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Mon, January 21, 2013

Spoiler-Free Review of The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead

The Indigo Spell
By Richelle Mead
Publication date: Feb. 21, 2013
Razorbill, 432 pages
Source: Publisher

In the aftermath of a forbidden moment that rocked Sydney to her core, she finds herself struggling to draw the line between her Alchemist teachings and what her heart is urging her to do. Then she meets alluring, rebellious Marcus Finch–a former Alchemist who escaped against all odds, and is now on the run. Marcus wants to teach Sydney the secrets he claims the Alchemists are hiding from her. But as he pushes her to rebel against the people who raised her, Sydney finds that breaking free is harder than she thought. There is an old and mysterious magic rooted deeply within her. And as she searches for an evil magic user targeting powerful young witches, she realizes that her only hope is to embrace her magical blood–or else she might be next.

Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, the Bloodlines series explores all the friendship, romance, battles, and betrayals that made the #1 New York Times bestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive—this time in a part-vampire, part-human setting where the stakes are even higher and everyone’s out for blood.

— Goodreads.com description

Oh, mercy me Richelle Mead slays me. Here’s a refresher of my previous swoonfests:

My stick figure review of Vampire Academy
My spoiler-free review of Bloodlines
My spoiler-free review of The Golden Lily

And, continuing this tradition…

My Totally Spoiler-Free List of 5 Things
You Should Know About The Indigo Spell:

1. At times, Sydney is unrecognizable from the girl Rose first met so many books ago.
That can be taken both literally and figuratively, actually. Ch-ch-ch-changes!

2. At least five of your favorite Vampire Academy characters will make cameos.
Every time someone would show up, it felt like being reunited with an old friend. Oh, these books! They stick with you, don’t they?

3. I have five pages dogearred for HOTTNESS.
Even better? The first one is at page 29. Goodness gracious it starts fast.

4. Trilogies usually follow a formula. Book two is always going to PISS YOU THE BLEEP OFF, right? So in this same vein, this series might follow the formula of the Vampire Academy books, right? Nope.
Heck yeah dude, Richelle Mead is too good for that. Do you all remember what happened at the end of VA #3 Shadow Kiss? I was DEVASTATED. So I was sort of thinking, “Maybe she’ll leave us with a killer cliffie like that in The Indigo Spell too.” Nuh-uh. At the end of Indigo Spell, I felt perfectly satisfied.

5. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t gonna be drama in the next book.
Obviously. Things are set up to be soooo intense and great and I can’t wait.

Truly, you guys, I don’t get this mushy and swoontastic over any other series. It’s sort of alarming how in love with them I am. Shh, don’t tell, but I think I might be starting to love the Bloodlines series EVEN MORE than the Vampire Academy series. I know, right? I finished this book two days ago, and I can’t bring myself to pick up another one. I just want to stay in Sydney & Adrian’s world!

Are you as pumped as I was to read The Indigo Spell? Enter below for your chance to win a hardcover copy!

For more teasers, check back each weekday over the next few weeks for a new clue to one of the biggest outstanding mysteries from The Golden Lily: WHO IS MARCUS FINCH?!?!?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Fri, April 20, 2012

Spoiler-Free Review of The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead

The Golden Lily
By Richelle Mead
Publication date: June 12, 2012
Razorbill, 418 pages
Source: Borrowed from the goddess that is Heidi

The second thrilling installment in Richelle Mead’s Vampire Academy spinoff series.

Tough, brainy alchemist Sydney Sage and doe-eyed Moroi princess Jill Dragomir are in hiding at a human boarding school in the sunny, glamorous world of Palm Springs, California. The students–children of the wealthy and powerful–carry on with their lives in blissful ignorance, while Sydney, Jill, Eddie, and Adrian must do everything in their power to keep their secret safe. But with forbidden romances, unexpected spirit bonds, and the threat of Strigoi moving ever closer, hiding the truth is harder than anyone thought.

Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, Richelle Mead’s breathtaking Bloodlines series explores all the friendship, romance, battles, and betrayals that made the #1 New York Times bestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive. In this second book, the drama is hotter, the romances are steamier, and the stakes are even higher.

— Goodreads.com description

I have to thank you guys for convincing me to read the Vampire Academy series in the first place. If you remember my first stick figure video, you know I loved it. And then I fell in love with Bloodlines too.

Now I’m such a fangirl and I know it’s totally obnoxious because the book isn’t out for ages yet, but I gotta share the book love when I feel it so strongly! I CANNOT CONTAIN IT! READ THESE BOOKS!

My Totally Spoiler-Free List of 5 Things You Should Know About The Golden Lily: 
1. Sydney is more like Rose than I ever thought possible.
No, she’s not a dhampir! Calm down! What I mean is that, when we first met her, Sydney seemed uptight and frightened. But the more I get to know her, the more I see her as brave, loyal and independent. This is everything we love in Richelle Mead’s main characters.

2. Adrian is so much deeper than I thought.
Really, look at my first two points here. The character growth in The Golden Lily is stunning! When I read the Vampire Academy series, I HATED Adrian. And I didn’t care much for Sydney. Now? I’m so so SO invested and in love with them both. Ditto goes for Eddie and Jill and all the other characters we didn’t know as well until now.

