Cover Features (#1): Killer Hair

Hello everyone!  Okay, I have decided to start a new meme-is kind of feature.  It's called Cover Features, and basically all I do is feature book covers that have the same theme, like hair, or eyes, or boys, anything.

So, today's feature is...Killer Hair.

Nightshade
by Andrea Cremer
Series: Nightshade #1
Release Date: October 19, 2010

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Calla Tor has always known her destiny: After graduating from the Mountain School, she’ll be the mate of sexy alpha wolf Ren Laroche and fight with him, side by side, ruling their pack and guarding sacred sites for the Keepers. But when she violates her masters’ laws by saving a beautiful human boy out for a hike, Calla begins to question her fate, her existence, and the very essence of the world she has known. By following her heart, she might lose everything - including her own life. Is forbidden love worth the ultimate sacrifice?

Fury

by Elizabeth Miles

Series: The Fury Trilogy #1

Release Date: August 30, 2011

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Sometime's sorry isn't enough.

It’s winter break in Ascension, Maine. The snow is falling and everything looks pristine and peaceful. But not all is as it seems...

Between cozy traditions and parties with her friends, Emily loves the holidays. And this year’s even better--the guy she’s been into for months is finally noticing her. But Em knows if she starts things with him, there’s no turning back. Because his girlfriend is Em’s best friend.

On the other side of town, Chase is having problems of his own. The stress of his home life is starting to take its toll, and his social life is unraveling. But that’s nothing compared to what’s really haunting him. Chase has done something cruel...something the perfect guy he pretends to be would never do. And it’s only a matter of time before he’s exposed.

In Ascension, mistakes can be deadly. And three girls—three beautiful, mysterious girls—are here to choose who will pay.

Em and Chase have been chosen.



Sweet Venom

by Tera Lynn Childs

Series: Medusa Girls #1
Release Date: September 6, 2011

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Grace just moved to San Francisco and is excited to start over at a new school. The change is full of fresh possibilities, but it’s also a tiny bit scary. It gets scarier when a minotaur walks in the door. And even more shocking when a girl who looks just like her shows up to fight the monster.

Gretchen is tired of monsters pulling her out into the wee hours, especially on a school night, but what can she do? Sending the minotaur back to his bleak home is just another notch on her combat belt. She never expected to run into this girl who could be her double, though.

Greer has her life pretty well put together, thank you very much. But that all tilts sideways when two girls who look eerily like her appear on her doorstep and claim they're triplets, supernatural descendants of some hideous creature from Greek myth, destined to spend their lives hunting monsters.

These three teenage descendants of Medusa, the once-beautiful gorgon maligned by myth, must reunite and embrace their fates in this unique paranormal world where monsters lurk in plain sight.

Wither

by Lauren DeStefano

Series: The Chemical Garden #1

Release Date: March 22, 2011

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

By age sixteen, Rhine Ellery has four years left to live. She can thank modern science for this genetic time bomb. A botched effort to create a perfect race has left all males with a lifespan of 25 years, and females with a lifespan of 20 years. Geneticists are seeking a miracle antidote to restore the human race, desperate orphans crowd the population, crime and poverty have skyrocketed, and young girls are being kidnapped and sold as polygamous brides to bear more children. When Rhine is kidnapped and sold as a bride, she vows to do all she can to escape. Her husband, Linden, is hopelessly in love with her, and Rhine can’t bring herself to hate him as much as she’d like to. He opens her to a magical world of wealth and illusion she never thought existed, and it almost makes it possible to ignore the clock ticking away her short life. But Rhine quickly learns that not everything in her new husband’s strange world is what it seems. Her father-in-law, an eccentric doctor bent on finding the antidote, is hoarding corpses in the basement. Her fellow sister wives are to be trusted one day and feared the next, and Rhine is desperate to communicate to her twin brother that she is safe and alive. Will Rhine be able to escape--before her time runs out?Together with one of Linden's servants, Gabriel, Rhine attempts to escape just before her seventeenth birthday. But in a world that continues to spiral into anarchy, is there any hope for freedom?

