{Audio Book Review} Kiss of Frost by Jennifer Estep

Series: Mythos Academy #2

Narrator: Tara Sands

Publication date: March 19, 2013

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

ISBN-13: 9781469283883

Synopsis  

You always hear that what other people think doesn’t matter but when it turns out that those other people are reapers, you better pay attention. One incident it can be a coincidence, but two in a day make you wonder doesn’t it.

Now in hopes of finding my own safety and shaking danger out way I am off to the school’s Winter Carnival, a place where students go to ski and party hard.

 My weapons training hasn’t really progress and let’s face it you can’t have your own personal super hero come and save you all the time, no matter how hot the Spartan is.

Let’s hope the goddess Nike picked the right champion and that my magic doesn’t start playing games on me.

Review

Here is the thing with Jennifer Estep, when I think I have her book all figured out there comes a game changer, which I love. The only problem is that she gets repetitive and that I have to wait all the way to the end for things to stop popping up and surprise me.

I love the characters, especially Gwen Frost, the main character. She has a good ethic and she may not be the brightest of the bunch but she is learning to trust other even when her magic has been keeping others at bay in fear of watching things she would rather not.

Either Tara Sands is lowering the sarcastic Veronica Mars vibe and playing more with her voice in this audio book or I am growing used to her style for this series, let’s hope it’s the first one.

It seems that Jennifer Estep is letting her secondary characters come out of the background and play a little more , not only that, she also teases you in this book with the idea that some of the characters that you wouldn’t have given a second glance have more layers and have secrets of their own. I hope this tendency continues, it would really help the world of Mythos Academy expand.

Rating:

{Review} Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger

Series: Finishing School #1

Publication date: February 5th, 2013

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

ISBN-13: 9780316190084

Synopsis  

Sophronia is a young, educated, an active mind and the energy to take on the tasks she sets herself into. Sadly, this does not amuse her mother, nor Sophronia’s sisters. As a last resort to correct her unlady like daughter Mrs. Temminick sends her daughter off to Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality.

Being sent into a school that would teach her how to curtsy or make her a proper lady was always a treat her mother used, but not one that Sophronia’s mother would actually act on. But the school seems to hold more than the key to becoming a true lady, her education is more complete and exciting then she expected.

Review

Etiquette and Espionage was a book hard to put down, an interesting combination of supernatural, Victorian etiquette and a girl that won’t let society limit all that she can be.

For those of you that are expecting a comparison between Finishing School and the Parasol Protectorate, the only thing that I can tell you is what the blurb in goodreads says, they are both set on the same world. This is my first experience with Gail’s work and let me tell that I will be keeping an eye out for her new series as well as getting myself familiarized with her first series.

I am going to be honest there was a part of the book that made me doubt if I was going to read this book ‘til the end, I thought maybe there was some forced multiracial in the book, you know like in the movies when suddenly a non-caucasian characters enters to give “color” to the story. That was my first impression with the characters in the first line it appeared, but after that line I felt bad for thinking that and was relieved that this wasn’t the case.

I love how the story developed at its own passed, it gives you time to know more about the paranormal in this world, about who the characters are, how the technology in this world works and for the story to breath.

As a main character Sophronia is smart, fun, one to take risks and not stuck on herself. And her roommates give you a broader dimension on how this world works, the expectations of society, makes the story more fun and makes you wonder about each of their background stories.

Rating:

 

{Cover Wars} Fosaken by Lisa M. Stasse

Come one come all, welcome to Cover Wars, where covers battle it out in a fierce catwalk so we can decide on who wore it best. Before we take a look a this week's contestant lets reveal the winner of last week's battle showing Julie Cross's first baby in the self-publishing world yes ladies and gentlemen we are talking about Letters to Nowhere and last week you voted and you decided that your favorite Letters to Nowhere cover is....

The Kissing Cover
Now that the kissing cover has had a chance to bask on it's glory and go all "na na nana na!!" on the loosing cover lets take a look at this weeks contestants! This week we have Forsaken by Lisa M. Stasse, lets take look at what this book is all about so we can judge a little better the covers that come in to play.

