The Assassin and the Empire by Sarah J. Maas | Fantasy | Throne of Glass Novella | Mine for the Reading

"You want to hear something ridiculous? Whenever I’m scared out of my wits, I tell myself: My name is Sam Cortland… and I will not be afraid. I’ve been doing it for years.”
It was her turn to raise her brows. “And that actually works?”
He laughed onto her fingers. “Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn’t. But it usually makes me feel better to some degree. Or it just makes me laugh at myself a bit.”

This scene was one of the many that broke me. THE ASSASSIN AND THE EMPIRE is just another piece of the story of Celaena Sardothien’s downfall. The story is woven of betrayal and deceit and severed friendships and old wounds and love. Such a sweet, bright light in a tale which eeks out darkness like spilt blood.

This was the final piece. The cog on the wheel of Celeana’s fate which broke her heart yet again and tormented her spirits into numbness.

I knew what was going to happen. I’ve read the series to date, and love every fracturing piece of Celeana that there is to discover. This is the part of her past that just made the events I’ve already read all worth even more. Made me cry. Made me want to hit someone.

Loss is like that. Especially one that has been treated like a vivid scar Celeana wears on her life going forward. I knew about this pain she bore, but I didn’t fully understand it until I read this novella. And now I mourn for the girl she was all over again.

And the man who suffered for loving her, against all the odds.

It puts so much of Heir of Fire and Queen of Shadows into focus. I cried for it. And I cried for her promise to overcome the hell she was sentenced to. On crumbling legs and wobbly feet, before the Lord of the North, swearing that she would survive.

“The breeze grew into a wind, and she closed her eyes, letting it sweep away the ashes of that dead world—of that dead girl. And then there was nothing left except something new, something still glowing red from the forging.
Celeana opened her eyes.
She would go into Endovier. Go into Hell. And she would not crumble.”

She would not be afraid. I’ve got tears in my eyes yet again.

EMPIRE OF STORMS could not feel farther away.

e-Book / 94 pgs / July 20th 2012 / Bloomsbury / Goodreads / $1.99

My e-book copy was purchased on Amazon.com.

What did I rate The Assassin and the Empire?

Captive Prince + Prince's Gambit by C. S. Pacat | LGBTQ+ | Fantasy | Mine for the Reading

We walked in the night garden, and you took my arm and gave me counsel, and I did not listen.
And Nikandros of Delpha stared back at him, and in a shocked voice, speaking the words half to himself, said, “It’s not possible.”
“Old friend, you have come to a place where nothing is as any of us thought.”

In a land of serpents and wolves ever-bickering and unable to trounce the other, Laurent of Vere and Damianos of Akielos find themselves entwined by brutality and treachery in the midst of a brewing war and political conquering. Both will surely lead to the destruction of the fragile peace keeping everything just barely intact. Damianos, once a prince, betrayed and made a slave in the kingdom of Vere, is caged in his helplessness and inability to aid the country falling apart under the rule of the man—and the woman—who betrayed him. But that’s not all he has to worry about.

There’s one crucial thing to bear in mind when finding yourself in a kingdom made of honeyed poison: survival. Between the disgusting practices and abuse of the system that governs them, Vere, in all it’s finery and elegant nobility, can drive a man to do things that would leave him irrevocably unhinged—if not dead. The sickening, merciless brutality doled out by the Veretians in their court games and spectacles make the crown prince of their barbarian neighbors regard the country with a whole new level of near-maddening distaste and horror.

Laurent was born in this cold web of deceit, broken children, repellent men and women, and battered slaves. That may have lent to his impenetrable armor against it all—except for the very few chinks Damen discovers in watching him during his forced servitude. That is, when he’s not fighting for dominance—even mere living—against the ice-veined, amoral prince with a deep, personal loathing for Damen and his countrymen.

With all the well-constructed political disputes lacking the accent of magic and a romance inhibited by a stark imbalance of power as within The Winner’s Curse trilogy mixed with the horrifying cruelty and cutting treachery of Game of Thrones, the Captive Prince books are a marked success of a recipe gone right. Though, I’m not quite so attached as to roar about the missing—as yet—third sequel, it’s more than simple curiosity which has reeled me in, kept me glued, and left me reaching for what will happen next.

More than anything, I need to know how this will end. Will Laurent overcome the reality of Damen’s true identity (if he somehow already hasn’t?)? Will Damen be able to ease the suffering of that knowledge? Can a love (undeclared) like this—born within hate and brutality and slavery—succeed? Will thrones be reclaimed, war stopped, cunning outsmarted, viciousness eradicated? Questions that will dog me until book three. The answers may hurt me, and yet I still can’t wait.

Ebook / 240 + 216 pgs / 2012 (AU)/2015 (US) / Berkeley / Goodreads / $6.99

My copy was purchased from Amazon Kindle.

What did I rate Captive Prince?


Sidenote: I used the Japanese released cover because it is GORGEOUS. And makes me hopeful there will be a manga or an anime in the future. :-)

Remnants Blog Tour: INSPIRATION BEHIND THE LOCALE

In the first book of the new futuristic dystopian series from author Lisa T. Bergren, the chosen remnants must work to redirect humanity’s course.

The year is 2095. Gifted teens known as Remnants have been chosen and trained to act as humanity’s last hope to rectify the horrors that are now part of everyday life.

The Community has trained these teens as warriors and assigned them Knights of the Last Order as protectors. Together, they are a force that will be difficult to bring down.

But the Sons of Sheol, of course, are determined to do just that. As the Remnants begin their mission to course-correct humanity by saving and protecting key individuals, their enemies move to stop them, placing the entire world in peril.

Bestselling author Lisa T. Bergren presents the first book in her new YA futuristic dystopian series—The Remnants Novels—fitting in with the current dystopian trend in the marketplace.

For the monastery that appears in the novel as “Wadi Qelt,” and Keallach’s winter palace, I actually used a monastery in a canyon of the same name in Israel. There, you descend from a hot, dry desert floor, down into a cool, red-and-gold rocky canyon with a river that flows along the bottom. They use aqueducts to funnel water elsewhere. And at the bottom, farther along the canyon, is an amazing monastery that smells of beeswax and with frescoes covered with a layer of soot from centuries of candles burning.

Merchants hang out at the top, wanting to sell you jewelry or a ride on a camel. More hang out at the bottom with burros, offering to let you ride to the top. The walls are riddled with caves and ladders, used by monks in seclusion—something I used in my book, Remnants, too.

While Keallach’s winter palace is far more contemporary—complete with a landscaped pool and building with individual balconies—the inspiration was everything I saw and experienced in that idyllic canyon in Israel.

Be sure to write down this STOP #11 LAUNCH TOUR CLUE: All that

Collect all the clues and fill out Lisa’s Rafflecopter form on her launch tour post at LisaBergren.com at the end of April and you could win either a Kindle Fire HDX ($229) or iPod Touch ($229)!



What’s your favorite desert locale? Share it in the comments!

And look forward to my review in tomorrow's post!

