Sentinel Tour: Review of Deity (Covenant #3) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Hey everyone! For the Sentinel Tour today, Dani and I have re-posted our Deity review! Can't wait until Sentinel is out in just three more days! Never thought the wait would be over :)

Review of Deity by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Steph's Rating: 5 Stars

Dani's Rating: 5 Stars

Overall: 5 Stars

Format: Paperback

Publisher: Spencer Hill Press

Publication Date: November 6th, 2012

Pages: 330

Goodreads Synopsis: 

"History is on repeat, and things didn't go so well the last time. "

Alexandria isn't sure she's going to make it to her eighteenth birthday--to her Awakening. A long-forgotten, fanatical order is out to kill her, and if the Council ever discovers what she did in the Catskills, she's a goner... and so is Aiden.

If that's not freaky enough, whenever Alex and Seth spend time "training"--which really is just Seth's code word for some up-close and personal one-on-one time--she ends up with another mark of the Apollyon, which brings her one step closer to Awakening ahead of schedule. Awesome.

But as her birthday draws near, her entire world shatters with a startling revelation and she's caught between love and Fate. One will do anything to protect her. One has been lying to her since the beginning. Once the gods have revealed themselves, unleashing their wrath, lives will be irrevocably changed... and destroyed.

Those left standing will discover if love is truly greater than Fate...

Steph's Review:

I’ve been fretting for weeks on how to start this review. I read it pretty much right after it came out at the start of November, but I have just been pushing back the review because I am, no joke, absolutely speechless from it. I couldn’t produce a single coherent thought to write down! Now, after several weeks of rereading and deep mental processing, I can say that Deity is definitely the best JLA book I have ever read, and that is saying something, because as far as Dani and I are concerned, pretty much every JLA book is a 5 star read. Deity left my heart pounding and aching for more of the Covenant Series.

There is just so much I want to say about this book, and this review could probably continue for a few miles long, but I want to keep this as spoiler free as possible (TRUST ME. You do not want major spoilers for this Deity!!!).

   

This books picks up right where Pure left off. Alex and the gang have returned from the New York Council after the massive daimon attack. Right from the first chapter, very typical of JLA, there are already plot twists working themselves. Oh, you thought Pure and Half-Blood were bad with the twists and turns? I know I’ve mentioned before that Pure had lots of twists, but just wait until you read Deity. This book is full of them cover to cover, and I actually didn’t expect any of them this time! I swear I was gaping at the pages the entire time I read this! It is just so fast paced, and I had to stop and put the book on several occasions to process the events that just happened. I think the true plot of the Covenant series is really starting to broaden in Deity, and JLA really just dumps a load of information (good, extremely interesting and important info :)) into your head.

There is so much character development in Deity. Our Alex baby really starts grows up in this book. Maybe it’s all of the stress taking a toll on her, but she is now starting to think things through. Her actions are now done with what she believes is best for everyone she loves, rather than more selfish reasons that we see in Half-Blood. Sometimes her decisions weren’t the best for herself, but they were best for the people around her.

I think I need to bold this: As of Deity, I have officially converted from Team Seth to Team Aiden. I’d like to think Dani agrees. In the books before, I thought Aiden was kind of a douche since he was pretty much leading Alex on all the time and then just kicking her to the curb, saying things like “Oh I would destroy your life if we were together! But BY THE WAY I really like you! But we just can’t be together!” But now, I take back every bad thing I have ever said about Aiden, because he just MANS UP and goes for the gold in Deity. He is just so sweet and protective and supportive in this book, and his and Alex’s relationship is now going in a completely new direction *squeals!!!*. Did I mention he’s sexy as heck???

And then there is our new third wheel in the love triangle...Seth…

*Sighs*. I don’t really want to say anything about Seth because I know anything I say would mean a giant rant with a giant spoiler somewhere in there. You will just need to read Deity for yourselves to understand what I mean. No matter what happens, I will always have hope for Seth, but I don’t think he will ever win me back to his “Team”.

