Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Cover Reveal and Giveaway: Black City by Elizabeth Richards

I can’t wait to hear what you think of this Cover!!!

BlackCity_hires

Title: Black City
Author: Elizabeth Richards
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Release Date: November 13, 2012
ISBN-10: 0399159436
ISBN-13: 978-0399159435

A dark and tender postapocalyptic love story set in the aftermath of a bloody war

 
In a city where humans and Darklings are now separated by a high wall and tensions between the two races still simmer after a terrible war, sixteen-year-olds Ash Fisher, a half-blood Darkling, and Natalie Buchanan, a human and the daughter of the Emissary, meet and do the unthinkable—they fall in love. Bonded by a mysterious connection, that causes Ash’s long dormant heart to beat, Ash and Natalie first deny and then struggle to fight their forbidden feelings for each other, knowing if they’re caught they’ll be executed—but their feelings are too strong. When Ash and Natalie then find themselves at the center of a deadly conspiracy that threatens to pull the humans and Darklings back into war, they must make hard choices that could result in both their deaths.
 
Are you enticed yet?!?! Well, take a look at this first chapter:
 
ASH
 
An air raid siren wails in the distance, alerting Black City citizens to lock their doors and turn out the lights. They don’t want to be out in the dark alone. They might meet something dangerous. Something like me.
 
I head under the canal bridge and wait for the girl, taking a packet of Sentry-regulation smokes from my back pocket and sparking up. The nicotine courses through my veins, making them throb with adrenaline; the sensation is almost like a pulse . . . almost.
 
Footsteps approach the bridge, and a short girl with straggly black hair appears from the shadows, dressed in men’s work boots, tight black trousers and a tailcoat made from a patchwork of clashing fabrics. Her hazel eyes gaze up into mine. She’s brave. Not many cherry-poppers have the courage to look me in the eyes. She hands me an old playing card with two hearts on it, one red, one black. It’s my calling card. It seemed an appropriate choice; that’s what I’m selling her after all, an illusion of love. I slip it into the pocket of my dark green military jacket.
 
“You’re late,” I say. “Last thing I need is to be caught out here after curfew by a Tracker. They’re just begging for a reason to throw me in jail.”
 
“Sorry, they’ve put up extra checkpoints, stopping everyone. There’s tanks everywhere!” she babbles. “I guess they can’t be too careful with the Sentry Emissary back in the city, what with the boundary negotiations with the Legion and—”
 
“You paid Beetle?” I interrupt.
 
The girl nods.
 
“Terms and conditions,” I say. “No refunds. You don’t enjoy it, you puke, you freak—not my problem, okay?”
 
She nods again.
 
“You pregnant?” She blushes furiously. “I’ll take that as a no. It may cause drowsiness, so don’t drive or operate any heavy machinery.” She smiles at this, and I grin. They always like that. “And no repeats for at least two weeks, all right? I mean it.”
 
“That all?”
 
“No kissing. Strictly business, okay?”
 
She seems a little disappointed by this, but I don’t like to mix business with pleasure. She shyly unbuttons the collar of her coat, revealing her slim, pale neck. Hunger grips my stomach at the sight.
 
“What do I do?” she asks.
 
“Lean back,” I say.
 
She obeys like a good girl. I place a hand against the wall and slip my other hand between her thighs, gently easing her legs apart. Touching her doesn’t turn me on, but I groan like it does, knowing she’ll enjoy that. They all do, even the guys—it’s why they come to me instead of the Haze dens. I slide my body between her thighs so we’re face-to-face. Her shallow breaths are warm against my cool skin.
 
“Relax, okay? It’s more enjoyable if you relax.”
 
“My heart’s pounding a mile a minute.” She gives a nervous laugh.
 
“Can’t say I know how that feels,” I admit.
 
She tentatively presses a hand against my chest, and her eyes widen. “So it’s true, then? You don’t have a heart?”
 
“I have a heart,” I growl, shoving her hard against the wall. It just doesn’t beat.
 
A small tear snakes down her cheek, her thin lips trembling.
 
“Sshhh, it’s okay, sweetheart. I didn’t mean to frighten you.” I gently wipe her tear away. “Forgive me?”
 
She nods, then tilts her head to one side, exposing the smooth whiteness of her neck. The poison sacs behind my fangs swell with venom.
 
Focus, Ash. Don’t blow your load.
 
I lean toward her, pressing my lips against the soft flesh on her neck, just below her ear. Her pulse flutters under my lips, and I nearly lose it. I begin to nibble on the flesh, tickling the tiny hairs on her neck with my tongue, making them wet with my saliva.
 
“Do it,” she whispers.
 
So much for foreplay. I sink my fangs into her jugular. Hot blood spills over my tongue, making my taste buds burst with its sticky sweetness. Man, I love the newbies; they always taste the best. She sighs as my venom enters her bloodstream. I wait for the Haze to take effect before I start to drink from her. That’s the bonus of Haze; my clients get high from me, and I get high from them by drinking their drugged blood. It’s win-win.
 
A sour, bitter flavor suddenly floods my mouth, and I gag, leaping back.
 
“What the—” I spit up blood.
 
The girl stares at me with glazed eyes, blood trickling down the two puncture wounds in her neck.
 
“Everything’s sparkling,” she says dreamily.
 
“Didn’t Beetle tell you I don’t take clients on meds?”
 
She lurches toward me, and I grab her before she falls into the water.
 
“I love you,” she slurs, trying to kiss me.
 
I shove her, hard. She falls back against the wall and slides to the floor. Her eyes roll back into her head, and she begins to spasm, white foam bubbling out the corners of her mouth.
 
“No, no, no! Wake up.” I kneel down and shake her, panic rushing through me.
 
The girl jerks, her boots leaving black scuff marks on the cobblestones. Fragg! This is why I don’t take clients on meds. You can never tell how they’re going to react to the Haze. I shrug off my jacket and place it under her head.
 
A Sentry tank rolls over the bridge, and I shut my eyes and wait for it to pass. Even though the war is officially over, I still get chills at that sound. Wherever they went, Death followed. I had a few close scrapes during the war. During those days, the fact that I was a legal citizen and half human didn’t mean much to them. If you weren’t 100 percent human, you were the enemy. Every day was a fight for survival. Not much has improved since then; I’m still the enemy in most people’s eyes. All they can see is the Darkling in me. The tank turns down Bleak Street toward the Sentry Emissary’s headquarters.
 
The girl groans. It’s too dangerous here; I have to go. I could just leave her . . . No, that’s not an option, but I can’t take her to the hospital. I’d get in so much trouble.
 
Beetle!
I peer down the canal. A yellow barge is moored about one hundred feet away. The lights are off. Where is he? He’s meant to be my wingman; that’s why I came to the bridge in the first place. Can this get any wor—
 
An explosion of pain bursts inside my chest, and I clutch a hand over my lifeless heart. I sense someone behind me and turn.
 
A girl stands by the entranceway, lit by the headlamps of a passing truck. In the fleeting light, I catch a glimpse of cornflower-blue eyes flicking between me and the Hazer writhing on the ground.
 
Her gaze finally fixes on me.
 
I fall back, struck down, as the pain in my chest blooms again.
 
Shivers run through my body, rushing toward a single point in my chest. There’s a spark of electricity and then:
 
A flutter.
 
Um…yeah, I want to read this!!! How about you?
 
Elizabeth  Richards
 
 
Elizabeth Richards lives in Buckinghamshire, England and can be found online at Elizabeth’s website

 
Elizabeth Richards is an award-winning journalist and debut author, who spent her early career writing for videogame publications such as CUBE, P2 and GamesTM,and now works as a website editor. Previously, she ran a successful lifestyle website aimed at teenage girls. She won the Jane Hayward Young Journalist of the Year award for her feature on girls in the games industry, and was named 'Editor's Choice' in the industry trade magazine, MCV.
 
The Giveaway
 
Thanks to the awesome people at Penguin Books for Young Readers one commenter will get a Black City  ARC sent right to their house.  

