*Review* Enders (Starters #2) by Lissa Price

*Synopsis*

With the Prime Destinations body bank destroyed, Callie no longer has to rent herself out to creepy Enders. But Enders can still get inside her mind and make her do things she doesn't want to do. Like hurt someone she loves. Having the chip removed could save Callie's life - but it could also silence the voice in her head that might belong to her father. Callie has flashes of her ex-renter Helena's memories, too ...and the Old Man is back, filling her with fear. Who is real and who is masquerading in a teen body? This is the thrilling sequel to "Starters"

 *My Thoughts*

SIXTEEN year old Callie Woodland somehow managed to survive being controlled by Enders and in the process, she helped take down Prime Destinations while retaining some of her RENTERS memories. Yet, Callie, Michael, and Tyler are anything but safe from the Old Man's machinations since they still have chips in their heads which they desperately need to have removed so that they can't be controlled any longer. Callie, above everyone else, is a valuable commodity to the OLD MAN since the chip in her head is unique in her ability to kill when someone is occupying her body.

In order to fully understand Enders, I would definitely recommend that you read Starters first. If you do, then you know that the MIDDLE has been basically wiped out by the SPORE WARS and only the youngest and oldest survived. Prime Destinations was created to allow RENTERS to leave their ENDER bodies and feel young once again. Now, with the Old Man attempting to make thousands of STARTERS permanent so that they never wake up and sell them to the highest bidders, Callie needs some major help but she has no idea who her enemies are, or who to trust.

Callie is an interesting protagonist with the determination to go as far as she can to protect her brother Tyler, Michael, and the METALS (Starters with Chips in their heads) from being used. Her priorities are: find Helena's granddaughter Emma if she's alive; discover the truth behind her father's supposed death, and bring down the Old Man once and for all. Callie meets the secretive Hyden after he saves her life, and his background is anything clear. Will Callie be able to TRUST Hyden and save her brother?

Enders is a fast paced story that picks up with Callie trying to do right but not always being successful including trying to help those Starters living on the streets and ending with what I believe is an opportunity to continue the series further if Price chooses to do so. Unless you have Starters fresh in your memories, or have reviewed it recently so that you can go back and jog your memories, I would suggest a re-read of the book since it has been almost 2 years (March 2012) since it was released.

*Recvd via NetGalley 12/02/2013* Published: January 7th 2014 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers

 

Author - Lissa Price

Title - Enders (Starters # 2)

Publisher - Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Released - January 7, 2014

Genre - Science Fiction, Young Adult

 

*Stacking the Shelves* 01/11/2014

Stacking The Shelves is a fun way to show off the books we received over the past week in the hopes that you will find something that you will be interested in reading. As always, it is in no way, shape, or form to be considered bragging or sticking out our tongues at other bloggers. 

I personally enjoy  reading comments from those that stop by and support Gizmo's Reviews and I make every effort to comment and visit back your blog in return. 

A huge THANK YOU goes out to Harper Collins, Carina Press, K-Teen, St. Martin's Griffin, & Entangled Publishing!

Received via Edelweiss (Harper Collins)

 

   

 

 

Received via Netgalley

 

 

Received via Library

 

 

Amazon Cheapies

 

 

*Cover Reveal* Bad Blood by Nikki Jefford (Aurora Sky: Vampire Hunter #3)

 Description

Bad Blood by Nikki Jefford
(Aurora Sky: Vampire Hunter #3)
Publication date: May 2014
Genres: New Adult, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy

Aurora Returns Spring 2014!

BAD IS THE NEW GOOD

Aurora returns from boot camp to a new assignment, an unwelcome roommate, and the increasingly amorous attentions of a certain vampire hunter.

College is starting, and so is Aurora’s undercover work at a network of swanky parties known as “Tastings” for high rolling vampires who like their blood laced with fine wine. But Aurora’s not the only one on the prowl. An underground investigation is under way to find out who killed one of Anchorage’s most prominent vampires… and Aurora is a prime suspect.

(Language, violence, and sexual situations.)

***Don’t miss STAKEOUT, Vol. 2.5, a 53,000 word novella featuring Noel Harper and the entire Aurora Sky gang. Releasing January 2014.***

Goodreads 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19075697-bad-blood?ac=1

Purchase (book 1): 

--Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Aurora-Sky-Vampire-Nikki-Jefford-ebook/dp/B00AEGD5XY/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=&qid=

--Barnes & Noble:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/aurora-sky-nikki-jefford/1113946626?ean=2940044354777

AUTHOR BIO:

Nikki Jefford is a third generation Alaskan who found paradise in the not-so-tropical San Juan Islands (Wash.) where she is once more neighbors with Canada in a town without a single traffic light. She loves fictional bad boys and heroines who kick butt.