There are lots of new characters introduced in Deity too “hint, hint” :), and I just won’t be able to get to all of them in this review. Even the recurring characters are changing so much, some for better and some for worse, like Deacon, Marcus, Lucian, Luke, etc. You name the character--they’ve changed.

Overall, Deity has just left me breathless and shocked. Honestly, no review can do it the full justice it deserves. I am craving Apollyon badly already, and I really do not know how I am going to survive the 5-month wait until April. The wait for Deity was bad enough, but the fricken super cliff-hanger ending of Deity has me screaming my head off for more! I really wish I could just hibernate through the winter and wake up to find that it’s April. I would give up 5 months of my life, just to read Apollyon now. I need it that bad.

I recommend Deity to everybody. If you have not started the Covenant series, I suggest you stop whatever you are doing, sit down, and start reading it. Deity was definitely worth the wait, and I can’t wait to see what happens in Apollyon!*

(Errr...Sentinel now ;D) 

Want to see the rest of the tour? Visit the Stuck in Books Sentinel Tour Page, on our lovely tour host's site. 

Chapter by Chapter

Release Day: The Iron Traitor by Julie Kagawa

Yet another October release this year! Happy birthday to The Iron Traitor, the 2nd installment in the Iron Fey spin off: Call of the Forgotten, by Julie Kagawa! The Lost Prince was slightly disappointing to me and Dani, and you can see what we have to say about that book in our review. 

Goodreads Synopsis:

In the real world, when you vanish into thin air for a week, people tend to notice.

After his unexpected journey into the lands of the fey, Ethan Chase just wants to get back to normal. Well, as "normal" as you can be when you see faeries every day of your life. Suddenly the former loner with the bad reputation has someone to try for-his girlfriend, Kenzie. Never mind that he's forbidden to see her again.

But when your name is Ethan Chase and your sister is one of the most powerful faeries in the Nevernever, "normal" simply isn't to be. For Ethan's nephew, Keirran, is missing, and may be on the verge of doing something unthinkable in the name of saving his own love. Something that will fracture the human and faery worlds forever, and give rise to the dangerous fey known as the Forgotten. As Ethan's and Keirran's fates entwine and Keirran slips further into darkness, Ethan's next choice may decide the fate of them all.

I actually already have myself a copy of this book :). I am in the midst of reading this basically as we speak, because I was seriously angsty to see if this was going to make me sad like Mr. The Lost Prince. 

I am happy to report, that I think The Iron Traitor is a lot better than its predecessor, at least so far in the book. Some of the usual Iron Fey cuteness is starting to return. Lets just say Kierran takes after his daddy immensely :) Lots of early reviews have plenty of nice things to say as well, so Iron Fey fans can rest a little more easily with this book.

Happy Reading! 

The Fiery Heart by Richelle Mead Book Trailer #4

Yippee! It's time for the next Fiery Heart book trailer tonight. This is the 4th out of 6 trailers to be out before TFH is out on November 19th, 2013. Enjoy!

So I must say, I really liked this trailer. Really liked. The acting is legitimately better than all the acting Daisy and Nic have done for the other TFH trailers AND all other Bloodlines trailers. The dramatic music I think actually worked for their argument this time.

And that has me worried. Richelle said The Fiery Heart is to Bloodlines as Shadow Kiss is to Vampire Academy. Crisis. The ending is going to be bad bad bad and I know it. Everyone knows it. And I'm flipping terrified yet I can't wait to read this!

Who did Adrian heal this time? I really hope they don't bring Jill into the argument too much. Maybe he healed Rowena? I remember there being some TFH teaser excerpt about lovely Rowena hurting her arm/hand, and Adrian being on hand healing her despite her knowing nothing about vampires and alchemists. 

My gods, I'm so excited. Only about 3 more weeks to go guys, and 2 more teaser trailers after this! Sorry, no clever gif or meme this time. I'm taking a break from those after my Allegiant sorta-ish review.

Hope you enjoyed the trailer! Trailer 5 posted here next week.

