Cover Reveals that we love: Whispers at Moonrise (Shadow Falls #4) by C. C. Hunter

Gina


Okay guys, so i was looking at the Shadow Falls series to see how many books there were and i saw this gorgeous cover for the fourth book in the series, (to be honest, i thought it was just going to be a trilogy, obviously not). But anyway, here is the cover with the first three.

Sorry for the blurry picture, there isn't a big one available which gives me the impression that this is fairly new. I love the cover but grouped with the rest of the series it just looks....odd. The first three are all landscape photos that are pretty basic and just perfect. Whereas the new one...it's too crowded with the iron gate. Without it i'm sure it would have looked fine.

I still have to read the first which is on my shelf waiting to be picked up but my TBR pile is HUGE!!

Tell me what you guys think of this cover :)

Feature and Follow Friday (#1)

Feature & Follow Friday is a weekly blog hop hosted by Parajunkee & Alison Can Read. Want to participate? Find out how here.

We thought we'd jump on the bandwagon and start joining this weekly feature to gain this blog more views and followers :D

Q. Which book genre do you avoid at all costs and why?

Gina: I avoid a lot of contemporary writing unless it has been getting some great reviews and seem like an awesome book. I prefer to have a bit of a twist with my YA books, whether that be supernatural, thriller, mystery, fantasy, dystopian but not contemporary, not really. I guess i don't like them because they seem too real sometimes and the whole point of reading a book is to escape and that's what i love about the type of books i read. I can be in a different world for a shot amount of time :)

Katie: All graphic novels because they ruin what image of what character i have created in my head, and the place. And biographies i avoid because they just don't interest me because I prefer fiction novels where anything can be possible, but biographies are about peoples lives which you hear on the television or the newspaper anyway.

Review: The Alchemy of Forever by Avery Williams

Reviewed by Gina

Date Read: January 27th, 2012

Date Published: January 3rd, 2012

Publishers: Simon & Schuster

Format: Hardback

Pages: 256

Blurb: After spending six hundred years on Earth, Seraphina Ames has seen it all. Eternal life provides her with the world's riches but at a very high price: innocent lives. Centuries ago, her boyfriend, Cyrus, discovered a method of alchemy that allows them to take the bodies of other humans from jumping from one vessel to the next, ending the human's life in the process. No longer able to bear the guilt of what she's done, Sera escapes from Cyrus and vows to never kill again.
Then sixteen-year old Kailey Morgan gets into a horrific car accident right in front of her, and Sera accidentally takes over her body while trying to save her. For the first time, Sera finds herself enjoying the life of the person she's inhabiting--and falling in love with the boy who lives next door. But Cyrus will stop at nothing until she's his again, and every moment she stays, she's putting herself and the people she's grown to care about in danger. Will Sera have to give up the one thing that's eluded her for centuries: true love?

Review: First thoughts after finishing...well, that was a big cliff hanger. I have so many thoughts going through my head right now and so many questions as to what will happen. I must know. I need to know. This is a great Young Adult fantasy novel and I enjoyed it thoroughly. This book was awesome and must read for people who love fantasy, I guess a bit of science, a sprinkle of romance and an interesting story line.

In 1349 Seraphina meets Cyrus, an apothecary’s son but when she is attacked he saves her life. But not in the traditional sense of the word. She is now immortal and has been living in different bodies for six hundred years. After changing bodies too many times she realises that she can’t do that anymore and runs from the life she has always known and once loved. But when a terrible accident happens she saves a girl’s life but ends up taking over her body. Now she must live a life that doesn’t belong to her. She must fit in with those around her and she mustn’t let Cyrus find her.

The idea of taking an elixir that helps you live forever by body switching was amazing and definitely something I hadn’t read before. Although I wish there was a bit more about how it worked and how it was created but maybe we’ll get the answers in the next book. I hope so. Maybe that’s why I gave it four instead of five stars. Or maybe it was because I didn’t get a lot of action from this book, as I was expecting and at times it was a little slow but overall it was a great read.

I loved the character of Sera (Seraphina) as she was different from other characters I’d read before. She was willing to give up her life, immortality, so no one else would be hurt for her. That takes courage to do that. She is a strong character and feels sad for the family that belongs to her new body and realises she can’t just leave them hanging. Noah was also great but we didn’t really get a lot of him. He was sweet and I think he is good for Sera even though he is in love with the person who once inhabited the body she now has. I don’t know how that will turn out but I look forward to it.

I would have liked for this book to be a little longer but I loved all of it. Avery writes flowingly (is that even a word?) and her unique idea and characters captured me easily. I can’t wait for the next one so I can find out more and see what happens to Sera and the people around her.

Rating: 4 stars!!

Review: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Reviewed by Gina

Date Read: January 22nd, 2012

Date Published: September 27th, 2011

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Format: Hardback

Pages: 452

Blurb: Mara Dyer doesn't think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.

It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.

There is.

She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love.

She's wrong.

Review: This book just blew me away!! It was just amazing and I loved it. The suspense, the romance, the horror,the mystery, just everything about it! I've never read a book like this before and I'm so glad I got it because i would be missing out if i didn't.

Mara Dyer is the only survivor in a terrible accident, one is which her three friends died in. When she wakes up she can’t remember a thing. Nothing. Mara and her family move away to Miami and she believes the change in scenery will help her move on. But it won’t. In her dreams she catches glimpses of what happened that night and when she is awake she has hallucinations. But when Mara meets Noah she falls in love, something she didn’t think was possible after everything she’d been through. But problems are never far away and things are happening. Things that point to Mara being the cause of them all. But is she?

I did not know what to expect when I started reading this book. But I know for a fact that I did not expect a contemporary novel that was part thriller, mystery and with a supernatural twist that blew me away. This book would not let me go until I had finished it. This book shocked me in so many ways and I loved all the twists it had to offer. This book is just one big mystery that I couldn’t wait to solve.

Mara was a great character and Michelle wrote her perfectly. I had no idea if she was sane or crazy and that was the great thing about her. There were so many mysteries surrounding her and I loved that. She doesn’t let anyone push her around and she definitely has her own opinions. But the hallucinations freaked me out at some points. There was one that was uber creepy and I was thinking “What is going on?!” but it was amazing!! Now onto the next character...Noah Shaw. Now, he was one awesome guy. My heart melted at one point (you will know what I’m talking about when you read the book). He was just HOT!

There are certain parts in this book that had me holding my breath in anticipation, some that made me go “aww” because it was sweet and some that just left me speechless. The writing was addictive and I just read until I couldn’t take anymore (which was when the book finished). The pace was quick and I flew through this novel even though it is nearly 500 pages long. I just loved this book so much.

I cannot wait for the next book so I can find out what happens to Mara. I need more soon!

Rating: 5 stars!!

In My Mailbox (#12)

IMM is a weekly event hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren.
This features books that we have either bought, borrowed, recieved or traded over the last week :)





Gina


Hey guys!! I hope everyone's had a great week, I know I have. I just got some AMAZING news!! I have been chosen, along with 11 other students from year 11, to visit Cambridge University because I fit the profile of the students they are looking for!!! How exciting is that?! I could not wait to tell my family and I am looking forward to seeing what the university has to offer. (I also got a B on my french speaking exam which I am happy about).
Now onto the books I got this week. All of which I bought with some money from christmas (late present). Here we go...

Tempest by Julie Cross
The Alchemy of Forever by Avery Williams
Fracture by Megan Miranda

I cannot wait to read all of these and look at the cover in the middle!! It's just so pretty and it is shiny and metallic in real life which is great! Happy Reading everyone!!

What did you get in your mailbox??

Busting the Newbie Blues

Busting the Newbie Blues is a feature held at Small Review (if you click on the link it will direct you to the page where you can learn more about this feature). It runs through the entire month of January and aims to help new bloggers to get themselves on the blogging map, to increase blogger interaction and start a discussion by sharing our thoughts on being Newbie Bloggers.

Here is the questionnaire I have filled out to help you understand me better.



1.       When did you start your blog?

I started my blog in September, 2011. Originally by myself but then I asked my best friend to co-run the blog with me. But I am the main person.

2.       Why did you start your blog?

I started because I love reading! I have for a long time and I knew I needed to let other people know just how much I love books. I also started this blog because I had been putting my reviews on Goodreads for a few months and there were a few blogs that I was following. I then thought, “Well...what if I try and make one?” So I did and I went through quite a few designs and I am currently getting a design made for me. But I wanted to get my thoughts and feelings for books out there in the world and that is what I am currently doing and that is my main reason for blogging, as well as to get to know the community of people who love YA books as much as I do.

3.       What has been the biggest challenge you’ve faced so far?

Oooh, that’s a hard question...I’d have to say the hardest thing is to find people to follow my blog and to promote it. I’ve followed other peoples’ blogs, set up discussions and I’ve joined groups on Goodreads that aim to promote blogs like mine.

4.       What do you find most discouraging about being a new blogger?

Definitely the fact that I don’t know a lot of people out there in the blogging world and it’s hard to find people that will want to follow your blog.

5.       What do you find most encouraging?

Everyone I have met is so friendly and because they love books just as much as me we all get along really well.

6.       What do you like best about the blogs you have read? Have you tried to replicate this in your blog?

I love the features that some blogs have created and I take part in the weekly In My Mailbox and will be starting to join the Waiting On Wednesday group. I love the posts about new releases and cover and definitely the Reviews. It was hard to create my own style of writing but I’ve managed quite well I think. I try not to sound too formal because I want my readers to feel as if I am speaking to them directly as a friend.

7.       What do you dislike about blogs you’ve read? Do you try to avoid this?

I hate it when a blog has a dark patterned background and dark writing because I can’t see the words and I won’t bother trying to decipher it. I definitely won’t be doing that anytime soon.

8.       Any advice for other new bloggers?

If you’re having trouble finding followers and you feel like giving up...don’t. It takes a long time to get a lot of followers. I’ve been blogging for nearly four months now and I only have 74 followers. Everyone has to start somewhere and it takes time and effort to become an established blogger. But when you get there it’ll be great.

