Dec 17 2012
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Book Review: Wings by Aprilynne Pike

Title: Wings

Author: Aprilynne Pike

Series: Wings #1

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

The Overview: Laurel was mesmerized, staring at the pale things with wide eyes. They were terrifyingly beautiful—too beautiful for words. Laurel turned to the mirror again, her eyes on the hovering petals that floated beside her head. They looked almost like wings.

In this extraordinary tale of magic and intrigue, romance and danger, everything you thought you knew about faeries will be changed forever.

The Review:

As I’ve mentioned before, teen romances have a way of sounding alike, so I am always impressed when an author manages to deliver original elements to go along with the ever-present love triangle. The story is a clever interpretation of Arthurian lore, particularly that involving the fae. Although in this version, the fae aren’t just one with nature, they are nature – beings who are actually plants at the cellular level. It was a really cool idea that the author took further by developing an entire world with hierarchy’s involving each “season” of fairy.

I really appreciated all that originality and world-building, but you really don’t find out much  about that stuff until some of the later books. The first novel seemed more like a set-up book for greater things to come and read like any other average teen romance novel (hence the lower rating). The entire series, however, was pretty magical, earning a solid 4/5 stars. I recommend it for those wanting a good wholesome love story because even though it was typical, it was still really sweet.

Other books you might like:

  • “Firelight” by Sophie Jordan
  • “Nightshade” by Andrea Cremer
  • “Wicked Lovely” by Melissa Marr
  • “City of Bones” by Cassandra Clare
  • “Matched” by Allie Condie

by Niki Hawkes

Dec 16 2012

Coming Soon: Agave Kiss

Mar 5...Title: Agave Kiss

Series: Corine Solomon #5

Author: Ann Aguirre

Release Date: March 5, 2013

Aguirre’s Sirantha Jax series is still one of my favorites. I love the writing, I love the characters, and I love the story. She writes it in a first person present tense manner that brings you right into the action (Read more in my review of “Aftermath“).

Because of this, I would rank the Corine Solomon series in my top 10 “must read this year” category.

Here’s some information about some of Aguirre’s other works:

13Title: Blue Diablo (Corine Solomon #1)

Overview: Chance was gone; he’d sacrificed himself so Shannon and I could escape Sheol. We’d raised him on Shan’s spirit radio, which meant his soul wasn’t wholly destroyed by the demon gate…. Once Corine Solomon only had the touch—the ability to read an object’s past by handling it. Then she inherited her mother’s magick, and that ended up being a hell of a burden. But if Corine can wrestle a demon queen and win, she can bring back her lover Chance after he’s made the ultimate sacrifice. Can’t she? All Corine knows is that she can’t leave Chance behind if there’s anything she can do about it. But the clock is ticking—and she still has to deal with debt-collecting demons and a maniacal archangel who’s running a recruitment drive. The stakes have never been so high…and this time it’s truly Corine’s last chance to save the love of her life.

12Title: Grimspace (Sirantha Jax #1)

Overview: As the carrier of a rare gene, Sirantha Jax has the ability to jump ships through grimspace-a talent which makes her a highly prized navigator for the Corp. Then a crash landing kills everyone on board, leaving Jax in a jail cell with no memory of the crash. But her fun’s not over. A group of rogue fighters frees her…for a price: her help in overthrowing the established order.

11Title: Enclave (Razorland #1)

Overview: New York City has been decimated by war and plague, and most of civilization has migrated to underground enclaves, where life expectancy is no more than the early 20’s. When Deuce turns 15, she takes on her role as a Huntress, and is paired with Fade, a teenage Hunter who lived Topside as a young boy. When she and Fade discover that the neighboring enclave has been decimated by the tunnel monsters—or Freaks—who seem to be growing more organized, the elders refuse to listen to warnings. And when Deuce and Fade are exiled from the enclave, the girl born in darkness must survive in daylight—guided by Fade’s long-ago memories—in the ruins of a city whose population has dwindled to a few dangerous gangs.

Dec 15 2012

Coming Soon: Scarlet

feb 5Title: Scarlet

Series: The Lunar Chronicles #2

Author: Marissa Meyer

Release Date: February 5, 2013 Now Available!

The next book in a interesting new series is almost upon us! With a great combination of classic fairytale storyline combined with the futuristic technological edge that I loved so much in “Partials” (Dan Wells) and “Uglies” (Scott Westerfeld), this is a series definitely worth picking up!

Here’s more information about book #1:

1Title: Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles #1)

Extras: For an excellent synopsis of this book, read the bn.com overview below then go to the blog Finding Me in Words to check out the great review and summary that talked me into picking this one up!

