Get a load of these teachers:
Ms. Fang, an 850-year-old vampire
Dr. Dragonbreath, who just might eat you before recess
Mr. Snakeskin—science class is so much more fun when it's taught by someone who's half zombie
Mrs. T—break the rules and spend your detention with a hungry Tyrannosaurus rex!
Plus
Gargoyles, goblins, and Frankenstein's monster on the loose The world's most frighteningly delicious school lunch
And
The narrator's an eleven-year-old ghost!

My Review:

Scary School is a fun and quirky book that I'm sure any kid would love! The book was very easy to get into and it's a great way to get young children into reading. I absolutely loved it and the illustrations really made the book that much more enjoyable. The stories are silly and fun. Although it was a bit odd at first it quickly grew on me. My favorite part of the book had to be the characters though.

Ms. Fang, Dr. Dragonbreath, Mrs. T, Petunia, Fred, the three Rachels and the whole cast were loads of fun. And I loved reading the chapters that were dedicated to them and told us of their background. The characters, like the book, are amusing to read about. The narrator of the novel as well as the author is Derek the Ghost, a 10-year-old boy who was once a student of Scary School before becoming a ghost and I have to say reading a book by a ghost is a first for me.

The length and pacing of the book was perfect; not too much or too little. It never grew tedious or boring. Most of the chapters are, as I mentioned before, centered on separate characters but a lot of them are also on different scenarios happening in the school. I also really enjoyed learning about the settings of the school. The Petrified Pavilion, the Lunch Hall, Nurse's Office, etc were all fun to learn about.

I believe most kids elementary to middle grade would find this book enjoyable and as I mentioned if you have a child who doesn't like reading this could be the book that will make them start enjoying it. All in all I give high points for the approachable writing, the illustrations and the characters. I'm sure most kids 8-12 would loves this so if you're that age or have a child around that age then I urge you to pick Scary School up. I'm excited to see what will happen in the next adventures of the staff and students of Scary School!

In My Mailbox (28)

2011-12-04T00:02:00.000-06:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly memo hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren:

Bought:

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

I heard so much about this book, so I'm curious to see what it's about.

Review:

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Thanks to Little, Brown & Company

Scary School by Derek the Ghost

Thanks to the author

Secret Santa:

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

Big thanks to my Secret Santa, I'm really looking forward to reading both books they've been on my wishlist for quite a while!

And that's all I got this week, hope everyone had a good week as well! :)

Review: Bloodlines

2011-12-03T17:11:00.008-06:00

Bloodlines

by Richelle Mead

Release Date: August 23, 2011
Publisher: Razorbill
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 421
Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

Series: Bloodlines, The Golden Lily, and four other unnamed books.

Original Series: Vampire Academy, Frostbite, Shadow Kiss, Blood Promise, Spirit Bound and Last Sacrifice

When alchemist Sydney is ordered into hiding to protect the life of Moroi princess Jill Dragomir, the last place she expects to be sent is a human private school in Palm Springs, California. But at their new school, the drama is only just beginning.

Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, Bloodlines explores all the friendship, romance, battles and betrayals that made the #1 New York Times bestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive - this time in a part-vampire, part-human setting where the stakes are even higher and everyone's out for blood.

My Review:

The Vampire Academy series has always been a favorite for me. I was a little wary to see how Richelle Mead's spin-off would turn out. I've read spin-off's - most are not very good. I loved Rose as a heroine, she had a lot of spunk and I wasn't sure what to expect with Sydney. I thought the author was trying to go for the complete opposite of Rose's character and didn't really think that would turn out well.

After reading Bloodlines I'm happy to say my bad expectations of it didn't come. Although it wasn't as good as the first book in the Vampire Academy series, it has a lot of promise and I'm looking forward to the next book. Many characters return from the original series - Sydney of course, Jill, Eddie, and Adrian. Rose even makes a short appearance.

One thing I've always loved about Richelle Mead's book is her characters. They are so believable and real, both the main and supporting characters. And I'm happy to see that Bloodlines continued with that tradition. I really did enjoy reading through Sydney's point of view. She's definitely not Rose but she was calm, determined, endearing and an overall interesting heroine with a lot of room for character development. We see plenty of Adrian and I love all the parts he was in, he definitely was in it a lot more then any of the other Vampire Academy books. So if you love Adrian then I'm sure you'll enjoy Bloodlines.

