Review: Seven Black Diamonds by Melissa Marr

Seven Black Diamonds

Author: Melissa Marr

Series: Seven Black Diamonds #1

Publisher: HarperTeen

Release date: 01/03/2016

Pages: 400

Synopsis (Goodreads)

Lilywhite Abernathy is a criminal. Her father’s “unconventional” business has meant a life of tightly held secrets, concealed weaponry, and a strict code. But Lily’s crime isn’t being the daughter of a powerful mob boss. Her guilt lies in the other half of her DNA—the part that can coax ancient rumors from stones and summon fire with a thought. Lily is part fae, which is a crime in her world.

From the time before she was born, a war has been raging between humanity and fae. The Queen of Blood and Rage, ruler of both the Seelie and Unseelie courts, wants to avenge the tragic death of her heir—a death that was the fault of reckless humans.

Lily’s father has shielded her from the repercussions of her ancestry…until she is sent to the prestigious St. Columba’s school, straight into the arms of the Black Diamonds.

Mysterious, glamorous, and bound together in their mission but constantly at odds, Zephyr, Creed, Will, Roan, Violet, and Alkamy are a Sleeper cell of fae, planted in the human world to help destroy it from within. With covers as rock stars and celebrity children, the Black Diamonds carry out the queen’s war against humanity. And unbeknownst to Lilywhite, she’s been chosen to join them.

Now more than ever, Lily’s heritage puts her in peril, and even the romantic attention of the fae singer Creed Morrison isn’t enough to keep Lily from wanting to run back to the safer world of organized crime.

Melissa Marr returns to faery in a dramatic story of the precarious space between two worlds and the people who must thrive there.

Review: 3 ½ out of 5 stars

I have a bit of an obsession when it comes to series about the fae so I was pretty excited to read Seven Black Diamonds by Melissa Marr, and despite finding it confusing and with too many POV’s it was enjoyable none the less and I am excited to read the next book.

Our main character is Lilywhite Abernathy, the daughter of a notorious fae crime boss, she lives a privileged life and is being groomed to take over but what is not known to others is that half of her DNA is fae, a crime in her world.

Lily is oblivious about her ties to faery but ends up tangled in a world of danger, politics and intrigue as she is sent by her father to the prestigious St. Columba’s school, straight into the arms of the Black Diamonds, their purpose is to carry out the queen’s war against humanity.

There was so much to love about this book, but Lily really shone! She was quick witted, intelligent, at times bratty but also dedicated. There are many side characters, the Queen of Blood and Rage is appropriately named, she kills with no regret and no compassion. She has a son Rhys who I thought was great and a daughter named Eilidh who plays a pivotal role in the overall story. I enjoyed the vast array of characters.

I enjoyed the complex world-building, Seven Black Diamonds is filled with a great blend of mystery, danger and scheming. I did find the number of POV’s confusing initially but as each personality shone through I became more interested in getting to know them individually.

The romance wasn’t at the forefront of the story but it was there between Lily and Creed, it was slow to build (my favourite) and I can’t wait to see it progress.

I love the unique and creative fantasy world that Marr has created, the world-building is strong and I can imagine will only get better. The pacing was consistent and was filled with a blend of action, romance, mystery and scheming to keep me entertained throughout; there was never a dull moment.

Thank you to HarperTeen via Edelweiss for the opportunity to read and review Seven Black Diamonds.

Review: Made For You by Melissa Marr

Made for You

Author: Melissa Marr

Series: -

Pages: 368

Publisher: Harper Collins

Release date: 16^th September 2014

Amazon – TBD

Synopsis: (Goodreads)

When Eva Tilling wakes up in the hospital, she’s confused—who in her sleepy little North Carolina town could have hit her with their car? And why? But before she can consider the question, she finds that she’s awoken with a strange new skill: the ability to foresee people’s deaths when they touch her. While she is recovering from the hit-and-run, Nate, an old flame, reappears, and the two must traverse their rocky past as they figure out how to use Eva’s power to keep her friends—and themselves—alive. But while Eva and Nate grow closer, the killer grows increasingly frantic in his attempt to get to Eva.

