Candace's Book Blog: July 2011

Saturday, July 30, 2011

In My Mailbox (70)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren and is where we share the books we got through the week.

I'm on a book buying ban still, and I managed to stick to it. I had a book already ordered from weeks ago that came and I did a trade for another. But the rest are for review, the library and one from paperbackswap.

For Review:

Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan

One Grave at a Time by Jeaniene Frost (this is book 6, I checked!)

Bought/Traded:

Heartless by Gail Carriger

Dragon Wytch by Yasmine Galenorn (this is #4, which is perfect since I have the first three!)

Paperbackswap:

Many Waters by Madeleine L'Engle

Library:

Huntress by Malinda Lo

Junie B. Jones Collection 9-12 (audio)

Double Fudge (audio)

Princess Academy (audio)

The Last Apprentice: Revenge of the Witch by Joseph Delaney (audio)

Obviously we will not get through all of them, but my experience with audio books from the library is they don't always work. Plus we have options, which is always good.

Bloggers mentioned:

Melissa at i swim for oceans

I'm in Seattle but I'll be back sometime Monday, so link me and I'll check out your IMM when I get back!

Friday, July 29, 2011

Saturday Situation- Link up your reviews and giveaways! 7/30

Saturday Situation is hosted by both Lori at Pure Imagination and myself. It's a linky for you to link your Giveaways and Reviews (and whatever neglected posts you may have). You'll find the same linky's at Pure Imagination, so don't enter them twice!

Keep in mind that you can add your links through the entire week.

You can find this post again by clicking the button on the top right of my blog. I'll try to keep it up to date to go to the newest Saturday Situation post.

I'm going on a mini vacation! To a book signing!

Tomorrow morning (Saturday) I'm taking off with my two kids and heading north to Seattle. We're going to spend the weekend with my aunt that lives up there and do all kinds of fun things like go to a water park, a farm (that has rides!) and to a book signing on Sunday! This is the year for mini vacations because it looks like we aren't going to take any big vacations (we're too broke for a real one). So I figure I'll take what I can get! Seattle is only about 3 hours (or a bit less) away but my aunt lives out in the boonies so that makes it bit further. We're going to settle for doing things outside the city this time because last time we visited we spent a lot of time downtown (aquarium, waterfront, etc). And as always my aunt came up with all sorts of fun things to do. She actually lives in the upstairs of a barn in the country. It's a brand new (well, it was a couple years ago ;) apartment and is really nice, but it's cool cause horses are stabled below. And there's beautiful woods all around. She's sort of the caretaker for the place because the owners leave for the summer.

Anyway, the signing on Sunday- the real news! It's at Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park.
The authors signing are my local authors- Lisa Schroeder and Suzanne Young and some authors further north; Kimberly Derting, Cat Patrick, Mandy Hubbard and Eileen Cook. I haven't met Cat, Mandy or Eileen and Mandy is the only one whose books I haven't read! I also heard that some other local authors will be at the signing so fingers crossed I get to meet them as well! I'll have my bag along so hopefully everyone can sign it. Also my aunt said she'll watch the kids so that would mean I could actually listen to them! Woo hoo! Of course if my baby isn't up for that then it's possible I'll have to keep him with me.
Anyway, I'm super excited and it should be loads of fun! All my regular posts will be scheduled ahead of time so you won't know I'm not here, other then all my tweets squeeing about stuff. And I'll be doing my comment love on Monday or Tuesday.
Hope you all have a fabulous weekend and if you're going, be sure to look me up!
I'll be carrying this bag:

Book Review: The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart

Details: Paperback, 345 pgs.
Published: First published in March 2008 by Hyperion
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: Purchased

Description:

Frankie Landau-Banks at age 14:Debate Club.Her father's "bunny rabbit." A mildly geeky girl attending a highly competitive boarding school.Frankie Landau-Banks at age 15:A knockout figure. A sharp tongue.A chip on her shoulder.And a gorgeous new senior boyfriend: the supremely goofy, word-obsessed Matthew Livingston.Frankie Landau-Banks. No longer the kind of girl to take "no" for an answer. Especially when "no" means she's excluded from her boyfriend's all-male secret society.Not when her ex-boyfriend shows up in the strangest of places.Not when she knows she's smarter than any of them.When she knows Matthew's lying to her. And when there are so many, many pranks to be done.Frankie Landau-Banks, at age 16:Possibly a criminal mastermind.This is the story of how she got that way.

