Review - The Iron Queen (Iron Fey, #3), by Julie Kagawa

My name is Meghan Chase.

I thought it was over. That my time with the fey, the impossible choices I had to make, the sacrifices of those I loved, was behind me. But a storm is approaching, an army of Iron fey that will drag me back, kicking and screaming. Drag me away from the banished prince who's sworn to stand by my side. Drag me into the core of conflict so powerful, I'm not sure anyone can survive it.

This time, there will be no turning back.

(From GoodReads)

My Review

I have to start by saying, I'm exhausted. The Iron Queen is such an insanely intense book! This book had me flying high one minute and sobbing like the over-dramatic drama queen that I am the next.

  When Book Two, The Iron Daughter, ended, Meghan and Ash had both been banished from Faery. They faced an uncertain future, but they were together, free from the constraints of their Courts. Sounds to good to be true, right? It is. Meghan and Ash are quickly pulled back into the Faery world, because it seems only Meghan can save Nevernever. What happens when they go back is a fantastic, terrifying ride.

  One of the things about author Julie Kagawa's writing is, her characters never stop surprising me. Every time I feel confident in my knowledge of a character, I'm thrown for a loop. Grim, Meghan, and Ash all made choices I didn't expect. But noone, and I mean no one, surprised me more that Mab. Could that viscious ice queen actually have a heart?!

 Another aspect that I love about this series is that no character truly feels expendable. I was happy that Leanansidhe was back in The Iron Queen. She is absolutely ridiculous. I know I should despise her, but I can't help but chuckle at her evil ways.  Charlie's story continues to be explored, and Ironhorse even place a substantial role in the story.
 Annnnd, the romance. Yeah, I know that's an incomplete sentence. But when I think about the swoony, kissy romance in The Iron Queen, that's about as much as my brain will compute. In other books, sometimes I see these romantic scenes, and I don't buy. But not here. Meghan and Ash continue to burn it up in The Iron Queen. The moments they shared gave me chills!

  In addition to the kissy moments, The Iron Queen also includes some kickass battle scenes. The battles are fierce, bloody, frightening and invigorating. The way the scenes were written made me feel as if I were watching a movie, The Lord of the Rings is what comes to mind.
This book, and series, really does have it all. Everything that a reader comes to expect from a young adult fantasy is right here. I can't wait (CAN'T WAIT!) to find out what happens in The Iron Knight. I'm sure many tears, smiles and fist pumps will be involved.

Favorite Quote(s):

"I learned that love can transcend race and time, and that it can be beautiful and perfect and worth fighting for but also fragile and heartbreaking, and sometimes sacrifice is necessary. "

" 'For the record,' Grimalkin stated as we ventured, single file, into the black, 'I do not think this is a good idea. But, as no one listens to the cat anymore, I will have to wait until we are completely lost to say 'I told you so.' "

" 'Not bad, Goodfellow,' Glitch said with grudging respect.

  'Oh, so glad you think so, socket-head. My mad crocheting skills finally came in handy for

  something.' "

Paperback, 358 pages

Published January 25th 2011 by Harlequin Teen  

Find The Iron Queen at:

GoodReads  |  Barnes & Noble   |  Amazon  |  Book Depository                 

*The Iron Queen is a book I purchased.*

Review - Legend, by Marie Lu

What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths - until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

Full of nonstop action, suspense, and romance, this novel is sure to move readers as much as it thrills.

(From GoodReads)

My Review

Legend is a fast paced, tense look at dystopian society and the people who barely survive through it. I have to say, I did like Legend. But by no means was I blown away by the story.

Legend offers a bleak look at the future. Civil war and natural disaster has torn the United States in two, but I felt more background was needed to make me care. Death and despair run rampant in the streets. People are often struck down by the plague. I think you probably get what I'm saying.

Legend was told from alternating view points of June and Day. Day is a rebel, determined to take from the Republic and give to those in need. I would call him a futuristic Robin Hood. June is a member of the elite, those who thrive in the Republic. She takes orders without question and believes what she is told by those above her. June and Day were both sympathetic characters that I eventually come to care about. Tragic circumstances bring them together and they both struggle to remember that the other is the enemy.

Legend was full of deception, mystery, and surprisingly, loyalty. I have to say that I really didn't become invested in the outcome until over halfway through the story. I feel the reason I was slow to come around is due to my growing tiredness with dystopian books in general. These days, I can predict exactly what will happen in each dystopian I read. They've become formulaic and predictable. I'm not trying to blame Legend in particular for my apathy. It just happens to be the book that broke the camel's back, as it were.