A Beautiful Evil

by Kelly Keaton

Series: Gods & Monsters #2

Release Date: February 21, 2012

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Myth and mayhem inhabit a richly reimagined New Orleans in this sequel to Darkness Becomes Her.After the epic graveyard battle at the end of Darkness Becomes Her, Ari and her friends know what they’re up against: Ari is facing the Medusa curse and is haunted by the image of what she will become. To make matters worse, the heinous goddess Athena has kidnapped young Violet and is threatening to destroy Ari.

Ari, along with the superhot Sebastian, is doing everything she can to learn more about Athena and to get Violet back. But the battle of good and evil is bigger than she realizes, and she’s about to be pulled into a world more horrific than she could ever imagine....

Which cover(s) is/are your favorite?

Did I miss any covers with killer hair?

In My Mailbox: (#26)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren, where we spotlight the books that we've received for review, swapped, or purchased that week.

BOUGHT:



Silence, by Michelle Sagara

The Peculiars, by Maureen Doyle McQuerry

The Girl in the Steel Corset, by Kady Cross

Under the Never Sky, by Veronica Rossi

Obsidian, by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Hemlock, by Kathleen Peacock

Poison Study, by Maria V. Snyder

SWAG:

From Sarah Walsh

From Ellie James

*Warning: Below is an extremely long post in which I rant a ton about the books I got.  Ye be warned.*

Wow what a great week I’ve had.  So many great books!!

I actually got all the swag on Monday.  I opened my mailbox and there were two packages, one from Sarah Walsh and the other from Ellie James.  I literally started jumping up and down and running around the house when I saw the t-shirt, because you don’t get swag like that every day.

Last week I made a humungous order off of Amazon and this week I got the books.

I got Poison Study on Tuesday and literally ran around the house screaming.  This book was so freaking amazing, and even though I’ve already read it, I had to buy it because it’s one of the few books that have truly blown me away and that I will read again.  Now I have the entire Study series, which I’m really excited about!

On Wednesday I got the rest of my order.

I am super excited about The Girl in the Steel Corset because steampunk is quickly becoming one of my favorite genres, and I’ve heard so many amazing things about this book, so I just had to buy it.

Silence and The Peculiars are two other steampunk books that I’m super excited about.  The one thing that never fails with steampunk books are the covers.  They always have gorgeous covers, always, and, as you guys know, I’m a sucker for pretty covers, so I usually can’t resist buying them.

Hemlock I got for a funny reason.  It’s a poison.  And the reason I got it is because I read Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder, so now whenever I see a title that is a poison I want it.  I know, it’s a horrible reason, but I seriously can’t help myself.

I wasn’t originally going to get Obsidian because I didn’t think it looked that good and that I would enjoy it, but after all the rave reviews I’ve read both on blogs and Goodreads I just had to get myself a copy.  And one thing I’ve noticed about covers is that most of the time if there’s a guy posing, he usually isn’t that cute, but on this cover, he is gorgeous, so super excited to read this one.

And the last book I got this week I’m really excited for.  I got Under the Never Sky for another embarrassing reason: the book trailer *hides in shame* yes I know I know it’s horrible, but seriously, the book trailer is so freaking good.  Anyway, after seeing it I just had to buy myself a copy and I can’t wait to start it!

What did you guys get this week?

Link me up!!