This book came to me highly recommend, namely for Frankie herself. Once I read the book I totally got that. Frankie is not average. She strives to be more and feels that females are not allowed all that males are. Frankie will not allow things to hold her back, allow any man (boy, whatever) to control her and knows that her brain is far superior (that's not exactly what she says, but hey- that's what I got) to those of the boys that are suppose to be in this secret society and can't even think of a decent prank. Anyway, my point is, I liked Frankie and liked that she mostly stuck with her convictions and beliefs and even when she was afraid she didn't let it stop her. She had balls, as one of the boys said.

One thing I didn't care for, at least in the beginning, was that it was in third person. Not only was it in third person, but it was narrated in a way that was just different. I didn't like it at first but eventually it grew on me and it fit the whole story and the way it was told and I decided I was okay with it. But because of the style of narration I never felt a true connection to Frankie and her emotions. And I wasn't particularly feeling any sort of romance, which I would have liked to have a better feel for.

This book has a bit of a slow start. I wasn't a fan of the first few chapters at all. Then once the story picked up I was still wondering when the disreputable stuff would start happening. It ended up rather late in the book and I think I would have maybe liked it a bit earlier and a bit more.

Even with all those more negative things I actually really liked this book. It was different from anything I've read before and the closest I can think of is the Heist Society books by Ally Carter. Still very different, but yet a sort of similar feel.

Find the author:

Blog/website thingy

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Mini Book Review: Seth Baumgartner's Love Manifesto by Eric Luper

I have been reading so many books, so fast that I'll be doing a few mini reviews, which are shorter and I'll be including less information. This is just for books that I bought or were gifted to me. Review books will have the full review.

Description:

Seth Baumgartner just had the worst day of his life.
His girlfriend dumped him (at Applebee's), he spied his father on a date with a woman who is not his mother (also at Applebee's!), and he lost his fourth job of the year. It's like every relationship he cares about is imploding, and he can't figure out what's going on.
To find answers, Seth decides to start an anonymous podcast called The Love Manifesto, exploring "what love is, why love is, and why we're stupid enough to keep going back for more." Things start looking up when Seth gets a job at a golf club with his hilarious and smut-minded best friend, Dimitri, and Dimitri's sister, Audrey. With their help, Seth tracks down his father's mystery date, hits the most infamous bogey in the history of golf, and discovers that sometimes love means eating the worst chicken-salad sandwich you can ever imagine.

This was the perfect summer read. The book takes place in the summer, it's quite lighthearted and funny, and it was a fast read. This book is told from a male POV, which I love. There's just not enough male POV books out there, in my opinion.
This book was definitely a teenage boy narrating, but I loved Seth and loved being in his head. He was fantastic in so many ways. But it was his friend Dimitri that really gave me the giggles. I think everyone knows a Dimitri or two. He's the funny guy who's not afraid of what people think of him. He says what's on his mind and he doesn't get embarrassed. Seth is much more reserved but is more like-able (in my opinion) because he's not annoying like Dimitri is (he's better in small doses). The things these two say are definitely realistic. I lived in a house of boys for a short time as a teen and trust me, they are exactly like that.
This book is light, fast and fun but has some deeper and more serious aspects of it. However it's done in a way that doesn't weigh down the story in any way and I was still just having a fun time reading it.

