In general, Karou has managed to keep her two lives in balance. On the one hand, she's a seventeen-year-old art student in Prague; on the other, errand-girl to a monstrous creature who is the closest thing she has to family. Raised half in our world, half in 'Elsewhere', she has never understood Brimstone's dark work - buying teeth from hunters and murderers - nor how she came into his keeping. She is a secret even to herself, plagued by the sensation that she isn't whole.
Now the doors to Elsewhere are closing, and Karou must choose between the safety of her human life and the dangers of a war-ravaged world that may hold the answers she has always sought.
The story of Karou's past is very complicated one, one that even she isn't sure about. All she knows is that her adoptive family are lovely but monstrous. They are, after all, chimera: a mixture of human and animal. I was instantly attracted to Karou's story and her strange family, the seductive and detailed prose flowing so naturally, I could swear I was in the streets of Prague with everyone! Not to mention the "magic door" that transports Karou all over the world.
This novel was purely endless fun and magic. I loved how Taylor flawlessly blended the mythology of the chimera and magic wishes with the threat of being found out in the real world, and then the danger that sought Karou out. I loved the mystery and the fairytale-esque dual world, with its sort of familiar mythology built up around this one girl that linked the two. And the history of the chimera was fascinating, especially their endless war with the serephs, the angel-like creatures like Akiva.
Karou was this endless amazing young girl. I mean, she could draw, she had blue hair, she didn't give up on her family and was even strong enough to trust her supposed enemy if it meant finding the truth about herself. But under this tough exterior was a girl not sure in herself and desperate to find happiness and love. As for Akiva, he'll certainly make you think twice about the angel's all-good image! Not to mention get your heart racing!
All in all, an amazing and practically perfect blend of magic and danger, mythology and history mixing to make Karou's incredible past the most enjoyable read. And I for one cannot wait to find out more about her past, her family, the world that sits just beyond a door to ours.
Published 29th September 2011 by Hodder and Stoughton.
Em is locked in a bare, cold cell with no comforts. Finn is in the cell next door. The Doctor is keeping them there until they tell him what he wants to know. Trouble is, what he wants to know hasn’t happened yet.
Em and Finn have a shared past, but no future unless they can find a way out. The present is torture – being kept apart, overhearing each other’s anguish as the Doctor relentlessly seeks answers. There’s no way back from here, to what they used to be, the world they used to know. Then Em finds a note in her cell which changes everything. It’s from her future self and contains some simple but very clear instructions. Em must travel back in time to avert a tragedy that’s about to unfold. Worse, she has to pursue and kill the boy she loves to change the future . . .
I have heard amazing things about this and I was not in the least bit disappointed! Right in there with the drama and action, it starts with Em in prison and Finn in the cell next door. We have no idea what's going on, where they are or why but then it all changes and they are busted out to save the world!
I cannot tell you how gripping this story was and it barely let me go through the whole thing! Nothing was revealed too early, so I had to guess quite a lot of it. After Em and Finn is out of prison, they are sent back in time to kill someone. The fact that we don't know who it is, or even how they are connected to him, made it even more complex and intriguing in the best possible way. Time travel a sure fire way to get me interested - and this one was dramatic and original, coming together like the pieces of a puzzle. And hey, for once I guessed things right!
It was spilt narration between Em and Marina, the present and the past. I thought this was really interesting, it kept the pace really well as Marina's story, at least the first part of it, was pretty normal. That was a welcome breather from me having a panic attack over what's happening to Em, that's for sure! I know some complained that Em was distant but I really felt for her - she has had years to grow a tough skin when she shouldn't have had to. And Em and Marina's voice were so distinct, you could really tell what time had done to them.
Now for the boys. Finn, past and present, was sweet and heroic, bit of a jackass, but funny. Whereas James was unfortunately misguided, even as a teenager. He had some terrible things happen in his life and I am not all that surprised by how he turned out but it was still horrible to see what power does to even the best of us. And Em and Marina's relationships with both boys was interesting. As I said, the girls' voices were different and you could see the progression of her friendship with Finn developing alongside her realisation to James' mood swings.
All in all, I cannot spoil anything because that would ruin it but I can say that this might just be the best time travel novel I have ever read. It was gripping, entrancing and incredibly well written, with its threads of time woven together almost effortlessly.
Published 1st August 2013 by Bloomsbury. Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for e-copy.
Weekly Highlights is a feature borrowed from Faye of A Daydreamer's Thoughts, where I get to highlight my posts of the week, show you my new books and talk about bookish things!
On The Blog
Review of A Riveting Affair, a Steampunk anthology - 3 stars
Discussion: to Arc or not to Arc? - where I ponder the blogger's relationship with free books
Currently Reading
The third of Demon Trappers, Forgiven by Jana Oliver; and All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill - loving both of them!
Behind the Blog
I have some news. I'm going away for most of next week and as I'm a little behind on reading (because of not reviewing the Demon Trappers until I've finished all of them), I'm going to take the week off from blogging. Granted, I'm not sure how much I'm going to be able to read while away, but it'll take the pressure off to try and finish a book before I leave. Thank you for understanding and I'll see you when I get back!
On My Bookshelf
The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson
The day that Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London to start a new life at boarding school is also the day a series of brutal murders breaks out over the city, killings mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper spree of more than a century ago. Soon "Rippermania" takes hold of modern-day London, and the police are left with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory spotted the man police believe to be the prime suspect. But she is the only one who saw him--the only one who can see him. And now Rory has become his next target. In this edge-of-your-seat thriller, full of suspense, humour, and romance, Rory will learn the truth about the secret ghost police of London and discover her own shocking abilities.
I went on a cruise of my high street's charity shops, looking for Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy, and I found this! I've had my eye on it for ages but now I've got it and I helped the British Heart Foundation! While perusing the charity shops, I also noticed that a lot of people give away the Twilight series and the Sookie Stackhouse books - which by the way, I kind of want to read the latter, does anyone highly recommend them? Let me know if I need to go back and get them!
New Girl by Paige Harbison
They call me 'New Girl'...
Ever since I arrived at exclusive, prestigious Manderly Academy, that’s who I am. New girl. Unknown. But not unnoticed—because of her.
Becca Normandy—that’s the name on everyone’s lips. The girl whose picture I see everywhere. The girl I can’t compare to. I mean, her going missing is the only reason a spot opened up for me at the academy. And everyone stares at me like it’s my fault.
Except for Max Holloway—the boy whose name shouldn’t be spoken. At least, not by me. Everyone thinks of him as Becca’s boyfriend…but she’s gone, and here I am, replacing her. I wish it were that easy. Sometimes, when I think of Max, I can imagine how Becca’s life was so much better than mine could ever be.
And maybe she’s still out there, waiting to take it back.
Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
"Errand requiring immediate attention. Come.
The note was on vellum, pierced by the talons of the almost-crow that delivered it. Karou read the message. 'He never says please', she sighed, but she gathered up her things.
When Brimstone called, she always came."
In general, Karou has managed to keep her two lives in balance. On the one hand, she's a seventeen-year-old art student in Prague; on the other, errand-girl to a monstrous creature who is the closest thing she has to family. Raised half in our world, half in 'Elsewhere', she has never understood Brimstone's dark work - buying teeth from hunters and murderers - nor how she came into his keeping. She is a secret even to herself, plagued by the sensation that she isn't whole.
Now the doors to Elsewhere are closing, and Karou must choose between the safety of her human life and the dangers of a war-ravaged world that may hold the answers she has always sought.
Both of these I came across on kindle sale - New Girl was yesterday's daily deal and Daughter of Smoke and Bone is only 99p! 3 books for less than £4 in one day? Must be some sort of record!
As I'm growing as a blogger and getting more contacts in the publishing industry, I've been thinking about this a lot: do book bloggers deserve free books? Obviously most of you will think no, of course not, we do it because we love books. But I am aware that out there in the mean realm of the internet, there are bloggers who maybe have been doing it for so long or have just started and think that's what they deserve. Which personally I think is rude and ridiculous.
I will admit that I did start out blogging hoping to get books before they are published. I can't help it, I saw some friends getting books pre-publishing date and was jealous! That's not to say that's the only reason I started blogging - I was in my second year of university and had so many books to read that I was getting lost and wanted to talk about them, with the aim that I would get better so I can do it professionally when I graduate. Now, a year on, it's moved past that and into a personal hobby of mine, where I can discuss books with people who love them as much as I do, get great recommendations for upcoming titles and make some fantastic friends.
I got some new ARCs recently, really pretty ones that weren't going to be published for another couple of months, and I had to explain to my father why I'd received them. Knowing nothing of the blogging world, he was confused as to why I was getting bound proofs and I had to explain, patiently, that I reviewed them online. He just said 'what, you do it for free?' Of course I do, it's just a hobby, but if you like, I get paid in free books. 'Oh. Well that's all well and good but you can't live off books.' Yes dad, but again: hobby!
Besides, who cares that you're not getting paid to blog? It started out as, and always will be, a hobby, a fun albeit sometimes difficult thing to do. I like that there is no proper money involved so all we have is our love of books. If we did get paid to blog, it might be awesome but after a while I feel like it would become a chore and effort would be put in for the wrong reasons.
Ok, I just went off on one and I'm going to get back on topic now! The point is, I believe that ARC's a sort of like a perk of blogging and I have to get to a certain point to deserve them. I've done pretty well, having only been blogging for a year and most of that not very seriously, so having just a few publishers sending me regular books is great.
What do you guys think? Most of my friends/followers are serious bloggers who get books and ARC's from many, many publishers - which I find very impressive by the way, that you don't get swallowed up by them all! - and I'm sure you all have opinions on this topic.
An anthology of three Steampunk Romances: 'Beauty and The Clockwork Beast', 'The Clockwork Bride' and 'Demon Express'.
Beauty and the Clockwork Beast
First up is Rose and her Clockwork Beast. She goes to Sebastian, an old student of her father's, because she wants her help to construct her father's last plans: a teleportation device. But Sebastian is unused to visitors and tries to turn her away. But Rose is stubborn, a little annoyingly so, and stays, taking it upon herself to clear out Sebastian's musty home and help him come to terms with his nightmares.
What I loved about this was that even though Rose was incredibly pushy, she only cared about what was best for Sebastian. She knew how much he loved creating automatons and their friendship grew out of mutual respect. This was definitely my favourite, not just because I love Beauty and The Beast, but also the more believable and developed relationship
The Clockwork Bride
Aida Mulvaney is one of few female engineers, which makes her awesome! But she is a woman, and Irish, which apparently makes her a total waste. But Julian Capshaw doesn't think so and whisks her away to get married on an airship. Which would be completely romantic, if they hadn't just met. And I know that it is set in the nineteenth century and politically advantageous marriages were common, I still didn't believe their love story. But I did like the whole political angle, like their father's battle over technology. That, in a Steampunk novel, is totally believable. Plus, I loved Putnam's company, with its flying machines and little fairy spies!
Demon Express
Maisy Clark is a hunter, an assassin, and hot on the trail of the evil scientist making strange and dangerous creatures. Julian is an evil son of a bitch, with a creepy obsession with Maisy, which led me to believe that they had a fling before his true colours revealed themselves. Anyway, Maisy is tracking down his new hiding place but she has a distraction in the shape of the town marshall Jake Calloway. I really liked this one, even though the details were a little confusing because there were so many, but by the end the layers fitted together nicely. Not to mention it had grave robbers, a cute law officer, a ghost and were-panthers!
Published 25th May 2013 by Entangled. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for my e-copy.
Weekly Highlights is a feature borrowed from Faye of A Daydreamer's Thoughts, where I get to highlight my posts of the week, show you my new books and talk about bookish things!
It has been a week of awesome and mostly bookish things! I've been volunteering at the library with the Summer Reading Challenge a lot, went to the cinema to (finally!) go see Monsters University, and the library was having a book sale and I spotted a few bargains - which will be revealed On My Bookshelf. All in all, a great week!
On The Blog
Review of Dead Romantic by CJ Skuse - 4 stars
Review of The Weight of Souls by Bryony Pearce - 4 Stars
Currently Reading
The second in the Demon Trappers series, Forbidden, by Jana Oliver, as well as A Riveting Affair, a Steampunk anthology of three short stories. Both are really cool and I'm really enjoying!
On My Bookshelf
All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill
Em is locked in a bare, cold cell with no comforts. Finn is in the cell next door. The Doctor is keeping them there until they tell him what he wants to know. Trouble is, what he wants to know hasn’t happened yet.
Em and Finn have a shared past, but no future unless they can find a way out. The present is torture – being kept apart, overhearing each other’s anguish as the Doctor relentlessly seeks answers. There’s no way back from here, to what they used to be, the world they used to know. Then Em finds a note in her cell which changes everything. It’s from her future self and contains some simple but very clear instructions. Em must travel back in time to avert a tragedy that’s about to unfold. Worse, she has to pursue and kill the boy she loves to change the future . . .
Yay, I can finally find out what all the hype is about! Thank you Bloomsbury and Netgalley for my e-copy, I'm really looking forward to this!
Who-ology by Cavan Scott
Do you know your Sontarans from your Silurians? What are the 40 best ways to defeat a Dalek? What are the galactic coordinates of Gallifrey?
Test your knowledge of the last Time Lord and the worlds he's visited in Who-ology, an unforgettable journey through 50 years of Doctor Who.
Packed with facts, figures and stories from the show's entire run, this unique tour of space and time takes you from Totters Lane to Trenzalore, taking in guides to UNIT call signs, details of the inner workings of sonic screwdrivers, and a reliability chart covering every element of the TARDIS.
With tables, charts and illustrations dotted throughout, as well as fascinating lists and exhaustive detail, you won't believe the wonders that await. Are you ready? Then read on, you clever boy. And remember.
This was a moment of weakness in Waterstones but it's so pretty and I love it!
Vampire Diaries by LJ Smith
The Awakening: Elena Gilbert is used to getting what she wants and she wants mysterious new boy, Stefan. But Stefan is hiding a deadly secret - a secret that will change Elena's life for ever ...
The Struggle: Elena is torn between her boyfriend, Stefan, and his brother, Damon. But these brothers hide dark secrets and a tragic past that threatens them all. Damon wants to lead Elena astray - and he'd rather kill Stefan than let him possess her ...
Yay for library sales! Snatched this up for 50p! I haven't read the books before, and honestly I kind of lost my place in the series and never bothered to catch up so maybe this will prompt it. Either way, looking forward to another vampire YA series.
Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist
After a chance encounter, Nick and Norah embark of a journey through New York's indie rock scene on a quest to find the secret show of a legendary band, and wind up finding each other.
Yeah, so kinda cheating here, as it isn't a book. But it's a movie based on a book and it is awesome! Another find in the library sale.
Sixteen year old Taylor Oh is cursed: if she is touched by the ghost of a murder victim then they pass a mark beneath her skin. She has three weeks to find their murderer and pass the mark to them – letting justice take place and sending them into the Darkness. And if she doesn’t make it in time? The Darkness will come for her…
She spends her life trying to avoid ghosts, make it through school where she’s bullied by popular Justin and his cronies, keep her one remaining friend, and persuade her father that this is real and that she’s not going crazy.
But then Justin is murdered and everything gets a whole lot worse. Justin doesn’t know who killed him, so there’s no obvious person for Taylor to go after. The clues she has lead her to the V Club, a vicious secret society at her school where no one is allowed to leave… and where Justin was dared to do the stunt which led to his death.
Can she find out who was responsible for his murder before the Darkness comes for her? Can she put aside her hatred for her former bully to truly help him?
I went into this with no expectations. In fact, I could barely remember what it was about! But anyway, I think that was good, it meant I had no anticipations of what I thought should happen, the book just washed over me. And boy was it good! It was thrilling and dark and utterly addictive with its mythology and curses and a cute dead boy.
Taylor, the protagonist that can see dead people, was an interesting character - feeling the pressure of her curse, no longer had her mother to help her and her dad didn't believe her at all and instead thought she was ill. And mixed race, and though this wasn't really a big deal, I liked the diversity. Taylor was surprisingly easy to relate to, considering her responsibilities with avenging the dead. And of course she's bullied. Quite badly actually, which after you learn more about them all, is not surprising at all. Her best friend Hannah was really cool, with her colourful hair and friendly attitude. But we didn't see a lot of her which is disappointing; and I did feel sorry for her as she was kept out of the loop and this mistrust nearly ruined her friendship with Taylor.
Finally, I truly despised James's gang. James was a massive douche, the standard bad-boy bully; Tasmin was the typical pretty girl with a tough shell, and Justin was presented as just the same as James. But then he died and as Taylor tries to figure out the reason for his death, he slowly reveals more of himself. And himself was gorgeous!
Of course it wasn't just about her weird curse of being able to see dead people. Pearce added this great secondary layer to her family curse to include Egyptian mythology! Not to mention the surprising romance and a secret society with its sticky fingers in her school. I loved all this blending of themes, it really added something special to the story. I flew through this novel; I loved practically everything about it, all the ghosts and mysteries and budding romance, it had everything that makes a great book, and even though the ending was a bit off for me, it really was a great book.
Published 6th August 2013 by Strange Chemistry. Thank you to Netgalley for my e-copy.
Camille wants to find the perfect boy, with an athlete's body and a poet's brain. But when she's mocked at a college party, she knows there isn't a boy alive who'll ever measure up. Enter Zoe, her brilliant but strange best friend, who takes biology homework to a whole new level. She can create Camille's dream boy, Frankenstein-style. But can she make him love her?
Dead bodies, perfect love, and CJ's writing, this was brilliant! It was everything I have come to expect from CJ's novels: sarcasm, dark humour and an unusual heroine.
Speaking of the heroine, Camille had this fascination with dead things that made me love her, because I share the same interest. And she tripped over her words, with mispronunciations and using completely the wrong word, which was endearing, if a little stupid. And of course, Camille was sweet and caring, thus the complete opposite of Zoe. This made for some really funny banter and an interesting friendship. And as Zoe was our Doctor Frankenstein, I feel like I should have been repulsed, but I actually really liked her. She was harsh and stubborn but the more we learned about her, the more I felt for her. She had it tough with her family and this made her appear more human than crazy scientist.
Now, the point: animating a dead body. The search for body parts was pretty funny, as of course, not everything went to plan and they nearly got caught on several occasions. And then there was the boys, Louis and Damien, who just needed to know what the two girls were doing. Louis was really sweet and Damien was a bit of a douche, but he warmed on me, surprisingly.
I read this with CJ's voice in my head, explaining that it was a book just for girls, and it was more to do with what they learn about love and relationships than the dead man. And even though it almost ruined it for me, at the ending, I appreciated the author's insight because it wasn't about the dead guy, it was about the girls and guys accepting their lot and finding real love. And that is why I loved this book; it had awesome dead things and gore but it was really a sweet romance about acceptance and true friendship.
Published 4th February 2013 by Chicken House.
Weekly Highlights is a feature borrowed from Faye of A Daydreamer's Thoughts, where I get to highlight my posts of the week, show you my new books and talk about bookish things!
Been a good week this week, got a couple of review books, been reading quite quickly and went on a bit of an ebook buying frenzy, so there's that! When this goes up, I'll still be away for the weekend (family wedding) so I expect to be greeted with lots of nice comments on what you all got this week too!
On The Blog
Review of Dirty Little Secret by Jennifer Echols (4 stars)
Review of Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas (5 stars)
Currently Reading
Just finished Forsaken by Jana Oliver, which was awesome! And now I've started the next in the series, Forbidden, and The Weight of Souls by Bryony Pearce.
On My Bookshelf
Portal 24 by Meredith Stroud
When teen con-artist Darius is approached by a mysterious government agent about joining a 'Project Oberon', he has no idea what to expect. Certainly not that Project Oberon is actually a top-secret experiment which sends teens back through time to prevent disasters before they happen! Before Darius has time to wonder why he's been chosen, his first mission arrives in the form of a huge electromagnetic weapon of mass destruction, which will kill millions of people in New York - unless Darius and the team can stop it. They're confident; it's all in a day's work for these teen wonders, but what they don't bet on is evil mastermind Ludd. And what they don't know is that Ludd knows the deadly secret behind Project Oberon. If Darius and the gang don't make it back to the portal within twenty-four hours, then they'll be lost in time forever...
Time travel, saving the world, government consipiries, what more could you want? Thanks Hot Key Books!
Skulk by Rosie Best
When Meg witnesses the dying moments of a shapeshifting fox and is given a beautiful and powerful stone, her life changes forever. She is plunged into the dark world of the Skulk, a group of shapeshifting foxes.
As she learns about the other groups of shapeshifters that lurk around London – the Rabble, the Horde, the Cluster and the Conspiracy – she becomes aware of a deadly threat against all the shapeshifters. They must put aside all their enmity and hostility and fight together to defeat it.
I haven't really read any shapeshifter books but I am really looking forward to this one. Thanks Strange Chemisty!
Now for the e-books...
Stardust by Mini Strong
One of those 'bump into a strange guy, turns out to be famous crush' kinda books. It sounds really cool and I'm always liking the funny chicklit books. (Goodreads)
Vampire University by VJ Erickson
Sounds kind of like Morganville before Claire realised it was run by vampires. And heck, vampires at university sounds plain awesome! (Goodreads)
Enchantment by Charlotte Abel
A world where magic is feared and a teenage girl and her family have to go into hiding to protect themselves. And actually, what clinched it for me was the image of magical chastity belt! I mean, come on! (Goodreads)
Any Red-Blooded Girl by Maggie Bloom
Typical holiday YA, where teen girl is stuck with her parents but is tempted by the local hotties. Perfect for a quick, summery read. (Goodreads)
The Bone Dragon by Alexia Casale
Yeah, you all already know about this, but I haven't read it yet, let alone even looked up what it was about so I'm looking forward to this one. Plus, 99p on Kindle, so why not? (Goodreads)
Myopia by Jeff Gardiner
This was offered for me to review by the author and I'll admit that although it's still practically unknown, it sounds really good. It's all about bullying, and as a victim of it, I like to read stories that let us learn from it. (Goodreads)
It's Spring Break of senior year. Anna, her boyfriend Tate, her best friend Elise, and a few other close friends are off to a debaucherous trip to Aruba that promises to be the time of their lives. But when Elise is found brutally murdered, Anna finds herself trapped in a country not her own, fighting against vile and contemptuous accusations. As
Anna sets out to find her friend's killer; she discovers hard truths about her friendships, the slippery nature of truth, and the ache of young love.
As she awaits the judge's decree, it becomes clear that everyone around her thinks she is not just guilty, but dangerous. When the truth comes out, it is more shocking than one could ever imagine...
This book... oh my god this book! I don't even know how to start, all my blogging skills have disappeared in light of this incredible and unspeakably amazing book.
Dangerous Girls tells of Anna and her gang of friends on holiday, when one of them, Elise, is found murdered in her room. It dove right in with a transcript of the emergency call when they found her and this use of other prose continued with interview transcripts, courtroom arguments and texts. I love this style of writing because, especially in first person perspective, because it adds to the story. And while I'm on the subject, Haas also wrote in past, present and future, intertwining their school years, the holiday and the developing court case against Anna. I loved this because it added to the mystery and the reader had to work hard to piece together everything.
The horrible thing of this genre is that you can't trust anyone, not even the narrator. I accused pretty much everyone of Elise's murder at some point and the final reveal... holy moly! Let's just say I was not prepared for it and it gave me chills. Teach me to read a thriller before bed.
Throughout the novel, you begin to realise that Anna is pretty much screwed. I was so angry at Dekker, the horrible prosecutor determined to make Anna his scapegoat, I was actually yelling at the book! I could not see a way out for Anna and the whole roller coaster of emotions that is this book practically exploded at that ending. Just... That Ending.
It was addictive and thrilling and all sorts of other positive but creepy adjectives! Seriously, stop reading this and go get this book, I cannot stress this enough: read it now!
Published 16th July by Simon and Schuster.
