Saturday 30 June 2012

Sunday Post and Stacking the Shelves (1st Juy)

STSmall_thumb[2]

Hi Everyone {waves} thank-you so much for stopping by!!

The Sunday Post is a meme hosted by Kimba at Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer
and Stacking the Shelves by Tynga at Tynga's Reviews

It's a chance to share News. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and talk about what is coming up for the week on our blog.

(My post is a tad early this week because I have such a full-on Sunday :)

A recap of my week:

Completed reviews: 

My Soul to Take (Soul Screamers #1) by Rachel Vincent
Hounded (Iron Druid Chronicles #1) by Kevin Hearne

Currently Reading:

My Soul to Save (Soul Screamers #2) by Rachel Vincent
Dark Kiss by Michelle Rowen

Memes


Purchased Books:

My Soul to Take (Soul Screamers #1) by Rachel Vincent
My Soul to Save (Soul Screamers #2) by Rachel Vincent


Books for review:

Thank-you to the wonderful Polina from Harlequin Australia for the following books.

Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry (Read, looooved & Reviewed)
Temptation by Karen Ann Hopkins
Before I Wake (Soul Screamers #6) by Rachel Vincent (The cover of this book is divine!)


Thank-you kindly to Briana from The Book Pixie for the following books from my R.A.K list

Smokeless Fire by Samantha Young
Inescapable by Amy. A. Bartol

Inherit by Liz Reinhardt (I am so excited to read this book! Thanks so much Liz <3)


Netgalley:

Glitch by Heather Anastasiu (Thanks to St. Martins Griffin)
The Darkest Day by Britt Bury (Thanks to Grand Central Publishing)
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas (Thanks to Bloomsbury)
The Covert Wolf by Bonnie Vanak (Thanks to Harlequin)

 
Beautiful gift received:

I received a wonderful handmade notebook from Emmelyn, it was such a sweet, heartfelt gift that I really appreciate.



Other Happenings this past week:

Cover reveal – Uriel (Airel Saga #3) by Aaron Patterson (This cover is stunning!)

My week ahead:

7th July - Interview with the wonderful Britt Bury, author of The Darkest Day

Have a wonderful week!!

REVIEW: Shadow and Bone (The Grisha Trilogy #1) by Leigh Bardugo

Shadow and Bone (The Grisha Trilogy, #1)

Author: Leigh Bardugo
Series: The Grisha Trilogy
Pages: 368
Genre: YA - Fantasy
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.

Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.

Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha…and the secrets of her heart.

REVIEW: 5 out of 5 stars

I was a bit hesitant about starting on Shadow and Bone, I am not a big fan of high fantasy and unfortunately the synopsis didn’t immediately grab me but I am so thankful I did read it because it was absolutely amazing.

Alina Starkov and Malyen Oretsev are both orphans in the land of Ravka a once great nation now torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a place of darkness which is swarming with what is known as volcra, ravenous, deadly creatures who flock the fold waiting to attack.

Now in the king’s army, Alina is a mapmaker and Mal a tracker and both about to embark on a journey through the fold but when her regiment is attacked by the savage volcra, Alina reveals a dormant power which marks her as a Sun Summoner and a part of the magical elite, Grisha.

Alina has not only saved her best friend but has been noticed by the powerful Darkling who transports her to the little palace where she will learn to harness her magical powers; it is something she struggles with and her loneliness and feelings of not belonging is something that torments her.

What a wonderful, magical journey we are taken on by Ms Bardugo; the world she has created is truly fascinating; the characters come to life as do the surroundings. The terms used were complex and I must admit I am still confused by a few things, including the shadow fold and the intricacies surrounding the palace life – it was overwhelming but enjoyable none the less.

Ms Bardugo’s writing is superb and flowed beautifully, her story-telling is powerful, the plot was solid and kept me engrossed from the very first to the last page; I enjoyed the ominous, dark feel, the unknown and the many plot twists and turns.

I adored Alina, who wasn’t a clichéd beauty with a personality that shone; she had her strengths but also her fears – she was believable and I loved watching her grow throughout the book and come into her own. She was upfront in her thinking and with her words which I appreciated. Mal was initially oblivious to Alina’s affections and I was a tad annoyed that he only seemed to notice her once she was enamored by the darkling, I did enjoy the way he protected and cared for her and I liked the banter between them.

I really liked each of the secondary characters – Baghra was demanding but interesting, Genya was a wonderful friend but I questioned her sincerity and I actually thought the darkling was written to perfection, the mystery, power and intrigue surrounding him bought him to life, I loved the scenes he shared with Alina.

Shadow and Bone is detailed, action packed, enthralling and has a setting and a plot that is captivating. With what happened in the end, I am in desperate need of book 2 which unfortunately will not be released until 2013 {argh}.

