Stacking the Shelves (6)


Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga @ Tynga's Reviews and is based from Kristi @ The Story Siren's In My Mailbox. Click the image to head over to Tynga's Stacking the Shelves posts.


I only got one book to stack on my virtual shelf this week and it's for a blog tour!! *dances around and groans at the same time* Last week, I found out I signed up to a tad too many blog tours than my "responsible" self could probably handle, buuuuut this one is different...special. The author of this book is Filipino and the cover...look at it! JUST LOOK! It is GORGEOUS!


Reaping Me Softly by Kate Evangelista
(Expected release date is 30th Oct 2012)
Thanks AToMR!


I dare you to say no to this book. I double dare you!


What new books did you stack on your shelf this week?

Waiting on Wednesday (27): Timekeeper


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


My WoW: 
Timekeeper (Timeless #2)
by Alexandra Monir
Hardcover, 288 pages
Expected publication: January 8th 2013 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers

From Goodreads:

When Philip Walker appears as a new student in Michele Windsor's high school class, she is floored. He is the love she thought she lost forever when they said goodbye during her time travels last century. Overjoyed that they can resume the relationship they had a lifetime ago, Michele eagerly approaches him and discovers the unthinkable: he doesn't remember her. In fact, he doesn't seem to remember anything about the Philip Walker of 1910.

Michele then finds her father's journals, which tell stories of his time-traveling past. As she digs deeper, she learns about his entanglement with a mysterious and powerful organization called the Time Society and his dealings with a vengeful Windsor ancestor. Michele soon finds herself at the center of a rift over 120 years in the making, one whose resolution will have life-or-death consequences.

Alexandra Monir's Timekeeper combines breathtaking romance with a tale of complex magic in a sequel that will have every reader believing in the transcendent power of love.

YOU GUYS. I almost died at the end of Timeless. Timekeeper was supposed to be published on January 2012 but for some reason, - albeit an awful one - it was moved to December 2012 AND it got moved again to January 2013. Seriously? 2 years? *pulls hair out*

Review: Iron's Prophecy

Iron's Prophecy (Iron Fey #4.5)
by Julie Kagawa
Kindle Edition
Published September 1st 2012 by Harlequin TEEN

From Goodreads:

Meghan Chase is finally getting used to being the Iron Queen, ruler of the Iron Fey. Her life may be strange, but with former Winter prince Ash by her side at last, she wouldn’t have it any other way.

But when they travel to the Summer and Winter courts’ gathering for Elysium, the oracle from Meghan’s past returns with a dire prophecy: “What you carry will either unite the courts, or it will destroy them.” Now Meghan faces a devastating choice that may determine the future of all fey—and her and Ash’s unborn child…

A novella from the bestselling Iron Fey series.


Review:

I had mixed feelings for this novella and the spin-off series of The Iron Fey. I was excited for both but after reading The Iron Knight, I sincerely thought that Ash and Meghan's story could finally be left alone and that any other additional story was unnecessary. The rainbows, butterflies and peace and quiet at the end of The Iron Knight screamed happily ever after to me and now this! Poor Ash and Meghan. Julie can't seem to stop torturing them.

Iron's Prophecy starts off like having a big ball of fluff thrown at you square in the face. Imagine yourself Meghan waking up to see a sleeping half-naked Ash and then you Meghan and Ash coddling...I could feel my toes curling in their sweetness! I was grinning like an idiot while flailing my arms around and kicking the air like a lunatic because of all the emotions I could not contain.

However, on the second part, when I started really noticing things beyond Ash and Meghan's sweetness, I couldn't help realizing how Julie always inject romance wherever she can even when the scene doesn't call for it. After that, all those sweetness between Ash and Meghan seemed forced. It was hard to enjoy their cuteness after. Though of course, Puck and Grim were there to rescue my decreasing interest for the story. Puck's humor was very refreshing however, there were also moments where I found his humor not so very spontaneous. I also loved the detailed descriptions of how Grim did all those cat-like gestures in between the dialogues. So cute!

In the end, I'm still not sure what I think of this novella as an addition to The Iron Fey series. But as an individual novella, I enjoyed pretty much most of it though there were also some parts that I found hard to make sense of.

Rating: 3/5 stars

Cover Reveal: Losing It


Losing It by Cora Carmack

Expected release date is October 16th 2012.

THOUGHTS:

DAT COVER! I love it! The synopsis sounds very adult contemporary-like, but this is actually New Adult. Therefore, I'm allowed to read it. :D

About the Book

College student Bliss Edwards is sick of being the only virgin among her friends. She decides the best way to deal with the problem is to lose her virginity quickly and simply— a one-night stand. Her plan turns out to be anything but simple when she chickens out and leaves a gorgeous guy alone and naked in her bed. Already embarrassed, it only gets worse when she arrives for her first class of her last college semester, and recognizes her new Theatre professor. She’d left him naked in her bed about eight hours earlier.


About the Author

Cora Carmack is a twenty-something writer who likes to write about twenty-something characters. She’s done a multitude of things in her life-- boring jobs (like working at Target), Fun jobs (like working in a theatre), stressful jobs (like teaching), and dream jobs (like writing). She loves theatre, travel, and anything that makes her laugh. She enjoys placing her characters in the most awkward situations possible, and then trying to help them get a boyfriend out of it. Awkward people need love, too. Her first book, a New Adult Contemporary Romance called LOSING IT releases October 16th.

