Wednesday, 19 November 2014

Waiting on Wednesday (#73)


"Waiting on" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases.


  Expected publication: May 5th 2015 by Balzer + Bray
 
 



When Rachelle was fifteen she was good—apprenticed to her aunt and in training to protect her village from dark magic. But she was also reckless— straying from the forest path in search of a way to free her world from the threat of eternal darkness. After an illicit meeting goes dreadfully wrong, Rachelle is forced to make a terrible choice that binds her to the very evil she had hoped to defeat.

Three years later, Rachelle has given her life to serving the realm, fighting deadly creatures in an effort to atone. When the king orders her to guard his son Armand—the man she hates most—Rachelle forces Armand to help her find the legendary sword that might save their world. As the two become unexpected allies, they uncover far-reaching conspiracies, hidden magic, and a love that may be their undoing. In a palace built on unbelievable wealth and dangerous secrets, can Rachelle discover the truth and stop the fall of endless night?

Inspired by the classic fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood, Crimson Bound is an exhilarating tale of darkness, love, and redemption.

(This is a standalone novel, not part of the Cruel Beauty Universe.)


Okay, I know Cruel Beauty was confusing, but I loved it. Sad this isn't in the same Universe as Cruel Beauty (especially with that cover!) but so excited about it!


What're you waiting on?

Tuesday, 18 November 2014

Novella Review: Half Lies (The Half Blood Trilogy #0.5)







Half Life
Author:
Publication Date: November 13th 2014        
Publisher:  Penguin ~A copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review~



Set in the months before Half Bad, Half Lies takes the form of a diary written by Michele, the sister of Gabriel, Nathan’s Black witch friend. Having fled Europe for Florida, Michele falls in love with a local White witch boy. There, she finds that the divide between the Black and White witch communities is just as dangerous as it was in the life she's left behind.


HALF WILD, the sequel to HALF BAD will be published in March 2015. You can pre-order your copy now here! and read the first chapter here.

I don't usually read any novella's, mainly I only read the ones from my favourite series, and I can count on one hand how many I have, Half Lies being one of them. As you can gather, I loved Half Bad, and Gabriel was one of my favourite characters, so it was nice to be able to get to see more of him before he became the Gabriel in Half Bad, and since this was focusing on his sister, Michele, and getting to know her through the diary entries, and seeing how her end came to be.

Monday, 17 November 2014

Review: Court





Court
Author:
Publication Date: October 23rd 2014
~A copy was provided by Rock Star Lit PR in exchange for an honest review~

For more than 400 years, a secret monarchy has survived and thrived within the borders of the US, hiding in plain sight as the state known as Wyoming. But when the king is shot and his seventeen-year-old son, Haakon McHale, is told he will take the throne, becoming the eleventh ruler of the Kingdom of Eurus, the community that's survived for centuries is pushed to the limit. Told through four perspectives, Court transplants us to a world that looks like ours, but isn't. Gwendolyn Rose, daughter of the Duke of Coal, is grudgingly betrothed to Haakon -- and just wants a way out. Alexander Oxendine, son of the Duke of Wind and Haakon's lifelong best friend, already grapples with external struggles when he's assigned to guard Haakon after the king dies. And commoner Mary Doyle finds whispers in the woods that may solve -- or destroy -- everything, depending on your bloodline.

Money. Love. Power. Community. What's your motivation?



I've read every Cat Patrick, which is why I was so excited to read Court, unfortunately, it didn't live up to her others. You could say that's because it's different to what she's done before, and it is, but it's not because of that. It's because there's not much going on. Court, in one word, is boring. I'm sorry to say it, but it is, and I can see why it wasn't picked up by the same publisher. I'm not saying Court is bad per say, but it doesn't seem up to her usual standard, and maybe that's just because it's something completely different or what, I don't know, but I wanted to root for it, but I couldn't.

Sunday, 16 November 2014

Stacking the Shelves (#71) & Recap

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Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.
 
