Waiting on Wednesday - The Impostor Queen by Sarah Fine

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 The Impostor Queen by Sarah Fine

Author: Sarah Fine

Series: -

Amazon pre-order

Publisher: Margaret K McElderry Books

Release date: 5^th January 2016

Goodreads

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

Sixteen-year-old Elli was a small child when the Elders of Kupari chose her to succeed the Valtia, the queen who wields infinitely powerful ice and fire magic. Since then, Elli has lived in the temple, surrounded by luxury and tutored by magical priests, as she prepares for the day when the Valtia perishes and the magic finds a new home in her. Elli is destined to be the most powerful Valtia to ever rule.

But when the queen dies defending the kingdom from invading warriors, the magic doesn’t enter Elli. It’s nowhere to be found.

Disgraced, Elli flees to the outlands, the home of banished criminals—some who would love to see the temple burn with all its priests inside. As she finds her footing in this new world, Elli uncovers devastating new information about the Kupari magic, those who wield it, and the prophecy that foretold her destiny. Torn between the love she has for her people and her growing loyalty to the banished, Elli struggles to understand the true role she was meant to play. But as war looms, she must align with the right side—before the kingdom and its magic are completely destroyed.

What are you eagerly anticipating this week?

Review: Marked (Servants of Fate #1) by Sarah Fine

Marked

Author: Sarah Fine

Series: Servants of Fate

Pages: 332

Publisher/Source: Netgalley

Release date: 1^st January 2015

Amazon

Synopsis: Goodreads

In a broken landscape carved by environmental collapse, Boston paramedic Cacia Ferry risks life and limb on the front lines of a fragile and dangerous city. What most don’t know—including her sexy new partner, Eli Margolis—is that while Cacy works to save lives, she has another job ferrying the dead to the Afterlife. Once humans are “Marked” by Fate, the powerful Ferrys are called to escort the vulnerable souls to either eternal bliss or unending fire and pain.

Unaware of Cacy’s other life, Eli finds himself as mesmerized by his fierce and beautiful partner as he is mistrustful of the influential Ferry clan led by the Charon—who happens to be Cacy’s father. Cacy, in turn, can no longer deny her intense attraction to the mysterious ex-Ranger with a haunted past. But just as their relationship heats up, an apparent hit takes the Charon before his time. Shaken to the core, Cacy pursues the rogue element who has seized the reins of Fate, only to discover that Eli has a devastating secret of his own. Not knowing whom to trust, what will Cacy have to sacrifice to protect Eli—and to make sure humanity’s future is secure?

Review: 4 out of 5 stars

Marked by Sarah Fine is the first book in her Servants of Fate series and is a wonderful introduction to her dystopian world set approximately 100 years into the future that is now more or less lawless and run down due to an environmental collapse.

Our MC Cacia Ferry is a dedicated, respected and sweet character she is also what is known as a Ferry – she moves the marked dead onto the Afterlife. It’s a role she is dedicated to and keeps secret; it also helps in her job as a paramedic.

New to Boston and Cacia’s new partner is Eli Margolis, Eli was a character I instantly adored – he melted my heart with his dedication to his sister; but Eli also has a bit of an interesting back-story that I was eager to learn more about and I was quietly shocked when it was revealed. His past was heart-breaking but the type of person he was is one that I loved reading about, loyal, kind, smexy and devoted.

The attraction between Cacia and Eli is intense, I do call it insta-love/insta-lust but it worked and it was believable; their interactions had me swooning and the smexy moments were quite steamy. The secondary characters were all fleshed out perfectly and each play a pivotal role in the overall story, I was especially curious about Galena, Eli’s sister. I was not only curious about the Ferry’s and the hierarchy but also the Ker, immortal agents who mark people for death.

The plot was fast paced and engaging, I was keen to learn who the rogue Ker was marking people for death and was shocked at who it actually was and their motives, definitely not expected; I liked the element of surprise.

What reduced my rating for the book was the world-building, Pittsburgh was a wasteland and Boston was flooded; mention was made of how hard things were to come by such as flowing clean water but we don’t really find out what eventuated besides an environmental collapse to cause society to be the way it was. I was also curious about the pirate subplot and who/what they were but it wasn’t expanded upon unfortunately. I needed more details.

