Cover Reveal: Elemental: The Circle of Fire by Alexandra May

I'm so excited to reveal the cover of Alexandra May's next book, sequel to Elemental: The First and Elemental: Origin!

I've been waiting for this for a while now. I hope there's lots of Aiden in this one!

Here it is!!

 

Elemental: The Circle of Fire
(Primord Series #2)

by Alexandra May

Rose Frost discovers from Aiden Deverill, the bad boy around town, that they are Primord Elementals in hiding. They may be from the same group of ancients, born way before humans existed on the earth, but that doesn't mean she has to like him.

Rose wakes up one morning in hospital having no idea how she got there. She soon learns that one of the Xipilé’s is dead. Rumours circulate that she killed Spencer Phillips, Aiden’s best friend, but Rose has no recollection. Her memory of that fateful night has been erased. Spurned by her friends and hated by the other Xipilés, Rose plunges to the depths of an emotional spiral that she may never get out of. The only person who can truly help her plays with fire.

On this heroic and fast paced journey, Rose begins with a key but poignant tragedy. Her time for the Unburdening and Integration into Halíka Dacomé draws near. The impeding arrival of the outer Xipilé clade, who want her dead, is looming. Strange asteroids in space draw in a new 21st century world-wide audience, linking their appearance to Halíka Dacomé. Is Ben’s plan of an apocalyptic disaster drawing near? Does he really want to rid the world of the human race and make way for the coming of the Primords?

The myth is becoming legend and Rose’s sanity is being tested. Rose Frost only has seven days to find out the truth, once and for all, before it’s too late.

Expected Publication: June 2017

Check it out here on Goodreads

ARC Review: True by Erin McCarthy

True by Erin McCarthy 

Publishers: Intermix
Published Date: May 7th 2013
From: Net Galley
My rating: 3 out of 5

Synopsis:
When Rory Macintosh’s roommates find out that their studious and shy friend has never been with a guy, they decide that, as an act of kindness they’ll help her lose her virginity by hiring confident, tattooed bad boy Tyler Mann to do the job…unbeknownst to Rory.

Tyler knows he’s not good enough for Rory. She’s smart, doctor smart, while he’s barely scraping by at his EMT program, hoping to pull his younger brothers out of the hell their druggy mother has left them in. But he can’t resist taking up her roommates on an opportunity to get to know her better. There’s something about her honesty that keeps him coming back when he knows he shouldn’t…

Torn between common sense and desire, the two find themselves caught up in a passionate relationship. But when Tyler’s broken family threatens to destroy his future, and hers, Rory will need to decide whether to cut her ties to his risky world or follow her heart, no matter what the cost…

Review:
I liked True.I loved learning about Rory, she is an extremely likeable character. Her logical and simplistic way of thinking was refreshing and continued throughout the book no matter what circumstance she faced at that moment.Tyler is also a nice guy. I loved the TRUE family tattoo, his family except for the mother were all great people.The things that I didn't like in the story were a) the beginning - Rory is not desperate for attention. She knows she can spend her time studying, its what she likes to do. So why on earth was she sat at a friends boyfriends apartment while her two best friends spent time in their bedrooms with their boyfriends. Ummm. Third wheel. Would you really do that? Or if invited wouldn't you just say no, I have better things to do while you have sex with your boyfriend for an hour and leave me in the lounge sipping beer and watching TV with no-personality Grant? I don't know anyone, no matter whether they're shy or reserved or whatever, who would do this. And as for the almost rape? It just came over as a clutching at straws way to get Tyler and Rory together, and it was nasty. b) Very predictable especially when Tyler got arrested and put in prison for 30 days. And also predictable was her fathers reaction. I would have enjoyed it more if her dad had actually come out of his hideaway house and supported Rory. Not all parents are so stereotypical these days. It is a nice story in the end. It did end abruptly, but there was an HEA of sorts.Not the best NA book I've read lately but not the worst either.-CB x

You can reach Erin McCarthy here:
Web  Goodreads

Available from Amazon:

    

Cover Reveal: Crown of Midnight by Sarah J Maas

I'm so excited to reveal the cover of the sequel to the brilliant Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas.

Here it is!!

CROWN OF MIDNIGHT
by Sarah J Maas

An assassin’s loyalties are always in doubt.
But her heart never wavers.
After a year of hard labor in the Salt Mines of Endovier, eighteen-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien has won the king's contest to become the new royal assassin. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown – a secret she hides from even her most intimate confidantes.

Keeping up the deadly charade—while pretending to do the king's bidding—will test her in frightening new ways, especially when she's given a task that could jeopardize everything she's come to care for. And there are far more dangerous forces gathering on the horizon -- forces that threaten to destroy her entire world, and will surely force Celaena to make a choice.

Where do the assassin’s loyalties lie, and who is she most willing to fight for?

Expected publication: August 27th 2013 by Bloomsbury USA Childrens 

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Check out Throne of Glass on Facebook for more news and Giveaways!

