Feb 28, 2018

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly blog post by Jill over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights releases we're eagerly awaiting.
 
 
When a girl in the neighboring town of Ryme is found brutally murdered, the community seeks help from criminal psychologist Audrey Harte. 
 
The media wants Audrey's insight into the mind of a killer, and the school and parents hope she can help the students properly process the crime.

But Audrey can't resist assisting her friend Detective Neve Graham in the quest to find the killer. A killer who seems willing do anything to avoid going to jail, even killing a cop -- or a psychologist.


Four of a Kind is the latest novel in the Audrey Harte series, in which a criminal psychologist uses her own dark past to help stop dangerous killers.  
 
 
I still need to start this series but it's still one I look forward to! I have enjoyed all of Kate's previous novels before, though I am still behind in another series of hers! A thriller series is definitely going to be fun!
AUTHOR: Kate Kessler
PUBLISHER: Redhook
GENRE: Thriller/Mystery
RELEASE DATE: March 6, 2018 
 
 
History is on repeat…

Seth never thought he’d have a future. But now he’s on the brink of having it all with Josie: A tomorrow. A family. A forever. And all that's standing between him and that forever is the Titans. If he helps Josie entomb them -- without killing them, a nearly impossible task for him -- everything he could ever want will be in reach. But he soon realizes that as a god, every little choice he makes can reshape the world for the better… or worse. And in meddling with the Titans, Seth may have just set into motion catastrophic consequences that will force the Olympians to enter the mortal realm and reshape the delicate balance of power that keeps the world from total collapse.

A price must be paid…

Entombing the Titans is Josie’s top priority. After all, it was what she was born to do. But the plans her father put into play to help her are no longer an option, and the odds she and Seth face in forging their own path are grim. The escalating violence between halfs and pures only increases the danger closing in on them and their friends. Josie knows their chances of succeeding in their task are slim at best -- and if they fail, they might lose everything. But she also knows she's not fighting just for herself -- she's fighting for the man she loves, for their future, for the world. Together with the Army of Awesome, Josie and Seth will face the unthinkable. And to win this war, the ultimate sacrifice must be made.

For the end is here and the Prophecy will be fulfilled….
 
 
Another series I STILL need to start! I know, I know!! I am SOOOO behind! But the good news is I can BINGE THEM ALL!!!! Hahahaha!! Lol!!
TITLE: The Prophecy
GENRE: Paranormal New Adult
PUBLISHER: Self?
RELEASE DATE: March 8, 2018





Feb 27, 2018

Review--Feverborn by Karen Marie Moning

In Karen Marie Moning’s latest installment of the epic #1 New York Times bestselling Fever series, the stakes have never been higher and the chemistry has never been hotter. Hurtling us into a realm of labyrinthine intrigue and consummate seduction, FEVERBORN is a riveting tale of ancient evil, lust, betrayal, forgiveness and the redemptive power of love.

When the immortal race of the Fae destroyed the ancient wall dividing the worlds of Man and Faery, the very fabric of the universe was damaged and now Earth is vanishing bit by bit. Only the long-lost Song of Making—a haunting, dangerous melody that is the source of all life itself—can save the planet.

But those who seek the mythic Song—Mac, Barrons, Ryodan and Jada—must contend with old wounds and new enemies, passions that burn hot and hunger for vengeance that runs deep. The challenges are many: The Keltar at war with nine immortals who’ve secretly ruled Dublin for eons, Mac and Jada hunted by the masses, the Seelie queen nowhere to be found, and the most powerful Unseelie prince in all creation determined to rule both Fae and Man. Now the task of solving the ancient riddle of the Song of Making falls to a band of deadly warriors divided among—and within—themselves.

Once a normal city possessing a touch of ancient magic, Dublin is now a treacherously magical city with only a touch of normal. And in those war-torn streets, Mac will come face to face with her most savage enemy yet: herself.
 