9.       Any questions you’d like to ask newbie or established authors?

Was it always this hard to get followers and to promote your blog? I’d love to know the best ways of promoting so that I can help my blog grow. Maybe then I’ll be able to get some ARCs but that’s a question that I’ll ask a lot later in my blogging life.

10.   Is there anything you’d like to tell us about your blog?

Hmmm...I don’t know...I guess I just want to say that if you do decide to follow this blog then you should know that we are grateful for every single one of our followers because without them there would be no blog so thank you to everyone. I am so grateful!

Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Reviewed by Gina

Rating: 5 stars

Date Read: 17th January, 2012

Date Published: 3rd January, 2012

Blurb: Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .
Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

Review: This book was incredible! I love YA and sci-fi so putting the two together for a great story took hold of me and I loved every moment of this book. And what was eve better was that it was based on the fairytale of Cinderella and I loved that. It was original, well-written, funny, heartbreaking, touching and just plain amazing.

Linh Cinder lives in a difficult world that was mostly destroyed by World War IV. But it’s even more difficult for Cinder as she is a Cyborg, part mechanical, which makes her a second class citizen. She lives in New Beijing and works as a gifted mechanic. But when she stumbles across Prince Kai her world changes. For the good and the bad. There is a disease that is killing off the population and Cinder has been taken in as a test subject and there she finds out some things about herself that she didn’t know before. But trouble awaits Cinder at every turn and Queen Levana is coming to earth and Cinder’s life is in danger. This is no normal fairytale...

Once I was into this book there was no getting out of it. I loved the world Marissa created and her characters were loveable and hateable (if that’s even a word). Cinder was great and she has the elements that made me a modern, futuristic Cinderella. She has chores to do, couldn’t go to the Prince’s ball and she had the awful stepmother. But I found myself surprised to have Marissa create a nice step sister that I felt for. Kai was nice as well and I could tell that he liked Cinder but the ending was kind of shocking/expected as I knew something would happen. Queen Levana...now she is just pure evil. I won’t go into her character much but she is one nasty person.

Marissa’s writing style is descriptive, imaginable and enjoyable. She gave the fairytale a great twist and I loved everything about this story. I cannot wait to read more of it and I am sad that I have to wait a whole year to read the next instalment because that was an amazing ending. It followed the original fairytale but was twisted and just awesome. One of my favourite reads of 2012 so far. Loved it!!

Review: Midnight Alley by Rachel Caine

Reviewed by Katie

Rating: 5 stars
Date Read: 17th January, 2012
Date Published: 5th September, 2008
Blurb: Claire Danvers's college town may be run by vampires but a truce between the living and the dead made things relatively safe. For a while. Now people are turning up dead, a psycho is stalking her, and an ancient bloodsucker has proposed private mentoring. To what end, Claire will find out. And it's giving night school a whole new meaning.


Review: What I said in the last review of not feeling Claire and Shane's romance...Scrap that, it's definitely improved and I feel as though they are actually a couple now and I really like that! :D
This book was full of action, and it never stopped, it always had you gripping onto the book, wanting to know what the next page brings to you. This review is going to be pretty rubbish because I've read all the first three books together and I can't remember which parts belong to which of the three books.
But despite the craziness of Myrnin and the scariness of him..I wouldn't say I like him, but I feel sorry for him and hope that everything goes well for him.
I liked the plot, and I can see that things are heating up between Claire and Shane but it's getting quite slow and it really needs to speed up, they need to be more affectionate maybe, even just tiny things, and I'm just hoping that's what it'll do in the next of the books in the series. Also, I'm feelin' a bit of something between Claire and Michael, it's not a lot, but the protective-ness (is that a word?!) of him and that he risked his life of going out in the sun just to save Claire's life. I'm hoping that they'll soon be a love triangle, but I don't want there to be one because I know it'll be impossible for me to choose. Shane and Michael both have their strengths and weaknesses, and I love them both. :)

Review: The Dead Girl's Dance by Rachel Caine

Reviewed by Katie

Rating: 5 stars

Date Read: 15th January, 2012

Date Published: Sometime in 2008

Blurb: Claire has her share of challenges. Like being a genius in a school that favours beauty over brains; homicidal girls in her dorm, and finding out that her college town is overrun with the living dead. On the up side, she has a new boyfriend with a vampire-hunting dad. But when a local fraternity throws the Dead Girls' Dance, hell is really going to break loose.