ARC winners will also get a chance to win one of 5 exclusive and personalized drawings of the main characters—Ash and Natalie—drawn and autographed by the author.
 
Take a look at Elizabeth Richards artwork:
photo
Each one will be just a bit different, so each winner will receive an original and unique image.
 
All the Legal Stuff
 
  • Up for grabs one ARC of Black City.
  • This giveaway is open internationally!
  • Giveaway will run from 2/29/2012 through 3/9/2012
  • To enter simply let me know what you think below. Make sure you leave a way for me to get in touch with you so that I will be able to get your address if you win!
  • If by 3/12/2012 the winner has not contacted me after being emailed a new winner will be chosen.
  • You can earn an extra entry by tweeting the giveaway and leaving the link in your comments.
 
Good Luck,
Signature

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Are You Buying? (February 28, 2012 Edition)

These are both YA and Adult titles.

Partials (Partials, #1)

Title: Partials
Author: Dan Wells
Hardcover: 480 pages
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Release Date: February 28, 2012 
ISBN-10: 0062071041
ISBN-13: 978-0062071040

Humanity is all but extinguished after a war with partials--engineered organic beings identical to humans--has decimated the world’s population. Reduced to only tens of thousands by a weaponized virus to which only a fraction of humanity is immune, the survivors in North America have huddled together on Long Island. The threat of the partials is still imminent, but, worse, no baby has been born immune to the disease in over a decade. Humanity’s time is running out.

When sixteen-year-old Kira learns of her best friend’s pregnancy, she’s determined to find a solution. Then one rash decision forces Kira to flee her community with the unlikeliest of allies. As she tries desperately to save what is left of her race, she discovers that the survival of both humans and partials rests in her attempts to answer questions of the war’s origin that she never knew to ask.

Combining the fast-paced action of The Hunger Games with the provocative themes of Battlestar Galactica, Partials is a pulse-pounding journey into a world where the very concept of what it means to be human is in question--one where our sense of humanity is both our greatest liability, and our only hope for survival. (Goodreads)

Bzrk

Title: BZRK
Author: Michael Grant
Hardcover: 400 pages
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Release Date: February 28, 2012
ISBN-10: 1606843125
ISBN-13: 978-1606843123

Set in the near future, a conspiracy is afoot to create a perfect and perfectly controlled world. The Armstrong Fancy Gift Corporation is a front for the conjoined Armstrong twins, Charles and Benjamin, and the plot to create their own version of utopia.

A shadowy guerilla group known as BZRK form a nascent resistance movement. Both sides develop sophisticated nanotechnology to achieve their goals:

-The Armstrong twins develop the nanobot, a stealth device that latches onto the brains of unsuspecting citizens
-BZRK's DNA-derived biots are deployed to search out and destroy the insidious bots.  If biots are destroyed, the brain cells of their DNA-donor also die.  Hence the name BZRK. (Goodreads)


Pandemonium (Delirium, #2)

Title: Pandemonium
Author: Lauren Oliver
Hardcover: 384 pages
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: February 28, 2012 
ISBN-10: 006197806X
ISBN-13: 978-0061978067
I’m pushing aside the memory of my nightmare,
pushing aside thoughts of Alex,
pushing aside thoughts of Hana and my old school,
push,
push,
push,
like Raven taught me to do.
The old life is dead.
But the old Lena is dead too.
I buried her.
I left her beyond a fence,
behind a wall of smoke and flame.
 
Lauren Oliver delivers an electrifying follow-up to her acclaimed New York Times bestseller, Delirium. This riveting, brilliant novel crackles with the fire of fierce defiance, forbidden romance, and the sparks of a revolution about to ignite. (Goodreads)
 
Oppression (Children of the Gods, #1)

Title: Oppression
Author: Jessica Therrien
Paperback: 346 pages
Publisher: ZOVA Books
Release Date: February 28, 2012 
ISBN-10: 0984035044
ISBN-13: 978-0984035045