Karen Marie Moning’s Feverborn continues Mac’s epic journey in Dublin as she tries to battle the powerful Sinsar Dubh that is trapped inside of her. But that’s not the only problem on her plate, as Dublin continues to crumble around her, she’s learning that there are still many secrets to unravel and that the book inside of her is more powerful than she could ever imagine.

The wall dividing Faery and the mortal world is gone, completely and utterly. The only thing that is likely to save the world she knows and loves from total destruction is the elusive Song of Making, but that has been lost for years. Though finding that will even have to take a backseat as more pertinent problems take over Mac’s life.

Everyone seems to have their own agenda in this story, and that’s not to say you don’t know who to trust. You do, it’s just that they have their own plans for what they want out of life. For the most part, Mac and her friends just want to get everything back to normal, or as normal as possible without all the dangerous fae wandering around. Then there’s the mysterious group, WeCare who offer food and shelter for a price, and also has their own newspaper out that tends to compete with Dani’s though theirs is the only one printing lately. And it seems WeCare knows a lot more than they should about Mac, Dani, Barrons, and pretty much everyone else!

There was some startling revelations in this book! One that still has my mind spinning! Karen continues to drop surprise after surprise at us with all these startling twists and turns! What it will mean for the future outcome is a little unclear at the moment. As I thought I heard that the next book brings a conclusion to Mac’s story and then the newest release that comes out next week, will be back to focusing on Dani. Of course, that’s what I thought I heard some time back.

This series is definitely not for the faint of heart! These fae are much more brutal than we tend to see where some of them are not all that bad. Here? They’re pretty much are all that bad! They conniving, devious and selfish creatures that usually only care about themselves and will do whatever they want when it pleases them.

I did end up getting sick halfway through this, so the last half was read during a medicine induced haze. I know what I read, but I can’t seem to draw it all forward. But again, as I am late to the Fever game, again, this review is more for my recording pleasure of having read yet another book!

I will say that this one did have a little bit more heated scenes between Mac and Barrons! Those two. It’s seriously hot between them! There are times I question Barron’s devotion to Mac, but he always comes through for her in ways she might not understand at first.

One complaint I did have with this one was the missing headings for the chapters, as in, who’s point of view are we diving into? At first I thought it was because it was going to be all Mac all the time, but then it became clear that someone else was taking the story into their own hands. It took a bit of reading to finally get down to who it was, I don’t understand why this choice was made. When we’ve already established that a lot of characters in this series like to have their page time from their own eyes, we should be told who’s point of view we’re in and not have to play guessing games or read several paragraphs before a reveal is made.

The action in this one was as intense as its predecessors. There was a lot of running around trying to solve little mysteries about such and such (being deliberately vague) and while most of them were somewhat resolved. I still feel like one wasn’t 100% clarified, but that could be because I am still in a medicine-induced haze and missed it when they said X=Y! All I know is that after that ending I cannot wait to pick up the next book asap! Hopefully this cold bugs out on me soon so I can enjoy the reading of it!


Overall Rating 4.5/5 stars




Teaser & Top Ten Tuesdays

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by Purple Princess of The Purple Booker.


Here are the rules:

1. Grab your current read
2. Open to a page

3. Pick out 2 lines that are SPOILER FREE
4. Name the title, author, etc.


"When someone liked Barrons walked at a woman's side, he walked there forever, and not even death would come between them. He would never permit it." p 112















TITLE: Feverborn
AUTHOR: Karen Marie Moning
PUBLISHER: Delacorte Press
GENRE: Urban Fantasy

RELEASE DATE: January 19, 2016 



Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.