Review: Cinderella Screwed Me Over by Cindi Madsen

Thank you to Entangled Publishing for giving me an ARC of this novel in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Cinderella Screwed Me Over by Cindi Madsen

Dani's Rating: 5 stars

Format: ebook (pdf)

Pages: 311

Publication Date: October 22, 2013

Publisher: Entangled

Goodreads synopsis:

Darby Quinn has a bone to pick with Cinderella. Burned one too many times by ex-boyfriends, Darby has lost all belief in the happily-ever-after that the fairy-tale princess promised her. She's sworn off love, Prince Charmings, and happy endings and she's happy about it. Really. Or at least she was…until she met Jake, her gorgeous neighbor and the manager of her favorite restaurant. But Darby has rules about dating, ones she's culled from her years spent with so-called “princes,” and starting something with Jake would break all of them.

Charming, fun, and unwilling to give up on her, Jake doesn’t fit any of the profiles Darby has created from her case studies of ex-princes-gone-bad. Finally presented with her own Prince Charming, can Darby take a chance on a happily-ever-after?

Full of wit and sarcastic humor, Cinderella Screwed Me Over proves that sometimes the perfect love, like a perfect pair of shoes, is just within your grasp.

Dani's review:

When I saw an ARC sign-up email for this novel in my inbox, I immediately knew that I HAD to read it. The title, "Cinderella Screwed Me Over" reeled me in. How could this favorite fairytale princess, the poor and mistreated girl with the unexpected happily ever after that inspired a myriad of wannabe princesses across the world, "screw someone over"?

Darby Quinn grew up with divorced parents and a stepfather and stepbrothers. In a way, Darby herself was Cinderella. But did she get her Prince Charming? Nope. To the contrary, she's gone through a string of bad boyfriends or good boyfriends that have sadly moved away, leaving her to wallow in her sadness. Now in her mid/late twenties, she has transformed into a cynical woman who believes that relationships and love aren't meant to happen for her.

This was all before the perfect Jake steps into her life. He's handsome, charming, kind, and his last name is KNIGHT. Can you think of a better knight in shining armor? But...He's the owner (actually, co-owner, but same thing) of Darby's favorite restaurant, he lives in her apartment complex, and he's basically breaking ALL the rules she has set down for herself. After much courting, Darby decides to take a gamble on her anti-relationship stance, and well, the rest is history...

I love Cindi Madsen's writing style. Her sense of humor and her portrayal of how Darby thinks is phenomenal. She had me cracking up with many awkward scenes she put Darby through. Awkward scenes are one of my FAVORITE parts of books because they're just so funny! She also included "Case studies" that Darby wrote about how all her previous relationships went wrong, the Disney fairytale it paralleled, and the lessons she learned. Now that's original.

Darby and Jake's relationship was structured extremely well. My biggest pet peeve in reading is insta-love. Seriously, how is it possible that a guy and a girl can declare undying love for each other within the time frame of a month, get married, and have a happily ever after? Uh, that does not happen in reality. Lucky for me, this novel had a much more realistic relationship. At times, I wanted to scream at Darby for pushing away Jake and reverting to her "relationships suck, all men are pigs, I'm going to be a 40-year-old cat lady, blah blah blah) mindset. Please Darby, don't be so stubborn.

I also loved the way that each of the minor characters were developed. Each character, no matter the amount of pages they appeared in, had a significant role. For example, Darby's unfortunate and AWKWARD encounters with ex-boyfriends led into her case studies. The entire novel flowed so smoothly with wonderful transitions.

This is truly a fantabulous book. Cinderella Screwed Me Over is a heartwarming, laugh-out-loud, and sugary sweet novel with a whole lot of fairy tale allusions. If you're into chick flicks, cutesie romance books, or even NA books, this is your kind of book. Cinderella Screwed Me Over is totally PG-13 with NO detailed adult scenes. Definitely worth checking out. :)

Review of Allegiant by Veronica Roth...Kind Of.

