Waiting on Wednesday - Soundless by Richelle Mead

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 Soundless by Richelle Mead

Author: Richelle Mead

Series: -

Amazon pre-order

Publisher: Razorbill

Release date: 17^th November 2015

Goodreads 

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

From Richelle Mead, the #1 internationally bestselling author of Vampire Academy and Bloodlines, comes a breathtaking new fantasy steeped in Chinese folklore. 

For as long as Fei can remember, there has been no sound in her village, where rocky terrain and frequent avalanches prevent residents from self-sustaining. Fei and her people are at the mercy of a zipline that carries food up the treacherous cliffs from Beiguo, a mysterious faraway kingdom. 

When villagers begin to lose their sight, deliveries from the zipline shrink and many go hungry. Fei’s home, the people she loves, and her entire existence is plunged into crisis, under threat of darkness and starvation.

But soon Fei is awoken in the night by a searing noise, and sound becomes her weapon.

Richelle Mead takes readers on a triumphant journey from the peak of Fei’s jagged mountain village to the valley of Beiugo, where a startling truth and an unlikely romance will change her life forever..

 I’m celebrating my 4 Year Blogoversary with a giveaway - Here

Review: Silver Shadows (Bloodlines #5) by Richelle Mead

Silver Shadows

Author: Richelle Mead

Series: Bloodlines

Pages: 380

Publisher/Source: Penguin Books Australia

Release date: 29^th July 2014

Amazon – TBD

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets—and human lives.

In The Fiery Heart, Sydney risked everything to follow her gut, walking a dangerous line to keep her feelings hidden from the Alchemists.

Now in the aftermath of an event that ripped their world apart, Sydney and Adrian struggle to pick up the pieces and find their way back to each other. But first, they have to survive. 

For Sydney, trapped and surrounded by adversaries, life becomes a daily struggle to hold on to her identity and the memories of those she loves. Meanwhile, Adrian clings to hope in the face of those who tell him Sydney is a lost cause, but the battle proves daunting as old demons and new temptations begin to seize hold of him. . . .

Their worst fears now a chilling reality, Sydney and Adrian face their darkest hour in this heart-pounding fifth installment in the New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series, where all bets are off.

Review: 4 out of 5 stars

Contains possible spoilers from the previous books

After the jaw dropping ending in book 4, The Fiery Heart I was more than excited to read Silver Shadows and despite a few minor issues I had, it was still a great addition to the series and has left things in a very interesting place.

When the Alchemists discovered Sydney Sage was in a relationship with a Vampire, she is taken to an unknown location for re-education where she will have her soul cleansed of this impurity. The events that took place in this facility were pretty brutal, the alchemists form of punishment involved a lot of mind tactics that would break anyone but Sydney remained strong and continued her attempts to work her way out of the hell that they were putting her through but in doing this she needed to gain the trust of the other imprisoned Alchemists, not an easy feat when the crime she committed is considered the worst of the worst.

Quote: Out of old habit, I put my hand on my collarbone, touching a cross that was no longer there. Don’t let them change me, I prayed silently. Let me keep my mind. Sydney.

Adrian on the other hand wasn’t as strong and surprised me - not in a good way, I won’t reveal his behaviour while Sydney was locked up but I just couldn’t sympathise with him. For me, he progressed drastically as a character from the first book Bloodlines through to The Fiery Heart but in this he let himself go deeper and deeper into his wallowing self-pity ways which was reminiscent of his VA behaviour – he didn’t remain consistent or persistent, admittedly he did try for a long while but he seemed to just give up. In saying that, he did end up redeeming himself and I admired him for it but I’m not sure I completely agree with how they went about it all, the repercussions of their actions are going to be very interesting to see play out.

Quote: “But with Sydney... with Sydney, I'd had it all- And lost it all. Love, understanding, respect. The sense that we'd both become better people because of each other and could take on anything so long as we were together. Only we weren't together anymore. They'd ripped us apart, and I didn't know what was going to happen now.”  Adrian

There is a lot of kick-butt action sequences and destruction in parts of this book which I liked, the first part I found to be extremely slow which was to be expected with what Sydney was going through, the middle part lagged in parts but the last third really kept me interested. There are many surprising developments I didn’t envision happening and I’m super excited to see how it all comes together in the end – I’m really hoping in the next book there is some more page time with Zoe and Sydney’s father and of course more magic use.

