Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, originally started by Jill at Breaking the Spine , that highlights upcoming book releases everyone is waiting on...hence the title. This week's pick is Spellbound by Rachel Hawkins. Here's the synopsis:

Hailed as “impossible to put down,” the Hex Hall series has both critics and teens cheering. With a winning combination of romance, action, magic and humor, this third volume will leave readers enchanted.

Just as Sophie Mercer has come to accept her extraordinary magical powers as a demon, the Prodigium Council strips them away. Now Sophie is defenseless, alone, and at the mercy of her sworn enemies—the Brannicks, a family of warrior women who hunt down the Prodigium. Or at least that’s what Sophie thinks, until she makes a surprising discovery. The Brannicks know an epic war is coming, and they believe Sophie is the only one powerful enough to stop the world from ending. But without her magic, Sophie isn’t as confident.

Sophie’s bound for one hell of a ride—can she get her powers back before it’s too late?

Now, I'm sure it will come as no surprise to you that I absolutely LOVED Hex Hall and its sequel Demonglass (although I believe I still need to put the review up for Demonglass which is a bit of blogger failure on my part). Therefore, I am VERY excited and also a little sad to see how it all ends in the final book of the series. I have to say that this is one of the funnest, entertaining series' I've ever read, it doesn't take itself too seriously but at the same time, it's a bloody good read :) If you haven't started these books yet, do yourself a favour and go and get Hex Hall and by the time you've finished that and Demonglass, Spellbound will be here. For everyone else, we're in for a bit of a wait as Spellbound is published on 13th March, 2012. I don't know about you but I'll be dreaming of Archer until then...

The Poison Diaries Review

The Poison Diaries has always called to me. I’ve seen it so many times in the book store and for whatever reason, have resisted its charms. Finally, I could take it no longer and bought the book knowing almost nothing about the plot. In fact, sometimes I think it is better to wait to read a book after you’ve bought it so that you can forget all the things you’ve already learned about it. Anyway, I digress. I’m not sure what I was expecting from this book but I can tell you that it was very entertaining and very easy to read - I finished it in 2 hours. Here’s the synopsis:

“Jessamine has spent her whole life in a cottage close to her father's apothecary garden, surrounded by medicinal plants and herbs that could kill her -- although her father has never allowed her into the most dangerous part of the grounds... the poison garden. And so she's never had reason to be afraid -- until now. Because now a newcomer has come to live with the family, a quiet but strangely attractive orphan boy named Weed. Though Weed doesn't say much in words, he has an instant talent for the apothecary's trade, seeming to possess a close bond with the plants of the garden. Soon, he and Jessamine also share a close bond. But little does Jessamine know that passion can be just as poisonous as the deadliest plants in the garden...”

I have to admit that whilst I love plants, flowers and gardens, I definitely do not have a green thumb. I can kill house plants quicker than anyone I know and not from neglect or anything sinister. I actually don’t know the reason which makes me a little sad, but I do admire anyone who can turn their hand to this kind of thing. My grandma used to know the names of every plant and flower we came across whilst walking across the fields together and I have never forgotten this. I think my love for all things green (even if I can’t look after them) helped me to enjoy this book and I absolutely loved the concept. I had no idea this was a historical novel and that the setting is very real. The Poison Diaries is based on a concept by the Duchess of Northumberland who actually resides within Alnwick Castle in Northumberland. In case you didn’t know, this is the castle used as Hogwarts in the Harry Potter films. The Duchess has a particular fondness for gardens and even has a real life poison garden which is probably where the idea came from although it was Maryrose Wood who penned the novel. The idea that plants can kill and cure is not new but I find it fascinating nonetheless and I really enjoyed how this came across in the book.

My favourite character was of course Weed who is the poor orphan boy that comes to live with Jessamine and her father. He has a lot of closely guarded secrets that he dare not share for fear of being labelled a freak. Eventually though, he is forced to explain his strange behaviour and face the fact that he may have to make the ultimate sacrifice for love. Whilst we got to know Weed as he is now throughout the book, I would really have liked to explore his history and where he came from. Are there others like him? Hopefully we will get to find out in future books.

Jessamine was sweet and we got a hint of her character when she stood up to her father who has to be one of the worst parents I’ve ever read about. He is solely focused on his potions to heal the sick which sounds noble in itself but this one track mindedness turns sinister and is going to cost him more than he could ever imagine.

The Poison Diaries is a refreshing read in a beautiful, real life setting. The concept of the book is fascinating and one I thoroughly enjoyed. All I can say is thank goodness there will be a sequel, entitled "Nightshade" and this is published in September, 2011.

The Poison Diaries was actually published back in 2006 but rebranded and the newest edition was printed in May 2010. To find out more about Maryrose Wood, click here and to find out more about The Poison Diaries, click here to access an interactive website. You can actually visit Alnwick Castle and the poison garden which you can find out about here.

As some of you may or not know, I recently won a poetry competition and the prize is an overnight stay in the castle and a visit to the poison garden itself! I’m terribly excited about this and hope to let you all know what happened after the event next week. If you’re interested, here is my poem:

Poisonous By Nature

You, who grow from the seeds of the earth,
Weaving your way through the ground you give birth
To a life that brings death to both man and beast,
An unstoppable force once your power is released.

But what if your poison could kill AND could cure,
In the smallest of doses, your death would ensure
That life could go on and with your last breath,
You’d know that you died the most glorious death.

Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, originally started by Jill at Breaking the Spine , that highlights upcoming book releases everyone is waiting on...hence the title. This week's pick is Everneath by Brodi Ashton. Here's the synopsis:

"Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned- to her old life, her family, her friends- before being banished back to the underworld... this time forever.

She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen.