For the first time, New York Times bestselling author Melissa Marr has applied her extraordinary talent to contemporary realism. Chilling twists, unrequited obsession, and high-stakes romance drive this Gothic, racy thriller—a story of small-town oppression and salvation. Melissa’s fans, and every YA reader, will find its wild ride enthralling.

Review: 4 out of 5 stars

When I received an offer from Melissa Marr’s assistant to read Made for You I jumped at the chance! It has been high on my wish-list for a while and it didn’t fail to disappoint.

At the beginning of the book we meet Eva Tilling who wakes up in the hospital after being hit by a car and left for dead but not only does she need to question why someone would want to hit her she finds that she has also awoken with the strange ability to foresee people’s deaths.

The plot was mysterious and I enjoyed reading along trying to work out who wanted to hurt the very popular and well-liked Eva, I was clueless in the end but I loved the element of suspense and the twists and turns we are given along the way with cryptic clues, things at times were a little chilling.

Eva was a realistic character, she wasn’t without her flaws but she was likeable. When her path crosses with her childhood friend Nate, she is surprised he is there to support her after an extended length of time spent ignoring her but his life hasn’t been too easy. I liked Nate and the way in which he supported Eva; we also get a small amount of romance but it definitely wasn’t at the forefront of the story.

The side characters were great; Eva’s best friend Grace was wonderful, she’s the friend everyone needs to have. The killer was developed well, he was seriously messed up! I enjoyed all of the characters interactions and the pivotal role they each played in the overall story and it was nice to see Eva’s parents present.

Made For You is written well and kept me entertained from the very first page, told from three different POV’s it was nice to get insight into Eva, Grace and the Judge - killer’s thoughts. The paranormal element was done well.

Overall, Made For You is a thrilling mystery with wonderful characters and an engaging storyline – highly recommended.

About the author: Melissa grew up believing in faeries, ghosts, and various other creatures. After teaching college lit for a decade, she applied her fascination with folklore to writing.

Melissa writes fiction for adults, teens, and children. Her books have been translated into 28 languages to date and been bestsellers in the US (NY Times, LA Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal) as well as various countries overseas. She is best known for the Wicked Lovely seriesfor teens and Graveminder for adults.  

Wicked Lovely was her first novel; it was simultaneously released in the US and UK by HarperCollins in 2007 (with translation rights also sold in twenty-some countries). It debuted as a NY Times Bestseller and evolved into a multi-book series with myriad accolades and international bestseller lists.  

Her debut adult book, Graveminder, released to strong critical reception in 2011.  Following that she has edited anthologies with Kelley Armstrong (Enthralled and Shards & Ashes) and with her friend Tim Pratt (Rags & Bones), and released a second adult novel (The Arrivals) in 2013.  

With Kelley Armstrong, Melissa is the co-author of the Blackwell Pages trilogy (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers), a children’s series about the Norse myth of Ragnarök. 

Her upcoming HarperCollins 2014 release, Made For You, utilizes both her graduate degree in Southern Literature and her personal experience with stalkers in a story about a killer who terrorizes a small North Carolina town.

Her first picture book (Bunny Roo) will be released in 2015. 

Currently, Melissa resides in Virginia with her spouse, children, and many dogs.

Waiting on Wednesday - Made for You by Melissa Marr

Hi everyone!! thank-you so much for stopping by today.
Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine which spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.
My WoW for this week is Made for You by Melissa Marr a psychological thriller that sounds fabulous!

Author: Melissa Marr
Series: -
Genre: Young adult
Amazon pre-order
Publisher: Harper Collins
Release date: 16th September 2014
Add to Goodreads

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

Bestselling author of the Wicked Lovely books Melissa Marr’s first contemporary YA novel is a twisted southern gothic tale of obsession, romance, and murder. A killer is obsessed with Eva Tilling. Can she stop him, or will he claim her?

When Eva Tilling wakes up in the hospital, she’s confused—who in her sleepy little North Carolina town could have hit her with their car? And why? But before she can consider the question, she finds that she’s awoken with a strange new skill: the ability to foresee people’s deaths when they touch her. While she is recovering from the hit-and-run, Nate, an old flame, reappears, and the two must traverse their rocky past as they figure out how to use Eva’s power to keep her friends—and themselves—alive. But while Eva and Nate grow closer, the killer grows increasingly frantic in his attempt to get to Eva.