But, like I said before, I did gain interest in Legend. I grew to care for the characters and their future. And I will give Marie Lu props for holding no bars. She has no qualms with striking any character down. Her characters, good and bad, were engaging. And while I felt the book didn't bring anything new to the table, it was a nice, but not great, read.

Favorite Quote:

"When I look to my side, I see a boy holding out his hand to me. He has bright blue eyes, dirt on his
  face and a beat-up old cap on, and at this moment, I think he might be the most beautiful boy I've ever
  seen."

Hardcover, 336 pages

Expected publication: November 29th 2011 by Putnam Juvenile

Find Legend at:

GoodReads  |  Amazon  |  Book Depository  |  Barnes & Noble

* I received Legend for a blog tour, hosted by A Tale of Many Reviews. *

Mini Review: Wicked Game (WVMP Radio, #1), by Jeri Smith-Ready



LATE NIGHT RADIO YOU CAN SINK YOUR TEETH INTO
Recovering con artist Ciara Griffin is trying to live the straight life, even if it means finding a (shudder!) real job. She takes an internship at a local radio station, whose late-night time-warp format features 1940s blues, '60s psychedelia, '80s goth, and more, all with an uncannily authentic flair. Ciara soon discovers just how the DJs maintain their cred: they're vampires, stuck forever in the eras in which they were turned.

Ciara's first instinct, as always, is to cut and run. But communications giant Skywave wants to buy WVMP and turn it into just another hit-playing clone. Without the station — and the link it provides to their original Life Times — the vampires would "fade," becoming little more than mindless ghosts of the past. Suddenly a routine corporate takeover is a matter of life and undeath.

To boost ratings and save the lives of her strange new friends, Ciara rebrands the station as "WVMP, the Lifeblood of Rock 'n' Roll." In the ultimate con, she hides the DJs' vampire nature in plain sight, disguising the bloody truth as a marketing gimmick. WVMP becomes the hottest thing around — next to Ciara's complicated affair with grunge vamp Shane McAllister. But the "gimmick" enrages a posse of ancient and powerful vampires who aren't so eager to be brought into the light. Soon the stakes are higher — and the perils graver — than any con game Ciara's ever played...

(From GoodReads)

My Review

I don't know if it's fair to call this a review. Mainly it's me gushing about this book, the author and how happy and nostalgic they made me feel.  But first, let me make a shocking announcement.

Guys and Girls, I am about to utter words that I thought would never cross my lips. I can't even believe I'm going to say it. Are you ready? Really ready? Here goes...

I have found a vampire that I love even more than Bones.

So who is this intriguing vamp who has stolen my heart? Shane McAllister from the WVMP Radio series by Jeri Smith-Ready. To those who know and love Bones, I know that sounds like crazy-talk. But only to those of you who haven't read the WVMP Radio series.

You may ask, why I have formed such a love for Shane. Well, Shane is perpetually stuck in the 1990s, and all that comes with it. As someone with a major weak spot for that era, that aspect of Shane definitely drew me in. Shane embodies the emotions of my early teen years. Something I suppose I've been missing without realizing. But, besides that aspect of Shane, he's sexy, seriously sweet, more than a little dangerous, but never, ever mean, and emotionally vulnerable. Did I say sexy? I think I did. Well, double it.

Jeri Smith-Ready created a unique, sexy and cool new breed of vampires. I've never come across a concept quite like this one. Vampires are basically stuck in the era they were created. The music and clothes, the manner of speaking all reflect that. The way the feed, the way they and the donor react, holy smokes, it made me get all hot and sweaty and creeped out and... well, I think you get the idea.

I can't even believe that I haven't mentioned the main character, Ciara, yet. Ciara has to be one of my favorite protagonists I've ever come across. She is tough, but does have a soft (but hard to reach) interior. She is smart, very smart, when it comes to the vampires. She doesn't let them run all over her, but she doesn't treat them like freaks either. She is an all-around badass and I love her.

On a side note, if there is one thing that rivals my love for a good book, that would be good music. And let me tell you, Jeri Smith-Ready knows good music. She wove it into the book, letting the music help tell the story. Wicked Game is almost as much about the music as the story. I bought at least ten songs off the Wicked Game playlist, songs featured in the book. If you love and appreciate awesome music, you will love this series.