As an obedient orphan of the U.N.A. (the super-country that was once Mexico, the U.S., and Canada), Alenna learned at an early age to blend in and be quiet—having your parents taken by the police will do that to a girl. But Alenna can’t help but stand out when she fails a test that all sixteen-year-olds have to take: The test says she has a high capacity for brutal violence, and so she is sent to The Wheel, an island where all would-be criminals end up. 
The life expectancy of prisoners on The Wheel is just two years, but with dirty, violent, and chaotic conditions, the time seems a lot longer as Alenna is forced to deal with civil wars for land ownership and machines that snatch kids out of their makeshift homes. 
Desperate, she and the other prisoners concoct a potentially fatal plan to flee the island. Survival may seem impossible, but Alenna is determined to achieve it anyway.

Now that we know more about Forsaken, Alenna and her fight for survival how about we take a look at the covers that are trying to give a face to this book?
First we have the first face this book has ever had, we are talking about the U.S. edition that came out in July 2012.

A couple of months latter the U.K. released it's own cover for this book, if you wish to be more exact it was in August, where they changed the concept from a more complex looking cover into a more conservative and to the point kind of cover.

After watching this beautiful covers and having an idea about what Forsaken is about which of the two contestants inspires you the most to pick it up and read it, the one that will catch your attention in the bookshelf, the one that will whisper to you "read me, you know you want to". Vote, comment or post your smoke signals letting us know which cover you liked best and why.

{Guest Post} If you’re tired of vampires, try Capture the Flag by Kate Messner

I’m not gonna lie, I love a good vampire/witch/werewolf/fantasy book but sometimes I want to read something else.  I know, strange, right? But just like someone said: Pam cannot live on bread alone (or something) I believe Pam cannot live on vampires alone.  I need to switch up my reading every now and again and try something different.  After all, you can’t live on a strict diet of cake, can you? No.  Maybe.

So, what does one read when one needs a break from the fantasy genre?  A quick switch to a delightful middle grade book called Capture the Flag by Kate Messner.  Capture the Flag is a fun multicultural read that will appeal to most everyone. Four children of differing ethnic backgrounds are thrown together to help solve the mystery of a missing valuable piece of history. The tale takes place in Washington DC so there’s lots of regional attractions for readers to recognize plus fun connections to famous artists. 

This group of tweens use their talents and pool their wits to help solve the mystery and look for the missing valuable artifact.  It’s delightful to see kids who think they can’t do something special discover that they are indeed brave and daring when they need to be.  The story also shows how culturally sensitive kids today can be. 

Like that idea? Then a companion piece to Capture the Flag is The Obsidian Mask by Caroline Ludovici.  Obsidian Mask is involves young teens who meet at an archeological dig in the Middle East.  The kids’ parents, famous archeologists, uncover some fascinating artifacts that capture the interest of the locals.  There’s kidnapping, theft, and lots of bad guys to keep you interested.  If you didn’t think archeology and ancient history could be interesting, give The Obsidian Mask a read; you can practically see the uncovered jewels of the ancient warrior queen sparkling in the sand. 

Never read a middle grade book? Why not give it a chance?

PammyPam @ Unconventional Librarian

{Review} Otherkin by Nina Berry

Publication date: July 31^st, 2012

Publisher: Kensington

ISBN-13: 9780758276919

Synopsis

Dez knew little about her past when it came to where she comes from. She knew she was adopted, she knows she is a good person and she knows that people don’t normally have to go through what just happened to her.

You see, girls don’t normally get attacked and they wake up in cages, nor do they escape with their next cage neighbor.

Dez worlds has just started changing let’s just hope the boy she escaped with and the world she is now entering have the answers she needs before those that trapped her caught up with them.

Review

When I started Otherking I wasn’t expecting a read that left me feeling that the book flew by, I was expecting something to distract me, to pass time, another were story. I was surprised that I could really sink myself in the story, even if it felt like a fast read I was pleasantly surprised by this story and what it offers.

The big picture behind Otherkin has me fascinated, the world that Dez lives in and the answers that she seeks I feel would be taking us on to bigger adventures and shifting what we think we knew about her world.

This book will be a little evil; it will be giving you answers as well as evoking new questions. Don’t worry it isn’t in a stressing way, but the author has a way to make the journey fun to travel.