This week's topic is: Books I Could Re-read Forever


*in no particular order


10. DEMON IN MY VIEW by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes--back in the Dark Times when there was hardly any Paranormal YA books to be had, I would re-read this one a lot! I used to keep track of how many times I read it too! Since it's much shorter than my normal reads I am sure I could knock this one out in a day!
9. OLD MAGIC by Marianne Curley--this is another one that I re-read a handful of times! It was still the Dark Times when I happened upon this beauty and fell in love! So naturally, way back then, I would re-read those hidden gems!
8. POISON STUDY by Maria V. Snyder--I think I did re-read this one! At least once! This was during the rough patch where I was trying to find "adult" paranormal reads and happened upon a fantasy one instead! There's magic, so magic is therefore paranormal! ;)


7. HALFWAY TO THE GRAVE by Jeaniene Frost--this is another that I think I re-read at least once! As you could see I was finding myself some adult paranormal reads and enjoying myself! So I would re-read those as I waited for the next release to come out! *back then, I wasn't as savvy as I am now and didn't really know when new books came out unless Amazon told me! Lol!
6. STRAY by Rachel Vincent--pretty sure this was another I did re-read at least once! I loved this one! And it was such a fun "risk" I took since I wasn't sure if it was a true Urban Fantasy read! But it was! And I LOVED it!
5. OBSIDIAN by Jennifer L. Armentrout--shockingly I did only read this one once! This was likely during the height of my TBR forming and I didn't have time for re-reads. Still really don't!



4. NOCTURNE by Syrie James--I would love to re-read this one again too! Even though I was a little heartbroken over the ending! 
3. THE MEDIATOR: SHADOWLAND by Jenny Carroll aka Meg Cabot--this was another one of those hidden gems I found while I scoured for a Paranormal YA book in my teens! This was a most happy surprise that I fell in love with! I would totally re-read this one again if I had time! Of course then I'd have to re-read the other 6 too!! :D
2. THE NAMED by Marianne Curley--I'm including this one because I DO plan to re-read this one VERY soon! Not as soon as I'd like because I am in the middle of a KMM marathon then I have a review book waiting, but AFTER THAT! I will be re-reading this series because Marianne has a NEW addition coming out next month!!


1. HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE by J.K. Rowling--I know a LOT of people re-read this one constantly, but as I've said before I rarely have time for re-reading because there are 300+ books waiting to be read for the first time. But I would love to re-read this one again! I know I had to have read it a handful of times as it was read to me first by a teacher, then I read it by myself and I am sure after that I re-read it at least once more!



Other Worthy Picks:


And I'm cutting myself off here because I could literally go on and on!



 

Feb 26, 2018

ARC Review To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo

Princess Lira is siren royalty and the most lethal of them all. With the hearts of seventeen princes in her collection, she is revered across the sea. Until a twist of fate forces her to kill one of her own. To punish her daughter, the Sea Queen transforms Lira into the one thing they loathe most—a human. Robbed of her song, Lira has until the winter solstice to deliver Prince Elian’s heart to the Sea Queen or remain a human forever.

The ocean is the only place Prince Elian calls home, even though he is heir to the most powerful kingdom in the world. Hunting sirens is more than an unsavory hobby—it’s his calling. When he rescues a drowning woman in the ocean, she’s more than what she appears. She promises to help him find the key to destroying all of sirenkind for good—But can he trust her? And just how many deals will Elian have to barter to eliminate mankind’s greatest enemy?




I received this ARC in a fair trade with a fellow blogger. My review is completely honest and voluntary, I was in no way compensated for this review.


I was most ecstatic to read Alexandra Christo’s debut To Kill a Kingdom that has a The Little Mermaid flair to it, though this is not your ordinary retelling, more that the fairy tale was a base for this story! This story was truly unique and enthralling! It pretty much held me spellbound throughout because everything is not what you would expect from this story!

First off, our heroine, Lira—note that spelling there, look familiar?—is not a mermaid, but a siren. There’s a difference, in most literature and in this world too of course! Lira is the daughter of the Sea Queen, who’s very Ursula like even though she’s a siren too, and she longs for the day that she will take her mother’s place. Every year she takes the heart of some hapless prince who dares to be sailing on her ocean. She’s earned a named for herself as the Princes’ Bane, but when she kills another prince a few weeks earlier—as she is only allowed to take the heart of a “man” once a year, her mother decides to punish her in the worst way possible.

