"Waiting On" Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine. The purpose of this event is to get bloggers to spotlight and share the books they are anticipating on coming out.
On my wishlist this Wednesday is: Sweet Venom by Tera Lynn Childs
Description: 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.
Released Date: February 1, 2010 Publisher: Harlequin Teen Pages: Paperback (363 pages) Age Group: Young Adult Series: Iron Fey #1 Genre: Fantasy Author Website: http://www.juliekagawa.com/ Overall Rating: (5 out of 5 stars)
Description: Meghan Chase has a secret destiny—one she could never have imagined… Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school…or at home. When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change. But she could never have guessed the truth—that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face…and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.
Book Trailer:
Memorable Quotes:
"Touch her, and I'll freeze your testicles off and put them in a jar. Understand?"
"No, no. We can kill each other later."
"Metallic trees. That's new. If you see any steel dryads, be sure to tell me so I can run away screaming."
"Human?' The girl cocked her head the other way. I caught a glimpse of pink gills under her chin. 'My sisters told me stories of humans. They said they sometimes sing to them to lure them underwater.' She grinned, showing off her sharp needle-teeth. 'I've been practicing. Want to hear?"
My Musings: I don't know why I have waited so long to start reading this series. I definitely prefer this to the Wicked Lovely series. Not that the Wicked Lovely series is bad, but this one really captured my full attention. It was probably the fact that the whole book is in one perspective. Anyways, the author has an awesome writing style. It was quite enjoyable, and descriptive at the same time. I could see myself creating vivid scenes in my head as I read. Also, I love a writer who can make me laugh out loud. To me that is very essential in a great book.
The plot kind of reminds me of the movie The Labyrinth, where the sister has to save her brother from the goblin King, but the difference is she actually likes her brother and the fey took him. Also, technology places a very interesting part in this tale. We make technology as this solver of all problems, but in this book Julie has made it into a villian. A character of some sorts. Who would ever thought that technology can be so bad?
If you are a fan of A Midsummer's Night Dream, you need to read this book immediately. That is all I have to say. I don't want to spoil the surprise.
I found my self to really enjoy Meghan Chase the herione. She is very easy going and easy to care about. Her journey is quite interesting and I can't wait to further explore it in the next two installments.
On a side note, the fey guys are hottttt!!! Especially the love interest!!!!
Cover Art: This cover is soooooo AMAZING!!! What makes it even better is that it has the color teal, which is my favorite!!!
Reading Order: The Iron King The Iron Daughter The Iron Queen The Iron Knight Untitled #5
Released Date: January 4, 2011 Publisher: Harper Teen Pages: Hardcover (435 pages) Age Group: Young Adult Series: Unearthly #1 Genre: Paranormal Romance Author Website: www. Overall Rating: (5 out of 5 stars)
Description: In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees . . . .
Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn't easy.
Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place—and out of place at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side.
As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make—between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny? Unearthly is a moving tale of love and fate, and the struggle between following the rules and following your heart.
Book Trailer:
Memorable Quotes:
"What do you see in a guy like Christian Prescott," he asked me that night when he dropped me off from prom. And what he was really saying then, what would have come through loud and clear if I hadn't been so blind was, why don't you see me?"
"I beat at him uselessly with my fists. I scream. My mind races. I'll pee on him. Puke, bite, scratch. Sure, I'll lose, but if he's going to mark me I am going to mark him, too, if such a thing is possible."
"Because if it's not her fault, it's God's, and I'm not ready to be pissed at the Almighty."
"Have you ever been to a place you're supposed to love, but all you can think about is home"
My Musings: Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. This book was just an amazing wonderful read. The author really knows how to put on a good show. What's even best about it is it doesn't feel like a fantasy. What I mean by that is that you can relate to the characters and their problems. They suffer, as we suffer. Its just with an angelic twist.
Let's start with the plot. Wow, is all I have to say. It was very engaging from the very beginning, and I found it was not to difficult to like the main character Clara. You follow her journey as she tries to understand what her purpose is in the world, which is somehow connected to this mysterious boy Christian. On top of that she is trying to learn how to control her powers, like Glory. Glory is when your whole body turns to light and you become in touch with God. Crazy right? I thought so to.
A good story could not be without a good love triangle, and this book definitely delivers. I found that the two guys, Christian and Tucker, were really well developed from beginning to end. But like all love triangles, I could not help but gravitate to one in particular *cough* ...Tucker!! Oh, how I love Tucker, he is sweet and caring and all around amazing. I kind of wish he was real!!!
Anyways...to sum this all up, I highly recommend everyone should read this. Its flows nicely, has hot guys, and crazy plot twists. I can't wait for the next installment
Cover Art: Love the cover. The swirly script and the giant feather is just fantastic. I love it much better than the UK version.
"Waiting On" Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine. The purpose of this event is to get bloggers to spotlight and share the books they are anticipating on coming out.
On my wishlist this Wednesday is: The Pledge by Kimberly Derting
Description: Words are the most dangerous weapon of all.
In the violent country of Ludania, the classes are strictly divided by the language they speak. The smallest transgression, like looking a member of a higher class in the eye while they are speaking their native tongue, results in immediate execution. Seventeen-year-old Charlaina has always been able to understand the languages of all classes, and she’s spent her life trying to hide her secret. The only place she can really be free is the drug-fueled underground clubs where people go to shake off the oppressive rules of the world they live in. It's there that she meets a beautiful and mysterious boy named Max who speaks a language she's never heard before . . . and her secret is almost exposed.