Review: The Mephisto Mark by Trinity Faegan

Published: September 24th 2013 by Pink Publishing
FYI BTW: E-Book • 333 pages • Series Goodreads Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2

Orphaned at six and sent to live with abusive relatives in Bucharest, Mariah learned early in life to box up violent, agonizing memories and put them in permanent mental storage. Now almost nineteen, she has a paying job, a tiny apartment, and a plan to attend university. She loves her independence and is steadily overcoming her past, but when an enigmatic stranger walks into the pub where she works and the trajectory of her life changes yet again, she begins to wonder if she’ll run out of mental shelf space.

(Read more on Goodreads.)

Now you may remember me mentioning The Mephisto Covenant series before. In fact, one of my favorites of 2013 turned out to be The Mephisto Kiss, the sequel to The Mephisto Covenant. Now just a little disclaimer about me—I'm all about giving books a second chance, specifically books in a series where the potential to grow is always there. That's how it was with my first taste of Faegan's world; it definitely could've been much better, but I saw the possibilities it could pull off should Faegan improve on what I deemed to be flaws. So when I read The Mephisto Kiss, I was incredibly glad that I sat down one random evening to give it a chance and was dazzled by how much more depth Faegan created, and the attachments developed for these agonized sons of the dark angel Mephistopheles.

I just love saying his name. Mephistopheles.



The Good, The Bad, and The Non-Spoilery: If you've never read The Mephisto Covenant, it's about the six remaining sons of Mephistopheles (^^) who, due to questionable parentage to say the least, in order to earn passage into Heaven and gain God's favor must find love in a specific kind of a woman—known as Anabo, these women are descended from the first daughter of Adam and Eve and carry with them the purest of souls despite the darkness of the world around them, and so will be unafraid of being among the enigmatic, dangerous, arguably demonic Mephisto brothers. Should they love they will also know a peace that has eluded them for the thousand years they've already lived.

Now what I've loved about this series to this point is that the love lives of the six brothers are both at the center of the books and not all at once. Despite the fact that each of them have been unknowingly waiting for these promised soulmates, they've got other things going on as the hit squad working for both sides to stop the world from ending. But more than that, they're all carrying around a lot of emotional damage and pressure and old resentments that these could almost be very much character-driven stories, which huzzah!

I love that their romances are as equally hard as the lives they already lead. While the attraction is very much instant, the love takes a while to bloom, and when it comes to the point where they can love beyond themselves, it's cleansing for each brother and pretty damn beautiful. This particular installment focuses on Phoenix and the Anabo he definitely doesn't want to meet called Mariah, whom I loved so very much. You see, Phoenix harbors a horde of guilt for a tragic past where selfishness and many mistakes were at play. His tragic flaw is that selfishness so that even his guilt stems from self-pity no matter how much he thinks otherwise, and so it's no wonder it takes he and Mariah so long to work up to where I was dying to lead them my own self. He has so much growing to do at the beginning and because it's real, because it's true it takes a while for him to get there.

These books are about redemption, forgiveness, and self-growth, and therein lay the beauty, the glimpse of which I caught a couple years ago. And at the core of all those things is a driving need to maintain a family, and each of the brothers, the women they bring in, and the ones who watch over them—see: most BAMF butler, housekeeper, and cook ever—are very much a part of and committed to the family they've managed to salvage in spite of all the tragedies that have befallen them.

It's impossible to remain unaffected by these brothers, each their own person with their own quirks and flaws and jokes and badassery. (I'm sorry but BROMANCE makes the top of my must-have-in-reading list.) And while I was extremely sad that Faegan had a setback with her publisher, she's managed to come through and deliver a fairly phenomenal follow-up to the game-changing Mephisto Kiss and so I'm ANYTHING BUT sad now. I'm actually refreshing the goodreads page for The Mephisto Code and waiting for more info to miraculously appear. Yeah, I expect no judgement.

M came close and bent to gently stroke her hair. I watched in stunned disbelief. Not since our mother died had I seen my father express anything close to affection.
Her soul must have recognized who he was because she looked up at him with relief and whispered, "I'm ready to go."
"It's not your time," he murmured.
She leaned her head into his hand and closed her eyes. "He came back."
"No, he's never coming back."
"Promise?"
"I promise." He moved his hand across her face and she instantly went to sleep, her head falling against my shoulder.

*dies* *sobs* THIS SCENE. Mariah is so wounded that she inspires a shred of warmth in even the most damned of souls. *sobs again*

And there are tons of others but this is the least spoilery, I think, and one of the most moving.

I bought my e-book copy off of Amazon for $3.99. Prices may vary over time.

Review: The Collector by Victoria Scott

Published: April 2nd 2013 by Entangled Teen
FYI BTW: Paperback • 352 pages • Series Goodreads Rating: ★ ★ ★ 1/2

He makes good girls...bad.

Dante Walker is flippin’ awesome, and he knows it. His good looks, killer charm, and stellar confidence have made him one of hell’s best—a soul collector. His job is simple: weed through humanity and label those round rears with a big red good or bad stamp. Old Saint Nick gets the good guys, and he gets the fun ones. Bag-and-tag.

(Read more on Goodreads.)

Dante Walker is an equal-oppurtunity-insulting douche bag who just so happens to have lucked out in the career-post-death department, working as Lucifer's underling and climbing steadily up to a shiny, highly coveted promotion. As leading Collector among the few who've managed the privilege, this guy swears he got it like that. And in most cases that type of attitude inspires a certain reaction from outside parties.



That kind of cockiness sets itself up for failure, but with his track record completely unmarred by screw ups of any variety, his less-than-humble claims are backed up hardcore. And from the first page all you get is this SASS and BLUNT meanness that learning more about Dante Walker shouldn't make the to-do list but IT DOES. It so does. Because those kinds of prickly layers are just begging to be peeled away until we're left with the resolved mystery, and in spite of his, er, lack of manners there's this troublesome, undeniable truth: Dante Walker is kind of extremely lovable.



Say what you will about that boy, he won me over within two pages. TWO. Not only because his meanness and sarcasm shouldn't technically be funny but is—he's a loving person, whether he admits or try doesn't ever. He's viciously protective of those who matter and he has the capacity to see people for what they're worth, who they are. So while I wouldn't call his center exactly gooey nor very near to the surface, his heart is not only present but MASSIVE. And so it's no wonder that he was my favorite part of reading The Collector by Victoria Scott. Followed swiftly by the charm of Charlie, of course.

ALSO: MAX *dies*.

I loved that this wasn't your typical YA paranormal romance in every way even though it has a lot of typical elements. There's no super spiffy writing inside Dante's ongoing inner monologue pov except in those well-placed moments of clarity and disarming insight that spotlight his growth. In fact, Dante talks like all the boys I ignored back in high school because I thought them incapable of holding an actual conversation with me. But that's what makes him believable and fun, and so many points go to Victoria Scott for embracing teenage tomfoolery and all the accompanying slang. And we've all seen a plotline like this one, a demon who collects souls for Hell and can't afford to have his biggest job yet foiled, and yet Scott has twisted it up enough and added enough of her own flair into it that it was just the right amount of unpredictable. More points! And the romance... Our sexy Dante does not get himself a regulation hottie to take to the sheets midway into the book and instead he gets Charlie, in the throes of the hellish and very familiar nightmare of puberty—crooked teeth, frizzy hair and all!