[Blog Tour] Character Interview with Kellen St. James of The Star Child + Giveaway



Hey guys! Today I'm interviewing Kellen St. James, the main character from Stephanie Keyes' The Star Child.

Logan Lerman is Stephanie's choice as Kellen. 
Tell me about yourself. 

Sure. I just turned eighteen and I graduated from college in May. I love books, love to write… The coolest place in the world, to me, is the library or being at my Gran’s… well, what was my Gran’s place in Ireland. She passed away earlier this year.

You entered college at a very young age. What was the worst thing that ever happened to you during that time? How about the best?

The worst thing? I couldn’t event begin to list them all. You try going to college at fourteen. It was a nightmare. Someone was always trying to get me drunk, high, or stuff my head down a toilet somewhere. Dating was non-existent. All of the girls thought I was jailbait and they were right. Talk about a bite. The best was meeting my buddy Gabe. He kept the wolves at bay, so to speak. He’s responsible for the good times that I did have.

You first met Calienta in a dream when you were six. Surely, you knew there was something not normal about her. Did it ever scare you or stopped you from wanting to be close to her?

When I first met her, I didn’t know if it was a dream or not. I didn’t want it to be though. We had a connection… I can’t explain it. She felt like she would have been my best friend. Believe me, when you grow up in a messed up place, like I did, if someone makes you feel at all happy you don’t toss that away. With Calienta, I felt… like I wasn’t alone. That was saying something. So no, I was never afraid of her. I was more afraid of my father, Stephen.

Tell me about your journey through the Faerie realm. What was the weirdest thing you encountered there?

Yeah. There was this pack of Trooping Faeries that found me. We were in hiding, you know? Anyway, they snagged me and Calienta and I got separated. They took me away to their home in the trees, treated me like a friend, offered me a meal… Which turned out to be a bunch of rocks and things. Nasty. Anyway, one of them found out about me and I had to go on the run. It’s a toss up between that and plunging thousands of feet in total darkness.

If you never met Calienta and her family, what do you think you'd be doing by now?

I would be working on my twelfth novel in my Gran’s cottage in Ireland. It would be bliffdully quiet and no one would be talking. I’d just spend every day writing... Maybe, I’d have gotten a dog. I wouldn’t give her up for anything, though. Just to be clear.

Lastly, if you were given the chance to go back in time, is there anything you'd want to change?

I’d save my mother. She lost her life in such a cruel and callous way that I’d… Well, no one should have to go through anything like that.


About the Book

The world is about to be cloaked in darkness.
Only one can stop the night.

Kellen St. James has spent his entire life being overlooked as an unwanted, ordinary, slightly geeky kid. That is until a beautiful girl, one who has haunted his dreams for the past eleven years of his life, shows up spinning tales of a prophecy. Not just any old prophecy either, but one in which Kellen plays a key role.

Suddenly, Kellen finds himself on the run through a Celtic underworld of faeries and demons, angels and gods, not to mention a really ticked off pack of hellhounds, all in order to save the world from darkness. But will they make it in time?
Paperback
E-Book


Trailer



About the Author

Stephanie Keyes holds an undergraduate degree in Management Information Systems as well as a Master's in Education. A seasoned, facilitator, Mrs. Keyes worked in Training and Development for an international telecommunications corporation for twelve years; spending the first eight years of her career as a Software Trainer and Technical Writer and the last four working in Human Resources and Employee Development.

In May of 2012, Mrs. Keyes left the corporate world to focus on her family and her writing full-time. She also operates a freelance graphic and instructional design business, Sycamore Road Design.

Inkspell Publishing will release her first novel, The Star Child, on September 21, 2012. She is now currently at work on the second book in The Star Child Trilogy, The Fallen Stars.

Keyes lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, two children, and Riley the dog.

Contact Stephanie

Website: www.stephaniekeyes.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Stephanie-Keyes/150860604966160
Twitter: www.twitter.com/StephanieKeyes

Giveaway

Contest Information:
- Contest is open to EVERYONE
- This contest is organized by Inkspell Publishing. They will be responsible for selecting and contacting the winners.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Stacking the Shelves (5)


Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga @ Tynga's Reviews and is based from Kristi @ The Story Siren's In My Mailbox. Click the image to head over to Tynga's Stacking the Shelves posts.


I was feeling smug and very responsible in the last couple of weeks, so without much thinking, I decided to sign up to a few blog tours. This week, I received some of them and I was astounded by how many tours I signed up to *epic facepalm* I know there's only four of them and you, established bloggers, probably have more per month but me? I tend to be lazier when I have responsibilities so yes, this is indeed a challenge to me. XD



For blog tours
Ephemeral by Addison Moore - Because... DAT DRESS!
Beg for Mercy by Shannon Dermott - It's a paranormal YA and it sounds so awesome so spare me.
My Favorite Mistake by Chelsea M. Cameron - This one is New Adult so yes, I'm so very excited for this!
Birthright by Willow Cross - So excited for this one as well because it's all about Druidry (Iron Druid Chronicles, anyone?)
For review
Kismetology by Jaimie Admans - I recently did a release day blitz post for this and I just couldn't say no when the author contacted me.
Free on kindle
A Season of Eden by Jennifer Laurens - Because who can resist A Season of Eden when it's free on kindle?

