Friday Reads: The Case of The Blue Violet by Robin Stevens!!

Hello there guys!

Today I have only a lil novella up for review because I couldn't get myself to write a review for I'll Give You The Sun that I finished at 3 am... hopefully I'll have it up tomorrow!

But I found out about this delightful novella on my favourite Middle Grade series, The Wells& Wong Mystery Series, and I read it and loved it, so it is my Friday Reads!


The Case of the Blue Violet: A Murder Most Unladylike Mini Mystery by Robin  Stevens

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Another delightful story from Robin Stevens and the Deepdean girls! Of course I wish it would have been longer, but I wouldn't mind having a lil story like this one once a month in the wait in between the full length books!

This one was written by Daisy instead of Hazel as usual, and our Daisy might be frightfully clever, but she doesn't have the same eye for describing setting or characters as Hazel does! ;) It was a rather cute and short case and I cannot believe after all the whodunit books I've read, I'm still so little observant! I guessed the case quite later than the Detectives, as soon as a certain telegram was received, but still... too late! *shakes head*

Very excited also about the small sampler for the next Wells & Wong Agency case! Next month! Soon, but not soon enough!



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Mark This Book Monday: Lockwood & Company by Jonathan Stroud!!

Hello everyone!

I'm starting this week with a double feature for Mark This Book Monday, both books part of the same series, a book and a novella, one from my TBR pile and a novella I got approved for via NetGalley.

I had loved The Amulet of Samarkand series by Jonathan Stroud, so I was quite excited to finally start reading his new series, all about ghosts and spectres!



The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


When I got approved for the sequel novella it finally pushed me to read this one, that had been on my TBR pile for a while.

I loved the setting and the world building in this book, starting with a middle point of sorts, because we get Lucy telling us about how her first cases with Lockwood & Co were a bit disastrous, and then she tells us about her life before she came to London and of her first day & interview at Lockwood & Co, which was a bit odd, but that provided ample occasion for us getting some knowledge of the world we're in, one where the dead are ever present and only the kids can see and fight them.

I felt it was oh so very typically English to call the overwhelming invasion of the spirits of the dead simply "the Problem", which to me sounds like you're talking about a creaking step on a staircase, and not something that can kill you and that changed the way society lived, with curfews and a different kind of child labor, so to speak.

We see Lucy meeting Lockwood and George, start working with them and getting the feeling that they're still getting the hang of working together, improvising and getting into as much trouble as they solve. And they stumble into a ghost, a murder mystery and the most haunted house of all of Britain.

I loved how there were hints all over the story and how everyone of the members of Lockwood & Co were important and had information the others didn't in solving the case(s), even if they learnt a tough lesson on team work and learning to trust each other.

This one was a fantastic and intriguing first book on a series that I want to continue reading and enjoying! Well deserved 4 stars to this one!





The Dagger in the Desk by Jonathan Stroud

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I was approved on NetGalley for this one and it made me push the first book up on my TBR pile so I could read this bridge novella between book 1 and 2.

I really enjoyed this novella, even if it felt a bit short, mostly because I was enjoying it so much that I didn't want it to end so soon! The Dagger in the Desk starts right after book 1 and we see Luce, Lockwood and George recovering from their biggest case to date, enjoying the free publicity that came with it and enjoying having loads of cases thrust upon them.

Luce, Lockwood and George have learnt to trust each other and work together as a team properly, they have a friendly banter and tease each other, but they rely on each other's insticts and abilities.

This one was short and fun but I feel that it quite a few hints here and there for what's to come in the next book, with a certain artifact and how Lucy's abilities seem to be expanding. The case was interesting and fun and that was the reason it felt so short! We also get a glossary about ghosts and spectres at the end of the novella and they were illustrated, perfectly creepy and amazing!

Well deserved 3.5 stars to this novella!



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Friday Reads: Mini Review of Summerfall by Claire Legrand!!

Hello guys! Happy Friday and welcome to another edition of Friday Reads!

This week I'm failing a bit at reading, but since I've only had one day and a half off and I had to get ready an order of cupcakes, I feel like I can be dispensed... I am trying to catch up now, and hopefully during the weekend!

I'm starting with a mini review for a prequel novella that I adored and really made me look forward to the full lenght book!



Summerfall: A Winterspell Novella by Claire Legrand

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


When I first heard of this prequel novella for Winterspell, I preordered it as soon as it was up for it on Amazon. Then I got approved via Edelweiss for Winterspell and I kept wondering if I should read it or wait for the novella, and in the decided to wait. And it turns out it was the right choice!

Summerfall is a prequel and as such we are introduced to the world of Cane and to characters that won't probably be in Winterspell, but we are given and insight into the events that shaped what will be going on in the book and we are introduced both to the world of Cane and to Claire Legrand's quite beautiful writing!

Summerfall is the story of Rinka, a naive and sheltered faery that has a fascination for humans in a world were the relationships between both races are not at the best of times. She believes in understanding and getting to know each other to destroy prejudice and restore peace. She finds her chance to meet with the humans and try to work towards peace and soon realizes things are not that easy and soon her life and probably the entire realm's change.

Rinka is a wonderful character that starts as really naive but soon learns that she's way in over her head, but I loved that she never backed down, she took challenges on ahead and wanted to work for peace, even when the road was tough. That she might just loose her head for love and risked everything might seem silly, but it could be seen as another way to show that peace between the two races was possible, if love could be found.

The treachery of power and politics taking advantage of the differences between people and the fear that can generate is nothing now, and seeing it at play in Cane is a dire reminder we'd all do well in taking to heart. Facing the consequences of our choices and not shruging away from responsabilities are also themes explored in this novella.

Quite some strong themes, a good foundation to the world of Cane, well developed characters and a really swoony romance all mixed up make this novella a must read! Now I cannot wait to read Winterspell! Well deserved 4 stars!



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Saturday Pages: Mini-review of Poison Dance by Livia Blackburne!!

Hello guys! How's your Saturday going? I'm finally getting all my pending parcels from the PO, so no matter what, today is gonna be a good day!

I'm starting this week's Saturday Pages with a mini-review that has been pending for a little while, but finally I have it here!



Poison Dance: A Novella by Livia Blackburne

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Poison Dance is a prequel novella, and it's about James and the Assassin's Guild. It's a bit difficult to say if you ought to read it before or after The Midnight Thief, but I read it after and it worked pretty well.

James is a young assassin in the Guild in this novella and it gives us a bit more of insight into his character and how he became the man that we meet in Midnight Thief. Things are unstable in the Guild and the seeds of the organization as it is on Midnight Thief are all in here.

The tone and narrative voice is quite different between Poison Dance and Midnight Thief. Here it is darker and a bit more adult, cause James is older and in a darker path already that Kyra is. He's a killer already, but he isn't overtly ambitious and is only trying to carve a life for himself and his friends.

Somehow even if this made me understand James a bit better and even relate to the heartbreak and betrayal and anger that drove him to where he ends up, but I guess because I already disliked him enough I didn't get to feel too much sympathy for him.

It was quite interesting to see the events to led to James being who he is in Midnight Thief and read about the events only hinted at in there, but a word of warning... if you don't like this one too much, don't discount Midnight Thief on account of this one, they're different enough. 3.5 to this one.



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Friday Reads: Infinite Repeat by Paula Stokes!!!

Hello everyone!! Happy Friday!!

Today I work night shift, which means at least I have all the day to read and hopefully write a few of my pending reviews! I've been doing rather hopelessly at review writing these past days!

To start this week's Friday Reads I have one of this week's releases, a novella, but one of the long ones, and one that I kept on hoping it would have been even longer! I wish Paula would have got to write a full book on Micah's POV!!


Infinite Repeat by Paula Stokes

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Paula has done it again! *sniffles* I was really looking forward to reading this story from Micah's POV but I wasn't really sure what to expect from it, but I'm very happy to say that she managed to make me wish it would have been way longer, to understand and love Micah even more and to love Trinity, Micah's little sister even more! Dammit, I'm even wishing she'd get her own book now!!

Infinite Repeat takes place before the events of The Art of Lainey, leads us through Micah's struggle to deal with the changes in his relationship with Amber, his guilt over his father's death, with some flashbacks to some examples of how badly Micah had been dealing with it in each of the death's anniversaries.

We also get to see some of Micah's time at work, we get another look at his love for cooking and baking (devil's food cake with light and dark chocolate mousse, YES PLEASE!!), and we also see Lainey through his eyes as the popular girl that works at her parents' cafe, and that was quite an interesting alternate way to see her too.

I absolutely loved how Paula managed to balance the tough emotional parts of Micah's story, with amazing family moments, showing his love of music and still inserting her trademark humour!

A wonderful novella that I would have loved more only if it would have been longer! I'm gonna be rooting for more pages about this characters somehow! Well deserved 5 stars!



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Mark This Book Monday: Mini Reviews: Fortune's Risk & Atlantia sampler!

Hello & welcome to a new week and another edition of Mark This Book Monday!

This week it's gonna be a double edition, this one with two mini-reviews and another one with a full review for a full book.

For starters I have a novella that bridges the gap between book 1 and 2 of the Star Thief Chronicles and a sampler that I got on NetGalley of Atlantia (thank you for the approval, Penguin and Dutton Juvenile!).



Fortune's Risk by Jamie Grey

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A very intertaining short story where we get to know the adorable and sometimes irritating adorable rogue that is Viktis, the Ileth pirate.

I was a fast read, a short story that serves a double purpose: to hold us up till Athena's Ashes and to give us a glimpse at Viktis' past and what lays beyond his scoundrel pirate mask, and to develop the relationship between him, Finn and Keva.

Viktis is planning a scam and take down action against one of the most, if not the most, dangerous mob bosses of the galaxy, Kitty Cordoza.

Despite a fairly cleverly crafted plan, and managing the very hard part of getting Keva and Finn on board to help him, things start falling apart quite soon and Viktis sees himself in a very bad spot.

I don't want to talk about the plot much cause I'd end up spoiling it too easily, but it was really fun to read, very quick and having it told in a different voice from Renna was also refreshing, seeing other POVs and seeing what makes them tick a bit more!

I cannot wait for Athena's Ashes next month! And I wouldn't mind more novellas about Viktis, Keva and other members of the crew!




SNEAK PEEK: Atlantia by Ally Condie

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I read and loved Matched by Ally Condie and even if the whole trilogy wasn't all equally enjoyable, I was still be intrigued by the summary of her new book, so when I got the chance to read a sampler for it on NetGalley, I jumped at it! Thank you Penguin and Dutton books!