I do have a couple of complaints, though: the pacing needed to vary a bit more to keep my attention hardwired and, this might just be me, but Dante needs to stop saying things like "sweet girl" every five sentences ASAP please goodness. No, seriously, gritting your teeth is bad for you. But I'm nonetheless remarkably impressed with what I assumed was going to be an over-the-top, way ridiculous book—well, it is but in the best way possible instead of that other one where heavy eye-rolling is involved. Now I have to buy The Liberator, damn it!

Best one-liners - "Seals come from being bad, or as I like to say, exciting."

"Collecting souls is nothing personal. I'm an equal-oppurtunity sealer."

"Something squeals loudly, and I ready myself to kill some sort of rodent. But it's Charlie.

And scenes of course - I spin around and see Max running toward me in a gray Armani shirt. "Dante. Oh, Dante. Seal me! Seal me so hard!" He grabs my hips and pumps his toward mine. "Oh, Dante! You're so hot when you seal souls."

At the end of the walkway is a cat. It struts with arrogance. You'd think it just won the Nobel Prize. But it didn't. Know why? Because it's a freakin' cat. In case you missed the memo, I. Hate. Cats. I loathe them. They're built with creepy little teeth and finger blades. I don't know about you, but I'll pass on THAT freak show.

Charlie studies me for a moment, then reaches for the radio and flips it off.
"This is my favorite."
"Off?" I ask.
Charlie rolls down the window. She lays her head on the open window frame. "I like the sound the world makes."

I bought my copy as an e-book from Amazon.

Throne of Glass Series Predictions

Img credited to Tumblr So I kind of dropped the ball with the blog tour post for this week, but that's because I was getting all my faculties in order. Which is code for being obsessed with filming and editing for my new youtube channel. Can't help myself! But on the bright side it's been helping me work through my reading slump and has gotten me to read a bit more than I have been.

And it's also helped me appreciate the value of getting to the point quickly, so let's apply what we've learned here shall we?

Now, initially when I first mapped out this post I was preparing for talking about my predictions for the series' conclusion. That was until I discovered this:



Holy flucking what. WHAT? What is the meaning of this?!

I'm sorry but did I miss the part when this was announced to be Not A Trilogy? A chucklehead like me could have easily overlooked a detail like that, certainly, but I'm miffed I didn't know about this sooner. (Okay, so maybe she warned me but I didn't listen.)

Consequently, I'm torn between exasperation (they've expanded, perhaps unnecessarily, another trilogy), fear (this is my favorite series being tampered with here), and cautious joy (because really I'm still being offered more Celaena, Chaol, and all sorts of cool stuff -- probably, if all goes well).

So, yes, I know about this, and must adjust accordingly. With that said.

Prediction #1:
Celaena's going to get more bad-A. Like triple A, and I don't mean for your roadside convenience.

That was evident in this last book, Crown of Midnight, because all that has happened has turned her to her dark self, which still has room to grow darker. Dark is not darkest after all.

At the same time, she's also rapidly gone to weary, sad, and scarred underneath it all, and it was so heart-wrenching to see her in that state by the end. I have a feeling, especially with the series elongated, that it's only going to get unfathomably worse.

Prediction #2:
The love triangle may not have been an actual Thing To Worry About before, but I suspect Dorian is going to cause me some problems.

There were -- without being too spoilery -- some hints being dropped about Dorian having to marry a certain princess from a certain family, or he would have had terrible things not befallen her. I'd HATE to see that tiny detail resurface in a very painful way which will be unbearably agonizing for, oh, I don't know...

ME.

Prediction #3:
As for my complicated romance between my favorite Captain and my most beloved assassin, things are going to get a lot worse before things head back to the broom closet.

Sarah has proven herself to be a sufficient captor and torturer of the soul. I have no doubt she's had and will continue to have time to strengthen her skillz to levels that would rival that of *shudders* Sarah Rees Brennan. I couldn't possibly threaten the woman the same way I have Brennan, BUT that doesn't mean I'll give her a free pass or pretend this rising power doesn't worry me.

All I'll say for now is Miss Maas, I, your loyal and humble reader/obsessed fangirl, plead with you to be gentle with my heart. I'm so young. There's still so much I haven't yet lived. So please, HAVE MERCY.

And that concludes the ramblings of a cyber-addict young adult who's still lurking on the interwebs at 3am.

A SPARK UNSEEN BLOG HOP, DAY 10: REVIEW

The thrilling sequel to Sharon Cameron's blockbuster gothic steampunk romance, THE DARK UNWINDING, will captivate readers anew with mystery and intrigue aplenty.

When Katharine Tulman wakes in the middle of the night and accidentally foils a kidnapping attempt on her uncle, she realizes Stranwyne Keep is no longer safe for Uncle Tully and his genius inventions. She flees to Paris, where she hopes to remain undetected and also find the mysterious and handsome Lane, who is suspected to be dead.

But the search for Lane is not easy, and Katharine soon finds herself embroiled in a labyrinth of political intrigue. And with unexpected enemies and allies at every turn, Katharine will have to figure out whom she can trust--if anyone--to protect her uncle from danger once and for all.

Filled with deadly twists, whispering romance, and heart-stopping suspense, this sequel to THE DARK UNWINDING whisks readers off on another thrilling adventure.

Sharon's Website | Twitter (@CameronSharonE) | Facebook | A Spark Unseen Trailer

It’s no secret that I’m doing horrendous now on my Goodreads challenge. You may be thinking, Mara, are you gone in the head? We’re here to read about your reaction to A Spark Unseen not to talk about the state of your reading ambitions at the moment. But I mention this diabolical truth because I was worried I wouldn’t be able to get into A Spark Unseen since I’ve been going through books at a much slower rate than I’m used to. I was afraid that even though I loved The Dark Unwinding, my brain wasn’t going to give a crap and then I’d be faced with more disappointing news.

Haha, A Spark Unseen is the shite, silly Miss Oh, yeah, I mean that. The Dark Unwinding is a homey story, where I’d like to think a historical me would’ve fit in and enjoyed and felt comfortable despite all the hair-raising mysteries of the gothic keep Katharine finds herself in and the unorthodox creations that seem to find her and would probably have me inventing a safe word like ‘dragon slippers’ every time I got uncomfortable or startled, BECAUSE, even with all that, it’s a story of a practical young woman finding home, a family, and love at once while detangling a dangerous mystery by sheer cleverness and mad sleuthing skillz.

It keeps the political intrigue either actually intriguing or in the background where I like to think it belongs in a book. Political stuff gives me the turtle face and trust me, people, that’s not attractive.

“Call me Miss Tulman, if you please.” That’s Miss Tulman to you, Mrs. Dupont, and don’t you deliberately “Mademoiselle” this kick-ass brilliant lady because she’s too boss for you and for that.

Everything I loved about Katharine in The Dark Unwinding came rushing back to me as soon as I’d started A Spark Unseen. She’s practical, intuitive, and genuinely smart with a soft heart, and that puts her in line for an exclusive invitation to a sesh of Triple B—that’s Book Buying Binge to you commoners—because I need a companion like her to keep me entertained and in check. Katharine runs things, keeps everybody in line and defended. It’s so easy to feel deeply frightened and sympathetic on her behalf because she’s forced to make even heftier decisions about the welfare of countless people, all of whom she adores with her Uncle heading the list.