Review: Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor

 

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor 

 
Publishers: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Published Date: September 27th 2011

My rating: 5 out of 5

Synopsis: 
Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages--not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.

When one of the strangers--beautiful, haunted Akiva--fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

Review:
Wow! Wow, wow, wow!!

It isn't often I'm awed by such rich writing or such a weird, bizarre, outrageous, spell-binding but truly fantastical story.

Right from the beginning you fall into Karou's world. Crazy, young thing with blue hair and a penchant for drawing fantasy creatures that all have names, histories and Karou's enthusiasm. She goes to an art school in Prague and has a brilliant friend in Zuzana, who is equally as eccentric. Karou's ex-boyfriend has been an ass on an epic scale and gradually you get drawn into the mystical world that Karou lives in. She 'wishes', using magical beads, devastating crudeness to the ex which is incredibly funny.

Taylor then takes us on the journey of Karou's world. Not knowing if she is human or not but she sure looks like one even with the blue hair. We get invited into her past with indeed does include the before-mentioned fantasy creatures, and we visit magical places around the world like Paris and Morocco.

When we reach Morocco the story lifts onto a new level as we meet Akiva. Karou's world shifts slightly as each is drawn to each other for undefined reasons which get explained later on. Because there isn't just the human world involved here. We learn about other worlds accessible by portals. And....shhh, Akiva is an Angel, or a soldier whichever you want. But there is a war going on between the chimaera (the fantasies) and the Angels (the soldiers).

The romance between Karou and Akiva is exquisite. It's slow building and then overwhelming and then...disaster happens.

The writing held me in my chair for hours just reading through the beautiful prose that gets painted like a perfect picture enabling the reader to visualise such drama and scenery.

I've never read Laini Taylor before but I was enchanted. If you haven't had a chance to pick this one up then please do. It'll be well worth your time.

-CB x

You can reach Laini Taylor here:

Web  Goodreads

 

Available from Amazon:

ARC Review: You Look Different in Real Life by Jennifer Castle

You Look Different in Real Life by Jennifer Castle  

Publishers: HarperTeen
Published Date:  June 4th 2013
From: Arc from Publishers
My rating: 4 out of 5

Synopsis:
For the rest of the world, the movies are entertainment. For Justine, they're real life.

The premise was simple: five kids, just living their lives. There'd be a new movie about them every five years, starting in kindergarten. But no one could have predicted what the cameras would capture. And no one could have predicted that Justine would be the star.

Now sixteen, Justine doesn't feel like a star anymore. In fact, when she hears the crew has gotten the green light to film Five at Sixteen, all she feels is dread. The kids who shared the same table in kindergarten have become teenagers who hardly know one another. And Justine, who was so funny and edgy in the first two movies, feels like a disappointment.

But these teens have a bond that goes deeper than what's on film. They've all shared the painful details of their lives with countless viewers. They all know how it feels to have fans as well as friends. So when this latest movie gives them the chance to reunite, Justine and her costars are going to take it. Because sometimes, the only way to see yourself is through someone else's eyes.

Smart, fresh, and frequently funny, You Look Different in Real Life is a piercing novel about life in an age where the lines between what's personal and what's public aren't always clear

Review:

I read The Beginning of After and loved the way that Castle has you thinking about the characters all the way through. So when I had the chance of reading this one I jumped at it.

Castle has a unique gift of providing us with characters that somehow fit into a category. But their personalities are not at all what you would expect and when it comes to teenagers of sixteen and seventeen with all the baggage that comes with teens these days I think she got this one spot on.

So Justine, Keira, Rory, Felix and Nate are all child stars of the hit documentary series Five at Six/Eleven/Sixteen. It started when they were six years old. They were chosen from a large group to feature in the documentary with an aim to find them in five years time and see how they and their families had changed. Five at Six was a huge hit. Five at Eleven was even better. So when the producers find Justine, sitting on a wall outside her local library, not only does Justine know that she's going to be in the spotlight again but she also knows that she'll be a huge disappointment to everyone who watched the shows previously. From the beginning she's against Five at Sixteen. Mostly because when they filmed Eleven she told the cameras everything she wanted to be and to achieve. And in real life she hasn't done any of it. She's heavier than she'd like to be, just been dumped by a boyfriend, has no hobbies to speak of, and apart from a few conversation with Felix has little or no contact with the other three stars.

What we learn as we read the story through flashbacks and private meetings is that they've all changed. Grown up, grown away from one another. Mostly they've all be affected by their lives being open to public scrutiny, to be criticised and contradicted. Their family lives are different. Justine's own father now doesn't live at home and they only have a family dinner on Thursdays.

When Sixteen gets talked about openly Justine sees her parents diving at the opportunity. She sees for the first time how her mother would like more publicity for her business. How her father likes the attention. Surprisingly her sister, Olivia, says she wants nothing to do with it. The films of the past must have affected her own life.