Charlie is intensely attracted to Max, even though she can’t be sure where his real loyalties lie. As the emergency drills give way to real crisis and the violence escalates, it becomes clear that Charlie is the key to something much bigger: her country’s only chance for freedom from the terrible power of a deadly regime
Released Date: March 1, 2011 Publisher: Zebra Pages: Paperback (352 pages) Age Group: Adult Series: Dark Swan #3 Genre: Fantasy Author Website: http://www.richellemead.com/ Overall Rating: (5 out of 5 stars)
Description: Shaman-for-hire Eugenie Markham is the best at banishing entities trespassing in the mortal realm. But as the Thorn Land’s queen, she’s fast running out of ways to end the brutal war devastating her kingdom. Her only hope: the Iron Crown, a legendary object even the most powerful gentry fear…
Who Eugenie can trust is the hardest part. Fairy king Dorian has his own agenda for aiding her search. And Kiyo, her shape-shifter ex-boyfriend, has every reason to betray her along the way. To control the Crown’s ever-consuming powers, Eugenie will have to confront an unimaginable temptation--one that will put her soul and the fate of two worlds in mortal peril…
Book Trailer:
Memorable Quotes:
"Because I’ve come to ask for your help.I need you to find out who killed me."
"I haven’t killed any of your people, Eugenie. You know I haven’t. Let me do something to him. Please.” “He’s under a truce flag,” replied Shaya automatically. Protocol was her specialty. Dorian turned toward her. “Damn it, woman! I’ve told you to stop letting them in with immunity."
My Musings: This book blew my mind away. If you have been a fan of Richelle Mead, you will notice the trend that the third book in each of her series turns the entire story into a cluster mess of disaster. This series is not any different. I went through a roller coaster of emotions as new revelations began to unfold. I can't wait til the next installment to come out (which is the final one for this series).
Eugenie Markham is in for some major surprises in this installment. As a shaman and a Faery queen, she has to make many tough choices on how to deal with her crazy love life, as well as taking care of her people in the massive war that she is in. She suffers as many of her civilians/soldiers are dying to keep the upper hand against Katrice (a queen with a vengeance). Though they are winning, Eugenie can't help but feel depress with all the blood being shed.
One of the central plot arcs is the crazy love triangle she is in with Dorian (the sexy Oak King) and Kiyo (the buff Kitesune). What is a a girl to do when she can't decide who is telling her the truth and who is out for their own vices? Honestly, I believe they both love her, but they also have their own personal agendas at stake as well.
In hopes of not being spoilery, something very big happens at the end of the book. It had me yelling out load as I read it. I should have been expecting it, but didn't want to accept or believe that it would happen.
Cover Art: I always felt that the covers had the potential to be better. The UK version is a million times better than the US one.
Reading Order: Storm Born Thorn Queen Iron Crowned Untitled #4
Released Date: February 8, 2011 Publisher: Flux Pages: Paperback (290 pages) Age Group: Young Adult Series: The Iron Witch #1 Genre: Fantasy Author Website: http://www.kazmahoney.com/ Overall Rating: (3 out of 5 stars)
Description: Freak. That's what her classmates call seventeen-year-old Donna Underwood. When she was seven, a horrific fey attack killed her father and drove her mother mad. Donna's own nearly fatal injuries from the assault were fixed by magic—the iron tattoos branding her hands and arms. The child of alchemists, Donna feels cursed by the magical heritage that destroyed her parents and any chance she had for a normal life. The only thing that keeps her sane and grounded is her relationship with her best friend, Navin Sharma. When the darkest outcasts of Faerie—the vicious wood elves—abduct Navin, Donna finally has to accept her role in the centuries old war between the humans and the fey. Assisted by Xan, a gorgeous half-fey dropout with secrets of his own, Donna races to save her friend—even if it means betraying everything her parents and the alchemist community fought to the death to protect.
Book Trailer: Currently, there is not a book trailer available.
Memorable Quotes:
"Dammit woman, stop trying to beat me. I'll sue you for domestic violence."
"Donna wasn't fooled by his lazy movements and sleep eyes - this guy was sharp, underneath the laid-back exterior."
"It's where they tore out my wings."
"Donna took a deep breath and began to tell him the fairy-tale horror of her life. No Disney gloss for her; just the cold darkness of Grimm"
My Musings: I really didn't know how to rate this book. At moments I could have giving it a worse rating, but I still believe that this series may still have potential. The story was some what interesting, but there wasn't anything special to put it over the top. In the beginning of the book all of the ground work was laid out, and the action didn't really kick in until the ending of the book. I chose to rate this book a three, because I neither love it or hate it. This sort of makes me sad because I had high hopes for this book. How can a book with such an awesome cover be so dull. Donna, the main character, was slightly interesting with her damaged, tattooed hands, but really lacked much of a personality. I guess I just couldn't connect with her. The love interest, Xan, seemed cute, but it seemed that the author tried to give him an mysterious feel and failed. I haven't given up on this series, so I will mostly likely pic up the next one to give it another shot.
Cover Art: A-May-Zing.
Reading Order: The Iron Witch The Wood Queen The Stone Demon
"Waiting On" Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine. The purpose of this event is to get bloggers to spotlight and share the books they are anticipating on coming out.
On my wishlist this Wednesday is: Abandon by Meg Cabot
Description: New from #1 New York Times bestselling author Meg Cabot, a dark, fantastical story about this world . . . and the underworld.
When Pierce first sees him, she thinks he is a murderer. She's right about one thing -- he does take lives. But not in the way she ever imagined. Pierce is drawn to the dark stranger even as she tries to uncover the mystery surrounding the tragic death of someone close to her. As she gets closer to the truth -- and the stranger -- unexpected secrets are revealed, even in her own heart.