As Nikki's time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she's forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's... "

Oooooh, I do like the sound of this book and the cover is GORGEOUS! I was very lucky to meet Brodi in New York during the time when BEA was going on and she is lovely. I only wish she had ARC's with her at the time *sob* Everneath is published on 3rd January, 2012. To find out more about Brodi, click here.

Shadows on the Moon WINNER

Thank you to everyone who commented on my post for the Shadows on the Moon Blog Tour. If you missed it and subsequently missed out on seeing one of the most beautiful book trailers I have ever seen, then go take a look here.

As you will recall, there was a contest at the end to win a special prize pack consisting of the book itself (with a signed bookplate) and some Japanese inspired goodies, some of which are signed by Zoe. I have consulted with my good yet impartial friend Random.org and the winner is....

IRIDESSA

I have contacted Iridessa and she now has 48 hours to claim her prize. In the unlikely event that I do not hear from her, then I will choose another winner. Thank you to Walker Books for providing the prizes.

Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, originally started by Jill at Breaking the Spine , that highlights upcoming book releases everyone is waiting on...hence the title. This week's pick is A Million Suns by Beth Revis. I was so desperate to have this as my choice this week that I've gone ahead with it anyway despite there being NO SYNOPSIS released at present. Apparently, it's a secret! *shouts* C'mon Beth, GIVE IT US...PLEASE...WE BEG YOU!!!!!!!! So basically, I absolutely loved Across the Universe which I reviewed here and I cannot wait to read the sequel which should be released in January, 2012. Loving the cover too :)

Shadows on the Moon Review

Love comes like storm clouds
Fleeing from the wind and casts
Shadows on the Moon.

It’s always nerve racking when you’ve become good friends with an author but you haven’t read their books yet. Then one day, you *DO* read and review one of their books and if I’m honest then I will admit to feeling slightly nervous about reading Shadows on the Moon by Zoe Marriott but having read it, I can see that I need not have been as it was EPIC. EPIC I tell you.

At 461 pages, it’s not a quick read but you know what? I didn’t want it to be a quick read and I don’t feel like it’s intended to be that way, it should be savoured slowly like a cold, juicy ice lolly on a scorching hot summer day. Here’s the synopsis:

"On my fourteenth birthday when the sakura was in full bloom, the men came to kill us. We saw them come, Aimi and me. We were excited, because we did not know how to be frightened. We had never seen soldiers before."

Suzume is a shadow-weaver. She can create mantles of darkness and light, walk unseen in the middle of the day, change her face. She can be anyone she wants to be. Except herself.

Suzume died officially the day the Prince's men accused her father of treason. Now even she is no longer sure of her true identity. Is she the girl of noble birth living under the tyranny of her mother’s new husband, Lord Terayama? A lowly drudge scraping a living in the ashes of Terayama’s kitchens? Or Yue, the most beautiful courtesan in the Moonlit Lands?

Everyone knows Yue is destined to capture the heart of a prince. Only she knows that she is determined to use his power to destroy Terayama.

And nothing will stop her. Not even love.”

Set in a fantastical Japan, for me Shadows on the Moon is written in the same vein as Memoirs of a Geisha. I could imagine the rich scenery and smell the cherry blossoms whilst reading and I did have a craving for Japanese food at one point! Zoe’s love and passion for all things Japanese really shone through her writing and it’s clear that the amount of research she has done is immense. I absolutely loved being part of that world and was quite mournful when I finished the book and had to come back to my own world.

What I really *loved* about the story was that absolutely everything had meaning – from the names of the characters to the colours of the kimono’s and the rituals acted out. Yes, it was symbolism but it seems to me that it is also very much a part of the Japanese culture and I enjoyed learning about that as much as I enjoyed the story.

Shadows on the Moon was inspired by the Cinderella story and is supposed to be a fresh take on the classic fairytale. I have to say that not once did I think of Cinderella or make any comparisons. I think this story stands well enough on its own and had I not found out about the Cinderella inspiration, I would not have guessed.

Our “Cinderella” in Shadows on the Moon is Suzume, the main protagonist who takes us on her journey. Suzume is a character that grows from a playful teenage girl into a strong willed and determined young woman who is able to weave shadows and manipulate them at the drop of a hat. I absolutely loved the concept of shadow weaving and how it can be used to mask yourself from the world. Just like a costume or disguise, Suzume is able to reinvent herself whenever she chooses (or it is required) and this is a skill she comes to rely on throughout the book. Enter the dark and mysterious Otieno from a foreign land who is quite different to Suzume but at heart, they are the same. He is a man full of honour and duty and has a heart full of love for no one but Suzume. I loved the way that he always saw right through any of her magic and loved her no matter what she was and what she looked like.

Shadows on the Moon is an epic tale of betrayal, vengeance, love and self discovery. Please God someone make this into a Sunday afternoon movie or a 7 part drama series. This beautiful story needs to be brought to life on the screen.

Shadows on the Moon is published on 7th July, 2011. To find out more about Zoe and her books (The Swan Kingdom, Daughter of the Flames) , click here. You should also check out her awesome blog here which is highly informative and entertaining :) TO WIN a copy of the book and some other awesome prizes, please click here.

Shadows on the Moon Blog Tour

I am very pleased to be part of the Shadows on the Moon Blog Tour which makes its stop on my blog today. In case you haven't heard of this book, Shadows on the Moon is a gorgeous read written by Zoe Marriott and is published on 7th July. I hope you'll come back and check out my review on release date but for now, here is an extract from the book...

