"Dark Triumph" by Robin LaFevers

Release Date: April 2, 2013
Publisher: Houghton
Pages: 385

From Goodreads: "Sybella arrives at the convent’s doorstep half mad with grief and despair. Those that serve Death are only too happy to offer her refuge—but at a price. Naturally skilled in both the arts of death and seduction, the convent views Sybella as one of their most dangerous weapons.

But those assassin’s skills are little comfort when the convent returns her to a life that nearly drove her mad. Her father’s rage and brutality are terrifying, and her brother’s love is equally monstrous. And while Sybella is a weapon of justice wrought by the god of Death himself, He must give her a reason to live. When she discovers an unexpected ally imprisoned in the dungeons, will a daughter of Death find something other than vengeance to live for?

This heart-pounding sequel to Grave Mercy serves betrayal, treachery, and danger in equal measure, bringing readers back to fifteenth century Brittany and will keep them on the edge of their seats."

This book... This book is one of those books that sneaks up on you. Admittedly I hadn't expected too, too much of it- only being a fan of "Grave Mercy" (rather than an uber fan), but after having finished it, all I can do is kick myself for having second guessed it. This book was one of the most satisfying that I can recall reading in an extremely long time and, after having done so, all I want to do was reread it (something which I only allow for my most favourite books).

The biggest strength of this book? Beast and Sybella. Have a favourite literary couple? After reading this book I can guarantee that you will be hard-pressed to not want to kick them to the curb, replacing them with these two. Why I think that Beast and Sybella work so well together is that they compliment one another to a tee- Sybella is extremely broken, bitchy, and bad-ass and Beast is light, loveable, and lonely. While they are both strong characters individually, together they could literally take over the world. Furthermore, the build-up to their relationship is second to none, it had the perfect pacing- never feeling too insta-lovey or too long-drawn.

All in all, I know that I will never tire of rereading this book. I thought that there was a perfect balance of politics and romance (whereas I had found that the political aspect of "Grave Mercy" had far, far overshadowed the romance). I think that with each book in this series Robin truly grows as an author- therefore I, obviously, cannot wait to see what she has in store for us in the third (and final) book in this series, "Mortal Heart"!

Rating: 5/5

I received this book from the publisher to read and honestly review. I was not compensated in any way for said review.

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On My Wishlist

On My Wishlist is a great event that was created by Book Chick City. It is now hosted by Sarah over at Workaday Reads! 

It's where you list all of the books that you desperately want but haven't actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming. I thought that this was a fantabulous idea so I thought I would join in!

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Title: "Ultraviolet"
Author: R.J. Anderson
Publisher: Orchard
Release Date: June 2, 2011

From Goodreads: "Once upon a time there was a girl who was special.This is not her story.
Unless you count the part where I killed her.

Sixteen-year-old Alison has been sectioned in a mental institute for teens, having murdered the most perfect and popular girl at school. But the case is a mystery: no body has been found, and Alison's condition is proving difficult to diagnose. Alison herself can't explain what happened: one minute she was fighting with Tori -- the next she disintegrated. Into nothing. But that's impossible. Right?"

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"Twisted Perfection" by Abbi Glines

Release Date: April 22nd, 2013
Publisher: Self-Published

From Goodreads: "Life outside of her house was a new experience for Della Sloane. The dark secrets of her past weren’t something she ever intended to share with anyone. They would never understand. No one would ever get close enough to find out. Besides there was always a chance she’d go crazy sooner than they expected…

Woods Kerrington had never been one to be attracted to fragile females. They seemed like too much work. He wasn’t in it for the work just the pleasure. A night full of naughty fun had been exactly what was on his mind when he’d laid eyes on the hot little number that didn’t know how to pump gas and needed some help.

What he didn’t know was she was as fragile as they came.

The carefree girl who spoke her mind and didn’t care what the world thought of her was more breakable than he could ever imagine…"


While in "Fallen Too Far" and "Never Too Far" I rooted for Rush and Blaire to be together, I couldn't help but harbour some feelings for Woods. Why? Because he was just so good. He went above and beyond to help those around him, no matter how much or how little he knew them, and, out of the boys in the series, he was, without a doubt, the most admirable. Therefore, as you can imagine, when I learned that he was getting his own book I was ecstatic. However, after having finished this book I must admit that my feelings towards him have changed...

As mentioned, I found Woods to be an extremely good character in the "Too Far" books and while he was in this book, it wasn't near as much as I had hoped he would be. As I read more and more, I found that Woods came across as more Rush-y than Woods-y. I feel like there was very little separation between their thoughts (if I didn't know that this book was told in Woods POV I would have assumed it was in Rush's)- very little crossed his mind aside from how good Della's butt looked, how much he wanted to jump her, and so forth. Furthermore, the storyline between Blaire and Della is near identical- both have extremely traumatic pasts stemming from their mothers, both have nowhere to go, both run back to their hometowns, into the arms of their best friends, when times get tough, neither boy's families approve of their girlfriends, both boys are uber rich and the girls... aren't, and so forth.