AND SPEAKING OF BLOG TOURS.


Tomorrow, September 23rd, is my stop in The Star Child Blog Tour. I have a character interview with Kellen (that dude on the banner.) I can't even begin to tell you how awesome it is AND there will be a giveaway as well, so see ya!

What new books did you stack on your shelf this week?

Book Review: Tricked

Tricked (Iron Druid Chronicles #4)
by Kevin Hearne
Paperback, 338 pages
Published April 24th 2012 by Random House Publishing Group
Source: Bought
Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository | Barnes & Noble

Summary:

Druid Atticus O’Sullivan hasn’t stayed alive for more than two millennia without a fair bit of Celtic cunning. So when vengeful thunder gods come Norse by Southwest looking for payback, Atticus, with a little help from the Navajo trickster god Coyote, lets them think that they’ve chopped up his body in the Arizona desert.

But the mischievous Coyote is not above a little sleight of paw, and Atticus soon finds that he’s been duped into battling bloodthirsty desert shapeshifters called skinwalkers. Just when the Druid thinks he’s got a handle on all the duplicity, betrayal comes from an unlikely source. If Atticus survives this time, he vows he won’t be fooled again. Famous last words.



This is a spoilery review. Read at your own risk!


Review:

Tricked picks up a little while after Hammered. In Hammered, when Atticus helped Leif and the rest of the gang to go to Asgard to kill Thor, they also managed to injure other gods and wreak havoc to all of Asgard. This caused thunder gods from different pantheons to hunt Atticus and silence him permanently. But with the help of Coyote and the Morrigan, Atticus managed to fake his own death, hoping to get them off his back, if  temporarily, to have enough time to train his apprentice, Granuaile.

For me, the fourth book in the Iron Druid Chronicles, Tricked, has been the best installment in the series so far! In a way, this was the most different as well. Atticus, Granuaile and Oberon left Arizona for Colorado for two reasons: one, because Atticus was supposed to be dead; and two, to keep the end of his bargain to Coyote. Coyote was a character I liked in book 2, and even though he managed to stage a cruel trick to Atticus again in this book, I couldn't bring myself to dislike him. If anything, I was more amused by him in this book. Coyote was a trickster god and it was second nature for him to trick people. It was also something Atticus had prepared himself for. What he didn't prepare himself for, though, was the betrayal of someone he considered as friend. I felt really bad for Atticus because it was only in this book that I realized how he was always used by the people whom he cared for.

In Tricked, we also find out what really happened to the widow, Ms. MacDonagh, in the end of Hammered. I have to say that whatever it was, it totally spooked me. We also meet a new character, Hel, the daughter of Loki, who was the creepiest being I've encountered in this series. I'm pretty sure she's going to be a major villain in the upcoming books. We also get to learn more about Tahirah, Atticus' wife of 200 years, and what happened to the children he fathered. It was one of the saddest scenes in all the books for me; another one was when both Oberon and Atticus got injured close to death, and still, Atticus could only think about Oberon's safety. I might have shed some tears on that scene.

Like all the books in the Iron Druid Chronicles, Tricked was full of action-packed scenes, gore, hilarious dialogues and character deaths. Although Tricked wasn't as fast-paced as the other Iron Druid books, I found it strangely refreshing. Atticus and Oberon were as hilarious and badass as ever, and Granuaile became even more amusing. There's also a teaser of Trapped, the fifth book, on the back of Tricked and oh my god, what a tease it was! I absolutely cannot wait for Trapped!

Rating: 5/5 stars

Waiting on Wednesday (26): The Indigo Spell


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


My WoW:
The Indigo Spell (Bloodlines #3)
by Richelle Mead
Hardcover, 1st Edition, 432 pages
Expected publication: February 12th 2013 by Razorbill

From Goodreads:

In the aftermath of a forbidden moment that rocked Sydney to her core, she finds herself struggling to draw the line between her Alchemist teachings and what her heart is urging her to do. Then she meets alluring, rebellious Marcus Finch--a former Alchemist who escaped against all odds, and is now on the run. Marcus wants to teach Sydney the secrets he claims the Alchemists are hiding from her. But as he pushes her to rebel against the people who raised her, Sydney finds that breaking free is harder than she thought. There is an old and mysterious magic rooted deeply within her. And as she searches for an evil magic user targeting powerful young witches, she realizes that her only hope is to embrace her magical blood--or else she might be next.

Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, the Bloodlines series 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.

For someone who claims to be a huge, huge, HUGE fan of Bloodlines, I am so ashamed to say that I forgot to feature this on my WoW before. I guess I was too busy ruminating on the beauty of Sydrian that featuring TIS seemed unimportant. Sydney... Adrian... Sydrian... Their babies are going to be beautiful! Oh, the feels! *faints dramatically*


Release Day Blitz: Transcend by Christine Fonseca


Released September 18th 2012 by Compass Press

Transcend by Christine Fonseca


All seventeen-year-old composer Ien Montgomery desires is an escape from his family's rigid expectations for his life; someone to inspire his music. When he meets a beautiful violin-prodigy, Kiera McDougal, his life music takes on new life. With her, he imagines a future outside of his parents’ control. That is, until a horrible accident tears them apart.