I don’t feel we got to see as much of the secondary characters again in this book, I missed their presence in The Fiery Heart as well but I did appreciate the role Marcus played and I wish there was more mushy moments between Jill and Eddie.

Richelle Mead’s writing is exciting and engaging, the dual POV again worked perfectly and the outcome of the events blended beautifully to create a wonderful page-turner. The wait for The Ruby Circle is going to be painful. 

Thank you to Penguin Books Australia for the opportunity to read and review Silver Shadows.

Books in order:

Bloodlines 2011

The Golden Lily 2012

The Indigo Spell 2013

The Fiery Heart 2013

The Ruby Circle

About the author:

Scorpio Richelle Mead is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of urban fantasy books for both adults and teens. Originally from Michigan, Richelle now lives in Seattle, Washington where she works on her three series full-time: Georgina Kincaid, Dark Swan, and Vampire Academy.
A life-long reader, Richelle has always loved mythology and folklore. When she can actually tear herself away from books (either reading or writing them), she enjoys bad reality TV, traveling, trying interesting cocktails, and shopping for dresses. She's a self-professed coffee addict and has a passion for all things wacky and humorous.

Vampire Academy movie release day + review by Richelle Mead

Vampire Academy

Author: Richelle Mead

Series: Vampire Academy

Pages: 332

Publisher: Penguin Books Australia

Amazon

Release date: 16/07/2007

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

Read the official film tie-in before it hits cinemas in 2014!

The astonishing first book that kicked off the international bestselling series.

ONLY A TRUE BEST FRIEND CAN PROTECT YOU FROM YOUR IMMORTAL ENEMIES . . .

Lissa Dragomir is a Moroi princes – a mortal vampire with a rare gift for harnessing the earth's magic. She must be protected at all times from Strigoi: the fiercest vampires – the ones who never die. The powerful blend of human and vampire blood that flows through Rose Hathaway, Lissa's best friend, makes her a Dhampir. Rose is dedicated to a dangerous life of protecting Lissa from the Strigoi, who are hell-bent on making Lissa one of them.

After two years of freedom, Rose and Lissa are caught and dragged back to St. Vladimir's Academy, a school for vampire royalty and their guardians-to-be, hidden deep in the forests of Montana. But inside the iron gates, life is even more fraught with danger . . . and the Strigoi are always close by.

Rose and Lissa must navigate their dangerous world, confront the temptations of forbidden love, and never once let their guard down, lest the evil undead make Lissa one of them forever .

Review: 4 out of 5 stars

This is a re-read of Vampire Academy for me, I first read it when it was released back in 2010 but it fast became a series I was truly invested in and counted down the days until the release of the next book/s.

Seventeen year-old Dhampir, Rose Hathaway became one of my favourite female characters with her kick-butt fighting skills, snark, impulsiveness, sense of humour, her no fear attitude and the way she protected those closest to her, especially Princess Lissa Dragomir, a Moroi Vampire. The way their friendship was depicted was done extremely well and showed the deep emotional connection between them.

After being on the run for quite some time, Rose and Lissa are returned to St. Vladimir’s Academy, a secret place where vampires are taught the ways of magic and half-human teenagers train to protect them against the evil vampires known as Strigoi. I love books set in boarding schools, Academies etc. so the setting was perfect for me.

The love interest in this book is the forbidden and mysterious Dmitri Belikov who is training Rose to be a Guardian, he is the perfect protector and badass who matches Rose wit for wit, he tolerates her stubbornness and is just as brave as she is; their chemistry was off the charts and their dialogue was truly entertaining, I loved their scenes together, Richelle Mead matched these characters personalities perfectly.

The secondary characters are wonderfully developed and each with depth, I was drawn to Christian and Mason will always be a favourite. All of the characters interactions and dialogue was done well.

Being the first book in the series, there was a lot of information and being a re-read for me I did find myself skimming but it still didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment of the book. The action, drama and adventure were all perfectly balanced and the complex world-building was strong with an intriguing plot and unique vampire lore.