She is constantly mentally shouting for Lane—her beaux from The Dark Unwinding who isn’t around for reasons for which you should’ve read the first book to know *sticks out tongue*--to help her with these burdens, and while that might have irked me normally—you know, buck up girl and take it like a man instead of calling for one—it didn’t because everyone is well-aware of how capable she is. More, it’s a matter of her being utterly exhausted handling this all on her own. She’s alone and scared, and Lane would be the only one she could trust to help take the load off so she could breathe.

I found myself wishing for him too.

For once, it isn’t the man who makes the page—is that a saying? Sometimes when a book is a particular victim of the Sophomore Slump, and the main love interest is gone, I find myself flipping pages more earnestly because I want him back and can’t wait for his return. That’s a problem. If her reunion with her guy is the only thing making me speed through the story then said story has a serious lack of substance everywhere else. And while I found myself anxious for Lane’s return, that honestly wasn’t what kept me flying through the book!

It’s the fast-paced start, from which Katharine quickly finds herself on the run. The race against these looming threats in both England and France hastily closing in before Katharine has the proper time to plan and think. It’s the not knowing what may happen to all my favorite characters of this book.

Yeah, basically Cameron is as boss a lady as Katharine.

All I’m saying is… what am I saying? Oh, yeah, this was AWESOME! If you want some fantastic historical fiction with some light undertones of steampunk and gothicness, you’ll dig this book. And if that’s not what you’re looking for? First of all, what is wrong with you, you silly clown? And second, you don’t need to be interested in any of those things to appreciate this book.

Seriously, the characters feel like a gargantuan extended family, keeping you inclined to care about all of them, most especially Katharine, her trusty sidekick maid, Mary, and her lovable Uncle Tully. I raved about The Dark Unwinding recently, and if that’s not enough to convince you, I’m humbly certain that this review has done something to push you in the right direction.

Hardcover / 352 pgs / Sept 24th 2013 / Scholastic / Goodreads / $17.99

I picked this up at the Scholastic booth during Book Expo America.

A CASE OF TEABS: GOODBYE MORGANVILLE!

Before the publicists at Penguin get inclined to homicide me, I'd like to disclose that this is in no way me disclosing anything specific about the happenings of Daylighters by Rachel Caine or a legitimate form of promotion. Instead I give you my pre-reaction to the upcoming reaction post.

Because mom knows I need an outlet for the emotional catastrophe in my body keeping me from engaging properly in daily life. A series ender, for crying out loud! Did you really expect anything else from me? My mother sure didn't.



Someone was able to capture me PTS-ing it out in the shower.

It wasn't even that the ending was terrible. Because it isn't. In fact, I loved the font-face off that ending!

But it wasn't until I got to the end that I realized what had just happened. That that was it; there would be no more updates on Bob the Spider, Myrnin's slippers, Eve's barista life, Michael's performing, Claire's accidents in the name of science, Shane's cooking... I just.



All this emotion snuck up on me as if waiting for the opportunity to strangle me with everything I've been denying myself ('cause, you know, #readingslumpissues). It had to be Morganville.

WHY IS IT OVER? Someone make me understand.

Reaction to... Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas [No spoilers!]

I’ve waited long for this day. I would’ve posted about this sooner, my friends, but I confess irresponsibility and absent-mindedness. I’m on vacation! But that’s neither here nor there when we’re about to discuss a little delight presented to us by Sarah J. Maas. First of all, though it’s no secret, I’d like to preface this post by professing an incessant admiration for Sarah and a disturbing obsession with this series. Not sure if that necessarily makes me bias considering I have MANY reasons to feel the way I do about this series—because it is truly wonderful. Throne of Glass is absolutely a phenomenal work, a beginning to the chronicles of a young deadly assassin with a big heart torn between loyalties, prophecy, and politics, but it’s sequel I might love even deeper.

Throughout book one we spent our time getting to know Celaena and the players to be involved in her life. It was the characters that cemented my connection to this story, the action, plot, and sleuthing falling just below that important aspect but still ranking highly among those I’ve read of the same caliber. But what makes Crown of Midnight so lovely, and perhaps better than it’s predecessor, is that taking of what we already know of the characters and deepening it, darkening it. In spite of the atmosphere of the last book—with a cutthroat competition taking place—there wasn’t nearly as much of a sense of urgency and danger as in this one. The urgency in blocking the king from further spreading his evil, in the prophecy that’s slowly arising, and the danger in the part of Celaena her enemies fail to remember and, frankly, foolishly underestimate. It’s these two components that make this read incredibly compelling, and sets the tone darker than I thought possible.

Both slyly torturous and proportionately thrilling, the events of Crown of Midnight take the slight joyous air that builds for a while in the beginning and dips it straight into Celaena’s personal hell. More than that, there are some amazing revelations provided—secrets of not only Celaena’s past but of her origins and capabilities that I only vaguely guessed at—and was unsurprisingly astounded by them. Maas seemed to have a firmer grip over the pacing and a much more solid control over the plot’s consistency making the story that much more enjoyable. I recommend savoring Crown of Midnight, guys, so that you can appreciate every nuance, every miniscule detail stunningly put together.

Notice how I very carefully avoid the subject of the romance—not because it wasn’t so freaking satisfying I want to shout to the rooftops, nay that isn’t the reason. I just don’t want to spoil anything. But let’s just say that it’s as beautifully written and has so far been as agonizing as the goings-on throughout. I only hope that it ends up far better than the dreadful picture that’s already been mapped out. Every inch of this story brings you so much closer to the end of this trilogy and yet takes you so far away—I NEED the last book in this series. Need. But, yes, though the fate of Celaena’s romance hanging in the balance is a drive, it’s definitely not the only reason to beg for the final act.

I wasn’t shocked that Sarah had overcome the Sophomore Slump and thumbed her nose in victory because this series is just too fantastic, but I am surprised by the scope, depth, and wonder within this sequel. After this book, I don’t think there will EVER be reason to doubt Sarah J Maas and her affinity for storytelling—she’s written a set of soul books, books that seem to have been written with me in mind, and I’ll be forever grateful to her for it.

Hardcover / 432 pgs / Aug 27th 2013 / Bloomsbury / Goodreads / $17.99

I picked this one up at Sarah's signing during Book Expo America.

Early Reaction to BEA Title #2... This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales

"'I see you as Elise, DJ extraordinaire," she said, settling a big pair of sunglasses on her nose. "So buy the rhinestone pumps."

This Song Will Save Your Life was one of those cases where I had no idea what to expect (DJing + suicide? *scratches head*) but was completely—and I do mean completely, utterly—taken by surprise, in the best way possible of course. I was on author lines during BEA with my head bent over, shoulders hunched in an unmistakable picture of anti-social behavior, my body language screaming “I don’t wish to be disturbed!” because I was unreservedly, deeply engrossed. It’s the way Leila Sales pulls you in, so honest and unpretentious, nudging you into the trap of Elise’s bleak, hopeless state, until you’re caught firmly and her feelings of loneliness and despair consume you until you can’t see or feel anything but her, and her deep desire for someone to matter, to have friends, to be accepted, to feel right in the world when everyone’s made her feel wrong, out of place.

