Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes

Goodreads Blurb

In a land where magic has been forgotten but peace has reigned for centuries, a deadly unrest is simmering. Three kingdoms grapple for power--brutally transforming their subjects' lives in the process. Amidst betrayals, bargains, and battles, four young people find their fates forever intertwined:
Cleo: A princess raised in luxury must embark on a rough and treacherous journey into enemy territory in search of a magic long thought extinct.
Jonas: Enraged at injustice, a rebel lashes out against the forces of oppression that have kept his country impoverished--and finds himself the leader of a people's revolution centuries in the making.
Lucia: A girl adopted at birth into a royal family discovers the truth about her past--and the supernatural legacy she is destined to wield.
Magnus: Bred for aggression and trained to conquer, a firstborn son begins to realize that the heart can be more lethal than the sword...
The only outcome that's certain is that kingdoms will fall. Who will emerge triumphant when all they know has collapsed?

Ermmm...wow. That was really my reaction after reading it. WOW. Falling Kingdoms...it wasn't...wasn't what I expected at all. And I say that with 90% all the love in the world. Because the other 10%? It was a bit hesitant. Let me just say, that as the last and final Breathless Read, it didn't let me down, though it wasn't quite as good. But then, I haven't been a fan of 3rd person multiple POVs, so that probably has something to do with it!

And, I'm just saying, the Breathless Reads? I can now fully confirm--all of them will leave you breathless. There is no doubt.

So like I said, I am not a big fan of multiple POVs, especially not 3rd person. The characters are usually not well developed and while the characters weren't completely underdeveloped, they did fall a little under the line. The only really developed character, in my opinion, was Cleo and only because most of the book was from her perspective. But from what I gathered...

Cleo: Cleo was, by far, one of my favorite characters. She acts like a whiny princess at first, because after all, she was raised as one. But when she witnesses the murder of a wine seller's son (killed by her fiance, actually) she's plagued with guilt and it turns out she's a lot less whiny and spoiled than she seemed at first glance. And when her beloved sister gets sick, she turns out to be stronger than anything we expected. She defies her father, travels into enemy lands, all to look for magical healing seeds. Does it sound naive? Yes. But the fact that she'd do things she's definitely not comfortable with, all for her sister?  I loved her. 

Magnus: Can I pretty please kill him? I really wanted to rip my hair out whenever we got to Magnus' chapter. He was just...ugh. He was always thinking about Lucia, which I mean, I get. he's in love with her and wants to protect her and I loved that about her! But did he really just have to kiss her like that? I was expecting him to tell her first, then tell her his feelings, then kiss her. And I think I would've liked it a lot more if he did that. And he was so surprised when (SPOILER) she rejected him, I actually felt a little sad for him, but when he becomes cruel? Well. But then, I'm also a bit biased since he's Cleo's captor and basically her enemy. Not my favorite character in the least.

Jonas: Jonas is the brother of the guy who was brutally murdered by Cleo's fiance, and he's bent on revenge. He wants them to go through his pain or kill them, though the latter one sounds better to him. And he's...well, I couldn't blame him for trying to kill Cleo. She stood by while her companion killed his brother in front of him. But I was a bit disappointed in him for taking that route. But characters are only characteristically human!

Lucia: She's an important character, the "Chosen One" as it may be, and a very powerful sorceress--one who can wield all four elements. But we actually didn't read from her perspective for more than...two chapters? Three? It was just a bit disappointing since I was expecting more magic and practice from her. 

The plot though was...wow. It was seriously quick and action packed. Epic/High Fantasy is usually like that, but...wow. Falling Kingdom's plot was definitely more complicated and quick than I thought (for such a thick book) os plot-wise, Falling Kingdoms completely, utterly, destroyed my expectations for the plot. It was fun, a bit gory and bloody, full of betrayals, war, strategy, and more! 

There's a revolution brewing, a war to be fought and so much more and honestly? Let me say that the plot is the one thing that kept me reading the book. I just wanted to know what happened, but I refused to read the end (no matter how many times my friends told me too!) And that ending, by the way? I need the sequel now!

