Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Cover Reveal: The Fiery Heart by Richelle Mead

Wooh! Second cover reveal for today! I actually did not know this cover was going to be shown today, but I stumbled upon it on Facebook and I basically tripped myself (or bulged eyes, its really hard to trip while you're sitting in an auditorium). It's that beautiful. gorgeous, hot etc. I don't think any words will give it full justice. I think this is my favorite cover of the Bloodlines Series so far! So, so fitting for "The Fiery Heart". If you've read The Indigo Spell, you already know the symbolic meaning of "the fiery heart", and here is the following installment named after just that!

I know, enough of my ranting. Here is that amazing cover: 


The Fiery Heart (Bloodlines, #4)


Isn't that just wonderful? The model for Sydney looks so good in that angle and I am really happy with this cover. I was a little disappointed with The Indigo Spell cover, but this one for The Fiery Heart just totally made up for it. I'm also really happy they didn't decide to cut out half of the Adrian model's face, and I'm excited that its only Adrian and Sydney on the cover instead of other people trying to cram in! The orange and red hue to this just makes it really pop out, and I cannot get enough of this cover.

Here is the Goodreads Synopsis for it:

In The Indigo Spell, Sydney was torn between the Alchemist way of life and what her heart and gut were telling her to do. And in one breathtaking moment that Richelle Mead fans will never forget, she made a decision that shocked even her. . . .

But the struggle isn't over for Sydney. As she navigates the aftermath of her life-changing decision, she still finds herself pulled in too many directions at once. Her sister Zoe has arrived, and while Sydney longs to grow closer to her, there's still so much she must keep secret. Working with Marcus has changed the way she views the Alchemists, and Sydney must tread a careful path as she harnesses her profound magical ability to undermine the way of life she was raised to defend. Consumed by passion and vengeance, Sydney struggles to keep her secret life under wraps as the threat of exposure—and re-education—looms larger than ever.

Pulses will race throughout this thrilling fourth installment in the New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series, where no secret is safe.

Dani and I will have a review up for The Indigo Spell very soon! The Fiery Heart comes out on November 19th, 2013, which is great so we don't have to wait a full year for this (though 9-10 months isn't that much better, but I'll take what I can get :D) This is on my to-read list, and I can't wait for its release!

Find this on Goodreads HERE. We have two cover reveals today, this being one of them and the other being for Wait For You by J. Lynn which you can view HERE.

Cover Reveal: Wait For You by J. Lynn (Jennifer L. Armentrout)

Hey guys! Today we have a special reveal for you: the cover to Wait For You by none other than Jennifer L. Armentrout! Dani and I have basically loved every single book we've ever read by her, and we have reviews up for all of her YA novels! Covenant and Lux both made our favorite series list too! Of course we are going to be reading this one! Note* J. Lynn is a pen name for Jennifer L. Armentrout. I'm sure you've heard all our rants about her :)

What do early readers have to say about WAIT FOR YOU?

J. Lynn creates a wonderful cast of characters that will make you laugh, swoon, and cry. Cam stole my heart.” – Cora Carmack, NYTimes and USA TODAY Bestselling Author of LOSING IT

“For the love of all that is Cameron without a shirt on! Wait for You will have you laughing out loud,
fanning yourself and anxiously waiting to know what will happen next.
” – Molly McAdams, NYTimes and USA TODAY Bestselling Author of FROM ASHES and TAKING CHANCES

“I don't think I have ever read a NA Contemporary novel with as much depth as this one. It really movedme and by the end I was just speechless over how inspirational and uplifting it was as well as being sexy and cute and funny and emotional
.” - K Books

Wait For You is uniquely different from anything else J. Lynn's written but it might possibly be her best work yet.” – Jenuine Cupcakes

For all of you in love with Aiden and Daemon, PREPARE YOURSELVES! Your heart will have to expand a little more for Cam.” Total Bookaholic

For the love of all things CAM, this book deserves more than 5 stars.” – Mundie Moms

I cannot even begin to explain how much I adored this perfectly crafted contemporary.” – Shortie Says

Excited? Ready to see the cover for WAIT FOR YOU? Well here it is. Prepare yourselves! 