Sent to die in a sanatorium, Ien’s obsession for Kiera grows unbearable. Tortured by thoughts he can’t escape and the truth of his monstrous disfigurement, he flees, desperate to exact revenge on the people that ruined his life – his parents. But, vengeance is empty. Betrayed by those closest to him, Ien discovers that the price for his happiness may be his sanity.

Set amidst the landscape of New York's Gilded Age, and inspired by Phantom of the Opera, TRANSCEND exposes the fine line between love and madness.


Book Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

About the Author

Critically acclaimed nonfiction and YA author Christine Fonseca is dedicated to helping children of all ages find their voice in the world. Drawing on her expertise as an educational psychologist, her nonfiction titles address issues of emotional intensity, resiliency and giftedness. In fiction, she explores the darker aspects of humanity and delivers gothic thrillers that take you on a rollercoaster ride of emotions. In life, she teaches her own children to embrace their unique talents and find their voice by being a force of positive change in the world.

When she’s not writing or developing programs to support children with exceptional needs, she can be found spending time with her family, sipping too many skinny vanilla lattes at her favorite coffee house or playing around on Facebook and Twitter.

Additional Titles by Christine Fonseca include:
DIES IRAE (a Requiem Novella)
LACRIMOSA (Requiem Series #1)
MEA CULPA (a Requiem Novella)


Book Review: Bitterblue

Bitterblue (Graceling Realm #3)
by Kristin Cashore
Hardcover, 563 pages
Published May 1st 2012 by Dial
Buy the Book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

From Goodreads:

The long-awaited companion to New York Times bestsellers Graceling and Fire

Eight years after Graceling, Bitterblue is now queen of Monsea. But the influence of her father, a violent psychopath with mind-altering abilities, lives on. Her advisors, who have run things since Leck died, believe in a forward-thinking plan: Pardon all who committed terrible acts under Leck's reign, and forget anything bad ever happened. But when Bitterblue begins sneaking outside the castle--disguised and alone--to walk the streets of her own city, she starts realizing that the kingdom has been under the thirty-five-year spell of a madman, and the only way to move forward is to revisit the past.

Two thieves, who only steal what has already been stolen, change her life forever. They hold a key to the truth of Leck's reign. And one of them, with an extreme skill called a Grace that he hasn't yet identified, holds a key to her heart.


Review:

Graceling, the first book in Graceling Realm series, or The Seven Kingdoms Trilogy as I'd like to call it, has been one of my favorite books to date. The second book, Fire, didn't amaze me like Graceling did but I liked it a lot nonetheless. But as for Bitterblue... Well, I was hoping that this would at least be as good as Fire, if not as awesomely amazing as Graceling and also, I reaaally really really tried my best to like this, but I just couldn't. Maybe it's because I haven't recovered from my all-week obsession with my love, The Queen's Thief, and that when I read "thieves" from the synopsis, my expectations immediately shot way up high... Only to fall way too low.

Unlike Graceling and Fire which were more action-packed, Bitterblue focused more on mysteries and solving ciphers and puzzles that Leck left during his reign. Even several years after Leck's fall, the people of Bitterblue's Kingdom (which I already forgot the name of) are still struggling to recover from the horrors that were brought upon by their previous ruler.

The mystery was one of the most frustrating parts of the book. On one hand, it was one of the things I liked the most. I'd always liked that feeling like you already know the answer to the mystery and then BAM! You find out that you were just being misled. But on the other hand, I felt like the mystery was overdone and the secrets were redundant. Another thing I liked was, of course, *fans self* Po!!!!! I totally squealed like a fangirl when he showed up. Unfortunately for Katsa though, I used to fangirl about her but she lost her shine in Bitterblue. As well, the sweet moments between the two felt contrived.

Bitterblue, as a character, was an unremarkable one. I felt detached from her and I couldn't bring myself to care about what would happen to her. Her supposed love interest, Saf, intrigued me at first but as the story progressed, I became indifferent toward him. The most surprising character for me was Giddon. I hated him in Graceling but he was very likable in Bitterblue. I loved the friendship that developed between him and Po and I liked that he was a good friend to Bitterblue too. The romance here was quite subtle, though there was sex. I love subtle romance but I didn't appreciate the one Bitterblue had. (If you've read this book, I'd bet my two cents it disappointed you too.) The other side characters, most especially the palace people, were the most annoying! They made the stupidest decisions and they were all "crackpots." Even after I found out what made them the way they were, it was too difficult to sympathize with them especially when after they'd apologized, they still did the same mistakes again and again until the eye rolls became inevitable.

Bitterblue has all the aspects I liked in YA fantasy: a historical setting with a sneaky thief and royal people with cunning plans. Too bad that prior to reading this, I was rereading QT so I really couldn't appreciate all those aspects. I don't normally compare books - actually, I hate to compare books - so it hurt that during reading this, I kept thinking about how it fell flat compared to QT. I waited years to read Bitterblue and the disappointment aside, I also felt refreshed (and a little sad) knowing that another series I loved has come to an end. There's no doubt that Kristin Cashore is a talented writer and I would still love to read more of her future works.

Rating: 2/5 stars

Release Day Blitz + Teaser: Kismetology by Jaimie Admans


Happy Book Birthday to Jaimie Admans and Kismetology!

Kismetology by Jaimie Admans

Genre: Chick-lit, Romantic comedy

Kismetology

Finding the perfect man isn’t easy. Especially when it’s for your mother...