The story was interesting but at times it got a little tedious with the high school and daily life. Still it was fun to read and see the characters interact and I'm looking forward to the next books in the series. The author also took any romance with Sydney slow and there really wasn't any at all, which was pretty refreshing and like everything I'm also wondering how this will turn out in the future. If you're a fan of the Vampire Academy series then I'm sure you'll love Bloodlines. It can be read by itself but I don't think you'll get the full impact of it if you haven't read the Vampire Academy series. I'm probably going to read The Golden Lily but I hope the plot doesn't continue to lag on like it did with Bloodlines.

Books I read in November 2011

2011-12-01T11:11:00.000-06:00

(Click on the tiles below to check out my reviews)

Reckoning by Lili St. Crow

The Mephisto Covenant by Trinity Faegen

The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima

Inheritance by Christopher Paolini

The Exiled Queen by Cinda Williams Chima

The Space Between by Brenna Yovanoff

I was disappointed with both Reckoning and The Mephisto Concenant. But Inheritance had a wonderful conclusion to the series. I also found a new favorite with Chima's Seven Realms series and The Space Between was a beautiful story. I could have read more books this month but Inheritance was pretty long.

Waiting on Wednesday (33)

2011-11-30T08:34:00.001-06:00

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

The Savage Grace

by Bree Despain

A troubled soul. An impossible choice. A final battle.

Wrestling with the werewolf curse pulsing deep inside of her, Grace Divine was finally able to find her brother, but it nearly cost her everything.

With her boyfriend, Daniel, stuck in wolf form and Sirhan's death approaching, time is running out for Grace to stop Caleb Kalbi and his gang of demons. If she fails, her family and hometown will perish. Everything rests on Grace's shoulders.

The final installment in The Dark Divine trilogy brings Daniel and Grace's love story to a breathtaking conclusion.

- hits bookstores March 13th 2012

I really love this series, I was a bit disappointed to hear that the release was pushed back to March though. I'm excited to see what will happen in the final book! You can check out a sneak peak of Chapter one here. And if you haven't tried this series yet, then what are you waiting for!!!

Review: The Space Between

2011-11-29T12:59:00.007-06:00

The Space Between
by Brenna Yovanoff

Release Date: November 15, 2011
Publisher: Razorbill
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 363
Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

Everything is made of steel, even the flowers. How can you love anything in a place like this?

Daphne is the half-demon, half-fallen angel daughter of Lucifer and Lilith. Life for her is an endless expanse of time, until her brother Obie is kidnapped - and Daphne realizes she may be partially responsible. Determined to find him, Daphne travels from her home in Pandemonium to the vast streets of Earth, where everything is colder and more terrifying. With the help of the human boy she believes was the last person to see her brother alive, Daphne glimpses into his dreams, discovering clues to Obie's whereabouts. As she delves deeper into her demonic powers, she must navigate the jealousies and alliances of the violent archangels who stand in her way. But she also discovers, unexpectedly, what it means to love and be human in a world where human is the hardest thing to be.

This second novel by rising star Brenna Yovanoff is a story of identity, discovery, and a troubled love between two people struggling to find their place both in our world and theirs.

My Review:

Daphne is the half-angel, half-demon daughter of Lucifer and Lilith. All her life she has lived in Pandemonium watching time pass. When her brother, Obie, suddenly disappears, Daphne makes her first trip to earth in the hopes of finding him. She enlists the help of Truman, a troubled human boy and the last person who saw her brother. But earth is a dangerous place for demons since the archangel Azrael hunts them down.

I've heard numerous great things for The Replacement, Brenna Yovanoff''s first novel and was curious to try her work. When I read the summary for The Space Between I knew I had to give it a try. At first I was wary that it would turn into another high school drama, which I've seen so much of lately but I'm happy to say that The Space Between did not - in any way - turn out like that.

The book was dark and creepy, showing you the harsh realities yet the dark elements of the book were not unnecessary. I loved Brenna Yovanoff's writing, the words just flowed off the pages. The mythology aspects of the book were very well done. And Daphne did not in any way appear to me to be a normal girl. She doesn't act or think like a human. And her inexperience with humans and earth was very evident. She was a lovable heroine, naive yet adorable.

