Gretchen C. Hohmeyer's Blog, page 61

Blog Tour: “My Ex from Hell” by Tellulah Darling – Review + Giveaway!

Welcome to the My Ex from Hell blog tour hosted by Xpresso Reads! I’m super excited to tell you guys about this book and the giveaway, so let’s get started by introducing the author!

Tellulah Darling

noun

1. YA Novelist

2. Alter ego of former screenwriter and instructor

3. Sassy minx

Geeks out over: cool tech.

Squees for: great storytelling.

Delights in: fabulous conversation.

Writes about: where love meets comedy. Awkwardness ensues.

Author Links:


Website: http://welcome.tellulahdarling.com/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6429243.Tellulah_Darling
Twitter: https://twitter.com/tellulahdarling

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TellulahDarling

 My Ex from Hell (The Blooming Goddess Trilogy #1) by Tellulah Darling

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N

Sixteen-year-old Sophie Bloom wishes she’d been taught the following:

a) Bad boy’s presence (TrOuBlE) + teen girl’s brain (DraMa) = TrAuMa (Highly unstable and very volatile.)

b) The Genus Greekulum Godissimus is notable for three traits: 1) awesome abilities, 2) grudges, and 3) hook-ups, break-ups, and in-fighting that puts cable to shame.

Prior to the Halloween dance, Sophie figures her worst problems involve adolescent theatrics, bitchy yoga girls, and being on probation  at her boarding school for mouthy behaviour. Then she meets bad boy Kai and gets the kiss that rocks her world.

Literally.

This breath stealing lip lock reawakens Sophie’s true identity: Persephone, Goddess of Spring. She’s key to saving humanity in the war between the Underworld and Olympus, target numero uno of Hades and Zeus, and totally screwed.

Plus there’s also the little issue that Sophie’s last memory as Persephone was just before someone tried to murder her.

Big picture: master her powers, get her memories back, defeat Persephone’s would be assassin, and save the world. Also, sneak into the Underworld to retrieve stolen property, battle the minions of Hades and Zeus, outwit psycho nymphs, slay a dragon, rescue a classmate, keep from getting her butt expelled from the one place designed to keep her safe …

… and stop kissing Kai, Prince of the Underworld.

My Ex From Hell is a romantic comedy/Greek mythology smackdown. Romeo and Juliet had it easy.

3 1/2 stars

Very few books make me laugh out loud, but this one did it. While my roommate was sleeping, no less. But I couldn’t help it. I sort of expected the sassy humor from the synopsis, but let me tell you – it gets better. Just for that reason alone, this book won me over in so many ways.

Sophie, our main character, has to take a lot of things in stride. I think the part of the book that I had the most trouble with was when Theo (aka Prometheus), Hannah (aka the human sidekick) and Sophie are all trying to figure out what to do with the newly goddess Sophie. The info dumping that takes place goes forever, and it’s a LOT. But Sophie and Hannah are just like “just keep swimming, just keep swimming,” and really take it pretty much in stride. I know that my head was starting to hurt reading that bit, so I don’t know how they managed to not drown. Still, the info got passed on really quick and then we were moving on.

Seriously, this book goes by SO FAST. Almost too fast, in places, but I won’t complain. I love fast books. This one is like THE FLASH. There is this thing happening, then this, then this, and then they’re here and then they’re there and at some points I just wanted to claw backwards and go WAIT HOW DID WE GET HERE but there wasn’t any time because MOVING ON. It was a crazy wild ride. Add in the sarcasm and sass and my head was spinning and laughing all the way through.

Another perk? The romance doesn’t take over the entire book. I thought there was a chance of that, given the blurb, but it doesn’t and that makes me SO HAPPY. Kai and Sophie are trying to figure out a very convoluted love triangle where the third is Sophie’s past goddess self that she doesn’t remember, and it could have gone quite badly. (Actually, I take issue with many plots that involve amnesia.) But, while Kai is the stereotypical bad boy who Sophie has it out for, it doesn’t go as expected. The plot is going to fast and the stakes are too high and there is just too much to do in too little time for them to really get into any cliched problems. Darling knows where the priorities are. She’s also aware that Kai and Sophie had to re-learn who each other is in order to have anything at all. HALLELUJAH.