When she's not reading, writing, working, or out on a nature walk, she's out riding her Suzuki DRZ400SM.

Author links:

http://www.nikkijefford.com/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5424286.Nikki_Jefford

https://www.facebook.com/authornikkijefford?ref=ts&fref=ts

https://twitter.com/NikkiJefford





*Waiting On Wednesday* Featuring Shaman Rises (Walker Papers #9) by C.E. Murphy

"Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at “Breaking the Spine”, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. 

Welcome back! This is my first WOW post of 2014, and let me just say it's looking mighty awesome so far!

This weeks choice is....Shaman Rises (Walker Papers #9) by C.E. Murphy.

This is the final installment in the Walker Papers, and I'm excited about the possibilities.

Joanne is one of the more interesting heroines that you will read about and it's been a very long time since Mountain Echoes released February 2013. I really do want to see whether or not Joanne gets her happy ending, or she goes out in a blaze of glory.

SYNOPSIS:

Joanne Walker has two choices: 

Defeat the enemy…or lose her soul trying. 

For over a year, Joanne has been fighting the Master—the world's most abiding evil. She's sacrificed family, friendships, even watched potential futures fade away…and now the Master is bringing the final battle to Joanne's beloved Seattle. 

Lives will be lost as the repercussions of all Joanne's growth come to her doorstep. Before the end, she'll mourn, rejoice—and surrender everything for the hope of the world's survival. She'll be a warrior and a healer. Because she is finally a Shaman Rising.

Paperback, 384 pages

Expected publication: June 24th 2014 by Harlequin Luna

*Gizmos Reviews Presents* Cover Reveal for The Given by Vicki Pettersson!

I am happy to announce that Gizmos Reviews has the honor of being the first blog to reveal the cover for The Given (Celestial Blues # 3) by Vicki Petterson! If you haven't checked out this series, you really should! It's a supernatural noir trilogy that began with THE TAKEN (2012) and was followed by THE LOST (2013), and now The Given (May 2014).

I want to thank Ms. Vicki for allowing Gizmos Reviews to be the first blog to showcase this cover and being so approachable and pleasant to work with through this process!

Without further babbling from me...

Paperback, 384 pages

Expected publication: May 27th 2014 by Harper Voyager

New York Times bestselling author Vicki Pettersson continues her critically acclaimed Celestial Blues series—an inventive blend of paranormal romance, noir mystery, and urban fantasy—involving a fallen angel and a flesh-and-blood rockabilly reporter.

Description:

After learning that his wife, Evelyn, survived the attack that killed him fifty years earlier, angel/PI Griffin Shaw will risk everything to find her—an obsession that comes with a price. Grif has had to forsake his new love, journalist, Katherine “Kit” Craig—the woman who made his life worth living again—to find a woman he may not even recognize.

Yet when Kit is attacked again, it becomes clear that there are forces in both the mortal and heavenly realm determined to protect dark secrets buried in the past. To survive, Grif must convince Kit to put aside her personal hurt and help him discover the truth—a dangerous journey that will put them in the crosshairs of enemies both old and new . . . and test the limits of what one angel will sacrifice for love.

Links:

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18053264-the-given?ac=1

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Given-Celestial-Blues-Book-Three-ebook/dp/B00FJ2YTOM/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1389069472&sr=1-1&keywords=the+given+vicki

Author bio: 

The New York Times bestselling author of The Signs of the Zodiac series and former showgirl Vicki Pettersson was born, raised, and still lives in Sin City, where a backyard view of the Strip regularly inspires her to set down her martini and write.

*Release Day Review* Broken Blade (Colbana Files #3) by J.C. Daniels

*My Thoughts*

BROKEN BLADE is one of the best books I've read in 2013. The story takes place 4 months after the end of NIGHT BLADE where we find Kit living in Wolf Haven. Kit, severely depressed, angry, withdrawn from facing anyone except T.J., and Goliath, faces some challenges to her psyche which won't allow her to move forward and put the past behind her. I love the title of this book. It is definitely appropriate after what happened in Night Blade.

As a person who has experienced my own brand of hell, and continues to suffer through painful nightmares, depression, and anger issues (PTSD) even today, I could totally relate to what Kit was going through and that made me understand her struggles and hesitation even more. It made me that much more interested to see where Kit's path would take her while dealing with the aftermath of NIGHT BLADE since every single day is still a struggle to get up, and wanting to live, and trying not to leave everyone who loves you behind so that you can crawl back into that darkness that refuses to let you go. 