Truman is a troubled boy that had once tired committing suicide. About half of the book is from his point of view. Brenna Yovanoff pulled Truman off very well in my opinion; you felt his misery and actually understood what he was going through. I loved both Daphne and Truman very much and their characters were definitely different than our usual YA characters. The supporting characters were just as well done; even the ones that were barely in it spoke legions.

A dark and beautifully written story, Brenna Yovanoff did an incredible job with the book. And it's nice to read stand-alones, reading so much YA books that are part of a series gets tiring after a while. As soon as I get a chance, I'll be buying myself a copy of Brenna Yovanoff''s The Replacement. I'll also be on the look out for any more books she writes. I also LOVE the cover for the book; it suits the story very well. The Space Between is a beautiful haunting tale that I would recommend to any YA or paranormal reader!

Manga Monday (5) The Last Airbender: The Promise Part 1

2011-11-28T05:59:00.001-06:00

The Last Airbender: The Promise Part 1 by Gene Yang

The wait is over! Ever since the conclusion of Avatar: The Last Airbender, its millions of fans have been hungry for more--and it's finally here!

This series of digests rejoins Aang and friends for exciting new adventures, beginning with a faceoff against the Fire Nation that threatens to throw the world into another war, testing all of Aang's powers and ingenuity!

* The continuation of Airbender and the link to its upcoming sequel, Legend of Korra!

My Review:

So this week I decided to review a graphic novel instead of the usual manga. For those that don't know, Avatar: The Last Airbender is a popular animated TV series about a world of element benders. The series ended three years ago and in 2012 a new spin-off series The Legend of Korra will be released. Author Gene Yang has collaborated with the two creators of the show for a trilogy of graphic novels that will be set in between Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra. As a fan of the series, I was beyond excited when I heard the news for the graphic novels and was ecstatic when I was given a chance to review the book and see an early look.

The Promise Part 1 starts right where the last episode of the series ended, and I mean right after. We see that perhaps the world is not in peaceful as they thought it would be. Zuko, now the Fire Lord, is finding it especially difficult to deal with the demands of being the Fire Lord and protecting his country. We see the full conversation between Zuko and Ozai - when Zuko asks Ozai where his mother is in the series. Team Avatar of course all appear in the graphic novel and I give the artist high points for drawing the characters as they appeared in the TV series but still giving them each a new look.

Sadly though, I felt that the Graphic Novel was too short - a mere 82 pages - and I felt that nothing really happened, I have a feeling the other 2 Graphic Novels in the trilogy will have a similar length and if that's the case, it would have been better off it they just combined all of them together to make one graphic novel. There was also quite a lot of bending fights in the graphic novel and although it was pretty cool it just didn't flow very well, which was a bit of a disappointment when you compare it to the epic fights of the show.

Nonetheless as a fan of the series I was happy to see my favorite old characters return and start a new adventure. I will definitely be reading the rest of this trilogy to see what happens next. We saw more of metal bending in the graphic novel and I can see how that will connect to the spin-off show, The Legend of Korra. I'm excited to see what other connections there will be. So I would say if you're a fan of this series than you definitely need to give this a try. And if you haven't watched the series yet, than what are you waiting for!!

Trailer for the spin-off series: The Legend Of Korra

I just can't stop watching it, it's nothing if not epic!

In My Mailbox (27)

2011-11-27T04:28:00.001-06:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly memo hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren:

Review:

The Space Between by Brenna Yovanoff

Thanks to Penguin Group (Canada)

Kevin's Point of View by Del Shannon

Thanks to the author

Darkspell by Elizabeth Mueller

Thanks to the author

Won:

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

Won over at A Reading Nook

Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

Won over at In which I write nonsensically

And that's all I got for these last two weeks. I'm currently reading The Space Between and I'm LOVING it so far, the review should posted sometime today or Monday. I also can't wait to read Bloodlines, I loved Mead's Vampire Academy series. Hope everyone else had a fantastic book week as well! :)

Review: The Exiled Queen

2011-11-24T18:50:00.003-06:00

The Exiled Queen
by Cinda Williams Chima

Release Date: September 28, 2010
Publisher: Hyperion
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 586
Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

Series: The Demon King, The Exiled Queen, The Gray Wolf Throne, and The Crimson Crown

You can't always run from danger...