Mothers. Can't live with them, can't live without them, can't live three doors down the road from them without them interfering in every aspect of your life.

Fed up with her mum meddling in her love life, Mackenzie Atkinson decides to turn the tables and find love for her lonely mother.

Her lonely and very fussy mother.

Surely finding an older gentleman looking for love won't be that hard, right?

Wrong.

If you've ever thought that boys grow up, here’s the problem: They don't. Ever.

And Mackenzie is about to learn that the hard way.


Book Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK

Teaser

If I could give one piece of advice to every teenager in the world, it would be this: when you move away from home, move far, far away, and never look back. My biggest mistake? I didn’t move far enough. In fact, I only moved three houses down the road. The perfect distance for my mother to interfere in my life, even more than she did when I lived under her own roof.

About the Author

Jaimie is a 27-year-old English-sounding Welsh girl with an awkward-to-spell name. She lives in South Wales and enjoys writing, gardening, drinking tea and watching horror movies. She hates spiders and cheese & onion crisps.

Kismetology is her first novel but there are plenty more on the way! She wants you to know that the mum in this book is nothing like her own mum!

Author Links: Website | TwitterFacebookGoodreads 

Excerpt + Giveaway: Dante's Girl by Courtney Cole


Dante's Girl by Courtney Cole

Book Links: GoodreadsAmazon | Barnes & Noble
Author Links: Goodreads | Website | Twitter

Book Description

I have spent every summer since I was ten years old with my father in London. Every summer, since I was ten years old, has been uneventful and boring. Until this year. 

And this year, after a freak volcanic eruption strands me far from home, I have learned these things:

1. I can make do with one outfit for three days before I buy new clothes.
2. If I hear the phrase, “You’re not in Kansas anymore, Toto,” even one more time, I might become a homicidal maniac.
3. I am horribly and embarrassingly allergic to jellyfish.
4. I am in love with Dante Giliberti, who just happens to be the beautiful, sophisticated son of the Prime Minister of a Mediterranean paradise.
5. See number four above. Because it brings with it a whole slew of problems and I’ve learned something from every one of them.

Let’s start with the fact that Dante’s world is five light-years away from mine. He goes to black-tie functions and knows the Prime Minister of England on a first name basis. I was born and raised on a farm in Kansas and wear cut-off jeans paired with cowboy boots. See the difference?

But hearts don’t care about differences. Hearts want what they want. And mine just wants to be Dante’s girl.

My heart just might be crazy.

Excerpt

“Why do you look sad?” I ask. “You live in a beautiful country with the world at your fingertips. Your dad is amazing and nice and you’re a billionaire. What could possibly make you sad?”

Dante studies me, his cobalt eyes serious, his expression unreadable.

“Let’s go for a walk,” he finally says. “Someplace quieter.”

A quiet place with Dante? Yes, Please!

I scramble to my feet and walk with him through the crowd again, this time oblivious to the stares. He has a huge stride and I find myself hurrying to keep up, two steps for every one of his. He weaves us through the people and out the doors in record time.

Before I know it, we are on a terrace. In the dark. Under the stars.

With Dante.

This may as well be Heaven.

In fact, it might actually be.

Have I died and didn’t realize it?

I flex my fingers and poke at my thigh.

My mind is fuzzy and I feel like I am moving slower than I actually am. Is life in slow motion right now or is it me? I blink hard then poke myself again.

“Are you alright?” Dante asks, watching me curiously. I nod.

“Yep. I’ve just never had three glasses of champagne before. In fact, I’ve never even had one. Until now.”
I giggle at the thought and Dante smiles.

“Okay, drunk girl. Let’s sit you down.”

He guides me to a lounger and eases me onto it. I clutch at his arm, not wanting to let him go. He stares down at me.

“You really have had too much to drink, haven’t you, little sunflower?”

The name warms my heart and I decide that he is the handsomest person in the world. “Is handsomest a word?” I ask him.

He looks at me blankly.

“I don’t know,” he answers slowly. “Why?”

“You’re the handsomest person in the world,” I announce. “I don’t care if it’s a word or not. You are it, one way or another.”

Dante smiles and runs a hand through his hair, as though he’s trying to decide what to do.

“Oh. Okay. Um, thanks? What am I going to do with you? You’re adorable when you are drunk. But I made you drunk, even if it was an accident. How was I supposed to know that you’re such a lightweight?”

He sounds like he is waging some sort of battle with himself.

“Who exactly are you arguing with?”I ask, the champagne clouding my thoughts in a very thorough way. “You will get no arguments from me tonight. No matter what.”

He sighs, a husky and ragged sound.

It’s sexy.

I scoot closer to him and drag him down until he is sitting on the lounger with me. His warmth feels nice out here because the air has turned cool. It’s dark and I feel like we’re in our own little world. I run my fingers over his arm, then grip at his shoulders.

“You’re so strong,” I tell him. “And your fingers are so long.” I don’t know what that has to do with anything, I just feel like pointing it out. Because his fingers are long. I pick up his hand and slide my own against it. His hand is at least a full inch longer than mine. Probably more. I curl my fingers around his and hold tight to his hand.

I look up at him.

He is so devastatingly beautiful in the moonlight.

I tell him so.