Review: Glass Houses had a major cliffhanger that makes you want to pick up the next book, and so, that's what I did!
I had my guesses on what could happen next because for me it can be quite predictable, yet sometimes the oppoiste happens and I really like that. It throws you off and takes you down another road.
I couldn't believe what had happened to Shane but I knew that somehow it was going to be okay, I mean c'mon there are 12 books in the series, he can't just - just not be in it. But, I was still naughty and reassured myself by taking a very quick sneak near the end of the book to ensure he was okay.
Sam is such a sweet character and I really liked him although (I can't remember if it was in Glass Houses or The Dead Girls' Dance, 'cause they fade together as I read them back to back) I did feel really sorry for him because nobody would talk to him, humans and vampires. He needs a hug, and I'm glad things are starting to go his way at the moment.
I think that The Dead Girls' Dance was much better than Glass Houses because there was more action and more things happening like, Michael *GASPS* MICHAEL. I couldn't believe what he had done, but yet he deserves a lot of respect because I know that I'd hate to be permanently locked/stuck up in a house for God knows how long!
There are a few flaws already in this series that are shining out to me and it's that I think that Rachel Caine's style of writing isn't developed enough to make me really tense at tense times. I am tense, but as much as I usually am when reading other novels. Another thing is that, throughout the whole of Glass Houses and The Dead Girls' Dance I wasn't feeling that connection between Claire and Shane until the end of The Dead Girls' Dance. It felt like they were just messing around or something, not serious. I feel that Shane is more concerned about Eve most of time and has more of a connection with her. I mean, it's the simplest things like the hip-bumping thing and the comments they make to each other. He asks straight away where Eve is and I'm not sure if it's protection due to his past life or because he sees her as a sister, I don't know...Although, amazing series and I won't stop reading it!
Right, Midnight Alley next and I have my guesses on what it could be about...that alley?

Oohh, I also loved Eve Rosser's diary entry at the back, it was nice seeing things through her perspective and the things she says are down right funny! :D

Review: Glass Houses by Rachel Caine

Reviewed by Katie

Rating: 5 stars

Date Read: 12th January, 2012

Date Published: 26th May, 2008

Blurb: It's a small college town filled with quirky characters. But when the sun goes down, the bad comes out. Because in Morganville, there is an evil that lurks in the darkest shadows - one that will spill out into the bright light of day.
Claire Danvers has had enough of her nightmarish dorm situation. The popular girls never let her forget just where she ranks on the school's social scene: somewhere less than zero. And Claire really doesn't have the right connections - to the undead who run the town.
When Claire heads off campus, the imposing old house where she finds a room may not be much better. Hew new roommates don't show many signs of life. But they'll have Claire's back when the town's deepest secrets come crawling out, hungry for fresh blood...

Review: I finally started reading this series after a while of moaning I wanted to. I always set my heart on what book I will read after the one I am currently reading, but this time I wanted to read a few. I did an eenie meenie mynie mo to the ones I was desperate to read, this way it would be fair and I wouldn't be moaning everytime I chose one. But it wasn't fair. Everytime one got eliminated I wasn't happy, so I kept doing it again. I finally came to my decision of The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, and I've been wanting to read that for a long while too, and even thoough I've only read the slightest bit, it's amazing and so is Erin Morgenstern's style of writing. But I was not in the mood to read it, so I dragged it on to read and I never give up on reading a book because I feel I have let the book down - weird, huh? - but I put The Night Circus down because I honestly had my heart set on Glass Houses, and I am so glad I stopped reading The Night Circus because Glass Houses was addicting. I like Rachel Caine's style of writing because she can put Claire's thoughts in that can really make you laugh. Whereas some books can be quite formal and you don't really get a connection with the characters. But with Rachel Caine's writing you do, and I really like that, it's different.
Shane. Oh Shane, I adore you! Shane is such a sweet character and protecting of Claire, he is the one full of all the jokes and can be the cocky character, but in a good way. He would be an awesome friend - maybe boyfriend if you're lucky ;) - to have in real life. I want a Shane Collins. Micheal, he was a very tough guy when we first met him. He wasn't very friendly at all, but once we got over all that hardness of him, he is a very sweet guy and puts his friends before himself. The same for Shane as well. I like guys like that.
Eve, she just had me cracking up at some of the things she said, and for Claire's thoughts, they did as well.
I have the next five books in the series awaiting me, so I shall now start reading The Dead Girls' Dance. AND OMG, the ending of GLASS HOUSES!!!! Oh dear, damn cliffhanger, but he can't die. He's a main character anyway...right? :)

Review: Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Reviewed by Gina

Rating: 5 stars

Date Read: 15th January, 2012

Date Published: 15th November, 2011

Blurb: Juliette hasn't touched anyone in exactly 264 days.
The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.
The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war-- and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now.
Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.
In this electrifying debut, Tahereh Mafi presents a world as riveting as The Hunger Games and a superhero story as thrilling as The X-Men. Full of pulse-pounding romance, intoxicating villainy, and high-stakes choices, Shatter Me is a fresh and original dystopian novel—with a paranormal twist—that will leave readers anxiously awaiting its sequel

Review: Wow...where do I begin? I suppose I should start by saying just how much I loved this book. I have been waiting for this books release date for so long and when I got it for Christmas I was so excited!! I loved every words, every page and every single moment this book had to offer. It’s rare to find a book where you ask yourself...who is this character?? Tahereh’s style of writing blew me away and I cannot wait to read the rest of the series and any other books she writes.

Juliette has talked to or touched anyone in 264 days. She’s been locked away by The Reestablishment for murder and she hasn’t come into contact with anyone since. Until Adam shows up. But she’s seen him before. She wants to touch him even though see knows she can’t. If she does then he will die. But when she discovers why he is there and what is going to happen to her she knows she has to escape. But how? She has to fight and she has to survive. But when you’re in a world full of danger that is easier said than done.

