Fiction Freak

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Waiting on Wednesday

Landry Park by Bethany Hagen

Madeline Landry is born into a world of influence and luxury, a world of estates and gardens fueled by nuclear power and maintained by a caste of people called the Rootless. When a Gentry girl is attacked, it is the Rootless who are blamed, even though Madeline knows better.

As she searches for the truth, she can't escape the rumors of revolution and retribution circulating through the ballrooms, and neither can she escape the city's new golden boy, Captain David Dana, who has secrets of his own. Soon, she finds herself forced to choose between her duty and her desires, her ancestral destiny and her conscience, and her choice will shake the very foundations of the world she was born to rule.

The cover totally (sort of) matches my blog right? RIGHT? I love the sleek look and how the words totally stand out.

And oh gosh, this sounds absolutely AMAZING AMAZING. I just love these kinds of worlds and I can't wait to meet the new golden boy! The author's totally sweet too and I just can't wait to fall in love with all of it. EEP!
SERIOUSLY HOW AWESOME DOES IT SOUND. TELL ME I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE DYING OF NEED.

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Fire and Flood by Victoria Scott

Pages: 320

Genre: Sci-fi/Thriller

Series: Fire & Flood #1

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Release Date: Feb 25, 2014

Tella Holloway is losing it. Her brother is sick, and when a dozen doctors can't determine what's wrong, her parents decide to move to Montana for the fresh air. She's lost her friends, her parents are driving her crazy, her brother is dying—and she's helpless to change anything.
Until she receives mysterious instructions on how to become a Contender in the Brimstone Bleed. It's an epic race across jungle, desert, ocean, and mountain that could win her the prize she desperately desires: the Cure for her brother's illness. But all the Contenders are after the Cure for people they love, and there's no guarantee that Tella (or any of them) will survive the race.
The jungle is terrifying, the clock is ticking, and Tella knows she can't trust the allies she makes. And one big question emerges: Why have so many fallen sick in the first place?

Fire and Flood was one of my more anticipated reads of 2014, so getting a review copy was a dream come true. And after loving The Collector so much, well, my expectations were pretty high (especially after hearing how amazing Pandoras were.)

Tella was quirky. That's the best way to describe her at first. She had that certain quality to her that reminded me of Scott's former heroine, Charlie, something that made you love her and all her awkward faults--which slowly start to fade the longer she's in the Brimstone Bleed. Tella hardens, strengthens, but still manages to maintain that compassion and kindness that made you love her throughout the race. Her sheer will made her even more endearing.

I got completely attached to all the characters--Victoria Scott just somehow manages to make us fall in love with them (every single one of them), despite their sheer numbers. All of them had their own personalities and quirks (though none quite like Tella) and I adored all of them. In the end, they were all there, risking their lives to save someone they loved. Even the antagonist who was amazingly well written in the most evil, disgusting, and twisted way was fighting for someone (I'm assuming) and it made me a bit more sympathetic towards them. A bit.

There was romance in Fire and Flood but it was pretty slight and a bit rushed in my opinion--or, not rushed, but pretty sudden. I loved it though, especially because I had no idea that our love interest was the love interest and because, well, he was pretty badass. He was pretty awesome and swoony, if not hardened and a little...aloof.

The storyline was absolutely thrilling and exciting and I was always wincing whenever I felt like our characters were in trouble. Or, you know, were going to die. The author is pretty ruthless with readers' feelings and I felt like I died several deaths. There were a lot of unexpected twists that broke my heart or made me cheer and what I found amazing was that the Brimstone Bleed...well, it wasn't over. And now I can't say anything or else I'm going to squeal all over this review and spoil everything.

The Brimstone Bleed was a seriously original plot line/setting and I loved the story and the history behind it that made everything all the more interesting and cutthroat. It was a bit predictable, I guess, but it's truly original.
My favorite part of the whole story was definitely the Pandoras and I have an unnatural love of foxes now. The Pandoras were as diverse as the characters and I loved how all their talents pushed the plot along. Talk about creativity!