Allegiant by Veronica Roth

Steph's Rating: 3 stars

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 531

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Publication Date: October 22nd, 2013

Goodreads Synopsis:

 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.

Steph's Thoughts:

This probably doesn't count as a review, this is just me blowing off A LOT of steam over this book. Maybe a few gifs or memes strewn in along the way, and you should know I only use those in the most extreme of times. 

The follow up to this book was insane. Fans. US FANS, were absolutely just DYING for this. Over one year we had to wait for Allegiant, only to be delivered something just entirely off what we were expecting/wanting. What have we ever done to you, Veronica Roth, to deserve this kind of ending? Was our undying loyalty and support not enough?

You know, it started off alright. Very Divergent-ish kind of start. Started in a way that made me feel: "everything is gonna be okay!". Everything was even alright until say like the very, very end. Like last 50 pages. 

Divergent Series after book 3: 

BOOSH. That was how the world went after that lovely bomb of an ending. Thank you so very much Veronica Roth. Honestly, how am I supposed to even watch the movie next March now? I was looking forward to it so much!

You might have noticed I'm not mentioning the beginning or middle of Allegiant. Well, you can expect Divergent level writing, lots of suspense, and lots of stupidity amongst our characters. But yeah, as I said, everything just seems a lot more bearable compared to the ending. If V ended it better, this book would have garnered a five stars. You know what I can compare this to? Requiem. Everyone remembers the ending to the Delirium series by Lauren Oliver right? We were all just like "WHA--WHA--HUH???". 

Yes. Expect something inspirational at the end of Allegiant. Don't be expecting a perfect happy ending. Prepare yourself for disappointment and angry tears.

My first reaction to this was to just sob. Looked something like this: 

The second reaction was acceptance.

The third reaction was reevaluating reaction number two. Reaction turns into the utmost anger. I finished Allegiant the day it came out. There's a reason this "review" hasn't come out until now. I just didn't even know what to think after it. Mind = Blown.

I'm sure lots of people will be really terrified to read Allegiant after this rant, but I do want to give you a little bit of assurance. I'm sure some people will be perfectly content with the ending to Allegiant, and might even praise V for having the, ahem "BRAVERY", to end the series in such a way. She sure did have guts, I mean, I'm sure some diehard fan is going to be showing up at her front door with a stack of complaints. That is why I'm giving this 3 stars. I can't ignore the good parts of the book that were in the first 400 pages, and I'm also sure there will be plenty of readers out there who won't be happy with the ending, but will just accept it as right. Then there will be the people who will just sit back with a big "REALLY" going through there minds. 

You should read this, you should. It IS the ending to Divergent after all. Every fan deserves to know how it ends. Just brace yourselves. 

Happy Allegiant Day, Veronica Roth Fans!

It's here. Finally.

Well Divergent nerds, it's been over a year. And finally. Allegiant has made its debut. 

This is the end. The end of Divergent. There are no more Tris and Four books after this. While there are some Four POV Short Stories on the way, are they going to equate to this most definitely epic ending?

I love Four, but no, I think not.

Goodreads Synopsis:

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.

I.

Am.

So.

Excited.

I am in the midst of reading this right now. Brace yourselves. Yes, that was a warning, but...

...A very Happy Allegiant Day to you!

Review to come soon!

The Fiery Heart by Richelle Mead Book Trailer #3

It's here, it's here! This week, the third book trailer of I believe six is out. As promised, I will share it below. Enjoy the show!

Book Trailer #3:

 

Oh. My. Good. God.

If that wasn't a *ahem* bed scene, then I absolutely do not know what it was then. Oh god oh god. 

 

And that was Zoe Sydney was talking to! We were all wondering if that was Rose, Zoe or Jill, but looks like Sydney was giving some exasperated advice to her younger sibling. I'm really wondering what happened for that to happen!

Trailer 4 will be posted here next week.

Review: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Steph's Rating 5 stars

Format: Paperback
Publisher: Knopf Books
Publication Date: March 14th, 2006
Pages: 550

Goodreads Synopsis:

The extraordinary #1 New York Times bestseller that will be in movie theaters on November 15, 2013, Markus Zusak's unforgettable story is about the ability of books to feed the soul.

