Review: Scarlet by A. C. Gaughen

Title: Scarlet
Author: A. C. Gaughen
Publisher: Walker Childrens
Release Date: 14 Feb, 2012

Description: From Goodreads

Buy: From Amazon UK

A. C. Gaughen debuts with a historical re-telling of the renowned legend of Robin Hood - a legend of thievery, injustice, and the eminent bow and arrow that so many of us are familiar with in some form or another. What readers probably won’t be familiar with is the astonishing idea that Will Scarlet, a prominent member of Robin Hood’s band of Merry Men, is, in actual fact, a girl. Scarlet, this brilliantly clever idea of a story, turns the customary concepts of this English folklore on it its head. And it does so in the most entertaining and inventive of ways. 

When I first stumbled across this book, I was instantly intrigued by the concept of a fearless girl banding with the ‘men’ (or boys, in this case). Who doesn’t enjoy reading about a kick-ass heroine? And kick-ass she was. Will Scarlet - Scar to Robin and the boys (Little John and Much the Miller’s Son) - is everything I was expecting her to be and so much more. She is impulsive, brave, and tough as bones, with her feminine locks locked away behind her boyish cap and a significant scar lining her face. From the very first page where her unique ‘voice’ makes itself heard, I knew me and Scarlet were going to get along just fine. As far as main characters go, she is hardly a model of excellence, and I say that as a good thing. She is so wonderfully and refreshingly flawed, that her rough edges do, in a sense I guess, make her perfect. 

And Scarlet is hardly the only character who struck a chord with me. Robin - the legendary Robin of Locksley, the so-called Earl of Huntington – whatever you want to call him – is, without a doubt, a brilliantly crafted character. A. C. Gaughen impresses me with her character-building skills as she delivers, not one, not even two, but several layered and appreciable characters. Robin is one that stands out significantly in this story. Like Scarlet, he is cut rough and left to bloom, with all his flaws adding to his character and not taking anything away. He is exactly how all Robin Hoods in every play, show, movie or book should be portrayed. There, I’ve said it – A. C. Gaughen’s Robin Hood is the Robin Hood. 

It’s obvious that the characters in this book are most certainly my favorite aspect. Apart from Guy of Gisbourne – who wasn’t ‘baddie’ enough for me – they are all wonderfully entertaining to read about. By the time I was pretty much most of the way through the book, I realised the characters were nearly the only reason I was still continuing to turn the pages. That’s not necessarily a bad thing – for some books. For a book like Scarlet, however, I was expecting a gripping and action-packed plot. There was a notable presence of action in this book, most of which I enjoyed reading, but I felt the overall story line was lacking in substance. It almost felt to me that the author re-created these old characters but hadn’t quite built the story necessary to do something with them. I did mention while I was reading this book, that the plot was terrible – it’s not terrible (and quite a few readers will find it more than entertaining, I’m sure) but it just didn’t impress me enough to have me interested in actually what was happening as opposed to just the characters. 

Having said all that, the lack of a remarkable plot doesn’t completely ruin the reading experience. I know I still thoroughly enjoyed most of the book and would be happy to visit it again or read more of Scarlet’s story. Overall, A. C. Gaughen gets a round of applause from me for plucking perhaps the most iconic tale from English history and moulding it into her own. If this is a stand-alone book, I will be contacting the author and forcing her to write another. Because frankly, who can get enough of Robin Hood?

Rating: 3.5 stars

In My Mailbox (#6)

IMM is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren, where bloggers share the books they have received with other readers. This week's post is a two-week edition so it's a little more full than usual! :) Here is what I got: (click on the links for a description via Goodreads)

For Review:

Perigee Moon by Tara Fuller

 Croak by Gina Damico (via NetGalley)

 Immortal City by Scott Speer

Starters by Lissa Price (via NetGalley)

 Masquerade by Cambria Hebert,

All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin

Freebies:

The Mind Readers by Lori Brighton

 Dangerous Angels by Francesca Lia Block

 For the Love of a Vampire by M. Leighton

The Vincent Boys by Abbi Glines

The Understorey by Fisher Amelie

Moon Spell by Samantha Young

Won:

Shadowfever by Karen Marie Moning

Witchlanders by Lena Coakley

When Copper Suns Fall by KaSonndra Leigh

I went a little overboard with the freebies this week! The ones I've shown are those I am most likely to read - I grabbed A LOT more though. :) I'm strangely excited about The Vincent Boys. I'm not usually drawn toward chick-lit type stories, but this seems to be one of the exceptions. I also can't wait to read The Understorey - I hadn't heard of it before, but after checking the description out on Goodreads, it does definitely sound like something I might enjoy. And then there is Tara Fuller's Perigee Moon which sounds AMAZING. I have seen a handful of teasers for that book around the web and they are all making me want to jump into this book straight away!

