BlogFest is a massive carnival of giveaways with a great collection of
participating blogs. Each blog has a giveaway and the idea is to hop from blog
to blog, entering all the giveaways your little heart desires. Hopefully
you might even come across a few blogs you might want to bookmark and continue
visiting! (nudge nudge wink wink)
You can find details and a full list of the blog
participants HERE.
My Giveaway!!!
For my stop, I am
giving away a book of your choice to the value of $15aud from The Book Depository.
Conditions:
This giveaway is open
INTERNATIONAL Only one (1) winner will be selected
The winner has 48 hours
to reply and claim the prize or another winner will be selected.
Please ensure The Book
Depository ships to you. (You can check HERE)
Winner will be announced
on my blog, twitter and facebook page
It's a chance to share what has
happened the past week, showcase books and other bookish things we have
received and talk about what is coming up on our blog.
This is my recap of what I received and what happened
on the blog this past week.
(Clicking
on the title will take you to Goodreads)
(Pending reviews):Deity
by Jennifer L. Armentrout (6 Oct), The
Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken (18 Nov), Betwixt by Melissa Pearl (1Nov) & The Impossible Engineers by
M.J. Fletcher.
Thank-you for stopping by! I have also joined Facebook (finally),
I'd love for you to join me there as well - FACEBOOK
What did you get
this week? Please feel free to leave yourlink in the
comments.
I am sooo excited to be participating in the cover reveal for RELEASE, the third book in the AMAZING Protector
series by M.R. Merrick. I literally squeeled with delight when I saw it, It is
definitely my fave so far!!
Release Synopsis. After uniting the shifters and
calling in reinforcements, Chase has to face his toughest challenge yet:
learning to control his emotions. But as tensions rise and his powers grow,
controlling his emotions becomes the least of his problems.
Terrorized by a multi-shifter who is
hell-bent on turning him, Chase questions just how far he’s willing to go to
stop his father. Meanwhile, Tiki’s virtuous nature has placed him in the
middle of Vincent’s past, leaving Chase to oppose a senate of vampires and
defend a demon he hates.
Trying to balance his
friends, his enemies, and his inner demons, Chase is left searching for answers
about the Mark, his destiny, and where he can find the next soul piece.
Stopping Riley is his top priority, but as more obstacles arise, he finds
himself doubting all the decisions he’s made - especially regarding Rayna.
One thing is for
certain: Chase has finally realized that he doesn’t know anything. The light
doesn’t always quell the darkness, the monsters don’t always stay in the
shadows, and the past doesn’t always stay in the past - sometimes, the demons
inside are the hardest to fight.
Welcome to Never Land,
the land of Never and the world of rock, the world
of new experiences and sensations, a world where music runs through the veins
of the dedicated, and love is taken and given with consequences. Never (Neve)
Knight, the lead singer and manager of a band filled with the hottest guys in
rock finally gets the dream that she wanted: a label signing her
band The Never Knights. It is what she always wanted, a band of her own
and playing her own kind of music. Getting her band to where it was came at a
high price, including giving up the man who makes her heart race and her blood
pound, the man who caused her to nearly lose her band. As she gets
ready to go on her world tour, fate brings her close to Danny Blue again, and
she's not sure if she can give him up a second time even if it means losing the
band.
Book
2 of the Never Knights Series, starting with Never Say Never
From
August 13 through October 30, 2012 every time you download the Kindle Version
of Never Say Never, you get entered into the draw to win a signed red
leather patent Coach Handbag. (Valued at $700)
Sixteen-year-old Evening Spiker lives
an affluent life in San Francisco
with her mother, EmmaRose, a successful geneticist and owner of Spiker Biotech.
Sure, Evening misses her father who died mysteriously, but she’s never really
questioned it. Much like how she’s never stopped to think how off it is that
she’s never been sick. That is, until she’s struck by a car and is exposed to
extensive injuries. Injuries that seem to be healing faster than physically
possible.
While recuperating in Spiker Biotech’s lush facilities, she meets Solo
Plissken, a very attractive, if off-putting boy her age who spent his life at
Spiker Biotech. Like Evening, he’s never questioned anything... until now. Solo
drops hints to Evening that something isn’t right, and Emma-Rose may be behind
it. Evening puts this out of her mind and begins her summer internship project:
To simulate the creation of the perfect boy. With the help of Solo, Evening
uncovers secrets so big they could change the world completely.