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Book Review: Fairy Bad Day by Amanda Ashby

Details: Paperback, 336 pgs.
Published: June 9th, 2011 by Speak
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: Borrowed

Description:

While most students at Burtonwood Academy get to kill demons and goblins, fifteen-year-old Emma gets to rid the world of little annoying fairies with glittery wings and a hipster fashion sense. She was destined to be a dragon slayer, but cute and charming Curtis stole her spot. Then she sees a giant killer fairy - and it's invisible to everyone but her! If Emma has any chance of stopping this evil fairy, she's going to need help. Unfortunately, the only person who can help is Curtis. And now, not only has he stolen her dragon-slayer spot, but maybe her heart as well! Why does she think it's going to be a fairy bad day?

Fairy Bad Day was a lot of fun with quirky characters and a fantastic story line. And while it was a lot of fun it had serious tones to it as well, though I wouldn't say it was ever heavy. It was fast, it was easy to read, and it had parts that had me giggling and parts that had me feeling the pain of the characters and the trials they were going through.

In the beginning I didn't really like Emma. She was only thinking about herself and not taking anyone else into consideration. But she really grew as a person and I came to love her character. She was kick butt and very brave. She stood up for her friends and family and would do anything to protect them. Her friends were a lot of fun as well. Loni who was often the voice of reason, though was full of quirk; Tyler who put a bet on anything; and Curtis, the cute boy who got the dragon slaying job but has some secrets of his own. He was cute and was a good and true friend. I also can't leave out the fairies. Oh man, they were my favorite! They were full of sass and were hilarious! They were small (like less then a foot tall) and could fly and they just did the funniest things. I would have loved to have seen even more of them.

In this book Emma has to deal with a lot. Her mom was a famous dragon slayer and when she doesn't get assigned to dragon slaying, but rather fairy slaying (there's never even been a fairy slayer before!) she's MAD. She's determined to change things but then something new pops up. Something big and scary and no one else can see it. Through the faith and help of her friends they are able to figure things out and commence to kick butt. And Emma deals with some things concerning her dead mother, her father and his new wife and a romance.

This was a fun book that I recommend to those who like a paranormal that's on the light side but with some heavier issues.

Find the author:

Website

Book Review: family by Micol Ostow

Title: Family
Author: Micol Ostow
Details: ARC, 376 pgs; published Hardcover, 384 pgs.
Published: April 26th, 2011 by Egmont
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: Amazon Vine Review program

Description:

i have always been broken.i could have. died. and maybe it would have been better if i had. It is a day like any other when seventeen-year-old Melinda Jensen hits the road for San Francisco, leaving behind her fractured home life and a constant assault on her self-esteem. Henry is the handsome, charismatic man who comes upon her, collapsed on a park bench, and offers love, a bright new consciousness, and—best of all—a family. One that will embrace her and give her love. Because family is what Mel has never really had. And this new family, Henry’s family, shares everything. They share the chores, their bodies, and their beliefs. And if Mel truly wants to belong, she will share in everything they do. No matter what the family does, or how far they go.Told in episodic verse, family is a fictionalized exploration of cult dynamics, loosely based on the Manson Family murders of 1969. It is an unflinching look at people who are born broken, and the lengths they’ll go to to make themselves “whole” again.

Family is a verse novel and I liked it, but I can't say I loved it. I'm a huge fan of verse novels but this one seemed like it repeated verses over and although that was part of the style I didn't care for that style. This book seemed more like poetry then most that just tell the guts of the story. I thought it would be fascinating 'seeing' into the mind of someone who was brainwashed (ish) but it really wasn't as complicated as you'd think. I mean anyone who grew up like her, ran away and had nothing and then was invited to join a 'family' would have done what she did. It was interesting watching it all play out though. And although the book is nearly 400 pages it reads quite quickly. The verse was not as sparse as you usually see, but rather close to full sentences in many parts.
Even though the book is loosely based on the Manson family murders it's not as detailed or gruesome as you'd think. Most of it is about her time with the family with only little snapshots of the murders. I actually was a bit confused in those snapshots that were thrown in throughout the book but it was cleared up at the end when we got the rest of the picture.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book free of charge for review purposes. I was not paid or influenced in any way. All opinions expressed are my own.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Book Review: Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer

Title: Wolfsbane (Nightshade #2)
Author: Andrea Cremer
Details: ARC, Published in Hardcover, 400 pgs.
Published: July 26th, 2011 by Philomel
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: Gift

Description:

When Calla Tor wakes up in the lair of the Searchers, her sworn enemies, she’s certain her days are numbered. But then the Searchers make her an offer—one that gives her the chance to destroy her former masters and save the pack—and the man—she left behind. Is Ren worth the price of her freedom? And will Shay stand by her side no matter what? Now in control of her own destiny, Calla must decide which battles are worth fighting and how many trials true love can endure and still survive.

I'd heard some mixed things about this book so I went in a bit concerned. But I needn't have worried. Although the beginning was a bit slower I was still very interested in the story and never grew bored. The biggest problem I was having was that I couldn't remember Nightshade very well. At least not the little details and the less important characters and it just made this one a bit difficult to understand. Eventually things started coming back to me, but it would have been a smoother ride if I'd reread Nightshade first. So I definitely recommend that. Or skimming it first, at least.

This book goes into the history and background of the Seekers, Keepers and Guardians. It was all pretty interesting actually and I was surprised that I didn't grow bored because there was a lot of sitting around talking. And all that talking included a lot of dialogue and dialogue without action can get boring, or tiresome. So I can see how some may have a hard time. Luckily it didn't bother me much.

There are a lot of new things introduced in this book. Like some very cool magic and some new characters. I actually didn't love any of the new characters. I didn't hate them, but they didn't really grow on me either. I also wasn't feeling the connection between Shay and Calla. Calla has a lot going on in her head but I think I was just hoping to feel the heat and I just wasn't. It was just kind of blah to me. I didn't care if they were a couple or not, actually.

There's not TONS of action in this one, but there is a bit and I liked it a lot. I thought it was easy to follow and I'm not a big fan of fight scenes usually. I tend to skim them, but I didn't in this book. It was VERY intense as well. And things were mostly unpredictable.

Overall I felt quite satisfied with this book. As I pick it apart more I notice that I didn't love different things, or wasn't feeling certain things, but when I put the book down I was happy with it. So my rating reflects my overall feeling.

Find the author:

Website

New Book Alert! Radiant Desire by Inara Scott

You see this beautiful beautiful cover? It's the newest book by Inara Scott who is the author of the Delcroix Academy books. Her Delcroix Academy books are young adult and this book is most certainly not. It is an adult fantasy romance and comes out this October! Right now Inara Scott has a giveaway on her blog for one lucky person to win a copy of this gorgeous book, so go check it out!

Are you wondering what the heck it's about? Well, taken from Inara's blog here's a description:

The object of every man’s fantasy has just lost her wings…

Kaia Verde is one of the four Faerie Handmaids of Zafira, Queen of the Fey. To redress an ancient wrong done to Zafira by a human king, the Handmaids make sport of mortal men, seducing and humiliating them. When Kaia sets out to seduce Garrett Jameson, but ends up being the one surrendering to pleasure, Zafira is furious. Kaia’s punishment is simple: she must make Garrett fall in love with her, and then break his heart, or she will be banished forever from Faeria. To make the task harder, Zafira tells Kaia she cannot use her faerie magic or charm to lure Garrett into her bed.…

and now she’s losing her heart…

Kaia thinks her task will be relatively easy — as a faerie, she understands lust, and can love be much different? But once she is living among the humans, Kaia discovers the race she once disparaged is far more complex and beautiful than she had ever imagined. She learns that before she can break Garrett’s heart, she must find a way to heal it. And eventually, she discovers that losing her wings may be a far easier price to pay than losing her heart.

Sounds awesome, right?

Monday, July 25, 2011

Book Review: Possession by Elana Johnson

Details: Hardcover, 416 pgs.
Published: June 7th, 2011 by Simon & Schuster
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: Review from Amazon Vine

Description:

Vi knows the Rule: Girls don't walk with boys, and they never even thinkabout kissing them. But no one makes Vi want to break the Rules more than Zenn...and since the Thinkers have chosen him as Vi's future match, how much trouble can one kiss cause? The Thinkers may have brainwashed the rest of the population, but Vi is determined to think for herself.
But the Thinkers are unusually persuasive, and they're set on convincing Vi to become one of them...starting by brainwashing Zenn. Vi can't leave Zenn in the Thinkers' hands, but she's wary of joining the rebellion, especially since that means teaming up with Jag. Jag is egotistical, charismatic, and dangerous--everything Zenn's not. Vi can't quite trust Jag and can't quite resist him, but she also can't give up on Zenn.
This is a game of control or be controlled. And Vi has no choice but to play.

This is a book that leaves you reeling. That has you screaming WHAT?! And really crawls under your skin. It inspires you to write the review RIGHT THE HECK NOW. It drives you crazy. It makes you think. It frustrates you. It's so frustrating and awesome and annoying that it's unbelievably good! It doesn't make sense how something that pisses you off so much is so amazing. But it really inspired those emotions, so that's a good thing.

This book is constant action. I found it impossible to put down. It was always moving from here to there escaping to one place or another and in constant danger. Which has you anxious to see and make sure that it all works out. There are some down times when they sleep but really, your still wondering and anxious for more. The chapters are also really short so I kept saying just one more chapter but since it only took me 3 minutes I push myself for one more, and then just one more and well, next thing I know I'm halfway through the book (and my kids are screaming for food, oops). It was seriously hard to tear my eyes away from the page.

The characters are fascinating. Vi is very kick butt and having grown up the way she did it was really surprising how much sass she had stored in her. I guess that's just it, it was all stored up! She was incredibly brave and determined. She had ridiculously hard decisions to make but it was always pretty clear that she knew what the right ones were. I didn't have to scream at her for making the wrong ones anyway ;)

Jag. OMG. Jag. He made my heart pitter patter. But then he ended up ripping it to shreds a time or two. And because of some of his actions, even though I loved him, I just didn't always get it. Sometimes there were reasons that made sense, but in the beginning one of his decisions made me angry enough I had a hard time forgiving him. But yet, pitter patter my heart still went. His easy laughter, his ease, his smile. Pitter patter...

This world is tech heavy. There were crazy inventions and weird things they could do. It was dystopia but with a strong sci fi side and paranormal elements thrown in. It was definitely interesting but I found myself confused more then once. Actually the whole thing was such a crazy whirlwind that half the time I wasn't sure I knew what was going on. You'd think that would be a major downside, but really it didn't bother me that terribly much.

When I first started reading the book I was thinking how weird it was. It had a weird tone, weird characters, weird world. It was all just so strange. And I was just sure that those would be the first words I'd use in my review. Weird and strange. But that was before I read the end. Which blew my mind. Not really in a good way. But yet... it worked. Kind of. I'm frustrated, but yet satisfied. Make sense? No, I know it doesn't. I do know this, any book that affects me this strongly is definitely good. I truly am VERY anxious for the next book, which is a companion but promises answers. Well, I need some freaking answers! So I want that book NOW.

Find the author:

Website

Disclosure: I received this book free of charge through the Amazon Vine program for review purposes. I was not paid or influenced in any way and all opinions expressed are my own.

Winners- The Magic of Lavender and Shamra Chronicles

I have a couple winners to announce. The first one is for The Magic of Lavender by Cate Masters and is...

The next one is for The Shamra Chronicles and a journal and pen and is...

Melissa

Both winners have been contacted and have 48 hours to reply.

They were selected using random.org

For more contests and giveaways look to the top of my blog! And more are to come!