He stares at me, his dark gaze unwavering. Except for my knees. It definitely wavers my knees, if that is possible. I know I wouldn’t be able to stand up if I tried. Which I’m not going to. I’m staying right here…with Dante.

“Kiss me,” I whisper. “Please.”

Dante is silent, his blue eyes frozen on me.

And then he lowers his head and his soft lips are upon mine.

And I might seriously die this time.

For real.

I’m kissing Dante.

Kissing.

Dante.

The thoughts won’t stop running through my head as Dante kisses me in the most romantic and soft kiss I’ve ever experienced. My thoughts blur together and all I can do now is immerse myself in the moment. The world actually seems to explode for a second. This is the most amazing kiss in the history of the world.

Giveaway



a Rafflecopter giveaway

~ Hosted by AToMR Book Blog Tours

Cover Reveal: Reaping Me Softly by Kate Evangelista

I just about died when I saw this cover. So beautiful!

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Reaping Me Softly by Kate Evangelista

Expected Publication: October 30th 2012 by Omnific Publishing

Reaping Me Softly

Blurb

Ever since a near-death-experience on the operating table, seventeen-year-old Arianne Wilson can see dead people. Just as she’s learned to accept her new-found talents, she discovers that the boy she’s had a crush on since freshman year, Niko Clark, is a Reaper.

At last they have something in common, but that doesn’t mean life is getting any easier. All while facing merciless bullying from the most powerful girl in school, Arianne’s world is turned upside down after Niko accidentally reaps the soul of someone she loves. This sends them both into a spiral that threatens to end Arianne’s life. But will Niko break his own Reaper’s code to save her? And what would the consequences be if he did?

About the Author


When Kate Evangelista was told she had a knack for writing stories, she did the next best thing: entered medical school. After realizing she wasn't going to be the next Doogie Howser, M.D., Kate wandered into the Literature department of her university and never looked back. Today, she is in possession of a piece of paper that says to the world she owns a Literature degree. To make matters worse, she took Master's courses in creative writing. In the end, she realized to be a writer, none of what she had mattered. What really mattered? Writing. Plain and simple, honest to God, sitting in front of her computer, writing.




~ Hosted by AToMR Book Blog Tours

Book Review: The King of Attolia

The King of Attolia (The Queen's Thief #3)
by Megan Whalen Turner
Hardcover, 387 pages
Published January 24th 2006 by Greenwillow Books
Buy the Book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

Synopsis:

By scheming and theft, the Thief of Eddis has become King of Attolia. Eugenides (yoo-JEN-ə-deez) wanted the queen, not the crown, but he finds himself trapped in a web of his own making.

Then he drags a naive young guard into the center of the political maelstrom. Poor Costis knows he is the victim of the king's caprice, but his contempt for Eugenides slowly turns to grudging respect. Though struggling against his fate, the newly crowned king is much more than he appears. Soon the corrupt Attolian court will learn that its subtle and dangerous intrigue is no match for Eugenides.


This is a spoilery review. Read at your own risk!

Review:

Some time ago, I read Jennifer Nielsen's The False Prince. If you've read my review of that, then you'd know that my love for thieves started with this series. After reading The False Prince, I was suddenly overwhelmed by a strong feeling of longing for my favorite thief, Eugenides, so I immediately grabbed my copy of Queen of Attolia and King of Attolia and read them to my heart's content. And, oh lords, I loved these two when I first read them last year, but after the second read, I was madly, deeply and very, very much in love with them. And no, it didn't stop at the second read. I've read both four times now and I'm still rereading my favorite scenes from both books. I was surprised to discover things that I didn't notice on the first read, and on the second read, and on the third. The more I read, the more I understood and the more I enjoyed it.

In The Thief and Queen of Attolia, we witnessed Gen's superb ability to deceive and manipulate his opponents without them realizing it, so it shouldn't be that much of a surprise that his intelligence is in abundance in this book too, but oh Gen, you just never cease to amaze me. The King of Attolia is told in third person from the point of view mostly of one of the Queen's guards, Costis. The book starts a little while after Queen of Attolia, after Gen and Irene's wedding. I admit I was against Turner's choice of character POV the first time I read this. But as the story progressed, we get to see the transformation of Costis's perception toward Eugenides from disgust to utmost respect and trust. As the story progressed, I also learned to like Costis. In fact, it's actually hard not to like the guy. Those who've read the previous books know how deceiving and dangerous Gen can be, but almost all of the palace people, including Costis, don't know this and only know Gen as the goatfoot foreigner who stole their Queen. Gen is not also the type of person to prove other's ideas of him as wrong. Instead of acting like a decent King, he indulges people's perception of him. So it was only natural that people would think of him as the worthless person he'd always pretended to be. And whatever preconceived notions Costis had for Eugenides was pretty much justified.

This lacks a great deal of romance, but I can tell you that what little romance this has is as sweet as the sweetest romance you can think of. I am totally in love with Gen and Irene's relationship and the subtlety made it so frustrating (in a good way) for me. In spite that, The King of Attolia is a genuine work of art or a work of literature whichever your prefer to call it. The plot is solid, exhilarating, cleverly inventive and very much surprising, the writing is enthralling and the characters are the incarnation of awesome. After reading this, all other books suddenly paled in comparison. I actually got stuck for a week in this series because I kept rereading the books because after this, no other book had held my attention for more than a minute as I kept thinking back to the events in Queen of Attolia and King of Attolia. I know I've said this before, but I'll say it again: I looooooove thieves! (the fictional ones). And if I admired The False Prince, this book, I worship it. The moment I finished The King of Attolia, I wanted to build Gen a statue or a temple and then start a religion called Eugenidism. Who wants to join?

