The Immortal Circus Blog Tour Week Eight: Guest Post

Welcome to the eighth week of The Immortal Circus by A.R. Kahler

The Immortal Circus by A.R. Kahler

Release Date ~ 12/4/12

Publisher ~ 47North

Murdered contortionists aren’t exactly what Vivienne signed up for when she ran away to join the circus. But like most things under the big top, nothing is what it seems. With a past she can't quite remember, Vivienne finds that running away forever might not be as appealing as it once sounded—especially not when she realizes the devilishly attractive ringleader Mab is the Faerie Queen of legend…and that she and the rest of the troupe are locked in an age-old rivalry between the otherworldly Courts.
Aided by her friends Kingston—a feisty stage magician whose magic is quickly stealing her heart—and his smart-ass assistant Melody, Vivienne finds herself racing against the clock to discover the culprit behind a series of deaths that should be impossible. However, the answer she seeks might reveal more about her own bloody past—and future—than she bargains for.
The show's just beginning.

Step right up…

My my, loves, what harsh words from the Summer King! 

I cannot for the life of me understand his anger. I was perfectly within my rights when I...disposed...of his herald. He should know first hand that if one does not wish to get bitten, one should not tempt the serpent.

No matter. His wrath does not scare me any more than the metaphorical snake. For I am Queen Mab. And no man shall subdue my rule.

He wishes for war? So be it. Our war is what makes my life so much fun.

Let us gather arms, loves. Order your copy of THE IMMORTAL CIRCUS. Spread the beautiful banner of Winter, tweet under our hashtags #ImmortalCirus #WinterVictory. Show your support and enter to win the greatest battle your world has seen. We have two weeks left to pave the road to victory. 

And I assure you, a glorious victory it shall be.

So long as you're on the correct side.

Kisses,
Mab

Giveaway

This tour comes with a giveaway! Enter after the page break!

Review: Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
Release Date ~ 2/5/13
Format ~ ARC
Publisher ~ Feiwel and Friends
Source ~ Swapped

Cinder returns in the second thrilling installment of the New York Times-bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She’s trying to break out of prison—even though if she succeeds, she’ll be the Commonwealth’s most wanted fugitive.
Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit’s grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn’t know about her grandmother and the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother’s whereabouts, she has no choice but to trust him, though he clearly has a few dark secrets of his own.
As Scarlet and Wolf work to unravel one mystery, they find another when they cross paths with Cinder. Together, they must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen who will do anything to make Prince Kai her husband, her king, her prisoner.

 I don't even know where to begin about Scarlet. Ever since Cinder I've known Marissa Meyer is a really brilliant author, and Scarlet delivers one hundred percent. The characters and plot continue to evolve and new plot lines begin to pop up.

In Scarlet, another leading protagonist appears in the form of Scarlet, a french girl who's grandmother is missing and the police have done pretty much nothing about it. She's a very fierce heroine and decides to take matters into her own hands and hunt her grandmother down. Accompanied by the mysterious street fighter, Wolf, they track her down on a journey that takes them across France and is eventually entwined with the story of the main character from the first book, Lihn Cinder. Though I missed having Cinder as the only narrator, Scarlet makes a likable protagonist herself.

The action intensifies and everything gets a lot more brutal in Scarlet than it was in Cinder. All the stakes are higher and there is an overall sense that the series has gone in a darker direction. Though Cinder was an amazing read, it was lighter and the stakes weren't quite so big, however, Scarlet really ups the game.

The ending of Scarlet is one that has you so eager to read the next book it's not even funny. The next months will be pure agony because I don't think I will be able to wait that long to see what happens to Cinder, Scarlet, and the gang. The Lunar war has intensified and I cannot wait to see which direction Marissa Meyer takes this story in.

Scarlet was a near-perfect second novel that, in my humble opinion, will set the bar for second books this year.