Can I just start by saying how beautiful that cover is! It literally shimmers and when the light catches it, it looks amazing. Not to mention the dress. Very big and pretty. Anyway, now that my cover talk is out of the way I can begin praising this book.

Throughout the whole novel Juliette questions who she is, why she is where she is and why she can do what she does. Her voice is captivating and I was glued to this book. I loved being in her mind. Adam was another great character but I wished he was in it a bit more. But he definitely a hero is love and their love is so powerful. Definitely one of my favourite couples.

This book isn’t just Dystopian (although it’s set in a dystopian world), it has action, romance and even supernatural elements to it. It reminded me of X-men and I LOVE X-men!! I loved everything about this book. The characters, the AMAZING writing, the story, the world it was set in and the cover. There wasn’t anything I disliked about it and I cannot wait to read the next!

We've Joined Twitter!!!! (plus future giveaway info)

We finally thought we'd get onto the bandwagon and see what all the fuss is about. I think I've set it up right but if anyone has any tips then let me know :D
I will be putting up a link to our page tomorrow when i get the time but her is the link to our twitter page @Fantasia_Books.

We're hoping that maybe this will get us some more followers as we want to do a giveaway when we reach 100 followers. So far we have 65 which is great!! But we need just 35 more so spread the word people :D

Happy Reading from,
Gina and Katie!!

Review: Switched by Amanda Hocking

Reviewed by Gina

Rating: 4 stars

Date Read: 12th Januray, 2012

Date Published: 3rd Januray, 2012

Blurb: When Wendy Everly was six-years-old, her mother was convinced she was a monster and tried to kill her. It isn't until eleven years later that Wendy discovers her mother might have been right. With the help of Finn Holmes, Wendy finds herself in a world she never knew existed - a world both beautiful and frightening, and Wendy's not sure she wants to be a part of it.

Review: Well this book had imagination and a heck of a lot more going for it. Trolls....now that is something I’ve never heard of before and it was genius!! I love it when authors think of something new that hasn’t been done before and this book captured me. If you’re wondering why I’m giving this book lots of praise but not five stars then here’s you’re answer...There wasn’t a lot of character development but don’t let that steer you away from this incredible book. Because it has so much more to offer.

When Wendy Everly was six years old her mother tried to kill her, claiming that she wasn’t her child. Since then Wendy has felt out of place and different. But after she notices the new boy, Finn, staring at her in class she knows something is up. And when she is attacked and saved by Finn she finds out why she is different but also special. She is a changeling, someone who was switched with a human.. She is a troll to be exact or as they like to be known, Trylle. Wendy is whisked away to a secret place where she finds out that she is a Princess and she needs to be protected. But there is so much that Wendy doesn’t know and no one will tell her. There is so much in store for Wendy but at least she has Finn....right?

I loved the idea (as I mentioned before) but I also liked the character of Wendy. There wasn’t a lot of development but I loved the fact that she cared about her host family and didn’t want them to worry about her. She kind of knew what she wanted but there was one thing she was certain about. She needed Finn in her life.

Finn was so sweet, what with her saving him but there was also a forbidden romance as he is a Tracker and they are below royalty. But the ending...oh the ending was oh so sweet but then something happened that just defeated the purpose of that happy ending. I was not happy. But I am looking forward to the rest of the series to see how their relationship develops.

There were some other good characters and I want to know more about her real mother in the future of the book. But overall this book was great and I thoroughly enjoyed it all. And Amanda left it on a good ending which I thought was good as it kind of ended the story well but left a question lingering. What will happen next?? Well I can’t wait for the second to come out in February/March

Review: Blood Promise by Richelle Mead

Reviewed by Gina

Rating: 5 stars obviously!

Date Read: 8th January, 2012

Date Published: February, 2010

Blurb: How far will Rose go to keep a promise? The recent Strigoi attack at St. Vladimir's Academy was the deadliest ever in the school's history, claiming the lives of many. Even worse, the Strigoi took some of their victims with them - including Dimitri. He'd rather die than be one of them, and now Rose must abandon her best friend, Lissa - the one she has sworn to protect no matter what - and keep the promise Dimitri begged her to make long ago. But with everything at stake, how can she possibly destroy the person she loves most?

Review: Just when I think this series couldn’t get any better, it does!! I love this series and I cannot wait to read the last two books to see how it all ends. There were so many twists and that action is amazing. One of the best series I’ve read in a long time.

Rose abandons Lissa in the hope of finding her love Dimitri who has been turned into a Strigoi. They promised each other that if they ever turned into a Strigoi then they would rather die than spend eternity like that. Rose intends to make sure that promise is fulfilled. She tracks down his family in Russia and when she finds them she finds a strong family of women who accept her. But the happiness she feels there doesn’t last long. Dimitri is nowhere to be found and she knows she has to find him. But when she has the chance to fulfil her promise it all goes horribly wrong for her.