That being said, Abbi has an extremely addicting writing style- once I start her books I literally cannot put them down. They are the epitome of "one sitting reading". Furthermore, after reading them all I want to do is read more of them or similar books (which results in me being stuck in a continuous loop of contemporary or NA).

All in all, while this wasn't the most unique NA book that I have read to date (especially when compared to the original series that it stems from) I still really loved the couple hours of escapism that it offered me. Furthermore, HOLY MOTHER OF CLIFFHANGERS. This book has one of the craziest cliffhangers I have ever experienced before and I NEED the next book in this series to find out how this revelation affects Woods and Della (which I found surprising as I had assumed this to be a standalone). I have no doubt that this book will hit the various bestseller lists within days of its release.


Rating: 4/5

I received this book from the author to read and honestly review. I was not compensated in any way for said review.

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Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating...

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Title: "Charm & Strange"
Author: Stephanie Kuehn
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Release Date: June 11, 2013

From Goodreads: "When you’ve been kept caged in the dark, it’s impossible to see the forest for the trees. It’s impossible to see anything, really. Not without bars . . .
Andrew Winston Winters is at war with himself.

He’s part Win, the lonely teenager exiled to a remote Vermont boarding school in the wake of a family tragedy. The guy who shuts all his classmates out, no matter the cost.

He’s part Drew, the angry young boy with violent impulses that control him. The boy who spent a fateful, long-ago summer with his brother and teenage cousins, only to endure a secret so monstrous it led three children to do the unthinkable.

Over the course of one night, while stuck at a party deep in the New England woods, Andrew battles both the pain of his past and the isolation of his present.

Before the sun rises, he’ll either surrender his sanity to the wild darkness inside his mind or make peace with the most elemental of truths—that choosing to live can mean so much more than not dying."

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Guest Post: Seleste deLaney

Today on the blog I have Seleste deLaney, a fabulous author and fantastic friend. I absolutely loved Badlands and was thrilled when I heard CLockwork Mafia was coming out soon. Next Tuesday, to be exact. If you haven't read Badands, now is the time!

Why Men Don’t Rule

All authors get questions about the worlds they create, and we often try to answer those either directly or in future installments in a series. One of the biggest questions I get about the Badlands is how the prison system works and how that feeds into the political situation. It was a question I answered in Clockwork Mafia (at least a little), but the scene slowed down the pacing too much and was cut from a page and a half to two paragraphs. (Please bear in mind that since this was cut, it has not been edited.)

However, since people want to know…I want to share. (WARNING: the snippet has a teeny-tiny spoiler in it, but nothing that will hamper your enjoyment of Clockwork Mafia when you read it later. Because you will, right? I’d really like it if you did…)

~~*~~

…Of course, when the guard unlocked his door in the morning, instead of rushing forward to get out, he stepped back, his mouth open.

The guard peered into his cell. “Are you coming out or not? The queen said I should take you to the room where Dr. Mason was storing her things.”

“B-b-but…” Tobias tugged on his shirt in an effort to compose himself. “But you’re a man.”

Chuckling, the guard smoothed his beard. “Last I checked. Don’t let that fool you though, women still rule here. Quite frankly, I don’t want it to be any different.” He waved a hand toward the corridor.

Tobias picked up his jacket and dusted it off before stepping from the cell. “Why? It would seem once prisoners are released they’d band together to take power.”

“That’s Union thinking.” He waved at another guard—a woman this time—who unlocked the door leading to an open area surrounded by guardrooms. Once they entered, she moved to the other door and unlocked it, releasing them into the fortress proper. “You see. The Union says a man needs to be locked up for five years, ten years—however long—then they let ‘em out. Time served.

“Ain’t like that here. Just getting to the prison means we want to reform. Those warriors that man the borders don’t force anyone to come here. You run; you die. You put up more than minimal fight after finding out the rules; you die.” They twisted and turned down more corridors than Tobias could track, but perhaps that was the plan. “The men in those cells are the ones who want to change. In the Union, we’d be treated the same as the ones who go right back to doing wrong. No jobs, no homes, no lives. Here? Once we get out of the cells here, we’re human.

“Since Queen Laurette took the throne, there’s more opportunities than ever. She believes in what’s right, not just what’s right for women.” The guard opened another door at last and waved him in. “Why the hell would we try to destroy a world that treats us better than the one we came from?”

Dust from the floor stirred as Tobias entered and he covered his mouth to keep from coughing. “But what about power? Surely you strive for more than being a guard.”

Scoffing, the man reached in and swept a hand gently over the dimly glowing lichen on the walls, making them flare to life. He pointed to the far corner. “Broom’s over there if the dust really bothers you. As for me? I had power as a criminal and look what it got me—one cell to another until they shipped me across the river to a cell here. Too many people can’t handle power, men or women. It’s the reason they treat everyone, including criminals, the way they do here. You aren’t born to position; you earn it. Some men come out to be stable hands because that’s what they decided to earn. There ain’t much I want more right now than to make sure the men inside understand what they can do.”

~~*~~

If you have any questions about the men and the prison system, now’s the time to ask! I’ll answer as many as I can between now and the Romantic Times Booklovers’ Convention next week (look me up if you’ll be there!)