It was the wrong thing to do. I knew it, even as instinct moved me. My brain screamed at me to be still, but my legs reacted before I gave them leave, pushing me out from under the table and turning me to the door. I had no choice. He would follow. I knew it. Terayama-san was a hunter, and from the moment he had seen me on the other side of that screen, I was his prey. He would chase me. He would catch me. He would never stop until I was dead. He was shouting, telling Mai to stay in the room. I cleared the doorway and was halfway down the corridor before he had finished speaking. The corridor was dark; the lamps had not yet been lit. My sock-clad feet made no sound on the tatami mats, but my long sleeves flapped with the movement of my arms, making a noise like the frantic beating of birds’ wings. The outer screen to my mother’s rooms slammed shut behind me, and footfalls thundered across the floor. It was like being in a dream, except that I was sweating, my heart jumping with fear. No nightmare had ever terrified me like this. I rounded the corner and flung myself into an alcove, tucking my body into the gap between the wall and a tall arrangement of spiny black branches and white flowers. I reached for the threads of an illusion – a familiar one – of shadows and nothingness. Frantically I wrapped it around myself, weaving it so thickly that my own vision went dim and grey. It was clumsy, but I did not have time to pick it apart and begin again. Terayama-san came into view, his posture tense and ready, leaning forward as if in anticipation. He was not holding a weapon. Not yet. There at the corner, not a full arm’s reach from me, he stopped. His eyes searched the corridor ahead and then he turned back to look behind him. “I know you’re here. Come out.”

Ooooooooh, and you know what? If you click here you can read EVEN MORE! And if that doesn't satisfy you and you're still hungering for more then I have a contest for YOU. You can win a very special prize pack consisting of a Japanese fan, Shadows on the Moon magnets and a postcard, all signed by Zoe. And you know what? Let's throw in a copy of the book with a signed bookplate. Trust me, you want this prize.


Because I'm kind to you and I like to keep things simple, all you have to do is watch the trailer and leave me a comment with your name and your e mail address. It's UK only but if you're an international person and can get the prize sent to a UK address then feel free to enter. The deadline is 14th July and I wish you all the best of luck! The winner will be chosen at random using some sort of high tech random winner picking device :)

The blog tour is still going on and tomorrow (release day) it will be at Zoe's blog which you can access here. To catch up on the rest of the posts (in case you missed some) here is the schedule...

Aaaaaaaaaaand last but not least, I present to you one of the most beautiful book trailers I have EVER seen and if this doesn't make you want to read the book, then I don't know what will!

Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, originally started by Jill at Breaking the Spine , that highlights upcoming book releases everyone is waiting on...hence the title. This week's pick is Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi. Here is the Goodreads description:

"Exiled from her home, the enclosed city of Reverie, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland—nicknamed The Death Shop—are slim. If the cannibals don’t get her, the violent, electrified energy storms eventually will. In this dystopia, even the very air she breathes could kill her. Then Aria meets an Outsider named Perry. He’s wild, dangerous—a savage. He’s also her only hope.

Perry needs Aria, too. She alone holds the key to his redemption. And their unlikely alliance will determine the fate of all who live under the never sky.

Debut author Veronica Rossi is accumulating fans from all over the globe—the book has already sold to more than twenty countries. It’s not surprising that foreign rights for this title have been flying off the shelf. It’s a tantalizing romance in any language."

Okay, firstly you have NO IDEA how long I have been waiting for news about this book. I remember reading about it twenty lifetimes ago in Publisher's Weekly and the buzz EVEN THEN was pretty fantastic. So I was ecstatic last week when the cover was finally released! I cannot wait to read this book as it sounds right up my street - a dystopian romance? YES PLEASE! And the cover? Well, let's just say that it was worth the wait! Speaking of which, the book is published in February 2012 so not much longer to wait for it :)

Original Sin Review

With a title like Original Sin, you’d expect this book to sizzle like a fried egg on a car bonnet during a Texas Summer AND YOU’D BE RIGHT. Let’s just say that sex is abundant and not always between the people you would expect *gasp* *shock* *horror*. The heat is most definitely ON and I loved every minute of it.

Really I should start by saying hands down that this is absolutely one of my FAVOURITE book series ever and out of all my literary boyfriends (and there are many) Luc tops the bill. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would EVER fall for a demon but then I guess the thought probably crossed Frannie’s mind at some point too! I absolutely LOVED Personal Demons and could not wait to get my hands on Original Sin. Because Lisa Desrochers is not only a fantastic author but also an awesome lady, she sent me a galley of Original Sin and despite an overwhelming TBR pile, I just couldn’t stay away from it (such is the alluring power of Luc). I felt like Personal Demons was more Luc’s story but Original Sin is definitely Frannie’s. If for some weird reason you haven’t read the first book Personal Demons (what the hell? GET TO IT), then I would HIGHLY suggest you do before reading this review. Still with me? Excellent! Now before we go any further, here’s the synopsis:

“Luc Cain was born and raised in Hell, but he isn’t feeling as demonic as usual lately—thanks to Frannie Cavanaugh and the unique power she never realized she had. But you can’t desert Hell without consequences, and suddenly Frannie and Luc find themselves targeted by the same demons who used to be Luc’s allies.

Left with few options, Frannie and Luc accept the protection of Heaven and one of its most powerful angels, Gabe. Unfortunately, Luc isn’t the only one affected by Frannie, and it isn’t long before Gabe realizes that being around her is too…tempting. Rather than risk losing his wings, he leaves Frannie and Luc under the protection of her recently-acquired guardian angel.

Which would be fine, but Gabe is barely out the door before an assortment of demons appears—and they’re not leaving without dragging Luc back to Hell with them. Hell won’t give up and Heaven won’t give in. Frannie’s guardian exercises all the power he has to keep them away, but the demons are willing to hurt anyone close to Frannie in order to get what they want. It will take everything she has and then some to stay out of Hell’s grasp.

And not everyone will get out of it alive.”