Book Tour Scavenger Hunt and Giveaway: Chosen by Paula Bradley

And then she heard a voice. The words- “Peace, my child, I am with you. I always have been.”- were clear, precise, the hallucination taking on a frightening reality. Mariah began to struggle, but a different, yet just as startling, sensation caused her to stop.

The passage above is for the scavenger hunt. To find out more about the scavenger hunt go to http://proudbooknerd.com/. But for a giveaway right here keep reading!

Shy and introverted Mariah Carpenter has concealed a hidden talent from childhood that, according to her mother, would brand her a freak. Now a fateful encounter has caused her secret skill—an extraordinary psychic ability—to become greatly enhanced. Suddenly, she has a purpose for her gift, as her vision gives her the ability to find kidnapped children telepathically. But is this a blessing or a curse? When Mariah’s fourth finding is filmed by the FBI and the recording is stolen and sold to a broadcast journalist, Mariah’s worst nightmare becomes a reality. She is acclaimed worldwide as a saint and messenger from God—and vilified as the Antichrist whose powers must be quelled. Meanwhile, another government agency has its own covert agenda for Mariah…. In the midst of all of this, Mariah has a series of horrifying nightmares, culminating in the discovery of an ingenious serial killer, one who somehow prevents Mariah from finding out who and where he is. Locating this murderer before he kills again becomes Mariah’s obsession, one that threatens to consume her––and could even destroy her. Chosen introduces readers to a remarkably complex, achingly human, and absolutely unforgettable heroine. Bursting with tension, danger, and the thrill of the unexplained, Chosen is a singular reading experience.

The Giveaway:
One paperback copy of Chosen by Paula Bradley. This was provided by Meryl L. Moss Media Relations and the publisher.
Open to US only.
Must be 18 or older.
Ends August 1st, 2011

To Enter:
Leave a comment with contact info!

Saturday, July 23, 2011

In My Mailbox (69)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren and is where we share the books we got through the week.

I put myself on a book buying ban this week but I already had books ordered last week that came in. And I have at least one more that comes in next week (and a book signing...). But after that my IMM's may be really small as I'm not accepting much for review either. I'm hoping to play catch up the rest of the year!

Please excuse my face and hair in the video. Ugh, I can't even watch it cause I have absolutely NO makeup on. It was a pajama day (Fridays usually are) and I was too lazy to even put on a bit of makeup. I'm regretting that now... anyway, this is what I look like with no makeup on and my hair finger combed back. (Ugh)

For Review:

(though it was kind of just a gift...)

The Watchers, which is now called The Marked (Book #2 of Delcroix Academy) (new cover below) by Inara Scott (thank you Inara!)

Bought:

Forever by Maggie Stiefvater

Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Childs

The Otherworldlies by Jennifer Anne Kogler

Wildcat Fireflies by Amber Kizer

Poison by Sara Poole

Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos

Dead Iron (Age of Steam #1) by Devon Monk

Hammered (Iron Druid Chronicles #3) by Kevin Hearne

Bound by Sin (Cin Craven #3) by Jenna MaClaine

That's it for me! What was in your mailbox?

Bloggers mentioned:

Nikki at Wicked Awesome Books

Friday, July 22, 2011

Saturday Situation- Link up your reviews and giveaways! 7/23

Keep in mind that you can add your links through the entire week.

You can find this post again by clicking the button on the top right of my blog. I'll try to keep it up to date to go to the newest Saturday Situation post.

Facebook for your blog? Yay, or nay?

So it seems like everyone has a facebook page for their blog. I don't. I don't exactly see why it's necessary and wonder what the point is. Maybe some of you can fill me in on that. Some reasons I can think of is interaction. You can sit and chat on there about books. But isn't that what the blog is for? And isn't following by Networked Blogs how you can get updates on your own facebook for other blogs? So doesn't that make following facebook pages kind of pointless? I do follow some (fan some, whatever) but I can't say I really get it. So am I missing something?

