ARC Review: Fallen

kmont — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:48:21 +0000

Lauren Kate
Fallen (Fallen #1)
Delacorte Books for Young Readers
ISBN-10: 0385738935
ISBN-13: 978-0385738934
Young adult fantasy
December 8, 2009

There’s something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori.

Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price’s attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at the Sword & Cross boarding school in sultry Savannah, Georgia. He’s the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move.Even though Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce–and goes out of his way to make that very clear–she can’t let it go.

Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, she has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret . . . even if it kills her.

Dangerously exciting and darkly romantic, Fallen is a page turning thriller and the ultimate love story.

As reviewed for Amazon Vine, with some embellishments. And some spoilers. But I’ll label that section prior to stating them.

Before I get into why I thought the book was good – and why I also thought it came out a hot mess – I have got to hand it to the art team for that cover. Wow, now that is gorgeous…too bad it has nothing to do with the contents. The blurb is even intriguing, although it makes Luce come off as desperate, and while it does accurately represent the book, exciting isn’t exactly the word I’d use. Puzzling fits my experience more.

When a book starts off this interestingly, I’m a happy little reader. I settled in with Fallen, loving its almost rich descriptions of the utter desolation that has become Luce’s life. I mean, the school she is eventually sent to after an unfortunate incident is alive in its dreary, desperate loneliness. I could feel the Spanish moss and blanketing dark gray surrounding everything. The author immediately sets up a terrific atmosphere for the book and its characters, of which Luce is the constant center. For heavens sakes, even their attire – of which only the color black is allowed – lends itself well to the book’s atmosphere.

Essentially, Luce has been sent to a reform school, after having spent a life pursued by mysterious and sometimes malevolent “shadows” and therefore on pretty heavy antipsychotic drugs as a result. She’s not actually committed any crimes, but her possible involvement in a tragedy has her sentenced to Sword & Cross anyway, where she’s quickly surrounded by odd classmates and even odder urges that she knows one of the male students. She can’t stop the feeling that she knows Daniel Grigori (ring the alarm, that last name is telling), and even though she constantly questions these feelings and urges, she decides to pursue them and find out what is really between them.

Daniel, in the meantime, tries to turn Luce off the best ways he can, in general by being a jerk. I have to admit – even when Daniel wasn’t being a jerk, I didn’t get the attraction between these two. With the exception of one scene between them at the end of the book, in which some romance seemed to come out of nowhere, Daniel has about as much personality as sawdust. While I vaguely understood the basics behind his standoffish behavior, his and Luce’s romance and love that supposedly has withstood – wait, cannot go on with that till later in the review. Suffice to say, I felt absolutely no chemistry between these two until the very end. We are told why and it is hinted at all throughout the book as to why they should be in love, but it’s never especially demonstrated. There was really only one scene, and Luce “melts” at his words, but this comes after hundreds of pages of her not knowing why she likes, then loves him. Although she questions these inexplicable urges, she doesn’t exactly put up too much of a fuss about it. It always seemed as if, when she finally would make strides in finding out who Daniel was, she would revert back to the unquestioning, melting-at-Daniel Luce.

A secondary character named Camden is another story, though. The only thing I’ll say about him at this point, is he appears to be “on the other side”. The proverbial bad boy, he steals kisses from Luce, pursues her and basically does everything Daniel does not. It’s no wonder Luce looks at Cam as having more romantic potential. But then comes that pesky inner voice of hers. The voice that never once gives her any concrete information, yet she cannot help but prefer Daniel. Yet she finds Cam attractive too. Back and forth, revolving door plot and by the time anything really starts to happen – at about page 302 (oh yes, after hundreds of pages of almost nothing happening, I flagged when it finally became interesting again) – confusion reigns and the hot mess engages.

Arriane, another student with her own set of quirks, wild looks and take-charge airs, is just about one of the only interesting characters in the book…who eventually seems to disappear till almost the end. I liked her personality. In fact, she may have had the most personality of them all. The clues as to what the big secrets are seemed to be peppered all throughout the book, and I pretty much guessed who and what Arriane was ahead of time.

Given what happens in the prologue, which is set in 1854 England, we immediately get a huge insight into an important aspect of this book. Oh, and speaking of huge, right-up-front important aspects, take a hard look at that title again. Yep, you got it, if you’re thinking in any way of that great big expanse acting as nature’s top hat. The title speaks loudly, and the prologue shows us right away a big, big part of the plot. Which puzzled me at first as it seemed a little jumping the shark. Because right off we get a lot of important detail, which, by the way was done well at least through good character dialogue and interaction, yet for almost the next three hundred pages, the plot does that revolving door pattern I cannot stand. Around and around with the reader getting absolutely nowhere until bam – the end comes along and squeezed all the important parts into the last eighth of the book. It’s nothing new to save the most interesting parts for last, hopefully generating excitement that will entice readers to pick up the next book. There needs to be an interesting, layer-unfolding and well plotted series of events to tie it all together to that point though. I felt Fallen suffered from a giant sink hole of uninteresting points leading up to the final scenes.

I’m really not sure what this series first is trying to pull off. there is absolutely no sign of the balance I harp on with first books: characterization, plot, worldbuilding – some aspects are good, others interesting, some sorely neglected. We have a pretty good start, the first several chapters. These devolve though into that revolving door plot that seems to go nowhere though. What happens for more than two hundred pages seems to be meant to feel eerie, strange and therefore more intriguing, but I was bored. There is one shocking event – but then it is never mentioned again. This is an event that ought to have shaken the students and school to its core, as it hits so close to them and so close to Luce’s past, yet it is glossed over. The rest of the events meant to lead up to an exciting climax felt about as put together as an untucked shirt. I kept going, hoping for something exciting, something half past monotonous. No dice.

In short, the book was a disappointment. While I feel the author has potential – believe it or not, I enjoyed the voice used here immensely – I’m pretty sure I couldn’t muster the enthusiasm to continue. Because even though I can enjoy what might be trying to be accomplished with Fallen, the book unfortunately makes no sense. Nothing is concretely answered, there are no bones thrown out to the reader, only carrot after dangled carrot that are all yanked back. I suppose those that like to speculate on what might come to be could have a lot of fun with this one. There is that air of forbidden love, and we all know how hard that one can be to resist. Unfortunately for me, there are too many confusing scenarios here. There is no tangible incentive to continue on when we’re only given question upon question, answers nowhere in sight. I could make a lot of assumptions – but I’d rather know at least ONE thing about this whole mess for 100% sure. It would’ve made the whirlwind last eighth of the book more palatable.