Fire and Flood was a brilliant read that was exciting, amazing, and is definitely one of a kind. It's, dare I say, a better version of The Hunger Games and I absolutely adored it. So the question of "Is it worth the read?" Answer: Yes.

P.S. THE PANDORAS!!!

Monday, January 13, 2014

Evertrue by Brodi Ashton

Pages: 336

Genre: Paranormal

Series: Everneath #3

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Release Date: Jan 21, 2014

Now that Nikki has rescued Jack, all she wants is to be with him and graduate high school. But Cole tricked Nikki into feeding off him, and she’s begun the process of turning into an Everliving herself... which means she must feed on a Forfeit soon — or die.Terrified for her survival, Nikki and Jack begin a desperate attempt to reverse the process using any means possible. Even Cole, who they expected to fight them at every turn, has become an unlikely ally — but how long can it last? Nikki needs to feed on Cole to survive, Cole needs Nikki to gain the throne in the Everneath, Jack needs Nikki because she is everything to him — and together, they must travel back to the Underworld to undo Nikki’s fate and make her mortal once more. But Cole isn’t the only one with plans for Nikki: the Queen has not forgotten Nikki’s treachery, and she wants her destroyed for good. Will Nikki be forced to spend eternity in the Underworld, or does she have what it takes to bring down the Everneath once and for all?

My thoughts are sort of incoherent right now so please excuse my jumble of a review.

So honestly I'd forgotten just how much I loved this series until now. Oh sure, Everneath was brilliant, and Everbound was pretty good, but after a year you sort of forget the emotional crippling pain. Brodi Ashton brought it all back.
I will hazard to say that Evertrue is probably the best book in the entire trilogy, and I don't say that lightly. Because OH GOD THE END.

Here comes the explosion:
Because guys, I just can't deal with this. I actually spent an hour in English clutching my head and repeating "I can't deal" over and over. The end of Evertrue is traumatizing and oh God someone help me survive. The ending was a shock to my little fangirl heart. Or maybe it wasn't and I was just really hoping it wouldn't happen. Either way, I teared up, had a book hangover, and was pretty much dead after the read. It is truly and utterly heartbreaking. (Literally.)

Let's just all, for the moment, talk about how much I just adore Cole. No matter what terrible thing he does, I'll always love him more than Jack because he does love her, in his own way, and he never stops loving her even though he knows she hates him. I always did have a weakness for literary bad boys!
So on that note, I should tell you that something...happens to Cole a quarter into the book, something that sort of...changes him. And I just missed the old Cole who was unbelievably flawed, but completely cocky and sweet, though admittedly arrogant and a bit douchey. And that was really the only thing I didn't absolutely love about it.

Plot wise, this book is damn near perfect. Fast paced and action packed, I couldn't help but get caught up in the events. While there weren't that many twists, the ones there were were absolutely shocking. Go big or go home right?
There was a point, when there was only 45 pages left, where I wondered how Ashton would wrap up the plot and romance, and everything else, so quickly, but she manages it without making it seemed to rush, which definitely impressed me.

So many things happen, so many sacrifices made, and I just found my heart being ripped open reportedly until I could've been stuck in the Everneath and wouldn't have noticed. Evertrue beautifully wraps up the trilogy in a perfect, but desperate way that made me want to cry.

Correction: it did make me cry.

Sunday, January 12, 2014

Week of a Fiction Freak

HEYYYY GUYS. So even though I'm starting to use a few new graphics...June's going to have a totally new design since I'm moving to Wordpress! (WHOOP!) Just in case y'all want to see what it'd look like, here's the button:

(Click to embiggen)

Anyways you're here to see what I got this week, right? (Correction: Last two weeks. Oops?)

Publisher
Arcadia Falls by Kai Meyer (Not shown)
Faking Normal by Courtney C Stevens (Accidentally grabbed Cruel Beauty instead!)
Uninvited by Sophie Jordan
Maybe One Day by Melissa Kantor
Into the Still Blue by Veronica Rossi
Stolen Songbird by Danielle L. Jensen

Traded/Gifted
Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira
The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon (Secret Santa!)
Blue notebook (Secret Santa!)