Then we have our prince, Elian—starts with the same letter as another familiar prince, eh?—who is anything but princely, though he is in fact a prince. He much prefers the life of piracy! He makes it his mission to scour the seas and try to kill any all sirens that cross his path, he’s looking for the Princes’ Bane of course, for she has killed one of his dear friends. Then as it happens, one day he comes across a maiden just floating in the sea, completely naked.

As you can gather, this is our siren, Lira who was punished by her mother with the worst fate imaginable; legs. She is told to take the siren killer’s heart and return to her mother before her birthday arrives or ELSE! It’s not long before Lira’s plans change though, she still plans to kill the prince of course, but she also plans to steal the magical eye that is said to be the other half of the one her mother owns. With it, Lira can control the sirens and take her place as true queen of the sea.

This was a most magical story! There’s not a better way of describing it! All along we know what Lira plans and what she is, we know she’s deceiving the prince. But then we also know what the prince is thinking, for this story alternates between both of their points of view. He’s not a hapless sap that falls in love with Lira from the moment he sees her, nor she him. In fact, the two aren’t very fond of one another at all. Neither one trusts the other, and with good reason.

I will admit though that the changing points of view threw me a bit. Since they’re both in first person and there’s no identifying header with the chapters, I wasn’t really aware of a narration change until several lines down. This happened every time it would change. It’s perhaps one of my only complaints of the story. Lira and Elian are pretty similar in some ways and they both want the same thing of course, so when there’s a new chapter ahead, it wasn’t always clear who was at the helm.

The romance though was pretty awesome! Mostly because it was hardly there. It’s one of the slowest burning romances I’ve ever read and I loved every moment of it! Elian and Lira aren’t very fond of one another when they first meet, but Lira realizes in order to get to the eye that will give her power of the sea and sirens, she will need Elian’s help. And eventually, very, very slowly, a friendship is formed between them that heightens to romance!

The tension of the story was spot on! It’s not a fact paced kind of read, but the slow buildup does tend to draw the reader in by giving little bits of action, suspense, thrills, and chills intermingling throughout the story. There’s a good dose of action scenes throughout as Lira and Elian and his crew go on this treacherous journey! It’s a read that has you constantly turning the pages eager to see how they get out of each bind they find themselves in. And of course we have the burgeoning romance between Lira and Elian.

I’ve read the original The Little Mermaid and naturally, I’ve seen the Disney movie, so the ending was bound to go in either or the two ways. Needless to say, I was holding my breath in anticipation as things got really intense in the final showdown! I have to say that I was quite pleased with the route Alexandra chose to go! It was very fitting for the story and characters!

To Kill a Kingdom is not your ordinary Little Mermaid story, in fact, it pretty much blows the original and Disney one out of the water with its boldness and edginess! It’s a truly beautiful and unique kind of read that all fairy tale fans are going to want to get their fins—er hands—on a copy stat!


Overall Rating 4.5/5 stars


To Kill a Kingdom releases March 6, 2018




It's Monday! What are You Reading?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. It's a fun meme where we gather to share what we've read last week and our reading plans for this week.


Last Week I Read:

Legendary by Stephanie Garber (ARC)--Review to come at a later date
Burned by Karen Marie Moning (5 stars)


Currently Reading:

Feverborn by Karen Marie Moning


What I Hope to Starting Reading:

Feversong by Karen Marie Moning


Other Posts of Interest:







Feb 25, 2018

Stacking the Shelves

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks! The meme is now hosted by Tynga's Reviews and Reading Reality.


Well this was a rather tame week in terms of books, but that's also a good thing!! I didn't add too much this week but I am super excited about all of them!!