If you have read any of these books, let me know what you thought of them. :)

Review: Hunting Lila by Sarah Alderson

Title: Hunting Lila
Author: Sarah Alderson
Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
Published: Aug 5, 2011
Add On: From Goodreads

There’s nothing quite so satisfying as a book that manages to live up to the hype. I had high expectations for this book – like, really high - as practically everyone I had spoken to had nothing but good things to say about this book. For several weeks now I had been slowly recognising the thick buzz emanating off this book and it had me eager enough to buy myself a copy. All I regret now is not having read it sooner. Hunting Lila more than met my expectations and delivered the mesmerizing story I was hoping it would. 

There is a bit of everything in this book – a contemporary romance, paranormal powers, a thriller of a plot line. Each and every aspect of this book built up in comfortable layers as I made my way through the story. The introduction of Lila’s telekinesis ability and the beginning of the mystery surrounding her mother’s death all drew me in at lightning-fast speed and had me hooked to the pages. The story moves at a believable but fast pace that makes it near impossible to put the book down; I know I stayed up well into the early morning with my eyes glued to Sarah Alderson’s words! 

I have an endless list of things I enjoyed about this book, but my favorite aspect has to be the unpredictable story line. And when I say unpredictable, I really do mean unpredictable. There were a good handful of stunning jaw-dropping moments and twists and turns that literally left me gasping. Maybe I am just terrible at spotting the clues, but to say I was left shocked by some of the turns of events is an understatement. The plot in Hunting Lila is one of the more original and appreciable plot lines in YA fiction, and I applaud Sarah Alderson for creating a story so intricate in detail and yet so accessible. 

It seems everyone who has read and enjoyed this book has already established how remarkable Alex’s character is, but I will add to it anyway because I can’t not mention him. What to say, really, other than he is the definition of swoon-worthy? Seriously, he is all kinds of swoon-worthy. There is something about a motorbike-riding, gun-wielding, blue-eyed boy that I just have to fall for. (In fiction, mind you. Gun-wielding men in real life…different effect.) Alex isn’t just a love interest the reader can appreciate; he is also a solid and dynamic character whose minor flaws make up his perfection. I loved how much Alex added to the story. Even before we have met him, the reader can feel his significance to both Lila and the book. 

Lila herself is a character that shone beyond the words on the pages. I connected with her almost instantly. It’s not always easy to slip into the mind of someone so different to yourself – some of Lila’s actions are things I wouldn’t dream of doing in a million years – but I was surprisingly comfortable reading the story through her eyes. Yes, she did come across a little naïve at times, but I liked her. She was genuine and occasionally quite hilarious. Her relationship with Jack was so endearingly sweet, it made me wish I had a brother close by. Once again, kudos to Sarah Alderson – not only has she created a compelling and riveting story, she has crafted together the most complex and rich characters. 

Hunting Lila had me in an unbreakable grip as I ploughed on through the book just dying to know how it would end. I almost had an emotional break-down towards the climax of the book (those who have read it will know why) but I am keeping my toes and fingers crossed that all is well and the start to the next book will not be a heartbreaker. And speaking of the next book, I am craving it right now. It needs to be in my hands soon! 

Rating: 4 stars

Thanks to Jasprit and Rachel for joining me on a read-along!

Breathless Giveaway Winner

Thank you to everyone who entered the giveaway for Breathless by Scott Prussing. We have a winner.....

Mary R

Congratulations, Mary! Your Smashwords coupon will be with you soon. Please check your emails. :)

Feature & Follow Friday (#5)

Feature & Follow Friday is a weekly blog hop hosted by Parajunkee & Alison Can Read. Want to participate? Find out how here.


This week's question: Which book genre do you avoid at all costs and why?


My answer: I tend to avoid non-fiction books altogether. The genres I have never really stepped foot in are Erotica and Religion & Spirituality. They hold no appeal to me whatsoever. I also tend to avoid quite a bit of Historical Fiction. I have read a handful of books with a historical aspect to them before, but very few of them were enjoyable for me. I'm not entirely sure why - perhaps I have a preference for books set in the present day or the future as apposed to the past. Having said that, there are exceptions - YA historical re-tellings, for example, are something I can enjoy quite a bit if done well. 