Wait For You

Synopsis:

Some things are worth waiting for…

Traveling thousands of miles from home to enter college is the only way nineteen-year-old Avery Morgansten can escape what happened at the Halloween party five years ago—an event that forever changed her life. All she needs to do is make it to her classes on time, make sure the bracelet on her left wrist stays in place, not draw any attention to herself, and maybe—please God—make a few friends, because surely that would be a nice change of pace. The one thing she didn’t need and never planned on was capturing the attention of the one guy who could shatter the precarious future she’s building for herself.

Some things are worth experiencing…

Cameron Hamilton is six feet and three inches of swoon-worthy hotness, complete with a pair of striking blue eyes and a remarkable ability to make her want things she believed were irrevocably stolen from her. She knows she needs to stay away from him, but Cam is freaking everywhere, with his charm, his witty banter, and that damn dimple that’s just so… so lickable. Getting involved with him is dangerous, but when ignoring the simmering tension that sparks whenever they are around each other becomes impossible, he brings out a side of her she never knew existed.

Some things should never be kept quiet…

But when Avery starts receiving threatening emails and phone calls forcing her to face a past she wants silenced, she has no other choice but to acknowledge that someone is refusing to allow her to let go of that night when everything changed. When the devastating truth comes out, will she resurface this time with one less scar? And can Cam be there to help her or will he be dragged down with her?

And some things are worth fighting for…


WAIT FOR YOU is available now! Here are some places you can find it:

Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Wait-for-You-ebook/dp/B00BLTOXEI/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1361958795&sr=1-1&keywords=wait+for+you

Want to know a little about Jen? Here:

J. Lynn, also known as Jennifer L. Armentrout, is the USA TODAY Bestselling author of the adult romance Gamble Brothers’ series, the young adult Lux Series and award winning Covenant Series. She pretty much writes everything—contemporary, paranormal, and fantasy. All of her books have one thing in common no matter the name or genre: kissing… and
stuff. When she’s not busy writing, which is never, she’s usually hanging out with dog Loki, watching reruns of The Walking Dead, or procrastinating on the Internet. You can find out more about Jennifer by visiting the following websites:

Twitter
https://twitter.com/JLArmentrout

Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/JenniferLArmentrout

Website:
http://www.jenniferarmentrout.com/

Can't wait to read this!!!
Steph and Dani

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Teaser Tuesday 2/26/13 (4): Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

  • Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
  • Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
  • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
  • Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
It's about time Dani and I did another Teaser Tuesday; sorry for missing a few weeks! Our busy school stuff is officially over, so its time to post our TT for this week! I am currently reading Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi and Dani is reading Prodigy by Marie Lu. As soon as she's finished, we'll get up a review for Prodigy! So for our TT today, I have a teaser for you from Under the Never Sky. The sequel to this, Through the Ever Night was recently published and got my attention. I finally got a copy of Under the Never Sky to read, and it is fully intriguing me so far! 

Under the Never Sky (Under the Never Sky, #1)Here is the Goodreads Synopsis: 

WORLDS KEPT THEM APART.

DESTINY BROUGHT THEM TOGETHER.

Aria has lived her whole life in the protected dome of Reverie. Her entire world confined to its spaces, she's never thought to dream of what lies beyond its doors. So when her mother goes missing, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland long enough to find her are slim.

Then Aria meets an outsider named Perry. He's searching for someone too. He's also wild - a savage - but might be her best hope at staying alive.

If they can survive, they are each other's best hope for finding answers.