Protector Blog Tour: Author Interview + Excerpt

Hello lovelies!  Today I'm super excited to be joined by Vanna Smythe today to feature her book, Protector.  I have an interview and exclusive excerpt for you today so I hope you stick around! :)

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Goodreads / Barnes & Noble / Amazon

Kiyarran just wanted to become a Protector of the Realm, a member of an elite order of fighters. Strange and powerful magical abilities awaken inside him once his wish comes true. The Priesthood that secretly controls the realm see his skill as a threat, and Kiyarran begins to learn that little about life as a Protector is what he thought it would be. To top it off, Kiyarran is falling in love with Princess Issiyanna, his friend of many years.
Issiyanna faces and arranged marriage, but she has been dreaming of another man, her one true love. Now her long gone mother is calling to her, promising she will return and take Issiyanna to meet the man from her dreams.
The world is split in half by a barrier called the Veil. A terrible sacrifice was made to put it in place and now, as the 1000th Anniversary of the Veil draws near, a second sacrifice is called for to keep it in place.
Both Kiyarran and Issiyanna are needed for the Anniversary. Even though they only just learned of the Veil and neither know the role they must play …

__________________________________

~Excerpt~

Kae walked behind her left shoulder as Issa entered the dining room. She hadn’t first gone to her chambers to change into something more appropriate. Most likely to annoy her father, she still wore her woolen trousers and knee high leather boots. King Ardnan was already seated, but stood when she entered. Issa hardly acknowledged this gesture.

Kae’s stomach rumbled as the smell of the creamy mushroom soup hit him. Tonight the soup would be followed by roast chicken and slow baked potatoes. He could smell it all from where the servants waited for the king and the princess to finish their soup. And Kae could have none of it.

Issa and her father were having dinner in the king’s private dining room tonight and, as Issa’s Guardian, Kae could not just sit down and eat with them. Could she not dine in the common hall tonight where he could join her? She’d already made him spend the entire afternoon on the cliffs.

Protector Hyldar, who was standing behind the king’s chair, winked at him and gave him a knowing smile, before his face turned back into the expressionless mask all the Protectors wore. Kae had already begun practicing at it in preparation for the Pledging. Hyldar could smile all he wanted, Kae was sure the Protector had already eaten. Still a trainee, Kae had to go through old one-hand Bron to get food at the Keep, and the dinner bell was at twilight.

King Ardnan sat back down and picked up his spoon. “Tell me, Issiyanna, have you had enough time to reflect on your words since last night?”

“I have reflected, to be sure, but I have not changed my mind, if that is what you are indeed asking. And I am sure that I will never understand why you are forcing this on me.”

Her father looked at her with a smile beneath his bushy golden mustache, which was quite at odds with the stern tone of his words. “I have gone to speak to the Head Priest today to see if we might postpone your wedding. Reluctantly, he has agreed that it can wait until summer next, so that you might have some more time to enjoy yourself.”

“Because I will not enjoy myself once I am married?” Issa didn’t look up from her food and didn’t see the smile.

“I expressed myself clumsily…”

“Why has my marriage only been postponed? You were allowed to marry the one you truly loved. Why can I not?”

A shadow seemed to creep across the king’s face. “My love for your mother was stronger than any rules imposed. Is there one that you love beyond measure?”

“No. That is to say, I have not met such a man yet, but I feel that he is out there, and he is not Thomma, whom the priests have picked for me.”

“It would be different, if there was one from whom you could not be parted. You have until summer next, almost eight turns of the moon from now. If, in this time, you should meet someone you love beyond measure, I will see you wed to him. But try not to romanticize what your mother and I had. I only enjoyed her love and warmth for eight short years before she was taken from me. Such strong love carries a terrible price at the end of days, and perhaps it is a mercy one does not have to pay it.”

Issa didn’t reply. The servants brought out the chicken and potatoes. Issa only ate a few potatoes and left the chicken untouched, before excusing herself. What a waste.

“Did you know about this, Kiyarran?” Issa rounded on Kae as soon as the dining room door closed behind them.

“I heard something about the meeting between your father and the Head Priest from Orn, while I took my lunch with him.” Kae was fighting down a smile. She was angry enough as it was.

“I knew it. You Protectors gossip worse than old market sellers. And where is the duty and honor in that?” Issa stopped at the foot of the wide marble staircase, which was covered by a forest green carpet and turned to glare at him. Kae avoided her gaze.