Waiting on Wednesday (#5)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly blog feature started by Jill at Breaking The Spine which spotlights future releases that we are looking forward to. Here is my pick for the week:


Title: Renegade
Author: J. A. Souders
Publisher: Tor Teen
Expected Release: Fall 2012

Since the age of three, sixteen-year-old Evelyn Winters has been trained to be Daughter of the People in the underwater utopia known as Elysium. Selected from hundreds of children for her ideal genes all her life she’s thought that everything was perfect; her world. Her people. The Law. 

But when Gavin Hunter, a Surface Dweller, accidentally stumbles into their secluded little world, she’s forced to come to a startling realization: everything she knows is a lie. Her memories have been altered. Her mind and body aren’t under her own control. And the person she knows as Mother is a monster. 

Together with Gavin she plans her escape, only to learn that her own mind is a ticking time bomb... and Mother has one last secret that will destroy them all.

This book has been on my wishlist for a while and I can't wait until it is finally released. I love the how complex and intriguing this world sounds. Plus, the cover for this book is gorgeous! Add it to your shelves on Goodreads. :)

Review: Hollow Pike by James Dawson

Title: Hollow Pike

Author: James Dawson

Publisher: Orion Children's Books

Release Date: Feb 02, 2012

Pre-Order: From Amazon UK

Hollow Pike tells a riveting story about witchcraft that is rich in mystery and suspense. I was wrapped up in the engaging tale of Lis London, our young protagonist who is escaping the troubled life she had in Wales to live with her older sister in the country. Vivid nightmares plague Lis London’s dreams and they are no less frightening in the eerie town of Hollow Pike, where the legends and whispers of witches still lurk behind every corner. I had high expectations for this book, and, for the most part, James Dawson delivered. 

The opening of this book had me completely and utterly hooked. Almost instantly, we are given a taste of the ‘creepy’ in this story. I was compelled by the tone of the writing, the lush and captivating way the words were crafted together to create the most vivid of descriptions. James Dawson can write, that’s for sure. There is nothing I enjoy more than meeting the main character when they are in a dark or dangerous situation; it is here I feel we are able to get a good understanding of what type of character the protagonist is and that is certainly the case for me with Lis. I was satisfied with my first impression of Lis, the teenager haunted by her own mind. 

Due to the thrilling taster we are given at the start of the book, I was ready to plough on at full-speed through the rest of chapters. However, I think the opening may have given me too high a rush, so the few scenes that followed did dim slightly in comparison. My attention began to waver ever so slightly as the thrill of expecting a powerful and unique read evaporated with the introduction of some more clichéd ideas. The typical ‘mean girls’ inclusion frustrated me quite a bit, simply because such an aspect didn’t feel like it belonged in a book as dark as Hollow Pike. Then there is the whole ‘new girl’ idea where she is shipped from one clique to another, although more subtly done in this book than others. These were little details, but important ones nonetheless, that, to me, felt out of phase with the rest of the story. 

In stark contrast, the rest of the book - the remaining half or so – was superb. The teenage drama is left behind and the mystery and supernatural elements of this book begin to creep in. I was completely enthralled by the suspense-filled plot and the development of the story line. Things really do shift up a gear in the second half of the book. The scenes are darker, the secondary characters become more alluring, and poor Lis London finds herself balancing precariously on the edge of a murder mystery. I was turning page after page in the anticipation of finding out the truth and having my burning questions satisfyingly answered. And they were. Eventually. When the novel finally drew to a close, I was, for a change, happy with the turn of events. 

Overall, Hollow Pike, despite a few flaws, was an exciting thriller that I would be happy to read more of. It wasn’t perfect by any means, but it was an enjoyable read. If you are craving a chilling tale laced with suspense, Hollow Pike is the book for you.

Rating: 3.5 stars

300 Followers Giveaway! (International)

Thank you to everyone who helped me get to the 300 milestone! To celebrate, I am offering one lucky winner the choice of one of the YA paperback books below. The giveaway is INTERNATIONAL and the winner will be announced on Feb 11, 2012. (Click on the image to enlarge.)

UPDATE: There will now be TWO winners as I've reached 400! Thank you all so much for following. :)

   

Up For Grabs:

1. Hallowed by Cynthia Hand

2. Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick

3. My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent

4. Angel Fire by L. A. Weatherly

5. Last Breath by Rachel Caine

6. Cinder by Marissa Meyer

7. Blood Red Road by Moira Young

8. A Witch in Winter by Ruth Warburton 

9. Supernaturally by Kiersten White

10. Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

11. Crossed by Ally Condie

12. Stolen Away by Alyxandra Harvey

13. The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa

14. Divergent by Veronica Roth

15. Twisted by Gena Showalter 

16. Across the Universe by Beth Revis

17. Smolder by Brenna Yovanoff

18. The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler

Fill Out the Rafflecopter to Enter:

Within by Clare C. Marshall: Tour Stop + Interview

Welcome to the Within blog tour! For a full schedule of the tour, including the remaining tour stops, please click here. I am thrilled to be a part of the blog tour and have the lovely Clare Marshall here today to talk a little about her book, plus some other fun facts! Clare is the writer of Within, founder of Woulds & Shoulds Editing and Design, and can be found over at her website Faery Ink Press (where all ebook formats of her book are available) and on Twitter.

Buy Kindle Ebook | Buy Paperback

Description via Goodreads:

Trinity Hartell’s life changed after the accident. Left with irreversible brain damage, she becomes a burden to her mother, a cause for heartbreak for her boyfriend Zack, and a flattened obstacle for her best friend, Ellie. 

But then she starts writing. Perhaps it’s a coincidence that the psychotic, murdering protagonist of her novel bears a striking similarity to the charming Wiley Dalton, a mayoral candidate in the upcoming election. 

Or, perhaps not...

Interview:

In a sentence, how would you describe Within? 

A girl who gets brain damage from a car accident starts channelling the murderous, psychotic exploits of what appears to be a prominent mayoral candidate in Halifax.

Tell us a bit about the genre of your book. Why did you choose to write this sort of book? 
The genre is definitely not easy to categorize. I’ve been calling it a YA supernatural thriller, though the supernatural is subtle and the thrill will depend on how creeped out you get by getting into a serial killer’s head. There is no monster in my book besides the twisted depth of the human mind.This is one story idea I’ve had in my mind for a while. It was sitting in my ideas folder. I had originally intended for it to be a screenplay. (And who knows! Maybe it can be. :)) But when the 3 Day Novel Contest came up, I decided it might be time to explore the story. And when I didn’t win that, I decided it might be good enough to have edited, and then published.

Tell us a bit about the main character, Trinity. What stands out about her? Were there any difficulties in creating such a character?
I think the biggest difficulty with Trinity was that I was trying to create and develop a character that we never really see. We only see snippets of the “real” Trinity, from Ellie and Zack’s point of view. Their perspective of her is coloured by their own thoughts and issues. It was a challenge to not make her seem too much of any one trait—Ellie is jealous of her, so she tends to describe her negatively, yet she does admire her and love her because she was her best friend. Stephanie sees her as an infant, because she’s now a burden to her blossoming career. Zack puts Trinity on a pedestal. I think her beauty and lost dreams are what stands out about her.

If you could swap places with any other character in this book for a day, who would it be and why?
Preferably no one! Everyone is suffering in some way. Zack has lost his love, Ellie pines after someone who can’t love her, not at this time at least, Stephanie (Trinity’s mother) is trying to balance her home life with her job, Edmund is a psychotic murderer (though it was fun to write his parts). In a way, Trinity is suffering the least, because most of the time she doesn’t know what’s going on. So I guess I’d choose her to be for a day. Or, maybe the resource teacher that helps Trinity, since she’s the one who discovers her writing.


What are you most pleased about with your book?
Mostly I’m pleased that I was able to put it all together in the first place! I’m most pleased with the cover, which my partner David did, and with the editing.

If you could change anything about Within now, would you?
I might add one or two specific scenes about when Ellie goes to work for Mr. Dalton, but other than that, not really. The biggest change I made to the manuscript during the editing was the ending—it
was the complete opposite than it is now. Although I was hesitant about this at first, I’m glad I made the change. :)

And finally, what are you currently working on or planning to work on in the future?
In May, I hope to publish my next book—this one will be a straight up YA Fantasy. It’s titled The Violet Fox. It’s about two groups of people: the Marlenians, who live on the surface, and the Freetors, who live underground. Sixteen-year-old Freetor Kiera must disguise herself as a Marlenian princess and infiltrate the Marlenian castle to recover stolen documents that contain the magic of her people. I hope to have this out in May or June 2012! I have a pretty aggressive publishing plan this year—two books. And then three books in 2013. Yeah, I like to create work for myself. :)

Quick-Fire Round:

Writing with music or No music? Music to get me going, then no music.