Here there be Spoilers….do not read on if you do not wish to read spoilers. I’m continuing with them to articulate further why the book was promising yet a bit of a maze of secrets as well. My kingdom for a bread trail to escape with or some incentive cheese to make the time worth it.

Even though the prologue reveals a big part of the book, I didn’t want to give it away to those not wanting any spoilers. The big reveal? Reincarnation, which is actually a pretty cool plot element. Luce and Daniel are reincarnated lovers that have met untold times in the past. Daniel, is also, of course, a fallen angel. I’ve always found fallen angels to be a fascinating part of Christian and other mythology and wondered when they’d make it into some genre fiction. Essentially, they are almost alien in thought, practice, etc. How can they make for good romantic heroes? How to make them sympathetic to us humans? When would this happen in the book? It really doesn’t, so the question is now when will this happen in the series.

Daniel is of course in the know, and has been the weilder of much more knowledge on the curse ever since its inception. Luce stumbles through the book, as ineffectual as they come. And this frustrated me. Instead of being a heroine that causes things to happen, that affects everything and everyone around her, everything merely happens to her. She’s in the dark the entire book – and still is at the end. She thinks to herself all the time that her attraction to Daniel and Cam makes no sense – yet she follows Daniel around like a puppy and she just melts the second he shows her the merest scrap of niceness or kindness. I know adolescence is awkward, I remember all to well it being so, but I winced one time too many at the awkwardness between Luce and Daniel.

There is, however, a good enough reason as to why Luce is kept in the dark practically the entire book, and that is that in their past lives, if Daniel ever told Luce of their shared history, “They” would come for her and once again Luce would be gone. The cycle would start again and in several years, Daniel, no matter how hard he tried to stay away, would eventually meet Luce again. And it happens over, and over…until now. Somethng has changed. From the “shadows” that dodge Luce’s steps, to the moments when Daniel does share the vaguest scrap of information – something is different. Could it be the big showdown? We don’t know. We don’t know why it’s all different. Carrot cleverly retracted.

We do know from this book that Daniel and Luce are being punished, cursed in a sense. We know Cam is in competition for her affections, a fact that enrages Daniel, finally at one point, to act as if he might care as the two “boys” engage in fisticuffs. We learn that Luce is the key to saving mankind in the ultimate battle against good and evil! This sounds really cool! But we know absolutely nothing about WHY. For any of it. Heaven forbid Daniel say anything else, Luce might be taken again and then there would be no sequel. But wait, she wasn’t taken away the moment she realized they knew eachother. Danger lurks though, nobody really knows anything here and to tell Luce anything more might make it ALL disappear again. So…we just keep on knowing nothing.

Luce of course gets on a plane like a good reincarnated lover so that she can be taken somewhere and kept safe. She does spare her parents some thought, who are worried about their troubled daughter, but again – Luce goes at Daniels behest, knowing really nothing at all about why this is all happening. There is a scene at the very end where Cam and Daniel both perch int he rafters about Luce as she sleeps, talking about her and who will ultimately have her…and it’s not a little creepy. It’s a lot creepy. It’s creepy because Luce just goes along with it all, based on that hunch from her past lives, and it’s creepy because she never questions the why of it all after Daniel finally comes out and somewhat tells her that basically he can’t tell her anything. But it will all be OK. Love, roses, beautiful angel wings, apparently these things cancel out the complete strangeness of the whole situation.

I don’t know that we can let this one go without comparing it to Twilight. Mysterious, supernatural boy, plain, awkward girl who is of course actually gorgeous and cannot for the life of her care about her safety. There’s a scene where Daniel saves her, a la the parking lot/van scene in Twilight. Two boys fighting over one girl. THE main boys being hot/cold/hot/cold. The constant nagging suspicions on both Luce and Bella’s parts, and no one in the know will admit a thing to them – except of course for the loyal friend that knows just enough gossip to make the heroine even more curious and crazed with having to know. It. ALL. We really needed a biology class partnership here, but thankfully, it was absent for once. Despite the lack of biology, it did feel like Twilight with angels at times.

End Spoilers

I predict this book will do well. I suspect that the problems I have with it will not be issues for a lot of readers. It’s a dark, broody, angsty soup of YA drama that tries to make good use of the new hotness – angels. It’s very possible the second book will carry this off better. This first feels very much like one never ending setup, so do prepare for a slow pace, with the real and important action only transitioning into the show at about the last eighth of the book. Forbidden love, mysterious young men and plenty of supernatural happenings usually make for exciting reads these days and I daresay a lot of readers will enjoy Fallen for these characteristics. Unfortunately, the way they were played out rang a little too hot mess for me.

Rating: One and a Half Scoops

Random House has hosted a special site for the Fallen series. Click here.

Posted in book review, fantasy fiction, young adult fiction Tagged: Fallen, Fallen series, Lauren Kate

REVIEW: Leviathan

kmont — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:25:08 +0000

Scott Westerfeld
Leviathan (Leviathan #1)
Simon Pulse
ISBN-10: 1416971734
ISBN-13: 978-1416971733
Young adult steampunk
October 6, 2009

It is the cusp of World War I, and all the European powers are arming up. The Austro-Hungarians and Germans have their Clankers, steam-driven iron machines loaded with guns and ammunition. The British Darwinists employ fabricated animals as their weaponry. Their Leviathan is a whale airship, and the most masterful beast in the British fleet.

Aleksandar Ferdinand, prince of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, is on the run. His own people have turned on him. His title is worthless. All he has is a battle-torn Stormwalker and a loyal crew of men.

Deryn Sharp is a commoner, a girl disguised as a boy in the British Air Service. She’s a brilliant airman. But her secret is in constant danger of being discovered.

With the Great War brewing, Alek’s and Deryn’s paths cross in the most unexpected way…taking them both aboard the Leviathan on a fantastical, around-the-world adventure. One that will change both their lives forever.

Oh yes – my first steampunk read! What a fascinating aspect of this book, all the steampunk goodies. The airships, which in this case were made from the body of a flippin’ whale (the Leviathan itself), six-legged dog-like creatures that could sniff out hydrogen leaks, complex war machines that either walked upright like a man or crawled and scuttled like an insect…these were a few of my favorite things. Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld was a great way to break into the steampunk genre, offering up a very pleasing amount of worldbuilding that brought back memories of my fascination with…Little House on the Praire by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Bear with me.