Review: Nobody But Us by Kristin Halbrook

Nobody But Us by Kristin Halbrook
Release Date ~ 1/29/13 (TODAY!)
Format ~ ARC
Publisher ~ HarperTeen
Source ~ Publisher

Purchase

Bonnie and Clyde meets IF I STAY in this addictively heart-wrenching story of two desperate teenagers on the run from their pasts.
They’re young. They’re in love. They’re on the run.
Zoe wants to save Will as much as Will wants to save Zoe. When Will turns eighteen, they decide to run away together. But they never expected their escape to be so fraught with danger....
When the whole world is after you, sometimes it seems like you can’t run fast enough.
Nobody But Us, told in alternating perspectives from Will and Zoe, is an unflinching novel, in turns heartbreaking and hopeful, about survival, choices, and love...and how having love doesn’t always mean that you get a happy ending. Described as “beautiful, heartbreaking, and exhilarating” by Kody Keplinger, author of The DUFF, Nobody But Us will prove irresistible to fans of Nina Lacour, Jenny Han, and Sara Zarr.

 Though it's no secret I prefer genre books, a contemporary novel can be just as powerful as any genre novel... and Nobody But Us totally delivers. It's hard to handle, it's raw emotion, it's a true work of art.

Zoe and Will are both the most endearing, vulnerable characters that you can't but want to help. They've both lived very, very unemployable lives. With Will growing up in the foster care system and Zoe suffering from an abusive, drunk father since her mother died, it's no wonder they ditch town the second they get the chance. And although you so want them to get the f**k away from their shitty lives in small town South Dakota, you know that something's not going to go right. This book is probably the best example of "you can't run away from your problems" you'll ever read.

Nobody But Us takes you on a true emotional whirlwind that will have you crying, sometimes laughing, and often wanting to punch things - in the best way. When I finished finished the novel, I couldn't decide if I wanted to punch Kristin Halbrook or bow down to her. She creates characters and a story that leaves you hanging on every word. It's a beautiful and scary portrait of the what the world is really like. Because Halbrook doesn't sugarcoat a thing, and she doesn't hold back. She takes risks, but when has someone ever written something amazing by playing it safe?

Nobody But Us is a novel that connects to you on a deeper level. It draws you in and makes you reflect on your own life - in my opinion, the highest achievement a book can ever make. A true gem.

Review: Asunder by Jodi Meadows

Asunder by Jodi Meadows
Release Date ~ 1/29/2013
Format ~ ARC
Publisher ~ Katherine Tegen Books
Source ~ Publisher

Purchase

DARKSOULS
Ana has always been the only one. Asunder. Apart. But after Templedark, when many residents of Heart were lost forever, some hold Ana responsible for the darksouls–and the newsouls who may be born in their place.
SHADOWS
Many are afraid of Ana’s presence, a constant reminder of unstoppable changes and the unknown. When sylph begin behaving differently toward her and people turn violent, Ana must learn to stand up not only for herself but for those who cannot stand up for themselves.
LOVE
Ana was told that nosouls can’t love. But newsouls? More than anything, she wants to live and love as an equal among the citizens of Heart, but even when Sam professes his deepest feelings, it seems impossible to overcome a lifetime of rejection.
In this second book in the Incarnate trilogy, Ana discovers the truth about reincarnation and will have to find a way to embrace love and make her young life meaningful. Once again, Jodi Meadows explores the extraordinary beauty and shadowed depths of the soul in a story equal parts epic romance and captivating fantasy.

   Though the first book in this trilogy, Incarnate was really good, it wasn't quite a five star read. However, Jodi Meadows ups her game considerably in Asunder. There are higher stakes, heightened action scenes, and worthy character development.

  The first thing that struck me as an improvement since Incarnate was that I liked Ana a lot more in this book. In Incarnate I found her as endearing but kind of annoying, and in Asunder, she didn't annoy me nearly as much, and I grew to appreciate her more as a character.

   Jodi Meadows has an EPIC writing style that keeps your heart racing and has you on the edge of your seat  the entire  time. It's a very a very tense way of writing that can be nerve raking, but it's perfect for this novel, as there's an intense atmosphere to it almost the entire time.

   I think Jodi Meadows has created almost a civil rights story in Asunder. The overall feeling of Asunder are the new souls that are popping up in the world, mostly Anna, fighting for the right to be treated like normal citizens. Though it may be subtle, Anna might even be a kind-of MLK figure in this world.