Haunted by the loss of his mother and sister, Han Alister journeys south to begin his schooling at Mystwerk House in Oden’s Ford. But leaving the Fells doesn’t mean danger isn’t far behind. Han is hunted every step of the way by the Bayars, a powerful wizarding family set on reclaiming the amulet Han stole from them. And Mystwerk House has dangers of its own. There, Han meets Crow, a mysterious wizard who agrees to tutor Han in the darker parts of sorcery—but the bargain they make is one Han may regret.

Meanwhile, Princess Raisa ana’Marianna runs from a forced marriage in the Fells, accompanied by her friend Amon and his triple of cadets. Now, the safest place for Raisa is Wein House, the military academy at Oden's Ford. If Raisa can pass as a regular student, Wein House will offer both sanctuary and the education Raisa needs to succeed as the next Gray Wolf queen.

My Review:

The reason I rated The Exiled Queen a four instead of a five is mainly because of the beginning of the book. The first 100 pages were about the two main characters traveling to Oden's Ford and it was tedious to read after a while. The author also dumped a lot of information on you, which caught me off guard since she strayed from doing that in the first book, The Demon King.

When Han and Raisa reach Oden's Ford, the story becomes far more interesting and better paced. There were quite a few new characters and I enjoyed meeting and learning about them. Chima didn't throw them in your face which I find a lot of series have a habit of doing when they want to introduce you to a new cast of characters. The story really kept you on your toes and it had a lot twists and turns, I really wanted to know what would happen next! Han and Raisa were both interesting to read from. However, I found myself preferring Han - he's definitely my favorite character, I loved reading about him! The author portrayed his character very well.

I felt Raisa fell in love way too easily in such a short amount of time. The whole romance aspect of this series seemed nothing but shallow to me and it's definitely not the reason I'm sticking around. Though I admit Raisa went through the most character development and she's definitely not that whiny spoiled princess she was in the first book. But the author is overusing the overrated storyline of a stubborn princess who doesn't want to frolic around in dresses.

The first book was an introduction to the characters and the Fells. The second book is more about the rest of world and the countries, the politics and the war that's threatening the seven realms. The whole book is set outside of the Fells and mainly in Oden's Ford, an academy that teaches students from all over the realms - which was a really good setting and I really enjoyed reading about it.

I'm a bit annoyed that this series turned from three books to four. I'll definitely be reading the next book, The Gray Wolf Throne though, because I of course really want to know what happens next! And probably for sure the last book - The Crimson Crown. I'm a bit sad that there aren't much YA fantasy book lately since so much authors are mooching over the popularity of paranormal but I really encourage people to give this series a try, a great series even if your not a hardcore fantasy reader!

Waiting on Wednesday (32)

2011-11-23T00:00:00.004-06:00

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Darkness Before Dawn

by J.A. London

This electrifying new trilogy blends the best of paranormal and dystopian storytelling in a world where the war is over. And the vampires won.

Humans huddle in their walled cities, supplying blood in exchange for safety. But not even that is guaranteed. Dawn has lost her entire family and now reluctantly serves as the delegate to Lord Valentine, the most powerful vampire for miles. It isn’t until she meets Victor, Valentine’s son, that she realizes not all vampires are monsters....

- to be released May 29th 2012

Doesn't the cover look like the Fallen series? And the summary reminds me a bit of The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa. Yes, I know another vampire book. But it sounds pretty good and I'm willing to give it a try. I hear it's written by a mother and son duo.

Manga Monday (4) Blue Exorcist, Vol. 1

2011-11-21T05:00:00.003-06:00

Raised by Father Fujimoto, a famous exorcist, Rin Okumura never knew his real father. One day a fateful argument with Father Fujimoto forces Rin to face a terrible truth – the blood of the demon lord Satan runs in Rin’s veins! Rin swears to defeat Satan, but doing that means entering the mysterious True Cross Academy and becoming an exorcist himself. Can Rin fight demons and keep his infernal bloodline a secret? It won't be easy, especially when drawing his father’s sword releases the demonic power within him!

My Review:

Rin was raised by Father Fujimoto in a church all his life. But he soon discovers that he isn't as normal as he thought he was, when an attack forces him to uncover that he is the son of Satan and the power of the blue flames runs in his blood. When Rin loses someone dear to him at the hands of Satan he swears vengeance on him and enters True Cross Academy, a school that trains exorcists.