Review: 4 ½ out of 5 stars
Eve and
Adam by Katherine
Applegate and Michael Grantwas kindly provided to me by Hardie Grant Egmont Australia.
After
an accident which left Evening Spiker with serious injuries, she is transferred
from the hospital to her successful geneticist mothers’ high-tech laboratory
where she will recover at the hands of a highly trained medical team.
Eve
was a smart character who was logical, realistic and believable in her
emotions; whilst recuperating and to relieve her boredom she has been given the
task by her mother to simulate the creation of the perfect human using enhanced
technology, I enjoyed the imagery we are given and Eve’s thought process when
it came to designing the ideal boy.
Eve
knew something wasn’t quite right about her extremely fast healing but there to
provide her with the answers was Solo Plissken who stayed by her side from the
moment she first landed in hospital, he was such an intriguing character with a
quick wit and a smart mind – I really wanted to know more about his life within
the walls of the Biotech facility, his past, his rebellious streak and his
determination to bring Eve’s mother down. I felt there was so much more to him
as a person that we didn’t find out.
Each
of the secondary characters were fleshed out well; I especially liked Aislin,
Eve’s best friend who although was going through a difficult time with her drug
dealing boyfriend bought some humor to the story – I did at times find her
ongoing dramas were an unnecessary addition to the storyline but she was
supportive to Eve and enjoyable none the less.
I
devoured this book in a few short hours, I was mesmerized by the wonderful
story-telling of these talented authors; the plot flowed smoothly and the idea
of the perfect human being created or enhanced I found to be fascinating, the
secrets being uncovered along the way provided a great back-drop to the perfect
mystery.
The
narrative is told from Eve, Solo and (highlight white text to show spoiler) eventually Adam’s POV when he is bought to
life which I always appreciate, the switch between each chapter was flawless.
We are propelled right into these characters stories right from the onset.
I
enjoyed the scientific aspects of Eve
and Adam, many questions are asked in this book about what really represents
perfection to us which I found quite entertaining and the writing kept me
engrossed from the very first page.
My
only gripe is too much is revealed in the synopsis so there is no real element
of surprise but other than this, I really enjoyed Eve and Adam.
Thank-you
to Hardie Grant Egmont Australia for providing me
with a copy of Eve and Adam.
Shiloh Ravenwolf thought she was getting used to the strange events in
Whispering Pines, until the full moon brings another surge of supernatural
threats to her coastal town. Ferocious wolves, deadly necromancers, and
shambling zombies have descended upon the neighborhood, so Shiloh
needs to gain control of her magical abilities—fast!
It sucks that she has a crippling fear of the dark, which for a demon hunter
can be an epic problem. But she spends so much time wallowing in the darkness,
how can she not become a part of it?
When her classmates are attacked by a mysterious creature and her father is
murdered, Shiloh vows vengeance. Forcing her
phobias aside, she forms an unlikely coven of supernaturally gifted teens to
help her eradicate this menace. Except that’s not all Shiloh
has to worry about. She’s battling a different monster within herself and
struggling not to become the very thing she fights: evil.
But with demon blood inside her—anything can happen…
Review: 4 out of 5 stars
Moonlight Mayhem by Sherry Soule is the second book in the Spellbound series and was kindly provided
to me by the author in exchange for my honest review.
Shiloh
Ravenwolf is still trying to control the magical abilities she wields as a
heritage witch - she can see auras and the
echoes of souls which reveal a person or demons true nature and has been chosen
by an ancient prophecy to defend Whispering Pines against evil.
The engrossing plot is definitely one of my
favorite things about this book, Shiloh’s
classmates are being targeted by a mysterious supernatural creature and her
father has been murdered so rather than sit back and wallow she seeks vengeance
but she is also fighting against an inner evil – the darkness of her demon
blood. I absolutely loved her determination and her kick-butt go forward
attitude and snark.
On-again,
off-again boyfriend Trent was a surprise to me, the something ‘more’ about him was
a nice spin and I enjoyed his persistence when it came to Shiloh.