You think it's so easy to change yourself.
You think it's so easy, but it's not.
What do you think it takes to reinvent yourself as an all-new person, a person who makes sense, who belongs? Do you change your clothes, your hair, your face? Go on, then. Do it. Pierce your ears, trim your bangs, buy a new purse. They will see past that, see you, the girl who is still too scared, still too smart for her own good, still a beat behind, still--always, wrong. Change all you want; you can't change that.
Because I tried.

God, I get completely worked up emotionally. I feel tears pushing just thinking about her at the beginning of this book. That feeling of being left out, never having anyone, constantly being overlooked is no stranger to me, and while I do feel like this book resonates deeper, stronger if you’ve ever been in her shoes (some of her thoughts were like echoes from my high school self, which isn't that distant), I don’t think that’s the only way to feel this story. Something about Elise’s heartbreaking disappointment over the life she’s leading, and the people she doesn’t have in it, speaks more to me than many of the other tragic emotional plights I’ve read.

Elise has always been around music, but she’s never experienced it the way she does whilst on her nighttime ventures to an out-of-the-way dance club, called by its mystery and its promise. It’s a whole other world, surreal and vibrant, and getting caught up with the music, getting to know the DJ behind the booth and experiencing firsthand what it takes to create an exclusive world built upon layers of music brings something to life in her. Her first attempt puts you in a place where you’re looking down at all those bodies moving ecstatically to the beats working through what Elise has made for them and you’re happy, proud even. It gives her purpose, motivation, friends, everything she’s ever wanted and that’s the most beautiful thing about this book overall. Because it’s in that moment when the essence of the title becomes stunningly clear, washes over you, until you’re completely swamped with emotion on Elise’s behalf.

I remember when I went up to get this one signed, at Mandee’s urging (thank you!), the publicist, after I’d explained I’d never read anything from Leila but was enamored with her after her part in the panels at Teen Author Carnival, said it’s like Leila Sales in a book. And the woman is hilarious but I remember thinking ‘who is she really?’ After This Song, I get it. With Elise’s wry, self-deprecating narration, and her story that chronicles her heart-breaking, restorative journey to a self that's never been more true, a life she can lead that she can finally accept, I understand her publicist entirely.

This Song Will Save Your Life is an unassuming gem that I’m terrified people will overlook, a contemporary book with an odd synopsis that leaves you with only the tiniest hint of what is really undertaken in this book. It’s real and powerful, filled with characters I adore, and a resounding note of faith, hope, and love experienced most deeply by the end. This is a story I never want to let go of.

Hardcover / 288 pgs / Sept 17th 2013 / FSG Macmillan / Goodreads / $17.99

I picked this one up at Leila's signing during Book Expo America.

Something Lovely Under the Stamps [62] aka In My Mailbox, Stacking the Shelves, Book Haul, etc.

Hey, would you look at that? AUGUST is here. My birthday month. The month when City of Bones is due out in theatres. The month where all kinds of awesome releases will be taking place, including my beloved Crown of Midnight and The Bitter Kingdom. You'd think I would be excited, right? Well, I am. Mostly. But when the dawn of August 1st fell upon me, I realized I hadn't done a book haul for AN ENTIRE MONTH. And within that month, I discovered bargain bin shopping, among other things, and so I have four weeks of 50+ books to show you.

I swear I tried to make it as painlessly short as possible. BUT I am excited to show everything to you too. I know, I know, it's a double-edged sword I wield, and I think I do so with good grace. In case you haven't been around this past month, here are some things (or books rather) that you should know about:

Books Reviewed 6/26 - 7/29:


Normally, I'd love to write a list of all the books I got, but this time there are far, far too many to list. And, unfortunately for you, I am lazy.


*avoids eyes* So, yeah, erm... That's it. As of yesterday. Because there are more now. That have come. That I didn't mean to get. As of yesterday. I just said that. Repetition is a common symptom of guilt, did you know?



I'm sorry seems like an inappropriate response considering I'm not. Well, then, sorry to keep you here for fifteen minutes but really it had to be done. What did you get this week?

Reaction to... The Avery Shaw Experiment by Kelly Oram

"'Again?'
'We need to make sure we really test this theory as thoroughly as possible.'
'We do?'
'Yes, Avery. I hereby demand as a completely impartial outside observer with absolutely no personal interest in the outcome of this experiment that you need to kiss me again.'"

I always read romance books; it's very rare that the story I'm starting doesn't have romance somewhere in it. And with that core love story I can take on about every genre, slice of life contemporary being no different (though my least favorite to explore—which funnily enough contains some of my all time favorite stories—don't ask me how that makes sense). And romantic little stories like this I will remain a perpetual sucker for.

You see, Avery Shaw is geeky, quiet, shy, and more than a little anxious (medically speaking). And she believes herself to be in love with her long-time bff, pseudo-twin brother Aiden. Their families have been entwined since the respective mothers' mutual prenatal yoga class. He is her anchor and her crutch and Avery is totally smitten by the idea of being in love with him. That is, until he breaks her heart. Gently but nonetheless brutally, which puts her squarely in the arms—naked ones, I feel compelled to mention—of his older brother, Grayson, whilst in the middle of his shower.

Oram couldn't have created a more perfectly familiar scenario while still making it read as unique. Because of course Post Shower, Grayson has had his eyes opened (and he wouldn't be shy about telling you that her shirt plastered against her ample chest did wonders as far as overdue revelations go). And now he wants her, in all the delicious ways a near-adult high school boy can want an unsuspecting pretty mouse of a girl.

Avery is a nice enough girl, and a decent, likeable main character, but it was Grayson who stole the show. Really, Oram is to blame by giving him rule over his own chapters in the book. He's charming, self-assured—a bit of a cocky bastard really—but still retains this adorable amount of class and sensitivity without reading as unrealistic. And his predicament—crushing on girlfriend material while the girl in question remains almost stubbornly oblivious—helps create a fantastic, hilarious story line.

I had so much incredible fun with this story! If I could copy and paste every single bookmarked page for your benefit, I would completely. But I much rather you read the book and experience the body-seizing laughter you'll be susceptible to as you progress. Anything will do the trick, i.e. Avery's best friend, Libby, and her sexual prowess, Owen's horror at the aforementioned best friend's "objectification" of him, a handful of stereotypical nerds, learning Newton's laws, winning pool, etc etc.

Then there's the somehow innocently sexy bit to it, the way Oram makes the moments pre-kissing somehow far sexier than the much anticipated kissing. Like learning to dance. With Grayson playing the role of tutor.

"Dancing," he said, "is about feeling, not thinking.
Grayson lifted one of my arms above my head and rested it on the back of his neck. My fingers instinctively dug into his soft, thick hair. I hadn't told them to do that. I felt Grayson's cheek lift into a smile against the side of my head, as if he fully approved of my action.
"Now we move together."
His arm came around my waist, and he suddenly knocked his knee forward into the backs of mine, forcing them to unlock. Unprepared for the shift in weight, I buckled, but he'd been ready for this. He caught me, held me up tight against him, and began moving us in an almost-circular motion.
My entire body heaved a shudder of pleasure, and then I drifted away from reality into a world where nothing existed except for the two of us.