Here's what I bought:

Baby, I'm Howling for You by Christine Warren--I still need to finish her Others series, and read the entirety of her Gargoyle series, but I thought I would at least buy the first book in this series because I am glutton for punishment I guess! LOL!
By a Charm and Curse by Jamie Questell--I took part in B&N's 3/$30 sale last week. Then I added another book to that to spend $40 and save another 15%. But those two books are doubles of ones I have already that are to be saved for something coming up very soon! ;)
The House Next Door by Richie Tankersley Cusick--I actually had a copy of this one oh so long ago. But I donated it in my pique of "I need to read adult books" phase, but when I saw it in the 3/$30 section I thought, why not?! A ghostly romance story is always fun! Though I am sadden that it had to be the bulky trade paperback instead of the mass market size as that's what it originally was! I mean the font inside is still set in MMPB style/formatting so I don't know why we had to go to the BIG trade size! Plus it's so much bulkier to fit in my purse! LOL!


Then I won the January Discussion Challenge Contest hosted by Nicole at Feed Your Fiction Addiction! It was the prize of any preorder for 2018 so I decided to go with one of my more recent books that I hadn't gotten around to preordering:

Heart of Ash by Kim Liggett--so excited to finally have Blood & Salt #2!!


THANK YOU Nicole!!


Then for review from the publisher I received:

Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody (ARC)--and of course I get this one right when I decide to start my KMM catchup marathon! Lol! But as soon as I finish my current read and then read the most latest one I'll be reading this one!


THANK YOU Harlequin Teen!



Then I also got my Fairy Loot box for February. I don't have a picture of the box because I am writing this post super late and am too tired and lazy to do that. But I am TRYING to do my bookstagram pics today, so hopefully I will get to those and will have Fairy Loot in there too! :D


And that was what I got this week! What did you all get?




 

Feb 23, 2018

Book Blogger Hop

This meme is hosted by Billy at Ramblings of a Coffee Addict!
 
 
This week's question is: Do you read hardcovers with the dust jacket on or off? Why or why not?  (submitted by Maria @ A Night's Dream of Books)
 
 
 
 
MY ANSWER: Honestly, it depends! If I am at home reading in bed, I usually take the dust jacket off because I am usually laying down and for some reason the book slides more when I read like that! But if I'm at work, reading on my lunch break, I leave it on because it doesn't seem to move as much when I'm sitting!





Feb 22, 2018

Review--Burned by Karen Marie Moning

It’s easy to walk away from lies. Power is another thing.

MacKayla Lane would do anything to save the home she loves. A gifted sidhe-seer, she’s already fought and defeated the deadly Sinsar Dubh—an ancient book of terrible evil—yet its hold on her has never been stronger.

When the wall that protected humans from the seductive, insatiable Fae was destroyed on Halloween, long-imprisoned immortals ravaged the planet. Now Dublin is a war zone with factions battling for control. As the city heats up and the ice left by the Hoar Frost King melts, tempers flare, passions run red-hot, and dangerous lines get crossed.

Seelie and Unseelie vie for power against nine ancient immortals who have governed Dublin for millennia; a rival band of sidhe-seers invades the city, determined to claim it for their own; Mac’s former protégé and best friend, Dani “Mega” O’Malley, is now her fierce enemy; and even more urgent, Highland druid Christian MacKeltar has been captured by the Crimson Hag and is being driven deeper into Unseelie madness with each passing day. The only one Mac can depend on is the powerful, dangerous immortal Jericho Barrons, but even their fiery bond is tested by betrayal.

It’s a world where staying alive is a constant struggle, the line between good and evil gets blurred, and every alliance comes at a price. In an epic battle against dark forces, Mac must decide who she can trust, and what her survival is ultimately worth.


I’m going all over the place with my TBR pile lately, it’s insane! Anyway, I decided it was time to get caught up on Karen Marie Moning’s Fever series and I finally, finally picked up Burned! It’s been a good long while since I read Iced, and as far as I know, recaps for adult books don’t exist. Tragedy. But luckily, Karen included a guide in the back on people, places, and things that kind of gave me a down and dirty recap on the important things. When I was finally ready to start Burned, I did so with moderate ease!