I loved Dez and Caleb, but what I loved the most is how well they work together. Dez wins her spot in the story she isn’t a bratty nor a whines about everything, she tries to learn, make the best of the situation she is in and with all the unknowns in the horizon.

With all the answers and the way this plot twisted I can’t wait to see how Nina Berry surprises us on the next installment of this series: Othermoon.

Rating:

 

{Audio Book Review} Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Publication Date: January 3rd 2012

Publisher: Harper Collins

ISBN-13:  9780062072030

Synopsis

Aria’s world was simple, easy, the biggest of her worries was the regret of how she behaved the day her mother left the pod to continue her investigation out of Reverie. Now after a horrible incident is rumored to have happened on the pod her mother was doing her research in Aria will do everything in her power to get to her, and to do so she must first survive the outside world filled with savages, cannibals, world and worst of all Aether storms that have the power to burn and destroy everything in their path.

Review

It has been a while since I finished a book and felt the unstoppable desire to write a review, and I guess I’ll be waiting a little longer as this is an audio book.

Because of the good combinations between Veronica Rossi’s story and Bernadette Dunne Flanger’s narration I find myself craving to read the physical book, to see how the taste of the story changes from Miss Bernadette’s words bringing this world to live to my imagination standing alone in Aria’s and Perry’s world.

Bernadetter Dunne Flanger made this audio book totally enjoyable, it was amazing to me how she made the story feel like it was just alive and how you could hear her voice transformed into a subtle laughter, sadness or whatever feeling needed to conveyed as she embodied Aria, Perry and Roar.

I really don't remember feeling like she cut the flow of the story or that she messed up at expressing what the story or its characters needed to show us. All I can say is that as the story grew to its climax I was unable to leave, even if I had had something important to do I was trapped in this story that wouldn't let me go and I wouldn't have gotten away from it either.

I am sad to see that Bernadette is not the narrator for the second book, I hope Michael Goldstrom does a fair job keeping the story alive the way that she did. When I ask myself what could I change about this audio book, its is just a piece of the story, part of the edition where the audio engineer didn't clear the "th", essing and strong sounds at the end of Dunne's words.

If you were thinking about trying an audio book or where looking for one to listen to, let me tell you this is a great pick, the swoon moments, the tension, the stress, surprise, relief and romance is well worked and played by both Veronica Rossy and Bernadetter Dunne Flanger.

Rating:

{Review} Burn Mark by Laura Powell

Series: Burn Mark #1

Publication Date: June 19, 2012

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA

ISBN-13: 9781599908434

Synopsis

Young Gloriana thinks she has her future figured out, she will grow up and be a witch all the stigma and consequences that comes with it be dammed, and she will follow the steps of her grandmother, one of the famous Starling twins.

Soon enough Glory discover that her life isn't as simple as she wanted it to be and that there are a lot of interest involved that are trying to dictate her future and who she should be.

Lucas comes from a long line of prosecutors for the Inquisition, he is proud of his heritage and to know that even though witches are hunted down and sometimes burned witches have a fair trailed and their faith isn't as barbaric as in Africa. 

But all that comes crashing down when the fae awakens within him and he goes from being the son of a long line of prosecutors to being what they hunt, a witch, now trying to be helpful and find a new purpose for himself he tries joining the WICA, think about it like the FBI for witches where he will try to prove his worth even though he is a witch.

Review

I imagined this book like a modern version of 1920's era of the mobsters, flapper and dolls, well more like a few years latter where its glory was down but people were still trying to bring it back. Especially from Gloriana's side of the story.

It's interesting how Laura Powell shows us how vain and stupid humanity can be by hunting witches and fearing them even though not all witches in this world are bad and most are just fighting to be equals not vile rodents that the "normal ones" are letting stay alive. From an outsider perspective you can see how everyone's life would be better if everyone would just stop being so stubborn and they would work together. 

This story offers a delicious plot that will go deeper than originally presented in the begging of the book, don't worry I won’t say more, I don't want to spoil any of your fun if you decide to read it.

I loved this story, how it is the perfect combination of trying to crack a case, getting to know the world and the characters that live in it and especially what they all hide.