Elyse knows what it means to keep a secret. She's been keeping secrets her whole life. Two, actually. First, that she ages five times slower than the average person, so that while she looks eighteen years old, she's closer to eighty. Second, that her blood has a mysterious power to heal. For Elyse, these things don't make her special. They make life dangerous. After the death of her parents, she's been careful to keep her secret as closely guarded as possible. Now, only one other person in the world knows about her age and ability. Or so she thinks. Elyse is not the only one keeping secrets. There are others like her all over the world, descendants of the very people the Greeks considered gods. She is one of them, and they have been waiting for her for a long time. Among so many of her kind, she should not be very remarkable--except for the prophecy. Some believe she will put an end to traditions, safeguarded by violence, which have oppressed her people for centuries. Others are determined to keep her from doing just that. But for Elyse, the game is just beginning--and she's not entirely willing to play by their rules. (Goodreads)

A Touch Morbid (A Touch Trilogy, #2)

Title: A Touch Morbid
Author: Leah Clifford
Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Release Date: February 28, 2012 
ISBN-10: 0062005022
ISBN-13: 978-0062005021

Eden won the battle-she saved her true love from the darkest evil. But the war has only just begun. With secrets swirling around her, powerful allies unraveling, and life-and death-as she knows it eroding, Eden and those she loves tread dangerous ground. Can she trust anyone? Will her unearthly powers be her salvation or her downfall? A sweeping, dark, and sexy paranormal romance that will haunt readers with an inventive mythology and a cinematic New York City filled with shadows and longing. (Goodreads)

Torn

Title: Torn
Author: Amanda Hocking
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; Reprint edition
Release Date: February 28, 2012
ISBN-10: 1250006325
ISBN-13: 978-1250006325

When Wendy Everly first discovers the truth about herself--that she's a changeling switched at birth--she knows her life will never be the same. Now she's about to learn that there's more to the story... She shares a closer connection to her Vittra rivals than she ever imagined--and they'll stop at nothing to lure her to their side.

With the threat of war looming, her only hope of saving the Trylle is to marry a powerful royal. But that means walking away from Finn, her handsome bodyguard who's strictly off limits...and Loki, a Vittra prince with whom she shares a growing attraction.

Torn between her heart and her people, between love and duty, Wendy must decide her fate. If she makes the wrong choice, she could lose everything, and everybody, she's ever wanted...in both worlds. (Goodreads)

Angels' Flight (Angels' Pawn #0.5, Angels' Judgment #1.5, Angel's Wolf #4.5, Angels' Dance #4.75)

Title: Angel’s Flight
Author: Nalini Singh
Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: February 28, 2012 
ISBN-10: 0425246817
ISBN-13: 978-0425246818

In Angel’s Wolf a vampire becomes fascinated with the seductive angel who rules Louisiana. But all is not what it appears to be in her court.

In Angels’ Judgment a hunter must track one of her own gone bad, while surviving the deadly tests placed in her way by the archangels themselves. Unexpected backup comes from a stranger who might just be the most lethal threat of all...

Plus FIRST TIME IN PRINT

In Angels' Pawn a vampire hunter faces off against two rival factions and the angel manipulating them both, and a vampire whose help is not entirely selfless...

And NEVER BEFORE PUBLISHED

In Angels’ Dance an angel trapped in the mountain stronghold of the Refuge finds herself under siege by a warrior angel from a martial court. (Goodreads)

Happy Bookday!!!
To all the author that have books out this week.
Signature

Monday, February 27, 2012

Cover Reveal: LUMINOSITY (Luminosity, #1) by Stephanie Thomas

OK y’all, time for another cover reveal!
Luminosity Cover

Title: Luminosity
Author: Stephanie Thomas
Genre: YA Sci-Fi/Dystopian
Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Entangled 
Release Date: August 7, 2012)
ISBN-10: 1620611279
ISBN-13: 978-1620611272

My name is Beatrice. When I was born, I was blessed with the Sight. I was immediately removed from my parents and enrolled in the Institution. At the age of twelve, I had my first true vision, earning my raven’s wings. And when I turned seventeen, one of my visions came true. Things haven’t been the same since.

The Institution depends on me to keep the City safe from our enemy, the Dreamcatchers, but I’m finding it harder to do while keeping a secret from everyone, including my best friend Gabe. It is a secret that could put us all in danger. A secret that could kill me and everyone close to me.