I loved Richelle Mead’s writing style which was engaging, addictive and fluid, the VA series is one of my all-time favourites, with perfect characterizations and a female lead that undergoes vast emotional growth throughout the story and never once stops being herself it is a must read for fans of Paranormal YA.

Overall, Vampire Academy is a great start to the series, it’s a thrilling adventure with many twists and turns that leave you on the edge of your seat wanting more. Fantastic characters, wonderful friendships and a really sweet budding romance.

Thank-you to Penguin Books Australia for the opportunity to read and review Vampire Academy.

About the author:

Scorpio Richelle Mead is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of urban fantasy books for both adults and teens. Originally from Michigan, Richelle now lives in Seattle, Washington where she works on her three series full-time: Georgina Kincaid, Dark Swan, and Vampire Academy.

A life-long reader, Richelle has always loved mythology and folklore. When she can actually tear herself away from books (either reading or writing them), she enjoys bad reality TV, traveling, trying interesting cocktails, and shopping for dresses. She's a self-professed coffee addict and has a passion for all things wacky and humorous.

Watch the official VA movie trailer, releasing in Australian cinemas on Thursday 6^th March.

Review: The Fiery Heart (Bloodlines #4) by Richelle Mead

The Fiery Heart

Author: Richelle Mead

Series: Bloodlines

Pages: 438

Publisher/Source: Penguin Books Australia

Amazon

Release date: 19^th November 2013

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

In The Indigo Spell, Sydney was torn between the Alchemist way of life and what her heart and gut were telling her to do. And in one breathtaking moment that Richelle Mead fans will never forget, she made a decision that shocked even her. . . .

But the struggle isn't over for Sydney. As she navigates the aftermath of her life-changing decision, she still finds herself pulled in too many directions at once. Her sister Zoe has arrived, and while Sydney longs to grow closer to her, there's still so much she must keep secret. Working with Marcus has changed the way she views the Alchemists, and Sydney must tread a careful path as she harnesses her profound magical ability to undermine the way of life she was raised to defend. Consumed by passion and vengeance, Sydney struggles to keep her secret life under wraps as the threat of exposure—and re-education—looms larger than ever.

Pulses will race throughout this thrilling fourth installment in the New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series, where no secret is safe.

Review: 5 out of 5 stars

Contains possible spoilers

The Fiery Heart is the fourth book in the wonderful Bloodlines series by Richelle Mead. It has taken me forever to write this review and to be honest my mind is still reeling over the events that took place, the plethora of emotions has left me so anxious to get hold of the next book just to find out the outcome of what has happened.

The Fiery Heart definitely made me realise that Sydney and Adrian are meant for one another; the banter, interactions and chemistry between them is entertaining and written to perfection, the uptight Sydney is long gone and in her place is someone with courage, strength and determination - I have absolutely loved her character progression throughout this series.

I don’t feel we got to see as much of the secondary characters in this book which was disappointing; they have each played a pivotal part up until this point so their presence was missed. I did enjoy meeting the new characters we were introduced to and I can’t wait to learn more about each of them.

We also get Adrian’s POV in this book which I think was needed to get more insight into his thoughts and reactions and how he feels about his ability to use spirit; he was quite troubled and understandably so for very good reasons, I liked how it was all dealt with - he is also a character I feel has really matured since we first met him in the VA series. The transition and contrast between the characters was flawless and both had their own distinct voice which I enjoyed.

The Fiery Heart is filled with plot twists and turns I never saw coming - we learnt more about breaking the alchemist tattoos, the connection between spirit use and the strigoi and also found out more about Sydney’s unique blood. There were some amazing action sequences which kept things entertaining; everything blended beautifully to create a brilliant page-turner and one that is written perfectly.

Richelle Mead writes the most riveting and engaging books and The Fiery Heart was no different; I wasn’t wowed by the first book, Bloodlines in the series; I compared it too much to The Vampire Academy series but this is fast becoming one of my favourites.

The ending killed me! It was brutal so I can’t wait to read the next book, Silver Shadows to see how it all comes together. Hopefully what has been built up to this point has not been destroyed – those who have read the book will know what I mean ;)

Thank-you to Penguin Books Australia and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review The Fiery Heart.