Marked introduces us to a deeply inventive world that pulls you in as we are introduced to the mythological Charon and Fates, it was creative and beautifully written, we get both Cacy and Eli’s POV’s which assisted the storyline, it moved along at a realistic pace and gave us many twists and turns I didn’t expect. The fast-pace and witty dialogue made this a book that was difficult to put down.

Marked was a great start to Sarah Fine’s dystopian/Paranormal romance series; I am more than eager to read the next book in the series, Claimed.

Waiting on Wednesday: Chaos (Guards of the Shadowlands #3) by Sarah Fine

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 Chaos by Sarah Fine which is the third book in The Guards of the Shadowlands series.

Author: Sarah Fine

Series: Guards of the Shadowlands

Genre: Young adult

Amazon pre-order

Publisher: Skyscape

Release date: 7^th October 2014

Goodreads 

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

With Juri in control and everything in absolute chaos, Lela plunges into the depths of hell to free Malachi from creatures that have waited decades to exact their revenge. But the Judge has her own way of doing things, and Lela must work with Ana, the new Captain, who has a very personal mission of her own. Together, they infiltrate the most horrifying realm either has yet encountered in the Shadowlands—the bitter landscape ruled by the Mazikin.

The stakes could not be higher, and Lela must accept the help—and love—of people she barely knows or trusts. As alliances and loyalties shift and she realizes the soul she came to save isn’t the only one in need of rescue, can Lela summon the strength to see the fight through to the very end?

What are most anticipating this week?

PS. If you are interested in children’s book reviews (3-12 years), I have started a new review blog Here – Little Ones Read

ARC Review: Of Metal and Wishes by Sarah Fine

Of Metal and Wishes

Author: Sarah Fine

Series: -

Pages: 320

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Amazon

Release date: 5^th August 2014

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

There are whispers of a ghost in the slaughterhouse where sixteen-year-old Wen assists her father in his medical clinic—a ghost who grants wishes to those who need them most. When one of the Noor, men hired as cheap factory labor, humiliates Wen, she makes an impulsive wish of her own, and the Ghost grants it. Brutally.

Guilt-ridden, Wen befriends the Noor, including their outspoken leader, a young man named Melik. At the same time, she is lured by the mystery of the Ghost and learns he has been watching her … for a very long time.

As deadly accidents fuel tensions within the factory, Wen must confront her growing feelings for Melik, who is enraged at the sadistic factory bosses and the prejudice faced by his people at the hand of Wen’s, and her need to appease the Ghost, who is determined to protect her against any threat—real or imagined. She must decide whom she can trust, because as her heart is torn, the factory is exploding around her … and she might go down with it.

Review: 3 ½ out of 5 stars

When I first heard that Of metal and Wishes was described as Phantom of the Opera set in a meat factory I was super excited to get hold of it and I’m pleased it lived up to my expectations.

Our main heroine is a sixteen year-old Itanyai girl, Wen who after the death of her mother now works as an assistant in her father’s medical clinic in a slaughterhouse in Gochan One far from the life of beauty and relative ease her mother had planned for her.

Wen wasn’t always the most likeable character, she was quite dreary, melodramatic and woe is me often so I couldn’t connect with her most of the time. I did like the way she was kind and compassionate to others, especially the mysterious Noor but she still wasn’t the sort of person I found myself really enjoying.

I have to admit, it took a little while for me to get into this book, it started off slowly as we learnt who were who and as the Noors were introduced, they were the cheap labour hired to help out at the slaughterhouse. When Wren is humiliated by one of them, she makes an offering and a wish to the towns’ mythical ghost and is surprised when it comes true – brutally.

Melik is a Noor, and different to the others; outspoken and able to communicate with Wen he was an interesting character but one I would have liked to have gotten to know better. There was a small amount of romance but it definitely didn’t take centre stage, it was done nicely.

This book at times with its descriptions was gruesome, there was death, pain and illness – it was all written very well. The story behind the ghost was also very interesting; I enjoyed this aspect of the book especially but I won’t reveal too much about this to avoid spoilers; the overall concept was creative and I liked the way the story played out.

Sarah Fine is a fabulous author, I am a huge fan of her Guards of the Shadowlands series and this was also written extremely well with the intricate details she gave and the industrial Asian setting.

Overall, this book had a lot of the elements I find myself enjoying - romance, mystery, a wonderful setting; written beautifully, it is a darkly haunting tale that kept me entertained throughout and ended in a way that was fitting for the story.