Worldbuilding? LOVED. I loved the magic, the legends, the goddesses, the whole thing! I loved the three kingdoms, how different they were, how the royal families operated. (Backstabbing mainly.) I absolutely love High Fantasy because of the worldbuilding, actually. It's fascinating, seeing what kind of world an author can create with only her mind and no restrictions! And Morgan Rhodes? She created one of my favorites. It was just a lush world (at least, Auranos is/was.) and the descriptions were detailed enough that we could clearly picture it all, without being boring and monotonous. I absolutely loved the legend of the Watcher and the goddesses and the magic! It was why I was a tad disappointed that we just didn't get to see more of it!

The romance was definitely iffy for me. There was this giant triangle (rectangle?) that was Cleo and her love interests: Nic, Theon, and (possibly?) Jonas. Nic is the boy next door, basically. Her best friend and always there for her, Cleo's never considered him as more than a friend, but when he shows sudden interest, she's a bit...caught in the middle. (SPOILER HERE) Theon was the guy I was actually rooting for, because I mean, come on, a guard and a forbidden love? What more can a reader ask for? But the thing is...when Cleo finally kissed him? He got killed about 5 pages later. And I. Wanted. To. Cry. But I was in school. But the fact remains--I absolutely hated that when Cleo, my favorite character, finally got with my favorite love interest...he died. I'm not sure if this is changed in the final copy, or not. I hope so! Then there was Jonas, and he didn't really show interest besides the fact that she was beautiful, but all us readers know that there's sure to be something between them later on. Right? Right.

Then there was Magnus and Lucia. One couple I was not rooting for, actually. It was just...weird how Magnus could be so cruel as to kiss her first then information-dump her. not necessarily cruel, but you get my drift. Long story short? Magnus holds an unrequited love for Lucia, and we're not quite sure if Lucia feels the same way later in the book. She cares for him, she admits, but we're not sure if it's a sibling-love or a romantic love.

Summary?

Pick this up! There were a few holes in the writing I didn't like, but honestly? I enjoyed the read! The plot definitely lived up to it's title as "Breathless Rebellion" and I think it's definitely worthy to be a Breathless Read! Any reader of High Fantasy will devour this in a blast and they'll love it for sure! There's a lot to be found in Falling Kingdoms! Because, in the end, who will fall? Aren't you curious?

Pages: 412

Series: Falling Kingdoms #1

Genre: High Fantasy

Publisher: Razorbill

Release Date: December 11, 2012

Rating: 4.5--->4 stars

Princess of the Silver Woods by Jessica Day George

Goodreads Blurb

When Petunia, the youngest of King Gregor's twelve dancing daughters, is invited to visit an elderly friend in the neighboring country of Westfalin, she welcomes the change of scenery. But in order to reach Westfalin, Petunia must pass through a forest where strange two-legged wolves are rumored to exist. Wolves intent on redistributing the wealth of the noble citizens who have entered their territory. But the bandit-wolves prove more rakishly handsome than truly dangerous, and it's not until Petunia reaches her destination that she realizes the kindly grandmother she has been summoned to visit is really an enemy bent on restoring an age-old curse. The stories of Red Riding Hood and Robin Hood get a twist as Petunia and her many sisters take on bandits, grannies, and the new King Under Stone to end their family curse once and for all.

I was...a bit disappointed by Princess of the Silver Woods. Not to say it wasn't good! Just...not what I expected and not in a good way.

I was just blown away by the other two books in the series: Princess of Glass and Princess of the Midnight Ball, so I had high hopes for this one! But then...it fell flat, and I just didn't love it the way I loved the other two. I'm not sure if it was simply because I haven't read the other two in a while, so my impression faded, or it just wasn't written as well, or what. But there were a few disappointing things, though there were TONS of things I still loved!

The character's (or rather, Oliver and Petunia) personalities irked me a bit. Petunia wasn't as likeable (in my opinion) as Rose or Poppy. She didn't really had her own distinguished personality, but acted more like Poppy, then a little bit of Rose. I think I would've liked it more if Petunia was...less her sisters and more her, although I get that she had to be a strong heroine or we'd be complaining about her damsel-in-distress -ness.