And of course here is your teaser:  
 
"The creature in the tree lifted its head, daylight glistening on the saliva that ran down its chin. With its eyes on the Outsider, it uttered a strange, desperate wail. An inhuman sound, but Aria understood. It was a call for mercy.
--(pg. 140, Under the Never Sky)

Eeep! What a chilling line from this book! I actually haven't gotten this far yet so I'm wondering myself too. Why is this "creature" begging for mercy? Can't wait to find out!

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Review: Legend by Marie Lu

We discovered this amazing novel when Steph won the sequel, Prodigy, in a giveaway hosted by the ladies at Winter Haven Books. So glad we found out about this amazing series. <3

Legend by Marie Lu

Steph’s Rating: 5 stars
Dani’s Rating: 5 stars
Overall Rating: 5 stars

Format: Hardback

Publisher: Putnam Books
Publication Date: November 29th, 2011
Pages: 305


Goodreads Synopsis:

What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic’s wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic’s highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country’s most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.
From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths—until the day June’s brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family’s survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias’s death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.
Full of nonstop action, suspense, and romance, this novel is sure to move readers as much as it thrills.  


Steph’s Thoughts:

Legend is a somewhat typical, cliche dystopian novel, but somehow Marie Lu was able to get it across in a way that just makes it deserve every one of these 5 stars! Usually I’m not a fan of cliche stories, but I found Legend very engrossing. Lu’s writing creates a distinct air of suspense and forebodement, and I could not put this book down! 

While I say Legend is cliche, I really mean its plot does not have the most original ideas. It has your typical secretive society that is trying to brainwash its citizens into thinking that it is the best and ultimate nation. There is a class system, and the law isn’t just or fair. The aristocrats get everything, and the poor get dirt. In Legend, this state is called the Republic, or the west side of the former U.S.(which had split into the Republic and the Colonies after an environmental disaster) The Republic is at war with the Colonies, and much like the government in 1984, they seem to be in perpetual war with their neighbors.


What made this book stand out to me were the stellar characters, and their dual POV’s from two flip sides of the Republic: June and Day. The near-nobility, and the criminal. From completely different worlds and situations, these two are thrown together and must uncover the truth of the Republic that has deceived not only them, but everyone.

June is a prodigy, a girl who is in a prestigious college at just 15 years old. She’s the only one who has ever got a perfect score on the Republic’s Trial, the test given to sort you into a class. She’s smarter than anyone in her age group, and excels even beyond her upperclassman. Her life is set: she will be an officer in the military, where all intelligent people go. Another one of those strong heroines who don’t need to depend on anyone to get things accomplished. 
 

Day is the most wanted criminal in the Republic. He failed his Trial, but is a prodigy in his own way at the same time: he’s never been caught, and nobody knows what he looks like. He steals, but his motives aren’t as bad as you may think. He’s from the slums, and money means the world to him. 


I think I need to dedicate another paragraph to Day. I love him, like seriously. He earned a spot on my boyfriend list. He is just 100% H-O-T. While the Republic calls him a terrible person, he’s actually funny and flirtatious. I was all giggly while reading his POV’s!


When Day is framed for killing June’s brother Metias, the two who were really never supposed to meet or even have contact with each other suddenly find each other in a mad and desperate chase. June swears that she will get revenge for her brother, but she doesn’t know the truth. She realizes the Republic might not have been so forthcoming, and with an uneasy alliance with Day, they must find out what the Republic has been hiding the whole time. While it is a little predictable on what the Republics hidden secrets are, it was great to see June and Day find out for themselves because it was like a splash of water surprise moment that I just truly enjoyed reading.


I love both of the character voices. They are two completely different perspectives of the same world, and I loved how the reader knew what was coming up when the characters themselves didn’t. It created a very good sense of foreshadowing and I found myself reading Legend deep into the night, because I just had to make sure everything was going to be okay! I was so nervous the entire time because June and Day both got a soft spot in me and I just didn’t want anything bad to happen to either of them while they were hunting each other down! Legend makes your heart pound faster and takes your breath away. A must-read!