   

About the author: Scorpio Richelle Mead is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of urban fantasy books for both adults and teens. Originally from Michigan, Richelle now lives in Seattle, Washington where she works on her three series full-time: Georgina Kincaid, Dark Swan, and Vampire Academy.

A life-long reader, Richelle has always loved mythology and folklore. When she can actually tear herself away from books (either reading or writing them), she enjoys bad reality TV, traveling, trying interesting cocktails, and shopping for dresses. She's a self-professed coffee addict and has a passion for all things wacky and humorous.

Review: Gameboard of the Gods (Age of X #1) by Richelle Mead

Gameboard of the Gods

Author: Richelle Mead

Series: Age of X

Pages: 448

Publisher: Dutton

Genre: Adult - Paranormal

Amazon – TBD

Synopsis (Goodreads)

In a futuristic world nearly destroyed by religious extremists, Justin March lives in exile after failing in his job as an investigator of religious groups and supernatural claims. But Justin is given a second chance when Mae Koskinen comes to bring him back to the Republic of United North America (RUNA). Raised in an aristocratic caste, Mae is now a member of the military’s most elite and terrifying tier, a soldier with enhanced reflexes and skills.

When Justin and Mae are assigned to work together to solve a string of ritualistic murders, they soon realize that their discoveries have exposed them to terrible danger. As their investigation races forward, unknown enemies and powers greater than they can imagine are gathering in the shadows, ready to reclaim the world in which humans are merely game pieces on their board.

Gameboard of the Gods, the first installment of Richelle Mead’s Age of Xseries, will have all the elements that have made her YA Vampire Academy and Bloodlines series such megasuccesses: sexy, irresistible characters; romantic and mythological intrigue; and relentless action and suspense.

Review: 3 out of 5 stars

I admit to having a bit of an obsession with all things Richelle Mead, I adored her Vampire Academy, Georgina Kincaid and Bloodlines series so I was more than eager to start on her adult paranormal series Age of X  but unfortunately it didn’t leave me with the euphoric feelings I usually get from a Mead book and it saddens me to rate it accordingly.

Our main protagonist is Mae Koskinen, an elite Praetorian raised in an aristocratic caste and fierce amongst her kind – at the beginning of the book she had brutally beaten another woman at a funeral, she wasn’t to be messed with and unfortunately her cold demeanour didn’t endear me to her right away although as the book progressed so too did my feelings toward her.

As part of her punishment she has been sent to Panama city to locate and return Justin March who lives in exile after failing in his job as an investigator of religious groups and supernatural claims. I wasn’t Justin’s biggest fan, he was conceited and has an obsession with booze, drugs and women; he wasn’t a hero I enjoyed reading about unfortunately despite his intelligence and knowledge.

It took me a little while to get into Gameboard of the Gods, not because it wasn’t enjoyable because the world Mead has created was certainly ambitious and interesting but the complexity of it all left my small brain scrambled as I was trying to piece together what was going on and without explanation of the terminology being used, I was baffled.

The pacing also started off really slowly as we are introduced to the characters and the world, I found myself putting the book down on numerous occasions just to mull over it all. The plot follows Mae and Justin as they go in search of a ritualistic murderer, their mission was intriguing and I found myself enjoying the mystery of it all and the secrets we came to learn.

What I did love was Mead’s futuristic world which has nearly been destroyed by religious extremists and is now separated by the Republic of the United North America (RUNA) and the Eastern Alliance (EA) with the outlying areas considered the lower castes, seen as backwards in comparison. The imagery was vividly detailed and despite the complexity, I enjoyed the uniqueness of it.

We get a bit of romance but it wasn’t convincing to me at all, there are no sweet, knee wobbling moments that had me gushing and the relaxed attitude towards having other partners sexually really put me off. I didn’t feel the connection between Justin and Mae so I wasn’t fully invested in their relationship especially considering their completely differing beliefs.

Richelle Mead’s writing is pure perfection, you can’t fault it but unfortunately this book failed to wow me as her others have. The concept was certainly promising; I enjoyed the political, religious and militant aspects but my detachment from the characters let it down for me.

Overall, Gameboard of the Gods reads differently to all of Richelle Mead’s other books; I found myself loving the game being played out and the fascinating and detailed world but there were a few too many elements which let it down for me. I do see potential in this series and will pick up the next book.