As a tadpole I didn’t read a whole lot. I think I was too busy tom-boying it up outside, making mud pies and such. There was one series, though, that I still hold close to my heart and that was the Little House on the Prairie series. These are not, in my opinion, character-driven books. They are books that gave a rich look into the lives of the characters, though, the events and chores and life that shaped them. Leviathan reminded me about halfway through of the Praire series, the light bulb went off and I realized I was enjoying Westerfeld’s book for the same reasons. You see, with the Prairie books, I wanted to make that molasses candy the girls got to sample. I wanted to be there when the adults built the family’s log cabin. I wanted to travel with them that time the family moved to the plains, enduring harsh winters and beautiful springs. Every little detail of how they lived – and why they did it – was breathtaking.

This is what Leviathan did for me. Westerfeld has masterfully captured not only cool steampunk machines and their details, but how this way of life, that of animal-driven Darwinists and machine-driven Clankers, are shaped by their very divergent steampunk societies and beliefs. I was fascinated by how a squid-like animal full of hydrogen worked, or what made a Clanker machine tick, even what particularly unique words and phrases each group used in day-to-day life. Prince Alek and young Deryn are our guides, and as characters…they felt a little flat to me, but oh how they develop into a great means with which to sink into the steampunk aspects of the book. As with the Ingalls family, the characters in Leviathan are not so important as characters, but more so as conduits for understanding the world Westerfeld has built.

At the same time, I was disappointed that the two main protagonists were not more interesting. Because the book does try to get on with a plot. In my opinion, there is not quite enough of the necessary balance here. The steampunk world is so visually rich and interesting, that I almost didn’t care if the characters ever felt more than they were, which, in my opinion, again, was a little flat. But then I did wish for them to be more because of that plot. As I said , it tries. At times it’s interesting, but for the most part, I kept wishing for it to get on with itself. It took me till a little more than halfway through to realize this was the first in a series. When I discovered this book earlier in the year, I suppose I set out to be as unspoiled as possible, to the point that I had no idea it was the first in a new series. So this definitely can account for the book’s slow-paced plot. It must carry on to the next book after all. Unfortunately, for me, I wasn’t sure I’d care enough to go on to another book.

There is a secondary character, with her secretive Darwinist machinations, that could save the plot though, and that is Dr. Barlow, whose relations to a very important person in the Darwinist sect makes for a more interesting twist on the plot, at least. I’m not sure of her motives at all, whether she is a good or bad person…or whether such drawings of the line are even necessary for her character. She is rather intriguing, as she sets sail on the Leviathan with Deryn and crew with an important and fragile cargo. Despite not particularly enjoying the plot, I might have to keep going merely to see what’s up her prim Victorian sleeves.

One aspect that makes this book fun – and aids spectacularly in hyping up the steampunk elements (in a good way), is that this is also in small part a picture book. There are multiple black and white drawings of some of the machines and creatures and scenes and they are exceptionally rendered. The same drawings were used to produce what is perhaps the only book trailer I’ve watched multiple times, prompting me to think this book would make a pretty good movie, whether it was live action or animated. The artist captures the tone and atmosphere of the book beautifully, enabling a reader’s imagination to come that much more alive.

Leviathan was a great experience for this first-time steampunk reader. Plot issues and all, I think the book is perfect for the age group it targets and is also a great opportunity for newbie adults to try their hand at the genre. Despite a slow pace, which at times drove me batty enough to skim/speed read to more interesting parts, Leviathan carries itself off pretty darn well. With an excellently imagined world of this caliber, you almost cannot go wrong. So in spite of my problems with it, I do recommend it to young adults and adults alike. If you’re new to the steampunk genre, this is an excellent example that gives plenty of it in and in healthy, rich detail.

Rating: Three and a Half Scoops

For more on the author and his work, check out his site.

Posted in book review, steampunk, young adult fiction Tagged: Leviathan, Scott Westerfeld

Tales From the iPhone: Whaaa…

kmont — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 19:36:12 +0000

I know I’m supposed to be taking that break, but another blog post somewhere (sorry unable to do links ATM) out there is trashing ARC book reviewers, calling them out on their honesty, integrity, objectivity and any other weighty word they care to use. This particular blogger even admits to knowingly offending many a blogger with their post. They do not feel bad for this. And I cannot fault a person for laying it on the table. For being honest.

But I can say – Fuck ‘em.

Why do we blog?

Tons of reasons, dude. I blog for fun. Others blog for a little money (ads, etc) mixed with a little fun. Others have a particular passion they want to get out and share. We all have our own style. But my blog is not going to crumble under the reins of disapproval. Yours shouldn’t either.

And there comes another person, yet again, they’ve got a problem with how so and sos do so and so. They have a right to their opinion!

Correct-a-mondo. Everyone has a right to state their opinion. Even the ones that hate something a fellow blogger has done, even if those things don’t hurt that current complainer at all.

Fuck’em.

I’m tired of the bitching. January will mark my second year blogging, and of the two, it’s been the most unpleasant in terms of the gosh damn bitching. The whining doesn’t have to mean anything to those it’s aimed at though. If there’s yet another red flag thrower on your play?

Fuck ‘em.

What is the complainer of this particular hour going to do? Nothing. Their rants don’t have to mean a damn thing to you.

So if you like reviewing FREE ARCs, and Complainer #12,456 wants to bitch about the fun YOU are having?

Fuck ‘em.

If you want to organize an award, a reading challenge, a charity fundraiser or a promo for a book you freaking LOVE and someone has a problem with it –

Fuck ‘em.

If you need a little petty cash and put ads on your blogs to get it. You gosh damn GO, motherFer, high five – and don’t forget:

Fuck ‘em.

Blog for you. Blog for fun. Blog what makes YOU feel like you’re having fun, however you want to do it. The rest is mearly noise.

Posted in musings, The Truly WTF

Technology Is Not My Friend

kmont — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 14:19:52 +0000

Technical difficulties this weekend, lots of them. In fact the last several weekends have been full of lovely things like the internet crapping out. Now it’s that PLUS the house phone, cell phones – even the damn power for a while yesterday – all out. Apparently there’s some kind of ambiguos area-wide problem with our provider, who in my opinion sucks ass. Talking to you, AT&T.