Dani’s Commentary:

Dystopian novels all have common traits that give them the label “dystopia”: A protagonist living a sheltered life in society,and  the second protagonist and also love interest living a not-so-good life. Thus, Legend was dubbed a “dystopia”. I didn’t think Legend was very cliche compared to some other dystopias I have read. What made Legend an amazing novel is Marie Lu’s writing and, as Steph said, the characters June and Day. This isn’t one of those YA dystopian books where the two protagonists experience “love at first sight”. Hatred, fear, and revenge somehow morph into trust and...love.

In the second half of Legend, the action really starts to build up. Secrets are revealed about the Republic, the antagonist Commander Jameson, and a not-so-innocent side character named Thomas. The readers’s questions are still not completely answered at the end of Legend, but that’s where the sequel, Prodigy, comes in! I agree with Steph, truly a MUST-READ!

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Winner Announced for the Primal Giveaway!

Primal

Our blog tour giveaway for a copy of Primal by D.A. Serra closed yesterday night, and today we would like to announce our lucky winner:

Farah Alzaatari 

Congratulations! The winner has been notified through email, and has 48 hours to reply before another winner is will be chosen.

Update 2/23/13 5:24 PM
The winner has been confirmed

The winner was chosen by random.org through Rafflecopter.

Review: Scent of Magic by Maria V. Snyder

Scent of Magic (Healer, #2)So sorry that we haven't posted much these last few days! Our annoyingly stressful school stuff is finally over now though, so we can really get on with reviews. This is one of the reviews we wanted to post earlier, but didn't get to. Reviews for Legend and Prodigy both by Marie Lu, as well as The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead are work in progress. You can expect them sometimes next week.

Scent of Magic by Maria V. Snyder
Steph’s Rating: 4 stars
Dani’s rating: 5 stars
Overall rating: 4.5 stars

Format: Paperback
Publisher: Harlequin MIRA
Publication Date: December 18th, 2012
Pages: 414


Goodreads Synopsis:
    Hunted, Killed—Survived?
As the last Healer in the Fifteen Realms, Avry of Kazan is in a unique position: in the minds of her friends and foes alike, she no longer exists. Despite her need to prevent the megalomanical King Tohon from winning control of the Realms, Avry is also determined to find her sister and repair their estrangement. And she must do it alone, as Kerrick, her partner and sole confident, returns to Alga to summon his country into battle.
Though she should be in hiding, Avry will do whatever she can to support Tohon’s opponents. Including infiltrating a holy army, evading magic sniffers, teaching forest skills to soldiers and figuring out how to stop Tohon’s most horrible creations yet; an army of the walking dead—human and animal alike and nearly impossible to defeat.
War is coming and Avry is alone. Unless she figures out how to do the impossible... again.


Steph’s Review:
    Maria...Maria...this could’ve been so much better. I fell absolutely in love with the Healer world after book 1, Touch of Power. The characters were amazing, the plot was stunning, the romance was smoky. Perfect! I just have to say that I love book 1 a lot more than Scent of Magic. Book 2 left me a little disappointed.

    Scent of Magic starts off right where T.O.P. left off, when a Peace Lily saves Avry from almost certain death. The world thinks she is dead, since there has never been a survivor of the lethal plague. Avry finally gets the reprieve she’s longed for, sort of. She can move around much more freely than before, as long as she hides her infamous healer face. Using this to her advantage, she splits with Kerrick and goes to infiltrate Estrid and Jael’s army against Tohon, while Kerrick returns to his own kingdom to rally his army.

    Rewind. She splits with Kerrick. This is one of the points that made Scent of Magic disappointing in my opinion. I don’t mean they broke up or anything, but they aren’t seen together for almost all of the book. I missed the sarcastic banter and sweet romance between them. It was one of the things that absorbed me into T.O.P. so much. The original gang I loved is in shambles. Flea dead, Belen, Loren, and Quain are in one direction, Kerrick in the other, and Avry in yet another! 