I meant it when I said this was intended as a min-review. I just want to quickly and loudly tell you to read this series ASAP. But, like I tend to do in real life (just ask my husband), I got distracted. Distracted by my passion for the awesome. And that, in a not so tidy nutshell is what Wicked Game is. Pure awesomeness. I honestly can not recommend it more emphatically.

Favorite Quotes:

“As he presses me against the car and his fingers tangle in my hair, I find myself hoping-and fearing-that I'll never be the object of such a love, one that could bring a man to his knees and never let him stand again.”

“Parents, preachers, and politicians think rock music is the source of young people's despair. They don't understand it's just a reflection. They also forget that music can be a source of hope, a reason to live.”

“Shane closes his eyes and groans deep in his throat, a noise that embodies sex and death. His back arches, and his fingers rake the carpet as if to pull it up like grass.”

Paperback, 384 pages

Published May 13th 2008 by Pocket

Find Wicked Game (WVMP Radio,  #1) at:

GoodReads  |  Constellations Books  (where you can get signed copies)  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Amazon  Book Depository

Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's WoW is...

Wood Point Academy is not at all what I expected. For one thing, it looks like a cross between military school and Buckingham Palace. Everyone stares, the floors shine so bright you can see your reflection in them from a mile away, and no one smiles. Unless they're kicking your butt in the process. Which happens more often than not for the freshman. Lucky for them, my presence has just stolen the spotlight, and they get a break from the daily joys of hazing.

At least I've got plenty to take my mind off the fact that my psycho cousin, Miles De'Luca, keeps calling and declaring his love and promising to come for me just as soon as he's destroyed anyone standing in our way. Wes isn't going to like that idea.

So between Miles, Wood Point's evil welcoming commitee, and the drill sergeant hottie trainer from hell, I just keep asking myself, how did I end up here?

Why I'm waiting:  I loved the first book in the series, Dirty Blood. Heather Hildenbrand is a fabulous

                                author and I can't wait to see what she has in store in Cold Blood!

Expected publication: November 2011

Find Cold Blood:

GoodReads  |  Heather's Blog

Ghoulish Giveaway - Anna Dressed in Blood

That's right kids. It's one of my favorite times of year, HALLOWEEN.

To celebrate, April at Sim-Sational Books and I have decided to host a tag-team giveaway.

Be sure to go to Sim-Sational Books and enter the BLOOD MAGIC GIVEAWAY!

Here's what I am offering up on the chopping block



Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.

So did his father before him, until he was gruesomely murdered by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father's mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay.

When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn't expect anything outside of the ordinary: track, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he's never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, now stained red and dripping with blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.

But she, for whatever reason, spares Cas's life.

(From GoodReads)

I don't know about you, but I think Anna has one of the spookiest covers I've ever seen.

April makes beautiful SIMS trailers. She made this creep-tastic teaser trailer for Anna.

Check it out

That gives me the chills!

Now for the GIVEAWAY

Rules:

Must be 13+ years of age.

Open to International entries, as long as Book Depository ships to your country!

You must, must love this blog! (J/k! I have to make sure you're reading this!)

Giveaway ends on October 19, 2011

Fill out the Rafflecopter form.

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along, just do as following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• Be careful not to include any spoilers so as not to ruin the book for others!

Make sure to share the title and the author so other TT participants can add the book to their TBR piles.

This week's Teaser is from



Wicked Game (WVMP Radio #1)
by Jeri Smith-Ready

LATE NIGHT RADIO YOU CAN SINK YOUR TEETH INTORecovering con artist Ciara Griffin is trying to live the straight life, even if it means finding a (shudder!) real job. She takes an internship at a local radio station, whose late-night time-warp format features 1940s blues, '60s psychedelia, '80s goth, and more, all with an uncannily authentic flair. Ciara soon discovers just how the DJs maintain their cred: they're vampires, stuck forever in the eras in which they were turned.

Ciara's first instinct, as always, is to cut and run. But communications giant Skywave wants to buy WVMP and turn it into just another hit-playing clone. Without the station — and the link it provides to their original Life Times — the vampires would "fade," becoming little more than mindless ghosts of the past. Suddenly a routine corporate takeover is a matter of life and undeath.