Atlantia is a dystopian book, one where things have been changed for a while, one where a choice must be made between the Above and the Below (Atlantia), and it's Rio's story. She wanted to go to the Above but her choice changed when she decided she had to stay with her sister. Then she's thrown for a loop when she finds herself alone in Atlatia.

This sampler is only like the first 42 pages of the book, but it was enough to make me very curious about the world, the city of Atlantia, the Above and all the secrets that seem to abound around. Sirens? Unexplained deaths?

It was also enough to get a feel for the main character, Rio. And here's the part where I wasn't entirely too pleased about. She's been left all alone in a city without family (but not really) and she's got a secret to keep. She wants to find out why her sister left and made sure she'd stay. But she is offered information, she runs away in the opposite direction and decides to make a plan to escape to the Above to find out for herself. Never mind that her plan is non-existent and there are no ways for you to reach the Above, no, she will just run head first...

I'm hoping for a lot of character development and a lot of more curiosity on Rio's part, and I do hope we'll get more information before she ends up running to the surface. Otherwise, she's gonna bug the everlivings off me...

So far, I'm intrigued and interested and I wanna know what happens next, so I think the sampler did its job well!



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Xpresso Book Tours Book Blitz & Giveaway: Her Secret Inheritance by Jen McConnel!

Hello everyone! Welcome to the Book Blizt for Her Secret Inheritance by Jen McConnel hosted & organized by Xpresso Book Tours!

Her Secret Inheritance by Jen McConnel
(Isobel Key #2)
Released June 12th 2014

Five years after the trip to Scotland that changed her life, Lou is back in the misty, magical country. But this time, she’s not on vacation. When Brian, her old Highland fling, turns up at the scene of some depressing family business, tension mounts between the former lovers. But dealing with Brian is only part of the problem; something wicked is stirring in Scotland. Lou must use all her strength to handle the increasingly desperate situation, but will she be strong enough to battle both a vengeful ghost and her heart? Lou may have thought that she was finished with the witch Isobel Key, but some secrets can’t stay buried forever.

Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Kobo | Audible

 About the author:

Jen McConnel first began writing poetry as a child. A Michigander by birth, she now lives and writes in the beautiful state of North Carolina. A graduate of Western Michigan University, she also holds a MS in Library Science from Clarion University of Pennsylvania. When she isn't crafting worlds of fiction, she teaches college writing composition and yoga. Once upon a time, she was a middle school teacher, a librarian, and a bookseller, but those are stories for another time. Her debut NA novel, THE SECRET OF ISOBEL KEY, is out now from Bloomsbury Spark. She also writes YA and nonfiction. Visit http://www.jenmcconnel.com to learn more.

  Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest | Facebook | Blog | Website 

Giveaway

Open INTL - Ends June 24:

One mounted black and white print of Claire Heminsley’s artwork, “A Snippet of St. Andrews”. (image attached)
The Prints are black and white. Mounted with an acid free, antique white mount. Size of image:- 18x40cm, Size of mount:-29x52cm.

Artist Contact:
website:- www.incahoots.org.uk
twitter:- @incahootsclaire
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/incahoots/256765432501

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Mark This Book Monday: ARC Review of Her Secret Inheritance by Jen McConnel!

Hello everyone! Happy Monday!

Sometimes Mondays are cool days, trust me, they really are when you have the day off after working the weekend! After all the cupcaking and celebrating and photo editing for my friend's wedding, I'm a bit behind on reads and reviews, so this week I'm gonna stick to just one book & review per day, so this is the one and only entry for Mark This Book Monday!

As this is an ARC review it counts as part of my 2014 Review Pile Reading Challenge! Thank you so much Bloomsbury Spark and Jen McConnel for sending me the ARC of this book!

Her Secret Inheritance by Jen McConnel

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


After reading The Secret of Isobel Key, I joined the author street team on Facebook, so I was lucky enough to get an ARC of this novella sequel for review!

Her Secret Inheritance starts 5 years after the end of Isobel, and before I talk any more about the book, be warned, it's likely that there will be spoilers for the previous book. Lou is once again on her way to Scotland, and this time her reason to go there is not as happy an occasion as it was the previous time.

It seems that despite the sort of closure we got by the end of the last book about the ghosts of the past, not everything was set to rest, and so Lou finds herself involved in unexpected paranormal happenings. Not only that, she has to face her choices in the past when she meets Brian again, the boy she left behind when she chose to find herself and get to know her biological family.

That was actually one of my favourite parts of the last book, how finding a guy she liked and could love and that could be in love with her was not all the answers that she needed. Of course that means that meeting Brian again is tough to face for her, and not at all easy for him either.

Once again we switch perspectives from the present to the past, and from Lou to Brian, and that helps presenting a fuller picture of the whole story, not just for this book but also for Isobel Key. I'm thinking I really want to read a purely historical fiction book from Jen badly, because she writes about the past so wonderfully!

Brian was not as charming in this one as he was on the first book, and to a point I can understand him being wounded and unhappy about being left behind without much of an explanation, but he acting a bit too much like an ass on a couple of occasions. Lou has grown up, she's found herself and what she loves and she's grown, but she hasn't lost her tendency to not stand up for herself when the going gets rough. She should have called Brian on his bullshit a lil earlier for my taste, and maybe simply talk about things first to clear the air, no matter how hard it'd seemed.