Scent of Magic is told in dual POV’s by Kerrick and Avry. There are basically two plots going on, one with the main character Kerrick, and the other with Avry. They’re on two completely different agendas, which kind of irked me off because I wish they had some show time together. If you haven’t read S.O.M. yet, you might be squealing your head off right now hearing about Kerrick POV. I know I was. Yes, he is one swoony boy, but not exactly the best narrator. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. I actually was dreading to read Kerrick POV sometimes because all of the interesting stuff happens in Avry’s story. His narration was actually quite dull in comparison. 

Okay now onto the good stuff. As I said before, all of the interesting stuff happens in Avry’s POV. She infiltrates Jael’s army, who is her arch-nemesis, and it’s really interesting watching Avry trying evade Jael finding out her true identity! There were lots of close calls that honestly left me shaking a little. I especially liked how Snyder basically ended each Avry chapter with a mini-cliffhanger! I think she has earned herself the title: 2nd Queen of Cliffhangers (after JLA of course :D). It made me want to read the next chapter so badly, which is probably why I found Kerrick chapters bland. Along with trying to fit in, Avry is trying her best to win her sister Noelle over again (I do not like that girl). There was a huge twist in the plot right at the end, and I did not see it coming! Actually there are several twists, but there is one biggy that left me completely reeling for the next book. I’m also wondering about Tohon’s feelings for Avry...real? Or just ambition? Scent of Magic is full of intrigue, and will keep your mind spinning in all directions! 

While this was a little disappointing, I will continue to read this series. The final installment, Taste of Death will be out at the end of 2013, and I am eager to see how Maria V. Snyder will conclude this series!


Dani’s commentary:
    I disagree with Steph on some of her points. I didn’t find Avry and Kerrick’s separation terrible to read about because of the amazing plot. I didn’t find Kerrick’s half of the plot bland at all. I loved to see the world from Kerrick’s perspective and laugh about all the people and things he found annoying. One of the funniest parts in the entire book is when he is bickering with his brother! It was so cute and romantic when both were pining and dreaming about each other in consecutive chapters. Kerrick constantly calculated the amount of days it would take to travel from his current location to where Avry was. <3

To elaborate about the “amazing plot”, both embark on similar yet completely different quests. New characters and new information are introduced. Avry finds new companions in a Estrid’s army and Kerrick meets “the tribes”, a new people with different culture, rituals, and a completely new type of MAGIC. I don’t think that “all the good stuff happens in Avry’s POV” as Steph said. Um, Steph, is torture (in Kerrick’s POV) boring to you?

I do agree that Snyder is the Queen of Cliffhangers. There’s not much that I can say about the plot without spoiling anything, but I will say that in Scent of Magic we readers learn so much more about the Peace Lilies and Death Lilies! These giant lilies are the most unique and complex creation that I have ever read about! *Applauds Ms. Snyder*

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Review: Shatter Me by Taherah Mafi

Shatter Me by Taherah Mafi

Dani’s Rating: 5 stars

Overall Rating: 5 stars
 
Format: Paperback
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication Date : November 15, 2011

Pages: 338

Goodreads Synopsis:

 Juliette hasn’t touched anyone in exactly 264 days.
The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette’s touch is fatal. As long as she doesn’t hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don’t fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color. 

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

Dani's Review:

After reading Shatter Me, I had a strange feeling. I wasn’t sad because I finished reading a good book. I wasn’t filled with euphoria because of the incredible ending. I felt...at peace. Throughout almost the entire book, Juliette Ferrars wondered if she is a monster. Every time she touched a person, the person felt incredible pain, so much blinding anguish that it could lead to death. She had been shunned all her life, even by her own mother. At school, the other children threw rocks at her and the teachers whispered about her when they thought she wasn’t listening. I traveled with Juliette on her journey to find who she really is. A weapon to be used by whoever picks her up or a warrior who decides her own actions. I felt mollified because finally, at the end of Shatter Me, Juliette realized that she can control her actions. She can control who she harms or doesn’t harm. She truly found herself.

