Cover Reveal: The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

The first cover of Julie Kagawa's new Vampire series has been revealed!

Personally I can't wait to read more from Kagawa. 

I loved the Iron Fey series so I'm pretty sure this will also be amazing!
Release date: 24th April 2012

Here's the Synopsis:

You will kill. The only question is when.

In the dark days since the insidious Red Lung virus decimated the human population, vampires have risen to rule the crumbling cities and suburbs. Uncontested Princes hold sway over diminished ranks of humans: their "pets." In exchange for their labor, loyalty and of course, their blood, these pets are registered, given food and shelter, permitted to survive.

Unregistered humans cling to fringes, scavenging for survival. Allison Sekemoto and her fellow Unregistereds are hunted, not only by vampires, but by rabids, the unholy result of Red Lung-infected vampires feeding on unwary humans. One night, Allie is attacked by a pack of rabids, saved by an unlikely hero...and turned vampire.

Uncomfortable in her undead skin, Allie falls in with a ragtag crew of humans seeking a cure, or cures: for Rabidism and for Vampirism. She's passing for human...for now. But the hunger is growing and will not be denied. Not for friendship—not even for love.

~~

What do you think? 

Like it? Hate it? Leave a comment!

Review: Notes to Self by Avery Sawyer

Notes to Self by Avery Sawyer

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Review: Authors request

Contact: www.teashopgirls.com

Synopsis:
Two climbed up. Two fell down. One woke up.
In the aftermath of a traumatic brain injury, Robin Saunders has to relearn who she is and find out what happened the night everything changed.

Review:
There really aren't enough good words to say about this YA contemporary story. Notes to Self tells us about Robin Saunders who suffers a terrible accident and sustains a traumatic brain injury.

Our narrative starts from the accident to the aftermath in the hospital as Robin begins her life again having forgotten the accident itself. The only thing is she's forgotten portions of her life also, and the ability to form sentences, put her jeans on before her shoes, and deal with the kids from school. There's also all sorts of side stories that join the main theme so we get a full idea of who Robin was and who Robin is now post-accident. And, boy, has she changed!

I'm not one for contemporary fiction. Most of the time I think its generally boring but this story was so heartwarming and heartbreaking at times that I could not put it down. From the moment you start reading it you can tell that the Avery Sawyer has put her heart and soul into this story and given us all a gift on how to be better people.

I thoroughly recommend it for teenagers and adults alike.

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Review: Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon

Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I liked this book and I'm glad I read it, but I didn't love it. The story is wonderfully set in Ireland which I enjoyed. The characters are mostly great and the writing is good but sometimes a little oversimplistic.

Symopsis:
From the moment she sets foot at her new school in Ireland, Megan is inexplicably drawn to the darkly handsome Adam DeRis. But Megan soon discovers that her feelings for Adam are tied to a supernatural fate that was sealed long ago—and that the passion and power that unites them could be their ultimate destruction.

Review:
While reading the story I felt a little disengaged from the main character-Megan. I don't know whether its because she seemed to have little personality or whether it was her seventeen year old POV but at times I wanted to scream at her for her one-tracked mind. Especially when it came to Adam.

Personally, if I'd meant an eighteen year old boy that was so compassionate about me, I too would probably never want to leave him. But at times I felt the romance was a bit overkill. I love a nice swoony lead man but it was a little too much in very inappropriate places. Such as the training session where they seemed unable to take their hands (or eyes) off each other. I mean, there were three other people there trying to help with her training and all she can do is snog Adam in front of them? Awkward!

The story continues and picks up the pace to a suitable conclusion however another thing that affected me was the fact that Adam had to have a kidney removed. A KIDNEY REMOVED-SERIOUS STUFF!!! And all Megan can do is go gooey over his love for her, his kisses and caresses....yeah, that didn't ring true either.

Overall I will read the next one, and am keen to find out where the story takes me but at little less self-indulgence wouldn't go amiss.

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Review: Hereafter by Tara Hudson

Hereafter by Tara Hudson

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Synopsis:

Can there truly be love after death?