Overview: Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . . Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

Dec 13 2012
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Book Review: Iron Crowned by Richelle Mead

3Title: Iron Crowned

Author: Richelle Mead

Series: Dark Swan #3

Rating: (4.5/5 stars)

The Overview:

The Review:

I’m sure at this point you’re all tired of hearing me gush about Richelle Mead, but I just can’t help it. Everything she does winds up on my favorites list, and the “Dark Swan” series is no exception. Although book #3 was a tad slow to start, it soon launched into an event-filled story with plenty of action, love, and humor. The momentum it gained near the end had me cancelling plans simply so I could sit down and finish it (sad, but true).

As mentioned before in my review of “Bloodlines” (book 1 in a different series), Mead’s writing style is always incredibly character-driven. What I love about this series is that it also has a great deal of action and world-building to go along with the first-person style. I would actually say the world-building is my favorite element. We get to spend a lot of time exploring the lands, customs, and people of the Otherworld (the land of the gentry, or fey) while simultaneously learning more about the paranormal qualities of our own world.

Overall, this is a series I consider well-worth reading, especially if you’re already a fan of the urban fantasy genre. Fair warning: proceed with caution if you are adverse to language and sexuality.

Other books you might like:

  • “Dead Witch Walking” by Kim Harrison
  • “Stray” by Rachel Vincent
  • “Moon Called” by Patricia Briggs
  • “Dead Until Dark” by Charlaine Harris
  • “Magic to the Bone” by Devon Monk
  • “Ill Wind” by Rachel Caine

by Niki Hawkes

Dec 12 2012

Coming Soon: Sever

Feb. 12Title: Sever

Series: Chemical Garden #3

Author: Lauren DeStefano

Release Date: February 12, 2013 Now Available!

For a teen series that’s a little below the mainstream radar, I’ve actually gotten quite a bit of good feedback on it. The consensus is that it’s not the best book in the teen genre, but it’s a good book in its own right if you’re in the mood for something different. If you liked Ally Condie’s “Matched” trilogy and Scott Westerfeld’s “Uglies” series, this might be a good match for you!

Here’s some information about other books in this series:

1111Title: Withered (Chemical Garden #1)

Overview: What if you knew exactly when you’d die? By age sixteen, Rhine Ellery has four years left to live. A botched effort to create a perfect race has left all males born with a lifespan of 25 years, and females a lifespan of 20 years—leaving the world in a state of panic. Geneticists seek a miracle antidote to restore the human race, desperate orphans crowd the population, crime and poverty have skyrocketed, and young girls are being kidnapped and sold as polygamous brides to bear more children.

112Title: Fever (Chemical Garden #2)

Overview: Rhine and Gabriel have escaped the mansion, but they’re still in danger. Outside, they find a world even more disquieting than the one they ran away from. Determined to get to Manhattan and find Rhine’s twin brother, Rowan, the two press forward, amid threats of being captured again…or worse. The road they are on is long and perilous—and in a world where young women only live to age twenty and men die at age twenty-five, time is precious. In this sequel to Lauren DeStefano’s harrowing Wither, Rhine must decide if freedom is worth the price—now that she has more to lose than ever.

*Overviews taken from bn.com

Dec 12 2012

Coming Soon: Unravel Me

Feb 5Title: Unravel Me

Series: Shatter Me #2

Author: Tahereh Mafi

Release Date: February 5, 2013 Now Available!

Doing these “Coming Soon” posts really illustrates to me just how many good titles I’m behind on reading. I swear I shall never want for a good book again.

“Unravel Me” is the sequel to the popular “Shatter Me,” and it’s one that I’ve had stashed away in my TBR pile for months now. It’s about a girl who’s mere touch is lethal, and no one knows why… I’m intrigued, how about you?

The following links are to blogs that convinced me this is well-worth reading:

Other books in this series:

111Title: Shatter Me (Book #1)

Overview: I have a curse. I have a gift. I’m a monster. I’m more than human. My touch is lethal. My touch is power. I am their weapon. I will fight back.

No one knows why Juliette’s touch is fatal, but The Reestablishment has plans for her. Plans to use her as a weapon. But Juliette has plans of her own. After a lifetime without freedom, she’s finally discovering a strength to fight back for the very first time—and to find a future with the one boy she thought she’d lost forever.

In this electrifying debut, Tahereh Mafi presents a riveting dystopian world, a thrilling superhero story, and an unforgettable heroine.

112Title: Destroy Me (Novella)

Overview: Set after Tahereh Mafi’s Shatter Me and before Unravel Me, the spellbinding sequel, Destroy Me is a novella told from the perspective of Warner, the ruthless leader of Sector 45.