The endings of the staircase railing were carved; the left side in the shape of a rose and the right in the shape of the sun. When he was younger, Kae wondered if all of that meant anything special to the royal line, but Issa wouldn’t say. He later found out the carpet was placed on the stairs at the request of Issa’s mother, Queen Aelde. This explained why Issa wouldn’t speak of it, Kae didn’t like speaking of his parents either.

He held up the edge of the charcoal grey cloak of his uniform. “I am not a Protector yet. See?” Protectors wore black. It was meant to goad her a little and worked, even though Kae could never understand her displeasure at the Protectors.

“You should have told me.” Issa’s bright blue eyes were alight with indignation.

“How could I kindle your hope on a piece of market gossip?” It was never his place to tell her. Besides he had it from Orn, who himself didn’t have it first hand, except for having seen the king ride to the Priests’ Palace in the morning.

“You may go now,” Issa said loudly and stalked up the stairs. She’d pulled her long blonde hair into a knot earlier, and it was bouncing now with every step she took. If it had a mouth, it would stick its tongue out at him, Kae was sure.

First Captain Entan emerged from the small room where the king held his private councils.

“Captain, the princess has dismissed me. I request permission to return to the Keep,” Kae said as he fell in step beside him.

“Yes, Kiyarran, if the princess has no further need of you then, by all means, return to the Protectors’ Keep,” the First Captain answered and lengthened his stride.

_____________________________________

~Author Interview~

1. Can you tell us a bit about yourself? Sure thing. I work as a copywriter and freelance journalist. In between that I write fiction. I am lucky enough to be able to work from home and set my own hours. I am also extremely lucky to have a family who supports me in the fulfillment of my long time dream of being a novelist. I’ve put off finishing my first novel for a long time, but I think that I am now well on my way to making a career out of writing fantasy fiction books.

2. Why did you become a writer? Who where your biggest influences? I’ve been asked this question a lot lately. The more I think about how to answer it the more I realize that I simply always wanted to be a writer. To put it another way, I don’t remember a time when I didn’t think I will be a writer when I grow up.
I have many writing influences spanning various genres. To name just a few would not be fair to the others. Though I can't claim that any particular writer, novel, or story influenced me to write. I started to write more seriously in High School, and was lucky enough to have the support of my English teacher in my endeavors. He encouraged me to write short stories and even started an afterschool creative writing class. It was in this class that I learned a lot about plotting, character creation, and other areas of creative writing. Most of all though, it gave me the courage to continue writing.

3. How and when did you get the idea for Protector? The main idea behind Protector comes from the belief in the existence of so-called twin souls. Basically, the belief is that everyone has a twin soul or twin flame, which is something like a soul mate. However, twin souls only rarely come together in the same lifetime. The theory states that the only time they do meet, and enter into a relationship, is when the energy of the strong love they share for each other is needed to make the world better in some way. Protector is set in a world where these sort of “joinings” between twins souls are forced, and not allowed to occur naturally.
I also explored other ideas and issues, such as how the natural order of things should not be meddled with, how religion can be used to enslave the masses, how strong the pull of true love can be, and others. But it is the characters who are at the heart of it all, as it is all basically their story.

4. What's your favorite food? Pizza, followed closely by chocolate.

5. Favorite movie? I have to pick just one? Impossible ;) I am very partial to the Pirates of the Caribbean and Lord of the Rings Trilogies though.

6. Favorite season? Spring. I love the way nature wakes up from a long winter sleep.

7. Are you a cat or dog person? Definitely a cat person. Though I like dogs too.

8. Team Peeta or Team Gale?I only saw the movie, I hate to admit, but I plan to read the books over the summer. From the movie I would have to say Gale, because Peeta came across as a little dishonest. However, since I haven’t read the books I just don’t know either of them well enough to be able to answer this question just yet.

9. Is there another book in the works? If so, what can we expect?I just started writing Book Two of the Anniversary of the Veil series. It will be called Decision Maker and will conclude much of the story I started in Protector. I hope to publish it in the Fall of this year. After that one, the third part will more than likely follow as well. 