3. But don’t get me wrong, Adrian is still CRAZY.
Oh, Adrian.

4. As it progresses, it’s clear this series is just as stunning as Vampire Academy.
When I think back at the original six-book series, I think about how beautifully crafted Richelle Mead’s story arc was. From when we met Rose, to the bridge scene, to the satisfying ending…it was all so well paced. In reading The Golden Lily, I felt so pleased by the story as a standalone book, but am also beginning to envision where she’s taking this series. You can just tell she’s got a grand plan and is setting the scene for something much bigger…and I can’t wait to see what’s in store.

5. At the last line of Bloodlines you were shocked and pumped. At the last line of The Golden Lily, you will be torn apart and emotionally raw.
Yeah, you remember the last line of Bloodlines. I was like “OH HELL YES!” But the end scene of The Golden Lily? Killer. It’s a scene you’ll want to reread a million times — a scene that will leave you BEGGING for more.

Sigh. I leave you with that. SO GOOD.

PS: Just imagine my internal dialogue while this was happening last weekend…HAHAHAHA.

(Jen and I may or may not have freaked out. Yes, that is Richelle.)

Mon, April 16, 2012

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa Book Review

The Immortal Rules
By Julie Kagawa
Publication date: April 24, 2012
Harlequin Teen, 485 pages
Source: Publisher

Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten.

Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them. The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked—and given the ultimate choice. Die… or become one of the monsters.

Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad.

Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend—a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike.

But it isn’t easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what—and who—is worth dying for.

— Goodreads.com description

Yes! This is my type of vampire book: bloodshed, secrecy, evilness, starvation.

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa is a darker story, which feels fresh in the midst of all the lovey-dovey vampire books out there these days.

What I loved most about it – beyond the fact that it’s by Julie Kagawa, whom I adore – is that I’d categorize it more like an apocalypse book than a vampire book. Think gritty and scary, like Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick. Just, instead of zombiliciousness, there’s some bloodsucking going on.

But, oh ho, don’t get me wrong, there’s plenty of love in it; the main character has a slow-building romance that I thoroughly enjoyed.

The build-up in the storyline in The Immortal Rules was a bit slow and the ending left me wanting more, but as the start of a new series, that’s par for the course. It set the stage nicely for more “Blood of Eden” books to come. Count me in!

Want to check it out yourself? YOU SHOULD! Enter the giveaway below!

(Continue Reading…)

Fri, March 30, 2012

Last Breath Morganville Vampires – Rachel Caine Book Review

Last Breath: The Morganville Vampires
By Rachel Caine
Publication date: Nov. 1, 2011
NAL Hardcover, 352 pages
Source: Purchased on my Kindle the night of release!
Goodreads | Amazon

With her boss preoccupied researching the Founder Houses in Morganville, student Claire Danvers is left to her own devices when she learns that three vampires have vanished without a trace. She soon discovers that the last person seen with one of the missing vampires is someone new to town-a mysterious individual named Magnus. After an uneasy encounter with Morganville’s latest resident, Claire is certain Magnus isn’t merely human. But is he a vampire-or something else entirely?

— Goodreads.com description

Yeah, you saw that right up there. I purchased Last Breath by Rachel Caine on my Kindle the night of its release. Twelve books in, and I’m still invested enough in the Morganville Vampires series that I NEED to read the latest release the day it comes out. How many series can you say this for?

I was really put off by this series at first. Vampire stuff? Those weirdo covers? No.

BUT YES TO THIS ANYWAY! Seriously.

The Morganville Vampires series by Rachel Caine is funny and thrilling and way better than it sounds. I know, I just know, you’re prejudging this series like I did. Though they’re completely different, I did the same thing with Vampire Academy and was pleasantly surprised in much the same way.

So I guess this is my plea. Give it a try! It’s not serious stuff, but it’s such fun. And I think we could all use more fun.

Check out my friend Jen’s review of the series here, broken down A-Z with reasons you’ll love it.

Fri, November 18, 2011

Crave by Melinda Metz and Laura J. Burns Review

Crave
By Melinda Metz and Laura J. Burns
Sept. 21, 2010
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
288 pages
Source: Borrowed from Ginger

Shay could never do the things her friends could–never try out for sports, never go to parties, never fall in love. Because of the mysterious and incurable blood disorder she was born with, she can barely make it through three days of school a week.

But now, her doctor-turned-stepfather has a brand-new treatment that he thinks will change everything. And it does. As soon as the new blood starts pumping into Shay’s veins, she has visions of a different life…Gabriel’s life. She sees an orphanage, loss, fangs, blood, and lust that she can’t explain.

Is Gabriel real? And if he is, could he really be what she thinks he is?

— Goodreads.com description

Oooh this book is creepy. Shay uncovers a big family secret that has her on the run…with a vampire.

Okay, sure, it’s campy, but it’s a pretty fun, quick read that’s full of tension and suspense. People who love vampire books will certainly enjoy it, though it wasn’t a “wow” for me.

But let’s move on to the BEST part about this book…it was written by Melinda Metz a.k.a. the creator of Roswell a.k.a. THE BEST SHOW EVER.

You don’t even know. I was obsessed with show as a teenager. Don’t even get me started on how Roswell was everything Twilight is now, just 10 years prior. That’s gonna be a post for another day. Three cheers for Metz!