I loved the combat training scenes between them and their interactions are
wonderful, I’m glad the romance picked up in this book.
Moonlight Mayhem has a great combination of all the paranormal
creatures I have come to love and enjoy – a zombie, lycans and fallen angels
and I am thinking we may have a Fae amongst them as well! Ms. Soule has written
each character perfectly and I look forward to reading more about each of them,
Shiloh has gained some great allies and
friends.
The world-building and character developments were another
thing I liked, we still get the creepy vibe in Moonlight
Mayhem
as we did in Beautifully Broken which
made the story all the more mysterious, Whispering Pines is certainly a town
filled with unbelievable secrets which I have enjoyed watching unravel.
Moonlight
Mayhem is a book filled with action, intrigue and characters you can’t help
but adore. Ms. Soule’s writing is engaging and the plot and pacing flowed well,
there was never a dull moment.
There are a few loose ends which I am hoping we
receive answers to in the next installment, Destiny Disrupted.
Thank-you to Sherry Soule for providing me with a
copy of Moonlight Mayhem.
This week's topic discusses series that you have
not finished for one reason or another.
My Top Ten:
1.The Matched Trilogy
by Ally Condie – I really enjoyed Matched and have been meaning to pick up
Crossed which I have but never seem get a chance.
2. Soul Screamers
by Rachel Vincent – I have only read the first 2 books in this series and
really enjoyed them and have since received the 6th book so I MUST
order 3-5 soon.
3. Paranormalcy
by Kiersten White – The same reason as #1
4. The Wolves of
Mercy Falls by Maggie Stiefvater – I struggled with Shiver so couldn’t continue
with this series.
5. Black Dagger
Brotherhood by J.R Ward – I read the first book in this series, Dark Lover and
didn’t enjoy it as much as a lot of other people did so this is another series I
don’t think I’ll be continuing.
6.Hourglass by
Myra McEntire – I enjoyed the first book, Hourglass and received Timepiece as
an ARC but I couldn’t really get into it when I started so I might try again at
a later date.
7. Night Huntress
by Jeaniene Frost – I’m a big Cat & Bones fan but have only read up to book
4 in this series so I have a bit of catching up to do.
8. Personal
Demons by Lisa Desrochers – I wasn’t a huge fan of the first book in this
series but I may try book two which I hear is a lot better.
9.The Doorknob
Society – I really enjoyed the first book in this series and have book two just
waiting to be read, hopefully I’ll get to this one soon.
10. Chicagoland
Vampires – This is one of my favorite series, I have read the first 4 books but
was left too shocked to pick up book 5; this is another one I MUST pick up again
soon.
Don't look at Them. Never let Them know you can see Them.That is
Ethan Chase's unbreakable rule. Until the fey he avoids at all costs—including
his reputation—begin to disappear, and Ethan is attacked. Now he must change
the rules to protect his family. To save a girl he never thought he'd dare to
fall for.
Ethan thought he had protected himself from his older sister's world—the land of Faery. His previous time in the Iron
Realm left him with nothing but fear and disgust for the world Meghan Chase has
made her home, a land of myth and talking cats, of magic and seductive enemies.
But when destiny comes for Ethan, there is no escape from a danger long, long
forgotten.
Review: 4 ½ out of 5 stars
I
absolutely adored the Iron Fey series
by Julie Kagawa so I was really excited to receive an advanced readers copy of The Lost Prince from Harlequin Teen Australia which is the first book in The Iron Fey, Call of the Forgotten series.
The Lost Prince is Ethan Chase’s story, the young brother of the
Iron Queen Meghan Chase. When his half-breed Phouka friend,
Todd goes missing and the creepy Fey he has always tried to avoid suddenly
spring up, Ethan has to get involved in a world he has tried to steer clear of
since Meghan made her decision to leave.
I
didn’t enjoy Ethan as a character in the initial stages, he was rebellious, sullen
and hostile to everyone he came across – he despised the land of Faery and has never
wanted anything to do with it but his bitterness could be forgiven after
everything he has had to endure, he has been tormented by the Fey for years; it
was easy to sympathize with him and I really grew to like him as our main hero.
