Tag Archives: book

Oct 29 2013
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Coming Soon: The Immortal Crown by Richelle Mead

The immortal crownTitle: The Immortal Crown

Author: Richelle Mead

Series: Age of X #2

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Release Date: May 29, 2014

The Overview: Gameboard of the Gods introduced religious investigator Justin March and Mae Koskinen, the beautiful supersldier assigned to protect him. Together they have been charged with investigating reports of the supernatural and the return of the gods, both inside the Republic of United North America and out. With this highly classified knowledge comes a shocking revelation: Not only are the gods vying for human control, but the elect—special humans marked by the divine—are turning against one another in bloody fashion.

Their mission takes a new twist when they are assigned to a diplomatic delegation headed by Lucian Darling, Justin’s old friend and rival, going into Arcadia, the RUNA’s dangerous neighboring country. Here, in a society where women are commodities and religion is intertwined with government, Justin discovers powerful forces at work, even as he struggles to come to terms with his own reluctantly acquired deity.

Meanwhile, Mae—grudgingly posing as Justin’s concubine—has a secret mission of her own: finding the illegitimate niece her family smuggled away years ago. But with Justin and Mae resisting the resurgence of the gods in Arcadia, a reporter’s connection with someone close to Justin back home threatens to expose their mission—and with it the divine forces the government is determined to keep secret.

The immortal crown

Hosted by Breaking the Spine

As Richelle Mead is my favorite author, I’m excited to read anything she decides to publish. As a futuristic urban fantasy, Gameboard of the Gods was one of her best works yet and I am extremely eager to see what happens next. All I can say is, I will be dropping everything to read The Immortal Crown the day it comes out (which is halfway through next year ::grumbles::).

What book are you waiting on?

Oct 29 2013
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Top Ten Tuesday – Top Ten Book Covers by Luis Royo

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Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

 In honor of Halloween, this Top Ten post was supposed to be devoted to my favorite scary book covers. As I don’t particularly like books with creepy covers I thought I would (yet again) take it in a different direction:

 Top Ten Book Covers by Luis Royo

 Not only is Royo my favorite artists, but his works often have a bit of a darker edge – perfect for Halloween (The covers I’ve chosen lack of a little bit of that darkness, but they’re in the minority of his works. Just do a google search and you’ll see what I mean…caution: they can get pretty racy).

 I been wanting to feature these covers for a while, so I’m glad I finally found an excuse. I will admit that some of these I picked up based on the cover art alone, which sounds weird, but he hasn’t let me down yet – some of these books are among my favorites.

 There you have it! What books made your list this week?

Oct 25 2013
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Book Review: Allegiant by Veronica Roth

AllegiantTitle: Allegiant

Author: Veronica Roth

Series: Divergent #3

Genre: Teen Dystopian

Rating: 4.5/5 stars!

The Overview: 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.

Allegiant

The Review:

With the hundreds of books in my TBR pile, I rarely pick up anything the day it comes out. That so wasn’t the case with Allegiant! I was excited for this one the moment they revealed the cover and have been counting down the days since. With all the waiting and build-up, I was seriously setting myself up for disappointment if it didn’t live up to expectations…so thank goodness it was amazing!

I loved it every bit as much as the first two books. From the electric love story to the exciting “can’t put it down” plot, it was a heart-wrenching conclusion to one of the best dystopian’s out there. The voice of the story (my favorite part to it) drew me right back into the story as if no time had elapsed. What’s more, there was twice the perspective because Roth added Tobias’s POV. As this is the first book to include more than one perspective, I was really nervous I wouldn’t enjoy it as much. Turns out I enjoyed it more. His perspective added a great new dynamic to the story and if possible got me even more involved.

All I can say is, what a great writer! Roth knows how to put in romance without making it sappy, write conflicts deep enough to affect you without making it a sob story, and maintain a masterful yet understated pacing that soon has you flying through the book with abandon. I am truly sad this series has come to an end, and look forward to reading anything she produces in the future.

I love the concept of this world, And what this book did was take everything a little bit deeper and broader. There were some profound revelations for the characters within these pages and I’m still reeling from them days later. Overall, this series provided the same intensity and excitement I felt while reading Hunger Games and, if I’m honest, I reckon I enjoyed it more when evaluating the series as a whole.

Recommended Reading: for dystopian fans, or even those looking to get into the genre. It had a slow-building love story and an exciting plot and I liked it so much I mention it to every customer I catch browsing in the teen section. Also, with the movie coming out, I recommend it to those wanting to read it before they see it (If you’ve been stalling, now’s your chance now that they’re all released).

Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes

Oct 22 2013
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Coming Soon: Killer Frost by Jennifer Estep

 Killer frostTitle: Killer Frost

Author: Jennifer Estep

Series: Mythos Academy #6

Genre: Teen Paranormal Romance

Release Date: February 25, 2014

The Overview: I’ve battled the Reapers of Chaos before–and survived. But this time I have a Bad, Bad Feeling it’s going to be a fight to the death … most likely mine. Yeah, I’ve got my psychometry magic, my talking sword, Vic–and even the most dangerous Spartan on campus at my side, in Logan freaking Quinn, but I’m no match for Loki, the evil Norse god of chaos. I may be Nike’s Champion, but at heart, I’m still just Gwen Frost, that weird Gypsy girl everyone at school loves to gossip about. Then someone I love is put in more danger than ever before, and something inside me snaps. This time, Loki and his Reapers are going down for good … or I am.

Killer frost 2

Hosted by Breaking the Spine

Okay, I’ll admit I lost a bit of steam for this series around book four, but I’m still dedicated to seeing it through to the end. I fell in love with the first two books and am still waiting for the author to take the story where I think it has the potential to go (somewhere amazing!). Here’s hoping I get what I’ve been waiting for in Killer Frost!

 What book are you waiting on?

by Niki Hawkes

Oct 22 2013
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Top Ten Tuesday – Top Ten Character Names (10/22/2013)

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Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

For me, a name is only as good as the character behind it, so this week’s topic could also be dubbed “Niki’s Top Ten Favorite Characters.” In any case, here we have:

Top Ten Character Names!

Full Moon Rising by Keri Arthur
Bloodlines by Richelle Mead
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling

#1: Riley Jensen – This chick kicks butt. She’s half vampire half werewolf, and if I were constantly surrounded by the supernatural, I’d definitely won her on my side!

#2: Sydney – Of all the literary characters, I’ve yet to identify with one as much as I do this awesome Alchemist. We have a lot of the same tendencies and issues… that’s all and saying.

#3: Minerva McGonagall – you would think I would love a character that’s more close to me demographically, but I can’t help it – I love this woman. I admire her spirit, loyalty, and determination, and find her scenes to be some of the most powerful.

Servant of the Shard by R.A. Salvatore
The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken
Daughter of the Empire by Raymond E. Feist and Janny Wurts

 #4: Jarlaxle – I loved that I never knew whose side this character was on. Capable of great evil, he still managed to be incredibly likable. His part in Drizzt’s saga really made the series something extra special for me.

#5 Chubs – Best side character ever! He was so rich and rounded right from the beginning, and his constant loyalty and protectiveness outshone the main characters at times (in the very best way). I was not expecting that to happen.

 #6 Mara of the Acoma – This memorable character taught me it’s possible to be both feminine and strong. Her story will always be on a pedestal in my mind.

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
The Spirit Eater by Rachel Aaron
Wizard’s First Rule by Terry Goodkind

#7: Kvothe – This star of my favorite novel is kind of a shit… but I kind of love him because of it.

#8 Nico – This little girl has more bravery and determination in her little finger than most of us have in our entire bodies. She manages to be both unassuming, dynamic and fascinating all at the same time – what a cool character!

#9: Kahlan – Hands down my favorite female character in literature! I love her so much I’m naming my first daughter after her (although I’m spelling it Kaylen so more people know how to pronounce it).

 And my favorite:

Fool's Errand by Robin Hobb

Fool’s Errand by Robin Hobb

#10: The Fool – this is my favorite character ever. The Fool is simply fascinating and I devour every new novel hoping to learn more about this golden character. His journey touches my heart in ways no other character has, and he is partially responsible for why I started to review blog. A++ all the way!

by Niki Hawkes

Oct 20 2013
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Book Review: False Memory by Dan Krokos

False MemoryTitle: False Memory

Author: Dan Krokos

Series: False Memory #1

Genre: Teen Fantasy

Rating: 3/5 stars

The Overview: Miranda wakes up alone on a park bench with no memory. In her panic, she releases a mysterious energy that incites pure terror in everyone around her. Except Peter, a boy who isn’t at all surprised by Miranda’s shocking ability. Left with no choice but to trust this stranger, Miranda discovers she was trained to be a weapon and is part of an elite force of genetically-altered teens who possess flawless combat skills and powers strong enough to destroy a city. But adjusting to her old life isn’t easy—especially with Noah, the boyfriend she can’t remember loving. Then Miranda uncovers a dark truth that sets her team on the run. Suddenly her past doesn’t seem to matter… when there may not be a future.

False Memory 2

The Review:

I was on the fence with this one at first because, although intriguing, the story was a bit confusing. Now, don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love books with a lot of complexity and plot twists. The difference here was that the explanations were almost always outside the parameters of the understood rules of the world – at least as far as the reader was concerned (anybody familiar with the phrase “jumping the shark?”). What that did for me was take away the fun of trying to figure out what will happen next. All of my theories were squandered every time the rules changed, which happened often. Eventually, I stopped trying to engage in the book and just let it take me where it would.

For the most part, I enjoyed the journey, but I can’t help but wonder how much cooler it would’ve been had I known all the rules up front. There were a few instances where I’m sure the author was trying to provide more information about the situation, but it was a bit ambiguous and unclear – and I don’t think it was supposed to be. I kept feeling like I should know more about the situation than I did (which is definitely part of my overall confusion) so either I was overly dense or the author conveyed it poorly.

This was a really fast-paced book – so much so that if I got distracted even for a second I had to go back and reread because it really was just one thing after another. Ironically, the faster pacing is supposed to be more accessible for those with short attention spans, but I found it had the opposite effect. Anyway, It might have moved a little too fast because it didn’t give me a chance to get emotionally involved with the characters. There’s not a lot of time for inner reflection and development when external conflicts are coming at you left and right. It does, however, get a lot more involved as it goes along.

Now, I’m hoping the second book will provide some answers. I have little patience for books that continually string you along without any payoffs. It’s part of the reason why I quit reading Mazed Runner after book #2 – I just got tired of not knowing what was going on. This book is written in the same vein, so if you’re a fan of one you will most definitely like the other. The benefit of having a super fast-paced book like this one is that there’s never a dull moment – plenty of action and entertainment. My overall impressions were positive, and I can see myself recommending it in the future.

Recommended Reading: for dystopian fans who like a lot of action – this book will really grab you by the hand and run. Also especially for those who loved Dashner’s Maze Runner.

Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes