{Trailer Sunday} The Paladin Prophecy by Mark Frost

Will West is careful to live life under the radar. At his parents' insistence, he's made sure to get mediocre grades and to stay in the middle of the pack on his cross-country team. Then Will slips up, accidentally scoring off the charts on a nationwide exam.

Now Will is being courted by an exclusive prep school . . . and is being followed by men driving black sedans. When Will suddenly loses his parents, he must flee to the school. There he begins to explore all that he's capable of--physical and mental feats that should be impossible--and learns that his abilities are connected to a struggle between titanic forces that has lasted for millennia.

Co-creator of the groundbreaking television series Twin Peaks, Mark Frost brings his unique vision to this sophisticated adventure, which combines mystery, heart-pounding action, and the supernatural.

{Cover Wars} Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Another beautiful Wednesday means another edition of Cover Wars!! Are you guys ready to see some covers fight it out for your affection??? Last time we had The Book Thief by Markus Zusak beautiful covers, thanks Kathryn Trask and Ann that commented on this edition and to all of you that voted on the polls.

The winner for the Book Thief show down is….

The Clean Cover!!!

Now that we’ve all got to bask on the winners glory let’s get down to this week’s business, this week we are going to do another book that is hitting the big screen and that most of you have been waiting for, I am talking about Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins. I know that most of you know the story but let’s give it a go for those that still haven’t heard of this book.

Against all odds, Katniss has won the Hunger Games. She and fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mellark are miraculously still alive. Katniss should be relieved, happy even. After all, she has returned to her family and her longtime friend, Gale. Yet nothing is the way Katniss wishes it to be. Gale holds her at an icy distance. Peeta has turned his back on her completely. And there are whispers of a rebellion against the Capitol - a rebellion that Katniss and Peeta may have helped create.

Much to her shock, Katniss has fueled an unrest she's afraid she cannot stop. And what scares her even more is that she's not entirely convinced she should try. As time draws near for Katniss and Peeta to visit the districts on the Capitol's cruel Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. If they can't prove, without a shadow of a doubt, that they are lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying.

Now that we are all in the loop boys and girls let’s get the contestants out!!

First up we have the blue cover that is to harbor some of the darkness in the themes that this series holds inside, I present to you the deadly serious cover.

Next up we have a purple cover that seems to take after the deadly cover, only that for me this cover looks more like it has a pigeon front and center instead of a mocking jay don’t you think??

Moving on we have the cover that seems to be more dominant on shelves the red cover, the one that seems to tie in the mocking jay pin that was so important in the first book and brings it up for all of us to see and wonder who it will become relevant in this one.

Last but not least we have the movie tie in version, the one that shows a strong Katniss, one that seems to be able to take on everything that President Snow might throw at her.

So guys which one is your favorite cover? Remember to vote, comment and share your opinions of the covers that are now fighting for your affection. 

{Trailer Sunday} The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor

In 1897 England, sixteen-year-old Finley Jayne has no one...except the "thing" inside her.When a young lord tries to take advantage of Finley, she fights back. And wins. But no "normal" Victorian girl has a darker side that makes her capable of knocking out a full-grown man with one punch....

Only Griffin King sees the magical darkness inside her that says she's special, says she's one of "them." The orphaned duke takes her in from the gaslit streets against the wishes of his band of misfits: Emily, who has her own special abilities and an unrequited love for Sam, who is part robot; and Jasper, an American cowboy with a shadowy secret.

Griffin's investigating a criminal called The Machinist, the mastermind behind several recent crimes by automatons. Finley thinks she can help--and finally be a part of something, finally fit in.

{Trailer Sunday} The Friday Society by Adrienne Kress

In 1897 England, sixteen-year-old Finley Jayne has no one...except the "thing" inside her.When a young lord tries to take advantage of Finley, she fights back. And wins. But no "normal" Victorian girl has a darker side that makes her capable of knocking out a full-grown man with one punch....