I love reading about Rose because there is never a boring moment with her. I love her sense of humour, how she thinks and just the way she is. If I could choose to be any character to be I would choose her. Not because of the bad things but because of her friends, her family and Dimitri. I’d love a Dimitri but not a Strigoi one.

Dimitri...he broke my heart into tiny pieces in this book. And when Rose finally saw him and he said “Roza” I had tears well up in my eyes. What happened after that was unusual and totally not what I expected him to do. But then I had to remind myself that he wasn’t the old Dimitri. Although at some parts I could see it in him.

But as the story progressed and the plot thickened I found myself learning more about all the characters in a way I hadn’t before. I saw Lissa at her worse and Adrian was kind and sweet, something we hadn’t seen a lot of in him. And I knew we would hear about Rose’s dad sometime soon but I’d never have guessed who it actually was. Well done Richelle for putting in all those twists.

This is the most emotional book so far in the series and we got to see Rose when she was really vulnerable but like always she pulled through. I look forward to reading more and finding out what happens because with this series you can never predict anything.

In My Mailbox (#11)

IMM is a weekly event hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren.
This features books that we have either bought, borrowed, recieved or traded over the last week :)





Gina

Just me again this week and boy do i have some awesome books to show you!! All of the books i ordered last week have arrived (apart from those i pre-ordered). There are quite a lot :D

Revelations (Blue Bloods #3) by Melissa de la Cruz The Van Alen Legacy (Blue Bloods #4) by Melissa de la Cruz
Misguided Angel (Blue Bloods #5) by Melissa de la Cruz
Lost in time (Blue Bloods #6) by Melissa de la Cruz

Blood Promise (Vampire Academy #4) by Richelle Mead
Spirit Bound (Vampire Academy #5) by Richelle Mead
Last Sacrifice (Vampire Academy #6) by Richelle Mead
Clockwork Prince (Infernal Devices #2) by Cassandra Clare
Bloodlines (Bloodlines #1) by Richelle Mead

Rogue (Shifters #2) by Rachel Vincent
Pride (Shifters #3) by Rachel Vincent
Hallowed (Unearthly #2) by Cynthia Hand
Tiger's Curse (The Tiger Saga #1) by Colleen Houck
Hourglass (Evernight #3) by Claudia Gray

Deadly Cool (Deadly Cool #1) by Gemma Halliday
Crave (The Clann #1) by Melissa Darnell
Switched (Trylle Trilogy #1) by Amanda Hocking
Darker Still (Magic Modt Foul #1) by Leanna Renee Hieber
Cinder (Lunar Chronicles #1) by Marissa Meyer
The Iron Knight (The Iron Fey #4) by Julie Kagawa


Now that we've gone through all of the books i recieved i would like to show you my shelves. One seems very normal and neat. The other....well, you can see for yourself :)
Normal:

Jam-packed, about to break:

Out of the two i think i prefer the latter as it seems more...characteristic?? It's not plain but it took me AGESS to put them in the right sixe order and blah de blah :)

Anyway...what did you get in your mailboxes?? :D

Happy Reading!!!

Review: Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead

Reviewed by Gina

Rating: 5 stars (I'd give it more if i could)

Date Read: 6th January, 2012

Date Published: 4th February, 2012

Blurb: Rose Hathaway knows it is forbidden to love another guardian. Her best friend, Lissa-the last Dragomir princess-must always come first. Unfortunately, when it comes to gorgeous Dimitri Belikov, some rules are meant to be broken...
But since making her first Strigoi kills, Rose hasn't been feeling right. Something dark has begun to grow in her mind, and ghostly shadows warn of a terrible evil drawing nearer to the Academy's iron gates. And now that Lissa and Rose's sworn enemy, Victor Dashkov, is on trial for his freedom, tensions in the Moroi world are higher than ever.
Lying to Lissa about Dimitri is one thing but suddenly there's way more than friendship at stake. The immortal undead are on the prowl, and they want vengeance for the lives that Rose has stolen. In a heart-stopping battle to rival her worst nightmare, Rose will have to choose between life, love, and the two people who matter most..but will her choice mean that only one can survive?

Review: Oh. My. God. That ending was UNREAL and extremely CRUEL!! Oh Dimitri...why? WHY? I literally had to hold back the tears because I was in the living room with lots of people and if I burst out crying then they would think I was a crazy woman. But I cannot give this series anymore praise than what I am doing. There are no words to describe my love for it!

This book picks up where Frostbite left off. A month has gone by since the attack at Spokane and Rose is getting ready for her field experience where she will have to be a Moroi’s guardian. She thinks it will be Lissa she is protecting but she’s in for a surprise. But there’s a huge problem. Victor Dashkov is on trial for his freedom and the Moroi world is tensed. But Rose is seeing the ghosts of her past, literally, and feels a terrible rage whenever angered or cornered. But when an attack on the school takes place she must learn to protect those that matter the most to her.

First I want to say that I was SO HAPPY to see Dimitri and Rose together and that scene after Rose kinda flipped out was super sweet!! One of the best couple scenes I’ve read in a long time. They are meant for each other but then the ending had to ruin it!! I didn’t expect one like that but I have a feeling that everything will turn out okay. I hope!