 
So, how was everybody's week? Mines been okay, I finished All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven last night and there might have been tears. A lot, a lot, of tears, but it is such a beautiful book in so many ways. I'm now going to go watch Mrs Brown's Boys because I need a good laugh right now, haha.




 

Saturday, 15 November 2014

Book Blitz: Gears of Brass


Gears of brass giveaway


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A world like ours, but filled with gears of brass, where the beating heart is fueled by steam and the simplest creation is a complex clockwork device. Within this tome, you’ll find steampunk fairy tale re-tellings, as well as original stories that will send your gears turning. Welcome to the steampunk realm, with eleven authors guiding your path.

  Gears of Brass is a steampunk anthology published through Curiosity Quills. Within the pages, you’ll come across clockwork inventions and steampunk-ified fairy tale retellings. Eleven authors will guide you through worlds filled with airships, top hats, and corsets.










TEASERS (each teaser is from a different tale in the anthology)

“Stealing a few steps backward, I reached for him and brushed my fingertips along his cheek. Static energy crept across my palm. It glowed blue and pulled like taffy, sticking to my fingertips, then snapping back to his skin. My hand jerked back so hard I hit myself in the chest. My eyes traipsed down his neck, his shoulders, finally stopping at his midsection. It was almost as though I could see inside him. “

“The guards struggled forward, but failed to move even an inch. Everyone was frozen in place, except the uninvited guest. The man floated toward Lord and Lady Miller. “You see, my lord, your wife made a deal with me that cannot be broken. Your daughter is mine.”  

“I swiped my hand across my nose, wishing I could smell the green of the trees. Eyes burning, I swallowed hard, feeling the incision in my throat where they’d cut out my sinus enhancer. I would never be able to smell my exotic perfumes again.”

“Anthie watched the lissom liquid slip inside the carrying tube. I could see her inhaling the smell of the lubricating oil. So could Dr. Holmgren. From time to time he looked across at us through his reinforced goggles. They gave him the appearance of a baby owl, which was at odds with his general nastiness. I knew he was taking everything in. And I knew he had a special eye on Anthie.”

“In a hidden room deep inside the base of the great clock there was a click, a whir of gears, a valve opened, and the key chamber was flooded with air. Several minutes later, Bella awoke. The girl coughed, choked then screamed as blood began to once again flow through her veins: the first time in a millennium.”

“Something growled near to her right. The hairs along Redyn’s arms stood up and she held her breath. The sound came again, deep, guttural. Redyn turned her head, her lips parted, her gaze scanning the forest. They’d told her not to wander far from the cottage, but they couldn’t have expected her to play with that hideous excuse for a doll near everyone else. A wolf crept out of the shadows, his gray fur standing on end like hers.”  

“Three years ago, your father ruined my life. He terminated my family’s reputation.” “Um…” Amethyst wished she could back up further. Wind pushed at her top hat, so she shoved it up higher to straighten it. “I don’t understand.” “Now, I’ll ruin his life.”  


BUY Links: Amazon / B&N / Kobo Add to Goodreads here Learn more about the authors behind Gears of Brass over at Curiosity Quills Press   Don’t forget to enter the mega giveaway below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway  

Friday, 14 November 2014

Review: Spiders





 
Spiders
Author:
Publication Date: November 6th 2014        
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books
~A copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review~

From the author of Thirteen: a fast-paced thriller for teens set in a world where ordinary kids are confronted by evil.

Adam may have survived once, but a cult still has him in its sights. And this time he may not escape with his life...

Abbie's dad is an undercover agent, tasked with exposing dangerous cults. He's normally able to maintain his distance, but this time Abbie's worried he's in too deep.

Megan was sure she and Adam were safe, but now he's gone missing on a school ski trip in Scotland and she's the only one who can help him . . .

The web is closing in around them . . .




Spiders is hard to review, though I knew what it was about I was still confused, it's written in third person so we have a range of different perspectives that it's a jumble of just names at first and never one for long to get comfortable with until the ball started rolling.