Snow or Sunshine? Sunshine.

Tea or Coffee? Jasmine tea!

E-book or Paperback? Either :)

Indoors or Outdoors? Indoors with an outdoors feel.

Snakes or Spiders? Spiders

Which is more important to you, Reading or Writing? Writing

Thank you for the great interview, Clare! Leave your comments for Clare below. :)

Review: Significance by Shelly Crane

Title: Significance
Author: Shelly Crane

Published: June 12, 2011

Buy: From Amazon UK

"It's you," he whispered in wonder. "You're the one." 

The whole concept of 'imprinting' on someone and finding your ideal ‘soul-mate’ in less than a minute is not something I would usually enjoy reading about. I am a romance junkie. Believe it or not, but I do actually - occasionally - enjoy romantic tales that are a little more on the intense side. As long as a romance is believable, then it is fine for me. The thing is, with stories about imprinting, including this one, the romance tends to move at a ridiculously fast pace. You would expect it to of course; after all, when you have found your ideal match, what is there really to wait for? What I find tends to be lost with such romances is time for realistic feelings to develop. There is the constant risk of everything appearing to be forced into the story, which isn’t what you want to feel as the reader. Surprisingly, Significance by Shelly Crane doesn’t feel that way at all. In fact, Significance tells one of the most touching and compelling love stories I have read to date. 

To say I was surprised by my feelings towards this story is an understatement. Shelly Crane has crept up on me and delivered a book that is now looking more than comfortable up on my ‘favorites’ shelf. Significance is a riveting tale about Maggie Masters and one unexpected event that changes her life forever. Maggie, a character both complex and easy to warm to, finds herself suddenly bound to the beautiful ‘Ace’ that is Caleb Jacobson after she saves his life on a road crossing. From the moment their hands meet, Destiny takes hold and the imprint joins the two together as they both encounter visions of their future. And it all takes place in mere minutes. Now Maggie finds she cannot physically stay away from her soul-mate and nor can he from her. While they try to keep up with their complex situation, the Jacobson clan faces an impending threat from the Watsons, a clan who is determined to stop Maggie and Caleb from ‘ascending’ and gaining powers as a result of the imprint. 

I will admit, I wasn’t completely convinced at first. I wasn’t convinced that Maggie could be so accepting of not only her sudden feelings for Caleb, but also the revelation that the supernatural do in fact exist. This seems to be an abundant issue in many Young Adult tales of paranormal romances. The main character is nearly always too quick to agree that werewolves, vampires, faeries, and in this case ‘Aces’, are actually real. So I held back a little from the story at first, and wasn’t too impressed with Maggie’s character either. 

But I was quick to realise that Maggie wasn’t just being extremely naïve. The imprint juggled rational thought up for her, making Caleb the number one priority and everything else followed after. Once she does eventually realise the craziness of her situation, the questions poured out and she begins to shine as an independent and logical character. As the course of the story progresses, both she and Caleb get to appreciate each other beyond the effects of the imprint and realise that they are, in fact, perfect together. From there on in, Significance made me swoon every other page and, yes, I believed in the romance. 

Overall, Significance is most definitely a book for anyone who enjoys an emphasised romance, who wants the journey for the couple to be seamless and powerful. This is a heart-felt romance, but also one of those romances that some people will devour and others will most certainly hate. I am definitely among the devourers. This book has left a lasting impression on me – one I wasn’t expecting – and I am now more than eager to make my way through the rest of this series.

Rating: 4 stars

Feature & Follow Friday (#4)

Feature & Follow Friday is a weekly blog hop hosted by Parajunkee & Alison Can Read. Want to participate? Find out how here.

This week's question: What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done to get your hands on any particular book?

My answer: I would love to tell you all a dramatic tale about having to rugby-tackle a lion to get to a book or something of the sort, but the truth is, I'm actually pretty sensible. So even where books are concerned, I have never done anything particularly crazy to get my hands on something I really wanted.