It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will become busier still.

Liesel Meminger is a foster girl living outside of Munich, who scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement.

In superbly crafted writing that burns with intensity, award-winning author Markus Zusak, author of I Am the Messenger, has given us one of the most enduring stories of our time.

Steph's Review:

I heard a lot of great things about this book. I always planned to read it, but somehow I never got around to it on my own. Lucky for me, it ended up assigned on my reading list for school. With all its high ratings, I expected it to be some thrilling suspenseful adventure. Something that would keep me on the edge of my toes, something that would keep me up past 3 AM reading.

Let's clear up some of those misconceptions. 

1. This most definitely is not just some quick read. 

If you think, like I did, that you'll be able to knock your way through this book, you are sadly deceiving yourself. The Book Thief is something that you've got to sit down with for a while. It's exciting, but not in the way that gets your heart pumping. It might bore some readers, now that I think about it.  It's insightful, meaningful, and if you fly through these pages, you are probably missing out on a lot of intellect. This is something you will remember forever.

2. It's not an adventure.

Its horrifyingly literal from the start, in the midst of World War II Germany. There is nothing supernatural; no magic or sorcery to blow your mind away. Only Zusak's words, channeled through to us through Liesel Meminger. Its slice of life. Time passes, the story is told. I loved it.

3. Happy Endings? Not here.

Since when has anything WWII ever been completely happy? If there is such a story, inform me. I need to go check that out. Yes, The Book Thief is "fiction", but realize that the story told could pertain to any  WWII child's life. While it is made up, who knows if Zusak happened to recreate the story of a child's life completely from imagination. 

Another thing on happy endings. The Book Thief is uniquely narrated by--DEATH. No, he's not as depressing as you'd think, but one thing Mr. Death does like to do is spoil the book for you. Thats right--early on in the book, Death AKA Markus Zusak tells you EXACTLY how the book ends. The suspense collapses on itself, but you can't stop reading anyways. And let me warn you: the ending is despairing. I cried for at least half an hour.

Liesel Meminger was only 9 when her younger brother died on a train ride. They buried him in the snow. That was the day she became the book thief. Her first stolen treasure? "The Grave Digger's Handbook". Little did she know, that her mother was sending her to her foster parent's home--that this was the last time she would ever see her mother again.

In her new family in Molching, Germany, Liesel must adjust to life at near poverty. A place where the only place to learn how to read outside of school (one run my nuns) is within a basement. But despite the gangly setting, Liesel finds a semblance of peace with her best friend Rudy Steiner. The peace shatters. The Hubermann family, her fosters, decide to hide a Jew in their home. Everything becomes "what I can say and do outside", and "what I can say and do inside".

Different to other books, and what tugged at me the most, was that The Book Thief was written in a German's POV. All we ever hear about is the Holocaust. While it is good to know, it is still one-sided. Life for German's who weren't part of the Nazi Party was also dirty and hard. It really gives you a little bit of perspective. It also shows that some within the Nazi's didn't actually want to be "Nazi's". But survival instinct rules over us humans (haha, Death), and we'll do things we don't want to if the result means keeping our lives. Of course, there were just flat out evil Nazi members and believers, but we can't forget to think about those who weren't. We often think in Nazi Germany, all Germans are bad. That isn't the case, most definitely not.

There was a comment on the book cover, that says this book can be life-changing. I have to agree. Now, this book is not for thrill seekers. It's not for the weak stomached. It's not for those who don't like anything besides fairies and happily-ever-afters. If you want to read this, brace yourselves. Do I recommend it? Yes I do, fully and completely. But I also want those who read this to be ready for the book. If you don't realize the hidden meanings within, then this book may seem utterly dull to you. I loved this book, despite it being different from what I usually review. Definitely a well-told masterpiece!

The Fiery Heart by Richelle Mead Trailer #2

Alrighty! Richelle just posted the 2nd Fiery Heart trailer tonight! Here it is for you to view in all its glory. Gah these teaser lines are killing me!