Shatter Me made me cry. I didn’t cry when I watched the movie Les Miserables, so what does that tell you about this book? After a horrible accident involving Juliette’s abilities, The Reestablishment locked her in an asylum for the accusation of murder. This book takes place in a dystopia world where all of our worst fears about humans’ impact on Earth came true. The atmosphere has broken from the overuse of chemicals, causing erratic weather that can shift from snowflakes to bleak, fading sunlight.  Abuse of ecosystems caused plants and animals to disappear.  Human society is a mess. The Reestablishment took over, promising to “fix” all the problems but doing so in a totalitarian way. They decided the only way to heal the world was to erase everything and start from scratch. They planned to destroy the English language and create one universal language. 

After living in the asylum for almost a year, and two years after being ostracized from society, Juliette’s world changed with the introduction of the characters Adam and Warner.
Adam Kent first appears as Juliette’s new cellmate in the asylum. In the asylum, the opposite genders do not interact. Juliette wonders if this means she will die soon, and the authorities decided to move in the latest “crazy” person early. There’s so much I could say about Adam, but I would spoil everything if I did!  And yes, he is Juliette’s love interest.
 
Warner is the leader of The Reestablishment. He is absolutely insane because of childhood abuse. He is broken inside and angry at the world for allowing his childhood to occur. So how does he control his hatred? He doesn’t. He hates the world so much he wants to destroy it and start anew. He is an extremely creepy character since he has a weird fascination with Juliette, poor girl. She is brought to The Reestablishment headquarters on Warner’s orders. 
 
I loved Adam without question, but I had mixed feelings about Warner. I hated him in the beginning, but when Juliette discovered more about Warner’s childhood, I gave him my sympathy. All I know is that Warner is more than just an antagonist.
 
Taheral Mafi’s writing is amazing. She used a lot of repetition, broken sentences, and crossing out of words in the beginning when Juliette was in the asylum to portray Juliette’s mental state. To my surprise, this unusual wordplay flowed on the pages and didn’t seem out of place at all. They fit perfectly with the mood at the beginning of the plot. Also, he slipped in some humour and joy into the gloomy dystopia world, such as the hilarious character Kenji Kishimoto. 

And of course, as in every YA book, there were several steamy scenes with Adam! Here’s one of my favorite passages with Adam. (Sorry, it’s not steamy...you’ll have to wait to read those when you get your hands on this book!) The theme of the bird appears often in Shatter Me.

Pinks and reds filter into the room and I know it’s the start of a new beginning. The start of the same end. Another day.

Maybe I will die today.
Maybe a bird will fly today.


“So that’s it? They open the door once a day for people to do their business and maybe if we’re lucky they feed us? That’s it?” The bird will be white with streaks of gold like a crown atop its head. It will fly. “That’s it.

“There’s no . . . group therapy?” He almost laughs.

“Until you arrived, I hadn’t spoken a single word in two hundred sixty-four days.” His silence says so much. I can almost reach out and touch the guilt growing on his shoulders.

So much happens in the second half of the book. I really cannot tell you anything without spoiling it! Juliette is such a strong heroine with even more special abilities up her sleeve. Throughout her life, almost everyone has tried to cut her down, saying she is not a human being. She somehow pulls through and tries her best to be a good person, and she really is a kind and caring person. I loved reading about her journey to find herself and can’t wait until the sequel Unravel Me, which was released on February 5th!

Monday, February 18, 2013

Busy Week!