I did not expect Rose to be able to see Mason in ghost form. It was so unexpected and that’s why I love this series. It throws things at you that you don’t expect, whether they be good or bad. The mysteries in this book kept me reading, wanting to know more. Why did Rose have a dark aura? Why does she think she’s going crazy or is she actually crazy? Why can she see ghosts in the first place? We also see the politics side in this book and I enjoyed that. It made it seem real.

Rose is an amazing character as always and I could honestly read about her for days on end. Her life is funny, dangerous, dark, daring and I love reading from her POV. She has strengths and weaknesses just like every other person and I feel connected to her. I’m rotting for her to win in everything and I want her to be with Dimitri so bad!! In this book Rose also takes on a lot of responsibility and we see her grow up. I liked that.

I personally want to thank Richelle for creating such amazing characters that I fall in love with and for making a storyline that has captured me and will not let me go. But I did not like that ending one bit. I didn’t expect it at all and it was a shock. And that is why I cannot wait to read the rest of the series when they arrive. Best vampire series ever and it is definitely one of my top 10 series so far!!

Review: Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma

Reviewed by Katie

Rating: 5 stars

Date Read: 5th January, 2012

Date Published: 27th May, 2010

Blurb: She is pretty and talented - sweet sixteen and never been kissed. He is seventeen; gorgeous and on the brink of a bright future. And now they have fallen in love. But... they are brother and sister.
Seventeen-year-old Lochan and sixteen-year-old Maya have always felt more like friends than siblings. Together they have stepped in for their alcoholic, wayward mother to take care of their three younger siblings. As defacto parents to the little ones, Lochan and Maya have had to grow up fast. And the stress of their lives—and the way they understand each other so completely—has also also brought them closer than two siblings would ordinarily be. So close, in fact, that they have fallen in love. Their clandestine romance quickly blooms into deep, desperate love. They know their relationship is wrong and cannot possibly continue. And yet, they cannot stop what feels so incredibly right. As the novel careens toward an explosive and shocking finale, only one thing is certain: a love this devastating has no happy ending.

Review: Such an emotional story, something that I will forever hold in my heart.

This is a book that I've wanted for so long, and thankyou Gina; my best friend and also a Goodreads member, for getting it for me as a christmas present.

Once I started reading this book, there was no stopping me, I had an exam the next day, still no stopping me. The cliffhangers are not cliffhanger-y, but they always leave you wanting more. Wondering what's going to happen next. You always have an idea of what could happen, but we never know for sure what could finally happen in the end.

After finishing this outstanding novel I realised that I had blood covering the corner of my lip. Ew. But that's how much tension there is in this book, and I wasn't going to stop reading until I found out what was going to happen. Also, after I finished the book, I went downstairs to calm myself down a bit and I found my legs physically shaking. The shocking was too shocking that when I read what happened, it seemed as though everything around me had stopped in time and I felt the tears creeping up towards me eyes which glossed over, but never spilled out. I also kept saying what had happened in my head over and over again and everytime my heart felt like it had been plunged out of my chest and thrown into a cage for a lions dinner.

This book really has captured my heart and my soul so much that I keep feeling the need to cry, and what happened in the ending has literally tore my heart out because it has saddened me so much that I am treating this book as though it's a living thing. Knowing that the ending of this book has happened to people out their in the world, maybe not for the same reason, but it has happened, and that truly saddens me.

Tabitha Suzuma, you are one of my favourite authors and you are a genius for writing this story, and I just want to say thankyou for publishing it because you have definitely made me see how tough life can actually be. Thankyou again, and also I am proud that you are part British! :D

Review: Frostbite by Richelle Mead

Reviewed by Gina

Rating: 5 stars

Date Read: 4th January, 2012

Date Published: 1st October, 2009

Blurb: Rose Hathaway's got serious guy trouble. Her gorgeous tutor Dimitri has his eye on someone else, her friend Mason has a huge crush on her, she keeps getting stuck in her best friend Lissa's head while she's making out with her boyfriend, Christian.
Then a massive Strigoi attack puts St. Vladmir's on high alert, and the Academy crawls with Guardians-including the legendary Janine Hathaway...Rose's formidable, long-absent mother. The Strigoi are closing in, and the Academy's not taking any risks. This year, St. Vladmir's holiday ski trip is mandatory.
But the glittering winter landscape and the posh Idaho resort only provide the illusion of safety. When three students run away to strike back against the deadly Strigoi, Rose must join forces with Christian to rescue them. Only this time, Rose-and her heat-are in more danger than she ever could have imagined.

Review: I honestly didn’t think this series could get any better. But it did and I enjoyed it even more than I did the first one. Everything was so much better and I can honestly say that already this is one of my favourite series. I am flying through this series. I read the first book in three sittings and this one in two. I’m just devouring and I’m loving the delicious taste it is leaving inside my mind.