Friday 29 June 2012

Feature & Follow Friday (29th June)

FF 2012 Feature & Follow #101 
Hi everyone!!

Thank-you for stopping by..

Feature and Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by the wonderful Parajunkee & Alison Can Read

This weeks featured blogs: Fighting Dreamer and Between the Pages

Question: Birthday Wishes — Blow out the candles and imagine what character could pop out of your cake…who is it and what book are they from??

Ooh easy! And as much as he doesn’t like cakes ;) it would be Jerricho Barrons from the Fever series.

Books in order:

Darkfever
Bloodfever
Faefever
Dreamfever
Shadowfever

My JZB <3 



What to do..
  • Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say hi in your comments
  • Follow the featured weekly bloggers 
  • Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few.
  • The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don't just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don't say "HI"
  • If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back.
  • Spread the Love...and the followers
  • If you're new to the follow Friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!
Reviews this week: 

Minder (Ganzfield #1) by Kate Kaynak
Spark (Elemental #2) by Brigid Kemmerer
Hounded (Iron Druid Chronicles) by Kevin Hearne
My Soul to Take (Soul Screamers #1) by Rachel Vincent

Currently Reading:

Dark Kiss by Michelle Rowen

Other Happenings this week

Cover Reveal – Uriel (Airel #3) by Aaron Patterson
Waiting on Wednesday – Taken by Erin Bowman

REVIEW: My Soul to Take (Soul Screamers #1) by Rachel Vincent

 My Soul to Take (Soul Screamers, #1)
Author: Rachel Vincent
Series: Soul Screamers
Pages: 279
Publisher: HarlequinTeen
Genre: Young Adult - Paranormal

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

She doesn't see dead people. She senses when someone near her is about to die. And when that happens, a force beyond her control compels her to scream bloody murder. Literally.

Kaylee just wants to enjoy having caught the attention of the hottest guy in school. But a normal date is hard to come by when Nash seems to know more about her need to scream than she does. And when classmates start dropping dead for no apparent reason, only Kaylee knows who'll be next.

REVIEW: 4 1/2 out 5 stars

My Soul to Take is the first book in the Soul Screamers series by Rachel Vincent. I picked up this book after receiving a copy of book 6, Before I Wake – it sounded really intriguing so I thought I’d give it a try and boy was it a riveting read!

Kaylee Cavanaugh was abandoned by her parents at a young age and has been raised by her aunt and uncle. She has the unusual ability to sense when a person near her is about to die and her body reacts in a way that is definitely not normal, she screams bloody murder but is absolutely clueless about why she is this way.

After experiencing what she believes is a panic attack with the extreme urge to scream in a club; Kaylee is befriended by the school hottie, Nash Hudson who has a way of calming her, seems to know a lot more about what she is experiencing and starts to take an interest in helping her through it. I love the relationship they share and their connection – they are both bean sidhe’s - Banshee’s. I also liked how they were able to work together to try and solve the strange mystery surrounding the recent bout of teenage deaths.

I loved the unique premise of My Soul to take, I don’t think I have ever read a novel about banshees or grim reapers and I found it quite fascinating. I enjoyed learning along with Kaylee about what she was and why she reacted the way she did.

Kaylee was a really likeable heroine, she was intelligent, funny and believable in her reactions and I loved her interactions with each of the other characters – especially Nash. She was sweet and loyal and deals with and accepts what she is really well.

I adored the secondary characters, Kaylee’s relationship with her best friend Emma was wonderful – I would have loved to have read a bit more of the witty dialogue between them; Tod was mysterious and I liked him instantaneously, Sophie was spoilt and obnoxious.

I didn’t see the many twists and turns we are given which was great, I enjoy nothing more than being shocked by a book. Ms Vincent has written a wonderful, intriguing story with well developed characters and a world that is truly fascinating.

My Soul to Take is well paced and engaging and Rachel Vincent’s descriptive and detailed writing allowed me to become immersed in this amazing story, I liked the explanations we are given of the banshee’s (and Grim Reapers purpose). I was truly surprised by the mystery throughout and the ending left me gaping. I am definitely eager to read the next book in the series, My Soul to Save.

Books in order:

1. My Soul to Take
2. My Soul to Save
3. My Soul to Keep
4. My Soul to Steal
5. If I Die
6. Before I Wake
7. With All My Soul


Thursday 28 June 2012

Cover Reveal - Uriel (Airel Saga #3) by Aaron Patterson

I am so excited to be a part of Aaron Patterson’s cover reveal for book 3 in the Airel Saga, Uriel organized by the wonderful Ashley @
The Bookish Brunette.

Soooo… Drumroll….

 
It's absolutely STUNNING!! A gorgeous creation by Phatpuppy Art

Synopsis:

Uriel.

