Cover Reveal - Miranda Kavi's Rua

Book Details:

Rua by Miranda Kavi

Expected Pub: September 3, 2012

A girl with an unknown destiny. 

A boy from a hidden world. 

When Celeste starts at a new school in a small, Kansas town, she hears whispering voices, has vivid nightmares, and swarms of blackbirds follow her every move. She is oddly drawn to aloof Rylan, the other new student who has his own secrets. 

The exact moment she turns seventeen, she wakes to a bedroom full of strange creatures, purple light emanating from her hands, and Rylan breaking in through her bedroom window. 

He knows what she is . . . 

Intriguing and deeply romantic, RUA is page-turning YA novel with a supernatural twist.

Author Bio:

Miranda Kavi

Miranda Kavi is a YA and Urban Fantasy author. She has worked as an attorney, an executive recruiter, and an assistant in a biological anthropology lab. She loves scary movies, museums, and is hopelessly addicted to chocolate. She lives in the Houston area with her husband and daughter.

Author Links:

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/10592745-miranda-kavi

Twitter: https://twitter.com/miranda00writes

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

Interview: Amanda McNeil (Author of Waiting on Daybreak)

Today I am interviewing Amanda McNeil about her book Waiting for Daybreak.

If you haven't read the book yet, you may read my review here:

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/342322838

GR - How long did it take you to write & publish Waiting for Daybreak?

AM - It took me a year and a half from the idea in my head to available for readers to purchase.

GR - Who was your inspiration for writing a character like Frieda?

AM - There was no one person who inspired me. I've been friends with and date people with a variety of mental illnesses, plus I was working in a psychiatric medical library at the time. I find the complexity of mental illness, as well as the strengths and weaknesses that come with that territory completely fascinating. Plus people with this particular neurological difference are extremely underrepresented in literature, particularly with genre fiction, and when they do show up they are often demonized. I wanted to give people a more well-rounded representation of mental illness.

GR - What are your thoughts about having your book turned into a movie?

AM - I honestly hadn't thought about it at all until a friend after reading it said something about a movie to me, and I was like..."Really?" But now I of course love the idea. How amazing would it be to have a move, indie or not, with a kick-ass, differently abled, main female character? Plus we need more cats in movies. That's just a fact :)

GR - If you had your druthers, who would play Frieda?

AM - I've given it some thought and I think Elizabeth Olsen would do a great job. She's about the right age, although her looks aren't quiet right, that could be addressed with hair/makeup/wardrobe. More importantly, she showed in Martha Marcy May Marlene an ability to play a character with a mental illness with a real depth.

GR - Can we expect a sequel to Waiting for Daybreak?

AM - At this point, I am saying yes, although I will have to see how it goes when I sit down to work on it. Currently there's another, unrelated book, ahead of a Waiting for Daybreak sequel, so it's at least two years off (one year to write each book). I do have a clear idea of what happens next, though, so, in all likelihood it "will" happen.

GR - Off the cusp question # 1, what is your favorite genre and why?

AM - Sci/Fi! It's just so...creative and full of many different possibilities and options. There's a lot of freedom for the writers to explore other ways of doing things, to think about where technology might lead us, to do almost anything essentially. And the fact that is' based in science lends it a certain amount of "what if" credibility that makes it chills-inducing.

GR - Do you have a favorite place you like to chill out and write?

AM - On my couch next to the window, generally with my cat either on the arm of the couch of lying right behind my head. Not super-exciting, I know, but the excitement happens in my head! (Trust me, it's scaaary in there).

GR - Off the cusp question # 2, what is your favorite book of all time?

AM - Oh gosh, you know no book lover can choose just one! I supposed I'd have to pick The Call of the Wild by Jack London if forced to choose one, but To Say Nothing Of the Dog by Connie Willis is a close second.

GR - If you were given a choice of supernatural abilities, what would you choose?

AM - Absolutely the ability to apparate. I wish for it every time I have to commute!

GR - When did you finally decide to become a writer?