I was glad to read how everything was wrapped up, how Lou decided on her path once again on her own reasons, and not just for a swoony guy, no matter how swoony he might be, but at the same time I liked how the possibility of a second chance is presented.

All in all, a quick read that reminded me of my love for Scotland and that was quite a satisfying sequel. Well deserved 3 to 3.5 stars.



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Xpresso Book Tour Blog Tour for Stakeout by Nikki Jefford!!

Hey there everyone! Today I'm taking part in the Blog Tour for Stakeout by Nikki Jefford, organized by Xpresso Book Tours!

I will be sharing my review & a Blog Tour wide giveaway, so click HERE for the full tour schedule! But before that, let's get you some more information about the book & author, shall we?

Stakeout by Nikki Jefford
(Aurora Sky: Vampire Hunter #2.5)
Publication date: January 14th 2014
Genres: New Adult, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy

Synopsis:
Noel Harper got a second chance at life when the government recruited her as an undercover vampire informant. Since the day they brought her back from the good-as-dead, she has wanted to prove herself worthy.

When a member of her investigative unit is murdered, Noel is paired up with a vampire hunter named Dante to spy on a suspect in Fairbanks. The problem? They’re not the only ones on stakeout. Taking down murderous vampires is one thing. Dealing with the past is another. But this time, Noel isn’t letting fear win. She’s calling in help from the other side and learns a shocking secret along the way.

(STAKEOUT is an Aurora Sky: Vampire Hunter novella told from Noel Harper’s POV. Approximately 40,000 words.)

Goodreads | Amazon | B& N | iTunes

About the author:

Nikki Jefford is a third generation Alaskan who found paradise in the not-so-tropical San Juan Islands (Wash.) where she is once more neighbors with Canada in a town without a single traffic light. She loves fictional bad boys and heroines who kick butt.

When she's not reading, writing, working, or out on a nature walk, she's out riding her Suzuki DRZ400SM.

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

My Review

The Aurora Sky: Vampire Hunter series is a recent discovery of mine, and I'm quite loving this new and fresh take on vampires.

Stakeout is a novella from Noel's POV and it does what a very good novella should do, and that is not only giving us a better understanding of another character but also giving us something more, something else for the series itself.

Noel is such a great character and we find out so much about what she's keeping to herself, she's a much deeper character that what she reveals to the rest of the characters. The events of Stakeout are the same ones that we had in Northern Bites, but we see what happened with Dante and Noel on their missions, and we also understand much better some scenes that were quite puzzling in NB.

Now, I'm even more excited to read Bad Blood to see how we're gonna deal with all the revelations we've been handed here, that are quite a few and that might have been hinted at in Northern Bites, but that were only properly confirmed here.

Deeper look at characters, with explanations and information relevant for the series as a whole and with a storyline that kept me turning page after page, this novella is more than well deserving of 4 stars!

Mark This Book Monday: Mini reviews for Stolen by Erin Bowman and The Guard by Kiera Cass!

I'm starting this week's Mark This Book Monday with a pair of novellas. I am quite fond of novellas because, if done well, novellas can be quite satisfactory and quick reads when you want to read a complete story but are feeling restless enough that you don't want to read a full lenght book!

These two are part of two dystopian series that I'm quite keen on, so reading these help you tide till the next book! Since they are dystopians they'll count towards my Dystopian Reading Challenge 2014 once I read another 3 novellas, to count as one book!

Stolen by Erin Bowman

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Stolen is chronologically happening before Taken, but somehow I think it'd make more sense to read it after reading Taken. Mostly because at the end we get a peek at events happening in Taken and it'd be better to go at those un-spoiled. Beware if you haven't read Taken, cause I might refer to some spoilery happenings in this review.

Stolen is Bree's story in her home, Saltwater. We discover a different Bree from the one we met in Taken, but this was before she was "snatched" and we learn about so many events that shaped her and made her who she is. I wasn't the biggest fan of Bree in Taken, but after reading this, she has become a firm favourite character for me. Bree doesn't have it easy in Saltwater, survival is tough maybe a lil tougher than in Claysoot even, but life is also shaped by the Snatchings and the ones taken away and those who are left behind.

I don't want to talk about all the story much cause I think it's best if you just read enjoy discovering a new and different Bree. One that is already brave and cares for those she considers family, one that is tough but continues getting tougher but also one that isn't that afraid of what's to come, and one that learns how to hope there will be something more after the Snatching.

We also get a sneak peek at Frozen at the end of Stolen and that made me excited again to finally get to read it! And I'm also pretty sure I will love reading about Bree much more than I would have before!

4 stars for a novella that gave us a better perspective into Bree and also helped us see the world in Taken with better perspective.


The Guard by Kiera Cass

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


The Guard is a small novella with Aspen's POV during The Elite. Somehow I feel we knew Aspen better and so this novella has a lil less impact than The Prince. We also know more about the world and the royal family per se, so we don't get as many interesting revelations towards the story.

Still, this is a necessary novella cause it brings balance in POVs, since we already had Maxon's. It was nice to get a different look at the events happening at the palace from someone who only cares about America and sees her as she was before and is discovering how she grows and loves her for it. Still, this novella needs to be read after reading The Elite, cause there are some gaps in the story that can only be understood if you already know the events happening there.

All in all, 3 to 3.5 stars for this one.