Oliver...well, this is an interesting case. I had a pretty love/hate relationship and this was one of the things I was a bit let down by. I thought Oliver would be fierce or have one of those cold/smug attitudes. Actually, I was hoping for that. It would've fit the Red Riding Hood story and the Robin Hood story as well, in my opinion. 

I also felt as if the characters hadn't been very well developed. And while I get it, I mean duh. 12 princesses and their husbands/beaus? But Petunia and Oliver...well, even with my complaints about them, they weren't very well developed, I'm afraid.

The plot was...twisty at times, predictable at others, and a tad redundant. (the redundance being the "Oh! She's one of the Nine Princesses of Rashka (that's the name right)). There were so many things I didn't expect, others I did. I knew something was wrong with the Grand Duchess and her son (it even hints so in the synopsis), but I didn't know what would happen. And that was one of the most surprising things. 

And that ending? Definitely the best part of the entire book. It was basically where you were at the edge of your seat, wanting to know what happened, your eyes scanning the page quickly. So the plot definitely earns some points!

The romance was...too insta-lovey for my tastes. So Petunia and Oliver met when Oliver attacks Petunia's carriage, and Petunia holds a gun to his face. And then they fall in love? It was just out of the blue and too sudden. 

Not to mention, I kept wanting Petunia to end up with one of the antagonists, her own prince, Kistalin (heh. Probably got the wrong name!). I've always actually liked the princes. ALL OF THEM, except whoever's currently King Under Stone. Because, seriously. Having that title is like a drug. It sucks the life out of you. So while I knew it wasn't going to happen, I kept rooting for Petunia to fall in love with her (literally) prince, even if he was evil. And couldn't go in the sun. And tried to capture her forever and ever. 

The world building is always my favorite thing in Jessica Day George's books! It's so vivid and fresh and I loved being back in Under Stone (I have no idea if that's what it's called? I forgot! But I dub thee Under Stone if it isn't already). I love how George can seamlessly weave two very different faery tales into one, and still have it all make sense, in the way that makes you think "OF COURSE!". And I love the worldbuilding and storytelling because the world matches the original's descriptions, just giving the items/places different meanings and the storytelling really just merges two fairy tales and, like I said, pretty much makes you feel stupid for not seeing the connection before!

P.S. I have written this at 1 A.M. so if there are any redundant phrases, confusing sentences, or just weirdness, I'm sorry!

Pages: 336

Series: Princess #3

Genre: Retelling/Romance/Fantasy

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books

Release Date: December 11, 2012

Rating: 3 stars

Waiting on Wednesday

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke

You stop fearing the devil when you’re holding his hand…

Nothing much exciting rolls through Violet White’s sleepy, seaside town…until River West comes along. River rents the guesthouse behind Violet’s crumbling estate, and as eerie, grim things start to happen, Violet begins to wonder about the boy living in her backyard. Is River just a crooked-smiling liar with pretty eyes and a mysterious past? Or could he be something more? Violet’s grandmother always warned her about the Devil, but she never said he could be a dark-haired boy who takes naps in the sun, who likes coffee, who kisses you in a cemetery...who makes you want to kiss back. Violet’s already so knee-deep in love, she can’t see straight. And that’s just how River likes it.

Blending faded decadence and the thrilling dread of gothic horror, April Genevieve Tucholke weaves a dreamy, twisting contemporary romance, as gorgeously told as it is terrifying—a debut to watch.

This is another of those books I've known about since BEFORE the cover reveal! I actually discovered this about 4 months ago so YES. I'm smug about discovering such an awesome book before the cover reveal.

But doesn't it sound amazing? I'm pretty sure I'd forgive insta-love for this book! It'd fit the book perfectly and I'm scared. "And that's just how River likes it"? WHY. What. Is. He. Planning. Oooh I want this SO bad! It's curious--the synopsis doesn't tell us much about what's going to happen except that something is. It gives us background, a little hint with the "eerie things start to happen" then more background. O_O I definitely need to get my hands on this!

What are you waiting on?