All she wanted was to live her own life…

When heroes start to tell lies, even to themselves: Uriel. She’s spent thousands of years fighting against her destiny, fighting against her bereaved father, against El Himself.

“It’s just one letter, but it’s my letter, father…”

Once more, we see how the evil deeds of the past play out in the following generations, and with grave consequences—and startling revelations.

Betrayal, deceit, and murder are unavoidable in Uriel, Book 3 of the Airel saga.

Author Bio:

Aaron Patterson

Aaron Patterson is a #1 Amazon Kindle best-selling author and the Publisher of Stone House Ink and StoneGate Ink publishing houses…

Author Links:


The FIRST two covers in the series: (which are ALSO super GORGEOUS!!)

  

What are your thoughts on the cover?

REVIEW: Hounded (Iron Druid Chronicles #1) by Kevin Hearne

Hounded (Iron Druid Chronicles, #1) 
Author: Kevin Hearne
Series: Iron Druid Chronicles
Pages: 289
Genre: Young Adult - Fantasy
Publisher: Del Rey
Amazon: Hounded

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

Atticus O’Sullivan, last of the Druids, lives peacefully in Arizona, running an occult bookshop and shape-shifting in his spare time to hunt with his Irish wolfhound. His neighbors and customers think that this handsome, tattooed Irish dude is about twenty-one years old—when in actuality, he’s twenty-one centuries old. Not to mention: He draws his power from the earth, possesses a sharp wit, and wields an even sharper magical sword known as Fragarach, the Answerer.

Unfortunately, a very angry Celtic god wants that sword, and he’s hounded Atticus for centuries. Now the determined deity has tracked him down, and Atticus will need all his power—plus the help of a seductive goddess of death, his vampire and werewolf team of attorneys, a sexy bartender possessed by a Hindu witch, and some good old-fashioned luck of the Irish—to kick some Celtic arse and deliver himself from evil.

REVIEW: 4 out of 5 stars

The Iron Druid Chronicles is a series which came highly recommended by the wonderful Danny from The Bewitched Bookworms and I must admit I tend to avoid series that don’t have romance but I am so glad I picked up this book – it was absolutely amazing!

Atticus O’Sullivan is such an awesome, witty, intelligent character; he is also the last of the Druids, an ancient one at that – he has the looks of a 21 year-old but is in fact 21 centuries old. He spends his days running an occult bookshop in Tempe, Arizona.

The plot follows a celtic god; Aenghus Óg who wants to reclaim a powerful Fae sword - Fragarach, Atticus who has the sword in his possession decides to face down with Aenghus once and for all rather than running. It was a fast paced, action packed thrill ride that had me swiftly turning the pages wanting to know more. I loved every moment of it.

Hounded has a cast of brilliant paranormal creatures, including vampires, werewolves, Fae, gods and witches and each play an important role in this book – I did feel there were a tad too many and as a result affected the developmental sides of things but I hope we’ll learn more about them in the next book. I especially loved Oberon, his hound who could communicate with him telepathically which I though was great, the dialogue between them at times was hilarious!

I rarely read a book that doesn’t contain romance and this book had zilch but I still loved every moment of it. Atticus was such a wonderful, well thought out character and I enjoyed reading a book from a male POV –I also think his sidekick Oberon helped to make this book the awesome read that it was; it was humorous, fun and witty.

Mr. Hearne has written a wonderful page turner in Hounded, his characterizations are perfect, the plot was fast paced and flowed perfectly and the writing detailed and entertaining, the world he has created kept me riveted. I am so eager to get started on Hexed, the next book in this enthralling series.

Books in order:

1. Hounded
2. Hexed
3. Hammered
4. Tricked
5. Trapped
6. Hunted

Wednesday 27 June 2012

Waiting on Wednesday (27th June)

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

My choice for this weeks WoW is a Young Adult Sci-Fi novel titled Taken by Erin Bowman; I have to admit the the synopsis has me completely and utterly intrigued.

What are you looking forward to?

Taken (Taken, #1)
Author: Erin Bowman
Publisher: HarperTeen
Genre: YA – Sci-Fi
Release Date: 16th April 2013
Amazon Pre-order: Taken

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

There are no men in Claysoot. There are boys—but every one of them vanishes at midnight on his eighteenth birthday. The ground shakes, the wind howls, a blinding light descends...and he’s gone.

They call it the Heist.

Gray Weathersby’s eighteenth birthday is mere months away, and he’s prepared to meet his fate–until he finds a strange note from his mother and starts to question everything he’s been raised to accept: the Council leaders and their obvious secrets. The Heist itself. And what lies beyond the Wall that surrounds Claysoot–a structure that no one can cross and survive.

Climbing the Wall is suicide, but what comes after the Heist could be worse. Should he sit back and wait to be taken–or risk everything on the hope of the other side?

What are you anxiously anticipating this week?