  

About the author: When I'm not writing, I'm psychologizing (really, I even get a paycheck for it). Sometimes I do both at the same time. The results are unpredictable. 

For extra information about the Guards of the Shadowlands series, including Malachi's personal journal entries, or to ask a question: http://guardsoftheshadowlands.tumblr....

I also write with Walter Jury under the name S.E. Fine.

Waiting on Wednesday - Of Metal and Wishes by Sarah Fine

 

Hi everyone, thank-you so much for stopping by my WoW!

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 Of Metal and Wishes by Sarah Fine which sounds amazingly awesome! I have read Sarah Fine’s Guards of the Shadowlands series and adore her writing and the wonderful characters she writes. I’m definitely more than eager for this one.

Author: Sarah Fine

Series: -

Genre: Young Adult

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Release date: 5^th August 2014

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

There are whispers of a ghost in the slaughterhouse where sixteen-year-old Wen assists her father in his medical clinic—a ghost who grants wishes to those who need them most. When one of the Noor, men hired as cheap factory labor, humiliates Wen, she makes an impulsive wish of her own, and the Ghost grants it. Brutally.

Guilt-ridden, Wen befriends the Noor, including their outspoken leader, a young man named Melik. At the same time, she is lured by the mystery of the Ghost and learns he has been watching her … for a very long time.

As deadly accidents fuel tensions within the factory, Wen must confront her growing feelings for Melik, who is enraged at the sadistic factory bosses and the prejudice faced by his people at the hand of Wen’s, and her need to appease the Ghost, who is determined to protect her against any threat—real or imagined. She must decide whom she can trust, because as her heart is torn, the factory is exploding around her … and she might go down with it..

What are most anticipating this week?

ARC Review: Fractured (Guards of the Shadowlands #2) by Sarah Fine

Fractured

Author: Sarah Fine

Series: The Guards of the Shadowlands

Genre: Young Adult

Pages: 357

Publisher: Skyscape

Release date: 29^th October 2013

Amazon

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

In the week since Lela returned to Rhode Island as Captain of the Guard with Malachi as her second in command, local news has been dominated by chilling sightings of human-like creatures running on all fours. Lela knows there’s only one explanation: the Mazikin have arrived in the land of the living.

Needing to maintain the appearance of a normal life for her foster mother, her probation officer, and her classmates, Lela returns to Warwick High along with Malachi. At night they secretly hunt for the Mazikin nest. To assist, two new Guards from very different parts of the Shadowlands are assigned to Lela’s unit, including the bad boy Jim, who repeatedly challenges Lela's authority. Lela struggles to keep all her Guards on the right side of the law, but their mistakes come at a terrible cost.

As one painful revelation follows another and the Mazikin start targeting those closest to her, Lela finds herself more vulnerable than she’s ever been, wanting a future more than she ever has. With an enemy determined to separate soul from body, one question remains: how much is she willing to sacrifice to protect those she loves?

Review: 4 out of 5 stars

** This book contains possible spoilers from the first book. Sanctum **

Fractured is the second book in the Guards of the Shadowlands series by Sarah Fine and begins a week after Sanctum left off.

I absolutely loved the first book in this series, it was unbelievably awesome and so different to anything I have read more recently so I was more than anxious to get hold of the sequel which also didn't fail to disappoint.

Malachi Sokol and Lela Santos have returned to Rhode Island after receiving their punishment from the Judge of the Sanctum; Lela is now Captain and Malachi is posing as a high school student and acting as her second in command, an unusual arrangement which seems to work well since he has been away from the land of the living for quite some time.

Fractured has a dark and gritty plot which had Lela and Malachi hunting the Mazikin who have entered the realm in search of human hosts. They are an evil bunch intent on making earth their home. The world-building continues to progress, I found the new setting to be done well and despite it not being as action-packed, bleak and intense as the first book, the overall story was strong and continues to flow with a few surprises to keep everything interesting but still left me curious about what the author has in store with the final installment.

I really enjoyed the character progression, Lela is strong and kick-butt and takes on her new role with strength and courage although at times she did doubt herself and her abilities; Malachi in his new environment was having to find his way again, he takes his role as protector seriously and because of this we see a few miscommunications and dramas. We also meet some wonderful new secondary characters who I thought were great and played a pivotal role in the overall story, I found myself coming to like Henry and Jim who were working under Lela and I still adore Raphael.