Irritated.

I try not to bitch here, but I’m did I mention being irritated? I don’t know when I’ll get to do anything for the blog. Irritated. Actually, I think I’ll just call a break for the next several days. I mean, I have to do this from my IPhone for craps sakes. Irritated.

See yall in a few days, where hopefully I’ll have at least caught up on review writing. Stay classy, blogosphere.

Posted in romance

Winner Winner, Blaze Dinner!

kmont — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:27:58 +0000

Drum roll, please!

Please?

OK, who needs it – we have our winners of the Blaze of Memory giveaway!

Out of 126 total entries (holy crap, yo, that’s a lot for this place), they are….

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

3
109

Timestamp: 2009-10-28 17:06:37 UTC

Willa and Gabriela!

Congrats, ladies! You each win your very own signed copy of Blaze of Memory to love and hug and well – read! Thank you to everyone that stopped by for a chance to win – and thank you to Ms. Singh again for the prizes. It was fun seeing all the comments roll in, even if my hand about fell off writing up all the names w/entry numbers. I really need to get a template that numbers comments…

Posted in contests, paranormal romance, romance authors Tagged: Blaze of Memory, Nalini Singh, Psy/Changling series

Poll: The Twilight Train – Over It or More Please?

kmont — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:18:48 +0000

One thing about the craze of the Harry Potter Years is I didn’t see over-the-top endorsements for other series, such as If you liked Harry Potter, you MUST read Amberfinch’s Magical Circus – Potter fans will rejoice! I’m sure there were some instances (it is after all in the nature of marketing to take advantage of whatever is topping an industry’s charts, however unoriginal it may be…), although I remain blissfully unaware of them. I was able to enjoy the Potter series for what it was and never did it intersect the potential awesomeness of any other children or young adult title. There were no constant shots at the Glory that was Potter when it came to another book.

I’m a big fan of letting a book stand on its own. So when I finished My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent yesterday, I went online to Amazon to see other reader opinions, after which I planned to research some blog reviews. Then I saw the book trailer on its Amazon page. I clicked. I was about to click away when I saw that damning phrase, at :34 in – “Twilight fans will love it”.

Before I go any further, I can definitely see why some books are recommended based on logic like above. Some really do seem to imitate the marketing/fan loved phenomenon that is Twilight. Hell – I liked Twilight and most of it’s series sisters, and I watch the movie. It was fun. The end. After reading Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick and Fallen by Lauren Kate, which very much felt like Twilight with angels instead of vampires, sure – the comparison can be made.

Like anything, though, too much of a good thing is overkill and plain bad. Twilight cannot nor should it even attempt to represent the overall fun, imagination and talent that is inherent in the young adult umbrella genre today. My Soul to Take is absolutely nothing like Twilight. The phrase I mentioned above from its book trailer had this preceding the Twilight endorsement: “Plenty of paranormal thrills, mystery and romance.” And both books do, hell, lots of so-called young adult titles do – but this in no way means they are enough alike to slap the Twilight starburst of awesomeness on it. My Soul to Take is a great book and by God, it stands very well on its own. It doesn’t need Twilight to speak for it.

As Wendy pointed out to me on Twitter, books like Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols are phenomenal, yet they get little to no attention in comparison to Twilight (I know, I know, let’s point to the sales figures shall we…). While we’re at it, yes, this is all subjective, but honestly, how much more of this book and that book is for fans of brooding Edward and klutzy Bella do we need? My personal quota has been filled. My sparkles runneth over.

Of course, some authors might want a book like that to speak for theirs if it gets their work some attention. Totally and 100% understandable. But what about the sector that isn’t into Twilight? What if such a rec is off putting? I’m about at the point where it is.

What about you? Are you over the Twilight Train, or do you agree with and love all the places its sparkling bower of YA power is placed? Does it’s name on a new book automatically make you want to read said new book, or at least check it out (or Wuthering Heights and Pride and Prejudice)? Feel free to vote in the poll on the upper right.

Posted in musings, Polls, young adult fiction Tagged: Twilight craze

Cover Spotlight: Young Adult Mix

kmont — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:00:00 +0000

Releases December 22, 2009. For more info see the author’s site.

Nimira is a foreign music-hall girl forced to dance for mere pennies. When wealthy sorcerer Hollin Parry hires her to sing with a piano-playing automaton, Nimira believes it is the start of a new and better life. In Parry’s world, however, buried secrets are beginning to stir. Unsettling below-stairs rumors swirl about ghosts, a madwoman roaming the halls, and Parry’s involvement with a league of sorcerers who torture fairies for sport. Then Nimira discovers the spirit of a fairy gentleman named Erris is trapped inside the clockwork automaton, waiting for someone to break his curse. The two fall into a love that seems hopeless, and breaking the curse becomes a race against time, as not just their love, but the fate of the entire magical world may be in peril.

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The cover for this one’s been out for a while now, and I find myself interested in it still. Releases January 5, 2010. Visit the author’s site for more info.

From the author of the Chicagoland Vampires novels. A new series about a boarding school filled with something worse than homework.

Lily’s parents have sent her to a fancy boarding school in Chicago filled with the ultra-rich. If that wasn’t bad enough, she’s hearing and seeing bizarre things on St. Sophie’s creepy campus. Her roommate, Scout, keeps her sane, but keeps disappearing at night. When one day Lily finds Scout running from real-life monsters, she learns the hard way that Scout is involved in a splinter group of rebel teens.

They protect Chicago from demons, vamps, and dark magic users. It’s too bad Lily doesn’t have powers of her own to help. At least, none that she’s discovered yet…

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This one sounded like an interesting premise. Releases January 12, 2010.

For broken-hearted Olivia Larsen, nothing can change the fact that her twin sister, Violet, is gone… until a mysterious, beautiful gown arrives on her doorstep. The dress doesn’t just look magical; it is magical. It has the power to grant her one wish, and the only thing Olivia wants is her sister back.

With Violet again by her side, both girls get a second chance at life. And as the sisters soon discover, they have two more dresses-and two more wishes left. But magic can’t solve everything, and Olivia is forced to confront her ghosts to learn how to laugh, love, and live again.

In a breathtaking debut from Alexandra Bullen, WISH asks the question: If you could have anything, what would you wish for?

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This one sounds very interesting and imaginative. Releases January 26, 2010. Visit the author’s site.

Incarceron is a prison so vast that it contains not only cells, but also metal forests, dilapidated cities, and vast wilderness. Finn, a seventeen-year-old prisoner, has no memory of his childhood and is sure that he came from Outside Incarceron. Very few prisoners believe that there is an Outside, however, which makes escape seems impossible.

And then Finn finds a crystal key that allows him to communicate with a girl named Claudia. She claims to live Outside- she is the daughter of the Warden of Incarceron, and doomed to an arranged marriage. Finn is determined to escape the prison, and Claudia believes she can help him. But they don’t realize that there is more to Incarceron than meets the eye. Escape will take their greatest courage and cost more than they know.

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Releases February 9, 2010. I’m not sure if this is the author’s official site, but give it a try.

Cooper Blake has everything going for him—until he wakes from a car accident with his football career in ruins and a mysterious, attractive girl by his side. Cooper doesn’t know how Samantha got there or why he can see her; all he knows is that she’s a ghost, and the shadows that surround her seem intent on destroying her.

No one from Cooper’s old life would understand what he can barely grasp himself. . . . But Delilah, the captain of the cheerleading squad, has secrets of her own, like her ability to see beyond the physical world, and her tangled history with Brent, a loner from a neighboring school who can hear strangers’ most intimate thoughts. Delilah and Brent know that Cooper is in more trouble than he realizes, and that Samantha may not be as innocent as she has led Cooper to believe. But the only way to figure out where Samantha came from will put them all in more danger than they ever dreamed possible.

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Releases February 1, 2010. Visit the author’s site for more info.

On his first trip to London to stay with his glamorous aunt and uncle for Christmas, Ivo Moncrieff steps off the train and stumbles into a nightmare. As he is waiting on the tube platform, a stranger thrusts a mysterious object into his hand, desperately muttering some unfamiliar words to him. On-board the tube moments later, the carriage next to Ivo’s is overcome with panic and when they enter the next station the passengers disembark to find that the stranger’s body has been brutally dismembered. Ivo guesses that perpetrators must want the object, and if they find out he has it, he will be their next target. But the attack on the tube is part of a larger scheme to bring chaos to the heart of London. As the capital seems in danger of sliding into anarchy, Ivo faces a race against time to break the ancient power of the Liberators, a power that has lain dormant for centuries but now threatens to destroy society itself. Philip Womack has written a gripping and thought-provoking tale that entertains at the same time as it explores what it means to be human and to be free.

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Releases March 16, 2010. For more info, click here.

Wade Jackson has always felt split, his love for playing and writing music competing with his ambition to do well in school. But when his mother dies, this need for order competes with his desire to leave it all behind. What follows is a split in his consciousness that takes him to two very different worlds.

Told in alternating chapters that together form one cohesive story, Split follows both Wades as they pursue what they think is the correct path. One Wade continues working hard in school, pulling all-nighters to write a computer code he believes will save the world. The other Wade pursues the dream of being a dive-bar singer, pulling all-nighters to party, gamble, and live on the edge. But when these two worlds begin to collide, each Wade will need to find a balance between control and abandon, order and chaos, life missed and life lost, in order to save himself.

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Definitely will be reading this one. Releases March 18, 2010. Atuhor’s site is here. Thanks to Katiebabs for the heads up!

THE TRANSFORMATION

Beth has always been “The Beast”—that’s what everyone at school calls her because of her awkward height, facial scars, and thick glasses. Beth’s only friend is geeky, golden-haired Scott. That is, until she’s selected to be her choir’s soprano soloist, and receives the makeover that will change her life forever.

THE LOVE AFFAIR

When Beth’s choir travels to Switzerland, she meets Derek: pale, brooding, totally dreamy. Derek’s untethered passion—for music, and for Beth—leaves her breathless. Because in Derek’s eyes? She’s not The Beast, she’s The Beauty.

THE IMPOSSIBLE CHOICE

When Beth comes home, Scott, her best friend in the world, makes a confession that leaves her completely torn. Should she stand by sweet, steady Scott or follow the dangerous, intense new feelings she has for Derek?

THE HEARTBREAK

The closer Beth gets to Derek, the further away he seems. Then Beth discovers that Derek’s been hiding a dark secret from her …one that could shatter everything.

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Releases May 1, 2010. See the author’s site for more info. Also, since I couldn’t copy/paste the book’s description in, see here for an interesting and informative look at the book.

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Releases May 18, 2010. Visit the author’s site for more info. Sounds like an interesting take on werewolves.

Hanover Falls hasn’t had a werewolf problem in over one hundred years. Seattle, Copenhagen, Osaka–they’ve had plenty of attacks. But when humans begin dying in Claire Benoit’s town, the panic spreads faster than a rumor at a pep rally. At Claire’s sixteenth birthday party, the gruesome killings are all anyone can talk about. But the big news in Claire’s mind is the fact that Matthew Engle–high-school soccer god and son of a world-renowned lycanthropy expert–notices her. And flirts with her. A lot.

That night, Claire learns that she is the latest in a long line of Benoit werewolves, and that contrary to popular belief, all werewolves are female. Killing humans is forbidden by the code of the pack, but a rogue werewolf has been breaking that law, threatening the existence of Claire’s new pack. As the pack struggles to find and fight the rogue werewolf and Claire struggles with her lupine identity, her heart and her loyalties are torn in two. Claire must keep her new life a secret from even her best friend–and especially from Matthew, whose father is leading the werewolf hunt…and with whom Claire is impossibly and undeniably falling head-over-paws in love.

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Releases January 5, 2010. Visit the author’s site here. This appears to be a sequel to Need.

Zara and her friends knew they hadn’t solved the pixie problem for good. Far from it. The king’s needs grow deeper every day he’s stuck in captivity, while his control over his people gets weaker. It’s made him vulnerable. And now there’s a new king in town.

A turf war is imminent, since the new pixie king, Astley, is moving in quickly. Nick nearly killed him in the woods on day one, but Zara came to his rescue. Astley swears that he and Zara are destined to be together, that he’s one of the good guys. Nick isn’t buying it, though Zara isn’t as sure — despite herself, she wants to trust the new king. But it’s a lot more than her relationship with Nick that is at stake. It’s her life — and his.

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Releases March 23, 2010 and sounds very good. Looking forward to it. You can find more info here. Thanks to the Smugglers for the heads up!