Mac has just learned that Dani incidentally killed her sister, which was what brought Mac to Ireland and started her whole journey. But Dani was manipulated and before she can really talk to her, Dani disappears in the Hall of All Days through one of the many mirrors. Now Mac is left with her absence and feels tremendous guilt over how she approached Dani, for trying to find her would be impossible.

Mac still has a copy of the Sinsar Dubh trapped inside of her as well, this magical book has been a pain the you-know-what. She fights its pull constantly, knowing that if she were to ever truly accept it, she would lose herself to its magic.

All is not well in Ireland though, the aftermath left by the Hoar Frost King is still apparent. There are black holes left behind that could promise even more destruction and chaos if they are not fixed. But then a new problem occurs for Mac, as if she didn’t already have enough on her plate. Christian was kidnapped by the Crimson Hag who continually kills him and he’s resurrected again and again for her torturous pleasure. Add to that, a new character is on the scene and she’s not at all happy with Mac or any of her friends and has pretty much taken over the abbey that Kat once was in charge of after Rowena was killed. Chaos reigns supreme!

This is definitely a series you are better off reading straight through, no years long gaps in between because it will wreak havoc with your memory. Unless you have the super kind of memory that I envy! Lol! It’s also not for the faint of heart. Things get pretty graphic, both on the violence and sexual levels. So be prepared for that if you’ve never read one of Karen’s books before! I also noticed a few appearances from characters in her other series. I never read that one, but I feel like I might need to one day! Cameo appearances are always enjoyable when you know the who’s!

There was quite the startling revelations made at the end of the book too! Not only did one come in at the halfway point—which I vaguely remember people mentioning at the time that this was a new release—that totally shocked the heck out of me, but the ending cliffhanger was yet another shocker! As were a few other minor things along the way! I may have been gone for too long from this series but I find it easy to dive right back in with these characters! 

Find myself making this a shorter review, but it tends to happen when I take so long to read a book that’s been out for years and I feel like I am the last to read it! Lol! The Fever series still remains one of my favorites, no matter how long it may take me to read the newest additions! It’s a highly addictive read and I am happy to be back!!


Overall Rating 5/5 stars





 

Random Thursday

There's going to be some weird things to learn today within the pages of That's a Fact Jack: A Collection of Utterly Useless Information [Updated] by Harry Bright and Jakob Anser!


(image borrowed from Sports Vape)
"Bubble gum is pink because Walter Diemer, a Fleer employee, had only pink coloring left when he mixed up his first successful batch."


That I did not know!


(image borrowed from Wikipedia)
"Twinkies are 68 percent air and 32 percent Twinkie stuff, which means you can pack three Twinkies in the same space taken up by only one."


Duuuuude!!


(image borrowed from WTOP)
"Saddam Hussein's favorite American snacks were Raisin Bran and Doritos. He disliked Froot Loops."


Yeah, that's random!


(image borrowed from Amazon)
"According to the grocer down the street from Osama Bin Laden's hideout in Abbottabad, Pakistan, Bin Laden's favorite American products were Pepsi and Coke. His favorite TV shows were the Wonder Years, Miami Vice, and MacGyver."


Okay...why was this one in here??


(image borrowed from The Spruce)
"Chop suey means 'odds and ends' in Mandarin or 'mixed bits' in Cantonese. It is a purely American dish and mist likely dates back to the 1860s with early Chinese miners and railway workers."


Another new fact! Though I've never been big on Chinese food so I guess I wouldn't really know anything about it!


(image borrowed from Wikipedia)
"Chinese writing, rather than using letters, is made up of graphic symbols that each represent an idea. The ideogram for 'trouble' depicts two women living under the same roof."


Because clearly two men under one roof wouldn't be trouble either! Has Friends taught us nothing?!


(image borrowed from National Post)
"While filming a fight scene for Enter the Dragon, Bruce Lee performed a flying kick so fast it could not be seen at 24 frames per second. The cameraman refilmed the sequence in slow motion so it would not appear to be faked."


Never did see any of his movies, but I'm aware of them at least! Lol!