Ok, well I think the acting in this one is slightly better in this one than the first. Slightly; still feel like its lacking some force, but hey the music was good and somber. I'm pretty nervous about this now.

At first, I was pretty thrown off by Adrian's "I NEED IT". Thought it was a joke of him yelling for his alcohol or something...but it ended up being some family heirloom? Never seen Adrian so serious and desperate before... I'm really excited to find out what Adrian's all wound up about.

But after that.

That bed scene glimpse. 

Oh god. 

Need this. So. Badly.

I'll post all of the subsequent trailers as well!

A Few Words on The Path to Allegiant by Veronica Roth...

As promised, here is my commentary on The World of Divergent: The Path to Allegiant by Veronica Roth!

The World of Divergent: The Path to Allegiant by Veronica Roth

Steph's Rating: 4 stars 

A few words on this:

AHHH THOSE ALLEGIANT TEASERS

Be warned there are not 10 teasers.

They lied.

There were only 8 teasers.

I was pissed as hell, as you can imagine.

One less line from Tris?
One less line from Four?

It was the end of me.

But I loved those teasers with everything I had.

This is torture. I docked a star because they lied. I know there was only 8, I went back and counted. I even got a friend to count, and they said there were only 8 teasers. It wasn't a faulty ebook.

Most people will probably skip right on over to the end for those loverly Allegiant lines, but there are actually some interesting pages where Veronica talks about names, factions, and what she considers "utopia vs. dystopia". Her talks are really fascinating! Definitely should be read!

I guess if you don't find all of that intellectual stuff as interesting, this book might just be some blow off for you though.

Loved the teasers. Want More. Less than One Month to go.

Cover Reveal: Sweet Reckoning by Wendy Higgins

I found this cover lurking around the web today, and I decided it'd be a good idea to share it with all of you! Here is the cover to Wendy Higgins' Sweet Reckoning, or rather the third and final installment to the Sweet Trilogy!

 

It's gorgeous isn't it? Personally, this is my favorite cover in the series. The cover models look the best in this one, and yeah, I really like the dress. So excited for this book! Sweet Reckoning is going to be up for pre-order on various bookseller sites by next week, so be looking out for it. Unfortunately, while pre-ordering starts now, this book won't be out for another good 6 months at April 2014. What to you guys think of the cover?

Book Trailer #1 for The Fiery Heart by Richelle Mead

We have about a month to go for the fourth book of Bloodlines: The Fiery Heart. Richelle Mead was proud to present the first book trailer for TFH last night, which features actual text from the book. There will be more trailers following suit, so keep your eyes open for them! Richelle is putting them up on her Facebook page, and they will also be shown on the Official Bloodlines Facebook Page.

Here is the trailer:

So the acting wasn't too great, but I don't feel like trailers done for ANY of the Bloodlines books have had great acting. I don't really imagine Daisy as Sydney, nor do I picture Nic as Adrian, but I'm happy enough that we actually get any book trailer teasers at all so I'm not complaining.

Also, that line Adrian (Nic) says. Holy smoking cows. 

 I can't wait for this book. That's all I've got to say.

Hope you enjoyed the teaser line! 

Steph

Cover Reveal: Don't Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout

How about some cover love guys? Here is the cover to JLA's Don't Look Back:

Don’t Look Back Release Date: 04/15/2014

Don’t Look Back synopsis:

Samantha is a stranger in her own life. Until the night she disappeared with her best friend, Cassie, everyone said Sam had it all-popularity, wealth, and a dream boyfriend.

Sam has resurfaced, but she has no recollection of who she was or what happened to her that night. As she tries to piece together her life from before, she realizes it’s one she no longer wants any part of. The old Sam took “mean girl” to a whole new level, and it’s clear she and Cassie were more like best enemies. Sam is pretty sure that losing her memories is like winning the lottery. She’s getting a second chance at being a better daughter, sister, and friend, and she’s falling hard for Carson Ortiz, a boy who has always looked out for her-even if the old Sam treated him like trash.