Drifting in the dark waters of a mysterious river, the only thing Amelia knows for sure is that she's dead. With no recollection of her past life—or her actual death—she's trapped alone in a nightmarish existence. All of this changes when she tries to rescue a boy, Joshua, from drowning in her river. As a ghost, she can do nothing but will him to live. Yet in an unforgettable moment of connection, she helps him survive.

Amelia and Joshua grow ever closer as they begin to uncover the strange circumstances of her death and the secrets of the dark river that held her captive for so long. But even while they struggle to keep their bond hidden from the living world, a frightening spirit named Eli is doing everything in his power to destroy their newfound happiness and drag Amelia back into the ghost world . . . forever.

Review:

This book has been on my TBR pile for ages. Finally, I wanted to read something different, and what could be more different than a ghost story with a twist.

Sadly I was left a little bit underwhelmed. I liked the premise of the story, a girl ghost saves a boy from drowning and thanks to his Seer skills he's now able to see and feel her.

The story is a narrative and deals with all sorts of complications. Amelia can't remember her last name, her family, where she lives etc. But most pointedly how did she die? And how can she and Joshua begin their relationship, complications notwithstanding.

I felt the flow of the story too slow in places. A few repeated emphasis' that could have been left out and a whole lot of extra filler which made the book stagnant. I actually wanted to reach the end just so that I could finish it.

The story itself started well and had me gripped to find out what was going on but by the middle of the book I got the impression that there wasn't much more story to tell. The evil bad ghost was even a little too - lame? And the ending was tied up nicely but not with a ghostly haunted feel to it, more of a fizzled out firecracker.

This isn't meant harshly in any way towards the book. It IS a sweet love story which I found refreshing and unique to the YA genre. I just wanted a little more action.

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Review: Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

THANK YOU TO NET GALLEY AND HARPERCOLLINS FOR ALLOWING ME TO REVIEW THIS BOOK AND GIVE MY HONEST OPINION

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Move over Suzanne Collins, there's a new Kiddie in town. Her name's Veronica Rossi and her book 'Under a Never Sky' will take you on a spellbinding journey which you'll never forget.

Synopsis:
Aria is a teenager in the enclosed city of Reverie. Like all Dwellers, she spends her time with friends in virtual environments, called Realms, accessed through an eyepiece called a Smarteye. Aria enjoys the Realms and the easy life in Reverie. When she is forced out of the pod for a crime she did not commit, she believes her death is imminent. The outside world is known as The Death Shop, with danger in every direction.

As an Outsider, Perry has always known hunger, vicious predators, and violent energy storms from the swirling electrified atmosphere called the Aether. A bit of an outcast even among his hunting tribe, Perry withstands these daily tests with his exceptional abilities, as he is gifted with powerful senses that enable him to scent danger, food and even human emotions.

They come together reluctantly, for Aria must depend on Perry, whom she considers abarbarian, to help her get back to Reverie, while Perry needs Aria to help unravel the mystery of his beloved nephew’s abduction by the Dwellers. Together they embark on a journey challenged as much by their prejudices as by encounters with cannibals and wolves. But to their surprise, Aria and Perry forge an unlikely love - one that will forever change the fate of all who live UNDER THE NEVER SKY

Review:
This coming of age story is told from two POV's - Aria and Peregrine (Perry). What's interesting from the beginning is depth of the characters. Aria is a weaker individual who's lived in a pseudo world where she doesn't feel pain, suffering or anything really real. Perry on the other hand carries the full weight of life outside Reverie, he's an Outsider, and brother to the leader of the tribe, the Tides. Perry is strong, powerful, determined and compassionate towards his nephew.

But events unfold that will change the lives of both our main characters. A journey is travelled and growth is inevitable whether its bad or good. The weak become strong, and the stronger become...worldly.

'Under the Never Sky' is a such a wonderful treat for any age, not just Young Adults. The story will have you dipping and diving, praying and hoping. You heart will stop beating at least six times and as you reach the conclusion you realise that you can't wait to read the next installment.

Rossi's powerful writing will set alight any dystopian fantasy lovers...here's hoping they love violets too...