Bought
Killing Woods by Lucy Christopher

Also, I decided to move my shelves around a bit, remembered I had a bean bag and tissue paper, then found a random slab of wood. And this was the result of 2 hours:

I THINK I FINALLY MADE A BOOK NOOK GUYS.

Saturday, January 11, 2014

Her Dark Curiosity by Megan Shepherd

Pages: 368

Genre: Gothic Literature/Sci-fi

Series: Madman's Daughter #2

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Release Date: Jan 28, 2014

Months have passed since Juliet Moreau returned to civilization after escaping her father's island—and the secrets she left behind. Now, back in London once more, she is rebuilding the life she once knew and trying to forget Dr. Moreau’s horrific legacy—though someone, or something, hasn’t forgotten her.As people close to Juliet fall victim one by one to a murderer who leaves a macabre calling card of three clawlike slashes, Juliet fears one of her father’s creations may have also escaped the island. She is determined to find the killer before Scotland Yard does, though it means awakening sides of herself she had thought long banished, and facing loves from her past she never expected to see again.As Juliet strives to stop a killer while searching for a serum to cure her own worsening illness, she finds herself once more in the midst of a world of scandal and danger. Her heart torn in two, past bubbling to the surface, life threatened by an obsessive killer—Juliet will be lucky to escape alive.

After the rather terrible (read: heartbreaking) ending in The Madman's Daughter, I was unbelievably anxious to read Her Dark Curiosity so I was ecstatic when I managed to get my grubby hands on an ARC! And then I started reading. And I was a bit disappointed.

My main issue was Juliet herself. She seemed absolutely ridiculous throughout the story and seemed...well, mad. And I suppose that may have been the point, but I just felt like it made her an annoying character rather than an interesting one. She kept repeating over and over and over that she wasn't like her father, would never be like her father, and then immediately turn and do something that's so obviously cruel and terrible, just like her father. (Spoiler at the end of the review) That and she made some obviously-not-right choices that made me twitch in agitation.

More than that, the romance. Unfortunately, our love triangle isn't completely finished (or, it is in the way that Juliet has chosen who she loved. But that doesn't stop a certain someone from pursuing her or her from kissing and other activities with said someone.) I hated how Juliet just seemed to go back and forth, despite her claim of love for Montgomery, and how she justified Edward's actions. Sure, he didn't deserve to die, but she didn't seem to think that much about the harm he's done besides one or two pages.

But despite all that, Her Dark Curiosity was a fascinating read, most especially because of Shepherd's talent with atmosphere and Gothic lit. And a 1800-1900s London? It's the perfect place to set a story of madness, murder, and mayhem! The drizzly ghostly city was creepy with everything that was going on and you have to hand it to Shepherd--she's a genius with her words, if not her characters.

The plot was absolutely spectacular with twists sprinkled throughout the story (the first less than 70 pages in!) and I found myself gaping at the book sometimes, just eager to discover what would happen next. And, like always, Megan Shepherd manages to leave us with a cliffhanger and clamoring for the third book, even if our character isn't how we hoped!

Gothic literature is one of my favorite kinds of stories, and the dark and haunting setting and atmosphere was beyond impressive and I had chills throughout most of the book, especially with murderers and secret, dark science cults.

***SPOILER: She freaking creates her own "creature" and unleashes it on her enemies, scientists, and murders every one of them in cold blood. Then hunts down the survivor and kills him. And she thinks that's justified?

Thursday, January 9, 2014

Blog Tour: Defy by Sara B Larson

Hey guys! I've been super excited to read DEFY for a while and Sara is such a sweetheart! For this tour stop I have a character interview with the two love interests of the story! Introducing Rylan and Damian!

FF: What do you think of Alex...?

Rylan: I’ve known Alex for three years, and I’ve always been incredibly impressed by Alex’s determination and ability to fight. Alex and Marcel’s relationship is also pretty remarkable. Sure, they’re competitive with each other, but ultimately everyone knows that they would do anything for each other. I consider Alex one of my closest friends, aside from my own brother.