Rating:

If you didn't like Twilight, then read The Scarlet Dagger by Krystle Jones

So this is the second eidtion of If you didn’t like the Twilight movies, I hope this really helps those of you that maybe because of this movie or maybe another reason got turned off from vampires, to the Twilight fans I mean no disrespect and if at some point what I wrote became offensive let me know in a respectful way, I’ve re-read this post and saw nothing that might offend you guys. Now then shall we take a lookf at reason number two?

I like my girl with spunk and a fight to give

Ok so Bella lost a lot of points in book two went she went into not only depression but also into self-destruction mode to be able to hear Edwards voice. If you want a heroine that is in some way related to vampires that can kick some butt, stay strong no matter what life throws at her and at the end of the day have a little romance on the side then I think ladies and gents I have the thing for you.

Series: The Red Sector Chronicles #1

Publication Date: October 23, 2011

ASIN: B005z26DWM

I think you will like the The Red Sector Chronicles where in The Scarlet Dagger we meet Sloane who is trying to make sense of what the world has become and the people they have lost. Sloane still believes her brother is alive even after the night vampires started slaughtering people where he disappeared.

Now Sloane will leave the safety of the city to explore the Red Sector in hopes of finding her lost twin brother, what she finds will not only defy her wildest dreams but also shake everything she thought she knew about her world.

In this book you will find action, romance a strong heroine, nice and evil vampires and a would that could turn dystopian right before your eyes.

Now the heroines in last edition of "If you didn't like Twilight" also fit this mold so if you want to take a look just click on the pretty little link right here.

If you didn't like Twilight, then read The Hallowed Ones or Morganvill Vampires

Ok twilight fans no offense but there is no such thing as something universally liked and Twilight is now exception, I do not intend to offend any of you so please don’t take it that way.

We all have different tastes and reasons why we like or dislike something, so I will be diving this one into 3 parts where you can find a couple of recommendations based on reasons why people didn’t like it, this 3 parts will be found in three different posts (if it all goes well).

Vampires where too good, they should not sparkle

If you think this is true then maybe you are looking for more evil? If you are looking for vampires that are evil to the core with no real sense other than to kill with a dash of mystery and some horror maybe you should look at “The Hollow Ones” by Laura Bickle.

Series: The Hallowed Ones #1

Publication Date: September 25, 2012

Publisher: HMH Graphia (Harper Collins)

ISBN-13: 9780547859262

Synospsis

Her dreams of Rumspringa where now gone, the outside world was no more, gone with it where her dreams of long afternoons enjoying a Coke and going to the movies. 

Katie has always been a rebel among the Amish, the elders pay her extra attention. You would think that when the world outside turn deadly that she would obey the elders and not question their decision, but when a life is at stake she will risk everything and everyone to do what is right.

After rescuing Alex a 24 year old Canadian she discovers more about what happened in the outside, if Alex is to be believed the outside world is falling in the hands of vampires and not the shiny ones, no this ruthless creatures have a blood lust and an evil inside of them that the destruction they havoc comes from beyond your gory imagination. 

 Full Review

If you are looking for vampires that aren’t always good but know they are powerful enough to run an unknown town in Texas where humans live in fear and college students are the daily special you might want to take a look into the Morganville Vampire series by Rachel Caine.

Series: Morganville Vampires #1

Publication Date: October 03, 2006

Publisher: NAL Jam (Penguin)

ISBN-13: 9780451219947

Synospsis

Claire wanted to take her college experience as far away from her parents as possible, which is part of the Morganville university appeal.

Once she arrives to Morganville, Texas she discovers that college can be more about surviving then studying. Her eyes are wide open when she decides to run from the college dorms to escape an awful schoolmate that borderlines pshyco, only to see that she is the least of her problems.

Full review soon to come, 

I must ask for the first 2 books in the series back.

If you would like to participate on “If you liked this, then read that” please let me know, you can do it either via e-mail, by this form or a DM on twitter.

{Review} Biting Cold by Chloe Neill

Series: Chicagoland Vampires #6

Publication Date: August 7, 2012

Publisher: New American Library (Penguin)

ISBN-13: 9780451237019

Synopsis

So much has happened since Lake Michigan turned dark both politically and supernaturally, now with a quest pending and a promise in the air our favorite Cadogan vampires are out on a hunt in hopes of getting an extremely dangerous artifact back before supernaturals with much more destructive plans in mind get it.