The summary of this manga reminded me of one of my favorite manga, D. Gray-Man, which is also about exorcists, but after reading Blue Exorcist I realised it was nothing like it. I loved the mythology behind this manga, it wasn't too complicated but interesting to learn. The world consists of two dimensions: the first one is Assiah, the world where humans live and the second is Gehenna, the world of the demons. Demons can travel between the worlds by possessing the body of a human.

I really loved the main character Rin, he's kind and sweet and definitely my favorite character! Other characters introduced are Yukio, Rin's younger twin brother - who is the opposite of him in every way. Father Fujimoto - Rin and Yukio's adopted father - like Rin I also instantly loved his character even though we only saw him for a short while. Mephisto, the head master of True Cross Academy was eccentric and hilarious! More students are introduced later on in the chapters of this volume and the next. I definitely give high points for the characters!

The art is clean and clear-cut; it doesn't have any unnecessary things. The characters are very nicely drawn! The plot of the first volume was mainly an introduction of the world and characters and each chapter has its own story, I believe it starts getting into a storyline later on. But nonetheless I really enjoyed this manga and urge you to try it!

Rating:

Originality: 5

Plot: 4

Characters: 5

Art: 5

Total: 19/20 95%

The Blue Exorcist anime:

Blue Excorist does have an anime but sadly it isn't dubbed - but then again I personally prefer subs over dubs. The English version just rarely gets them right! The anime follows the plot of the manga, except that it makes its own ending at the last few episodes, which animes tend to do a lot since manga are usually ongoing and still don't have their own ending yet. Here's the opening for the anime, even if your not going to watch it check out the art because it's exactly like the artwork for the manga:

I haven't done Manga Monday posts for a few months now and for that I'm sorry! I just keep forgetting to do them! I'll make sure to be more vigilant and do them a couple of days beforehand lest I forget. Thanks for reading the post! I would love to hear your thoughts in the comment section!

Review: Inheritance

2011-11-19T13:47:00.002-06:00

Inheritance
by Christopher Paolini

Release Date: November 8, 2011
Publisher: Random House
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 849
Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

Series: Eragon, Eldest, Brisingr and Inheritance

Not so very long ago, Eragon—Shadeslayer, Dragon Rider—was nothing more than a poor farm boy, and his dragon, Saphira, only a blue stone in the forest. Now the fate of an entire civilization rests on their shoulders.

Long months of training and battle have brought victories and hope, but they have also brought heartbreaking loss. And still, the real battle lies ahead: they must confront Galbatorix. When they do, they will have to be strong enough to defeat him. And if they cannot, no one can. There will be no second chances.

The Rider and his dragon have come further than anyone dared to hope. But can they topple the evil king and restore justice to Alagaësia? And if so, at what cost?

This is the much-anticipated, astonishing conclusion to the worldwide bestselling Inheritance cycle.

My Review:

I just finished reading Inheritance a few minutes ago and all I have to really say is perfect. Just completely and utterly perfect. Do you know that feeling of joy and satisfaction you get after finishing the last word of a book? Well, that's exactly how I feel. I wouldn't have anything changed in the book. The ending as well as the rest of the story was as good as it can get.

The book exceeded my expectations. I have always been a fan of this series, and after waiting three years for this book, me as well as other fans have speculated a lot in what will happen. Let me tell you that not one of my expectations went quite as I thought it would. You're in for a lot of surprises that's for sure. I'm not sure what else to say besides the book was perfect...but I suppose I'll try my best to:

The writing doesn't get worse as I find with most books. No, it keeps the same flow as the previous books if not better. You won't feel lost as the book is easy to approach yet at the same time having all the elements of a high fantasy. As with the previous books the main point of view is Eragon but there are quite a few shifts to Nasuada and Roran and also a chapter from Saphira's perspective. We also see quite a lot of Galbatorix and for that I'm glad, I thought that Eragon was just going to see the guy once then kill him.

After the ending of Eragon's struggle, we have about another hundred more pages to see what happens after the war. You really see that the author spent a lot of time trying to get the whole story wrapped up and for a series with giant tomes of books, I can safely say there are no loose ends, which is the bane of many readers.