I read Original Sin on the plane to and from BEA. Yes, I dragged it to the US even though I knew I was going to come home with tons of books and would have to carefully consider weight restrictions AND even though I knew that I was going to be able to pick up a copy at BEA. *THAT’S* how much I wanted to read it. I was incredibly lucky to meet Lisa at BEA who signed my books *squeee* and we ended up having a drink in the cafeteria, talking about books and writing. She was a good girl though and wouldn’t give me any juicy info about the third book, even the title which was formerly known as Hellbent.

Let me tell you that Original Sin was just as good as Personal Demons although in Original Sin, I think that Gabe is more appealing somehow. Maybe it’s the whole “resisting temptation” persona but I liked him a lot more this time around. He wasn’t around all that much and his absence left a hole big enough for us to still constantly think about him so in a way, he was always around. And in a way, he is. He’s an angel after all so I’m sure he was watching ;)

Speaking of angels, if I ever had the chance to speak to Matt, me and him would be exchanging some stern words. Matt is of course Frannie’s twin brother who was sent back to earth as Frannie’s guardian angel. His job is to protect her but let’s not forget that he is also a teenage boy and is introduced to a potential love interest. If I say the words GET YOUR HEAD IN THE GAME BOY I think that is sufficient explanation. Lili is the girl in question and she is Luc’s new neighbour. Obviously, she knows nothing about Luc or Frannie or even Matt and although she comes across as a lonely figure, little do we know that she is hiding secrets of her own.

Taylor is still causing her own unique brand of trouble which finally comes to a head and Frannie is learning more about how to use her abilities. There’s also a few revelations along the way and the ending? OMG THE ENDING!!!!!!!! I’m guessing I don’t need to tell you how much I want to read the next book?

Original Sin is published in the US on 5th July, 2011. WE STILL NEED A UK PUBLISHER!!!!! To find out more about Lisa and her books, please click here to visit her website. Also, click here to visit her awesome blog.

Blood Magic Review

I’ve been following Tessa Gratton’s writing for what seems like a long time now and so I was pleased as punch when I found out that her debut novel BLOOD MAGIC was finally being published. Over the past months, I have seen all sorts of teasers from Tessa including her actually acting out the first chapter. For those of you that don’t know, this consists of ONE LINE of text. Yes, Tessa Gratton is a tease and also a somewhat evil woman but we’ll come on to that part later. Having just finished reading the book however, I can tell you that it was worth waiting for. I thought the first chapter was fantastic, a really strong opening that had me hooked from the beginning. From then on, it seemed to slow down a bit but picked up again halfway through the book and I’m glad I kept on reading otherwise I would have missed out on a fantastic story. Here’s the synopsis:

“It starts off simply.

Draw a circle ... place a dead leaf in the center ... sprinkle some salt ... recite a little Latin ... add a drop of blood ...

Maybe that last part isn't exactly simple. Yet somehow it feels right to Silla Kennicott. And nothing in her life has felt remotely right since her parents' horrific deaths. She's willing to do anything to uncover the truth about her family—even try a few spells from the mysterious book that arrived on her doorstep ... and spill some blood.

The book isn't the only recent arrival in Silla's life. There's Nick Pardee, the new guy next door who may have seen Silla casting a spell. She's not sure what he saw and is afraid to find out. But as they spend more time together, Silla realizes this may not be Nick's first encounter with Blood Magic. Brought together by a combination of fate and chemistry, Silla and Nick can't deny their attraction. And they can't ignore the dark presence lurking nearby—waiting to reclaim the book and all its power.

Tessa Gratton's intoxicating first novel will keep pulses racing, minds reeling, and pages turning right up to the very last drop of blood.”

Now let me tell you that I am a nurse and as such, I am used to blood. Even without being a nurse, I have sliced my fingers on sharp instruments so many times, I’ve lost count. I remember one particular incident as a child when I wanted to see how sharp a knife was so I sliced into my left thumb. When I felt the sting as my skin split open and the red stuff gush out, I guess I got my answer to that question. It was this incident that made me feel a little uncomfortable about Silla WILLINGLY cutting herself so that she could use her own blood for magic as every time it was described, I relived that incident over and over. I reaaaaally don’t like the stinging feeling of the skin splitting or the soreness afterwards as it heals. SLOWLY in my case.

Anyway, if that was the worst I had to deal with then so be it. But then came the dead kittens...and then the dead bunnies. EVIL, evil woman. But at least it wasn’t a person though, right? *makes a face* Nope, I’m not going there so you’ll just have to read the book and find out what happens for yourself.

What I loved about Blood Magic is that I’ve read a lot of paranormal YA books full of witches and magic and all things supernatural but I’d never read about BLOOD Magic before. I always associated that with black magic and that of the crazy witch from Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves. It might sound a little Occult like and I guess in some ways, it is but we learn that Silla’s father is a good man who only ever used the magic for good. As in everything, there are some that would use it for their own purposes, and become so intoxicated with the power it gives them that they cannot see what they have turned into. Enter Josephine Darly, an ambitious young woman who learns of Blood Magic through her beloved Philip. We are privy to her diary entries over the years as the chapters alternate between Silla and Josephine. I really liked this concept and how the more I progressed through the book, the more it felt like Josephine was getting closer and closer.

I have to say though that my favourite character was Reese and I think part of this is because I always wanted a protective older brother of my own. Of course the other reason is obviously because Reese is hot LOL.

Tessa’s writing is rich in description and it was nice to see the multiple nods to Shakespeare which is so Tessa. It’s also quite nice to finally understand why the book cover is covered in birds or crows to be more precise and this is explained quite nicely. I really enjoyed the symbolism and metaphors within the book that I can’t say too much about as I don’t want to spoil it but the birds do represent something and the message was fully understood.

Blood Magic was a very enjoyable read and I’m very much looking forward to seeing what happens in subsequent books. I would REALLY like to see a particular character return and I shall be keeping my fingers crossed for this.