All together, this book is one heck of a wild ride that I totally recommend for a fun, laugh filled and action packed story!

Luckily for you, I also have an INTERNATIONAL giveaway for a copy of this book! Just leave a comment below with your email and your favorite thing about Greek mythology. Just go ahead and comment!

Don’t forget to check out the rest of the tour for other chances to win a copy of this book!

ARC Review: “Wild Cards” by Simone Elkeles

Wild Cards (Fullriders #1) by Simone Elkeles

Goodreads | Amazon

After getting kicked out of boarding school, bad boy Derek Fitzpatrick has no choice but to live with his ditzy stepmother while his military dad is deployed. Things quickly go from bad to worse when he finds out she plans to move them back to her childhood home in Illinois. Derek’s counting the days before he can be on his own, and the last thing he needs is to get involved with someone else’s family drama.

Ashtyn Parker knows one thing for certain–people you care about leave without a backward glance. A football scholarship would finally give her the chance to leave. So she pours everything into winning a state championship, until her boyfriend and star quarterback betrays them all by joining their rival team. Ashtyn needs a new game plan, but it requires trusting Derek—someone she barely knows, someone born to break the rules. Is she willing to put her heart on the line to try and win it all?

Thanks to Walkers Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for this eARC! This title will be released on October 1st, 2013.

Three stars

I have a soft spot for Simone Elkeles’ books. When I saw she was writing a new series, I jumped up and down with glee. I had hoped that with this one Simone might try for something a little different, and it certainly seemed that way. But what I got was more of the same tried and true Simone Elkeles, but not in the best way.

Step 1 of the Simone Elkeles formula is a “bad boy” who’s really a sweetie underneath. That’s Derek. In the beginning, he’s a hot and annoying guy with a sense of entitlement getting kicked out of his fancy prep school. But, of course, there’s more to him than that: his mom is dead, his dad is in the Navy and his dad’s new wife is closer to Derek’s age with a kid of her own. Step 2 is the driven, tougher than she seems female. That’s Ashtyn. Her family life is crap, but she is dating the star quarterback while being the team’s star kicker. She’s even voted captain of the team.

But then, of course, things go south. Derek is forced to move in with his step-mom’s family, including his “step-aunt” Ashtyn. Ashtyn’s boyfriend leaves the team for the rival high school, leaving her team hopeless and her heartbroken. What are two depressed teens to do?

Honestly, I’m fully aware when I start out in a Simone Elkeles book that a realistic love story isn’t always going to be the case. That’s not why I’m here. It has more to do with the fact that even Simone is tired of the same story that she keeps writing over and over again.

For example, there is no preamble when the two meet each other. They start right into the “I act annoyed but I’m so into you” dialogue while admitting to the reader that they are both totally into the other person. Then there is the obligatory “saving the girl from her terrible, awful boyfriend” that gets the two of them to go on a “non-date” with each other. They end up making out, but then totally pulling back because “they aren’t right for each other.” Then there’s the obligatory “road trip that pulls them together.” (No, this isn’t spoilery. There is a bunch of other stuff that happens that I’m not mentioning because it would be.)

It all happens so ridiculously fast. I mean, this is really a norm now–love stories that go too fast to be real–but this is the first time in a long time it’s actually made me upset. I know that Simone can make one book love stories feel acceptable, but this one just stopped trying. I really, really wish that this had been at least two books, because I really enjoyed the characters. They might have been her stereotypical cast, but I still enjoy them very much. it’s just like the book was zooming right along to the reader, just trying to make the journey to the inevitable end as swoon worthy and steamy as possible.

Don’t get me wrong, this is NOT a bad book. If you are a fan of Simone’s other work, you’ll probably love this one just as much. I just wanted to see her do something a little bit different after the Perfect Chemistry trilogy, which was basically three books with the same story line. Simone does swoon worthy, steamy and adorable fantastically well. Again, this one is no different. But that was just my problem. It’s no different.

*This book has a PG-13 rating. I assume you know this because Simone Elkeles, but just in case.

Weekly Wrap Up + Stacking the Shelves for 9-28-13

Welcome to another bi-weekly wrap up! I really need to get better at this. Maybe I can use it as an excuse for my teachers to not give me so much homework. Sigh, in my dreams. Well, here we go!