Renegade by J.A. Souders

Goodreads Blurb

Since the age of three, sixteen-year-old Evelyn Winters has been trained to be Daughter of the People in the underwater utopia known as Elysium. Selected from hundreds of children for her ideal genes, all her life she’s thought that everything was perfect; her world. Her people. The Law.
But when Gavin Hunter, a Surface Dweller, accidentally stumbles into their secluded little world, she’s forced to come to a startling realization: everything she knows is a lie. Her memories have been altered. Her mind and body aren’t under her own control. And the person she knows as Mother is a monster.
Together with Gavin she plans her escape, only to learn that her own mind is a ticking time bomb... and Mother has one last secret that will destroy them all.e was so efficient

Totally not what I was expecting. And I say that in the best way possible.
The cover is a lie. I mean that with all the love in the world
That synopsis doesn't give you a real hint at what's to come. Hopefully, you'll be forewarned.

So here's what I meant by those (I hope) slightly ominous words--Renegade really wasn't what I was expecting. And it was so much better than expected. The world was so...cruel and morbid, for lack of better words. There was an overall appearance of perfection, and it really sounded it in the beginning. Even if I knew that it was fake.
I just didn't realize how much of a lie it would be! And that cover? It really is beautiful, but it makes Renegade seem more innocent than it actually is. Her bleeding hand? That's kind of the only hint you can find to just how dark this "utopia" was. 
And my my, what a dark world it was.
There was so much death, so many secrets, and so much brainwashing that you're just...strangely thrilled. You're wincing and cringing, but you just can't stop reading!

As for characters, I loved Evie. She was so efficient and smart and she was...strong. She got shot and what did she do? She kept her calm and knew exactly what to do. And you just had to admire that side of her. Sure, in the beginning, she's heavily (And I mean heavily) brainwashed, but she breaks through it and honestly? That was pretty willful of her. No matter what Mother or the Enforcers (basically, assassins) did, they couldn't keep her down for long and she'd always figure out another plan. A resourceful, efficient character who doesn't really depend on anyone for anything? At all? I can't quite think of another character like her. Except maybe Adelice...
But we're talking Renegade characters today. And Evie was a really, really great one, I promise.

Gavin was Gavin was Gavin.I have a lot of...mixed feelings about him. Don't get me wrong, I loved him. Honestly, it's rare when I don't love a love interest. I guess I was expecting Gavin to be...well either a) sweeter and more innocent than he seemed or b) uber dangerous but unresistable. But Gavin was a balance between both, really. But there was...something missing. And I still loved him. He was just...Gavin.

Mother was like, the perfect villain. She was perfectly evil, but there was something underneath that hinted at a plausible explanation for her madness. What did she mean when she said "Everyone leaves me"? Oh, the burning questions. But Mother was utterly, completely, without a doubt, evil. And it was just fascinating how Souders could pull off a character who seems both sincere and insincere at times. I'm not kidding.

Plot-wise, Renegade had it completely covered. It was fast paced and I don't think there were actually any filler chapters at all. Every single word, sentence, page, it advanced the plot whether romantically or goal-wise. It was definitely one of those books where each chapter pretty much has a cliffhanger and you can barely stop reading! For pretty much all the book (excluding the first...5 chapters?) Evie and Gavin are on an escape mission--something that surprised me for some reason. I'm actually not quite sure what I was expecting for the plot!

I've already gone over the worldbuilding, but I jsut wanted to say that the Sci-fi parts were ingenious. There were explanations for everything and there were absolutely no holes in the world building. How did this function? There was an answer. Why does a citizen do that? There was an answer. Why would someone risk there life for someone they always considered an enemy? There was...a sort of answer. Which leads us to...

Romance. The romance was the one thing I was really feeling annoyed by. It was pretty insta-love, but I guess that being on the run and a guy seeing the closest thing to perfection will do that. But even though I knew it was excusable, it didn't mean that it didn't annoy me. Y'all really know how much I despise insta-love, or anything close to it. On the other hand, I did like Evie a lot, so honestly, I just wanted her to actually be happy.  Even if only the author can control that!