Thank you to Random House for sending me an ARC to read and review. Blood Magic was published on 24th May, 2011 in the US and UK. The Blood Keeper (a stand-alone companion novel to Blood Magic) will be published in summer, 2012. To find out more about Tessa and her books, click here to visit her website.

Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, originally started by Jill at Breaking the Spine , that highlights upcoming book releases everyone is waiting on...hence the title. This week's pick is Incarnate by Jodi Meadows. Here is the Goodreads description:

NEWSOUL

Ana is new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why.

NOSOUL
Even Ana’s own mother thinks she’s a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she’ll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are suspicious and afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame?

HEART
Sam believes Ana’s new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana’s enemies—human and creature alike—let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else’s life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all?

Jodi Meadows expertly weaves soul-deep romance, fantasy, and danger into an extraordinary tale of new life.

This reminds me a little of Eon Flux and I absolutely love the concept although I do have a few reservations about the dragons! I'll keep an open mind though and wait until I read it. Did I mention how GORGEOUS the cover is? I'd buy it for the cover alone! Incarnate is published on 31st January, 2012.

Hex: A Witch and Angel Tale Review

I read Hex: A Witch and Angel Tale by Ramona Wray a little while ago now as part of a blog tour that I never took part in. The truth is, I felt uneasy about my reaction to the book and didn’t feel that I could be part of the tour. First and foremost, I should warn you that this is a very mixed review and initially the premise sounded interesting. Here’s the synopsis:

“Like most girls at Rosemound High School, seventeen-year-old Lily Crane is acutely aware of Ryder Kingscott. Hands down the cutest guy in school, Ryder is cool, mysterious, and utterly untouchable...especially for Lily. For when she touches someone, Lily instantly learns all about their lives. And while such a skill might seem nifty, in truth it is wrecking Lily's life. So she is shocked when Ryder asks her out - and even more shocked to discover he has a rival. Lucian Bell is the gorgeous new kid who can't take his eyes off of Lily. Being pursued by two hotties should make a girl happy, but Lily is skeptical. The boys act as if they've met before, hating each other with a passion that could only be rooted in a dark, dangerous past. A past full of terrible secrets. The kind of secrets that could get a girl killed.”

Let’s start by talking about the book cover. It is incredibly cute and very “Bewitched” like but in my honest opinion, I don’t think it fits the story. The cover is very girly and fluffy but the story is much darker than that.

Now I’m going to tell you why this book was incredibly frustrating for me. This book was frustrating only because I could see the potential behind it. It read like an unfinished draft that needed a little bit more work on it before releasing it into the wild. There were flashes of brilliance, paragraphs that were perfect but they weren’t consistent. Sure, there were a few spelling and grammar errors but nothing that a good editor couldn’t pick up. They may be little annoyances but I never let things like that detract from the story. Chapters one and two ended with the same line and I’m not sure if this was a mistake or not but for me, it didn’t work. Also, I thought that some of the dialogue in the first half didn’t seem realistic and there were a couple of times in the latter half where I thought “huh?” at some of it. Not because I didn’t understand the situation but I couldn’t understand WHY a particular character would say what they did.

The best part of the book for me was the last 13 chapters. This was the build towards the climax but also the first time we really saw action or indeed a display of the power that Lily allegedly had. You may find this hard to believe but as a character, I really did like her. I thought she had an authentic teenage voice and I enjoyed her humour and perspective on things. I also enjoyed the twists and turns in the tale that I hadn’t seen coming. The added element of a “Halfling” was a very interesting concept which I enjoyed.

Despite my mixed reaction, there was definitely something about the book though as I kept on reading and despite aforementioned nuances, the further I read, the more I wanted to carry on. At the end of the day, there were definitely elements I enjoyed but it frustrated me so because I know it could have been so much better.

Hex: A Witch and an Angel Tale was published in April, 2011. Ramona Wray is an independent author and you can visit her website here.

Of Witches and Warlocks Review

I initially picked up Of Witches and Warlocks for two reasons. Firstly, I enjoy stories about witches and secondly, I kept hearing about the “Vance Mangum Fanclub” and quite frankly, I like a hot guy as much as the next girl so I wanted to know what made this guy so appealing. Vance is of course one of the main characters from the book alongside Portia, a young witch in the making. Here’s the synopsis:

“Portia Mullins had always lived the life of a normal teenager, up until her sixteenth birthday. She is then informed by her grandma that she is actually a witch who is a descendant of a long line of witches and warlocks. After overcoming her disbelief she finds that being a member of the coven comes with one great perk in the form of the school's handsome bad boy, Vance Mangum. Vance and Portia have an immediate connection as a budding romance begins, only to be threatened by turbulent skies on the horizon as Vance's checkered past rears its ugly head to haunt them. Portia is forced to use her untried powers in defense of everything she loves in a desperate attempt to hold on to the one thing that really matters in her life.”

I know a lot of my friends and fellow book bloggers have fallen head over heels for Vance and I am no exception. Vance is the archetypical bad boy with a dark past who also cuts a lonely figure. Whilst he can be a little overbearing at times when it comes to Portia, it’s all so incredibly romantic and I LOVE the telepathy between them. My favourite moment between Vance and Portia was when Vance confessed that he knew about her two year crush all along. That was cute.

As an aside, I had a lot of trouble saying “Vance Mangum” and often ended up saying “Vance MAGNUM” which rolls off the tongue easier and is how he shall be known to me from now on LOL.

With regards to the story, I really like the fact that Portia is a young witch, just discovering her powers. I quite like the fact that she is more powerful than expected and I’m guessing this is setting up some sort of storyline as to either WHY she is powerful or when her amazing powers are needed. Having said all that though, I did have a few issues with the book. Some of the issues were minor like spelling and grammar errors and unnecessary repetition but I was reading an earlier copy of the book and I believe that this has now been rectified in later versions.