MacKenzie
‘Kenzie’ St. James, Ethan’s love interest was just as stubborn as he was but I
did quite like her and was surprised and really saddened by her secret; I am
glad she was able to break through Ethan’s tough guy façade; they worked well
together.
The
plot and pacing flowed beautifully; Ethan’s journey through NeverNever was
filled with action, adventure and despair all to warn
Faeryland that a new kind of creepy fey, the Forgotten are rising.
I liked the supporting cast, in particular Keirran
who was so intriguing, I enjoyed him as a character and I’m definitely eager to
read more about him and Annwyl, his forbidden love interest.
Julie
Kagawa has crafted a wonderful fantasy that kept me entertained throughout, the
complex world she has created is breathtaking and well thought out; the
detailed descriptions and wonderful characters leap from the pages and I was so
pleased to see cameo appearances fromMeghan, Ash, Puck, and the
amazing Grimalkin.
The
writing is brilliant and Ms Kagawa’s imagination and creativity absolutely outstanding!
I am always wary of spin-offs but this book worked perfectly.
Thank-you to Harlequin
Teen Australia for the opportunity to read an ARC of The Lost Prince.
Ivy Daniels is a high school junior
still learning who she is. After almost drowning, Ivy finds herself with an
ability she doesn’t want, an ability to uncover secrets which quickly begins to
redefine what she thinks about the people around her as well as herself.
Because of this ability, Ivy becomes the one thing that stands between an angry
teen and the death of every student on campus. The only problem is she doesn’t
know who wants everyone dead. Will she figure out whose secret is that they’re
planning to blow up her school, or will she fail to find him in time?
Through her search to do the right thing, Ivy discovers that knowing the
thoughts and secrets of those around her may just tear her apart.
Review: 3 out of 5 stars
Into the Deep was kindly provided to me by the author, Lauryn
April in exchange for my honest opinion.
Ivy
Daniels is a high school junior with a new ability to read minds after a near
drowning accident, she was an easy character to relate to who although at times
was too much of a follower, was believable in her reactions and her thoughts.
The
plot was quite enjoyable, the idea of a girl who could now hear others thoughts
and uncover their secrets was fascinating – I’d certainly love to have this
ability; except for when Ivy needed to work out who the angry teen was at
school who wanted everyone dead and she also heard some troubling things about her father but couldn’t reveal what she knew without sounding completely
crazy.
It
took me a little while to get into Into
the Deep; Despite liking Ivy’s new ability, she had the chance to put a
stop to the danger which was presented a lot sooner than what she did so what
had me stumped was why she took the threat so lightly and dragged things out.
This was the main part of this story which I couldn't quite connect with.
Brant
is the love interest and was by Ivy’s side whenever she was in need; I enjoyed
watching their romance develop although it did happen a little too quickly.
Brant had a back-story which was quite sad and he was certainly misunderstood;
I quite liked him as a character but was surprised he could go from being nasty about Ivy and her friend one moment to being by her side every second the next – I didn’t quite understand the
pull beside his fascination with what he discovered she could now do.
Ivy’s
friends were shallow and she was more or less doing as they do and not thinking
or acting for herself, I was pleased she was able to see (or hear them) for
what they truly were and took action to decide who she would be friends with. I
also enjoyed the new friendship she had with Charlie who was a lot more genuine.
I
had no idea as to who the villain would be and I was quite surprised by who it was
and their reasoning; we are given a few twists and turns along the way to the big reveal which I always
enjoy.
Unfortunately,
thefirst half of the book was a tad
too slow for me and I found I was skimming to get to the parts which provided
me with the most answers.There were
some story elements that I fully understood but I felt others should've been
explained or made clearer much earlier than what they were. There were a few misused words(eg.
then-than), but these were minor and can be easily overlooked.
Overall, Into the Deep is a nice debut for
author, Lauryn April.
![STSmall_thumb[2]](http://lh3.ggpht.com/-xRYOk0zIv1M/T6RLOUEZ2LI/AAAAAAAAFKw/7qJhumSkSxY/STSmall_thumb%25255B2%25255D_thumb.png?imgmax=800 "STSmall_thumb[2]")