About Vanna Smythe---->                Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

Vanna Smythe is on a quest to become a (bestselling) fantasy author.  Right now, it promises to be a dangerous quest, full of questionable, powerful magnates, laced with pitfalls of obligation, and dreams. So it is good that she does not mean to quest thus alone. To keep her company along the way, she has enlisted the help of an incredible cast of characters. For the moment, they are a confident boy who must learn many things anew, a girl who would like nothing more than to live in endless summer, four who wish things were different, and one who will do all to keep things the same.

Review: Graceling

Author: Kristin Cashore

Series: Seven Realms Trilogy #1

Pages: 472

Format: Hardcover

Goodreads / Amazon

Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight—she’s a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king’s thug. When she first meets Prince Po, Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change. She never expects to become Po’s friend. She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace—or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away . . . a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone. With elegant, evocative prose and a cast of unforgettable characters, debut author Kristin Cashore creates a mesmerizing world, a death-defying adventure, and a heart-racing romance that will consume you, hold you captive, and leave you wanting more.



This book was a roller-coaster of highes and lowes, and to be honest I would have given it up if my mom hadn’t said it was good.  And I’m glad she made me continue because in the end it was a pretty good read.

This book started from page one as super kick-butt, and I was really enjoying it.  It was good up until a little bit after Po was introduced, when Katsa finds out the truth about his Grace (I’m not going to tell you guys, you have to read the book and find out :P).  And from then on it was down-hill.  First off, she freaks out for literally 20 pages about how “Po lied to her” and how “she can’t trust him anymore”.  It was so freaking annoying because Po didn’t lie to her.  He didn’t tell her anything except that his grace was fighting.  And the way that Katsa finds out is super easy too.  It’s when her would-be-suitor says the exact same words that Po used one time and bam!  She knows what Po is.  And I’m not overexagerating it, that’s really how it was.  And then we come to the problem with the romance.  Literally, one day, completely out of the blue, Katsa wakes up and loves Po.  And then the next day, they’re already kissing and doing It.  And I’m not overexagerating that either.  The romance developed in the space of a two pages.  I’m not kidding.  So the first part of this book was horrible, and I was all set to give it one star. 

And then the second part began.  This one was completely opposite.  Since this is Cashore’s debut novel, I think what happened was that she was maybe nervous, or didn’t really know how to develop the story in the first part, but in the second she grew more confident and really wrote amazingly.  Yes, this should never happen in a book because the editor should never let that slide, but it did in this one, and luckily the second part was good enough to make up for the trainreck that was the first part of the novel and then some.

The writing got much better, there was a ton more action, and the romance grew really sweet.  There was better staging and story line, and it was like night and day compared to the first part of the novel.  The ending was really good too.  I literally couldn’t stop reading.

In the beginning of this book (the sucky part) I despised Katsa.  I keep on hearing how she’s a really kick-butt character and all, and I agree she is kick-butt, but she wasn’t a good character.  She was violent, malicious, and thought the way to solve a problem was by bashing someone’s face in.  No, just no.  But as I kept on reading, she became more of a likable character.  She was still super kick-butt, but she was also nicer, more caring.  And I realize what Cashore did with her, and I must admit it was pure genius.  She showed how, over the course of the story, Katsa changed from this malicious girl to a really nice, still super kick-butt one.  I really have to tip my imaginary hat to Cashore because she really did an amazing thing by doing that, and really added to the story.  It also made the romance sweeter.

Then there is Po.  In the beginning I didn’t really like him (whenever I read his name I always think of the panda from Kung Fu Panda) but as I kept on reading I really started liking him, especially once the romance started happening.  He was kick-butt, caring, nice, and really the perfect guy.  I felt like crying at the end because something bad happened to him (no, I am not telling you) and it was so sad because I really liked him. :(

The other character in this book that I think is worth mentioning is Bitterblue.  For a ten year old girl, she was super kick-ass and I really liked her.  she was eager to learn and by the end of the book could really use her knife.