My main issue was actually with Portia. The relationship between Vance and Portia is certainly intense and all consuming, even perhaps overbearing at times but I overlooked that because of the magic involved. What I can’t get my head around is that I felt like Portia had no sense of self. We know almost NOTHING about her. I have no idea where her interests lie, even what her hopes and dreams are outside of loving Vance. Besides these new powers and knowledge of witchcraft, he has consumed her and whilst you could argue that’s a realistic perspective for a teenager, it’s not exactly normal. There has to come a point when you need some separation, surely. Again you could argue that this is no normal relationship and magic is involved but I cannot believe she doesn’t have at least ONE freak out moment along the way. Portia is EXTREMELY accepting of EVERYTHING after being lied to for her entire life and I just find it difficult that she hasn’t lost it yet. I’m hoping that it’s simply a case that the freak outs are to come in future books and I look forward to seeing the fallout.

Overall, Of Witches and Warlocks is a book to get lost in. I enjoyed the story, especially the romance and I’m looking forward to seeing what happens in book two.

Of Witches and Warlocks is part of a series and was first published in November, 2009 with the newer versions being published in 2011. The sequel entitled The Demon’s Kiss was published in April, 2010. To find out more about Lacey Weatherford, click here. She is also active on Twitter.

Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, originally started by Jill at Breaking the Spine , that highlights upcoming book releases everyone is waiting on...hence the title. This week's pick is Ashfall by Mike Mullin. Here is the Goodreads description:

"Under the bubbling hot springs and geysers of Yellowstone National Park is a supervolcano. Most people don't know it's there. The caldera is so large that it can only be seen from a plane or satellite. It just could be overdue for an eruption, which would change the landscape and climate of our planet.

Ashfall is the story of Alex, a teenage boy left alone for the weekend while his parents visit relatives. When the Yellowstone supervolcano erupts unexpectedly, Alex is determined to reach his parents. He must travel over a hundred miles in a landscape transformed by a foot of ash and the destruction of every modern convenience that he has ever known, and through a new world in which disaster has brought out both the best and worst in people desperate for food, water, and warmth. With a combination of nonstop action, a little romance, and very real science, this is a story that is difficult to stop reading and even more difficult to forget."

So I have to admit that I was struggling over what book to use for Waiting on Wednesday this week until I stumbled across Ashfall. What's scary about this book is that IT COULD HAPPEN. There really is a supervolcano underneath Yellowstone National Park that could one day errupt. I feel like this is a dystopian novel that could happen a lot sooner than we hope and I can't wait to read Alex's story.

Ashfall will be published in the US on 11th October, 2011.

Wither Review

I’m finding it hard to write this review and I think that’s because Wither by Lauren Destefano has left me speechless and completely dumbfounded. I read it rather quickly as I just had to keep on reading and I didn’t like putting it down at various intervals when life got in the way. The premise of Wither is quite original, dealing with an arguably taboo subject in the YA world and that is polygamy. I have never seen another YA book deal with this subject matter and whilst it was this very thing that intrigued me in the first place, it is also the aspect of the book I found most disturbing. Here’s the synopsis:

“What if you knew exactly when you would die?

Thanks to modern science, every human being has become a ticking genetic time bomb — males only live to age twenty-five, and females only live to age twenty. In this bleak landscape, young girls are kidnapped and forced into polygamous marriages to keep the population from dying out.

When sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery is taken by the Gatherers to become a bride, she enters a world of wealth and privilege. Despite her husband Linden's genuine love for her, and a tenuous trust among her sister wives, Rhine has one purpose: to escape — to find her twin brother and go home.

But Rhine has more to contend with than losing her freedom. Linden's eccentric father is bent on finding an antidote to the genetic virus that is getting closer to taking his son, even if it means collecting corpses in order to test his experiments. With the help of Gabriel, a servant Rhine is growing dangerously attracted to, Rhine attempts to break free, in the limited time she has left."

One of the strongest attributes of Wither is the characters. Rhine is a fantastic protagonist and I admire her strength and courage, and how she is not only strong for herself but also for her sister wives who indeed become like real sisters. Rhine is a spirited young lady but she is smart to keep her true feelings to herself as a way of self preservation. Rhine narrates the audience through the terrifying world in which she lives in but what’s even more terrifying is that on the surface, from a day to day perspective, it actually looks quite nice and comfortable. She lives in luxury and is treated well, Linden is not an ogre and I thought the way Lauren chose to write his character was very clever. You’d think that he would be very dislikeable, after all he has three wives who were kidnapped against their will and forced to marry him, share his bed (separately, I hasten to add)and live like everything is just peachy. But we don’t hate him as we come to realise that he is just as much of a victim in this as everyone else. Arguably, the forced kidnapping and polygamy has become a necessary way to procreate and ensure survival of our species. It all sounds rather mechanical doesn’t it? I mean, what about love? Thankfully, this is also touched upon in the novel as we learn about Rose, Linden’s first wife who sadly died from the disease. Also, Rhine is more and more attracted to Gabriel but is it love? Possibly ;)

Overshadowing it all is Linden’s father who is one of the creepiest characters I’ve read about in a long time. He is a wealthy, intelligent man who no doubt loves his son but takes the idea of doing anything to save him to the extremes.

Wither is not an action packed novel but rather it feels like an eerie period drama set mainly in a sprawling stately home. I would describe it as a strange mix of Victorian grandeur and futuristic dystopia. The world building is enough so that you can see it all playing out like a movie in your mind. Like my good friend and author Zoe Marriott said in her fantastic review, Wither is a book that chips away at you quietly and gets under your skin. You’ll be thinking about it long after you’ve read it.