But Cassie is still missing, and the facts about what happened to her that night isn’t just buried deep inside of Sam’s memory-someone else knows, someone who wants to make sure Sam stays quiet. All Sam wants is the truth, and if she can unlock her clouded memories of that fateful night, she can finally move on. But what if not remembering is the only thing keeping Sam alive?

Interested? Here are some buy links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Dont-Look-Back-Bad/dp/1423175123/ref=sr_1_fkmr2_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1376572054&sr=8-1-fkmr2&keywords=don%27t+look+back+by+jennifer+l.+armentrout

B&N:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dont-look-back-jennifer-armentrout/1116342742?ean=9781423175124

Author Bio:

 

# 1 NEW YORK TIMES Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture.

She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

Social Media sites:

Website
Twitter
Facebook

Review: The Breach Between by Duncan McGonall

The Breach Between by Duncan McGonall

Steph's Rating: 4 stars

Overall Rating: 4 stars

Format: e-ARC

Publisher: Mages Gate Publications

Pages: 216 

Publication: October 2013

Goodreads Synopsis:

Three Magi must find a way to satisfy the contradicting terms of the Legacy and stop a defunct, ancient order’s plan to reverse the Circle of Life by restoring to Order the ancient, off-plane machine known as the Atum Origin.

Legacy members; they use blood to walk through time and sigils to port worlds; they are Magi, one new, one immortal, the third a soldier of secrets and keeper of true lies. An immortal must die, the genesis affect harnessed, the Ennead sated and Order must prevail to restore the ancient, off-plane machine known as the Atum Origin. Bruce and Tolen must discover that the three Legacy members working together can win the fight.

Steph's Review:

Every now and then, it really is a good habit to give your brain a tease with stories woven with such intricate detail. Duncan McGonall's The Breach Between is a wonderfully complex supernatural novel that will be sure to draw in those who appreciate the magic and mythology genres, especially Greek and Egyptian mythology. 

The nine gods who form a group called the Arcanon hold domination over the Firma sphere world and its portals to other spheres. Problem is, they are losing control of it and fast, thanks to the threat of an opposing group simply dubbed the Faction, which is a group composed of magicians. As I said before, The Breach Between is a special book because it isn't bound to just one mythological idea. The Arcanon is composed of both Greek and Egyptian gods, for instance Apollo (Greek Sun God) is a member, but another member present is Ra (Egyptian Solar God). Three Magi named Bruce, Tolen, and Maramore have been called on to stop the magicians before the Arcanon loses complete control over Firma. 

I had a hard time getting into this story. I was very confused about what was going on within the first few chapters and nearly just called this book quits. I proudly say that I am glad I did not, and for future readers of this book, my only advice to you is to simply "Keep On Reading" (which is one of the rules I swear by nowadays :). The story comes together more as you read, and will keep your mind spinning in all directions. Its like fringes of rope that just need to be tied together, which will slowly but automatically happen as you continue on through the story. It does take a while to sort out characters and spheres in your head, but once everything has been set straight you can kick back and relax and enjoy a thrilling tale.

As the Arcanon's hold on the Firma sphere slowly slips away, our characters are brought into a world of true otherworldly politics, magic, and even time travel. This book is full of action, but also doesn't miss out on the intellectuality either. History from the Vatican to the Nazi party is in the story. McGonnal's diction is fantastic; while this is not the easiest of reads, his use of language will feel oddly refreshing and stimulating compared to some of the useless prattle and inferior language we sometimes see in the "modern novel's of today". I did feel like I was reading at a slower pace than I normally do for other books, but I ended up enjoying this book from start to finish.

While this book is supernatural, there is a great balance between magic and the real world so it doesn't seem that we are too far off of Earth. This book does take quite a while to get through merely because of the ample story we have to wrap our heads around, so I would recommend this to readers who aren't especially busy and have the time to sit down and enjoy a story. Great read and tale by Duncan McGonall!