November 30, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at  Break the Spine.
Title ~ The Catastrophic History of You and Me
Author ~ Jess Rothenberg
Release Date ~ Feb. 21, 2012
Publisher ~ Penguin Young Readers
Summary: Dying of a broken heart is just the beginning.... Welcome to forever. 

BRIE'S LIFE ENDS AT SIXTEEN: Her boyfriend tells her he doesn't love her, and the news breaks her heart—literally. 

But now that she's D&G (dead and gone), Brie is about to discover that love is way more complicated than she ever imagined. Back in Half Moon Bay, her family has begun to unravel. Her best friend has been keeping a secret about Jacob, the boy she loved and lost—and the truth behind his shattering betrayal. And then there's Patrick, Brie's mysterious new guide and resident Lost Soul . . . who just might hold the key to her forever after. 

With Patrick's help, Brie will have to pass through the five stages of grief before she's ready to move on. But how do you begin again, when your heart is still in pieces? 
Wow. That sounds epicly epic to the power of epic! And that cover? Gorgeous!!!! I cannot wait for this book to be released, it sounds a little bit like The Lovely Bones, a novel that I really enjoyed! This book is a stand alone and a debut, so it will count for two challenges I'm doing. Double the fun! February cannot come fast enough! 


November 29, 2011

The Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers

Title ~ The Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers
Author ~ Lynn Weingarten
Release Date ~ December 27, 2011
Publisher ~ HarperTeen
Source ~ Around the World ARC Tours
Summary: When her boyfriend breaks up with her on the first day of sophomore year, Lucy has no idea how she’s going to make it through homeroom, let alone the rest of her life. Enter three stunning girls with a magical offer Lucy can’t refuse. All she has to do is get a guy to fall in love with her in the next seven days, and then…break his heart and collect one of his brokenhearted tears. As the girls teach Lucy how to hook a guy (with the help of a little magic), she quickly discovers how far she is willing to go—and who she is willing to cross—to get what she wants.

Fans of Lauren Myracle, Jodi Lynn Anderson, and Meg Cabot will love this tale of breakups, friendship, new crushes, and magic. Told with wit and charm, The Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers is sure to be one of this winter’s most irresistible reads!

My review: Who said heartbreak was a curse? Maybe it is for us normal people, but for The Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers, it's a gateway to magic powers!
   I liked how normal Lucy was. She wasn't too popular, but she wasn't a outcast. She was just in the middle. She had the problems all teens have, and to her they seem like the biggest problems in the world. 
   This book was a lots of fun! Hearing all about the mythology surrounding The Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers was interesting, and the way their magic works was very different and cool! 
   At first Lucy seems really selfish. It was understandable but selfish. I didn't really want to root for a character who was willing to break another's heart for her own gain. It was thought provoking, would you be willing to break someone's else's heart for your own happiness? Or even just for sport? 
  The comedy in this book is unbelievably funny! Reading the dialog in this book was a constant stream of "LOL" for me. This book was one that would transfer very well into an audiobook (with the right narrators of course)!
   I think my favorite character was Gil. She was really cool, and the only one of the three Heartbreakers that I would like to have as a friend. She was nice, caring and understanding, virtues the other Heartbreakers would be wise to learn!
The Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers is a fun, yet thoughtful book. Perfect for over the Winter break!
4/5
Cover Comments: I like the stars coming from the hands. This cover complements the book nicely. 

    

November 28, 2011

Clockwork Angel

Title ~ Clockwork Angel (The Mortal Instruments, Book One)
Author ~ Cassandra Clare
Release Date ~ August 31st, 2010
Publisher ~ Margaret K. McElderry Books
Source ~ Gifted by Ben @ Awesome Lego Stuff
SummaryMagic is dangerous--but love is more dangerous still. 

When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos. 

Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What's more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own. 

Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by--and torn between--two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length...everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world...and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.

My review: I think I liked this book even more then The Mortal Instruments! This one was just so good! 
    The Shadow World is really cool, but I think this book is so good because of the way it combines Victorian London. The settings were written in a way only Cassie Clare can write, so vivid and unique!  Even though the book would be nothing without the fantasy aspects, Clare might want to try her hand at historical fiction one day. She'd be very good at that (I think)!
   I loved the characters in this book. They. Are. So. Cool. Tessa was really awesome, and selfless. Will and Jem were both excellent. Jem because of the drama he adds, and Will because of all the comic relief, even in the climatic scenes he still had me laughing like a mad man!
  This book had so much suspense, plot twists, and cliff hangers it killed me!  I'm usually pretty good at guessing the villain, but this book's villain was a complete surprise to me. One minute you thought it was person A, the next minute person B, and then five minutes later you find out in was neither! 
  I found this book being narrated by a Downworlder instead of a  Shadowhunter very interesting! The Shadowhunters are cool, but I really want to hear more about Downworld, as all the mythical creatures fascinate me!
  Once again, Clare's books blow me away. They are so beautiful, with a little bit of mystery, a little bit of action, and a little bit of romance to keep the drama coming. A full five stars to an excellent novel!
5/5
Cover Comments: I like this cover a lot more then The Mortal Instruments covers. Very mysterious!



Faerie Ring Giveaway Winner

The Faerie Ring (The Faerie Ring, #1)

"Debut novelist Kiki Hamilton takes readers from the gritty slums and glittering ballrooms of Victorian London to the beguiling but menacing Otherworld of the Fey in this spellbinding tale of romance, suspense, and danger. 
The year is 1871, and Tiki has been making a home for herself and her family of orphans in a deserted hideaway adjoining Charing Cross Station in central London. Their only means of survival is by picking pockets. One December night, Tiki steals a ring, and sets off a chain of events that could lead to all-out war with the Fey. For the ring belongs to Queen Victoria, and it binds the rulers of England and the realm of Faerie to peace. With the ring missing, a rebel group of faeries hopes to break the treaty with dark magic and blood—Tiki’s blood.
Unbeknownst to Tiki, she is being watched—and protected—by Rieker, a fellow thief who suspects she is involved in the disappearance of the ring. Rieker has secrets of his own, and Tiki is not all that she appears to be. Her very existence haunts Prince Leopold, the Queen’s son, who is driven to know more about the mysterious mark that encircles her wrist.
Prince, pauper, and thief—all must work together to secure the treaty…
AND THE WINNER IS...
Denise Z.
Congrats to the winner and thank-you to everyone who entered! The winner has been notified will have 48 hours to reply or a new winner will be chosen. 

November 26, 2011

In my Mailbox (29)



Paranormal Wastelands
In my Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren.
 No VLOG, Just cover pics this week.
For review:
The Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers by Lynn Weigngarten
I'm halfway through this one, and I'm liking it! Heart breaks and magic!
Cinder by Marrissa Meyer
Even in the future, the story begins with once upon a time... meet Cinder, a cyborg. 
Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu
The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Anderson in Modern Times, sounds cool (pun not intended)!
Gifted:
(Thanks Mom and Dad)
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever by Jeff Kinney
I already read this one and it was okay. Find my review here.


Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever

Title ~ Cabin Fever (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Book Six) 
Author ~ Jeff Kinney
Release Date ~ November 15, 2011
Publisher ~ Abrams
Source ~ Bought from Amazon
Summary: Greg Heffley is in big trouble. School property has been damaged, and Greg is the prime suspect. But the crazy thing is, he’s innocent. Or at least sort of.
The authorities are closing in, but when a surprise blizzard hits, the Heffley family is trapped indoors. Greg knows that when the snow melts he’s going to have to face the music, but could any punishment be worse than being stuck inside with your family for the holidays?
My review: These books aren't exactly high quality. And once you've read one, you've pretty much read them all. Still, these books are a fun breathe of fresh air from all the long YA novels. 
   These books are incredibly immature and could have been written in an hour, but let's just come clean, almost all of us get a few chuckles while reading these books. They're my guilty pleasure novels that I'll always have a soft spot for, even when Kinney's still using the same old recycled plot and his 30th novel has came out. 
    One thing that Kinney has perfected in his books are the feelings of being a youth. Kids don't always make the best choices. In fact, we screw up quite often. But instead of coming clean we dig ourselves deeper, or at least, most of us do. 
    To expand on the recycled plot issue, Greg always does something like this, in every book. All Kinney does is change the main problem, then uses his usual method that results in Greg going through no transformation what so ever, and pretty much unchanged (except for possibly the 1st book, there is a bit of a transformation). Personally, I think Kinney could have stopped at book three, but these things are like comics, it doesn't take much to get a kid to read 'em!
   One thing I like about these books are they're on the border between graphic novels (comics in disguise) and real novels. There are a few pictures on each page but the story is primarily told in text, with the pictures there just to enhance the humor. 
   As someone who's been with this series since the beginning, I'm sad to say that these books have gone steadily down hill, and were not as fun as they used to be. Or maybe I'm just growing up. Greg will always have a special place in my bookish heart, but I think his time has come and gone, and it's time for a new middle grade novel to take over (I suggest Tom Angleberger or Michael Buckley). 
   Overall, these books are great for long car rides and taking a nice breather from the serious YA stuff. They're short, I can read them in about an hour. Perfect for kids with low attention spans.
3.5/5
Cover Comments: Anyone see a theme in these covers???

November 25, 2011

City of Glass

Title ~ City of Glass (The Mortal Instruments, Book Three)
Author ~ Cassandra Clare
Release Date ~ March 23, 2009
Publisher ~ Margret K. McElderry Books
Source ~ Bought from Amazon
Summary: To save her mother's life, Clary must travel to the City of Glass, the ancestral home of the Shadowhunters — never mind that entering the city without permission is against the Law, and breaking the Law could mean death. To make things worse, she learns that Jace does not want her there, and her best friend, Simon, has been thrown in prison by the Shadowhunters, who are deeply suspicious of a vampire who can withstand sunlight. 

As Clary uncovers more about her family's past, she finds an ally in mysterious Shadowhunter Sebastian. With Valentine mustering the full force of his power to destroy all Shadowhunters forever, their only chance to defeat him is to fight alongside their eternal enemies. But can Downworlders and Shadowhunters put aside their hatred to work together? While Jace realizes exactly how much he's willing to risk for Clary, can she harness her newfound powers to help save the Glass City — whatever the cost? 

Love is a mortal sin and the secrets of the past prove deadly as Clary and Jace face down Valentine in the final installment of the New York Times bestselling The Mortal Instruments.


    My review: Cassandra Clare's novels are like pizza, even during the worst part, it's still really good. And City of Glass is her best novel yet. 
I have a high standards for Clare's novels, because every one of them have been so good. Yet, every book she goes above my expectations of what I thought is humanly possible in a novel!
First, let's explore one of the things I love most about Cassie's novels: The characters. Her characters are all brilliantly thought-out and they come alive! It doesn't matter if she's writing about our selfless and brave heroine, Clary, the villain, Valentine, or the moody but awesome Jace. They are all greatly crafted!  
    But this novel drags. A bit too much for my liking. It's 500+ pages, and I felt like it could have been kept to 350- 400 pages. They're was too much talking and it felt the characters were chasing their tails, and nothing was progressing. I know people are going to say I'm crazy for wanting less length in Cassie's epic novels, but I think it needs to be said! 
    The best thing about these novels though is the villain. Valentine is awesome in a very freaky way. He's a bit mad, but also a genius when you think about it. He had parallels with Hitler, as he was trying to make a "pure" race of Shadowhunters that don't mingle with Downworlders. He's the kind of guy that you love to hate! 
    The "final" battle of this series should definitely not go unmentioned, because it was the best climax I could imagine in a novel! I think it's on the same scale as Harry Potter and god, that was an awesome battle! 
    The settings in this book are beautifully done, and each detail is like a miniature Mona Lisa! I enjoyed hearing about Iris and the rest of the shadow world! 

    City of Glass is the kind of book I would kill to read. A well-deserved five stars.
 5/5
Cover Comments: I don't really like these covers, though the city (Iris) is nicely depicted. 

November 24, 2011

The Iron Knight

Title ~ The Iron Knight (The Iron Fey, Book Four)
Author ~ Julie Kagawa
Release Date ~ October 25, 2011
Publisher ~ Harlequin Teen
Source: Bought from Amazon
Summary: Ash, former prince of the Winter Court, gave up everything. His title, his home, even his vow of loyalty. All for a girl… and all for nothing. 

Unless he can earn a soul.
 

To cold, emotionless faery prince Ash, love was a weakness for mortals and fools. His own love had died a horrible death, killing any gentler feelings the Winter prince might have had. Or so he thought. 

Then Meghan Chase—a half human, half fey slip of a girl— smashed through his barricades, binding him to her irrevocably with his oath to be her knight. And when all of Faery nearly fell to the Iron fey, she severed their bond to save his life. Meghan is now the Iron Queen, ruler of a realm where no Winter or Summer fey can survive. 

With the (unwelcome) company of his archrival, Summer Court prankster Puck, and the infuriating cait sith Grimalkin, Ash begins a journey he is bound to see through to its end— a quest to find a way to honor his solemn vow to stand by Meghan’s side. 


To survive in the Iron realm, Ash must have a soul and a mortal body. But the tests he must face to earn these things are impossible. At least, no one has ever passed to tell the tale. 


And then Ash learns something that changes everything. A truth that turns reality upside down, challenges his darkest beliefs and shows him that, sometimes, it takes more than courage to make the ultimate sacrifice.


My review: This was by far the best book in The Iron Fey. I loved Ash's point of view, and it added so much more to the story. 
First, let me tell you my favorite part. And that was the journey to The End of the World *insert dramatic music here* which was quite cool, and the mythology surrounding this was very well developed.
    Ash was SUCH an awesome main character though at times too moody and depressing. If I was going to change one thing about this novel though, I would make Ash just a tad less melancholy, though some of it was needed. 
I also liked how besides serving as a sequel, this book also served as a prequel of some sort because it answered a lot of my questions about Ash's (and Puck's) past.
    I thought that this was the perfect ending to the series. Because the final battle in The Iron Queen was a good ending to the Iron Fey vs. Fey war, but it left lots of questions unanswered about Meghan and Ash.
    Now, I think Puck deserves some kudos! He has been an awesome supporting (and sometimes leading) main character throughout the series, providing comic relief at all the right moments. Though I was not strong enough to resist Ash's coolness (pun not intended) and switch to Team Ash, Puck was still very good competitor throughout the books. I've said it once and I'll say it again, The Iron Fey have the hardest love triangle to choose sides in YA! 
    One of the best sequels to come out in 2011, I can't wait to read more from the awesomeness that is Julie Kagawa!
5/5
Cover Comments: This book has the best cover of all The Iron Fey books. I love the icy blue!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Enjoy spending time with your family, eating the turkey, and just being thankful. Feel free to leave a comment telling me what you're thankful for. I'm thankful for my awesome followers :-)

November 23, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at  Break the Spine.
Title ~ Born Wicked (The Cahill Witch Chronicles, Book One)
Author ~ Jessica Spotsword
Release Date ~ February 7th, 2012  
Publisher ~ Penguin

"A Great and Terrible Beauty meets Cassandra Clare in this spellbinding fantasy 


Everybody knows Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far too educated for their own good. But the truth is even worse: they're witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum, a prison ship—or an early grave. 



Before her mother died, Cate promised to protect her sisters. But with only six months left to choose between marriage and the Sisterhood, she might not be able to keep her word . . . especially after she finds her mother's diary, uncovering a secret that could spell her family's destruction. Desperate to find alternatives to their fate, Cate starts scouring banned books and questioning rebellious new friends, all while juggling tea parties, shocking marriage proposals, and a forbidden romance with the completely unsuitable Finn Belastra. 


If what her mother wrote is true, the Cahill girls aren't safe. Not from the Brotherhood, the Sisterhood—not even from each other."

This one looks so good. I mean, just look at that cover *swoon*! I'm happy people are starting to write about witches more, because with all the vampires and werewolves they're easy to be overlooked. Plus they'res a forbidden romance, that's nothing unusual for YA, but still, you can't help but want to read it!It really  needs to come out enough! This is also a 2012 debut, and I have a  feeling it might turn out to be the 2012 debut of the year! 

November 22, 2011

Teaser Tuesday


Paranormal Wastelands


Teaser Tuesday is weekly meme hosted by Mizb at Should be Reading
  • Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share two (2) “teaser” lines from somewhere on that page
  • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!
This week's teaser is from:
Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
And the teasers are:
1. "You know" Gabriel said, "there was a time I thought we could be friends, Will."
"There was a time I thought I was a ferret" Will said, "but that turned out to be the opium haze. Did you know it had that effect? Because I didn't."
2. "Then forget Gabriel. Is there a particular reason you keep biting vampires?"

November 21, 2011

It's Monday! What are you Reading?


It’s Monday! What Are You Reading This Week? This is a weekly event to list the books completed last week, the books currently being reading, and the books to be finish this week. It was created by J.Kaye’s Book Blog, but is now being hosted by Sheila from One Person’s Journey Through a World of Books so stop by and join in!
Books I Finished Last Week:
The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa
The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa
Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally 
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever by Jeff Kinney
Books I'm Currently Reading:
Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan
Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
Books I Hope to Start this Week:
City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare


November 20, 2011

The Iron Queen

The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa
Summary: My name is Meghan Chase.
I thought it was over. That my time with the fey, the impossible choices I had to make, the sacrifices of those I loved, was behind me. But a storm is approaching, an army of Iron fey that will drag me back, kicking and screaming. Drag me away from the banished prince who's sworn to stand by my side. Drag me into the core of conflict so powerful, I'm not sure anyone can survive it.
This time, there will be no turning back.
My review: Epic. Battle. Really. Great. Book. 
Those were my words after finishing The Iron Queen! I underestimated these books, I knew they were good. But this was something else. This was a fantastic way to end the battle between The Iron Fey and the Seelie and Unseelie courts. 
I loved how much the characters have developed since the first book. This series has had one the best character development I've ever read. 
I loved the lore and myths surrounding the Iron Fey, and it was quite cool that a new species of faery spawned from the thing that is lethal to faeries. I really like that some of the creatures/demons were named after things that annoy us on our very own computers. That was trey cool and I'm considering renaming my computer "Gremlin" after one of the funny and almost cute creatures from this novel. 
The writing style in this is beautiful, and very vivid. Kagawa is a wizard (or maybe a faery) with words!
The one thing I didn't like about this book was how tense it was, it was hard for me to sit back and enjoy it. Enjoy though I know tension builds suspense it's still hard to enjoy something when you're tearing your hair out. This wasn't necessarily a flaw, just not something I enjoyed. 
It's official, I think I'm team Ash now. He's just a bit cooler then Puck! Though I'll always have a soft spot for Puck and his endless comic relief. These boys rock and have the best and hardest love triangle in YA.

The Iron Queen is a book filled with epic fight scenes, wicked awesome powers, and is an all around epic novel!
5/5
Source: Bought from Amazon.

November 19, 2011

In my Mailbox (28)

Paranormal Wastelands
In my Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren.
Bought:
Hunger Games T-Shirt
Eve by Anna Carey
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
The Juliet Spell by Douglas Rees
Won:
The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamliton (signed) Thanks Mundie Moms!

November 17, 2011

The Iron Daughter


The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa
Summary: Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron fey—ironbound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her.
Worse, Meghan's own fey powers have been cut off. She's stuck in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can't help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart.
My review: I know there's really no point in reviewing this one, because almost everyone has already read and loved it, just like I did! 
I really enjoyed The Iron King but it was a little hard to understand. I didn't have that problem in this one, so I was able to truly enjoy it, and enjoy it I did!
I think the characters in this book are the main thing that draws people towards them. Meghan is incredibly awesome, when she's not whining like she was in the first book. I especially enjoyed all her quick, sarcastic, and witty replies, they had me rolling on the floor! 
Remember how I said I didn't like Ash in the 1st book? Well... guess what? I'm really warming up to him (pun not intended). Though I still like Puck for his wit, energy, and good attitude. But Ash is just so epic! He's so cool (once again, pun not intended) and wicked. Unlike a lot of love triangles like Twilight (Edward) or The Mortal Instruments (Simon) where I clearly have a favorite between the two boys, this one is so hard to choice! Though I know in my heart she'll end up with Ash, Puck is a worthy competitor! 
The settings in this book were so complex, though sometimes they hurt my head. There were so many layers to the Nevernever, it was impossible to keep track of them all. It was the same way with the characters, I enjoy a complicated plot, but nothing head hurting.
The action in this book was so rich. It was gritty, nail biting, and heroic. These characters all have some serious guts!
The plot developed quickly in this book, just the way I like it! There was not a lot of back story from the 1st book, only enough to refresh my memory.
The Iron Daughter was a novel of epic proportions, it's near impossible not to fall in love with it.
5/5
Cover Comments: These books have the best covers! I love the white and the purple
Source: Bought.
This book counts in the following challenges:
111 in 2011: 95


November 16, 2011

Gratitude Giveaway Hop


Welcome to my stop on the Gratitude Giveaway Hop hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and All Consuming Books. It's time to be thankful, and one thing I'm sure we're all thankful for are books! So why not try and win another one?
The Faerie Ring (The Faerie Ring, #1)
"Debut novelist Kiki Hamilton takes readers from the gritty slums and glittering ballrooms of Victorian London to the beguiling but menacing Otherworld of the Fey in this spellbinding tale of romance, suspense, and danger. 
The year is 1871, and Tiki has been making a home for herself and her family of orphans in a deserted hideaway adjoining Charing Cross Station in central London. Their only means of survival is by picking pockets. One December night, Tiki steals a ring, and sets off a chain of events that could lead to all-out war with the Fey. For the ring belongs to Queen Victoria, and it binds the rulers of England and the realm of Faerie to peace. With the ring missing, a rebel group of faeries hopes to break the treaty with dark magic and blood—Tiki’s blood.
Unbeknownst to Tiki, she is being watched—and protected—by Rieker, a fellow thief who suspects she is involved in the disappearance of the ring. Rieker has secrets of his own, and Tiki is not all that she appears to be. Her very existence haunts Prince Leopold, the Queen’s son, who is driven to know more about the mysterious mark that encircles her wrist.
Prince, pauper, and thief—all must work together to secure the treaty…
AND THE TRAILER
Love that trailer! Very well done with the dramatic music playing in the background! 
This book was quite good, and it could now be your's!  Unlike other giveaways done here on the blog, this giveaway will have no ways to get extra entries. This is a way to thank you guys, not make you do stuff! All you have to do is follow via GFC. 
Enter after the page break.

November 14, 2011

2012 Dystopian Reading Challenge Sign-up

I am in love with the dystopian genre. It is my favorite genre of all time. And no, I'm not paranoid or goth. And since the apocalypse is supposed to happen in 2012 why not "celebrate" with a reading challenge?
Rules:
  • This challenge lasts from January 1st, 2012 to December 31st, 2012
  • All books must be started on/after January 1st, 2012
  • Crossovers with other challenges are allowed.
  • After the challenge has started, you can decide to choose a higher level, but you can not choose to go down a level.
  • All books must be dystopian (duh) and either Young Adult or Middle Grade (I can't think of any MG dystopian though).
  • Must post all your reviews to either your blog or goodreads. Sorry, non blogging folks!
  • Must create a sign-up post that includes a link to this post, the level you've signed up for, and the button above. 
  • Must sign-up before June 1st, 2012.
Important Info:
  • After each month I will do a recap where you can link your reviews, I will also declare what the prize will be for the current month and the winner of last month's giveaway.
  • Each month there will be a giveaway for all those who reviewed a book, each review = one entry. The giveaway item could range from a gift card, a book, swag, and more.  
The Levels:
  • Easy: Read 5-8 books.
  • Medium: Read 8-14 books.
  • Hard: 15-20 books.
  • So Hard it Would Have it's Own Apocalypse!: 21+
I myself am doing the "So Hard it Would Have it's Own Apocalypse" level.
    THE BUTTON:
    Please use this!







      November 12, 2011

      The Faerie Ring

      The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton.
      Summary: Debut novelist Kiki Hamilton takes readers from the gritty slums and glittering ballrooms of Victorian London to the beguiling but menacing Otherworld of the Fey in this spellbinding tale of romance, suspense, and danger. 
      The year is 1871, and Tiki has been making a home for herself and her family of orphans in a deserted hideaway adjoining Charing Cross Station in central London. Their only means of survival is by picking pockets. One December night, Tiki steals a ring, and sets off a chain of events that could lead to all-out war with the Fey. For the ring belongs to Queen Victoria, and it binds the rulers of England and the realm of Faerie to peace. With the ring missing, a rebel group of faeries hopes to break the treaty with dark magic and blood—Tiki’s blood.
      Unbeknownst to Tiki, she is being watched—and protected—by Rieker, a fellow thief who suspects she is involved in the disappearance of the ring. Rieker has secrets of his own, and Tiki is not all that she appears to be. Her very existence haunts Prince Leopold, the Queen’s son, who is driven to know more about the mysterious mark that encircles her wrist.
      Prince, pauper, and thief—all must work together to secure the treaty…
      My review: I went into this book expecting it to a be a good read, but nothing special. I was however pleasantly surprised! 
      I thought the settings were the driving part of this novel. When Hamilton described them I felt like I was there, in 1871, whether the scene took place in the luxurious ballrooms or the chaotic, dirty streets. The settings were so good, and it felt like I was watching an HBO or BBC film in my mind. Few authors can paint such a lush picture in my head. I actually liked hearing about the historical parts better, but they were both really good.
      I really enjoyed hearing about Tiki and her family. Their loyalty to each other was admirable. And they were the coolest pickpockets ever! It made me want to walk outside and grab something from the nearest person. 
      If there was one flaw to highlight though, it would have to be how the book seemed to drag on a bit. They spent so much time worrying and plotting that it just got boring and dull. It helped build the suspense, but it also helped put me to sleep. Other then that, this book was a joyride!
      The Faerie Ring is The Infernal Devices meets The Iron Fey. Admit it, you love it already.
      4.5/5
      Cover Comments: The ring is cool, but I don't like the blurry face. 
      Source: Bought from Amazon.
      This book counts in the following challenges:
      111 in 2011: 95.
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