Thank-you kindly to Dutton for providing me with a copy of Gameboard of the Gods to read and review.

About the author: Scorpio Richelle Mead is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of urban fantasy books for both adults and teens. Originally from Michigan, Richelle now lives in Seattle, Washington where she works on her three series full-time: Georgina Kincaid, Dark Swan, and Vampire Academy.

A life-long reader, Richelle has always loved mythology and folklore. When she can actually tear herself away from books (either reading or writing them), she enjoys bad reality TV, traveling, trying interesting cocktails, and shopping for dresses. She's a self-professed coffee addict and has a passion for all things wacky and humorous.

Website : Facebook : Twitter

Review: The Indigo Spell (Bloodlines #3) by Richelle Mead

Author: Richelle Mead

Series: Bloodlines

Pages: 401

Genre: Young Adult - Paranormal

Publisher/ Source: Penguin Books Australia

Amazon: The Indigo Spell

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

In the aftermath of a forbidden moment that rocked Sydney to her core, she finds herself struggling to draw the line between her Alchemist teachings and what her heart is urging her to do. Then she meets alluring, rebellious Marcus Finch--a former Alchemist who escaped against all odds, and is now on the run. Marcus wants to teach Sydney the secrets he claims the Alchemists are hiding from her. But as he pushes her to rebel against the people who raised her, Sydney finds that breaking free is harder than she thought. There is an old and mysterious magic rooted deeply within her. And as she searches for an evil magic user targeting powerful young witches, she realizes that her only hope is to embrace her magical blood--or else she might be next.


Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, the Bloodlines series explores all the friendship, romance, battles, and betrayals that made the #1 New York Times bestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive—this time in a part-vampire, part-human setting where the stakes are even higher and everyone’s out for blood.

Review: 4 ½ out of 5 stars

The Indigo Spell is the third book in the Bloodlines series by the wonderfully talented Richelle Mead and was kindly provided to me by Penguin Books Australia.

I was eager to dive back into the world of the Alchemists and Vampires and it was certainly a roller-coaster of emotions with Sydney and the gang. Sydney for me has progressed so much as a character, she is intelligent, has a sense of humour without really realising it and despite over-analysing a few things she thinks before she acts which I really like. Her dedication to the alchemists is beginning to sway and she is understanding that the alchemy world around her isn’t quite what it seems and she is having to make some crucial choices.

The plot is fast-paced and entertaining and the variety of story arcs we are given kept me really intrigued. In this installment we see Sydney continue to protect Jill at Amberwood Prep as well as hone her magical abilities with Ms Terwilliger to help search for an evil magic user who is targeting powerful young witches. There was a lot going on and in some ways it felt like too much had been pushed on Sydney but I also felt it helped her to move forward as a character.

We are also given answers about the infamous Marcus Finch, renegade alchemist and although I found him quite appealing, he is a character I don’t quite trust - yet.

Adrian for me has really changed, he isn’t as carefree and is facing his responsibilities in a more mature manner; I still adore his charm, smart little quips and snide remarks but he doesn’t come across as laid back as what he has in past books; I quite like these changes. I loved his interactions with Sydney, there is no holding back with the declarations now he has admitted how he feels which I really liked and seeing her deal with her forbidden feelings and inner turmoil was difficult for her – there were a few hot moments between them which really showed their chemistry but her beliefs made her question everything.

I have absolutely loved the story progression, from the very first book, Bloodlines to now there has been amazing character growth, especially with Sydney and a romance that has bloomed from a friendship to so much more, I enjoyed Sydney’s adventures in The Indigo Spell, it was a real page turner; it is also nice to see Rose and Dimitri make an appearance.

Richelle Mead is an auto-buy author for me, her writing is mesmerising and I find myself flying through the pages, her characters are true to life and believable and the story she has weaved is filled with action, mystery and romance.

We are left with a cliff-hanger so I am really excited to read The Fiery Heart which has an anticipated 19^th November 2013 release date.

After my hesitation to begin this series, I am really thankful I did because it is certainly turning into a fave!

Thank-you to Penguin Books Australia for the opportunity to read and review The Indigo Spell.