A creepily stunning debut novel, J.A. Souders has pulled off a unique blend of and underwater utopia with science, all the while capturing the reader's attention in  a heartbeat. With a villain who seems real, a world so different it'll stun you, and one of the most resourceful characters I've seen in a while, Renegade will definitely be finding it's home on a lot of "favorites" shelves in whatever country it's sold! It was just that good!

Pages: 352
Series: The Elysium Chronicles #1
Genre: Utopia/Dystopia/Romance
Publisher: Tor Teen
Release Date: 11/13/12
Rating: 5 stars

OMGGGGGG

Oh My Gosh
Oh My Gosh
Oh My GOSH GOSH GOSH
*hums a tune*
(P.S. CLICK for giveaway stuffs.)

ITS ACTUALLY MY BLOGOVERSARY! LIKE, THE REAL THING. Huh. This is where I seriously should know how to use gifs. I fail. I epically fail. 

MY GUSH:

Oh my God. You guys. I can't even...oh my God. Seriously. Do you know how much I love each of you? Whether you're an author, a blogger I follow, a bloggy friend, a publisher, a follower, or even someone who just came for the giveaways (I know I host some pretty awesome ones. Hey, today is a flattery day!) THANK YOU. If you just stumbled across this blog, OH MY GOSH I STILL LOVE YOU. (Although, if you're a friend who just wanted to see me embaress myself in front of people...sigh. I can't hate anyone today. Fine. I forgive you.) But you guys, I've been through my ups and downs. If you haven't heard, actually, I'll be taking a  short break in about a month! But today isn't for sad days. Once, when I first started blogging, I post seriously awful not-thought-out reviews. And while my reviews aren't something good now, they've definitely improved and I'm proud!

And well, here's the thing: I quit blogging for about two months. I had no idea how important it would be, and I barely had 10 followers.So...I quit. But what can I say? I had time on my hands then, so I picked myself out of the dumps, and started blogging again, more determined than ever.

And look where it's gotten me. Although, I can't say I've done this on my own.

Thank you, first of all, to all my bloggy friends and half bloggy friends (a.k.a. Twitter friends!). You guys have lift me out of the dumps when I was down and always squealed when me when I needed it! Support should be y'all's middle names! I can't BELIEVE the rants we've had, the squeals we've had, the OUTRAGE at something, and the "THAT PUBLISHER HATES ME" phase (*cough* Eileen, they SO do not hate you! They just...are in a coma.) we've shared! If you guys suddenly disappeared (since most of my friends lived on the East Coast, I was sort of...kind of scared during Hurricane Sandy!) I have no idea what I'd do besides cry day and night! If you were here, this is the part where I clutch your leg and yell "DON'T LEAVE ME!"

And authors. Oh my gosh. You guys have your very own post, so I won't waste your time. But know that without you guys, I'd have nothing to do, probably be staring blankly into space, and be half dead. Trust me on this.

Followers. There are. NO WORDS to describe how much I love you people who followed me, and more importantly, you people who have looked at my reviews even once, commented even once, and decided I was awesomely crazy. Or just crazy. I LOVE YOU. and if I knew how to work gifs. I would be using that Hunger Games one. You know the one I'm talking about. 

IT'S BEEN A YEAR YOU GUYS. LOVE YOU.
(Lizzy made this, but I edited it since it said Blog Tour! I'll use the original next year though! :D)

Blog Tour: Black City by Elizabeth Richards

Hey guys! As part of the Black City tour (LOVED the book by the way! You can find my review here and my interview with Elizabeth Richards here) I'm interviewing Beetle and Day from Black City, Ash and Natalie's best friend, respectively. 

FF: Describe each other in 10 words MAX. And seriously.

Day: Beetle is ‘messy, lazy, gorgeous, brave, and a great kisser’.

Beetle:Cheers babe! Day is ‘a geeky, caramel goddess, and the love of my life’.

FF: Now, describe Ash and Natalie. In as many words as you need.

Day: Natalie is generous, kind, fierce, a little spoilt, and my best friend. Ash is tall.

Beetle: Ash is a really decent mate. He’s cool, loyal, and has always got my back. Plus he doesn’t mind sharing his smokes with me, which is handy since I can never afford any. Natalie’s blond.