Wither is the first book in the Chemical Garden trilogy and was published on 22nd March, 2011. The sequel entitled “Fever” will be published in February, 2012. To find out more about Lauren Destefano, click here to visit her website. She is also active on Facebook on Twitter.

Hourglass Review

YA? CHECK. Time travel? CHECK. Romance? CHECK. Ding, ding, ding we have a winner! This is everything I want in a YA novel and I feel like Hourglass by Myra McEntire was written especially for me. I am absolutely fascinated with time travel and ever since I found out that Hourglass was a time slip novel, I knew this was the book for me. It would seem that fate agreed with me on this one as I was lucky enough to win an ARC and let me tell you, I started and finished the book IN A DAY. This is not because it is a quick and easy read, but simply because of how compelling I found the story and I just could not stop until I knew what was going to happen next! Intrigued? Here’s the synopsis:

“For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn’t there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents’ death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She’s tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.

So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson’s willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may change her past.

Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he’s around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have happened?

Full of atmosphere, mystery, and romance, Hourglass merges the very best of the paranormal and science-fiction genres in a seductive, remarkable young adult debut”.

I loved this book x a million and have found a new literary boyfriend in Michael *swoon*. He is a perfect Southern gentleman (be still my beating heart) and that’s really all I need to know. You could also apply the description of dreamboat, y’know...if you want ;) I really enjoyed his relationship with Emerson and the perfect balance of lust and sexual tension between them as Michael tries to ignore his growing attraction towards her out of a sense of duty.

And speaking of Emerson, she was a really fun character - she may be short but she’s full of sass! In fact, all words beginning with “s” probably apply – short, sassy, smart, sexy, stubborn, Southern. I loved her attitude and sense of humour, which is obviously quite close to Myra’s ;)

In terms of secondary characters, I’d have to say that I particularly liked Kaleb with Lily being a close second. I get the impression that we haven’t even scratched the surface with these two and I’m really hoping we get to see more of them in future books.

Hourglass made me laugh and cry as I became heavily involved with the characters. There was also one particular aspect I found slightly confusing when I tried to delve into the reasons for a certain person’s actions but c’mon, this is a time travel novel and so of course it’s going to hurt your brain when you try and figure everything out. I thought the plot was very believable and the pacing was perfect. Hourglass makes you think about the consequences of your actions, how we deal with loss and ultimately what we’ll do for love.

Hourglass is a stunning debut novel , full of twists and turns and is one of those rare books that once you’ve finished reading, you want to turn back to the beginning and re-read it all over again. This book truly deserves recognition and also a UK publishing company!!! The cover art is simply beautiful but what’s inside is even better.

Hourglass was published on 14th June, 2011 and I believe a sequel is in the works. To find out more about Myra click here to visit her website. She is also active on Facebook and Twitter.

Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, originally started by Jill at Breaking the Spine , that highlights upcoming book releases everyone is waiting on...hence the title. This week's pick is A Long Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan. Here is the blurb:

"Rosalinda Fitzroy had been asleep for 62 years when she was woken by a kiss.

Locked away in the chemically-induced slumber of a stasis tube in a forgotten sub-basement, sixteen-year-old Rose slept straight through the Dark Times that killed millions and utterly changed the world she knew. Now, her parents and her first love are long dead, and Rose - hailed upon her awakening as the long-lost heir to an interplanetary empire - is thrust alone into a future in which she is viewed as either a freak or a threat.

Desperate to put the past behind her and adapt to her new world, Rose finds herself drawn to the boy who kissed her awake, hoping that he can help her to start fresh. But when a deadly danger jeopardizes her fragile new existence, Rose must face the ghosts of her past with open eyes - or be left without any future at all.

A stunning love story, an ultimate betrayal, and a compelling new author."

Oooh, this is like a futuristic retelling of Sleeping Beauty and I think it sounds delicious. I've seen a couple of different covers for this book but I really love the one I've featured and will be seeking out that cover when I buy a copy. A Long Long Sleep is published on 9th August, 2011.

Imaginary Girls Review

I love the title and indeed the cover of Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma which is what first drew me in but I’ll admit that I didn’t know anything about the plot. I’d heard that it was getting some good reviews and it seemed like everyone wanted to get their hands on a copy of the book. A kind friend let me borrow an ARC and I read it on a very long train ride which made for an interesting journey as I got totally lost in the book.

Now let me start by saying that Imaginary Girls is not a romance novel although it is a story about relationships, specifically the bond between two sisters, Ruby and Chloe. Here is the synopsis:

“Chloe's older sister, Ruby, is the girl everyone looks to and longs for, who can't be captured or caged. When a night with Ruby's friends goes horribly wrong and Chloe discovers the dead body of her classmate London Hayes left floating in the reservoir, Chloe is sent away from town and away from Ruby.

But Ruby will do anything to get her sister back, and when Chloe returns to town two years later, deadly surprises await. As Chloe flirts with the truth that Ruby has hidden deeply away, the fragile line between life and death is redrawn by the complex bonds of sisterhood.

With palpable drama and delicious craft, Nova Ren Suma bursts onto the YA scene with the story that everyone will be talking about”.

This was one of the most original books I’ve ever read. With threads of the supernatural woven into the story, it made for a creepy read at times. I think the way Nova described the reservoir, it actually became one of the major characters of the story for me.

Nova’s writing is beautiful and poetic at times. I thought she had an incredible sense of voice, particularly when it came to Chloe. And her characters are so well rounded, Ruby literally jumped off the page at me and I felt like I knew her inside out. But not only did I know her, more importantly I felt like I understood her. And with a complex character like Ruby, this is no mean feat!