I do follow (or fan) authors because I don't often remember to check their blogs and it's nice to have updates.

So tell me, is a fan page for your blog on facebook worth it? Have you got anything out of it? Do you like it when blogs have facebook pages and do you interact on it? Please, tell me your thoughts!

Book Review: Magic Lost, Trouble Found by Lisa Shearin

Title: Magic Lost, Trouble Found (Raine Benares #1)
Author: Lisa Shearin
Details: Mass Market Paperback, 345 pgs.
Published: March 29th, 2007 by Ace
Source: purchased
Reading Level: Adult

Description:

My name is Raine Benares. I'm a seeker. The people who hire me are usually happy when I find things. But some things are better left unfound. I'm a sorceress of moderate powers, from an extended family of smugglers and thieves. With a mix of street smarts and magic spells, I can usually take care of myself. But when my friend Quentin, a not-quite-reformed thief, steals an amulet from the home of a powerful necromancer, I find myself wrapped up in more trouble than I care for. I like attention as much as the next girl, but having an army of militant goblins hunting me down is not my idea of a good time. The amulet they're after holds limitless power, derived from an ancient, soul-stealing stone. And when I take possession of the item, it takes possession of me. Now my moderate powers are increasing beyond anything I can imagine-but is the résumé enhancement worth my soul?

Magic Lost, Trouble Found is the beginning of what I think will be a delightful series! This is a fantasy series with elves, goblins and the such and takes place in a make believe city. Magic is the norm, though how you wield it can define you. This book had a different feel to me because although it's a definitely fantasy, it was kind of told in a way that reminded me of urban fantasy books. So if your an urban fantasy fan, and not such a pure fantasy fan, you may still enjoy this one.
First books in series can be a bit heavy and there's so much information to soak up. Sometimes it makes them a bit hard to get through because your wrapping your mind around so much. For me it seems the first books in series are the ones I end up liking the least because things just get better and better with each book when you already know the world and most of the characters. I did feel like this was the first in the series but I didn't really feel like I was getting information overload. We were seeing the city and the people throughout the book and it didn't get too full of descriptions.
I really liked Raine and I connected pretty well with her personality. I also liked the side characters but sometimes I think it was hard to keep everyone straight because there were a LOT of them. By halfway through they were all clear to me though and it was easier to sit back and enjoy it. And all the characters, from good, to evil, to not -sure- if -they- are- good- or- evil, played their roles very well. And one or two definitely were on the hotter side. I can't WAIT for some romance to come because I was feeling some heat in this one!
And there is definitely some ass kicking, some magic wielding ass kickingness and other action'y stuff. It kept me on my toes! And it was well wrote because I didn't really find my eyes glazing over like they sometimes do at those times. The descriptions sucked me in!
I definitely enjoyed the book and am anxious to continue the series!

Find the author:

Website

My Favorite Things Complete List of Winners

I promised a list of winners to be re-posted and I've been lazy and haven't done it yet. But all the packages have been sent out that I'm responsible for. And all addresses have been forwarded on to authors and publishers and hopefully all the books have been sent. However, if you do not receive your package in six weeks let me know.

A huge thank you to all the authors, publishers and bloggers who participated and provided books for giveaway. I couldn't have done it without you! Also a big huge hug to Kristin at My Bookish Ways for co-hosting with me and making it so much better. Without her constant help and support it never would have been the epic event it turned out to be. I hope I didn't drive her crazy and that she'll be willing to co-host another event in the future.

I plan to be back next year with the event again! I don't know if it'll be as huge or not (this was a LOT of work!) but I hope to make it just as big. I learned a lot this year and have some ideas for making it easier.

So you want to know the winners? Here you go!

Steampunk
May 23rd on Candace's Book Blog
Jon S. Lewis Interview and Giveaway of The Relic Hunters US only Winner-#27 shadow_kohler- Contacted