I don't know what else to say, the book was AMAZING. I want to reread the whole series again, I honestly do. I'm not even a little sad on seeing the characters go because I believe this is the perfect ending for them. I am completely and utterly satisfied. This series was one of my first reads. It made me fall in love with the fantasy genre and inspired me to write a fantasy series of my own.

Christopher Paolini has stated in the acknowledgments that he will write more books set in the world of Alagaësia - whether that will be in a month or years from now he doesn't know. I'm not sure if I'm happy about that since I loved how the series ended and find it a good conclusion but I have feeling if he does write more books set in the world it will undoubtedly be just as good as his previous. Well that's all I have to say. If you haven't read the Inheritance Cycle yet than what are you waiting for?! Although the large books might seem hard to approach, trust me, the world is easy to comprehend, the writing is wonderful and it's a series people of all ages will love.

Waiting on Wednesday (31)

2011-11-16T09:34:00.000-06:00

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

The Selection

by Kiera Cass

For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in the palace and compete for the heart of the gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself- and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.
- to be released April 24th 2012

The summary sounds really good, and don't you love the cover! This one will definitely be part of my 2012 Debut Author Challenge.

The Hunger Games Trailer!

2011-11-15T07:39:00.000-06:00

Well all I have to say is I LOVE it!

In My Mailbox (26)

2011-11-13T17:40:00.001-06:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly memo hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren:

Bought:
Inheritance by Christopher Paolini

The last book to the Eragon series, I have been waiting years for this! Currently reading it, so far it's good but I can't wait to see how everything will turn out.

D.Gray-man, Volume 21 by Katsura Hoshino

The latest volume in one of my favorite manga series D. Gray-Man.

Won:

Nightshade City by Hilary Wagner

The White Assassin by Hilary Wagner
I won both of these over at author Gretchen McNeil's blog. This series reminds of Redwall - one of my favorite all time series and what got me into reading in the first place, so I definitely can't wait to start it!

That's my book haul this week, I hope everyone had a great week as well! :)

Review: The Demon King

2011-11-11T13:36:00.005-06:00

The Demon King
by Cinda Williams Chima

Release Date: October 6, 2009
Publisher: Hyperion
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 506
Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

Series: The Demon King, The Exiled Queen, The Gray Wolf Throne, and The Crimson Crown

Times are hard in the mountain city of Fellsmarch. Reformed thief Han Alister will do almost anything to eke out a living for himself, his mother, and his sister Mari. Ironically, the only thing of value he has is something he can't sell. For as long as Han can remember, he's worn thick silver cuffs engraved with runes. They're clearly magicked-as he grows, they grow, and he's never been able to get them off.

While out hunting one day, Han and his Clan friend, Dancer catch three young wizards setting fire to the sacred mountain of Hanalea. After a confrontation, Han takes an amulet from Micah Bayar, son of the High Wizard, to ensure the boy won't use it against them. Han soon learns that the amulet has an evil history-it once belonged to the Demon King, the wizard who nearly destroyed the world a millennium ago. With a magical piece that powerful at stake, Han knows that the Bayars will stop at nothing to get it back.

Meanwhile, Raisa ana'Helena, Princess Heir of the Fells, has her own battles to fight. She's just returned to court after three years of relative freedom with her father's family at Demonai camp - riding, hunting, and working the famous Clan markets. Although Raisa will become eligible for marriage after her sixteenth name-day, she isn't looking forward to trading in her common sense and new skills for etiquette tutors and stuffy parties.

Raisa wants to be more than an ornament in a glittering cage. She aspires to be like Hanalea-the legendary warrior queen who killed the Demon King and saved the world. But it seems like her mother has other plans for her--plans that include a suitor who goes against everything the Queendom stands for.

My Review:

I read Chima's The Warrior Heir before, I was disappointed with it and not impressed. So when I heard she had a new fantasy series, I didn't really want to read it. Overtime though so many started recommending it. It got so many great reviews on blogs and high ratings on Amazon and Goodreads, so I didn't know what to expect when I started The Demon King. After reading it all I can say is that Chima is far more suited to writing fantasy.

The trouble I find with most fantasy books - especially high fantasy - is that it's hard to approach. I mean you have this giant book and when you read the first few pages BAM you're overwhelmed with the world, the history, the religion, the magic and every other thing that makes a book a fantasy. I didn't in any way feel overwhelmed with The Demon King. It was very well paced and everything was explained gradually - there was enough to make the world feel real and not too much to leave you overwhelmed and wiped out.