It had all the goods of a happy, palette-cleansing contemporary. Feel good, sexy, happy, slightly fluffy, and with decent writing paired along with hilarious characters. I was a gooey mess by the end and to put it bluntly, I enjoyed the hell out of The Avery Shaw Experiment. Honestly, you try it and see if you can resist Grayson Kennedy and his schemes to win the girl by helping her patch up her broken heart.

A wayward kindle deal gone right once again.

Ebook / 278 pgs / May 4th 2013 / Bluefields / Goodreads / $2.99

I bought this because it's a kindle deal without meaning to be.

Reaction to... Of Beast And Beauty by Stacey Jay

"Beauty is wherever you find it, and Beast is there when you need to defend it."

My God, man. What an incredible story. I deliver that to you first, daring to hope that it'll carry to you the simple awe I feel packed in that one statement. Within the many genres this story fits, Jay has done daring, beautiful things with it that make it one of those unparalleled stories you have a hard time expressing your gratitude for. What this woman has done with a story that never really spoils in the retelling of it surpasses all that come to mind; I absolutely love every infinitesimal piece of this unexpected tale.

Stacey Jay writes like a lavish storyteller, every sumptuous word and beautiful phrase not added for flourish but to better paint the picture she wishes you to see more than read. Her writing broke this world open and let me into every stone, every rose, every scale until I was as wrapped around it as the dome which wraps around the city of Yuan, where live the ancient gods and cursed men who come into play.

"In the beginning was the darkness and in the darkness was a girl, and in the girl was a secret. The secret was as old as the cracked cobblestone streets of Yuan, as peculiar as the roses that bloom eternally within the domed city's walls, as poisonous as forgotten history and the stories told in it's place."

A world's spirit rendered into two, a curse caging cities in their corruption. Of Beast and Beauty is about acceptance, hard realities, a falling city, greed, and a love that can save all things. If a boy and a girl from both ways of life can look beyond themselves and where they came from and love each other truly, the curse that demands sacrifice in the domed city of Yuan, that starves the clawed Desert People, and has them turning on each other, will be lifted. And unbeknownst to the change they could bring, a queen whose power has been stifled and a warrior desperate to bring hope to his people are set on a path to restore balance to the planet their ancestors disturbed and damaged.

Full of hate, fear, and suspicion, Isra and Gem are the perfect candidates for a bout of forbidden, torturous, nonsensical love. Their struggles, their reluctance, their mutual shock over the lack of disgust that should be there is lived through so perfectly by them so that you're caught in this emotional torrent of hope, uncertainty, nerves, and unbeatable determination. The glorious transition from friends onward isn't painfully slow, but just slow enough to be right. I could bathe, burrow, and drown in their touches and looks, love and despair all day. All night for that matter, because I haven't had a bleeding ounce of sleep since I awoke at ten this morning (note: it's 4:30am now).

"For the first time, she doesn't smell like roses. She smells like cactus milk--clean and salty and of the desert, like my people--and I suddenly wonder if she would taste like all the girls I've kissed in my life. There were other girls before... I always assumed there would be more, but I never thought...
Even a moment ago when I...
I didn't think... imagine... that she might...
A part of me still refuses to believe it, but another part knows what a girl wants when her fingers linger too long on a boy's mouth, and it knows better than to hesitate. So I don't. I pull her hand away, and risk a kiss."

The miracle of them combined with their world and the way in which its written, as well as reminding me a touch of Under the Never Sky, proves Of Beast and Beauty by Stacey Jay has no faults with me. It is undoubtedly one of my favorites of this year.

Hardcover / 400 pgs / July 23rd 2013 / Delacorte Press / Goodreads / $17.99

I received an e-galley of this from Random House via Edelweiss.

Done Been DNFed: Indelible by Dawn Metcalf

This is one of those times when I wish I wasn't in the minority. Have you checked goodreads lately? There are very few people that don't like this book. And I never wanted to be one of those people; I so badly wanted to love Indelible by Dawn Metcalf. I was promised intriguing world-building, a solid romance, a dark story. A likable heroine. But, by the point in which I could take no more (73 percent of the way in), Joy was driving me bonkers and the world-building was confusing me to the point of boredom.

I will say that people have something when they talk about Joy and Ink. They radiate this mutual uncertainty—about each other, about the romantic attraction layering slowly between them. And it's sweet and honest and enjoyable. I loved those 'exploring' scenes everyone's been swooning over, and for a while it was enough to suck me back into the book. But, once I came to the point where I realized I was reading this book solely for the scenes between them, practically skipping right over the other bits which only served to confuse me more, it quickly became apparent that I did not want to read this book.

I suppose the plot and world-building are supposed to be intentionally puzzling, because you're thrust into this world right along with Joy and with all the finesse of a rap song (ok, there are some good ones out there). But for every inch deeper into it, things are two inches behind in explanation. Perhaps that's supposed to attract me more but I wasn't overly impressed with what was shown to begin with. And aside from Joy and Ink, I was awfully disappointed with the cast. Inq, unfortunately, just drew a WTF what? from me half of the time and the other part of the time I was just indifferent. Joy's best friend, who I assume is supposed to be the medal-winning friend is actually kind of irritating, though not quite as much as Joy herself.

To be fair to Joy, she didn't have to do very much to get me annoyed. I liked that she had the makings of a backbone after a while, but seriously every time she spoke she got me cranky. I can't pinpoint exactly what it was, but she just didn't do it for me.

Would I recommend this to people? No. But that doesn't mean I don't think there are some people who're going to love it. There will be—goodreads is one indicator. Alas, I'm just not one of those people.

Paperback / 384 pgs / July 30th 2013 / Harlequin Teen / Goodreads / $9.99

I received an e-galley of this from Harlequin Teen via Netgalley.

Early Reaction to... BEA TITLE #1: The Burning Sky by Sherry Thomas (The Elemental Trilogy, #1)

TO UNCOVER OR BE COVERED:
Let’s be real here: you could tell me either cover for THE BURNING SKY was making it to the publication wing and I’d do a shimmy around my house I love both so much. I’m a little partial to the first cover, maybe, as I think it really nails the depiction of the catalyst scene in the story, but I don’t mind the new one one bit. Let’s be even realer: who cares when this book is so darn awesome?

SUMMARY:It all began with a ruined elixir and an accidental bolt of lightning…

Iolanthe Seabourne is the greatest elemental mage of her generation—or so she's being told. The one prophesied for years to be the savior of The Realm. It is her duty and destiny to face and defeat the Bane, the greatest mage tyrant the world has ever known. A suicide task for anyone let alone a sixteen-year-old girl with no training, facing a prophecy that foretells a fiery clash to the death.

Prince Titus of Elberon has sworn to protect Iolanthe at all costs but he's also a powerful mage committed to obliterating the Bane to revenge the death of his family—even if he must sacrifice both Iolanthe and himself to achieve his goal.

But Titus makes the terrifying mistake of falling in love with the girl who should have been only a means to an end. Now, with the servants of the Bane closing in, he must choose between his mission and her life.