LAST TIME ON THE BLOG:

Gretchen’s Review of Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Gretchen’s Top Ten Books on My Fall TBR List

Marina’s Waiting on Wednesday: Battle Magic by Tamora Pierce

Book Blitz: Contrition by Lee Strauss – Excerpt + Giveaway! (Giveaway still ongoing!)

Marina’s Comfort Reading in a Disaster Zone: The Kiesha’ra Series

Gretchen’s ARC Review of Countdown by Michelle Rowen

Book Blast: Alpha Goddess and Waterfell by Amalie Howard – Teaser + Epic iPad Giveaway! (Giveaway still ongoing!)

Marina’s ARC Review of Battle Magic by Tamora Pierce

Gretchen’s Top Ten Best Sequels Ever

Gretchen’s Waiting on Wednesday with Allegiant by Veronica Roth

Blog Tour: By Blood by Tracy E. Banghart – Review + Giveaway! (Giveaway still ongoing!)

Gretchen’s Review of A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga’s Reviews!

NETGALLEY:

Pawn (The Blackcoat Rebellion #1) by Aimee Carter – Goodreads

Crash into You (Pushing the Limits #3) by Katie McGarry – Goodreads

EDELWEISS:

Death Sworn (Deathsworn #1) by Leah Cyprus – Goodreads

Into The Still Blue (Under the Never Sky #3) by Veronica Rossi – Goodreads

House of Ivy and Sorrow by Natalie Whipple – Goodreads

Uninvited (Uninvited #1) by Sophie Jordan – Goodreads

Avalon by Mindee Arnett – Goodreads

Elusion by Claudia Gabel and Cheryl Klam – Goodreads

All That Glows by Ryan Graudin – Goodreads

Warrior (The Dragon King Chronicles #2) by Ellen Oh – Goodreads

Perfect Lies (Mind Games #2) by Kiersten White – Goodreads

Review: “A Little Princess” by Frances Hodgson Burnett

A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Goodreads | Amazon

Sara Crewe seemed just like a real princess… When Sara Crewe arrives at Miss Minchin’s London boarding school, she seems just like a real little princess. She wears beautiful clothes, has gracious manners, and tells the most wonderful stories. Then one day, Sara suddenly becomes penniless. Now she must wear rags, sleep in the school’s dreary attic, and work for her living. Sara is all alone, but keeps telling herself that she can still be a princess inside, if only she tries hard enough.

3 stars

Yet another story I have to admit that I didn’t read until my Children’s and YA Lit class here at Ithaca College. Depressing, I know, but still the truth. Honestly, I’m not sure I could have made my way to the end of this one if it wasn’t required. Still, I didn’t come out hating it as much as I thought I would.

If Sarah Crewe is anything, Sarah Crewe is “strange.” Even her father thinks so, but only in the best possible way. Sarah is not like the other girls, but instead is a little woman who says the strangest, most grown up things and looks at the world in a decidedly grown up fashion. She has lived with her father in India all her life, but she reaches the age where she is to go to boarding school in England to become a young woman. When she is dropped off at said school, called Miss Minchin’s, she is treated as the star pupil, with a grand set of rooms and a maid of her own. The children flock to her as they would their mother. But when her father dies and Sarah becomes a beggar, the real trial begins. Can Sarah keep her imagination intact enough to survive her change of fate?

I’ll be honest, Sarah Crewe is the kind of little kid that I would have hated at that age. She’s fairly pretty, everybody loves her (well, except for the awful people), and she has a whole bunch of money. But even though she has money, she’s like a little angel who’s good with kids and generous and blah blah blah. She’s a virtuous little gem. The book opens up establishing her character very clearly, and I was so sure that I was not going to be able to like Sarah at all.

Sarah, however, is literally almost impossible not to like. She befriends those who others cannot stand, is nice to those who others do not notice and actually does have a couple of faults that she tries to manage. Actually, in these interactions it is the author that I come not to like so much, because of the way Sarah’s friends are described, as if they are ugly and dumb just to play up Sarah’s loveliness. But that’s another story…

I did expect, however, that some kind of tragedy was coming that would make Sarah lose her place at the top of the world. Of course she was going to go all Little Orphan Annie on us. That’s her trial. Still, I felt super bad for her at times, because her situation really was deplorable.