If you've noticed, these past few days Dani and I have not been posting very much, even though it is a weekend. We just want to give a big "Sorry!" in advance for that because we just have a LOT going on right now that is taking priority (namely stuff for school). There are tons of reviews and reading we need to catch up on. Seriously, my stack of to-read books is getting taller and taller and right now I have no idea when I'm going to be able to get to them.

 You may not be seeing many posts this week, but you can be expecting a review or two by this weekend, for The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead and/or Legend by Marie Lu (clicky for Goodreads links). We have a few Blog Tours coming up soon as well for The Eighth Wonder by Kimberly S. Young and Appearances and Other Stories by Margo Krasne. Those will be stopping at A Walk on Words in the beginning of March, and you can find more info about those in the Blog Tours tab. We also welcome you to enter our Giveaway for an ebook of Primal by D.A. Serra HERE. We did a blog tour for this book as well, and there are 4 days left to enter this giveaway before we choose our winner!

Sorry again!
Dani and Steph

Friday, February 15, 2013

Review: The Goddess Test by Aimée Carter

The Goddess Test (Goddess Test, #1)
The Goddess Test by Aimée Carter

Steph’s Rating: 3 stars
Overall Rating: 3 stars

Format: Paperback
Publisher: Harlequin TEEN
Publication Date: April 19th, 2011
Pages: 293

 
Goodreads Synopsis:
EVERY GIRL WHO HAS TAKEN THE TEST HAS DIED.
NOW IT'S KATE'S TURN.
    It's always been just Kate and her mom--and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate's going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear that her mother won't live past the fall.
Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld--and if she accepts his bargain, he'll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.
Kate is sure he's crazy--until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she'll become Henry's future bride and a goddess.
IF SHE FAILS...

Steph’s Review:   

    I admit that I was attracted to this book because of its cover. I think it is absolutely gorgeous, and I especially love the little Greek touch to the lettering! But you know how the saying goes: Don’t judge a book by it’s cover.

    The story starts off with Kate moving off to “Eden”, her new home and her mothers supposed birthplace. *winks* Kate’s mother is about to die from an aggressive form of cancer, and she wants to be in her hometown when it happens. Kate isn’t thrilled about moving to a small-town, but at this point she’ll do anything to make her mother happy. Her mother’s impending death is something Kate feels she won’t be able to move past, so she wants her mother to enjoy every moment she can. Being at a new school and loneliness are things that Kate knows and has experienced for many years in her life.

    After a prank takes a completely wrong turn, Kate finds herself spiraling into trouble with the people of Eden Manor, namely Henry. Henry, the hot and tortured soul, who offers to undo the tragedy in exchange for her agreement to attempt a series of seven tests. If she passes all seven, she has to become Henry’s wife. If she fails...she could lose everything.
   
    The Goddess Test wasn’t really bad, but I just found it to be a little mediocre and confusing. The plot of it is interesting enough, and the whole situation with Kate’s mom actually made me tear up a little. It really can bring out a reader’s sympathy.  This is a book that has Greek mythology intertwined in it, and of course that includes all of the Greek gods. Carter provides us with a glossary of sorts as to which character is representing a certain god/goddess, so readers can know beforehand which gods are in play. The thing that really confused me was some characters seeming to not know that they were a god, while others did know. I also thought that some of the character roles did not really represent the god/goddess they were made after (e.g. Hera, Poseidon).
   
    The characters themselves were actually not bad, although I think my biggest problem is that I liked the main character the least. Yes, Kate. Everyone else is fine and their stories are pretty interesting, including Henry, Ava, Ella and so on. Kate is just so naive and on several occasions I wished I could jump into the book and chastise her for her stupidity.  I just don’t even understand why Kate even was qualified to take these seven tests. I feel that Carter makes Kate too special; I usually like it when heroines in YA have some sort of competitor because it makes the plot much more interesting. You may not feel the same way, but that’s just my opinion.