But the enemy has been coming to me in my dreams, and I think I’m falling in love with him. He says they’re coming. He says they’re angry. And I think I’ve already helped them win.


Oh, I like this cover! And I am totally intrigued by the blurb, OK to be honest they had me at YA Sci-Fi/Dystopian and the blurb was icing on the cake:) I want to read this now!!! All right so tell me what you think… Do you you like the cover? How do you think it sounds?

Happy Reading,
Signature

Manga Review: Fruits Basket, Volumes 7 and 8 by Natsuki Takaya

Manga Monday was turned into a meme by the awesome Alison Can Read!
*I warn you now there may be spoilers…It’s hard with manga.


Fruits Basket, Vol. 7 (Fruits Basket, #7)

Title: Fruits basket, Vol. 7
Author: Natsuki Takaya
Paperback: 192 pages
Publisher: Tokyo Pop
Release Date: January 31, 2005
ISBN-10: 159532402X
ASIN: B000J3EHB6

Tohru and company have been having a lot more fun ever since Kisa came to visit. Now it's time for Tohru to meet another member of the Zodiac-the skillfully sarcastic grade-school student, Hiro! One way or another, this tyke will have to deal with his resentment of Tohru and his affection for Kisa. Where will he find the answers? In the fabulous 7th volume of the super-popular Fruits Basket, of course! (Goodreads)

Review

In this volume we meet Hiro Sohma and to be honest I did not like his character at all. Hiro was a total brat! He ordered Tohru around like a servant and he is just a kid. Yes, his actions are somewhat explained but the give and take between he and Tohru just makes Tohru seem like even more of a door mat and it got very annoying.

The silver lining in volume 7 is getting to learn Arisa’s back story of how she came to be such good friends with Tohru and her mom. It was nice to see what Arisa was like back in her Yankee days, why she got into the gang in the first place, and how hard it was for Arisa to get out. I had always liked Arisa but after this volume I totally love her.

It's good. I had fun for the most part.
 

Fruits Basket, Vol. 8 (Fruits Basket, #8)

Title: Fruits basket, Vol. 8
Author: Natsuki Takaya
Paperback: 208 pages
Publisher: Tokyopop
Release Date: April 12, 2005 
ISBN-10: 1595324038
ISBN-13: 978-1595324030

Summer is on its way, so of course Tohru and friends are excited about the upcoming vacation and field trip. But what's that sound? It's Hatsuharu going beserk in the classroom... again! Black Haru is full of more rage than usual, so what will happen when Yuki intervenes? And then there's Ritsu Sohma, whose mom Tohru met at the hot spring; what's wrong with this kimono-wearing beauty?! (Goodreads)

Review

If you are a Haru fan then this is your volume! Haru has gone black and torn his class room apart and the gang is trying to find out why. Yuki finally gets to the bottom of what is eating at Haru and it of course involves Akito in some way. I love Haru’s character and getting to see any of him is fun:)

A new Sohma is introduced in this volume. Ritsu Sohma, who is well, a total spaz. Ritsu freaks out at the drop of the hat if he thinks that he has offended anyone. You would think that I would hate his character, but I didn’t. Yes, the continual apologizing got a little old but after I got to know Ritsu’s character and Why he has always been so stressed out…I liked Ritsu.

I am very excited to continue this series and hope to get a few more volumes soon. I have the feeling that Yuki and Kyo will be stepping up their game for Tohru soon.

Happy Reading,
Signature

Loved it! I want to know about everything this author writes.

Recommended For
Teen and up

Sunday, February 26, 2012

In My Mailbox (30)

Come Back Tomorrow For A Cover Reveal!!!

Bending_the_spine_mailbox
In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren and is a post for bloggers to share what books they've received to review, bought, won, borrowed or were gifted.

I actually made a video this week:)

I Purchased
The Vampire King (The Kings 1)

From The Library
The Wolf GiftLola and the Boy Next Door
Texas GothicThe Reformed Vampire Support Group
*Click the cover image on any book to go to the Goodreads page.