Damian: Alex has been on my guard for just about a year now. Alex’s abilities and dedication to my safety are quite admirable.

FF: How do you feel in your position at the palace?

Rylan: Considering I began as an orphan in the army, I am proud that I’ve been able to work my way up to being guard to the prince. Even if he is spoiled, entitled, and rude.

Damian: Who wouldn’t want to be a prince? It’s a position of power. Everyone has to bow to my whims. Why would I ever feel any discontent about being the son of the king? Why, indeed.

FF: What do you think of your King? This war?

Rylan: I hate King Hector and what he’s done to Antion. He started this war to avenge his wife, which I understand, but all of his actions since then have been horrific and unconscionable. There will be no winners by the time this war ends.

Damian: My father and I are not close. In fact, we often avoid each other as much as possible. As a member of the royal family, I am not really at liberty to discuss my opinions about the war. Suffice it to say that part of why I am not close with my father is because we don’t exactly agree on how he is ruling Antion.

FF: What is something you like to do in your extra time?

Rylan: I don’t have any spare time. If I’m not on duty or training, I’m probably sleeping or eating.

Damian: I enjoy riding my horse when I have the chance.

FF: If you could change something about your life, what would it be?

Rylan: I would wish to be guarding over someone more worthy. Someone in whom I could actually place hope for creating a better future.

Damian: Why would I want anything to change? Yes, my people are all suffering and my father’s war is driving this kingdom into the ground. But I have all the parties and attention a man could ever dream of. Isn’t that what’s truly important in life—being entertained? Isn’t that how everyone expects me to feel?

FF: What do you think of each other?

Rylan: I think I’ve already made my feelings about the prince clear.

Damian: Rylan is an excellent swordsman and an asset to my personal guard. I can tell he doesn’t like me, but why would that bother me? A prince is expected to not care what anyone thinks of him.

FF: You two clash rather loudly a lot, but what's something you agree on?

Damian: I think Rylan would agree with me when I say that Alex is an invaluable member of my guard.

Rylan: Yes, I’ll definitely agree with you about that.

FF: What is a memorable moment in your life?

Rylan: I’ll never forget the day our village was attacked and our parents were killed in the fighting, leaving Jude and me orphans. But I will also always remember the day Jude and I tried out for the prince’s guard and both made it. That was one of the proudest days of my life.

Damian: There are many moments in my life I wish I could forget. You might be surprised if you knew what a spoiled , entitled, and rude prince like me has been forced to endure.

Defy Synopsis

Alexa Hollen is a fighter. Forced to disguise herself as a boy and serve in the king's army, Alex uses her quick wit and fierce sword-fighting skills to earn a spot on the elite prince's guard. But when a powerful sorcerer sneaks into the palace in the dead of night, even Alex, who is virtually unbeatable, can't prevent him from abducting her, her fellow guard and friend Rylan, and Prince Damian, taking them through the treacherous wilds of the jungle and deep into enemy territory.

The longer Alex is held captive with both Rylan and the prince, the more she realizes that she is not the only one who has been keeping dangerous secrets. And suddenly, after her own secret is revealed, Alex finds herself confronted with two men vying for her heart: the safe and steady Rylan, who has always cared for her, and the dark, intriguing Damian. With hidden foes lurking around every corner, is Alex strong enough to save herself and the kingdom she's sworn to protect?

Author Info

Sara loves writing, reading, and dessert--but the order varies by the day. She wrote her first book in second grade about a woman who had a premature baby, complete with a "to scale" drawing of the baby's size--while her mom was pregnant. To say she was a bit precocious is putting it lightly. Now that she’s an adult, she writes books for teens that have magic and romance and kick-butt girls (and very few premature babies). She lives in Utah with her husband, two young sons and baby girl. She writes during naptime and the hours when most people are sleeping. Her husband claims that she should have a degree in "the art of multitasking." On occasion you will find her hiding in a bubble bath with a book and some Swedish Fish.

Find her:

Blog/Website | Twitter | Goodreads