The book shifts between the point of views of Han and Raisa. Han is a reformed thief who's trying to get enough to feed himself, his mother and younger sister. I loved Han from the beginning. He was a hero I couldn't help but cheer on. Raisa at first annoyed me, she was such a whiny little princess who thought she knew more than anyone else. But she later grew on me. She was naive girl but was willing to change her opinion and outlook. You could see a lot of character development with her. I really loved the point of view shifts, their two characters weren't connected in any way and they took different paths but both their stories were wonderful to read.

I really did enjoy reading about all the other characters as well. All of them had personality - good traits and flaws. I didn't feel overwhelmed with the characters and all had a role to play. The history behind the Demon King and Queen Hanalea was really interesting to learn about and I would have loved to learn more. We are also given only a general knowledge of the magic but I believe the next book will dive more on that. One thing that irritated me was the names. The names of the countries, the people and other such things seemed like something the author came up with on the spot with no real thought of it. I'm such a huge name snob but I got used to it later and it was not in any way enough to ruin the book for me.

Most young adults will probably love this book even if you're not a hardcore fantasy fan. It's not overwhelming as I mentioned, which to me is the largest setback in fantasy. I feel a little conflicted now if whether I should read the next book, The Exile Queen or the last book in the Eragon series, Inheritance which I have been waiting years for - it just came out a few days ago. Well one thing is for certain, I am gladly going to read The Exile Queen some time soon. Fantasy is one of my favorite genres and I believe I just found a new favorite.

Cover Reveal Rapture and Fallen in Love!

2011-11-09T04:06:00.002-06:00

I LOVE this series, the covers were released on Monday, can't believe I just saw them today! Fallen In Love will have four short love stories about characters from the series - check out a sneak peak here. And Rapture is of course the conclusion to the series.

Waiting on Wednesday (30)

2011-11-09T00:32:00.001-06:00

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

The Immortal Rules

by Julie Kagawa

The False Prince

by Jennifer A. Nielsen

THE FALSE PRINCE is the thrilling first book in a brand-new trilogy filled with danger and deceit and hidden identities that will have readers rushing breathlessly to the end.

In a discontent kingdom, civil war is brewing. To unify the divided people, Conner, a nobleman of the court, devises a cunning plan to find an impersonator of the king's long-lost son and install him as a puppet prince. Four orphans are recruited to compete for the role, including a defiant boy named Sage. Sage knows that Conner's motives are more than questionable, yet his life balances on a sword's point -- he must be chosen to play the prince or he will certainly be killed. But Sage's rivals have their own agendas as well.

As Sage moves from a rundown orphanage to Conner's sumptuous palace, layer upon layer of treachery and deceit unfold, until finally, a truth is revealed that, in the end, may very well prove more dangerous than all of the lies taken together.

An extraordinary adventure filled with danger and action, lies and deadly truths that will have readers clinging to the edge of their seats.

- To be Released April 1, 2012

Don't both of these sound great! I LOVED Julie Kagawa's Iron Fey series so I have high hopes for her new series - The Blood of Eden. Can't for the first book the Immortal Blood to be out! The cover is just a placeholder I believe and the rest should be revealed in April. The other book, The False Prince, has such a great summary I can't wait to read it as well! The cover was done by Tim O'Brien the same person who did the covers for the Hunger Game series.

Review: The Mephisto Covenant

2011-11-07T17:36:00.005-06:00

The Mephisto Covenant
by Trinity Faegen

Release Date: September 27, 2011
Publisher: Egmont USA
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 439
Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

Sasha is desperate to find out who murdered her father. When getting the answer means pledging her soul to Eryx, she unlocks a secret that puts her in grave danger—Sasha is Anabo, a daughter of Eve, and Eryx’s biggest threat.

A son of Hell, immortal, and bound to Earth forever, Jax looks for redemption in the Mephisto Covenant—God’s promise he will find peace in the love of an Anabo. After a thousand years, he’s finally found the girl he’s been searching for: Sasha.

With the threat of Eryx looming, Jax has to keep Sasha safe and win her over. But can he? Will Sasha love him and give up her mortal life?