However, there is one situation that some people may consider craziness, but I think my actions were perfectly normal. :D Can everyone recall the day when the final Harry Potter book was released? That was perhaps the most desperate I have ever been to get my hands on a book. I queued for about 6 hours the night before, waiting for the doors of Waterstone's bookshop to open at one minute past midnight. I camped out on the streets with a bunch of strangers. I can still remember how incredibly loud the cheer was when those doors finally swung open. I was shattered by the end of it (and dying to use the bathroom!) but it was an amazing feeling being one of the very first people to walk out of the shop with book 7 in my hands.

Taking part? Leave me a link to your answer! :)

Review: Enchanted by Alethea Kontis

Title: Enchanted
Author: Alethea Kontis
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Expected Release Date: May 08, 2012

Pre-Order: From Amazon UK

'She was the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter, and she was anything but normal.' 

As soon as I saw that gorgeous cover, I knew I wanted to read this book. Yes, I still sometimes judge a book by its cover, but I can’t help it. When I read the description, I was further enthralled. I hadn’t read a fairy-tale or even thought about a fairy-tale in such a long time, but I was captivated by how nice this story sounded. Compared to the grittier books I have been reading as of late, it seemed like a lovely and uplifting change.

And it was. 

Enchanted is a beautiful novel that weaves together the best fairy-tale stories to create a unique and enthralling tale. Almost instantly do you realise that this is proper fantasy, and perhaps even the most pleasant kind. The book opens with a rhyme, a rhyme which reminds us that she who is born on Sabbath Day, is blithe and bonny and good and gay. That in itself was enough to transport me to another world. A world full of song and beauty, dancing princesses, enchanted frogs, and magic beanstalks. Yes, that’s right, even the tale of Jack and the Beanstalk makes an appearance in this book. We also see flashes of The Princess and the Pea, Rumpelstiltskin (which I cannot spell for the life of me), Sleeping Beauty, and, of course, a touch of Cinderella. It was shocking to realise how many of these childhood tales I had forgotten, but so wonderful to have them all return to me through one book. I think the intertwining of the original fairy-tales was my favorite aspect of this book. It was so clever and expertly done. 

The characters were typical fairy-tale folk, but also, in a way, not typical at all. Sunday, our seventh daughter of a seventh daughter, is as sweetly passionate and expressive as the young girl normally is in a fairy-tale, but also, at times, quite humorous and determined. Her sisters are all as equally captivating to read about with their trademark characteristics. The only problem with having seven sisters named after seven days of the week, is that it gets quite confusing trying to remember which one is which at first. However, once the reader is more familiarized with the personalities of the different sisters – and they are wonderfully distinctive - the problem does eventually sort itself out. By the end, we are left with a memorable impression from each and every character, including Rumbold, our frog-turned-prince. 

The romance between Rumbold and Sunday will either make you smile or sneer. Now this is as typical as can get in a fairy-tale – it’s just down to personal preferences whether you want to read such a light-hearted love story. I will admit, for the first few chapters, I was rolling my eyes. As wonderfully imaginative and riveting as Alethea Kontis’ world was, I just couldn't accept how unbelievably quick Sunday is to fall in love with a frog. I was willing overlook the fact he is a frog - this is a fairy-tale after all - but not how emotional she got over him. Still, strange as it was, I think the latter half of the book more than made up for it. As soon as Rumbold is back on his feet as a man, I was charmed by the sweet story and it felt so much more believable. 

My only other criticism is the way certain plot lines jumped to the next with very little flow and I was left scratching my head and trying to work out what had happened. However, this flaw is very occasional and, for the most part, Alethea Kontis comes across as a skilled writer. She has a way with her words, crafting them together to create the perfect tone to match the story. 

Overall, Enchanted is one of the nicest books I have ever read and a wonderful escape into a fascinating world. The books itself may have a few minor flaws, but Sunday’s story is a charming one that I wouldn’t mind being a part of myself. 

(Please note, this review is of an advance copy. There will be slight differences to the final book.)

Rating: 3.5 stars

Waiting on Wednesday (#4)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly blog feature started by Jill at Breaking The Spine which spotlights future releases that we are looking forward to. I am featuring two books again as I couldn't pick just one!

Title: Onyx (Lux, #2)
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Release Date: May 15, 2012

Being connected to Daemon Black sucks… 

Thanks to his alien mojo, Daemon’s determined to prove what he feels for me is more than a product of our bizarro connection. So I’ve sworn him off, even though he’s running more hot than cold these days. But we’ve got bigger problems. 

Something worse than the Arum has come to town. 