One more thing I have to say is that I really like how Cashore made Katsa realize what was wrong with Po.  I really got on her in the beginning of this review for making the sudden understanding happen without any staging, but I think this one was very nicely done, and it was very imaginative how she did it.  Literally the only reason I didn't give this book 5 stars is because of the first part of the book (sudden understandings without any staging, and some super insta-romance that I can't stand.)

4 1/2 pink flowers

Still on My Mind (#2): Grave Mercy

Still on my Mind is a weekly meme hosted by Haley at .YA-Aholic where we feature a book that we read a while ago but can't stop thinking about because it was so good.

Author: Robin LaFevers
Series: His Fair Assassin #1

Goodreads / Amazon

 

Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others.
Ismae’s most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart? Why be the sheep, when you can be the wolf?

Okay, so I know I just reviewed this book, but seriously, it’s amazing.  There was action, romance, suspense, intrigue, everything I could possibly want in a book.  It was so complex and just perfect.  And not to mention the characters.  They were amazing as well.  Seriously, if Duval was a real life living, breathing man I would marry him.  He’s so cute and sexy and kick-ASS!  One of my most favorite fictional guys ever.  And then there’s Ismae.  She is so freaking kick-ASS!  One of my favorite women in any book I’ve ever read.  Seriously guys, if you haven’t read this book yet you must pick it up.  And make sure you buy it because you’ll want to re-read it again and again.

For my review of Grave Mercy click here.

What are you guys still thinking of?

Link me up!!

Waiting on Wednesday (#34): Black City

This is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlites upcoming new releases that we're highly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Black City, by Elizabeth Richards

Goodreads / Amazon

Release Date: November 13, 2012

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons

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.

What are you guys waiting on?

Link me up!!

Teaser Tuesday: (#28)

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.

Anyone can do it. You just have to do is:

(1): Grab your current read.

(2): Open it to a random page.

(3): Share 1 or 2 "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page. BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!!

(4): Make sure you also mention the author and title.

Graceling, by Kristin Cashore

Add on Goodreads

#1: " Katsa set out with Oll and a convoy of soldiers.  When the soldiers caught the underlord, they dragged him to the square of the nearest village, where a scattering of startled people watched, slack jawed.  Katsa instructedthe soldiers to make the man kneel.  In one motion she snapped his neck.  There was no blood; there was no more than an instant's pain."

#2: "She sprang to her feet and swung at his jaw with the side of her hand.  She lessened the force of the blow only at the last instant, when she realized he hadn't raised his arm to block her.  Her hand hit his face with a sickening crack.  She watched, horrified, as his chair toppled backward and his head slammed against the floor.  She'd hit him hard.  She knew she'd hit him hard.  And he hadn't defended himself."

What's your teaser this Tuesday?

Link me up!!

Dusty Reads: (#8)

Dusty Reads is a weekly meme hosted by Giselle at .Xpresso Reads where we feature a book that has been sitting unread on our shelf for a long time.

My pick this week:

Release Date: June 7, 2011

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Series: Dust Lands #1

Goodreads / Amazon

Saba has spent her whole life in Silverlake, a dried-up wasteland ravaged by constant sandstorms. The Wrecker civilization has long been destroyed, leaving only landfills for Saba and her family to scavenge from. That's fine by her, as long as her beloved twin brother Lugh is around. But when a monster sandstorm arrives, along with four cloaked horsemen, Saba's world is shattered. Lugh is captured, and Saba embarks on an epic quest to get him back. Suddenly thrown into the lawless, ugly reality of the world outside of desolate Silverlake, Saba is lost without Lugh to guide her. So perhaps the most surprising thing of all is what Saba learns about herself: she's a fierce fighter, an unbeatable survivor, and a cunning opponent. And she has the power to take down a corrupt society from the inside. Teamed up with a handsome daredevil named Jack and a gang of girl revolutionaries called the Free Hawks, Saba stages a showdown that will change the course of her own civilization.