I remain intrigued about the title of the book. I did ask Nova a couple of questions about the title and indeed about the book itself but she told me that she wanted to leave everything open to interpretation. Personally, this book threw up all sorts of ideas for me about mental illness. Does Ruby have a mental illness? Does Chloe? Or is there really something supernatural going on? I leave it to you to decide.

Imaginary Girls is a haunting tale of two sisters and a town called Olive. I would recommend it for the writing alone.

To find out more about Nova Ren Suma and her books, click here to visit her website. She is also active on Facebook and Twitter.

Passion Review

I have just raced through reading Passion by Lauren Kate, which is of course the third book in the incredibly popular Fallen series and I have to say that this is my favourite book by far. I really wanted to take my time with it but I just could NOT. STOP. READING and I couldn’t possibly put the book down. I was literally racing through the book as Lucinda was racing through time. I’ve waited for two books worth now to discover the whole story and I’m pleased to say that Lauren Kate finally delivers. I should of course mention at this point that if you have not read Fallen or Torment, then I would recommend you do so before reading the rest of this review.

Passion begins where Torment ended and as you may remember (truly, how could you forget?!) that Luce had finally had enough of everything, climbed into an announcer and disappeared into oblivion. What follows is a journey of discovery through time as Luce revisits her former lives with Daniel to gain a greater understanding about their relationship. Is it true love? Are they really soul mates or is it just the curse that bounds them together? As everything unfurls, the bigger picture comes into focus and we FINALLY understand what’s going on. I cannot emphasise enough how HAPPY I am about this. Both the reader and Luce have been kept in the dark for far too long.

Firstly, what an aptly named book! I definitely felt the passion between Daniel and Luce throughout their various reincarnations. And what stuck with me the most was that whilst Daniel continued to love Luce over the years, with each new life he had to win Luce’s affections all over again. Admittedly this is not a particularly hard job when you’re soul mates and are predestined to be with each other but still!

If I could think of one thing that I’m just a little disappointed in, it’s that we never really found out why Daniel chooses Luce. What is it about her that makes her so appealing? I’m guessing that because Luce and Daniel are soul mates, there doesn’t need to be an answer to this question but it throws up a whole new set of questions, such as do all angels have soul mates? And presumably they can be mortal? Also, I would have loved to have seen the life where Luce and Daniel met for the very first time and am desperately hoping that Lauren is saving this little gem for the final book.

I think Luce’s story is enthralling and I was captivated by her travel through time to visit her past lives. I also found it incredibly romantic that Daniel was chasing her throughout the journey. As an aside, I have to say that since book one, Daniel has always had dark hair for me and Cam was the blonde one. This idea is stuck so firmly in my head that when I read a description of Daniel in Passion, I actually thought it was a mistake. But then his blonde hair was referred to again and I remembered that it was me that had changed this in my head!

I have to say a huge thank you to Lauren Kate for not giving us another horrific cliff hanger at the end of Passion (only horrific in the sense that at the end of Torment, it resulted in me screaming “Nooooo!!!” at the top of my lungs and the wait for the next book has been somewhat painful). The door is definitely left open for “Rapture”, the final book in the series which is released sometime in 2012. One hopes that the title of the book and the year of release does not pre-empt or allude to any sort of apocalyptic activity! I see “Rapture” as being the final climactic scene of the story, the big fight scene if you will. There is definitely a sense of foreboding towards the end of Passion and a strong indication that there is a battle ahead. BRING IT ON!

Thank you to Random House Children's Books for sending me a copy of Passion to read and review. Passion is released on 14th June, 2011 in both the US and UK. Lauren Kate has her own website which you can visit by clicking here . She is also active on facebook and twitter. Fallen also has a UK website (where you can read the first chapter of Passion) which you can access by clicking here and a US website which you can access by clicking here .

Passion Blog Tour - Does anyone know who the good guys are anymore?

So it's not long now until Passion is published (14th June) and I have to tell you that this is my favourite book of the series so far. I'm really pleased to say that Lauren Kate finally clears up some of the burning questions I've had since reading Fallen and for those of you that are interested, my review will go live in the next few days and I hope you'll check it out.

As part of the Passion Blog Tour, I'd been thinking lately that it's not so easy to see who the good guys are and who the bad guys are in the Fallen series and I thought this would make a good discussion! So, without further a do, I give you....

When people talk to me about Fallen, they often ask who the “good guys” are and who the “bad guys” are and whether any of the characters are really just out for themselves. It’s funny, writing a book where so many of the characters are either angels or demons, you’d think the answers to these questions would be fairly black and white.

Instead, it is an all-consuming shade of gray. I’m interested in pre-conceived notions of what makes something “good” and what makes something “evil.” It’s a big part of what drew me to writing about this series. In a lot of theological texts, good is defined as the absence of evil—but that doesn’t really inspire much confidence. There’s got to be something more redeemable than that in a character we think of as an angel.

A character cannot flat line at either good or evil. With every page, with every decision that they face, they must reinforce—or undermine—the identity they’re working toward portraying. In some ways, as the author, I am in control of this, but what I like the most is when my characters surprise me. And in the Fallen series, that happens regularly.

I want my readers to fall in love with the “bad guys” (I did!) just as much as I want them to occasionally question the ethics of my “good guys.” This, I think, is the moment when an archetype jumps off the page and becomes a fully developed character, a real person that we can relate to.

One thing I can say with certainty is that there is not a single character in my books who is purely out for him or herself. These characters have a very long history with one another. They are all aware of the stakes. The implications of their collective narrative reaches far beyond any single character. They may not always get along, but they are as close as a close-knit family and very aware of how interconnect and reliant they are on one another.

Thank you to Lauren and Random House Children's Books for organising the Passion Blog Tour. The tour continues tomorrow at Girls Without A Bookshelf.