Sydelle Mirabil is living proof that, with a single drop of rain, a life can be changed forever. Tucked away in the farthest reaches of the kingdom, her dusty village has suffered under the weight of a strangely persistent drought. That is, of course, until a wizard wanders into town and brings the rain with him.

In return for this gift, Wayland North is offered any reward he desires—and no one is more surprised than Sydelle when, without any explanation, he chooses her. Taken from her home, Sydelle hardly needs encouragement to find reasons to dislike North. He drinks too much and bathes too little, and if that isn’t enough to drive her to madness, North rarely even uses the magic he takes such pride in possessing. Yet, it’s not long before she realizes there’s something strange about the wizard, who is as fiercely protective of her as he is secretive about a curse that turns his limbs a sinister shade of black and leaves him breathless with agony. Unfortunately, there is never a chance for her to seek answers. Along with the strangely powerful quakes and storms that trace their path across the kingdom, other wizards begin to take an inexplicable interest in her as well, resulting in a series of deadly duels. Against a backdrop of war and uncertainty, Sydelle is faced with the growing awareness that these events aren’t as random as she had believed—that no curse, not even that of Wayland North, is quite as terrible as the one she herself may carry.

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Releases May 18, 2010. For more info, visit the author’s site.

Lani and Erin are bonded for life. One thing that connects them is their fascination of fate. Lani wonders how much of our lives has already been decided and how much we can actually influence. Since the Unknown can unexpectedly change our lives forever, how much can we really control?

From the minute Lani meets Jason, she can’t deny the intense connection they share. It feels like she’s known him forever. She’s not sure if he feels it, too. But it doesn’t matter. Because Jason is Erin’s boyfriend. Lani is determined to ignore her feelings for Jason, no matter how powerful they are, rather than risk hurting her best friend.

How long can Lani keep running from the boy who might be her destiny?

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Releases March 2, 2010. Blurb found here. Author’s site is here.

Samantha Kingston has it all: the world’s most crush-worthy boyfriend, three amazing best friends, and first pick of everything at Thomas Jefferson High—from the best table in the parking lot to the choicest parking spot. Friday, February 12, should be just another day in her charmed life.

Instead, it turns out to be her last.

Then she gets a chance. Seven chances, in fact. Reliving her last day during one miraculous week, she will untangle the mystery surrounding her death—and discover the true value of everything she is in danger of losing.

Posted in cover spotlight, young adult fiction Tagged: Alexandra Bracken, Alexandra Bullen, Amelia Atwater-Rhodes, Angela Morrison, Before I Fall, Brightly Woven, Captivate, Carrie Jones, Catherine Fisher, Chloe Neill, Christine Johnson, Christy Raedeke, Claire de Lune, Firespell, Incarceron, Jaclyn Dolamore, Lauren Oliver, Magic Under Glass, Philip Womack, Prophecy of Days, Sing Me to Sleep, Something Like Fate, Split, Stefan Petrucha, Susane Colasanti, The Liberators, Token of Darkness, Wish

NEW Author Spotlight! Kris Greene

kmont — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:44:48 +0000

I’ve had my eye on this one for a while, finding the title an interesting one several months ago. We finally have a cover (which looks like a dos Santos work, but it’s not on his site, so not sure)…and still no author site, that I can find. If you know of anything, let me know! Releases February 2, 2010. From Amazon:

THE LEGENDS ARE TRUE.

Gabriel is a New York City college kid who loves to bury his nose in books, looking up stories of long-dead cultures, lost languages, and forgotten legends. He never imagined one of those legends would come looking for him—until a tough-talking girl named De Mona Sanchez thrusts an ancient weapon into his hands…and recruits Gabriel in a dark epic war he was born to fight.

THE DEMONS ARE HERE.

Banished centuries ago by warrior knights, a demonic army is storming through a dimensional rift into our world. Stalkers are prowling the streets. Corpses are rising up to fight. And Gabriel—a descendant of one of the original warriors—has no choice but to drop his textbooks and start kicking demon butt alongside his new friend De Mona…who has a few secrets of her own. If Gabriel fails, humanity loses. If war is hell, this is hell on earth…

Posted in fantasy authors, fantasy fiction, new author spotlight, urban fantasy Tagged: Kris Greene, The DArk Storm

ARC REVIEW + Giveaway: Blaze of Memory

kmont — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 10:00:57 +0000

Nalini Singh
Blaze of Memory (Psy/Changeling #7)
Berkley
ISBN-10: 0425231119
ISBN-13: 978- 0425231111
Paranormal romance
November 3, 2009

Dev Santos discovers her unconscious and battered, with no memory of who she is. All she knows is that she’s dangerous. Charged with protecting his people’s most vulnerable secrets, Dev is duty-bound to eliminate all threats. It’s a task he’s never hesitated to complete…until he finds himself drawn to a woman who might yet prove the enemy’s most insidious weapon.

Stripped of her memories by a shadowy oppressor, and programmed to carry out cold-blooded murder, Katya Haas is fighting desperately for her sanity itself. Her only hope is Dev. But how can she expect to gain the trust of a man who could very well be her next target? For in this game, one must die…

I’ve usually been more inclined towards the changeling side of this series. The half human, half animal characters feel so viscerally alive within the confines of the books, making for some of the more passionate scenarios. The Psy are almost their complete opposite, or they seem so as they are now. At one time the Psy could feel as strongly as any changeling. At one time, the Psy had just as much choice, just as much freedom as a changeling. If you’ve been following the series, you’ll know by now that they haven’t truly enjoyed freedom for a long time. This installment sheds more light on the struggles of the Psy and on the fact that they are every bit as deeply layered as their more animalistic opposition.

Dev Santos is the devoted and relentless leader of the Shine Foundation, an organization intent on aiding the Forgotten, those Psy that are descended from the ones that escaped the clutches of initial Silence. It’s a thankless job full of stress the likes of which are unimaginable. It will pull him in till there’s nothing left of the once normal man. He must be prepared to do whatever is necessary to protect his own, and that is the dilemma behind mysterious Psy amnesiac dropped on his doorstep. She’s a time bomb waiting to go off and even if he knows his duty, there’s something about her he cannot resist. Something about her penetrates the iron hold he has over his will.

Katya Haas has been broken in the cruelest way know to Psy, broken and put back together, a potential weapon now. She knows she can’t be trusted and she’s prepared for whatever Dev has to do to make sure she’s not a threat. Despite the vile programming forced on her, she doesn’t want to hurt anyone. Dev is a conundrum to her – why doesn’t he do what must be done? She cannot be trusted. No matter how close she’s coming to feel towards Dev, she cannot allow herself to harm him. Honor, if not emotion, is a characteristic trait in this particular Psy.

Dev and Katya are protagonists that are easy to relate to and care for. While they are essentially good people, both are faced with impossible scenarios that force them to make horrible choices and carry out equally horrific deeds. At this point in the series, we are essentially on the cusp of a war, and war forces hard choices on people. Dev knows he should put Katya down for the threat she presents to the safety of the Forgotten, but he knows too that she would never intentionally hurt him or anyone else. Despite that, it is her conditioning that makes her dangerous, and he struggles with doing what is right for his people as opposed to what is one more injustice against Katya.

This is the reason that their situation is so compelling. The conflict between them is set up immediately and molds the rest of their interactions with a strong intensity. I have to admit that I didn’t feel the romance in this one was as strong. The conflict between them ties very well into the plot, though, and this book seven in the series does indeed carry on the overall plot extremely well. As a result, the book did feel more plot driven, but don’t get me wrong – it is still driven by two very interesting and compelling characters. I simply felt that their romance was perhaps a little quieter than past couples (especially when I can’t help but think of the raw passion of Mercy and Riley). I think that, given both Katya’s and Dev’s natures, the level of romance in the book made sense. In other words, despite it being a bit more muted this time, it worked well for this particular book.

This brings us to the plot, which I felt was the strongest part of the book. I’ve been waiting for an opportunity to delve deeper into the Psy and their roots, part of which are the very essential Forgotten that we’ve gotten some info here and there on up till this point. Interspersed through the book are some very interesting letters from a Psy mother to her very young son, which she intends for him to read later in life – pre-Silence. Normally I’m not too keen on quotes or those little italicized paragraphs that start off chapters in some books, but these short letters were an amazing look into the past. Believe me, you’ll want to absorb them as they are a terrific way to relate to a species of people that currently want to further eradicate any possibility of emotion whatsoever.

Blaze of Memory best serves the series by advancing the series arc. And it does it in a totally engaging, energetic and character-driven, as well as plot-driven, way. Whereas the Psy have never really seemed worthy of sympathy before, this installment will shed some much-needed light on their history as well as their possible future. And because it is a future that closely relates to the changelings we do get to see plenty of our favorites cats and wolves as well. As usual, Singh incorporates their roles splendidly, never taking away from the building relationship between Katya and Dev.

While Blaze of Memory won’t be my series favorite, it will certainly be marked as one of the most informative and interesting of the series in terms of Singh’s worldbuilding. This one is not to be missed for the priceless look it offers into the Psy world.

Rating: Four and Half Scoops

Series order:

Slave to Sensation
Visions of Heat
Caressed by Ice
Mine to Possess
Hostage to Pleasure
Branded by Fire
Blaze of Memory

Visit the author’s site here.

Giveaway time!

Comments are now turned off and the contest is over. Thank you to everyone who entered! Winners will be announced soon.

Singh is offering up TWO copies of Blaze of Memory. All you have to do is leave a comment below to enter. This will be a quicker window – only 48 hours. The contest is open now and will close Wednesday, October 28th at 6:00 a.m. I will announce the winners ON Wednesday and contact them then for mailing addresses.

Sooo…bombs away, and good luck!

Posted in book review, contests, paranormal romance, romance authors Tagged: Blaze of Memory, Nalini Singh, Psy/Changling series

REVIEW: Graceling

kmont — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:59:43 +0000

Kristin Cashore
Graceling (book #1)
Harcourt Children’s Books
ISBN-10: 015206396X
ISBN-13: 978- 015206392
Young adult fantasy
October 1, 2008

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.

I have to agree with the blurb above. Graceling did indeed hold me captive for the most part and I definitely wanted more. So much so that I immediately sought out the second book only to find out it’s more of a prequel with different characters on the menu. More on that later.

The thing that impressed me most is that this was a young adult novel. While I see the argument a lot that young adult books are just for young adults, it’s not a sentiment I agree with. As with adult novels, young adult is populated with all kinds and levels of skill – Graceling exceeded my expectations in terms of skill. Not only is it perfect for young adults, but for adults as well that are of the fantasy persuasion.

Katsa’s story is told in 3rd person, but always from her point of view. I get a little nervous at times when the trouble’s been taken to do 3rd person and we only get the protagonist’s perspective. It almost feels like a waste of 3rd person point of view, when we could also be getting inside the heads of other interesting characters. Katsa took me by surprise, though, and it quickly became obvious why she was special enough to warrant all the perspective in this novel. She’s been emotionally stunted due to an abnormal childhood, that of a graceling. Gracelings are people who are talented in one special skill, Katsa’s being fighting. While a grace can be anything as mundane as tree climbing, Katsa’s unbeatable fighting skills have earned her a place as her uncle/king’s personal hit man and assassin. She carries out his orders without question or fail and because of this her reputation literally proceeds her, marking her to one and all as a very young woman to be feared. In fact, she was just as feared as a small child.

Lately, though, Katsa is starting to question her uncle’s orders, and his motives and would rather find alternate means to fulfilling her orders instead of killing. Suddenly she doesn’t feel like punishing a subject of her uncle’s kingdom for what was obviously a mistake. Not only that, but she has been taking up secret missions that aid the people of Randa, a kind of female Robin Hood that fights the injustices done to the common people. Despite her discovering and implementing the Council that sees to these secret affairs, her reputation still demands fear of her person wherever she goes.

On one such mission, as she does her part to ensure that the inhabitant’s of neighboring Sunder’s royal castle do not spot her or her cohorts, she encounters another graceling, a young man who seems to be just as gifted in fighting as her. Trusting of no one, she ignores his attempts to win her over and manages to defeat him long enough to slip away. When the mission is over, and she returns home to Randa and her uncle’s court, who does she find? None other than the odd graceling man, with his mismatched pair of silver and gold eyes. His name is Po and he is a Lienid prince who happens to be the grandson of the man Katsa helped to rescue. As Katsa begins daily sparring sessions with the man, who, again, is the first ever to give her a true challenge with his fighting skills, the two learn each other and a tenuous trust is born. Katsa finally lets Po into her inner circle and that of the Council. Just when it feels as though she can truly trust him, she learns something about Po that tests the new found trust she has in him and it shakes her to the core.