What's getting dusy on your shelf?

Link me up!! :)

Unspent Time Omnibus Winners!

"I'm very polite by nature, even the voices in my head let each other finish their sentences." Graham Parke, Unspent Time

I'd originally planned to have a monkey draw two random numbers out of a hat (then use the inverse hexadecimal value - because you cannot trust monkeys, not at the prices I'm willing to pay) but apparently there are laws against monkey labor. There are permits involved. It's a whole thing. So instead I asked a friend to think of two random numbers while dressed in a monkey suit, without telling him what the numbers were for. This seemed sufficiently random to me, although it later occurred to me how worrying it was that my friend would actually do this without ever asking why. There might be a thinly veiled cry for help in there somewhere...

Kindle Fire Winner: Cecilia Huddleston Kindle Touch Winner: Kathy Habel

A big thank you to all the bloggers and readers who supported the Unspent Time launch event (especially those who bought multiple versions of the weird little novels that wrecked a thousand reasonably useful minds.)

Anyway, here's the results, thank you all for joining in, winners will be contacted and forced to accept prizes, let me know if you ever come across bits in the novels you like, stay healthy and sane,

Graham Parke

“We played for about half an hour before I realized we were actually playing two different games. What I’d thought of as ludo was actually a game called gin rummy, and what Warren was playing seemed to be a mixture of craps and table tennis. Once we started playing by one consistent set of rules, though, the fun was really over.” Graham Parke, No Hope for Gomez!

In My Mailbox: (#25)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren, where we spotlight the books that we've received for review, swapped, or purchased that week.

FOR REVIEW:

Breathless, by Cole Gibsen (from Crescent Moon Press)
This Is Not A Test, by Courtney Summers (from St. Martin's Griffin)

Colbe Gibsen also signed Breathless:

And sent along some swag:

WON:

While He Was Away, by Karen Schreck (from For Those About To Read...)

LIBRARY:

A Beautiful Evil, by Kelly Keaton

The List, by Siobhan Vivian





Wow what a great week full of awesome new books!  I actually got Breathless on Saturday but didn't have time to update it last week because I was visiting my grandparents for Memorial Day.  I was super-excited to get it, especially because it was signed and had swag with it (I love swag! :P). 
I was also super excited about This Is Not A Test.  I haven't read the authors other works but I hear they're really good.  I have only read one other zombie book in my life, and I must admit it didn't turn out well (nightmares).  But I'm hoping that, since I'm older, I can handle this one a bit better. :p
I was also really excited about While He Was Away.  I got an ARC of it for review, loved it, gave it away, then won a giveaway hosted by For Those About To Read... and got another copy.  This one is a finished paperback edition and I think I'm going to save it for either myself or for a really special giveaway!

The other two books I recieved are from the library.  I actually got them on Wednesday and was super excited about it.  I read Darkness Becomes Her a while ago and really liked it, so I jumped at the chance to read A Beautiful Evil as well.  Oh, and by the way, am I the only one who loves the hair on this cover?

The second library book I got was The List.  I've wanted to read it for a while now, so I'm super excited about that one as well!  I hope you all had as great a week as I did.  Thanks again to Crescent Moon Press and For Those About To Read, and, of course, my library, for making me week so fun! <3

What did you guys get this week?

Link me up!

Review: Grave Mercy

Author: Robin LaFevers

Series: His Fair Assassin #1

Pages: 549

Format: Hardcover
Rating: 5/5

Summery:
Why be the sheep, when you can be the wolf?
Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others.

Ismae’s most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart?

Review:

Coming into Grave Mercy I was a little nervous.  I was definitely intimidated by its size, and I just wasn’t sure I would like it.  Think of the biggest turn-around in history, and multiply that by ten.