What did you get in your mailbox?
Signature

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Sexy Saturday Review: The Vampire King by Heather Killough-Walden

The Vampire King (The Kings 1)

Title: The Vampire King
Author: Heather Killough-Walden
Release Date: February 6 2012 
ASIN: B00761TN1S
Author’s Website
Source: Self Purchase

It was immediate for Roman. In three thousand years, he’d never lost control of his emotions, or his heart. But the moment he laid eyes on Evelynne Farrow, he knew she was the woman who haunted his dreams. And everything changed.

Everything.

Evie Farrow has always loved a good vampire romance. In fact, she makes a living writing them. While sitting in a coffee shop and working on her next mega-hot book, Evie is approached by a tall, dark, and handsome man who could have been pulled directly from one of her novels.

Unbeknownst to her, Roman D’Angelo is exactly what he appears to be – a vampire, and not just any vampire, but the king of vampires.

Unfortunately, while Roman is both ancient and invulnerable, Evie is flesh and blood. Just as Roman decides that he and Evie have a date with destiny, for reasons of their own, an ancient god and a homicidal vampire take an equally strong interest in her. To make things more complicated, there’s something very special about Evie. Something not quite human.

Can Roman fight off the incredible forces that would have Evie as their own long enough to win her heart, or will destiny betray him, and destroy everything he has ever dreamed of?

“Lalura had told him about her vision. Thirteen kings on a chess board – and thirteen queens….” (Goodreads)

Review

Before a week and a half ago I had somehow not heard of Heather Killough-Walden even though she has a large following. I was looking for something new to read in paranormal romance and Heather Killough-Walden name came up. I was excited to see she had a new book out that is a spinoff of her very popular The Big Bad Wolf series, but The Vampire King is also the start of its own series. When I was checking it on Amazon and saw that The Vampire King had over 40 five stare reviews…well you know me I had to read what everyone else says is so great.

I was a little worried that The Vampire King, being a spinoff, would be hard to follow at times, because there would be characters thrown in that would not be explained because I was supposed to know who they were. This was not a problem at all.  There is a large cast of characters in The Vampire King, but each is introduced very well. Heather Killough-Walden does a beautiful job of making you feel the scene she has written so that I cared about each character and what was going on around them.

My absolute favorite character is Evie. Evie is a self published author with a strong coffee addiction. Evie has just about given up on sleep to keep up with her schedule of writing and doing everything she can to help with her parents, who are not in good health. Evie is just incredibly likable and believable. She writes paranormal romance but doesn’t actually believe in the paranormal, she has just always been disappointed with how normal real men are.  When Evie found out that another character had read her mind she was angry that now they new all her little secrets about herself. This was her thought:    

She recycled, but resented how difficult it always was.
She helped animals, but secretly couldn’t stand the way a stray dog smelled. She always glared at empty handicapped parking spaces when she couldn’t find a place to park. She swore like a sailor when she was alone, she forgot to shave for days at a time, and she rarely disinfected her shower.

How could I not like a character who got upset about others finding out she is just a real person.

I also really liked Roman. He has been vampire king for a long time, a title that is not just passed down. Even though Roman is this powerful bigger than life force I didn’t find him too alpha. I thought all his actions were fair and had good reason. I was really happy about this because way to often in PNR the male lead is all “ Because I say so, and I am great so it must be right.” Roman actually asked for advice and took it. Oh, and yes, Roman is a vampire king so of course he was hot beyond reason…um I was totally OK with that;)

So often times in any romance novel, well the lines can get a little cheesy. I so loved the fact that  Heather Killough-Walden obviously knows that, still wrote what needed to be said and laughed right along with me.

Evie stared up at him, lost for words and mystified. Why? she thought. “Because you fill me with a passion I’ve never known,” he told her, once more answering her unspoken question as if he’d taken the thought from her mind. “You and I were made for one another, Evie. You are so much more than you think you are. So much more than you know.” He shook his head, his expression suddenly taking on a bewildered cast. “I wouldn’t feel this way about you if you weren’t special. Evie, I showed you my cave!”