The way Katsa is shaken kind of brings to light and drives home how dangerous, lonely and disastrous it can be to be a graceling. Almost no matter what their talent is, they are feared by normal citizens. Some talents are feared more than others, and Po’s actually is related to one such talent. Gracelings too have just as hard a time, at times, of trusting other gracelings. What Katsa learns about Po begins to change her as a person. It drives the wedge further between her and her uncle’s orders to kill and in a way it enables her to break free. Together, she and Po set out to find out why his grandfather was kidnapped and who was behind it all.

I said earlier that Katsa was deserving of having all the perspective in the novel. It really is about her and her struggles to overcome the conditioning of a killer. Her development is gradually drawn over the course of the book, beautifully shaped by all that happens to her along an incredible journey. She discovers more about herself as a person, and much more surprising things about her grace. Thanks to breaking the invisible chains her uncle had cast her in, and meeting Po, she becomes more. When she and Po set off into the wilderness, she never hesitates and almost always excels at what she sets out to do. I thought at times that this gave her character almost too perfect a facade. There really did seem as if there was no beating her. Ever. While perfectness in a character can get a little old, it works with Katsa, especially as we begin to discover the secrets behind her grace. And if she hadn’t been that emotionally stunted and handicapped young lady at first, I don’t think I’d have been as patient with her always doing just about everything right.

Despite Katsa being so central, we do gt a good sense of the other characters. Po is just as fleshed out as Katsa, and these two play off each other wonderfully, growing from a distrustful beginning into a quiet, then passionate love that comes under threat. Po is hiding the true nature of his grace, which even most of his family doesn’t know about. He gets the short end of the stick in some ways in the book, but the tragedy that befalls him also strengthens him. This can sometimes feel trite, when a strong character is felled in some manner, only to benefit from it in some way later. It works here with Po, but I also found myself wishing at that point that we were getting his POV as well. Because of his tragedy, his grace begins to change – or perhaps it’s that a graceling’s talent never stops morphing, adapting and evolving into something that will aid the person it inhabits. We see this somewhat with Katsa as well.

One thing that stuck out to me was that, with gracelings being fairly common across all the kingdoms mentioned in the book, there wasn’t some kind of organized training or organization that spoke for gracelings as a whole, or was available to aid them in some way towards mastering their grace. I suppose this would be somewhat like the guilds mentioned in a lot of traditional fantasy novels, and I also suppose it could be said that outright fear of gracelings kept anyone from reaching out to them – as well as that innate distrust between gracelings. Still, I found it odd that there was no organized anything between them, but only the greed of the kings that would see a useful graceling and snatch them up for use in their courts, as Katsa’s uncle did with her.

The writing is extremely pleasing and I found it hard to believe this was a debut novel. Katsa has a strong voice that prevails throughout the book and for the most part held my attention very well. There was a bit of a mid-book sag, where the plot kind of slowed down. There were times that the book just did not interest me at all, whenever Katsa would focus on detailing some part of the landscape, or some other such details that were essentially boring compared to the action, but I realize were intended to build upon the world. The worldbuilding isn’t the most involved, but it was adequate. So it wasn’t always a smooth reading experience for me, and the middle sag kind of made me impatient to then finish reading, but Graceling was actually, for the most part, a very enjoyable young adult fantasy that delivered on an entertaining and emotionally engaging level. I was impressed to find a young adult novel that was complex enough in its characters and plot, raising it to that level that offers adults quality entertainment as well.

I wanted to read more about Po and Katsa right away, excited enough to check out the blurb for the sequel, Fire (and also because, in truth, I just wasn’t happy enough with the book’s resolution). It turns out that Fire is actually a prequel of sorts with different characters, and there is a third book in the making, titled Bitterblue (after a third main character in this one, a child that Katsa and Po end up rescuing from the king that kidnapped Po’s grandfather), which I’m guessing will take place many years after Graceling, as Bitterblue is a young child at this point. She does, however, seem set up to take on a book of her own pretty well. As for Katsa and Po, I’m not sure if we’ll ever see more of them, but it would be nice.

Rating: Four Scoops

For more on the author and her work, visit her blog/website.

Posted in book review, fantasy authors, fantasy fiction, young adult fiction Tagged: Graceling, Kristin Cashore

ARC Review: Fallen

Lauren Kate Fallen (Fallen #1) Delacorte Books for Young Readers ISBN-10: 0385738935 ISBN-13: 978-0385738934 Young adult fantasy December 8, 2009

Rating: One and a Half Scoops

REVIEW: Leviathan

Scott Westerfeld Leviathan (Leviathan #1) Simon Pulse ISBN-10: 1416971734 ISBN-13: 978-1416971733 Young adult steampunk October 6, 2009

Rating: Three and a Half Scoops

Tales From the iPhone: Whaaa…

Technology Is Not My Friend

Winner Winner, Blaze Dinner!

Willa and Gabriela!

Poll: The Twilight Train – Over It or More Please?

Cover Spotlight: Young Adult Mix

NEW Author Spotlight! Kris Greene

ARC REVIEW + Giveaway: Blaze of Memory

Nalini Singh Blaze of Memory (Psy/Changeling #7) Berkley ISBN-10: 0425231119 ISBN-13: 978- 0425231111 Paranormal romance November 3, 2009

Rating: Four and Half Scoops

REVIEW: Graceling

Kristin Cashore Graceling (book #1) Harcourt Children’s Books ISBN-10: 015206396X ISBN-13: 978- 015206392 Young adult fantasy October 1, 2008

Rating: Four Scoops

Lauren Kate
Fallen (Fallen #1)
Delacorte Books for Young Readers
ISBN-10: 0385738935
ISBN-13: 978-0385738934
Young adult fantasy
December 8, 2009

Scott Westerfeld
Leviathan (Leviathan #1)
Simon Pulse
ISBN-10: 1416971734
ISBN-13: 978-1416971733
Young adult steampunk
October 6, 2009

Nalini Singh
Blaze of Memory (Psy/Changeling #7)
Berkley
ISBN-10: 0425231119
ISBN-13: 978- 0425231111
Paranormal romance
November 3, 2009

Kristin Cashore
Graceling (book #1)
Harcourt Children’s Books
ISBN-10: 015206396X
ISBN-13: 978- 015206392
Young adult fantasy
October 1, 2008