WHAT HAD HAPPENED WAS:
Iolanthe Seabourne may be one of the greatest elemental mages out there—to her constant surprise and somewhat remaining disbelief—but no one knows. Because to know of the depth of her gifts risks the attention of Atlantis—and it’s cold-blooded leader who is rumored to have collected mages like her over the years and never returned them to their homes. Iolanthe’s time, however, is coming, as it’s been foreseen. It’s watched for at the same hour every day by Prince Titus—a royal from a noble house that lacks true power who is eager to fulfill his prophetic mother’s wish and avenge his once great family. On the day in which Iolanthe is forced to restore a batch of elixir, at last Titus beholds the sign he’s waited his whole life for, and it begins.

A column of pure white light, so distant it was barely more than a thread, so brilliant it nearly blinded the the prince, burst into existence.
He stood mute and amazed for an entire minute before something kicked him hard in the chest, the realization that this was the very sign for which he had waited half his life.

Scared though he may be, unprepared though he might feel, Titus brings himself swiftly to action and to the charred mage left at the top of a blackened rooftop.

Prince Titus, however, is not the only one ready to whisk her away into the unknown. Servants of Atlantis—including the chilling Inquisitor—are on the hunt for the mage capable of such an event and will search every town, will interrogate every suspect until the girl is found. And so Titus does the only thing he can think of (and has already mostly planned for): he helps Iolanthe masquerade as a boy attending the non-magical all boys’ school he’s received his education from most of his life. With the Bane and his henchmen not far behind them, and with spies lurking about to sniff out their secrets, Titus must also be quick in convincing Iolanthe of her destiny—to face the most powerful mage of their time in battle alongside him—and prepare her for what’s to come.

But he can’t prepare for the one thing that could alter his plans—the attachment, the feelings that arise for the girl he’s devoted to protecting and committed to bringing with him to probable slaughter.

WHERE WE GO:
One moment we’re at Iolanthe’s door, watching her foolishly do something with no concept of the repercussions, and then we’re with her at the top of a building that holds a MASSIVE crater of late, breathing shakily as a terrifying thrill works through us layered over the anticipation of facing enemies she has no idea she has. Within the next moment, we’re vaulting to an unknown destination with a trunk as our vessel, unsure of what lies ahead. And then we’re with Titus in a Muggle-esque institution, holding our breaths because we’re all uncertain of Iolanthe’s ability to disguise herself well.

I constantly felt with them as the scenery changed, as the plot moved around to incorporate each obstacle. From ancient storybook training grounds (which is A LOT flyer than it sounds!) to inside the depths of the Inquisitor’s interrogation chambers, there is so much happening and so many different places gone through that the last thing THE BURNING SKY could be is boring. A little slow, maybe, but nonetheless fascinating overall.

WHO WE ARE WITH:
I’m not gonna lie, it’s so much more difficult for me to get in touch with characters when we’re dealing with a third person narration. While on the one hand I like the versatility and the potential for diverse points of view, there’s this intrinsic distance that’s hard to shake off. After a while though, that ceased being a problem because of Iolanthe’s—without a better alternative in mind—realness. This girl is stubborn and fierce, but she’s not unbelievably righteous and brave, especially at the get when a certain royal stranger is talking about taking down the Bane, their unspoken dictator, all off of a prophecy spouted off by a self-proclaimed seer. Heck no, she doesn’t want to bring this guy down very likely at the cost of her life, and certainly not after her guardian risked his own to help her preserve hers. She’s got a good mix in her of practicality and genuine fear to be a believable heroine.

In her heart she was beginning to understand that it was truly written in the stars, her destiny. Yet it still seemed utterly impossible that she would ever find the audacity to face the Bane, she who had lived such a small life, so tightly focused only on the well-being of her own family.

Because, really, before The Incident nobody had any reason to suspect her of being capable of great elemental magic; she’s not being persecuted or pursued—at least she wasn’t—so what cause does she have to fight for? What would be her drive in this mad plot against the Bane? There’s not enough anger, not enough duty in her or a tie that could bring her into the fight—yet. She’s not where Titus is at—with a set goal, fighting for something because of the love he has for his mother, a love that ties him to the promise he made and that angers him enough to need to avenge her death.

But as these two grow closer, neither of them ever considering the possibility of that happening when their relationship is tenuously cordial at best in the beginning, they become these companions, friends—and almost more than—and that prevents them from driving apart in two directions. It’s very simple. If Titus needs to do this thing, Iolanthe will follow him; if Iolanthe will be in mortal danger doing so, Titus would give his own life to see this done without harm come to her. It becomes just a basic matter of accepting these as inarguable truths and how best to proceed and I LOVE THAT. There is so much room for potential between these two and they haven’t even hit the top of the jug yet, leaving me with bated breath over what could POSSIBLY happen between them.

THE LITTLE THINGS:

1. Archer Fairfax
2. A Canary And The Tub
3. The Crucible
4. A Little Of Kashkari
5. Meeting in Cape Wrath

I never get enough of good, solid, quite close to breathtaking fantasy to add the collection of awesome titles I’ve been privileged to read, and so I can barely express how much I’m looking forward to the next book in this series. With even stronger development, and more depth into the relationship between Titus and Iolanthe, I’m sensing this may end up as a special shelf series. BUT, I’m reserving judgment just now until I see what’s next.

Even so, this is a riveting mash-up of excellent writing, great characters, and fascinating world-building that's a little like a salute to Harry Potter—what else do you need? My only hope is that Thomas’s success continues in the next book in The Elemental Trilogy.

Hardcover / 464 pgs / Sept 17th 2013 / Balzer + Bray / Goodreads / $17.99

I acquired an ARC from Book Expo America at the Harper Collins booth.

Something Lovely Under the Stamps [61] aka In My Mailbox, Stacking the Shelves, Book Haul, etc.

It is that time once again, my friends. Not the time all women dread, I assure you, and I'm sorry if I misled you. But a time to share books and bookish things that have happened to me. These past few weeks following BEA have been exceptional! I've bought some books, read some amazing ones, got to see the Fierce Reads ladies alongside Heidi at Bunbury in the Stacks. I couldn't have asked for better weeks in books post-BEA; it was simultaneously relaxing and exciting! If you've missed something this week, well, I took care of that.

Books Reviewed 6/14-6/22:

Okay, I'm sure you all want to get onto the actual books in my haul, and I shall oblige you now.

In case you're not interested in looking at my face, then here's all the books in all their beauty:



Books Mentioned:

Of Beast and Beauty by Stacey Kade	Two of a Kind by Susan Mallery	Indelible by Dawn Metcalf
Viral Nation by Shaunta Grimes	Hooked by Liz Fichera	Goddess by Josephine Angelini
Slammed by Colleen Hoover	Point of Retreat by Colleen Hoover	Bite Club by Rachel Caine
Attachments by Rainbow Rowell	Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne (signed)	Of Triton by Anna Banks (signed)
Crewel by Gennifer Albin (mine + signed)	Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo (mine + signed)	Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo (mine + signed)

Yeah, yeah, I know, I'm a failure at restraint and I shouldn't pretend otherwise but WHATEVS. Take off the judgey pants because I've been perusing your book hauls, I know you're no better. And yeah, I'll see you next week with even MOAR. Bite me.