Evie froze. She blinked. The indomitable vampire king looked different in that moment – vulnerable, innocent. His chest rose and fell with emotion, all too human. He was right, he had shown her his cave. The notion was undeniably deep, romantically sweet, and passionately perfect. It was also hilarious.

I fell for this cast and world! There was one hiccup with Evie’s character that came to fast for me, but it would be a spoiler for me to mention what it was. I loved that I was given a villain that I could hate to the point of wanting him dead. I will definitely be continuing with this series! Now I must go read Heather Killough-Walden past books.

Happy Reading
Signature

Awesome! Reread worthy.

Recommended For
Adult and up: For language, violence, and graphic sex.  

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Follow Friday (36)

Welcome to Follow Me Friday Hosted By Parajunkee.com and Alisoncanread.com
Gain New Blog Followers

Featured this week!

6774901246 c09aaea047 o Feature & Follow #85

This Weeks Question Activity:

Take a picture or describe where you love to read the most..


I love reading in the bath! I don’t know what it is? Maybe it’s the only place I can get some semi privacy in this crazy house of mine.  And for the record I have not damaged one book in the tub. There is just something about a nice relaxing bath and a good book at the end of a long day.

Happy Hopping,
Signature

Review: Darkest Powers Bonus Pack by Kelley Armstrong

Darkest Powers Bonus Pack

Title: Darkest Powers Bonus Pack
Author: Kelley Armstrong
ebook: 174 pages
Publisher: Traverse Press
Release Date: November 14, 2011 
ASIN: B00686HQKW
Author’s Website
Source: Self Purchase

Contains three companion stories to the Darkest Powers trilogy.


Dangerous (prequel to The Summoning)
The story of how Derek and Simon came to Lyle House, told from Derek’s point-of-view


Divided (set between The Summoning and The Awakening)
Derek and Simon’s adventures while separated from Chloe and Rae in the factory. Also told from Derek’s point of view.


Disenchanted (overlaps part of The Awakening)
Simon and Tori continue their journey after Chloe and Derek are left at the truck stop. Told from Tori’s point of view.


Please note: these are stories, not novels. Combined, they equal half the length of a Darkest Powers novel. (Goodreads)

Review

OK, so anyone who knows me or Bending The Spine knows that I loved the Darkest Powers series! When I heard about Kelley Armstrong releasing this bonus pack of in between stories I was so excited. Honestly I will read anything to get more Derek!

If you haven’t read the Darkest Powers series yet (Um...why?!?!) then hold off on this. But if you love the series like I do then I think you will enjoy this as much as I did.

Dangerous was be far the largest of the three novellas. Dangerous tells the story of how Derek and Simon came to Lyle House. I liked seeing them with their dad in this, also it was great to see how resourceful the brothers are as a team when their dad goes missing. It was interesting to see the brothers dynamic before the rest of the cast come onto the scene.

I think Divided was my favorite of the three stories. Divided is told from Derek’s POV. In Divided I really started to get a sense of Derek's inner battle of how he was starting to feel for Chloe, but also all those protective instincts he has toward his brother. Divided just made me fall in love with Derek even more if that’s possible.

Disenchanted starts out in Simon’s POV then switches to Tori’s after the first chapter. Disenchanted almost had me liking Tori for a scene or two, and that’s saying something as I generally can’t sand her. It is sort of hard to not feel sorry for someone that no one likes and they know it… OK, I don’t feel sorry for Tori, how people feel toward her is her own fault.

I totally enjoyed this it made me want to go back an reread the series! It was well worth my $0.99 I spent at Amazon. I love it when authors release bonus materiel so that you can revisit the world you love. I highly recommend The Darkest Powers series and its sister series Darkness Rising.

Happy Reading,
 Signature

Awesome! Reread worthy.

Recommended For
Teen and up: Use of language, and violence.

Other Books In This Series
The Summoning (Darkest Powers, #1)The Awakening (Darkest Powers, #2)The Reckoning (Darkest Powers, #3)
The Gathering (Darkness Rising, #1)The Calling (Darkness Rising, #2)