At the beginning of the book, I really found myself enjoying the awkward, sweet and budding romance but as Lela and Malachi began to spend time apart and with others, I became extremely frustrated; this is an element I really enjoyed in the first book and I honestly felt Lela was beginning to trust him so I was unsure what the purpose was of introducing unnecessary complications and drama so the romance was unfortunately lacking for me.

Sarah Fine’s writing is fabulous, it has depth and is detailed with the setting, characters and each of the locations described vividly, you are drawn into the world she has created with her wonderful story-telling.

Overall, Fractured is creative, gloomy at times and filled with some kick-butt action. The ending left me gaping so my biggest gripe is the wait I have for the next book.

Also, a gorgeous cover!

Thank-you kindly to Netgalley/Skyscape for the opportunity to read and review Fractured.

 

About the author (Goodreads): When I'm not writing, I'm psychologizing (really, I even get a paycheck for it). Sometimes I do both at the same time. The results are unpredictable. 

For extra information about the Guards of the Shadowlands series, including Malachi's personal journal entries, or to ask a question:http://guardsoftheshadowlands.tumblr....

I also write with Walter Jury under the name S.E. Fine.

Review: Sanctum (Guards of the Shadowlands #1) by Sarah Fine

Author: Sarah Fine

Series: Guards of the Shadowlands

Pages: 433

Genre: Young Adult

Publisher: Marshall Cavendish Children's/Amazon Children's Publishing

Amazon: Sanctum

Tumbl – Website – Twitter – Facebook – Goodreads – Amazon - Blog

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

“My plan: Get into the city. Get Nadia. Find a way out. Simple.”

A week ago, seventeen-year-old Lela Santos’s best friend, Nadia, killed herself. Today, thanks to a farewell ritual gone awry, Lela is standing in paradise, looking upon a vast gated city in the distance—hell. No one willingly walks through the Suicide Gates, into a place smothered in darkness and infested with depraved creatures. But Lela isn’t just anyone—she’s determined to save her best friend’s soul, even if it means sacrificing her eternal afterlife. 

As Lela struggles to find Nadia, she’s captured by the Guards, enormous, not-quite-human creatures that patrol the dark city’s endless streets. Their all-too-human leader, Malachi, is unlike them in every way except one: his deadly efficiency. When he meets Lela, Malachi forms his own plan: get her out of the city, even if it means she must leave Nadia behind. Malachi knows something Lela doesn’t—the dark city isn’t the worst place Lela could end up, and he will stop at nothing to keep her from that fate.

Review: 4 ½ out of 5 stars

Sanctum was such a pleasant surprise, the dark and gritty setting Sarah Fine has created was filled with vivid imagery, likeable characters and a world which is compelling and unique. I was literally glued to the pages and I’m more than eager and excited to read the next book in the Guards of the Shadowlands series.

Sanctum follows the story of seventeen-year-old Lela Santos who is fraught with despair after her best friend Nadia commits suicide, when she takes some time out to say her good-byes she inadvertently ends up falling to her own death and finds herself standing in a countryside paradise but instead of entering, she turns to the dark and dreary suicide gates in the hopes of saving Nadia from the nightmare she has seen in her visions.

I thought the world and rules of Sanctum was written really well, Ms Fine has created a place filled with danger and hideous creatures, it was dark, gritty and full of gloom and Nadia’s arrival has resulted in her capture by the Guards, led by human Malachi Sokol.

Malachi has been the leader of the Guards for a very long time and boy did I instantly adore him! He’s lethal, intimidating, super smexy and devoted to ridding the dark city of the Mazikin – creepy venomous creatures with an agenda of their own. I loved the way he protected Lela and helped her to overcome her grief and fears, their relationship did happen very quickly but in this instance I didn’t find it too much too soon, it was believable and their interactions were really sweet.

Both of the main characters were amazing! Lela was tough, capable but also vulnerable, her devotion to Nadia was extremely selfless but I felt at the same time it was too much, she never felt for herself and put others at risk. She has a past which was traumatic so her plight was certainly without cause but it was just a little OTT.

Sanctum touches on some sensitive subject matters such as rape and suicide but Ms. Fine wrote them in a way which shows there is still a chance for love, healing and hope.

Overall, if you are after a book with a fast-paced plot, wonderfully written, flawed yet likeable characters and a romance which leaves you gushing and hoping for more then I highly recommend Sanctum.