Rating: 

5/5 stars!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

(with gabajillions of exclamation points !!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Stacking the Shelves (4)


Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga @ Tynga's Reviews and is based from Kristi @ The Story Siren's In My Mailbox. Click the image to head over to Tynga's Stacking the Shelves posts.


I was bummed because I couldn't go to the bookstore to buy UnWholly, good thing I saw all these awesome looking kindle books free on Amazon. None of these is UnWholly, unfortunately, but look at them! Don't they all look good? Go click the links to see if they are still free. XD



Meant to Be (The Saving Angels #1) by Tiffany King
Mesmerized by Julia Crane
Nailed by Jennifer Laurens
Every Last Kiss (The Bloodstone Saga #1) by Coutrney Cole
Frost Arch (The Fire Mare Trilogy #1) by Kate Bloomfield

What did you stack on your shelves this week?

Book Review: The False Prince

The False Prince (The Ascendance Trilogy #1)
by Jennifer Nielsen
Hardcover, 342 pages
Published April 1st 2012 by Scholastic
Buy the book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

Synopsis:

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.


Review:

I gave this book a standing ovation as soon as I finished reading it. It was that gooooood! Ever since I read Megan Whalen Turner's The Queen's Thief series, I've developed a soft spot for books with a historical setting and a sneaky thief for a protagonist - a genius sneaky thief.

In The False Prince, our protagonist, Sage, is an orphan who is seen as a disrespectful petulant kid with a brash attitude and a sharp mind. Although stealing is almost second nature to him, and most of the time uses this skill for his own amusement, sometimes he also uses this to help bring food to the orphanage. But don't get the wrong ideas. Sage is not necessarily the type of character with an aggressive front but with a very kind heart. It's one of the reasons why I love him so much.

Along with three other orphans, Sage was bought by a man called Conner. At first, it was a mystery as to why a noble man would buy orphans who seemed to have the same features as each other. But as the story progressed, the secrets started to be unveiled one by one. I wasn't totally surprised by these secrets, to be honest, though I can say that these weren't totally predictable either. What I found the most surprising was the twist - the very-most-ultimate-secret twist - that came after those secrets. It was one of those rare "WTH moments" where you are WTH-ing because it was sooo awesome. But I admit that at first I was WTH-ing because it was confusing and I felt so lost, but after a couple more pages and more revelations were unfolded, - when the things that didn't make sense started to make sense and when those events I took for granted proved to be of great importance to the plot - I was left exhausted by all the cleverness in this book.

The characters, minor and major alike, are all very complex and well-rounded. Those characters you liked at first, you'd hate them toward the end. Those you trusted at first, you'd end up wanting to kill the traitors out of them. This book has a knack in fooling its readers into believing ideas that pertain to the mystery of the plot. I mean, just look at the title. It gives us an idea what this book is about, but don't be fooled. There's more to it than just a spoilery title. The fact that this is told from Sage's point of view makes it difficult for the readers to decide who or what to believe since we only see things from his perception, but do we? If we see what Sage sees, does that mean he's not capable of lying to the readers? Needless to say, The False Prince is truly a cleverly written book with a solid plot that's perfectly executed. If you loved Megan Whalen Turner's The Thief, you have to read The False Prince. And if you loved Eugenides's character, you will love Sage too.

Rating: 5/5 stars

Top Ten Books On Your Fall TBR List


Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish

Ohai there! It's my first time to participate in Top Ten Tuesday. This week's topic is: Top Ten Books On Your Fall TBR

1. The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa - Dude. Iron Fey series? Ash, Meghan and Puck? AND now with Ethan? Release it now! On second thought, I actually have an e-arc so no more waiting needed for me. ;)

2. Quintana of Charyn by Melina Marchetta - I liked the first book in the Lumatere Chronicles, Finnikin of the Rock, but the second book, Froi of Exiles, I loooooved so much. Which reminds me *looks at drafts* I haven't finished my review of the first two books and they've been sitting there since June. Heh. The ending of Froi of the Exiles was an evil cliffhanger, so I'm really excited to read this. 

3. Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor - Akiva... Kaoru... and all those other weird but enticing creatures. I honestly can't remember all the happenings in the first book, Daughter of Smoke and Bone, but I distinctly remember loving the plot as well as the characters so much.

4. The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater - I love Maggie's writing. The Wolves of Mercy Falls and The Scorpio Races were one of the better books I've read. I was just a little bummed by the ending of Forever, but her writing is incredible.

5. Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes & Michelle Rowen - "In a land where magic has been forgotten but peace has reigned for centuries, a deadly unrest is simmering. Three kingdoms grapple for power—brutally transforming their subjects’ lives in the process. Amidst betrayals, bargains, and battles, four young people find their fates forever intertwined" My gosh, can't that get anymore awesome? This looks like a total badass historical adventure YA.

6. Trapped by Kevin Hearne - If you've been hanging out around my blog for a while now, you'd know how much I love the books in The Iron Druid Chronicles. It's full of kickassery and badassery and hilarious characters and awesome mythologies!