My Review:

Sasha desperate and wanting to find her father's murderer goes to a meeting where if you pledge your soul to Eryx you will be granted anything. She never thought she would discover she was Anabo, a daughter of Eve, who is born pure of heart and without the temptation of sin. Jax is a son of hell and the only way he can be redeemed is to find the Anabo he's destined to be with, who turns out to be Sasha. Eryx, Jax's brother will stop at anything to get as many pledgers as he can, for the more souls her receives the more likely he will be able to rule.

I knew that this book had mix reviews, I wasn't sure how would it turn out for me but the summary really caught my attention. The first chapter to say the least was kind of creepy, I mean a cult and a stoning to death! Though it got more interesting after the first chapter.

The mythology behind Anabo and the Mephisto was unique and very interesting, probably my favorite element of the story. Though the story had too much high school drama for my taste and it seemed like the author was trying too hard to portray teenagers. I also didn't like how they wrote off most of humanity as people who are likely to sin so easily, it seemed all the characters you never expected end up pledging their soul to Eryx. I know humans have flaws but the book fails to show that there is also a better side to humanity.

All in all the book wasn't exactly for me, it wasn't bad but I didn't think it was great either. As I mentioned I didn't like all the high school drama nor how humans are apparently all horrible people, I mean come on - even Lucifer and the sons of hell seemed to be better people. The mythology was intriguing and I would have loved to learn more. I believe the next books will be centered around each of Jax's other brothers finding their own intended Anabo. I'm not quite sure if I will be reading the next book, it really depends on my mood I guess. The next book will be coming out in Fall 2012, a year from now.

Two Year Anniversary Giveaway! (International) CLOSED

2011-11-07T00:32:00.006-06:00

It's my blog's 2nd year anniversary! My blog was created and the first post went up on November 7, 2009. Although I've been blogging the most frequently this year, the blog is still technically 2 years old. I want to thank all my followers. I've also met so many amazing bloggers and authors through blogging and hopefully that will continue in later years. So big thanks to everyone, the book bloggers are one of the funniest and warmest communities!

So in thanks I'm doing a giveaway to all my wonderful followers! One winner will get to choose any book from below:

These are my favorite books I've read this year. If any book is part of a series and you would prefer another book within that series, I'm more than happy to send you that instead! :)

(click the titles to check out my review)
Sirensong by Jenna Black
Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers
Wither by Lauren DeStefano
Enchanted Ivy by Sarah Beth Durst
Afterlife by Claudia Gray
Fateful by Claudia Gray
Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins
The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa
Timeless by Alexandra Monir
Delirium by Lauren Oliver
Divergent by Veronica Roth
Reckoning by Lili St. Crow
The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

Rules:
1. This is an International Giveaway but please still make sure that the Book Depository ships to you. Here's a list of the countries they ship to.

2. Must be 13 years or older

3. This is a Followers only giveaway, so you must be a follower of Fantasy's Ink to be eligible. (I will be checking)
+ 2 Old Follower
+ 1 New Follower

Extra Entries:
+ 1 Tweet about the giveaway
+ 2 A blog post about the giveaway or leave a link on your side bar

International
Ends December 22, 2011 CLOSED

Please fill out this FORM to be entered.

In My Mailbox (25)

2011-11-06T02:01:00.005-06:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly memo hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren:

Bought:

Death Note vol. 2 - 13 by by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata

I loved the anime and the first volume, and since someone was selling them super cheap, why not right?

The Mephisto Convenant by Trinity Faegen

Currently reading it - it's pretty good, the mythology is interesting.

Unveiled by Trisha Wolfe
A novella about an assassin girl, I found this on kindle yesterday and quickly bought it. Can't wait to start it!

Review:

Reckoning by Lili St. Crow

Thanks to Penguin Group (Canada)

I about had a heart attack when it came in the mail! With this one of my favorite series comes to a close, you can check out my review here.

The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima

The Exiled Queen by Cinda Williams Chima

The Gray Wolf Throne by Cinda Williams Chima

Thanks to Hachette Book Group (Canada)

I've been wanting to read this series for a while. It sounds like a great fantasy book and I have been in short of those lately!

And that's what I got this week, hope everyone else also had an eventful week!

Cover Reveales!!!

2011-11-04T17:50:00.002-05:00

I really do love the cover for Endlessly! Still haven't read Supernaturally - hope I can get to it soon. Also Alyson Noel's new series looks good, I will definitely be giving Fated a try!