FF: What do you think would’ve happened if you two had never met?

Day: I would’ve moved to Centrum, to pursue my dream of becoming an Emissary. Then probably married a smart, handsome guy like Chris Thompson.

Beetle:  Hey! I’m right here.

Day: Sorry. But he is cute.

Beetle:*glowers*

Day: You know I only have eyes for you, Matthias.

Beetle: Well, okay then.

Day: You haven’t answered the question.

Beetle: If I hadn’t met Day, I’d probably be wasting my life away in a Haze den somewhere. Being with her has made me want to be a better guy.

FF: If you could change one thing in your world, anything at all, what would it be?

Day: More opportunities for Workboots.

Beetle:Equality between humans and Darklings.

FF: Are there any tips you’d give a Black City newbie?

Day: Don’t go out after curfew.

Beetle: And always carry a can of Go Away Wrath Spray! You do NOT want to meet one of those down a dark alley.

Short Author Bio

Elizabeth Richards is an award-winning journalist, who spent her early career reviewing videogames before making the bold (or crazy) move into travel writing, despite suffering from terrible travel sickness. 

In her spare time, she ran a successful lifestyle website aimed at teenage girls, where she got to interview many of her favourite bands, go to gigs and basically blag loads of free swag all in the name of ‘research’.

Elizabeth lives in Buckinghamshire, England, with her husband. Black City is her debut novel.

Fun facts

·    She's an identical twin. (No, they don’t have psychic powers, and yes she is the evil one.)

·    She's a little bit in love with Daniel Radcliffe.

·    Her favourite book of all time is Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

·    Her second favourite book is Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

·    Her third favourite is Harry…oh, you get the idea.

·    Her ambition is to see 10 volcanoes before she dies. She's already seen Stromboli, Vesuvius and Mt Etna. Just 7 more to go!

Black City Blurb

A dark and tender post-apocalyptic love story set in the aftermath of a bloody war. In a city where humans and Darklings are now separated by a high wall and tensions between the two races still simmer after a terrible war, sixteen-year-olds Ash Fisher, a half-blood Darkling, and Natalie Buchanan, a human and the daughter of the Emissary, meet and do the unthinkable--they fall in love. Bonded by a mysterious connection that causes Ash's long-dormant heart to beat, Ash and Natalie first deny and then struggle to fight their forbidden feelings for each other, knowing if they're caught, they'll be executed--but their feelings are too strong. When Ash and Natalie then find themselves at the center of a deadly conspiracy that threatens to pull the humans and Darklings back into war, they must make hard choices that could result in both their deaths.

Contact Info

Elizabeth Richards's Website
Elizabeth Richards's Goodreads

Elizabeth Ricahrds's Blog

Elizabeth Ricahrds's Twitter

Elizabeth Ricahrds's Facebook

Buy

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

BLOGOVERSARY!

Hey guys! It's my BLOGOVERSARY! (Well, it will be on the 26! But see why I'm celebrating today!) And, of course, I had to do something different. (Or rather not, since a certain crazy bloggy friend used the idea too. ;D I still love ya, of course!) SO, of course this blogger's going to have a giveaway! But what WILL it be? 

(Before I explain, I just want to say, even though I shouldn't be posting for a week for this, I still have a blog tour post for one of y favorite books, BLACK CITY by Elizabeth Richards, and I can't just cancel! So think of it as a gift to y'all, a mini interview with two amazing characters from Black City! Also, if you want to see my gushing about this, THAT post will be on my actual blogoversary!)

Here's the thing. I am going to leave a hint at every single stop at the bottom of the post. Collect and unscramble the letters and use my Archive (IN MY SIDEBAR) to help you find when my giveaway is! Even if it doesn't look like my giveaway, trust your unscrambling skills and click!
Here are the stops:

(11/19) Day 1: www.fiction-freak.blogspot.com (Kick off!)

(11/20) Day 2: www.sparkles-and-lightning.blogspot.com (How I Started and What I Learned.)

(11/21) Day 3: www.chocolatecoatedreviews.blogspot.com (Books, Books, Books!)