7. Ashen Winter by Mike Mullin - I loved Ashfall and I can't wait to know more about Alex and what happened to his parents.

8. Snow White Sorrow by Cameron Jace - So, the name of the male protag is Loki Blackstar. I don't know him yet but his name alone already oozes with badass. I keep pitcuring him as some samurai-sh ninja. Anywhow, this is somewhat a retelling of Snow White with a little Anna Dressed in Black tone to it. How exciting is that?

9. Dark Seeker by Taryn Browning - This is the first book in the Seeker series. After reading so many YA with male MC's, I missed reading females MC's that can kick ass.

10. Valkyrie Rising by Ingrid Paulson - "What Ellie doesn’t anticipate is Graham’s infuriating best friend, Tuck, tagging along for the trip." - Yes, yes I'll read you. I think I'm going to love Elle and Tuck here. XD

Book Review: Stormdancer

Stormdancer (The Lotus War #1)
by Jay Kristoff
ARC, USA Edition 316 pages
Expected publication: September 18th 2012 by Thomas Dunne Books
Source: Given
Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository | Barnes & Noble

Summary:

A DYING LAND
The Shima Imperium verges on the brink of environmental collapse; an island nation once rich in tradition and myth, now decimated by clockwork industrialization and the machine-worshipers of the Lotus Guild. The skies are red as blood, the land is choked with toxic pollution, and the great spirit animals that once roamed its wilds have departed forever.

AN IMPOSSIBLE QUEST
The hunters of Shima's imperial court are charged by their Shōgun to capture a thunder tiger – a legendary creature, half-eagle, half-tiger. But any fool knows the beasts have been extinct for more than a century, and the price of failing the Shōgun is death.

A HIDDEN GIFT
Yukiko is a child of the Fox clan, possessed of a talent that if discovered, would see her executed by the Lotus Guild. Accompanying her father on the Shōgun’s hunt, she finds herself stranded: a young woman alone in Shima’s last wilderness, with only a furious, crippled thunder tiger for company. Even though she can hear his thoughts, even though she saved his life, all she knows for certain is he’d rather see her dead than help her.

But together, the pair will form an indomitable friendship, and rise to challenge the might of an empire.


Review:

One of the many things I loved about Stormdancer was the protagonist herself, Yukiko. She struck me as a girl who was both fragile and fierce at the same time. She was exactly what I was looking for in my female protags. Mostly in YA, the female protags are either the smartass-kickass with one best friend or the non-smartass girls who can't fight and have only one friend, so Kristoff's take on his protag was definitely a breath of fresh air.

Yukiko was a solid and a well-rounded character who had deep compassion. Her bond with Buruu was the most heart-warming. If you've been reading my reviews for some time now, you'd know that I have a soft spot for protagonists with adorable animal companions. While Buruu wasn't exactly a pet, but rather, a huge beast capable of killing humans with a single strike of his talons, the effect was the same. Or more so because their bond was extremely tight, they didn't treat the each other as master and pet, instead they viewed each other as siblings. You could also see the development of their relationship from indifference on Buruu's part until they formed a solid unbreakable bond. The way they protected each other tugged on my heartstrings. It was one of the most beautiful things I've read about, the type that can beat the best of romances.

Stormdancer was told from third person point of view, so being the first book with the said POV I've read all year, it took me a little while to get used to it. But once I did, the book suddenly became unputdownable. The addition of Japanese mythology was a uniquely wonderful treat. Apart from adorable pets, I also have a thing for stories about deception and politics. The type where you have to guess who're the good guys and bad guys. Stormdancer has both of that and it was one of the things that made this book even more brilliant.  And the gore? Oh, I love! <3 br="br">
Stormdancer is set in a wildly imaginative world of feudal Japan, filled with complex characters who have interesting backstories. The plot was unpredictable; it oozed with pleasant surprises. At first, I thought that the description of the author about this book was overkill, but upon reading it I found that it was hardly that. The book had lots of complicated elements that gave this the tendency to become messy, but the author handled all of that really well and instead, turned this into a book of pure awesomeness.

Rating: 5/5 stars

Stacking the Shelves (3) + Can't get enough of Sydrian


Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga @ Tynga's Reviews and is based from Kristi @ The Story Siren's In My Mailbox. Click the image to head over to Tynga's Stacking the Shelves posts.


Enshadowed by Kelly Creagh - Finally, Enshadowed, YES! Though I was debating with myself about whether to this or UnWholly. I loved both first books in their series, but in the end, Enshadowed won.
The Book of the Forsaken by Yannis Karatsioris - (for review) I'm really so excited for this book too! After reading so many awesome adventure books, I'm so ready to take on some more.

What new books did you stack on your shelves this week?

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On an entirely different news, the awesome dudes from Penguin released this announcement/video of Daisy Masterman and Nic Wheeler - our very own Sydney and (the new) Adrian from the Bloodlines trailer. 



Aren't they just cute? I squealed like a fangirl (well, I am a Bloodlines fangirl). And they're both very in character too. So awesome I can't waiiiiiiit!!


Currently, there's 31k+ fans which means we need around 9k more to make this happen. WE MUST MAKE IT HAPPEN! So, go forth and share this to your friends on twitter, FB, everywhere!
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