AM - Well, I think most writers are born writers, but when I decided to get serious about putting my stories out there was after I finished grad school. I worked full-time while in grad school, so after finishing that I finally had time to think and breathe. Plus, now that I have my day job sorted out, I can relax and write in my free time.

GR - Off the cusp question # 3, what is your favorite temptation? IE food, drink, entertainment

AM - Absolute Whiskey

GR - Last question, you are on a blind date, and all of a sudden what actor/celebrity walks in and takes your breath away?

AM - Robert Downey Jr. In addition to being completely gorgeous and also Ironman, he has the fascinating addition to history that lends him some depth.

And that my friends is my interview with Amanda. Before I go I want to say how much fun I had discussing writing and other nonsense with Amanda over Twitter. She gave me the inspiration to dig out my buried book I wrote several years so that I can try to reformat and edit it for publication. It's nice to have someone to cheer you on by your side. Thank you Amanda!

Cover Reveal - Touch of the Demon by Diana Rowland

Book 4 of the Kara Gillian Series

Synopsis:

Kara Gillian is in Seriously Deep Trouble.
She's used to summoning supernatural creatures from the demon realm to our world, but now she's the one who's been summoned. Kara is the prisoner of the demonic Lord Msatl, but quickly discovers that she's far more than a mere hostage. He has his own plans to use Kara and keep her from Rhyzkahl-the demonic lord she is sworn to serve. However, waiting for rescue has never been Kara's style, and she has on intention of being a pawn in someone else's game.
Yet intrigue and treachery run rampant among all lords, and Kara is hard pressed to keep her wits about her. Her abilities as a homicide detective are put the the test as she seeks the truth about FBI Agent Ryan Kristoff, Rhyzkahl, and herself. But, the answers she finds only raise more questions. She soon discovers that she has her own history in the demon realm-one that goes back farther than she could have ever imagined. But that history may yet spell her doom as she’s faced with a peril beyond mortal comprehension.
She’s going to need all the strength and tenacity she’s developed as a cop and a summoner, or the hell she endures may well last forever.

*Sounds like Rowland has some serious intrigue up her sleeves. She's mentioned that there won't be a cliffhanger this time around, which is always a good thing! Yes, there will be plenty of Ryan as well, per Rowland. Can't wait for this release on December 31, 2012!!!

Cover Reveal - Mountain Echoes by C E Murphy

Synopsis:
Joanne Walker has survived an encounter with the Master at great personal cost.
But, now her father is missing-stolen from the timeline. She must finally return
to North Carolina to find him-and to meet Aidan, the son she left behind long ago.
That would be enough for any shaman to face, but Joanne's beloved
Appalachians are being torn apart by an evil reaching forward from
the distant past. Anything that gets in its way becomes tainted-or worse.

I actually love this series. I love Joanne's character as well as her relationship

with Gary the cabbie. Will be interesting to see how this story plays itself out.

What are your thoughts?

Have you read this series at all?

Stacking the Shelves # 14

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

Let's get right to it shall we?

Borrowed from Library (4)

Damned by Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguie

Scarecrow Returns by Matthew Reilly

Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock

Crave by Melissa Darnell

 

 

Netgalley

Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

Ironskin by Tina Connelly

The Dream Catchers of Milan by Kat Beyer

Covet by Melissa Darnell

  

 

Edelweiss

Rebel Heart by Moira Young

As always, if you leave me a comment, I shall return the favor asap!

I would love it if you became a new follower of my blog!

Thank you for your continued patronage to my blog!

Have a great weekend!

Early Review - Beautiful Lies by Jessica Warman

Publisher: Bloomsbury Children's Books
Imprint: Walker Books for Young Readers
Pub Date: August 21, 2012 

Beautiful Lies is really an experiment in madness. You presume that you are reading the story from one characters POV, then, suddenly it changes to the other. Then when you least expect it, you are once again thrown into disarray when the ending hits you upside the head like a two by four. I would recommend that you throw out all preconceived notions you may have read about this book, and let your mind do the walking through this psychological intrigue.

I'll be brutally honest---I am totally confused right now. I'm not sure if the main character's POV was Rachel's, or Alice's. Or was the whole thing a freaking dream-scape that was all made up in the warped mind of one of the characters? I would seriously like to have a psychiatrist of psychologist read this book and interrupt it's dark meaning

Here's the story about identical twins (Alice & Rachel) who are unlike any other. They shared the same placenta, and amniotic sac and somehow survived against all odds. They can pretty much tell when the other is hurt, or how they are feeling. Yet, they are both sneaky enough to keep secrets from the other. When one disappears while out with their friends, it's up to the other twin to figure out what happened and why. One of the twins actually has the ability to sense things other people couldn't. In other words, she's a sensitive. She can actually feel the emotions and pain the other one is experiencing.

The ending of this book has me smacking on my head against the desk. While you think it's one character telling the story, it could actually be the other one. I'm not sure whether to applaud the authors sick sense of humor and creativity or to be truly upset that I couldn't figure out who was who, and what was actually happening.

This book is so twisted and discombobulated that it made my head spin like I was possessed like Linda Blair. I'm seriously thinking that Warman purposefully made this book confusing just to laugh at all the readers who would then have to go online and put the book into words. The Jokes on you Ms Warman!

Early Review - Innocent Darkness by Suzanne Lazear

Innocent Darkness follows the exploits of 16 year old Magnolia (Noli) Montgomery Braddock. Noli lives for excitement, and has an affinity for bringing flowers back to life and making them flourish. She would love to study Botany at the university.

Noli lives in a world (1901 Los Angeles) where women can't have full operational driver’s licenses without being escorted by an older gentleman and they also don't have equal rights yet. She loves Flying Auto's. She loves tinkering with them, and yes, getting in trouble with them.

After crashing her father’s flying machine alongside her best friend Steven “V” Darrow, she ends up being whisked off to San Francisco’s Findlay School for Wayward Hoydens thanks to her mother and the law. Findlay is a school where girls are beaten to an inch of their lives for being willful hoydens. The school is supposed to teach young girls how to be productive members of society and ridding them of their youthful disobedience. I considered the school to be nothing more than a prison complex where young girls are placed by parent’s who don’t understand their own kids.

I had to look up the word Hoyden since it appears everywhere! So, the definition is as follows: Hoyden - a girl or woman of saucy, boisterous, or carefree behavior. Huh, who knew! I mean in the 60's a lot of us would have been known as Hoydens!

Noli is unaware that there is a whole dimension called the Otherworld where the Fey run rampant and live off the sacrifices of human women every 7 years. She's even unaware that her best friend Steven is an exiled prince from the Otherworld. She is also unaware that Kevighn Silver-Tongue roams the streets of San Francisco looking for girls with sparks, or what we call creativity, joy & life. It is Kevighn’s job to find a sparkly girl for Queen Tiana every 7 years so that she may be sacrificed to keep the magic and creativity flowing in both realms.

Kevighn doesn’t exactly have a good reputation with his previous picks especially since the last choice killed herself causing the great San Francisco Earthquake in 1895. Yes, the author does take writer's exception with the whole events that actually happened. You can actually learn more if you read the introduction to her story. I like when authors actually take the time to explain the world they are building. Gives you more ideas of what they intended, and what you actually read.

Thanks to a wish made at the most inopportune time when her friend Charlotte is whisked away from the school by her rapist uncle, Noli is taken into Fairy and ends up battling for her humanity and her life because she has been chosen to be the next sacrifice by Kevighn. Somehow, she manages to find feelings for Kevighn even though I clearly thought he was a scrub and needed a serious beat down. He’s seriously creepy as well, and considers most women to be saucy. He also loves his opium. Thanks to the arrival of Steven into the Otherworld, Noli doesn’t give up her soul to the wrong person, but her friend Charlotte is chosen instead.