The thing where Sarah really got me was her imagination. Throughout everything, she always believed in imagination and “the Magic.” When she didn’t like something, she let her imagination make it something else, something better to get her through. Towards the end, I almost didn’t like that some of the magic was shown to be rather realistic, but I digress. Sarah still believed in Magic, and made me want to, too.

The end of the book went a little slowly for me, but that’s only because the book sets up how it’s going to end ten chapters in advance. It’s the slow build that’s supposed to tug at your emotions, but I just started flipping through pages faster. I just wanted the happy ending. If you like that kind of slow, emotional pull, however, this book does it really well.

All in all, I expected to hate this book more than I did. The English major in me could go on for a while, but I’m just going to keep it at that so I don’t bore you. This is my reader-ish impression, and it stands by the fact that this is yet another classic that might be worth a shot if you want to get it free on your Kindle.

Blog Tour: “By Blood” by Tracy E. Banghart – Review + Giveaway!

Welcome to the By Blood Blog Tour, hosted by Xpresso Book Tours! I know you’re excited to get to all the goodies I have in store for you, so let’s get started!

AUTHOR BIO
Tracy E. Banghart is a cheesy movie–loving, fantasy football–playing (go Ravens!), globe-trotting Army wife who began “practicing” her craft at the age of five, when she wrote her first story. She loves visiting the international friends she met while pursuing her MA in Publishing and spends a portion of every summer at her family’s cabin in Canada, where she finds inspiration and lots of time to relax on the dock. She lives with her husband, son, two lazy dogs and one ornery cat. When not writing or spending time with her family, she is on a mission to bake the perfect cupcake.


LINKS:
Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

By Blood (By Blood #1) by Tracy E. Banghart

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N

For 17-year-old Emma Wong, spending a summer in England should be a dream come true. Gorgeous scenery? Check. Lots of hot guys with accents? Yes, please.

Throw in an estranged mom, annoying new stepdad, and drooling baby half-brother, and it’s a disaster even her favorite cherry red leather jacket can’t fix. Even worse, there’s (hot) live-in research assistant Josh to contend with. The only thing more embarrassing than drunk-kissing him hours after they meet? Knowing he’ll be witness to her family’s dysfunction all. summer. long.

But when Emma meets a mysterious girl who happens to be a Druid, her vacation suddenly promises to be far more intriguing than she  anticipated. Powerful rituals, new friends, an intoxicating sense of freedom…and Simon, the sexy foreign stranger she was hoping for. It’s all a perfect distraction from dirty diapers and awkward family dinners.

Trouble is, intriguing doesn’t often mean simple. And Emma is about to discover just how not simple her life really is.

By Blood is a novel about the ways that blood can bind us to others – or tear us apart.

3 1/2 stars

The book opens up not where you would expect it at all. Emma is teaching a self-defense class with her cop dad. She’s really good at it. But then, on the way home, her dad drops a bomb. Her mom (his ex wife) is heading to Oxford, England, for a sabbatical, with her new husband and baby. She wants to bring Emma along to “help with the baby.” Her dad thinks it’s a good idea she goes. Emma doesn’t get an option. Oxford, of course, is her own personal hell. Her room is small, all her clothes don’t fit, she has to deal with baby puke and the too-cute, live-in research assistant her step-disaster has. Then she meets Ash, who introduces her to the fiery hot Simon and her Druid group, and … well, the story goes on from there.

One of my bigger problems was how long it took to get to the action-y part of the book. I felt like almost 50% of the book was ramping up to get somewhere. You understand later why Emma was almost incapable of making smart life choices, but after she makes stupid mistake after stupid mistake, it just starts to get annoying. Now, IN the second half of the book the tension is palpable and my heart was racing, so it was fantastic. It just took forever to get there.

I liked Emma as a character when she wasn’t being an idiot. She’s a fierce fashionista with a lot of sass and sarcasm. But behind all that swagger is a girl who is still trying to figure out how everything goes, and it shows in the most awkward, realistic moments. I felt really bad that all the stuff about her family was shoehorned in around all the guy drama, because I thought that that really needed more fleshing out. It’s a really big deal, but it just becomes a thing that happens and then is kinda jumped around for the rest of the book.