The Department of Defense is here. If they ever find out what Daemon can do and that we're linked, I’m a goner. So is he. And there's this new boy in school who’s got a secret of his own. He knows what’s happened to me and he can help, but to do so, I have to lie to Daemon and stay away from him. Like that's possible. Against all common sense, I'm falling for Daemon. Hard. 

But then everything changes… 

I’ve seen someone who shouldn’t be alive. And I have to tell Daemon, even though I know he’s never going to stop searching until he gets the truth. What happened to his brother? Who betrayed him? And what does the DOD want from them—from me? 

No one is who they seem. And not everyone will survive the lies…

Add Onyx on Goodreads!

Obsidian was one of my favorite books from 2011, so I am super excited to read this sequel. Plus, I want more Daemon! ;)

Title: The Unnaturalists
Author: Tiffany Trent
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Release Date: Aug 14, 2012

In an alternate London where magical creatures are preserved in a museum, two teens find themselves caught in a web of intrigue, deception, and danger. 

Vespa Nyx wants nothing more than to spend the rest of her life cataloging Unnatural creatures in her father’s museum, but as she gets older, the requirement to become a lady and find a husband is looming large. Syrus Reed’s Tinker family has always served and revered the Unnaturals from afar, but when his family is captured to be refinery slaves, he finds that his fate may be bound up with Vespa’s—and with the Unnaturals. 

As the danger grows, Vespa and Syrus find themselves in a tightening web of deception and intrigue. At stake may be the fate of New London—and the world.

Add The Unnaturalists on Goodreads!

This sounds like a great new addition to the steampunk genre, plus I love that cover. I can't wait to get my hands on this book!

What are you waiting on this Wednesday?
 

Review: Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

UK Cover

Title: Under the Never Sky
Author: Veronica Rossi
Publisher: HarperCollins (US), Atom (UK)

Published: Jan 03, 2012 

UK Release Date: Feb 07, 2012

Buy: From Amazon UK

Books like Under the Never Sky are the reason why I love dystopian fiction so much.

This novel was truly captivating. I loved every second of it and found myself fully engrossed in Veronica Rossi's wonderful imagination. I had high expectations for this debut and I can safely say I was not let down in the slightest. 

The opening of this book was everything a good opening should be. It drew me straight into the story and had me eager to find out more. Veronica Rossi truly is an amazing writer. I was incredibly impressed by how effortlessly she managed to show - not tell - the reader her world. I instantly had the urge to read on, to learn more about the concepts of this alluring science-fiction setting. As far as beginnings go, this one was brilliantly engaging. 

The world-building was exceptional. I have not encountered world-building of this standard in a very long time. Everything was just so enthralling and exciting to read about. I loved the idea of the Smarteye and its ability to transport the wearer to different Realms. It's a chilling idea to think that nearly everything is done in the Realms, where it it supposedly Better than Real, but I found myself strangely craving to own one of these devices myself. The Pods, Reverie, Bliss, the Aether sky - each idea was creative and memorable, building itself vividly in my mind. I also really liked the idea of society being split into two - the Outsiders and the Dwellers. Or the Savages and the Moles as they liked to call each other. 

Perry and Aria, the two main characters, were not at all what I had been expecting but still incredibly likable. I was glad they were a bit different from the cliched characters I seem to be constantly bracing myself for in books these days. They were both well developed and intriguing to read about. Perry, especially, was more complex than I had anticipated and it was truly wonderful to see so many different sides to him. I also really, really enjoyed the romance between them. It was completely entertaining to watch their relationship progress from a cold truce of convenience to one full of sweetness. 

Perry and Aria share a split narration during this novel. Normally, I don't think changing points of view work all that well, but I did like the way Veronica Rossi handled it. It worked a lot better than I thought it would and made the story just the little bit more engaging. I guess sometimes it is nice not to be stuck with the the thoughts and emotions of the same character and this is definitely one of those rare cases where alternating points of view are perfect. 

The plot was another thing I thought was handled with care. It wasn't the most complex of story lines, but I did enjoy the way the events unraveled. There were a couple of moments which were genuinely shocking, but, mostly, the novel was free of any huge plot twists. That's not to say it was lacking in action - there were many well-written and gripping action scenes which kept the novel moving at an exciting pace. 

Overall, Under the Never Sky is a thoroughly magical book that fans of young adult dystopia will definitely enjoy. I'm glad to have been able to read this in advance, and I cannot wait for the second book! Debut novels do not get much better than this.

Rating: 4.5 stars