The story picks up where Vampire Academy left us. Rose and Lissa are at the academy still and Lissa has even found love in Christian. But things aren’t going so well for Rose as she is still in love with her mentor/tutor Dimitri. But when a strigoi attack panics everyone, St. Vladimir sends its students to a ski resort. But there is drama on the slopes. Rose is having a lot of problems. Her friend Mason likes her, her mom unexpectedly enters her life and Dimitri seems to have his eye on someone else. But when Mason and two fellow students go missing off the ski resort, Rose takes things into her own hands. She has to find then and gets help from Christian. They’re in danger.

This series is so addictive. I put in down for a few minutes and I am eager to get into it straight away when I pick it up again. I’m so glad I ordered the last three because I have a feeling I wont be able to stop until I have read them all. It has everything I love. Vampires, humour, forbidden romance, hot guys, suspense and action. I get sucked into the world of this book and it’s hard to get out.

As always the characters are great. Rose is growing up in this novel and I look forward to seeing up grow in the rest of the series. Lissa wasn’t in this as much as the last one but I didn’t mind. As long as I got my healthy dose of Dimitri I was good. And boy did I get what I wanted. I find myself falling more in love with him as the series goes on. And that ending....SO SWEET!!! I love him so much and I hope things get even better with him and Rose. But there’s also Adrian, a new character we are introduced to, and he’s interesting as well. I’ll have to see about him though. But he seems like a good guy and I feel a love triangle in the making.

This series is amazing and I am so happy that I am finally reading it. I can’t wait to read the rest and I know that it will only get better.

Covers that we love: City of Lost Souls

Gina

I must learn to breathe properly........I CAN'T BELIEVE IT IS FINALLY OUT!!!! I didn't know what to expect but here it is and i am happy to show you it :D drum roll please.............

I really like this cover and it makes me even more excited for the actual book to come out next year!! That guy....those muscles....it's so amazing.

I have been waiting for this to come out for so long. It was supposed to come out last month but they moved it forward which disapoointed me a bit but oh well. It's is here :)

Let me know what you all think about it :)

Review: Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Reviewed by Gina

Rating: 5 stars

Date Read: 3rd January, 2012

Date Published: 26th May, 2009

Blurb: St. Vladimir's Academy isn't just any boarding school it's a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They've been on the run, but now they're being dragged back to St. Vladimir's the very place where they're most in danger. . . .

Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy's ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi the world's fiercest and most dangerous vampires make Lissa one of them forever.

Review: Wowwww...This book was just WOW!! I know I’m a bit late at starting this series and for a long time I’ve seen reviews and I kept saying to myself, “I have to get this soon,” and then my opportunity came. I got the first three novels in a box set for just €3.00 which was amazing!! And let me just say that I am so happy for that box set being available!

Lissa is a vampire princess who needs to be protected at all costs and Rose is her unofficial dhampir guardian, half human/half vampire. They’ve been on the run for two years but are dragged back to St. Vladimir’s Academy. But it isn’t a normal school. It teaches vampires all they need to know about magic and teaches dhampirs how to protect them. Lissa used to be the queen of the school but Mia has taken over and she won’t give up the title easily. Rose is having problems of her own when vicious rumours start to surface. But there are bigger things happening. Someone knows Lissa’s secret and she isn’t safe. Not even at the academy.

What, may you ask, makes this book so special?? EVERYTHING!! It’s exciting, interesting, unique, it has hot characters, an addictive storyline and there is lots of drama. I loved this book from the beginning to the end. I LOVE the idea Richelle has created in this book and it’s different from The House of Night series (another well known vampire school series). I can see why people compared Half-Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout to this because they are so alike. I think maybe Jennifer got some of her idea from this. The main characters, Lissa and Rose, have been on the run for two years (Alex and her mother for three), then they get taken back by the guardians (Alex by the Pures at the school), Rose has one last chance to prove that she is worthy of staying at the school (same for Alex), Rose gets the HOTTEST trainer ever (Alex gets one too), and there are so many more things similar I can’t write them all down. But both novels were amazing.

Rose is an amazing character who I loved. She is extremely funny and snarky and she adds a lot of humour to this story. She has a lot of loyalty to Lissa and will do almost anything to protect her. And they’re best friends. Lissa was another great main character but I preferred rose, mainly because it was her POV we were reading from. But Lissa was good because she was unpredictable and was very kind, sweet and loving. But she was also a complex character because she had a dark side that I won’t say much about.

Now for a small paragraph about the amazing Dimitri who I fell in love with. I have a HUGE book crush on him now and he’s just...yummy in all senses of the word. He’s got an awesome body, he’s Russian, sensitive, wants to protect Rose and kills vampires. What isn’t to love about him? He is so swoon-worthy and if you read this you’ll fall head over heels for him. I can’t wait to read more about him.

I don’t really have any problems with this book. Maybe they could have edited it a bit better as there were a few typo-errors and I would have liked a bit more of Dimitri in it but there is the rest of the series for that.

Vampire Academy is that type of book that you just can’t get enough of and it keeps hold of you until the very end. It had characters I loved, hated and cared about, romance, humour, suspense and lots of twists near the end of the book. I am looking forward to reading the second one next!