Then there is Simon and Josh. Simon is the dark, swoony, dangerous one. Josh is the cute, smart, geeky one. Do I need to say more? Because ARGH love triangles.

The Druid group was also filled with mostly stock characters. You’ve got the b*tchy one, the happy-go-lucky one, the slutty and all over each other guy/girl couple and the brooding, almost silent guy at the back. I thought that Ash, the happy-go-lucky one, certainly would have had some serious fleshing out if her family had been brought into it more, but they really weren’t important so that just stayed in the background.

Honestly, my favorite part of this is the last 50% of the book. The tension, the stakes, the crazy–ALL of it gets ramped up a bajillion notches. I also was NOT expecting the ending at all, and it’s really hard to get me not to guess how it’s going to end. What Banghart did, instead of making this your typical paranormal, was very interesting and unique and I really respect her for it. I can’t talk about this part much, obviously, but know that getting through the first 50% is worth the second half. I promise. I really promise.

If you’re looking for a new taking on paranormal themes, I recommend this book to you! And don’t forget to check out the companion novel to this series…

Moon Child (By Blood #2) by Tracy E. Banghart

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N

Before Emma’s adventures in Oxford, her best friend Diana came face-to-face with a killer…

Diana Calvert is so over high school. Who cares if Olivia hates her? And David needs to forget about having a crush on her STAT. Even Emma’s crazy fashion choices can’t keep Diana entertained. All she can hope for is a dance scholarship to a college as far away as possible from too-small, too-boring, too-nothing-ever-happens New Freedom, PA.

Then Diana meets Nicholas Woodhaven. He’s pale, angry…yet weirdly charming. The more time they spend together, the more she wonders who – or what – he really is. Because he isn’t anything like the other guys she knows. Not with the whole only-going-out-at-night thing. And living with his creepy aunt. And not going to school.

Just when Diana thinks she’s got Nicholas all figured out, people in her small, nothing-ever-happens town start dying. She has to wonder – can she trust him? And even more alarming – could she be next?

A murder mystery with a paranormal twist, Moon Child is best read under the covers with a flashlight…if you dare!

Don’t both of those sound awesome? Well, you’re in luck, because CHECK OUT THIS AWESOME GIVEAWAY!


Grand prize giveaway

Prizes:
1) (US only) SIGNED paperback copies of BY BLOOD & MOON CHILD + $20 Amazon, B&N or Smashwords gift card
2) (US & INTL) (2 winners) paperback copies of BY BLOOD & MOON CHILD + $10 Amazon, B&N or Smashwords gift card
3) (US & INTL) (2 winners) E-copies of BY BLOOD & MOON CHILD + $5 Amazon, B&N, or Smashwords gift card

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Don’t forget to check out the rest of the tour!

Waiting on Wednesday: “Allegiant” by Veronica Roth

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine!

Title: Allegiant (Divergent #3)

Author: Veronica Roth

ETA: October 22nd, 2013

Blurb from Goodreads: One choice will define you.

What if your whole world was a lie?

What if a single revelation—like a single choice—changed everything?

What if love and loyalty made you do things you never expected?

The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered—fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories.

But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature—and of herself—while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love.

Told from a riveting dual perspective, Allegiant, by #1 New York Times best-selling author Veronica Roth, brings the Divergent series to a powerful conclusion while revealing the secrets of the dystopian world that has captivated millions of readers in Divergent and Insurgent.

Why: I know this is going to be a popular one in coming WoWs, but I DID just preorder my copy from Amazon, so … now I officially can’t wait!

Top Ten Best Sequels Ever

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and The Bookish!

Gretchen here, filling in for Marina this week while she tackles Latin homework and midterms. This week was a hard one, only because there were so many options that I could have picked. Although I may have cheated a little, but only if you’re definition of “sequel” is book two in a series. If not, then we’re good. These are in no particular order.

1. Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass #2) by Sarah J. Maas

After how much I loved Throne of Glass, I didn’t expect to love Crown of Midnight as much. After all, I didn’t consider it physically possible. But then I read Crown of Midnight and ALL THE FEELS. I just … ohmygod. I still can’t handle it.

2. Asunder (Newsoul #2) by Jodi Meadows

Incarnate had me on the floor rolling around with feels. Asunder was little different. I had thought that Jodi might be veering into a bad realm with my OTP Sam/Ana, but instead … the romance got better and more real. I was (wait for it) rent asunder with feels.

3. Insurgent (Divergent #2) by Veronica Roth

Now, usually with sequels there’s the question of “Is it better than the first book?” Often the answer is no. When I reviewed Insurgent, I tackled right up front that question and how I felt it didn’t apply to these books. Insurgent is such a different book then Divergent, with amazing results. Now that’s a fantastic sequel.

4. Demon Glass (Hex Hall #2) by Rachel Hawkins

Very rarely do I say that a middle book in a trilogy is my favorite. I’m the sucker that always goes for the final one, when everything is wrapped up and my romance pairings live happily ever after. Strangely, that was no so with these books. I did like Spell Bound, yes, but Demon Glass remains my favorite, most re-read book in the series.

5. Wings of the Wicked (Angelfire #2) by Courtney Allison Moulton

I enjoyed Angelfire. I did, enough to buy this one in hardcover. I think, though, that this book is where I really fell in love with the series and its characters. I also continually laugh that I used the actual phrase “rapid machine gun of awesomeness” in my review.

6. Clockwork Prince (The Infernal Devices #2) by Cassandra Clare

CASSIE. MY FEELS. MY FEELS. This entire series might have left them unrecoverable.

7. The Golden Lily (Bloodlines #2) by Richelle Mead

I will admit, I wasn’t sold on this series after the first book. I thought it might be enjoyable, but I wasn’t shipping anything as hard as I’d shipped VA. But then this book happened. And I was sold.

8. Gold (Bandia #2) by Talia Vance

Yet another author who has hurt me in all of the feels. I don’t think I was even as emotionally invested in the first book, Silver, as I was in this one. I just … couldn’t. I had to go on Twitter and demand another one from poor Talia.

9. The Crown of Embers (The Girl of Fire and Thorns #2) by Rae Carson

Every author ever should take characterization lessons from Rae. I never, ever focus on character all that much, but talking about characterization entirely derailed my review because OHMYGOD.

10. Last Sacrifice (Vampire Academy #6) by Richelle Mead

Cheating time! Talk about a book I can’t stop rereading. I will reread the entire series just to get to this book. Richelle knows how to write a finale!

ARC Review: “Battle Magic” by Tamora Pierce

 Battle Magic, by Tamora Pierce

Goodreads |  Amazon

On their way to the first Circle temple in Gyongxi, mages Briar, Rosethorn, and Evvy pay a visit to the emperor’s summer palace. Although treated like royalty when they first arrive, the mages soon discover that the emperor plans to invade Gyongxi, posing a fatal threat to the home temple of the Living Circle religion. Accompanied by one of the emperor’s prize captives, the three mages rush to Gyongxi to warn its citizens of the impending attack. With the imperials hot on their trail, Briar, Rosethorn, and Evvy must quickly help the country prepare for battle. But even with the help of new allies, will their combined forces be enough to fight the imperial army and win the war?

Four stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Scholastic for this eARC.  This title will be released September 24th, 2013.

So, you remember how I said I was excited for this book?  Immediately after I posted about it, Gretchen and I got an ARC.  We were both extremely excited.  But because Gretchen has more ARCs to review than I do, I get to be the one talking about it!  (Which in retrospect may have been a bad idea, because I am very sleep-deprived.  Bear with me.)  Before I do that, here’s some quick, spoiler-free context if you haven’t read Tammy’s Circle books:

Briar started out as a child mage, orphaned and taken in by Rosethorn and her friend/lover Lark, raised alongside three foster-sisters who were also mages.  They (accidentally?) did something which made them heaps stronger, which I imagine caused problems for the adults in their lives because they were like eleven.  Now Briar’s older, and travelling, and this book happens.

I’m summing this up because I often think of the Circle books–the early ones, anyway–as aimed at a younger target audience.  Things got a lot more serious in Emperor Mage, but I think I’ve always thought of the Circle books as benign, light reading.  I knew this had the potential to be a lot more serious, but I don’t think I really believed it until I saw it.  This is not a book for kids.  She isn’t pulling her punches.  This is a war, and it’s serious, and nobody is safe.  She doesn’t flinch away from any of it.