    I would recommend this book if you are interested in anything related to Greek mythology. The setup that Carter creates in The Goddess Test is pretty original, and is something that could actually be a possibility with Greek gods not being immortals. It was a little on the average side for me, but I’m sure that somebody else would immensely enjoy The Goddess Test.

--Steph

AWOW currently has a giveaway going on for Primal by D.A. Serra, a book we hosted a tour for. If you are interested in this you can see the REVIEW and enter the GIVEAWAY.

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Happy Valentines Day!


Happy Valentines Day to all of you! Did you get chocolate? Flowers? Cards? Books? Perfume (random, I know :)? Some of those good old XOXO's from your loved ones? Well Dani and I have a wonderful V-day tale to tell you...

*drumroll*

We went to go see the Othello play by Shakespeare! Classic tragic play, Valentine's day. Ironic much? It was actually a mandatory school trip, and even the actors found it funny that they were performing this on the official day of love. If you don't know the Othello plot, I'm not going to be a big bad spoil and tell you everything that happens, but you can imagine it's a little something like the 7th Harry Potter book if you get what I'm saying. Yes, this is why I'm posting a V-Day post so late in the day. We didn't get home until a few hours ago and this is my first chance to type anything up.

Dani and I currently have a GIVEAWAY going on for an e-book of Primal by D.A. Serra. We did a Blog Tour on this, and there aren't many entries right now, so if you enter you've got a big chance of winning it! Winning books for Valentines? That'd make my day! 

Here is the REVIEW link.
and 
Here is the GIVEAWAY link. 

*Please note that the Giveaway is tagged on at the end of our Author Interview with D.A. Serra, so you'll have to scroll for a while until you see the rafflecopter box*

Hope everyone has been having a great day so far! 

XOXO
Dani and Steph

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Waiting on Wednesday (4)

So sorry that I missed the Teaser Tuesday for yesterday. I was rather engrossed in The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead the whole afternoon :) But for today, here is our Waiting on Wednesday!  

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly bookish event hosted by Breaking the Spine. This is a meme that many book blogs participate in to goggle over highly anticipated upcoming releases and fabulous covers and authors!

Dani and I's WOW for this week is The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa. We are both humongous fans of her from her Iron Fey series, so of course we gave a try to The Immortal Rules, book 1 in her Blood of Eden series. Julie delivered as usual, and we can't wait to read it's sequel, The Eternity Cure! We've had to wait such a long time for this--about one year. Can't wait to see what trouble Julie cooks up in this installement!

*If you haven't heard from Julie, Harlequin Teen made a decision to change both the covers for The Immortal Rules and The Eternity Cure. They don't really resemble the old covers at all except their darkness, so just be warned.

Read the post about that HERE. There actually is a whole story behind these changes. 

The Eternity Cure (Blood of Eden, #2)Goodreads Synopsis:

Allison Sekemoto has vowed to rescue her creator, Kanin, who is being held hostage and tortured by the psychotic vampire Sarren. The call of blood leads her back to the beginning—New Covington and the Fringe, and a vampire prince who wants her dead yet may become her wary ally.

Even as Allie faces shocking revelations and heartbreak like she’s never known, a new strain of the Red Lung virus that decimated humanity is rising to threaten human and vampire alike.


Ugh! I just want to know so badly on how Ally is going to deal with this whole Kanin and Sarren situation! I've been waiting way to long for this! New strain of the Red Lung Virus? Uh oh, I want to learn more about that too! 

The expected release of The Eternity Cure is in April 2013 (says Goodreads), but Julie has mentioned a few times on her blog that it actually will not be coming out until May. That makes me a little sad since we've already waited a whole year for this, but I'm sure it will be worth the wait. We'll have to see what the publisher says about that and if Goodreads is going to make any changes. I hear ARC's of this will be going around soon too.  

Goodreads link HERE for more info on The Eternity Cure. I don't believe there are any early reviews for this yet, but you can find plenty of discussions on it if you've got any ideas you want to get out :) 

Steph
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