Only Griffin King sees the magical darkness inside her that says she's special, says she's one of "them." The orphaned duke takes her in from the gaslit streets against the wishes of his band of misfits: Emily, who has her own special abilities and an unrequited love for Sam, who is part robot; and Jasper, an American cowboy with a shadowy secret.

Griffin's investigating a criminal called The Machinist, the mastermind behind several recent crimes by automatons. Finley thinks she can help--and finally be a part of something, finally fit in.

{Trailer Sunday} The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross

In 1897 England, sixteen-year-old Finley Jayne has no one...except the "thing" inside her.When a young lord tries to take advantage of Finley, she fights back. And wins. But no "normal" Victorian girl has a darker side that makes her capable of knocking out a full-grown man with one punch....

Only Griffin King sees the magical darkness inside her that says she's special, says she's one of "them." The orphaned duke takes her in from the gaslit streets against the wishes of his band of misfits: Emily, who has her own special abilities and an unrequited love for Sam, who is part robot; and Jasper, an American cowboy with a shadowy secret.

Griffin's investigating a criminal called The Machinist, the mastermind behind several recent crimes by automatons. Finley thinks she can help--and finally be a part of something, finally fit in.

{Trailer Sunday} Revolution 19 by Gregg Rosenblum

Twenty years ago, the robots designed to fight our wars abandoned the battlefields. Then they turned their weapons on us.

Only a few escaped the robot revolution of 2071. Kevin, Nick, and Cass are lucky —they live with their parents in a secret human community in the woods. Then their village is detected and wiped out. Hopeful that other survivors have been captured by bots, the teens risk everything to save the only people they have left in the world—by infiltrating a city controlled by their greatest enemies.

Revolution 19 is a cinematic thriller unlike anything else. With a dynamic cast of characters, this surefire blockbuster has everything teen readers want—action, drama, mystery, and romance. 

{Trailer Sunday} The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens

Series: The Books of Beginning #1

Publication date: April 5th, 2011

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

ISBN-13: 9780375868702

The Emerald Atlas brims with humor and action as it charts Kate, Michael, and Emma's extraordinary adventures through an unforgettable, enchanted world. 
These three siblings have been in one orphanage after another for the last ten years, passed along like lost baggage. 
Yet these unwanted children are more remarkable than they could possibly imagine. Ripped from their parents as babies, they are being protected from a horrible evil of devastating power, an evil they know nothing about. Until now. 
Before long, Kate, Michael, and Emma are on a journey through time to dangerous and secret corners of the world...a journey of allies and enemies, of magic and mayhem. And—if an ancient prophesy is correct—what they do can change history, and it is up to them to set things right.

{Trailer Sunday} Code Verity by Elizabeth Wein

Publication date: February 6, 2012

Publisher: Egmont Press

ISBN-13: 9781405258210

I have two weeks. You’ll shoot me at the end no matter what I do.

That’s what you do to enemy agents. It’s what we do to enemy agents. But I look at all the dark and twisted roads ahead and cooperation is the easy way out. Possibly the only way out for a girl caught red-handed doing dirty work like mine — and I will do anything, anything, to avoid SS-Hauptsturmführer von Linden interrogating me again.

He has said that I can have as much paper as I need. All I have to do is cough up everything I can remember about the British War Effort. And I’m going to. But the story of how I came to be here starts with my friend Maddie. She is the pilot who flew me into France — an Allied Invasion of Two.

We are a sensational team.

{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

{Cover Wars} Flame / Fall of a Kingdom by Hilary Bell

This week’s guest is different from the others, this fella didn't just get a book cover makeover, but he also got a name change... that kind a sounds like sex change doesn't it? This week we have Flame or now known are Fall of a Kingdom by Hilary Bell, fortunately the idea nor the content seem to be altered, so then, shall we take a look at the book blurb?

Who was Sorahb? 

Stories are told of a hero who will come to Farsala's aid when the need is greatest. But for thousands of years the prosperous land of Farsala has felt no such need, as it has enjoyed the peace that comes from being both respected and feared.

Now a new enemy approaches Farsala's borders, one that neither fears nor respects its name and legend. But the rulers of Farsala still believe they can beat any opponent.

Three young people are less sure of Farsala's invincibility. Jiaan, Soraya and Kavi see Time's Wheel turning, with Farsala headed toward the Flames of Destruction. What they cannot see is how inextricably their lives are linked to Farsala's fate—until it's too lat

Now then shall we get acquainted with the before and after covers?

Before they decided to change him, he was known as Flame. The cover of a young boy how shelters his identity behind a shield, a flame close by. Here we have the original cover know as Flame.

After his name went from Flame to Fall of a Kingdom and his looks change drastically there was no boy, no flame. Now we a more serious looking cover, one where we can feel the story of this book wanting to spill out of it.

So guys, what do you think about the cover change that this story by Hilary Bell had? What is your opinion about the name change? What do you think drove them into changing it’s name?

{Blog Tour Review} Shooting Stars by H.D. Gordon

Series: A Surah Stormsong Novel #1

Publication date: March 15, 2013

Publisher: ShareAread

Synopsis

Over a thousand years ago a boy and a girl met, both victims from the Great War. Their meeting only lasted a couple of minutes but it was life changing moment.

Now the boy and the girl meet again, only as men and women and as the one to bring justice and the prime suspect of the investigation. Now the boy that fell in love with the princess must prove his innocence, but things will only get more complicated when Black Heart comes to take him away making it harder to explain himself and for him to walk out of this mess.

Review

I enjoyed the trip around Shooting Stars, for me it has a few things to work on but it is a nice journey to an unfamiliar world full of magic, creatures that may look like the ones we know here but couldn’t be farther from, royal drama and love.

The one quirk about this book that made me keep on wondering about the world the story is set in was when we stumbled into technology when this world didn’t seemed to have a need for it, when he get to read about the sign of the bar or the motorcycles that some of the guards use but then puff technology isn’t mentioned again in the book. I know this might not bother some of you but for me this makes my imagination falter and prevents me from getting a good idea of the settings.

I liked most of the characters in this book; I think that H.D. Gordon did a good job letting us know Surah, Charlie and Samson and making us hate other characters which will not be mentioned because of spoilery reasons.

Another thing that stole some of the taste in this story was the main villan, ok we get it he is cuckoo for cocoa puffs but… what else? I get it that he is driven by revenge and that there is more to the story but I would like to at least know what drove him to this point.

I really liked the love story in this book, it was sweet and even if we got to see more of the side of the male lead I am sure we will get to see how love really blossoms on Surah on the next book.

Being this my first H.D. Gordon experience I would have to say I liked it and enjoyed this book. Don’t be surprised if you see me reading and reviewing some of her other books.

Rating:

{Review} The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa

Series: The Iron Fey, Call of the Forgotten #1 / Iron Fey #5

Publication Date: October 23,  2012

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

ISBN-13: 9780373210572

Synopsis
After learning a out the fey the hard way Ethan Chase avoids making contact with them, tries to hide his secret... He can see them. Sadly the creatures that know he can see them cause mischief on his behave and have endangered his live several times.
His game is simple, pretend not to see them, don't get attached, always be prepared and try not to upset his mom. 
Strange thins start to happen to the fey in town and what seems to be a new type of fey appears and tries to push Ethan away from their affairs, sadly Ethan found a "friend" with a half breed Phouka and can't stay away. Which ends up with him and a noisy classmate in a quest to look for his sister Megan Chase the queen of the Iron Fey.

Review
I liked this book, it has tempt me to learn more about the Iron Fey series, so expect more from Julie Kagawa in this blog. 
Now I did like this book, the story was interesting  it was obvious when you where meeting an important character from the Iron Fey universe, you could see the reasons behind Ethan's actions (even if it can be a little too much at times) and even understand Kenzie who can come across as a noisy brat from time to time. But it felt like there was something missing.
I can't quiet put my finger on it but there where times where the story seemed to urge more excitement then what I was experiencing, the descriptions weren't the problem I could fully imagine everything that was happening around, even if I understood the characters I can't say a fell in love with them so maybe that is part of it? maybe because of that me and this book didn't have a great connection even if I can appreciate it's a good book?

Rating:

{Trailer Sunday} The Alchemyst by Michael Scott

Series: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel #1

Publication Date: May 20th, 2007

Publisher: Corgi Childrens

ISBN-13: 9780552562522

Book Blurb 

Nicholas Flamel was born in Paris on 28 September 1330. Nearly seven hundred years later, he is acknowledged as the greatest Alchemyst of his day. It is said that he discovered the secret of eternal life. The records show that he died in 1418. But his tomb is empty and Nicholas Flamel lives.

The secret of eternal life is hidden within the book he protects - the Book of Abraham the Mage. It's the most powerful book that has ever existed. In the wrong hands, it will destroy the world. And that's exactly what Dr. John Dee plans to do when he steals it.

Humankind won't know what's happening until it's too late. And if the prophecy is right, Sophie and Josh Newman are the only ones with the power to save the world as we know it. Sometimes legends are true. And Sophie and Josh Newman are about to find themselves in the middle of the greatest legend of all time

{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:

 

{Trailer Sunday} Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger

It's one thing to learn to curtsy properly. It's quite another to learn to curtsy and throw a knife at the same time. Welcome to finishing school. 

 Fourteen-year-old Sophronia is the bane of her mother's existence. 

Sophronia is more interested in dismantling clocks and climbing trees than proper etiquette at tea--and god forbid anyone see her atrocious curtsy. Mrs. Temminnick is desperate for her daughter to become a proper lady. She enrolls Sophronia in Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality.

But little do Sophronia or her mother know that this is a school where ingenious young girls learn to finish, all right--but it's a different kind of finishing. Mademoiselle Geraldine's certainly trains young ladies in the finer arts of dance, dress, and etiquette, but also in the other kinds of finishing: the fine arts of death, diversion, deceit, espionage, and the modern weaponries. Sophronia and her friends are going to have a rousing first year at school. 

 First in a four book YA series set 25 years before the Parasol Protectorate but in the same universe.

{Cover Wars} Altered by Jennifer Rush

Ok, if you let me I would like to start this edition of Cover Wars a little differently, seeing as Wednesday is a day for book cover in this blog I thought maybe you guys would enjoy a pick at how Jennifer Rush's Altered cover shoot

.

Now that we've all seen it I guess you are curious to know what Altered is all about and how it will play in this weeks edition of Cover Wars. First lets take a look at the book description:

When you can’t trust yourself, who can you believe?
Everything about Anna’s life is a secret. Her father works for the Branch at the helm of its latest project: monitoring and administering treatments to the four genetically altered boys in the lab below their farmhouse. There’s Nick, Cas, Trev . . . and Sam, who’s stolen Anna’s heart. When the Branch decides it’s time to take the boys, Sam stages an escape, killing the agents sent to retrieve them. 
Anna is torn between following Sam or staying behind in the safety of her everyday life. But her father pushes her to flee, making Sam promise to keep her away from the Branch, at all costs. There’s just one problem. Sam and the boys don’t remember anything before living in the lab—not even their true identities.
Now on the run, Anna soon discovers that she and Sam are connected in more ways than either of them expected. And if they’re both going to survive, they must piece together the clues of their past before the Branch catches up to them and steals it all away.

Now then shall we take a look at this weeks contestans??
First we have the ARC edition, the fearless one that for some lucky bloggers was the first face they knew for Altered and may now and forever old a special place in their hearts:

\

Next we have the face that yesterday hit the shelves of all bookstores in hopes of one day jumping into your shelf, we have the one and only FINAL cover!!!

I fell that the purpose of the ARC cover is to over shadow every cover within viewing distance it just catches your eye, then you dig a little deeper and look into the guy's eyes and I see a tenderness in his eyes and I just feel that he is looking at Anna in a moment where she doesn't realize he is watching a moment just for himself.

In the FINAL cover on the other hand is making me feel like I am looking at the back of a strong guy, one that even if he can't remember his past or anything outside the lab, he will make up in conviction and stay strong until he can no more. The effect on the font at how the words almost fit makes a perfect contrast with the word that the letters are spelling.

Author Jennifer Rush was really nice, she gave me two bookmarks to give out to you guys!!!

Rules
*US only 

*Winner has 48 hours to reclaim price

if he/she doesn't a new winner will be

picked.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

{Trailer Sunday} Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes

In a land where magic has been forgotten but peace has reigned for centuries, a deadly unrest is simmering. Three kingdoms grapple for power--brutally transforming their subjects' lives in the process. Amidst betrayals, bargains, and battles, four young people find their fates forever intertwined:

Cleo: A princess raised in luxury must embark on a rough and treacherous journey into enemy territory in search of a magic long thought extinct.

Jonas: Enraged at injustice, a rebel lashes out against the forces of oppression that have kept his country impoverished--and finds himself the leader of a people's revolution centuries in the making.

Lucia: A girl adopted at birth into a royal family discovers the truth about her past--and the supernatural legacy she is destined to wield.

Magnus: Bred for aggression and trained to conquer, a firstborn son begins to realize that the heart can be more lethal than the sword...

The only outcome that's certain is that kingdoms will fall. Who will emerge triumphant when all they know has collapsed?

{Cover Wars} Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Hi guys, how nice of you to join us in another edition of cover wars!! Today we are going to talk about Veronica Rossi's Under the Never Sky. First lets take a look at the book blurb, because as famous as this book is not everyone has read it (myself included, don't hurt me!!!)

Aria has lived her whole life in the protected dome of Reverie. Her entire world confined to its spaces, she's never thought to dream of what lies beyond its doors. So when her mother goes missing, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland long enough to find her are slim.
Then Aria meets an outsider named Perry. He's searching for someone too. He's also wild - a savage - but might be her best hope at staying alive.
If they can survive, they are each other's best hope for finding answers .

Now lets take a look at the contestants shall we, first we have the original cover, the one that started it all ladies and gentlemen:

Next we have the make over edition, the one that came and painted for us both the sky and the lightning:

Honestly, the thing that has had Under the Never Sky in my to read list is the book blurb, the first time I saw it I knew there was a lot of love being spread for this book and I guess that if I had taken the time and had a closer look to the original cover I would be here posting to you with a more informed opinion on this book, because it is gorgeous, nothing like the idea that had been stuck in my head.

On the other hand we have the new cover, where if you focus on her walk you can see Aria walking confidently into the future, kinda saying yes this is a love story but I carry my own.

What you guys think?? Do you have a favorite?? Do you agree or disagree??? Please let us know ;)

Trailer Sunday #7 The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa

Don’t look at Them. Never let Them know you can see Them.

That is Ethan Chase’s unbreakable rule. Until the fey he avoids at all costs—including his reputation—begin to disappear, and Ethan is attacked. Now he must change the rules to protect his family. To save a girl he never thought he’d dare to fall for.

Ethan thought he had protected himself from his older sister’s world—the land of Faery. His previous time in the Iron Realm left him with nothing but fear and disgust for the world Meghan Chase has made her home, a land of myth and talking cats, of magic and seductive enemies. But when destiny comes for Ethan, there is no escape from a danger long, long forgotten.

This novel is one of Julie’s books that will have you demanding for the second one as soon as you finish your read.

I would like to take advantage of this opportunity to invite you guys to invite you to like and tweet the  http://www.theironfey.com/unlock.php to unlock the FREE e-books that Julie Kagawa and Harlequin will unlock as soon as it reaches 5,000 shares.

P.S. the ebooks will stay unlocked for a week so you must keep a close watch if you want to take advantege of this promotion.