So I guess what I’m saying is, just because some of the Circle books are for a younger audience and you may not have read them doesn’t mean you should avoid this book.  It stands on its own pretty well, and it’s a good book.

As always, Tammy is fantastic at setting, both physical and cultural.  I loved the idea that Gyongxe is closer to the gods because of its Himalaya-like elevation.  The thin air and harsh environment meld well with the grounded sort of magic that the locals practice, as well as the bucketfuls of awesome mythology (and by the way, that mythology means BUSINESS).  The country is loaded to the brim with religions scrambling for space.  Yanjing, too, is interesting, although it is dangerous, corrupt, and nasty.  Again, I love the way culture is worked into the practice of magic–like any human activity, it is affected by context, even when you’d think it would be universal.  The people of Yanjing are portrayed with compassion, and it’s acknowledged that there isn’t much good that many of them can do with their circumstances.

The plot wanders a bit at times–there were a few things I thought would be super-important that turned out to be less so.   The characters are well-rounded and interesting, although of course they’re often in very compromising situations.  Evvy gets some nice character development, and it’s lovely to have Rosethorn’s voice after all this time.  Having a middle-aged voice in YA is very rare, and I think it works really well here; Rosethorn is not defined by her age, only by her character, and I think that’s even MORE rare in YA.

Other things in this book that I don’t see often in YA:

Lack of romantic relationships as major plot points.  These people are lucky to get out ALIVE.  The point is survival, and they are BUSY SURVIVING THANK YOU VERY MUCH.  The main relationships are the ones between Evvy, Briar, and Rosethorn.  It’s awesome to see that in a genre dominated by first love.
Open relationships AND bisexuality portrayed without judgment and, really, without much fuss at all (by the author, at least–Briar is a little queasy, but I’m sure he’ll get over it)
An entire book where whiteness is the exception, not the rule, pointed out and described with the same matter-of-factness that other ethnicities get.  This shouldn’t be surprising, but audiences will take literally any excuse to assume all your characters are white, so it’s cool that steps are taken to avoid that here.  I think Rosethorn may have been the only all-white character in the book, actually, at least that I can remember.

So yes, this book is cool, this book kept me on my toes, and this book will delight you if you’ve read the Circle books and stand alone just fine if you haven’t.  I really enjoyed it!  If you read it, come back and tell me what you thought!

Book Blast: Alpha Goddess and Waterfell by Amalie Howard – Teaser + EPIC iPad Giveaway!

Hardcover, 400 pages
Expected publication: March 4th 2014 by Sky Pony Press

 

In Serjana Caelum’s world, gods exist. So do goddesses. Sera knows this because she is one of them. A secret long concealed by her parents, Sera is Lakshmi reborn, the human avatar of an immortal Indian goddess rumored to control all the planes of existence. Marked by the sigils of both heaven and hell, Sera’s avatar is meant to bring balance to the mortal world, but all she creates is chaos. A chaos that Azrath, the Asura Lord of Death, hopes to use to unleash hell on earth.

Torn between reconciling her past and present, Sera must figure out how to stop Azrath before the Mortal Realm is destroyed. But trust doesn’t come easy in a world fissured by lies and betrayal. Her best friend Kyle is hiding his own dark secrets, and her mysterious new neighbor, Devendra, seems to know a lot more than he’s telling. Struggling between her opposing halves and her attraction to the boys tied to each of them, Sera must become the goddess she was meant to be, or risk failing, which means sacrificing the world she was born to protect.

 

“Dev grasped her hand and drew it over to him, running his thumb over the mark on her left palm. Sera felt her cheeks redden at his gentle touch. Something electric unfolded inside of her, and her vision tunneled into a memory. This time it was different, though, full of light instead of darkness.

A flutter of firelight from the magical little clay pots lit all around them . . . the discordant aching sounds of a sitar strumming in the background. It was a glorious display, a triumph of good over evil in celebration of their love. His kiss was light upon her cheek, his touch a gossamer caress. She spun in a slow circle, the light on her beloved’s face glowing from within him. She laughed because she was glowing, too.”

Amalie Howard also has an upcoming release with HarlequinTeen on October 29th for her brand new series, the Aquarathi, WATERFELL. To celebrate the upcoming release she is hosting an EPIC giveaway! And we mean EPIC. Readers have THREE chances to win an iPad mini! Check out the post here on how you could win: www.AmalieHoward.com

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Seventeen Magazine Summer Club author Amalie Howard grew up on a small Caribbean island where she spent most of her childhood with her nose buried in a book or being a tomboy running around barefoot, shimmying up mango trees and dreaming of adventure. 22 countries, surfing with sharks and several tattoos later, she has traded in bungee jumping in China for writing the adventures she imagines instead. She isn’t entirely convinced which takes more guts. She currently resides in New York with her husband and three children.

She is the author of The Aquarathi series from Harlequin TEEN (Waterfell and Oceanborn), The Almost Girl from Strange Chemistry, Alpha Goddess from Sky Pony Press, and Bloodspell from Langdon Street Press. She is represented by the Liza Royce Agency. Visit her at www.amaliehoward.com or on Twitter (@AmalieHoward).

 

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ARC Review: “Countdown” by Michelle Rowen

Countdown by Michelle Rowen

Goodreads | Amazon

3 seconds left to live. Once the countdown starts, it cannot be stopped. 

2 pawns thrown into a brutal underground reality game. 

Kira Jordan survived her family’s murder and months on plague-devastated city streets with hard-won savvy and a low-level psi ability. She figures she can handle anything. Until she wakes up in a barren room, chained next to the notorious Rogan Ellis. 

1 reason Kira will never, ever trust Rogan. Even though both their lives depend on it. 

Their every move is controlled and televised for a vicious exclusive audience. And as Kira’s psi skill unexpectedly grows and Rogan’s secrets prove evermore deadly, Kira’s only chance of survival is to risk trusting him as much as her instincts. Even if that means running head-on into the one trap she can’t escape. 

GAME OVER

3 stars

Thanks to Harlequin Teen and NetGalley for this eARC! This book will be released on September 24th, 2013.

I basically only ended up with this book because I’m auto-approved for Harlequin Teen titles, and few of them have ever disappointed me. I came into the book with no expectations, which ended up being a good thing. A little while ago I read a book called Nerve by Jeanne Ryan, and I thought that was what this was going to be like as well. It was a lot like Nerve: fast paced, twisty and action packed. But then there was that shoehorned love story that made me want to headdesk.

Countdown starts off much as you would expect. Street thief extraordinaire is kidnapped and chained up in a room with Rogan Ellis, the guy she knows as the kid who brutally murdered nine girls in their dorm. She doesn’t know where she is, until Rogan explains the rules of Countdown, a rich person’s game where street kids and criminals complete deadly challenges for their entertainment. Though she doesn’t trust him, Kira has to work together with Rogan to try to survive. Then there’s that little matter of the psychic abilities she may or may not have…

The character of Kira is pretty straight forward. She’s a street smart, if slightly naive, orphan who’s used to taking care of herself. She initially doesn’t trust Rogan, but comes to trust him because of her “gut”–or otherwise known as her Psi abilities to feel others emotions. She’s the typical lived-on-the-street-but-still-believes-in-people heroine. She also falls pretty hard and fast for Rogan–very fast, did I mention? Sigh insta-love.

Rogan, on the other hand, started off as a very interesting character. Then the layers are peeled back and he was a little more of a stock character than I would have liked. He was the typical wounded, rough-around-the-edges kind of hero/anti-hero. Neither he nor Kira were particularly wowing as characters, but they didn’t fall flat either, so they were pretty okay.

The plot of this novel, however, is what really shines. Rowen had enough twists in here for several books. Each level of Countdown has, of course, a countdown clock which ramps up the anxiety very well. In between levels–and even during them sometimes–the line between truth and fiction gets blurred so that it’s hard to tell who’s telling the truth and who’s manipulating who. Though I was not shocked by the overall ending, the way we got there was unexpected at several turns and I really enjoyed that.

Besides the plot, however, at best I’d call the novel mediocre. The characters weren’t particularly exciting, the love story didn’t wow me (but few do anymore…) and the world was your typical dystopic city. However, if you’re looking for a plot with a lot of twists and turns and action, it might be worth it to overlook the characters and dive right into this one. I wouldn’t recommend you buy it in hardcover or anything, but it might be something to get in paperback/ebook or the library!