I.  LOVE.  THIS.  BOOK.  It is just amazing.  The characters, the writing, the plot, the story, everything.  The writing was, in a word, eloquent.  I love how LaFevers stuck to the medieval setting and made her characters speak as if they were from that era.  It made the story much more believable, and I think if she hadn’t done this tiny thing, it would have ruined the story.  This story line is so complex, with so many characters, it’s almost like a whole series in one book.  But I love that.  I love that this book was so complicated and edgy.  There hasn’t been a book in a very, very long time that I don’t want to stop reading.  This book has broken that long drought.  Although I did have to set it aside often, I finished whatever I had to do at super-speed so I could get back to reading.  This book is addictive!  And I love it!!  I was so sad when it ended because, honestly, I wanted it to go on forever.  I loved the combination of mystery, murder, and intrigue.  But one thing I didn’t like was how Ismae saved Duval from poisoning.  I mean, I liked how she did it, but I don’t really understand it.  LaFevers didn’t really explain how she was able to do it.  That, and that alone, would be my only problem with the book.

Okay, so I know this isn’t really relevant at all but I just had to include this in my review.  It’s when Ismae finds out the murderer of the duchess’s first suitor.  There is a fight and she gets cut.  Here is the scene right after that, when Duval sees to her wound.  (It’s on her back, by the way):

            I hold myself rigid as he unlaces my bodice.  It starts to fall forward and I catch it with my hands, hugging it to me like a shield.

There is a rustle of movement as he takes a dagger from his belt.  The tearing sound as he cuts away my ruined chemise is loud in the quiet room, and the rush of air against my damp back makes me shiver.  I clutch the front of my gown tightly and steel myself against what must surely happen next.

…”Ah,” Duval says.  “So this is what you didn’t want me to see.  Poor Ismae.”  His voice is as soft and tender as a caress.  ...”How did you come by it?” he asks.

…When he touches my shoulder again, I bite back a yelp of surprise, and my skin twitches beneath his fingers.  Slowly, he traces my scar.  It is exquisitely sensitive, and pleasure unfurls across my skin, so intense and unexpected that it feels as if I have been brushed by an angel’s wing.

…He takes a step closer, then another, and suddenly we are almost touching.  His eyes never leave mine, but his hand comes up and brushes a strand of hair away from my collarbone.  Without even realizing what I am doing, I lean towards him.

His hand moves up to cup my face.  Slowly he draws me closer, lowering his head to meet mine.  His touch is careful, as if I am fragile and precious.  And then his lips are on mine, firm and warm and impossibly soft.

A fierce heat rises up inside me, as sharp and bright as a blade.  I move my lips against his, wanting more, but more of what, I cannot say.  He steps closer, until our bodies touch, then his other hand comes up, the warm fingers grasping at my waist, pulling me closer.  I am lost in his kiss, and all my defenses give away before this hot, hungry mystery that lies between us.

~Pages 333-337

Okay, so I know that was really long, but see?  That was how it was the entire book.  The romance was so sweet and soft and sexy.  *melts to ground*  Oh Duval, won’t you be mine? :P

Since page one, Ismae was an extremely kick-butt character.  You guys hear me rant on and on about how much I love Yelena (Poison Study).  Well, Ismae is the new Yelena, or at least she’s joining her in the Most-Bad-Ass-Girls-Club, because she is about as kick-ass as you can get.  Plus, I am so jealous of her because she gets Duval ;p

You guys also hear me rant on and on about Valek (also from Poison Study).  Well, Duval has joined him in the Fictional-Guys-I-Want-To-Marry-Club.  Excuse me for a second *faints because of Duval*.  Okay, much better.  *reads passage above* *faints again*.  That is the affect he had on me the entire book.  I will admit it was kind of hard to keep on reading when I was fainting every other page, but I somehow managed.

Words cannot describe how amazing this book is.  You guys hear me go on and on about how much I love Poison Study.  This book is every bit as good as that one.  I will definitely be buying it in the very near future.  And I will sleep with it under my pillow so I can always be close to Duval :P