(11/22) Day 4: www.read-a-holicz.blogspot.com (Friends, Rants, and Help, Oh My!)

(11/23) Day 5: www.fionapaulbooks.blogspot.com (Author And Publisher Love!)

(11/24) Day 6: www.yareads.com (You Think You Can Blog?)

(11/25) Day 7: www.eileenlisblog.blogspot.com (Debating? Fun!)

AND HERE IS YOUR FIRST HINT: A

Book Haul + Weekly Recap

Hey guys! Sorry about  the no show post last week! I was rushing to get some stuff done! But I'm back with it! Some changes though-I won't be posting pictures. From now on, I'll just be giving you the title and whether it's a psychical or Ebook. Sorry guys, but I use my phone and saving the pictures in a draft, downloading onto my computer, resizing it and everything is just too much work now. :(

Publisher
The Dead and Buried by Kim Harrington
The Sweet Revenge of Celia Door by Kinney Frinnyfrock
Ashes of Twilight by Kassy Taylor

Bought
Nevermore by Kelly Creagh

Gifted
Venom by Fiona Paul

NetGalley
Goddess Inheritance by Aimee Carter
Snow Whyte and the Queen of Mayhem by Melissa Lemon
Orleans by Sherri L. Smith

I am SO exited for The Dead and Buried! i'm not usually a horror person since I'm a wuss and get scared a lot, but this? It sounds amazing! I can NOT wait to start! As for Celia Door, I'm not sure how I got it, but I'm putting it under publisher for now!
I did read it, I loved it, and I have yet to read Enshadowed! I'm actually buying that soon! WOOT!
Fiona sent me a signed hardback with the SWEETEST note ever! If I ever get a pic, i'll definitely show y'all! SQUEE! I've rummaged through it and i'm seeing a few scenes that weren't in the ARC! :D I am so rereading this!
I. GOT. GODDESS. INHERITANCE. I am SO excited for this and I just can't wait! I've started it and it's amazing so far! As for Snow Whyte, that was an impulse request and I'm a sucker for retellings! OMG I LOVE ORLEANS. Or, I THINK I'll love it! It sounds simply amazing and I'm so excited! Also, my first Penguin NG request that's been approved! SCORE!

Weekly Recap

Midnight City by J. Barton Mitchell

Poison Princess by Kresley Cole

Time Between Us by Tamara Ireland Stone

Waiting on Wednesday

Just for Fun

Blog Tour: Undeadly by Michele Vail (Review)

Blog Tour: Undeadly by Michele Vail (Review)

Eep! I just adore this book, really! I'm so glad to be a part of this blog tour! Today's stop is a review and I'm more than happy to share my thoughts on Undeadly!

Goodreads Blurb

The day I turned 16, my boyfriend-to-be died. I brought him back to life. Then things got a little weird...
Molly Bartolucci wants to blend in, date hottie Rick and keep her zombie-raising abilities on the down-low. Then the god Anubis chooses her to become a reaper-and she accidentally undoes the work of another reaper, Rath. Within days, she’s shipped off to the Nekyia Academy, an elite school that trains the best necromancers in the world. And her personal reaping tutor? Rath. Who seems to hate her guts.
Rath will be watching closely to be sure she completes her first assignment-reaping Rick, the boy who should have died. The boy she still wants to be with. To make matters worse, students at the academy start turning up catatonic, and accusations fly-against Molly. The only way out of this mess? To go through hell. Literally.

The number one thing I absolutely loved about Undeadly? The world-building! In a parallel world, zombies are a usual sight, SEERs are things almost everyone has, and reapers are almost common! And all because of the battle between the Egyptian gods, Anubis and Set. The way that things were explained actually made sense (Which, trust me, is hard when you add grim reapers with Egyptian mythology) and I admit, it did bombard me with information in the beginning so I had a hard time keeping track of everything, but after a few chapters you start to understand it. Besides that, I had so much fun discovering this world where Egyptian gods were real and hey, it looks like a certain reaper is starting to fall for the champion, Chosen, and child_of Anubis. Huh.