When filming starts the producers are confused. Why are this kids not performing like they used to? Where are the stars that the public know and love? Justine was always funny on film. The others all had their own idiosyncrasies too. As Justine points out, they're all teenagers now. They have the weight of the world on their shoulders. Parents expectations, their own expectations, genuine friendships that are hard to find. None of the 5 gel together. They've all fallen apart in five years.
Although the filming is supposed to be natural and organic, the producers realise they'll have to break a few rules with this one. They use Nate's swim meet as one example to get all the five together in one room. All it proves is that the five kids would rather be anywhere else. So a team building weekend is suggested, that doesn't work well either...until Keira exploits the opportunity and uses it to her own advantage. When Keira goes missing the other four can't do anything but go after her. And that's where the true story of the Five at Sixteen film begins.

I've seen this experiment many times on documentaries on TV. Personally I would hate the idea of a camera following me round constantly to get an eyeful of my life. Sure, when your six years old everything is funny and a joke. When you're eleven things start getting a bit more serious. The exploitation of the kids lives can never be realised until they're much older and by that time its too late. People judge you by what you see on TV not by who you really are in real life. Much like actors and actresses we see today.

I thought Castle did a fantastic job with the story. Autism and Gay were proudly shown in their true finery. Family break ups and friendships were discussed in length and all told with a sympathetic voice and a strong resolution. The story is heartbreaking at times, especially when Castle reveals why the five don't get along any more. And a good ending that wrapped up the story nicely was perfect.

Recommended to anyone who loved Castle's previous work and anyone who watches reality TV!-CB x

You can reach Jennifer Castle here:
Web   Goodreads

ARC Review: Thorn Abbey by Nancy Ohlin

Thorn Abbey by Nancy Ohlin  

Publishers: Simon Pulse
Published Date: May 7th 2013
From: Publishers -Arc
My rating: 3 out of 5

Synopsis:
Nothing is as it seems in this darkly romantic tale of infatuation and possession, inspired by Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca.

Becca was the perfect girlfriend: smart, gorgeous, and loved by everyone at New England’s premier boarding school, Thorn Abbey. But Becca’s dead. And her boyfriend, Max, can’t get over his loss.

Then Tess transfers to Thorn Abbey. She’s shy, insecure, and ordinary—everything that Becca wasn’t. And despite her roommate’s warnings, she falls for brooding Max.

Now Max finally has a reason to move on. Except it won’t be easy. Because Becca may be gone, but she’s not quite ready to let him go…

Review:

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier is one of my favourite books of all time. Last year I read Paige Harbison's New Girl which retold the story so I was intrigued by Thorn Abbey.

To start with Tess comes from an ordinary everyday background. Single mum, not much money, normal high street clothes. When she arrives to Thorn Abbey the students are of a different calibre altogether. They all have money, come from distinguished homes, have relatives in high places. Tess feels out of her league.

Her life gets creepier when she realises she's taken the place of Becca. A student who died in a tragic accident and not only is she sleeping in the same room as her but also the same bed.

During her first few days she sees Max. From here on in for about a third of the book Tess develops a creepy OCD/obsessive disorder of Max and his ex-girlfriend Becca. Yep, he dated her, and as everyone tells Tess, they were so in love. Devon, her room-mate, gives Tess Becca's old laptop to use as Tess hasn't got one. The wallpaper is one of Max and Becca kissing. But something goes in Tess' favour because Max does take an interest in her. Franklin, his best friend, tells Tess to be careful. Max is unstable, jealous even especially of Becca's cousin Killian.

The second third of the book gets taken up with Tess's self-obsession. She thinks she isn't good enough, she's not pretty, shaped like a supermodel, she doesn't wear the right clothes etc. This part of the book made me dislike Tess immensely. Not only were her room-mate and so called friends taking her food away while insisting her hips are too wide, but they're also incredibly bitchy towards her. This doesn't help her self-esteem but all kudos go to Max because he tells her he wants her for exactly the person she is.

I must admit the first two thirds of the book had me liking Tess to disliking her. She has a lot of insecurities issues but this seems to be a trait as a reminiscing memory of her mother creeps in-we learn that Tess has always been this way. I did like Max but the story was telling me Max had severe mood-swings but I didn't see anything that a good chat and opening up session couldn't cure. Actually Tess and Max don't come across as a couple who talk that much which for the amount of time they're together doesn't come across as true.

The drama unfolds and things get worse when its clear to Tess that Becca's spirit is messing with her. The story ends tragically.

Yes, that sentence was written like that for a reason because that's exactly how the story finishes. Abrupt, lacking in emotion, apart from everyone hugging. It just ends. Although there is a slight twist but it didn't make up for a slightly drab storyline. When Kayleigh starting coming up with supernatural clues and ideas I actually thought it could lift the story but it just kind of flat-lined.

If you're a fan of Rebecca or New Girl, or public school stories then you may want to read this.-CB x

You can reach Nancy Ohlin here:
Web   Goodreads

Available from Amazon:

    

May's Most Wanted 2013!

Out May 2013

So, here's what I'm hoping to get in May.
Which books are you looking forward to?