Clockwork Mafia:

Inventor Henrietta Mason is retiring from airships and adventuring to return home to Philadelphia. Determined to erase all trails leading to her late father's duplicity, she dismantles his lab and removes all records of the Badlands gold. While in the city, she can't resist the lure of a charity gala but winds up regretting the whole experience. Well, everything except a heart-racing dance with a certain U.S. Marshal.His career and vengeance on the line, Carson Alexander must prove a connection between Senator Mason and the mafia. He lucked out happening across Mason's strikingly beautiful daughter, only to have her slip through his fingers. On a desperate hunt to track her down, he never expects his search to take him into the brutal Badlands.

With a mechanically enhanced enforcer after them, only Carson knows the extent of the danger they face. He'll have to win over Henrietta's trust, and her heart, before it's too late...

Buy at:
Carina Press
Amazon
Amazon UK
Amazon CA
Barnes and Noble
All Romance Ebooks
Audible
Books-A-Million

If you aren’t going to be able to see her next week at the Romantic Times Booklovers’ Convention—or even if you are—you can also find Seleste around the internet:
Website
Blog
Twitter
Pinterest
Facebook Page
Facebook Profile

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ARC Review: "The 5th Wave" by Rick Yancey

Release Date: May 7, 2013
Publisher: Putnam
Pages: 480

From Goodreads: "The Passage meets Ender’s Game in an epic new series from award-winning author Rick Yancey.

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother—or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up."

As many will know, this book has had major hype surrounding it- perchance the most hype that the world of young adult literature has experienced in years. While in the large majority of cases I do believe that hyped up books deserve all of the hype surrounding them, I must admit that I didn't believe that that to be the case for this book. While overall I did really enjoy it, I can't think of a single reason why this book stands out more than any other YA book of this nature out there.

While I hate making book comparisons with best-sellers, I do find the following titles to be the most apt description- this book is "The Hunger Games" meets "The Host". Like Katniss, Cassie goes out of her way to protect her brother at all costs- even if means sacrificing herself, she's quick on the draw, and she has a difficult time trusting people. Like "The Host", this book makes us question what makes humans human and whether others are capable of humanity. Furthermore, like "The Host", the aliens implant themselves within humans and have a similar make-up.

I think that my largest complaints about this book was the pacing of the book- I personally found the first 100 pages to be a draaaaag- almost entirely composed of world-building/ back story. There were a number of times when I thought that the characters were dragging their feet/ not realizing the severity of the situation that they were in/ the action-packed moments never really felt as such. If upwards of a 100 pages of this book were shaved off I think that I would have enjoyed it more so.

Furthermore, I didn't find the plot to be near as unique as I had hoped (as becomes evident with my comparing it to "The Hunger Games" and "The Host")- we have a kick-butt female character, a mysterious male who quickly sweeps her off of her feet, a post-apocalyptic society reminiscent of "Partials" by Dan Wells, and so forth. Additionally, I found myself growing increasingly overwhelmed with the changes in POV (we have POVs from Cassie, Zombie, and Cassie's young brother)- especially with the POVs being so un-uniform (one character's POV would be a hundred pages, the next 20 pages, the next 60, and so forth)- every time I found myself finally starting to settle into a character it switched.

That being said, Yancey knows how to write THE FEELS/ twisty turns quite unlike any other. There were a number of times while reading this book that I literally gasped out loud. Furthermore, I LOVED Evan- he is very likely to knock a number of my top YA book boyfriends down the list, if not entirely off of it.

All in all, while I did overall enjoy this book I do question whether or not it has the potential to become the "next big thing in YA". I personally find it to be no different than many other books on the market, the aforementioned "The Hunger Games" and "The Host", "Partials", "Blood Red Road", and so forth. That being said, I will continue on with this series, if only just to see how it wraps up.

Rating: 3/5

I received this book from the publisher to read and honestly review. I was not compensated in any way for said review.

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On My Wishlist

On My Wishlist is a great event that was created by Book Chick City. It is now hosted by Sarah over at Workaday Reads! 

It's where you list all of the books that you desperately want but haven't actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming. I thought that this was a fantabulous idea so I thought I would join in!

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Title: "Austenland"
Author: Shannon Hale
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Release Date: May 29th, 2007

From Goodreads: "Jane Hayes is a seemingly normal young New Yorker, but she has a secret. Her obsession with Mr. Darcy, as played by Colin Firth in the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, is ruining her love life: no real man can compare. But when a wealthy relative bequeaths her a trip to an English resort catering to Austen-crazed women, Jane's fantasies of meeting the perfect Regency-era gentleman suddenly become realer than she ever could have imagined. 

Decked out in empire-waist gowns, Jane struggles to master Regency etiquette and flirts with gardeners and gentlemen;or maybe even, she suspects, with the actors who are playing them. It's all a game, Jane knows. And yet the longer she stays, the more her insecurities seem to fall away, and the more she wonders: Is she about to kick the Austen obsession for good, or could all her dreams actually culminate in a Mr. Darcy of her own?"

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