To boost ratings and save the lives of her strange new friends, Ciara rebrands the station as "WVMP, the Lifeblood of Rock 'n' Roll." In the ultimate con, she hides the DJs' vampire nature in plain sight, disguising the bloody truth as a marketing gimmick. WVMP becomes the hottest thing around — next to Ciara's complicated affair with grunge vamp Shane McAllister. But the "gimmick" enrages a posse of ancient and powerful vampires who aren't so eager to be brought into the light. Soon the stakes are higher — and the perils graver — than any con game Ciara's ever played...

I'm taking part in the WVMP Read-Along, hosted by Fictish-Delish. I am so happy I'm doing this because this is a fabulous book!

This book is filled with TT-worthy quotes. I couldn't pick just one, so I've included two. One is funny and one is sexxxxxy!

Here are my Teasers:

"Yeah, yeah, feed on blood, okay, can't go out during the day, yada yada yada, super-seductive,

  whatever. Sounds like re-hashed cliches to me, warmed-over Anne Rice, but hey, I scarf those trendy

  vampire novels like they were heroin-soaked potato chips, so I'll play along for entertainment's sake."

"Shane closes his eyes and groans deep in his throat, a noise that embodies sex and death. His back

  arches and his fingers rake the carpet as if to pull it up like grass." 

Believe it or not, the second teaser is not what you think!

Hope you liked my Teasers. Be sure to leave a link so I can check your's out!

Review - Deadly Cool, by Gemma Halliday

First I find out that my boyfriend is cheating on me. Then he’s pegged as the #1 suspect in a murder. And now he’s depending on me to clear his name. Seriously?

As much as I wouldn’t mind watching him squirm, I know that he’s innocent. So I’m brushing off my previously untapped detective skills and getting down to business. But I keep tripping over dead bodies and I’m still no closer to figuring out who did it. And what’s worse: all signs seem to point to me as the killer’s next victim.

I really need to pick a better boyfriend next time.

(From GoodReads)

My Review

I'm smiling right now. I know, you can't see me. But trust me, I am. The reason for the big smile? This book, Deadly Cool. Based on the cover, which  I adore, and the synopsis, you might think Deadly Cool to be a dark, serious book. And I'll admit, there are aspects to the book that are dark and serious. Such as, cheating boyfriends, murder, and a killer on the loose. But author Gemma Halliday told the story with a droll, quick-witted tone that absolutely knocked the ball out of the park.

I'll admit, it helps that Deadly Cool was exactly the type of book I was in the mood for. Young Adult, contemporary, non-paranormal was what the reading-doctor ordered. I knew I was in for a delicious treat when I read the opening lines:

"There are three things you never want to

 find in your boyfriend's locker: a sweaty jockstrap,a D minus on last week's history test, and an empty condom wrapper. Lucky me, I'd hit the trifecta."

And, thankfully, the entire book was able to maintain that tone. It was packed full with witty dialogue and laugh-out-loud situations.

Deadly Cool has an easy to read, conversational tone. I felt like I was a participant in the action. Halliday did an immense job of lending main character, Hartley, and the other teens, non-irritating, engaging voices. Well, except for a couple of the girls. But they were supposed to be irritating! There wasn't a single character in the story that wasn't spot-on, well written. The cheating boyfriend, Josh, is shockingly likeable. Like Hartley, I knew I should despise him, but I couldn't help feeling sorry for the poor guy. I suppose it helps that he is descibed as looking very much like Zac Efron. And as much as I adore Josh, I have a thing for unconventional book guys. Like Chase, Hartley's partner in crime solving. He's cool, wears black-on-black-on-black a lot, has messy hair and sly comebacks. Perfect.

Deadly Cool was a pleasant surprise. I thought I would most likely enjoy it. I loved it. I read within a few hours time, dying to know who did the deed. This book was a fun, breezy read. A stand-alone that could easily be a series. And, Wow, I hope Halliday does give us more Hartley, soon!





Favorite Quote:

"Whether it was the chamomile or the good long cry or the fact that Chase was once again speaking to
  me, I had a little spring in my step as I walked to second period, only five minutes late. I might be a
  leper, but I was a leper with a clue."

Paperback, 272 pages

Expected publication: October 11th 2011 by HarperTeen

Find Deadly Cool at:

GoodReads | Barnes & Noble | Amazon | Book Depository (at an awesome price!)

* I received Deadly Cool from Harper Teen, in exchange for an honest review. *