I mostly liked Noli’s character traits and was seriously angered when it was all taken away from her because of her mother, Kevighn, and even her best friend Steven’s idiotic bargains with the Queen. Noli may lack sense when it comes to her tinkering with hover boards and flying machines, but it doesn’t mean that she’s willful or disrespectful towards anyone. There will be some who will say that Noli’s obsession with her own reputation is a negative quality. I disagree. She’s 16 years old folks living in a time where a persons sexual reputation is everything. Seriously, allow her to choose when and who she will give up her V-jay to.

Once in Fairy, she ends up having to face the reality that she will never see her mother again thanks to Kevighn’s actions, and the fact that she partakes in the eating of Fey food. I always found that suspect. A mortal comes into Fey, eats food, and drink, and now is forever stuck in a realm where she is an outcast. I was surprised that Noli remembered Steven's warnings about not making bargains with Fey, and not saying thank you.

I seriously considered putting a warning label on my review that this book may not be suitable for those under the age of 18 because of sexual innuendos, and situations where Noli and others are put in difficult situations with the schools so called Doctor. I also don’t think that kids under the age of 18 needs to be forced fed situations where opium and women in brothels are the standard for one of the characters.

I’m not quite sure what I feel about reading the next book in the series. Obviously, Noli has some serious issues with her relationship with Steven, and her own humanity that was snared away from her thanks to an idiotic bargain. I anger towards Steven for not understanding that you don’t make any sort of bargain with a Fey Queen without checking the facts first. Yet, it’s Steven who sticks by Noli’s side when everything goes sideways and she’s fundamentally changed from a human to Fey.

In the end, this was a different sort of novel for me. While there are steampunk aspects to the story, it read more like a romance novel mixed with supernatural elements.

ARC recvd via Netgalley.com for Flux. Releases August 8, 2012

Title - Innocent Darkness (The Aether Chronicles)
Author - Suzanne Lazear
Publisher - Flux
Released Date - August 8, 2012

Early Review - Biting Cold by Chloe Neill

*First thoughts* ~Without giving too much away~

If you have already read Drink Deep, then I'm not spoiling anything for you. If you haven't, please revert your eyes from this review until you do!

Biting Cold picks up immediately where Drink Deep left off. Ethan and Merit are together again after his miraculous return from the dead, and on the road to Nebraska where they hope to fend off a major confrontation with Mallory Carmichael. Mallory, as you know from reading Drink Deep, is totally obsessed with the book known as the Maleficium. So obsessed, in fact, that she nearly destroyed Chicago in the process and actually escaped her prison cell which was maintained by the Order.

I appreciated the fact that Merit didn't try to sugar-coat or bury Mallory's actions. She took control of the situation and then when she knew that Mallory wasn't going to be a problem any longer, she then released her foot from off her throat and allowed her to help with the worse of the problems Merit faces.

Mallory isn't the only problem that Ethan, Merit and those who support Cadogan House have to worry about. For the first time in awhile, Seth Tate, the ex-mayor of Chicago, comes out into the spotlight and we truly get a better idea of who and what Tate is and why he is so strong.

Tate really is the story this time around. Once Mallory is controlled, Merit has to turn her attention to the fact that Tate seems to have some sort of agenda that will further put pressure on the supernatural community of Chicago to take action. He also makes up for a lot of his previous pain and suffering which included nearly destroying Merit in the process. I can forgive a character for a lot of indiscretion once I understand why he/she did what they did. Understanding WHAT Tate is,  made the second half of this story even better.

Biting Cold really comes together in a nearly perfect way. The story is straight up, without any detours. Merit has been a vampire now for nearly a year. She has found her groove as a vampire, and has come to terms with the fact that she's the sentinel of the Cadogan House which comes with loads of responsibilities including saving innocent people who may or may not hate the vampires of Chicago. She also realizes her love for Ethan and I appreciated the fact that Neill didn't just toss them together like two slices of bread without the meat filing. In the end, it made their relationship more understandable and yes, desirable.

As usual, there are still issues with the Greenwich Presidium that need to be addressed, and if the second half of this is any indication, readers of this series are in for a wild and thrilling ride. I am seriously jonesing for the next edition of this series now.

Lastly, I was kind of disappointed that we didn't get much of Jonah, Merit's Red Guard partner. I realize it was because Ethan was back in the fold, but, still Jonah has been there for her since everything went sideways. He deserves more story time than he gets in Biting Cold.

Biting Cold was kindly provided to me in lieu of an honest review by NAL Penguin.

**Updated** Expected publication: August 7, 2012 by NAL Penguin

Title - Biting Cold
Author - Chloe Neill
Publisher - NAL Penguin
Release Date - August 7, 2012

Early Review - Glitch by Heather Anastasiu

"History isn't all fact - it's just the story the victors tell to keep themselves in power. The more time passes, the easier it becomes to reinvent the past.""

I'm truly having a hard time deciding how to write a review for this book, so bear with me while I attempt to put into words my thoughts about this book. While at times the story was interesting enough that I didn't abandon it, it just wasn't appealing to my senses.

The main character was truly awful and it wasn't until the end that I even cared what happened to her or those around her. Could it be that it's not intended for a person of my age? Could be.

The sub-characters like Adrien and Max were just as bad, if not worse because of their actions or in some cases, their non-action. I'm not sure what the point of using words like Shuntin' hell! or "Godlam'd" was. If you were going to have a character using cuss words, use cuss words.

Under most circumstances, I love Dystopian novels. I enjoy reading about the world building and that is what holds the story together when all else fails. In this story the world came to an abrupt end, after nuclear bombs were dropped on the cities. (Or were they?) The survivors were forced to live under ground to avoid the nuclear winter and fallout.

Each survivor lives a bland life at the determination of the so called Community. All except those in what's called the Uppers who can pretty much eat, and drink and do whatever they want to do. Think of the community as big brother telling you what you can say, what you can eat, and how you can live while being monitored for anomalies 24 hours a day. (Kind of like life in a communist country.) The only feeling the survivors are allowed to maintain is fear because that keeps them safe and away from harm.

The year is 2287 and all humans except uppers are required to have a V-chip installed in their heads. These are installed at birth, and then replaced over the course of one's lifetime until they reach adulthood. They are also required to undergo constant quality checks of their hardware, like robots, to ensure that they are not glitching.

Our main protagonist is Zoel Q-24 a 17 year old teenager who is Glitching, or experiencing anomalies in her connection to the Link. She also has the power of telekinesis which makes her a rarity among those experiencing glitches.

For Zoel (Zoe), things change once she saves a little girl from being run over by a train by using her telekinesis. Shortly thereafter, she meets the foul mouthed Adrien who is more than he seems. It appears he has access to the outside world and is a member of the so called resistance.

Naturally, with a YA novel, you have the notoriously awful 3 way love triangle which is truly not what it seems. Thankfully, Zoe comes to the same conclusion that I did and even though Adrien has some serious issues, he's a lot better than the alternative.

As for Zoe, I found her bland and Mary Sue-ish. She has this really awesome power of telekinesis that only unfolds when all the chips are down, and she is put into an situation where people will die if she chooses wrong. She does, however, seem to genuinely care about what happens to her younger brother. Of course, there are other secrets that we learn along the way which tells the reader exactly why she feels that way.

Anyway, long story short, I am not sure if I will continue reading this series. I know there are a bunch of unanswered questions that will hopefully be revealed in the subsequent sequels. One can only hope that Zoe will be given broader character range so that I don't fall asleep at the helm.

*ARC* recvd 04/27/2012 via Netgalley for St. Martin's Press

Author - Heather Anastasiu
Title - Glitch
Publisher - St. Martin's Press
Releases - August 7, 2012

Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake (Anna # 2)

“Girl of Nightmares” picks up six months after the end of “Anna Dressed in Blood”. Cas and his mother have decided to stay in Thunder Bay to finish school. He still has his constant companions Thomas Sabin and Carmel Jones by his side as well as Morfan and Gideon for support.

The problem for Cas is that he is unable to move on and seems to find Anna in every face he's around. He then starts to wonder about his father’s athame (knife) and where the ghosts he kills really go now that the Obeahman is supposedly dead. This causes a rift between himself, Gideon and his mother which eventually leads to his trip to England to find the answers to his questions.

The major problem for Cas is a warning that there are secrets in this world that people kill to keep quiet. People, it seems, are watching Cas and they are the kind of people you don’t want to have watching you, or your back. These are the same people Cas’s own father used to work for and left because they had a falling out of sorts over the athame and how to use it. These are also people who are willing to replace Cas with someone more qualified and trained under their guidance.

While I liked the story well enough, this was not Anna Dressed in Blood. There was definitely more action, originality, suspense, and gore in the previous installment than in this book. I’m not saying I disliked the story. In fact, the story and the pacing and the way Cas eventually learns the truth that not everything is black and white, was done just right.

Cas was a real a downer in this book. He misses Anna like missing a body part and he starts seeing and hearing her everywhere he goes. He attempts to go out on a date, and falters...badly. He also nearly ends up getting his best friends hurt badly by continuing to take them on ghost hunts when he knows his mind is not in the game.

Cas meets up with his father's former group called the Order after Gideon tells him to stop with his nonsense and stay away. There he ends up reuniting with Anna at the near cost of his own life.

Then there are the side-kicks --Carmel and Thomas. I really wanted to throttle Carmel in this book for her actions and her flip flopping in what seemed like every 20 pages or so. I really felt sorry for Thomas in that he ends up being hurt by her shenanigans and should have moved on without her. Yet, Thomas and Carmel are made for each other and in the end, the duo ends up sticking by Cas’s side through thick and thin.

I'm UBER disappointed with Cas's mother. She’s supposedly a witch with some talent yet, she plays the third, and sometimes fourth string fiddle to Cass, Thomas, Carmel and even Morfan in this story. You wonder what exactly her purpose is in life besides being the one with the money to send Cas on his ghost hunting trips.

I guess I am like other reviewers in that I just didn't get the feel for this book like Anna Dressed in Blood. I liked the story well enough. I thought that Anna Dressed in Blood was one of the best books of 2011.

This one doesn't come close to being anywhere near as gory or suspenseful and that for me is the reason I'm not rating the book as high.
My actual thoughts upon finishing this book were…really? This is it? Are you effing kidding me?

So, while I'm rating it 3.5-4 stars, it's because I'm a wee bit disappointed in the overall concept of the story and not because Blake decided to change things up a little bit. I'm also highly disappointed that Anna didn't play more of a role in this book. After all, this series is called Anna, and not Cas.

Lastly, I’m disappointed in that this appears to be the last we shall see of Cas and Anna and crew and that is a shame. Please remember, these are my opinions, and may or may not reflect what others think about the story, the characters, or the actual plot of the story.
 
*Recvd 07/18/2012* Southern Book Bloggers Tour
Expected publication: August 7th 2012 by Tor Teen

Author - Kendare Blake
Title - Girl of Nightmares
Publisher - Tor Teen
Releases - August 7, 2012

Early Review - Throne of Glass by Sara J. Maas

"“You must listen to what I tell you. Nothing is a coincidence. Everything has a purpose. You were meant to come to this castle, just as you were meant to be an assassin, to learn the skills necessary for survival.”" Queen Elena to Celaena (Taken straight from ARC)

18-year-old Celaena Sardothien is serving out hard labor after being betrayed and captured by her enemies. After ending up in the salt minds of Ednovier where she is nothing more than a slave, she staves off attempts at murder and rape by the guards and fellow prisoners.

Having trained since the age of 8 to be the best assassin ever, she’s not easily killable as numerous guards and prisoners find out.
Celaena is known as Adarlan’s most skilled and feared assassin and it was her misfortune to trust the wrong people at the wrong time which got her sent to Ednovier in the first place.

Now, faced with certain death, she is given an opportunity by the Crown Prince of Adarlan Dorian Havilliard, to become the Kings Champion. All she has to do is face-off against 23 others, all of them men, in a battle of survival and skill sets and she will have her freedom after 4 years of service to the King. Given the bleakness of her future in the mines, she gladly agrees to Dorian’s proposition.

Yet, not everything is at it seems. The King of Adarlan is a piece of work. He is evil incarnate and wishes to expand his empire at the expense of anyone who gets in the way. There is also evil within the walls of the Glass Castle that wants to put an end to the competition and kill all the competitors.

"“Something evil dwells in this castle, something wicked enough to make the stars quake. Its malice echoes into all worlds,” the queen went on. “You must stop it. Forget your friendships; forget your debts and oaths. Destroy it, before it is too late, before a portal is ripped open so wide that there can be no undoing it.”"

Let me say right off the bat that I adore Fantasy of this nature. I love the fact that Maas created an alternative world that is straight out of Lord of the Rings. I love the fact that Maas also creates a strong, beautiful female lead character that isn’t afraid to show emotion and can kick some serious ass in the process. I highly disagree with anyone who compares this story to the Hunger Games. There is no comparison.

Although this is clearly billed as a YA novel, I would highly recommend it for all ages. I absolutely loved the world building that Sarah J Maas creates. I also enjoyed the sub characters like Dorian, Captain of the Guard Chaol Westfall, Princess Nehemia, and Queen Elena.

There is a bit of romance thrown into the storyline to make things more interesting. Yet, it’s not the highly objectionable 3 way love triangle that gets under my skin and causes me so much angst.

I can’t say enough about how Celaena was written. She is by far one of the best characters that I’ve read about in a very long time. She’s willing to take chances, she’s extremely brave, a bit on the sarcastic side, and she has an intelligence that rivals that of Dorian and Chaol. She loves to read books, and she plays music to remember those who have fallen before her. She becomes friends with Princess Nehemia and former Fae Queen Elena who both end up saving her life. Elena’s connection with Celaena is a mystery and one which I hope ends up being explored in the next installment.

Although Throne of Glass is the first book in the series, it doesn’t get bogged down by world or character building. The story is straight forward in it's mystery, suspense and conclusion. Celaena lives in a dangerous world where the King of Adarlan is an evil SOB who wishes to conquer all corners of the globe. She has one main mission and that is to survive and defeat the last men standing so that she can finally be free.

I’m obviously hoping to learn more about Celaena’s background in the next installment and how she ended up being trained by an assassin after her parents were murdered. In as far as my rating, I’m like a hanging chad in Florida, I can’t make up my mind what I want to rate this book. So, I shall leave it hanging between a 4, and 4.5 for now.

*ARC recvd 04.24.2012 from Bloomsbury Children's Books via Netgalley.com --Releases August 07, 2012.

Stacking the Shelves # 13

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

Thank you so much for those who stopped by and checked out my goodies for the week!

If you leave comments below, I shall endeavor to return the favor post haste :O)

Let's get right to it shall we?

Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake 

*Recvd via Southern Book Bloggers Tours*

Boyfriend from Hell by Jamie Quaid 

*Recvd from Pocket Books via Edelweiss*

Breathe by Sarah Crossan 

*Recvd from Greenwillow Books via Edelweiss*

Geekomancy by Michael R Underwood 

*Recvd from Pocket Star via Edelweiss*

Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff 

*Recvd from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley*

Inbetween by Tara Fuller 

*Recvd from Entangled Teen via NetGalley*

And, that's all folks!

You have to admit that when you get more than (1) book a week, you are doing

awesome! Nice to see that Entangled, St. Martin's Press, and Pocket Books are

so awesome in allowing access to their works!

Have a great week and enjoy your reading!

Feature & Follow Friday # 24

Q: Christmas in July! Someone gives you a gift card for two books (whatever that costs). What two books will you buy?

My Answer:

There are so many to choose from. I literally have over 1,000 books on my TBR

folder right now! However, I would probably choose the following books:

 

Both of these books have been on my recent Waiting On Wednesday feature.

The Friday Society sounds really, really good, while Alien vs Alien looks

to be another seriously wicked story by Gini Koch.

Those are my choices, what are yours?

I would love if you would leave commentary bellow with your linkage.

I also love new followers and will automatically follow you right back!

Have a great Friday!

Early Review - J.C Daniels "Blade Song"

"My sword aim is mighty. I will not falter. I will not fail." Kit's mantra

Truth be told. I haven't read any of J.C. Daniels/Shiloh Walker's previous novels so I can't compare them to any other author I do follow regularly. However, after reading BLADE SONG, and hopefully it's sequel called NIGHT BLADE, I will end up going back and revisiting her other works sometime in the near future.

Daniel's world building was actually pleasantly surprising and interesting. Those are normally the two things I look at when reviewing and rating a UF novel. In this world, supernaturals have gone public and have been living alongside humans for 50 years. Then, you have a group called Banner, (an extermination group) that targets dangerous non humans when they step out of line and cause problems. I'm not sure who is scarier, Kit or the Banner group.

Kitasa (Kit) Colbana is an investigator/bounty hunter who has a knack for killing things. She's part Aneira (see Amazon warrior) and part human. She has the ability to fade out (go invisible) and was trained to not only be an assassin, but a thief as well. She is also being chased by a vampire (Jude) thanks to asking him for help with a delicate situation 6 years before.

The story, at it's core, is Kit's attempt to find a missing cat shifter and bring him back to his pack as well as finding those responsible and bringing them to Kit's own form of justice. Of course, the Alpha just happens to be a psychotic beoyatch, and she ends up with a body guard (Damon) to keep her safe and focused on the job. Kit's background is a bit disheartening and disturbing knowing what she went through for the first 15 years of her life because she was part human. The fact that she escaped the abuse and torture and made her own way in the world is a huge part of the story.

I can't help but compare Kit with Kate Daniels. They are both demi-humans. They both carry a big bad swords that call to them. They both end up with a sexy ass shifters who just happen to be the Alphas of their respective packs. They both can take a beating like nobody's business and bounce back with a little help from their friends.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that people will probably love Damon. I hated him from the first moment he was introduced to the story. It wasn't until he shows his mettle and sticks up for Kit in more ways than one, that I had a change of heart. I dislike having any male characters call a grown woman little girl. It's truly demeaning and churlish and a bit disturbing. I realize Damon is a shifter, but I also hate all the touching he does throughout this book. In the end, Damon ends up being Kit's supporter, bodyguard, and lover.

J.C./Shiloh Walker - Thank you so much for providing me a copy of this to review and read. I definitely recommend this book to those who love a good UF story.

Expected publication: August 1st 2012 by Shiloh Walker, Inc

Waiting on Wednesday # 19

 

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted here, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. it origins from Breaking The Spine and we're glad to be able to use it .

I apologize for missing last week. I figured with all the new cover reveals I

did, it was enough for one week. So, what am I looking forward to this week?

Description:

Be your own hero.
An action-packed tale of gowns, guys, guns--and the heroines who use them all
Set in Edwardian London, "The Friday Society" follows the stories of three very intelligent and talented young women, all of whom are assistants to powerful men: Cora, lab assistant; Michiko, Japanese fight assistant; and Nellie, magician's assistant. The three young women's lives become inexorably intertwined after a chance meeting at a ball that ends with the discovery of a murdered mystery man.
It's up to these three, in their own charming but bold way, to solve the murder--and the crimes they believe may be connected to it--without calling "too" much attention to themselves.
Told with Adrienne Kress's sharp wit and a great deal of irreverence, this Steampunk whodunit introduces three unforgettable and very ladylike--well, relatively ladylike--heroines poised for more dangerous adventures.

This is yet another steampunk novel set in merry old England.

 I love the premise of this story, and am trying my

hardest to gain a copy of this book before it comes out!