I think BROKEN BLADE is the perfect story for Kit. She's gone from a badass warrior attached to her blade, to questioning everything she's ever fought for, to wondering if she'll ever use the blade again, to slowly realizing that life needs to go on in order for her to survive. I will say that I would NOT recommend that you just jump in to BROKEN BLADE without reading BLADE SONG and NIGHT BLADE. The continuation of the storyline is something that Daniels does well. Even though there is a summation of the events that happened previously, you really need to read Kit's experiences so that you get a better understanding of her struggles to move forward and resume her job as an investigator and yes, a killer.

I will say that my favorite secondary character in Broken Blade is Doyle. Doyle is a fascinating character that you will love reading about. His past is cloudy and murky and there are still plenty of questions as to his parentage since the first time we met him in BLADE SONG. I love the fact that Doyle is protective of Kit. I loved that his tracking abilities are above reproach and that HE was responsible for finding Kit in NIGHT BLADE. I can't wait to see where Daniels takes Doyle's story from here.

As to the romance front of Broken Blade, I will say this to those who read the first two stories; Lower your expectations. You can NOT expect KIT to just jump back into the saddle when she is fighting her own sanity and wherewithal and facing yet more difficult challenges when she faces an OLD LEGEND. You can not expect KIT to suddenly open up her doors to anyone when there is so much background noise that needs to be filtered out first. I will also say that I think Kit and Justin are an interesting couple that needs to be explored further. I'm especially fascinated by Justin's Metallurgy abilities. I also haven't totally forgiven Damon for his actions in NIGHT BLADE. He needs to allow KIT time to find herself. 

There are so many different directions that Daniels can take this series from here that I am excited at the possibilities. There are definitely challenges facing Kit in the form of her evil grandmother, the fact that Doyle has a surprise or two to face which may affect Kit, and there is a looming challenge that I will not spoil under the threat of death. The future definitely looks bright for the Colbana Files!

*Recvd via NetGalley 11/03/2013* Expected publication: January 6th 2014 by Shiloh Walker, Inc.

Author - J.C. Daniels
Title - Broken Blade (Colbana Files # 3)
Released by Shiloh Walker, Inc.
Pub Date: January 6, 2014
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Received via NetGalley

*Early Review* Salt (Salt #1) by Danielle Ellison

*My Thoughts*

"Sometimes the things you see are not what they seem." Poncho

At the core of Salt, by Danielle Ellison, is Penelope Grey's search for a way to regain her magic after a demon killed her parents when she was NINE and drained her essence leaving her relying on others, like her sister Connie, so that she can practice magic and isn't just another Nom (Normal). 

Penelope's journey into becoming an Enforcer, like her parents, and grandfather, is similar to that of the TESTING in that only the strongest will survive. Penelope needs to find a way to become an Enforcer to gain access to the information that will lead her to regaining her magical abilities and revenge against the demon who killer her parents and left her magic static. Failure at any point during this testing can lead to a banishment away from your family where you're never heard from again. 

You could say that Penelope is actually Alice and that she journeys down the rabbit hole to find answers and the truths about her magic, the demon who took her magic, her families background, and why she is so very different from others. Along the way, Penelope has her sister, her grandparents, her best friend Ric, and the dubiously handsome, charming, and secretive Carter Trent who drives Penelope absolutely crazy but also captures her imagination. 

Salt is a witch story but it bit different than other stories. This is a world where witches and demons fight for supremacy, and normal humans are preyed on, and used as vessels. It is up to the Enforcers (witches trained to fight demons) to protect the norms from harm.

Penelope is an in interesting character even though at times you want to throw something at her. She's gung-ho, she's forgetful about ensuring she's fully protected with Salt, she's absolutely driven into becoming an Enforcer which leaves her vulnerable to manipulation. She's definitely a feisty character that doesn't take much grief or noise from anyone including her grandparents who really don't like her choice of careers.

Salt is obviously the first story in the series, SO, there is a bit of restraint when it comes to answering some important questions. I would like to know who the mysterious demon was that helps Pen and Carter. I would also like to know what Poncho is really up to, and what he meant by "matters of the heart are often poisonous." I would also like to know about the rest of Pen's family and where they are right now. 

Stay Tuned Marshmallows for the sequel to Salt! 

*Recvd via Publisher 12/10/2013* Releases January 7, 2014

Author - Danielle Ellison
Title - Salt (Salt # 1)
Published by Entangled Teen
Releases January 7, 2014
Genre - YA Paranormal
Received directly from publisher