For the first time, New York Times bestselling author Melissa Marr has applied her extraordinary talent to contemporary realism. Chilling twists, unrequited obsession, and high-stakes romance drive this Gothic, racy thriller—a story of small-town oppression and salvation. Melissa’s fans, and every YA reader, will find its wild ride enthralling.

What are most anticipating this week?

 

Review: Carnival of Souls (Carnival of Souls #1) by Melissa Marr

 

Author: Melissa Marr

Series: Carnival of Souls

Pages: 306

Genre: YA

Publisher: Harper Collins

Amazon: Carnival of Souls

Carnival of Souls Website : Blog : Twitter : Goodreads

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

In a city of daimons, rigid class lines separate the powerful from the power-hungry. And at the heart of The City is the Carnival of Souls, where both murder and pleasure are offered up for sale. Once in a generation, the carnival hosts a deadly competition that allows every daimon a chance to join the ruling elite. Without the competition, Aya and Kaleb would both face bleak futures--if for different reasons. For each of them, fighting to the death is the only way to try to live.

All Mallory knows of The City is that her father--and every other witch there--fled it for a life in exile in the human world. Instead of a typical teenage life full of friends and maybe even a little romance, Mallory scans quiet streets for threats, hides herself away, and trains to be lethal. She knows it's only a matter of time until a daimon finds her and her father, so she readies herself for the inevitable. While Mallory possesses little knowledge of The City, every inhabitant of The City knows of her. There are plans for Mallory, and soon she, too, will be drawn into the decadence and danger that is the Carnival of Souls.

From Melissa Marr, bestselling author of the Wicked Lovely series and "Graveminder," comes a brand-new tale of lush secrets, dark love, and the struggle to forge one's own destiny.

Review: 4 ½ out of 5 stars

Carnival of Souls is the first book I have read by Melissa Marr and I was immersed in this story right from the very beginning.

Mallory, Kaleb and Aya are the main narrators and each have a fascinating life and story to tell. The story is rich in detail and magical intrigue.

17 year-old Mallory believes she is a human, having been adopted and raised by a powerful witch living in the human world she has no idea of who or what she is but she does know The City and Daimons do exist so spends her time training for if and when she does eventually come across one.

Kaleb and Aya, both daimons are from The City but both from different castes and participating in the carnival for differing reasons. Kaleb is a Cur and is hired in “black mask” work, fighting and killing to make his living; his latest job was to locate Mallory but he didn't expect to have feelings for her. Aya has entered the competition to avoid marriage and breeding, her way of preventing the secret she is hiding from being revealed.

The carnival is hosted by the ruler, Marchosias and is a fight to the death competition which allows every daimon a chance to join the ruling elite, but this time around the rules are about to change.

I connected with each of the characters but I felt Mallory as our main heroine was the most bland and we don’t get much emotion or feeling from her initially but she evolves as the story progresses, I was really intrigued by Kaleb and Aya’s lives and how each would benefit by winning the competition, it was an enjoyable plot which kept me riveted.

We get two romances in this book, Kaleb and Mallory which I felt was a bit rushed but was also believable because of their natures and Belias and Aya who I was really cheering on but the secret which was keeping them apart and Aya’s ruthlessness and ambition wasn’t making it easy for them.

I really enjoyed the secondary characters; especially Kevi, Kaleb’s pack-mate and Adam, Mallory’s adoptive father. Evelyn, head of the Council of Witches was also a fascinating character and Belias and his protectiveness when it came to Aya was really noble.

The world building is brilliant, the scene is set perfectly with vivid imagery and the journey we are taken on is exhilarating, I was completely engrossed in Ms Marr’s storytelling, the vibrant characters and her amazing writing.

Carnival of Souls was complex and had a lot of depth; there were many secrets to unravel with quite a few twists and turns, The City was a realm that was brutal as well as beautiful and I was so eager to learn more.

Carnival of Souls is a fascinating concept that had me mesmerized as I was reading along; it was a dark, gruesome and compelling story which leaves us with so many unanswered questions that I am eager to see answered in the sequel.