Review

Where to start… Chicagoland Vampires is a series that in my opinion has found a great balance between action, attraction, romance, urban fantasy and a wonderful and quirky sense of humor. This is the Chloe Neill style I fell in love with.

Biting Cold puts all the before mentioned elements in action and makes the characters shine. This book will have you smirking before you read that, that is exactly the reaction the character gave, laughing, shacking with anticipation of what is to come, getting frustrated with the characters about the mystery’s and obstacles they face, blushing and don’t be surprised if you find yourself unable to leave this book until you finish it.

This book takes more twist and turns and is much more active than the previous to books have been. I wouldn’t call this book a fast read, it is more of an action packed read, and even if there is enough movement in the story to go around the supernatural world keeps expanding with the meeting of new characters and new sides to ones with think we knew.

If you haven’t jumped the Chicagoland Vampires I strongly suggest you hop on this vampires and other sups are great characters to read (they feel without a doubt real) adventures that put our beloved character to the test (both in strength and their relationships) and urban fantasy in continuous expansion just when you thought you knew everything about Chicago and the supernaturals that live in this world you find that there is more to learn.

Rating:

  

{Cover Wars} Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Hello guys and welcome to another edition of cover wars where this week we will be shacking thing up a little, you see we always compare books that have had a cover make over but this week we will look at the same but only that it will be compared by an international edition. This week's contender is Marissa Meyer's very own Cinder! Let’s take a look at the book blurb shall we?

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.

Now that we are all on the same page shall we take a look at our international contenders? In the right corner we have the cover that started it all; with a red shinny slipper we have the original Cinder cover!!

On the left corner with the charisma of the beautiful cyborg girl sitting alone in the dark with just one glass slipper at foot, it’s been used in the Spanish edition and what I am led to believe is the Polish edition of Cinder!!

Now guys I must confess it’s the original edition of Cinder that made me read the book, but the international edition we see hear stole my heart.

The original cover is an allusive temptress with a clue of the book, a beautiful cover for a really good retelling of Cinderella. The red slipper calls out to you and there is no doubt about which story we are talking about, even before you read the book you have an idea of what it’s going to be about.

On the other hand the second cover is as  little bit more direct but it also gives the feel that Cinder will get up at any moment and head out to do what she must, I may not be able to see her face but I can imagine what she is thinking, what she must do. But I’m also conscious that if you haven’t read the book it is hard to imagine her that way. If I had no idea what this book was about I would find myself drawn to the beautiful dress and the curious about how this person lost her slipper I would find myself wondering how this cover and the way this book starts collide.

What about you guys? How do you think each cover translates? 

{Review} Drink Deep by Chloe Neill

Series: Chicagoland Vampires #5

Publication Date: November 1st , 2011

Publisher: New American Library (Penguin)

ISBN-13: 9780451234865

Synopsis

Two months have passed since both Chicago and Cadogan’s house have been shocked to their cores, with no more time to assimilate their loss and the changes that have befallen them our favorite vampire must get back into action.

The waters of Lake Michigan have turned dark, the supernaturals linked to it are feeling their effects, something wrong is happening in Chicago and with too many suspects and not enough information can   our pony tailed Avenger find the cause to what humans are calling the End of the World?

Review

In Drink Deep we get to see more of the initial movement that captured us in “Some Girls Bite” Merit has to solve the mystery of the lake while she is trying to not hurt the house by causing any more vampires drama while the appointed of the GP checks the house out and decides what is wrong with it, heads up you might see a glance of what Dolores Umbridge might have been if she was male, immortal and fanged.

This book isn’t fast passed per say but it keeps you on your toes while you are presented with all the supernatural and magical story moved the world of Chicagoland but we ignored. Not only are our views of the supernatural world expanded and our knowledge of magic augmented but we also get to see the other side of characters we already loved.

The way this book leaves you will have you jumping off to “Biting Cold” with no idea of what to expect but knowing that Chloe Neill knows how to put on a hell of a show.

Rating: