Review: Immortal Beloved ARC by Cate Tiernan

Title: Immortal Beloved
Author: Cate Tiernan
Hardcover: 416 pages
Published: Sept 7, 2010
Reading Level: YA
My Copy: Around the World Tours
My rating: 4.5 out of 5 wicked hearts

Blurb (from Amazon.com):

Nastasya has spent the last century living as a spoiled, drugged-out party girl. She feels nothing and cares for no one. But when she witnesses her best friend, a Dark Immortal, torture a human, she realizes something's got to change. She seeks refuge at a rehab for wayward immortals, where she meets the gorgeous, undeniably sexy Reyn, who seems inexplicably linked to her past.

Nastasya finally begins to deal with life, and even feels safe--until the night she learns that someone wants her dead.

Cate Tiernan, author of the popular Sweep series, returns with an engaging story of a timeless struggle and inescapable romance, the first book in a stunning new fantasy trilogy. 

My quick wicked thoughts...An exciting start to a new trilogy, with engaging immortal characters but leaving many unanswered questions.

Why I was tempted to read this...I hadn't heard about it before it was offered on the ARC tour but the blurb reeled me in.

Cover thoughts...it's pretty cool, I like the use of swirling colors

Romance meter...not a ton of action but a lot of build up and I suspect that the future two books will make the build up all worth it!  They are both fighting an attraction that neither think they want.

Characters and plot...I have to say, I really enjoyed this book.  It kept my interest with Nastasya developing as a person from the spoiled, careless girl into someone that wants live...really live, rather than just exist.  The mystery of her connection with Rayn is told thru flashbacks to the past in the form of visions that she has.  Nastasya has always been uncomfortable with magic and discovers she has unusual talents for it when she opens herself up to the possibility.  There are a couple of different plots going on in this books, one of which is resolved at the end of the book...but the others are left for future books, which makes me that much more excited to read them!  Nastasya at the end of the book is 180 degrees from the character at the start, she grows, learns, deals with the past, accepts truths and learns to forgive.  That's a lot to cover in a book and this author does a fantastic job of it.

The ending...was short, sweet, and somewhat abrupt...solving one problem but leaving others open.  According to the author's blog, she working on book #2, currently titled Everlasting Darkness.  I didn't see a release date, but I am ready!

Release info...this doesn't officially release until Sept 7th but Amazon.com is already selling it and I heard it is B&N stores too...so go out and get a copy! 

CSN stores

The lovely people at CSN stores contacted me recently to see if I would  be interested in doing a review of one of their products...well their email couldn't have come at a better time!  I was first looking over their bedroom furniture sets, because lets be honest, who couldn't use some sprucing up there.  As luck would have it, my computer desk chair broke just this week, so that will be the product I will be testing out.  I think this one looks pretty fabulous, what do you guys think?

So I will be ordering my new chair very soon and I will try it out and give you guys a review.  If you are looking for ANYTHING..check out csnstore.com because they really do have everything you can imagine!

Review: Halo ARC by Alexandra Adornetto

Search Amazon.com for halo
Title: Halo
Author: Alexandra Adornetto
Hardcover: 496 pages
Published: August 31, 2010
Reading Level: YA
My copy: Around the World Tours
My rating: 4 out of 5 wicked hearts

Blurb from amazon.com:

Three angels are sent down to bring good to the world: Gabriel, the warrior; Ivy, the healer; and Bethany, a teenage girl who is the least experienced of the trio. But she is the most human, and when she is romantically drawn to a mortal boy, the angels fear she will not be strong enough to save anyone—especially herself—from the Dark Forces.
Is love a great enough power against evil?

My quick wicked thoughts...An original story about angels come to earth to help mankind and battle the dark forces.

Why I was tempted to read this...the blurb sounded interesting and I have enjoyed most of the angel stories I have read this year.

Cover thoughts...It's pretty amazing, I love the wings in the picture

Romance meter...Bethany and Xavier have an unstoppable romance that tests the bounds of established rules.

Characters and plot...The was a beautifully woven story of angels, hope and enduring love.  When Bethany comes to earth with her "family", Ivy and Gabriel, she is experiencing everything for the first time: the way things feel, taste, smell, hunger and unexpectedly for her, love.  She starts school to help them get out into the community and meets the nice boy of the school, Xavier, that she finds herself drawn to him. She wants to deny this because angels are not allowed to have that type of relationship with humans, after all, they are only on earth for the duration of their mission and then they will go back to heaven.

I found this book engaging and somewhat humorous at times.  The characters were likable and actually, Xavier, was almost too perfect, but that's okay. Ivy was a motherly type of angel and Gabriel was somewhat strict but so mysterious you couldn't help but want to know more. It is a long book but I didn't ever get bogged down into too much information that disrupted the flow of the book, it was an easy read.  This book as a sequel coming out in 2011 and I look forward to reading more of Bethany and Xavier's romance...and I honestly hope that Gabriel gets to have a little fun of his own.


Interesting author fact...this is the 3rd book written by this author and she is only 18.  You can definitely tell her parents are English teachers because the book is written so beautifully.

Review: Nevermore ARC by Kelly Creagh

Title: Nevermore
Author: Kelly Creagh
Hardcover: 560 pages
Reading Level: YA
Published: August 31, 2010
My Copy: Star Book Tours
My rating: 4.5 out of 5 wicked hearts

Blurb from Amazon.com:

And the raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting

On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;

And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming,

And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;

And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor

Shall be lifted - nevermore!

-- from "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe

Cheerleader Isobel Lanley is horrified when she is paired with Varen Nethers for an English project, which is due—so unfair—on the day of the rival game. Cold and aloof, sardonic and sharp-tongued, Varen makes it clear he’d rather not have anything to do with her either. But when Isobel discovers strange writing in his journal, she can’t help but give this enigmatic boy with the piercing eyes another look.

Soon, Isobel finds herself making excuses to be with Varen. Steadily pulled away from her friends and her possessive boyfriend, Isobel ventures deeper and deeper into the dream world Varen has created through the pages of his notebook, a realm where the terrifying stories of Edgar Allan Poe come to life.

As her world begins to unravel around her, Isobel discovers that dreams, like words, hold more power than she ever imagined, and that the most frightening realities are those of the mind. Now she must find a way to reach Varen before he is consumed by the shadows of his own nightmares.

His life depends on it. 

My quick wicked thoughts...Dark, mysterious, edgy romance set that shows you everything isn't how it first seemed.

Why I was tempted to read this...reading the blurb made if sound like a fresh take on a YA paranormal romance, who wouldn't love reading about Edgar Allan Poe!

Cover thoughts...love it...gave me a clear vision of the two main characters.

Romance meter...lots of sizzling sparks between Isobel and Varen, I hope to see even more in the 2nd book.

Characters and plot...Isobel's world changes in the blink of an eye when she is paired with goth boy Varen for an assignment. She must get a good grade on this project to stay on the cheerleading team.  Isobel starts breaking all the rules with her parents and her friends to start spending time with Varen on this project.  Varen is mysterious and dark and has an obsession with Edgar Allan Poe.  As they start hanging out more, strange things start happening to Isobel and her life as she knows it changes...and when she goes to a party with Varen, things change in ways she couldn't even guess.  

I have to say I loved this book, I loved the dynamic between Isobel and Varen...and all his secrets.  I love the way the author weaved in Poe's writings into the story and created a new world for the characters to exist in. If I have to say one thing negative, it would be that the climax of the plot was so long...this is a long book at 560 pages and about the last 1/4 of it was the plot climax.  You cannot say that things came together too quickly in the end for this book LOL  I was getting impatient to get to the end and find out what was happening with Varen.  This is actually one of those books that has so much depth that you could read it again and probably find things you missed the first time thru.  I will definitely purchase this one for my shelf.

The ending...the ending leaves things totally up in the air for the next book.  There is so much left to happen that I really cannot wait to read it! The ending did break my heart a bit, but I just know things will be fixed in the sequel which according the the author's website, she is working on.  

Review: Beautiful Darkness ARC by Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl

Title: Beautiful Darkness
Authors: Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
Hardcover: 512 pages
Published: October 12, 2010
Reading Level: YA
My Copy: Around the World ARC Tours
My rating: 3 out of 5 wicked hearts

Blurb (from Amazon.com):

Ethan Wate used to think of Gatlin, the small Southern town he had always called home, as a place where nothing ever changed. Then he met mysterious newcomer Lena Duchannes, who revealed a secret world that had been hidden in plain sight all along. A Gatlin that harbored ancient secrets beneath its moss-covered oaks and cracked sidewalks. A Gatlin where a curse has marked Lena's family of powerful Supernaturals for generations. A Gatlin where impossible, magical, life-altering events happen.

Sometimes life-ending.

Together they can face anything Gatlin throws at them, but after suffering a tragic loss, Lena starts to pull away, keeping secrets that test their relationship. And now that Ethan's eyes have been opened to the darker side of Gatlin, there's no going back. Haunted by strange visions only he can see, Ethan is pulled deeper into his town's tangled history and finds himself caught up in the dangerous network of underground passageways endlessly crisscrossing the South, where nothing is as it seems. 

My quick wicked thoughts...the second book in the series that I wish I had loved as much as the first.

Why I was tempted to read this...Beautiful Creatures was awesome so of course I wanted to read the sequel!

Cover thoughts...I loved it just as much as the BC's cover, both are dark, spooky and gothic, gotta love it

Romance meter...very low :(  see below why!

Characters and plot...I had some high expectations for this book considering how much I loved BC, and I have to admit, I was somewhat disappointed.   I spent most of this book wanting to kick Lena for being such a witch toward Ethan and then I wanted to kick Ethan for putting up with it!  When Lena pulled away from him, she did it in a big way and was very unpredictable. It was pretty much breaking my heart for Ethan.  The story was fairly slow until Ethan discovered the tunnels and started exploring and things broke wide open.  The plot was engaging at that point and I was just done with Lena ha ha.  There were some questions that got answered in this book from BC and Ethan develops more as a character, which I was happy to see.  I am still just DONE with Lena :)  Maybe the 3rd book will redeem her.

The ending...was dramatic and exciting, all that I was hoping.  I was thinking to myself that this book could end quite badly, but I was satisfied with the ending.

Review: Shadow Hills ARC by Anastasia Hopcus

Title: Shadow Hills
Author: Anastasia Hopcus
Hardcover: 400 pages
Published: July 2010
Reading Level: YA
My Copy: Book it Forward ARC Tours
My rating: 4.5 out of 5 wicked hearts

Blurb (from Amazon.com):

After her sister Athena's tragic death, it's obvious that grief-stricken Persephone "Phe" Archer no longer belongs in Los Angeles. Hoping to make sense of her sister's sudden demise and the cryptic dreams following it, Phe abandons her bubbly LA life to attend an uptight East Coast preparatory school in Shadow Hills, MA -- a school which her sister mysteriously mentioned in her last diary entry before she died.

Once there, Phe quickly realizes that something is deeply amiss in her new town. Not only does Shadow Hills' history boast an unexplained epidemic that decimated hundreds of its citizens in the 1700s, but its modern townies also seem eerily psychic, with the bizarre ability to bend metal. Even Zach -- the gorgeous stranger Phe meets and immediately begins to lust after -- seems as if he is hiding something serious. Phe is determined to get to the bottom of it. The longer she stays there, the more she suspects that her sister's untimely death and her own destiny are intricately linked to those who reside in Shadow Hills. 

My quick wicked thoughts...A unique and enthralling spooky romance that will keep you hooked until the end.

Why I was tempted to read this...I had read a few reviews and just the blurb about it made it sound different and fun.

Cover thoughts...It's okay...it doesn't blow me away.

Romance meter...heck yes! The intense attraction between Phe and Zach is just perfectly written.  As much as they try to deny it, they have some major sparks going on!

Characters and plot...I really loved the characters in this book.  Phe was interesting and engaging, she is a girl who isnt afraid to go out there and get what she wants!  Zach of course is the unobtainable hot guy that just a nice guy too.  I didn't want to kick him upside the head like I do a lot of guys ha ha.  The mystery of the dreams with town secrets are mixed together perfectly to keep you flipping pages until the end.  As Phe starts to realize that she might be tied into this town and it's future, she is also determining she might have powers she didn't know about.

The ending...it was very satisfying but there are still some unanswered questions.  Can't find much on news of a sequel but her blog does say she is working on it, yay!!

The Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices, Book 1) ARC by Cassandra Clare

Title: The Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices, Book 1)
Author: Cassandra Clare
Published: August 31, 2010
Hardcover: 496 pages
Reading Level: YA
My copy: Book It Forward Tours
My rating: 4.5 out of 5 wicked hearts

Blurb (from Amazon.com):

Magic is dangerous—but love is more dangerous still.

When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.

Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What’s more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.

Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by—and torn between—two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length . . . everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world. . . . and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all. 

My quick wicked thoughts...A wonderfully crafted new series from the author of the Mortal Instruments series taking place in Victorian era England. 

 

Why I was tempted to read this..I loved the MI series and this looked deliciously steampunk-ish

Cover thoughts..It's pretty awesome, gives you a view of the Clockwork Angel and of Will.

Romance Meter..Definitely some sparks between Tessa and Will...with some definite interest from James.  James (or Jem as he prefers) is just a sweet guy with a devastating secret, Will is sweet one moment and rude and nasty the next, you don't know what you are going to get with him, but the attraction is undeniable.

Character and Plot...Oh this book was all that I was hoping for, plus some.  I loved the MI series, but honestly...I couldn't remember much about it when I started reading this book (too many books in between I think lol).  That did not take away from this book at all, which new characters (and a few old ones) the story is original and captivating.  Set in Victorian England in a steampunk-ish era, Tessa comes from the US to live with her brother after her aunt dies.  She is swiped up by the Dark Sisters and held captivate to learn her abilites of shape shifting, that she had no idea she had. This isn't your animal/werewolf shape shifting either, she can take an item that belonged to a person, and change into that person with voice and memories...and the person can be still living or not.  This makes Tessa a value commodity and the Dark Sisters are going to marry her off to The Magister.  In the nick of time, Tessa is saved by the Shadowhunters and taken into their world to learn the truth of her abilities, friends, and family.  This book is almost 500 pages but it flew by, I had trouble putting it down. I loved that Magnus Bane came back for this book, I just absolutely loved him in the MI series....once I finally started remember what happened in that series.  It isn't necessary to have read the MI series to read this once with its cast of new main characters...but you should read them anyway if you haven't. 

The Ending..Ahhh..the ending...perfect in some ways...but leaves you hanging enough you are anxiously waiting for Book 2, The Clockwork Prince, due out in 2011.