Reaction to.... The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa

TO UNCOVER OR BE COVERED:
I’m never too old for big faced ladies on a cover, even if she doesn’t look THAT Asian (or not at all, really, so boo), but there was something chilling and dark about THE IMMORTAL RULES , while still giving off enough emotion to be intriguing with the stone-cold face carrying a dripping tear around—which is the perfect way to portray Allison, Asian or no. With THE ETERNITY CURE it’s a little bit like chocolate cake for the eyes, with it’s beautiful design and it’s bold yet simple color scheme, BUT as you’re devouring it you don’t stop to think of what’s inside. So while this cover satisfies my superficial and immediate needs, if I’d walked past this cover in a bookstore I wouldn’t have a clue about what this is supposed to be about. While I’m not sure that’s a good thing, I know that I’d still stop and read the dust jacket because it IS eye-catching. So, ultimately, it’s a well-done for you, Harlequin Teen.

SUMMARY: Allison Sekemoto has vowed to rescue her creator, Kanin, who is being held hostage and tortured by the psychotic vampire Sarren. The call of blood leads her back to the beginning—New Covington and the Fringe, and a vampire prince who wants her dead yet may become her wary ally.

Even as Allie faces shocking revelations and heartbreak like she’s never known, a new strain of the Red Lung virus that decimated humanity is rising to threaten human and vampire alike.

I swear, consistency and I are old friends and we hang out as often as possible, but I can’t be consistent if I HAVEN’T EVEN FINISHED A BOOK. Working is no party, my friends, as I’m sure many of you know, so, yes, I’d try to go home to THE ETERNITY CURE and get going on it but then my worn body would give out EVERY SINGLE TIME. Now, I know why grownups are so miserable: they CAN’T EVEN read.

WHAT HAD HAPPENED WAS:
Stepping away from her fantastical, decidedly light-in-comparison world of the Nevernever, last year Julie Kagawa spun an entirely new realm for us, one filled with darkness, where, by the time we crack open the cover, the last of the bright spots are rapidly going out. The world that has been left behind after the spread of the deadly, mutating Red Lung virus is one of ash, blood, broken minds, and hopeless souls. It is the picture of a ravaged humanity, where people have been mostly reduced to their most basic and most imperative of functions: survival. As heart-breaking, tragic, raw, and blunt as that. Trust, happiness, and affection are forgotten things, like books and reading. In THE IMMORTAL RULES, we navigated through this world with Allison the Fringer at the helm, then experienced the horror of being the vulnerable passenger as the imminent collision that would change everything hurtled closer.

Allie the Vampire might as well be a separate entity all together. Living from in the shoes of a genuine monster has forced her to grow at a speed that’s as unnatural as the fangs that protrude when Hunger arises. And from beginning to the end of THE IMMORTAL RULES, Allie learns what it is to bond, love, and befriend. But happiness can’t last for long, not in this dilapidated world and not for a vampire.

With a new mission and a new course set ahead, Allie is on the hunt for her sire, a man whom she attaches the most complicated of bonds—strictly familial, I’m afraid—and whose sanity and existence is in peril even for an immortal as old and powerful as he. Taking place less than a year after THE IMMORTAL RULES, Allie’s quest hasn’t gone as intended, and will continue it’s downward spiral in THE ETERNITY CURE.

WHERE WE GO:
I remember some people mentioning that THE IMMORTAL RULES was a little slow at the starting line, and I know I didn’t have that problem. I discovered that, annoyingly, this time around with THE ETERNITY CURE. But, true to Kagawa’s talent it picks up well and pretty quickly, and that initial slow start almost serves a purpose. Like any thrill ride of life, where you think you’ve got it in the bag because it’s appearance is deceiving, the illusion is what builds the terror or the anxiety. In this case, I don’t think I would’ve been quite so wound-up if it hadn’t been for that sly opening.

You’d think that after THE IMMORTAL RULES, where we traveled from within the Inner Wall and the Fringe inside a vampire city, the outside toward a camp of remaining humans in search of a rumored haven, I’d’ve seen it all. But, one thing Kagawa is really good at doing is creating a new landscape within an already existing one. From Old D. C.—where poor Abe is barely hanging on—inside a White House under new management to the underground web of sewers leading to the heart of the Rabids nest and beneath the Fringe where the mole men are said to lurk, there are far darker places to tread.

WHO WE ARE WITH:
Allie hasn’t undergone a shocking and unexpected metamorphosis since last we were with her. She’s still the same cold, expressionless badass katana wielder capable of many dark deeds and is only willing to leash the blood-sucking monster within her to a point, toeing the line that meets with her own standards. She is accepting of her new nature, what she is and isn’t capable of doing, but she’s chosen the kind of monster she has become, as Kanin would say, and I would say one that could even be termed honorable, if nothing else. With a strong, stubborn will and a katana strapped to her back, I firmly believe there isn’t much this girl can’t take on.

‘Cept maybe Jackal, the once and future raider king. I didn’t get any awesomeness vibes from him in THE IMMORTAL RULES, but man, was my doubt foiled! THIS DUDE.



If Puck were in a vampire book, where he was a malicious, unrepentant raider king who is cunning and mostly evil and slightly more witty, he would be Jackal. Don’t let me unintentionally deceive you: Puck and Jackal are not one in the same. AT ALL. But, oh, I do love good parallels. At first, his attempts at being annoyingly arrogant and witty were actually annoying, because I kind of thought here comes this typical character set up to be the comic relief or whatever. But, that quickly went away when I realized how wrong I was.


Yes, I’d always suspected this but…

Unfortunately, as often as they gave me happy chills and other cheerfully dirty thoughts, I wasn’t feeling the romance between Zeke and Allison as much. Some of the actual scenes, were, as I kind of hinted, pretty sexay and feels-ridden, but mostly they felt out of place and thrown together oddly. Whenever there was an affectionate quip or public kiss , whatever the case, I was never fully into it because I kept thinking something like, uh, guys, her Sire is RIGHT THERE, Jackal is RIGHT THERE, and ALSO: THERE ARE DEADLY THINGS EVERYWHERE. So not the bloody time. Not the time. Cool the pants fire.

THE LITTLE THINGS:

1. Running Into Jackal
2. Infiltrating A Nest Of Rabids… With Jackal
3. Finding The Mole Men… With Jackal
4. Running Into Zeke… With Jackal
5. Oh! And, Uh, Jackal
6. THE ENDING so fucked up, Julie

I’ve gotta stop promising I’ll not do the whole “THE ENDING!” following –Insert Wavy Hand Gestures As An Attempt At Eerieness And Drama- because I’m a liar. But, seriously, even as I saw it coming, I still couldn’t contain the shock and awe… and anticipation. Mostly, because yes I’m looking forward to more badassery on Jackal’s part, but also because I imagine that The Forever Song is going to have some PRETTY EPIC STUFF involved. Not to mention that a certain psychotic vamp has once again been thwarted by our Allison Sekemoto (if his limb deduction is any indication).



And I’m SURE his vengeance will create a catastrophic quake in Allison’s world.

Hardback / 446 pgs / April 30th 2013 / Harlequin Teen / Goodreads / $16.99

I received an e-galley of this book from Harlequin Teen via Netgalley.