   This book has ending that KILLS YOU. It's not a cliffhanger, but here is what I was like when I read the last page:

Yep. 

   Asunder was a very, very strong second novel. I need the final book stat!

The Immortal Circus Blog Tour Week Eight: Review and Teaser

Welcome to week eight of The Immortal Circus by A.R. Kahler blog tour

Episode Four

The Immortal Circus by A.R. Kahler

Release Date ~ 12/4/12

Publisher ~ 47North

Murdered contortionists aren’t exactly what Vivienne signed up for when she ran away to join the circus. But like most things under the big top, nothing is what it seems. With a past she can't quite remember, Vivienne finds that running away forever might not be as appealing as it once sounded—especially not when she realizes the devilishly attractive ringleader Mab is the Faerie Queen of legend…and that she and the rest of the troupe are locked in an age-old rivalry between the otherworldly Courts.
Aided by her friends Kingston—a feisty stage magician whose magic is quickly stealing her heart—and his smart-ass assistant Melody, Vivienne finds herself racing against the clock to discover the culprit behind a series of deaths that should be impossible. However, the answer she seeks might reveal more about her own bloody past—and future—than she bargains for.
The show's just beginning.

Step right up…

Review

   Despite a rocky episode in episode three, A.R. Kahler gets The Immortal Circus back on the right track. The characters continue to evolve and the plot thickens heavily, gearing up for the final episode.

  The action intensifies in this episode and there is a lot of suspense throughout. I loved the heightened intensity and it really enhanced the tone of the novel.

   

   The characters continue to develop thoroughly with plenty of interesting character twists and really enjoyable characters that keep you guessing.

   The plot continues to thicken and evolve, and although since it's the fourth episode there's not a lot I can without spoiling it, for I can say this: this serial is one hot item!

Teaser

How are you feeling?” I ask.
“Meh,” Mel says with a shrug of her shoulders. We start walking toward the pie cart. “Still feel like I’ve been run over by a truck a few hundred times, but it’s better than before.”
She pours herself a cup of water from one of the Gatorade containers when we hit the pie cart, offering me one as well.
“Any plans for the day?” she asks, sitting back on a wooden table still littered with a few bowls of half-eaten cereal.
“Juggling practice,” I say. The words feel like a death sentence. “What about you?”Her grin widens. “There’s a swimming hole nearby. An honest-to-God swimming hole with rope swings and tetanus and everything. I think a couple of us are heading over after lunch.”

Giveaway

This tour comes with a giveaway! Enter after the page break!

Waiting on Wednesday: Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine

Siege and Storm (The Grisha #2) by Leigh Bardugo

Release Date ~ 6/4/2013 

Publisher ~ Henry and Holt

Add it on Goodreads

Darkness never dies.
Hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Fold, Alina must try to make a life with Mal in an unfamiliar land, all while keeping her identity as the Sun Summoner a secret. But she can't outrun her past or her destiny for long.
The Darkling has emerged from the Shadow Fold with a terrifying new power and a dangerous plan that will test the very boundaries of the natural world. With the help of a notorious privateer, Alina returns to the country she abandoned, determined to fight the forces gathering against Ravka. But as her power grows, Alina slips deeper into the Darkling's game of forbidden magic, and farther away from Mal. Somehow, she will have to choose between her country, her power, and the love she always thought would guide her--or risk losing everything to the  oncoming storm.

   The first book in this trilogy, Shadow and Bone was knock-your-socks-off amazing and so unique, and I got the pleasure to meet Leigh Bardugo, who was very awesome. I cannot wait for this book! Alina was a great main character, very kickass, and I can't wait to see where she ends up in Siege and Storm. And Mal, I hope Mal is doing okay too! Simply put, I need this book stat!

Meet me at ALA Midwinter!

Hey guys! This weekend is ALA Midwinter Meeting in Seattle, and I'm attending along with my partner in crime, Rachel from Beauty and the Bookshelf. I'll be at the YA Highway Meet-Up on Friday night and in the conference hall from Friday to Sunday! Come up and say hello! Tweet me (@NonReluctant) if you're going to and want to have a meal or hang out with us!

(Rachel and I do love our scarves.)