Speaking of, the romance! The romance was…weird to say the least. I mean there was Rick, Molly’s crush from when she was 15, turning 16 and there was Rath. Either way the romance was pretty awkward. I mean, no this isn’t a spoiler by the way, Molly barely knew Rick and she brought him back to life, not finding it weird at all that Rick traveled all the way to her new private school (for reapers) and seems to be so madly in love and obsessive. Because that’s so normal right? As for Rath, I thought it was a bit forced. They didn’t actually get to know each other and yet they’re starting to “like like” each other?

Plot? LOVED. It was fast-paced and everything that happened wasn’t just for the heck of it. There were actually a lot of things that I could predict and while there weren’t many giant plot twists, the few there were…ugh. I think my jaw became unhinged! Shocking and out-of-the-blue? Understatement for sure. I think I reread a few things. You know, just to make sure that I wasn’t hallucinating!

Undeadly was a kick-butt sassy read that was so insanely fun and exciting! It’s definitely one to read especially for Egyptian myth/ Zombie/ Ghost/ Action lovers! Despite the romance, Undeadly was an amazing read that you’ll love! The voice actually, for once in YA, sounded like a teen’s thoughts! Trust me, that’s a pretty hard feat! Full of quips and soul-snatching (read it and find out) Undeadly is one you should definitely get your hands on!



Author Bio

Michele Vail writes young adult paranormal fiction about zombies and reapers.
She likes reading, dogs, cats, board games, ghost-hunting shows, and Halloween. She believes in magic, in the impossible, and in the restorative powers of chocolate.
Michele lives happily-ever-after with her Viking and their family.

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Just for Fun

Wow! I haven't done these in a while! The last time I did this was in the summer when I was always behind. As in, no posts scheduled at all. I'm now a month ahead, BUT thought I'd do this JUST FOR FUN!

So this time I'm choosing my Top 10 Awaited 2013 Debuts. This was INCREDIBLY hard. As in, I probably chose a random number and counted. There are just a ton of amazing debuts. (AND YES. These are ones I have NOT read!)

IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER:

Pivot Point by Kasie West
Ummm...hello? What's NOT to like?!Actually, this was my WoW for yesterday! ;D

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholk
*COUGH* How could you not be intrigued by this? I have so many questions!!! I am definitely preordering this! You already know not to trust the bad boy, but out MC doesn't...so what's happening?

The Madman's Daugter by Megan Shepherd
MAD SCIENTIST GUYS. HOW AWESOME DOES THAT EVEN SOUND? And mutations. And romance. And the historical era. I rest my case.

Taken by Erin Bowman
I'm incredeibly curious about this world. The guys are taken? A whole new meaning to "Girls rule" right? *whistles* This is defintiely going to be interesting.

Chantress by Amy Butler Greenfield
THIS JUST SOUNDS AMAZING AND HAS THE MOST GORGEOUS COVER! LOVE the pink, even if I'm more of a blue girl myself! Singing powers? It's like a mutated siren! And I mean that in the best way possible.

Altered by Jennifer Rush
There has been MAJOR hype about this book, mainly from people who's opinion I trust to the moon and back! Not to mention that cover. ;D I think yellow does look nice sometimes lol! Plus, what kind of expirements would need 4 guys locked up? And from reading the excerpt, why do all 4 guys have scars in the same place?

City of A Thousand Dolls by Miriam Forster
THIS ONE is where I have the most questions! I need, NEED, all of my questions answered so 2013 better get here ASAP.

The Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnett
This was so awesome, I put this as my WoW TWICE. You can see both here and here

Prophecy by Ellen Oh
A female warrior in a place full of men? Sounds a bit Mulan to me, and that was my favorite Disney tale fo so long. I've got high hopes for this! Think it'll meet them? I think so too.

Ink by Amanda Sun
I've been loving all Japan-style books lately! Stormdancer, (I'm counting Katana as one since it had samurai), and I'm just DYING for Tokyo Heist! Plus, drawings that come to life? This kind of makes me think of Nevermore, which I totally loved!


Any of these on your TBR? Any you've discovered? Any you absolutely want and will squee with me when you're done?