-Charlotte Black
bwormblogger.blogspot.com

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Review: Spirits Of Glory by Emily Devenport

Spirits Of Glory by Emily Devenport

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Review: Author's request


How lovely to read about a girl who isn't tall, beautiful, and stunning in every which way. Far from it, Amber (Hawkeye) is a cripple though she does describe herself as 'a prettiness that surprised her'. She's clever and smart but unique.

Synopsis:
One morning the people of the North woke up and the people of the South were gone. That s the first thing every child learns on the colony world of Jigsaw. But for one girl, knowing about The Disappearance is not enough. Hawkeye wants to know why.

That's why she spent half her life researching The Disappearance. And that's also why eight Neighbors show up on her doorstep, demanding that she accompany them into the Forbidden Cities ruled by the Southern gods to speak with the Spirits of Glory. Everyone thinks Hawkeye is an expert on Neighbors, these almost-humans who move, talk, and think as if they were born inside one of the Time Fractures. But she can't imagine what they want to ask the ghosts of their ancestors, or why they need her to go along. The Southern gods caused every human inhabitant of the Southern cities to disappear overnight :&emdash; what else might they do?

But the Northern gods say Hawkeye should go and her curiosity won't let her refuse, even though she's going into more danger than she can imagine. Pain and puzzlement wait along the broken interstate, along with scavengers who want to kill them all. Hawkeye's questions only generate more questions as they move farther and farther into the South, right into the heart of the Disappearance, until Hawkeye's questions have all been answered.
Even the ones she was afraid to ask.

Review:
The first thing I'll say is that if you don't like Sci-Fi then this book isn't for you. Personally I LOVE Sci-Fi and this author's attention to detail is so far advanced that many inferior writers can never match it.

The blend of sentences and words wisping around to create this magical word of Jigsaw is very unique, almost akin to classic Sci-Fi more than modern but among those words and sentences is a story that will grab you in so you don't want to let go.

While I read it chapter by chapter I formed various ideas in my head as to what would happen at the end of the journey, and what twist Devenport would spring on us but I was wrong in each idea.

The characters are all crisp and well formed. I particularly liked the assistance animals and how much they helped Hawkeye, with the soft touch of her reading them 1001 Arabian Nights to go to sleep.

There isn't much dialogue in the story, and only a hint of romance near the end although Bertie does play a prominent part in Hawkeye's perception of things. But this is about the growth of one girl and how her world changes on her last journey.

A thoroughly wonderful read, I beg anyone to read it and enjoy.

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Review: Exiled by RaShelle Workman

Exiled by RaShelle Workman

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Synopsis:

Stubborn, sixteen-year-old Princess Venus of Kelari wants one thing, to become immortal, that is, until someone exiles her to Earth, kills her irrihunter and takes her family.

Now she wants revenge.

First she’s got to get home. But before she can return to Kelari, the Gods have commanded her to help an arrogant boy named Michael find his soul mate. Only she doesn't know the first thing about love.

Rather quickly, her inexperience with human emotion is obscured by other matters—alien-controlled psychotic teens that are out to kill her, and a government group that is set on capturing and dissecting her.

Worst of all, Venus will suffer a painful death-by-poisoning, thanks to Earth’s atmosphere, if she remains on the planet longer than one week. Still, Venus is a Princess and she's got a plan. Surely, with her help, Michael will fall in love with a human.

But time is running out and Michael is falling for the wrong girl—her.

Review:

I'm sooo disappointed. I've been waiting to read this book for so long but....

The writing was okay. In parts the dialogue was terrible. The teenage lingo-speak dialogue was cringe-worthy. The stereotypical high school elements were nauseating.

The only solid character in the whole book was Zaren. Solid, through and through. All the rest including Venus were so opaque it wasn't funny.

The story was so confusing and preposterious (especially near the end) that it made a good idea too complicated to read easily, I had to keep checking back to try and understand the story. Plus, large parts of 'tell' and no 'show'.

The romance was icky,and Venus was jumping off the walls every time Michael or Zaren were nearby.

Thoroughly disappointed and I love YA sci-fi. If you want to read a good book try Keira's Moon by Lizzy Ford or Elemental: The First by Alexandra May. So much better.

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