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Friday Reads: Mini Review: Howling For You by Chloe Neill!

Hello everyone!

This week I've been in a bit of a reading slump and I've been recovering by watching loads of Arrow! I read an anthology of fantastic short stories and this novella that is gonna be a Mini Review for Friday Reads!


Howling For You by Chloe Neill

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I love the Chicagoland Vampire series, and it's one of my three adult series & Urban Fantasy at that, that I'm still following devoutly and cannot wait for the next installment!

Howling For You is a novella that takes place between the events of Biting Bad and the upcoming Wild Things, and instead of following Merit, Ethan and their vampires, it's all about Fallon, Jeff and the Pack!

I was very happy to read more about the Keenes and about Jeff & Fallon story that had been alluded at in previous books. Jeff is one of my fave characters, and I've always wanted to know a bit more about Gabriel, his family and the NAC Pack.

I guess because of the cover I was expecting this novella to be from Jeff's POV but instead it is from Fallon's. Fallon is quite a great character, and I really like that in the Pack she had been groomed as next in line for leadership following the birth order, gender not being an issue.

This novella is all about Fallon and Jeff and how they cannot be together due to Pack tradition and responsability and Fallon feeling like she must put Pack before herself. Jeff is ready to ignore everything and give them a chance.

There's romantic tension, betrayal, Pack politics and plenty of adorable interactions between Fallon and Jeff! 4 stars for this one!

And to make it even better we also got the first two chapters of the next book, Wild Things! Cannot wait till Feb 4th!



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Friday Reads: Mini Reviews: Fracture Me by Tahereh Mafi and The Last Stand of the New York Institute by Cassandra Clare!

Hello there! For this week's Friday Reads I'm gonna have another two mini reviews! Novellas are so much fun to read, and sometimes they can change your whole vision of a series!


Fracture Me by Tahereh Mafi

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


As usual, Tahereh Mafi shows us how amazing her writing is. This novella is Adam's POV of the ending of Unravel Me and it's a complete change of style from the rest of the series, Adam's voice so different from Juliette's!

The power of different POV's and how they come across from other character's POV's is very well shown here. We met Adam in Shatter Me and he ended up being Juliette's ally & friend and way more than that. And I was Team Adam if I had to choose from that triangle (which curiously enough is one of those triangles that are relevant and not so annoying). But then came Destroy Me, and I started to warm up to Warner much to my surprise, and then Unravel Me with its many twists and revelations and I find myself a bit more on Team Warner. I was hoping to see if Fracture Me would do for Adam the same thing that Destroy Me did for Warner, and maybe it did, but for me the reaction was quite the opposite.

Adam annoyed from the first page itself with his treatment of James, his kid brother. Yes, there's a lot of tension and stress but you don't treat your only family like that! And even though he redeems himself a bit on that front, it's clear through the pages of this novella that he just doesn't understand Juliette and despite his hoping for a HEA, he's be beyond frustrated with Juliette and her issues. He clearly can't begin to understand what Juliette issues really are, and with his protectiveness there's no way he'd help Juliette control and develop her powers.

This novella has done a wonderful job at bringing us into Adam's head, it might not have been what I would have hoped for, but you can't say that Mafi didn't do a fantastic job of giving him his own voice.

Well deserved 4 stars for this novella, and now I can't wait for Ignite Me even more than before!



The Last Stand of the New York Institute by Cassandra Clare

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I think the closer we get to the events of TMI the more I like these novellas, and this one I will have an even bigger amount of love because we get to spend some more time with Tessa, and I really love Tessa Gray!

We get to see the start of the Circle and Magnus facing some of Valentine's allies and Valentine himself. We also are introduced to the doubts in Lucian and how the seed of his doubt in Valentine's great purpose might have been planted. We meet quite a few Shadowhunters that we will hear about later on. And we also get to meet Clary and her mum, and not only that we discover the origin of the last name that Jocelyn and Clary are using when they live as mundanes.

Magnus has some really conflicting feeling about this new generation of Shadowhunters and even more for some of the families that he once knew, but despite everything he seems to be quite prone to niceness the older he gets and less likely to hold a grudge. I guess when you live centuries it might seem quite pointless.

A very short but entertaining read, quite enlightening adding some more perspective to the Circle and the Uprising. A 4 star read.



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Mark This Book Monday: Mini Reviews of Witch Rising by Amber Argyle & Finding Cinderella by Colleen Hoover!

As my second entry for this week's Mark This Book Monday I'm gonna have a mini reviews entry.


Witch Rising by Amber Argyle

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Witch Rising is a prequel novella, and you can read it on its own. It's gonna be a fast read, full of action that starts on page one and doesn't really stop till the last page.

Lilette starts the story as a young girls running away with her parents and it seems that she can't really escape one threat or another, even less the one she feels within herself.

It's a short novella but it feels even shorter cause you just fly through it! I can't wait to read Witch Fall now, to see how Lilette's story continues!

3.5 stars



Finding Cinderella by Colleen Hoover

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Quite to my own surprise I actually loved this novella. I'm not a big fan of contemporary romances and even less those based on insta-love, but this one was told in such a way and the characters were written in such a way that I couldn't help but love them and enjoy the story immensely.

Daniel was hiding in a janitor room when a girl came to hide in it and they feel a connection and pretend to be in love with each other to see how it feels. Then his own Cinderella disappears to never be seen again. One year later, Daniel meets Six and their connection is instantaneous.

I loved reading the interactions between Daniel & Six. Both are hilarious and Daniel's family made laugh out loud while reading. There's witty dialogue, there's quite an unexpected emotional twist right there but there's a resolution based on dialogue and trust, and that's a very good example I think.

Now after reading this one, I feel like I must read Hopeless & Losing Hope! 4 stars to this novella that can be read as a stand alone.



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Showcase Sunday #17!!

Showcase Sunday is a weekly feature hosted by Vicky of Books, Biscuits, and Tea where all book lovers can share with others what bookish goodness we got this week, be it purchased (physical or eBook), won, gifted or for review!

This week I got some books for my Kindle app, I got thoroughly disappointed with The Book Depository and Royal Mail when my preordered harcover of These Broken Stars failed to arrive in the mail on release week but it all got better in the end when I got my ARC of The Star Thief!

Purchased (via Kindle app)

Witch Rising (Witch Song 2.5) by Amber Argyle

One & Only by Viv Daniels

The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

For Review (via the author)

The Star Thief by Jamie Grey! A New Adult Science Fiction that doesn't have a cover yet but I'm so excited to start reading it now!

Nothing approved on NetGalley or Edelweiss this week, I got another two refusals from Harper Collins on Edelweiss, I guess it must be my non-US-ness!

What all did you guys get this week?

Release Day for Proxy by Mindee Arnett! Excerpt and Giveaway!

 

 

Proxy by Mindee Arnett.

If you need something stolen from any star system in the Confederation, you need look no further than the Shades. Jeth Seagrave and his band of teenage mercenaries have been making a name for themselves for being able to steal anything—and for disappearing before anyone is the wiser.

Their latest job, a jewel heist on Grakkus, should be no different. But when Jeth's boss replaces a key member of his crew just before takeoff, and Jeth discovers a betrayal within his own ranks, he begins to suspect that not everyone is going to be coming back from his job alive.

Proxy is an action-packed introduction to a world like nothing readers have seen before.


About the author:

Mindee Arnett lives on a horse farm in Ohio with her husband, two kids, a couple of dogs, and an inappropriate number of cats. She’s addicted to jumping horses and telling tales of magic, the macabre, and outer space. She has far more dreams than nightmares. She's the YA author of The Nightmare Affair (Tor Teen), an urban fantasy series about a girl who is literally a nightmare and must use her skills to solve a murder, and the forthcoming science fiction series, Avalon (B+B, 1/21/2014), where Jeth and his teenage mercenaries need to pull off one last big job in order to earn their freedom.

Website: http://www.mindeearnett.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/mindeearnett

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Mindee-Arnett/215046761888669

Tumblr: http://mindeearnett.tumblr.com/

I am super excited to read Proxy, the prequel to Avalon, and if you guys are as excited as I am, here's an excerpt for your reading pleasure!:

"The thrill of the job never got old. Jeth Seagrave lived for it. For the way the anticipation sent electricity pulsing through his veins, making his blood burn hotter, his heart beat harder, and sharpening his senses until he felt like something more than human. A superhero from one of the ancient myths of First Earth, perhaps. 

You’re no hero. The automatic thought skidded through his mind, barely registering. No, he wasn’t. He was a thief. One of the best. 

And that was all that mattered. Never mind that he was only sixteen. Never mind that most of his crew was even younger. Together they were an unstoppable force, a gang of teenage thieves their adult marks never saw coming. The thrill pulsed harder inside him, and with an effort he focused on the nav monitor in front of him. They would be entering the patrolled zone around the planet Grakkus soon. 

To his left, Celeste piloted the Debonair forward, her hands steady on the control column. Jeth would’ve preferred to pilot this job—he would prefer to pilot every job—but he and Celeste took turns. All of the members of the Malleus Shades held specific roles that played to their strengths. Celeste’s forte was counterintelligence, particularly the art of distracting marks. Jeth’s was strategy, and he typically took point on every job. But when it came to piloting, he and Celeste were equally matched. 

Jeth drew a breath, still struggling to focus. He couldn’t help it. The upcoming job was the most challenging, complicated one they’d taken on yet. The target was located in a vault at the top of a tower only accessible through the emperor of Grakkus’s personal bedchambers—not some insignificant politician or petty crime lord, but an emperor. Pulling it off would be like flying a spaceship through a solar storm without getting fried.
A grin threatened to break on his face. The job was going to be fun, and with a payout well worth the risk. 

At last the nav computer flashed an indicator that they were heading into the patrolled zone.
Celeste glanced at him, her dark eyes narrowing. Straight black hair hung in a blunt cut down to her shoulders. “Are you going to turn on the stealth drive or what?”
“I’m thinking about it.” A part of him didn’t want to. The so-called stealth drive was brand new and untested, at least by the Shades. If it didn’t work, things were going to get a whole lot more interesting real quick. And if it did work, well, then things weren’t going to get interesting. He couldn’t decide which he preferred. 

In the end, Celeste made the decision for him, reaching over to a switch on a sleek new section of the control panel. Jeth sighed. It was the right thing to do, of course, and there would be plenty of risks to be had once they landed. 

Or it might not work properly, he thought, examining the nav monitor once more. Best not to blindly trust some newfangled technology. Within minutes he spotted a blimp on the monitor, a patrol to their starboard. The ship was far off, but within range to scan them. 

“What should I do?” A hint of panic colored Celeste’s voice. They had never before flown so boldly through a patrolled area.
“Hold course,” Jeth said, not taking his eyes off the blimp. So far the patrol ship hadn’t given any sign that it had spotted them.
“You sure you’re right?”
“Aren’t I always?”
Celeste snorted. “Do you want an honest answer?”
“Nope. I prefer my own version of the truth.”
“Right.” Celeste tightened her grip on the controls. According to the instructions they’d received from their employer, who owned the Debonair, the stealth drive worked best when the ship maintained a constant speed and course. Any sharp turns or drastic acceleration or deceleration could turn up on a system scanning for thruster signatures, stealth drive or no. 

Maybe it was for the best that Celeste was piloting, Jeth realized. He would’ve been tempted to test the theory of what constituted “drastic.” 

They passed out of range of the patrol a few minutes later, and Jeth sat back in the copilot’s chair, folding his arms across his chest as he tried to ignore his disappointment. They flew within range of three more patrols but moved past them without incident, finally breaching Grakkus’s atmosphere.
Once through, Celeste headed for their rendezvous point, an isolated forested area a few hundred kilometers outside of the capital city. Beyond the bridge’s main windows, the first rays of sunlight were breasting the horizon, heralded by a swath of purple, pink, and vermillion. 

At last Celeste set the Debonair down on a large stretch of tall grass the color of seaweed. She powered off the engines and turned on the auxiliary, which would keep the shipboard systems running, including the stealth drive. It wasn’t likely that anyone would spot them out here—the place was well off the main thoroughfares, not to mention how inhospitable the swamp surrounding them was—but Jeth decided not to point that out. 

Celeste stood and stretched, the movement languid as if she were part cat. The dark, fitted clothing she wore aided the illusion. “So, what now?”

Jeth checked his watch, which he’d synced to Grakkus time. “I say breakfast or lunch, whichever works, and then a couple hours’ R and R. The setup man’s not due to arrive until fourteen hundred.” They’d had to get here early to avoid being detected during landing. The stealth drive hid them from sight, but it couldn’t disguise the sound of the engines or the wind raised by the thrusters.
“Think I’m going to shower again, before—” Celeste broke off as a voice echoed over the ship’s comm system. 

“Um, Boss? We sorta have a situation. You might want to get down to the common room.”
Jeth blinked, all his disappointment from their unadventurous journey vanishing in the space of a single breath. It wasn’t often that Will Shady sounded nervous. 

Wondering if maybe the ship was on fire, Jeth turned and headed off the bridge with Celeste quick on his heels. They arrived in the common room on the deck below moments later. Jeth stopped in the doorway, surveying the scene. There wasn’t a fire. There wasn’t anything amiss at all, as far as he could tell. Shady was sitting on one of the sofas, his attention focused on the 3D projection from his portable gaming system, a wave of bloodthirsty robots coming at him, each one falling to his simulated gunfire. The comm unit he’d used to radio the bridge sat discarded on the sofa beside him, in danger of being swallowed by a cushion. 

Jeth approached him. “What are you doing?”
“Practicing,” Shady said, not looking up. The scowl on his face as he let off a triple blast, drilling a robot right between its bulbous black eyes, made his features look distinctly leonine, the appearance aided by his shaggy mane of blond hair. Shady’s assigned role in the Malleus Shades was ordnance officer.
Jeth put his hands on his hips. “We’re not going to be shooting anybody on this job. And please tell me this wasn’t the thing I needed to see.”
Shady shook his head. “Nope. It’s in that storage locker.” He pointed to the row of lockers along the wall across from them. “The one in the middle.”
Jeth arched an eyebrow. He considered pressing Shady for more, but knew there wasn’t much point. All the crew dealt with prejob nerves in different ways, and once engrossed in his ritual video game, it was hard to get Shady to concern himself with anything else.
Jeth crossed the floor to the locker in question, wondering where the Debonair had been last. Their employer used the ship for lots of different jobs, and it was possible it had been parked planetside somewhere a wild animal could’ve gotten in. An image of something furry and clawed and with teeth the size of fingers flashed through Jeth’s mind. He wasn’t wearing a gun, and he briefly considered getting one before finding out what had Shady so nervous, but then he shrugged and pulled the door open. 

There was something alive in there all right, but it wasn’t a wild animal. Even still, it took Jeth several moments to come to grip with what it was. Who it was."

 Aaaaaand, there's also a giveaway!! Click to enter the rafflecopter giveaway!

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/7511d04/

Friday Reads: Mini Reviews of Night of Cake And Puppets and Brooke!

Hello everyone!
For this week's edition of Friday Reads I'm happy to say that I have successfully completed my challenge of November is for Novellas that Lisa Loves Literature set up!

I have read all the novellas I had planned to and one extra!

Brooke by Veronica Rossi

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Sometimes novellas are more fun than anything else, and sometimes they add to the story and manage to make you appreciate a character that you weren't so keen on before.

Brooke, the novella, manages the later for me, and I was trying to find time at work this last night to finish it! We get to know her a little bit better, with a few flashbacks and also quite a bit of introspection and we get to understand her motivations better. Her POV is not as harsh or confrontational as she comes along when it's from Aria's, and we also get to see how kick arse she is. I'm all for kick arse main ladies, and the more the merrier! Brooke can hold her own with any of the guys from the Six.

She seems to be trying to sort out herself and her feelings for Perry and also, there's a threat to the Tides' new compound in the cave. Loads of action with some romance and a bit of flirting here and there rounds up this novella pretty well. A very nice addition to the TTEN world, and having the first three chapters of Into The Still Blue doesn't hurt either!

Well deserved 3.5 to 4 stars!




Night of Cake & Puppets by Laini Taylor

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Night of Cake & Puppets was my introduction to the world of Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke & Bones series, and it showed me that I have really been missing out! I was so tempted to just start the first book right after reading this one, but I've decided that I'll wait till the final book is out so I can binge read the whole series!

This is the story of Zuzana, the "rabid fairy", and Mik her "violin boy" and how their first night and first date played out. I went into this story knowing nothing about the world or the characters and I was enthralled, enchanted and in love by the first few pages! The writing is just fabulous, so evocative and so strong! Full of magic & quite creepy, fantastic really. And the characters have such fantastic and unique voices, I fell in love with them instantly.

If you, like me, hadn't read anything by Laini Taylor before do start with this one! Even if it's gonna be probably a bigger treat for those fans of the books, it was a perfect stand alone introduction to the world and an absolute treat to read!

Very well deserved 5 stars!



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Mark This Book Monday: Mini reviews for Saving Raphael Santiago and The Moth In The Mirror!

Hello everyone! This edition of Mark This Book Monday is a bit late, but my schedule and life is still adjusting after vacation and even more since I've barely had a day off since I came back!

Today's reviews are for two novellas I've read to try and make sure that at least one of my challenges for the month will be a success!

Two down, three to go!


Saving Raphael Santiago by Cassandra Clare

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The Bane Chronicles are always a fun read and a quick one, but some are more memorable than others.

This one it's one of the more memorable ones, it might be cause we encounter another character that we know from the Mortal Instruments series, and that I always found quite intriguing, or it might also be cause we see the kinder side of Magnus. Here he's his usual charming and outrageous self, but we see the side of him that doesn't mind getting in trouble to help others.

We get the backstory or even more aptly name, the beginning of the story of Raphael Santiago, the same Raphael we met on TMI and we do learn about how he was turned and we get a bit of a look at what makes him tick and we see how he started the road to being where he is when we met him on TMI.

All in all a very good read, probably one of my faves of the series, with a very good balance between humour, seriousness and background info! Well deserved 4 stars.



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The Moth in the Mirror by A.G. Howard

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This novella was quite awaited since it features both Jeb and Morpheus and is a different POV for some of the scenes from Splintered. Also it'll help us with the wait till Unhinged!

The Moth in the Mirror has both Morpheus and Jeb's POV. Though all the scenes from Splintered are from Jeb's POV we also get a bit of a look into Morpheus' head, which is quite interesting! We get a bit more info on what was going on that we didn't know before and we understand a bit better Morpheus' motivations.

It also managed to make me even more excited for Unhinged that I already was so big kudos to Anita Howard for that! A very well deserved 4 stars to this one!



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November is for Novellas challenge!!

I know, I know... some of you might be wondering, but haven't you already signed up for another challenge for November already and you are not doing too well with it? Well yes, my NetGalley November challenge is not moving on as fast as I might have wanted since I've only read and reviewed 3 books so far, and I was hoping to read between 11-15... but at least my rate has already improved!

But this other challenge is going to help me with my motivation for that one too. Because November is for Novellas is a challenge to go ahead and read all of those novellas that are part of series we love, that are short, that give us some fun and interesting bits that add to the series! This challenge was created by Lisa from Lisa Loves Literature so she could read something while focusing more on writing for NaNoWriMo.

My goal is to read at least 5 novellas:

1. The Moth in the Mirror by A.G. Howard.
2. There's No Place Like Oz by  Danielle Page
3. Brooke by Veronica Rossi
4. Saving Raphael Santiago by Cassandra Clare & Sarah Rees Brenan
5. The Fall of  the Hotel Dumort by Cassandra Clare & Maureen Johnson

Let's see how well I do! I'll probably do mini reviews for these, so it'll be quick reads and quick reviews!

Wish me luck!

Friday Reads: Phoenix Overture by Jodi Meadows!!

Welcome back to Friday Reads! The first entry for this week will be an e-novella, that is 150 pages long, so it's not a short tiny story at all!


Phoenix Overture by Jodi Meadows

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Phoenix Overture is a look at the past, the very early past of the world we met in Incarnate, and we get to meet our dear Dossam in his first live, when he first discovers his love for music, when he first gets his nickname Sam... all before he started reincarnating for the next five thousand years, give or take!

As Jodi Meadows herself said, despite being a prequel it's better if you read Phoenix Overture right after you're done with Asunder, cause it gives answers to a lot of questions that are answered in Asunder, and expands in them a little bit, so you won't spoil the surprises.

It does give us some answers, about Janan, about who lives in Heart and how did they came to do so, and it also gives you a lot of perspective on the character and motivations of some characters we already know from Incarnate and Asunder. Some you start loving already and some you find even better reason to dislike them even more.

Sam's story is tough and heartbreaking, with some silver linings but with very hard choices to be made along the way.

And about the story of Heart and Range... we do get some answers but I think I have even more questions on the past and the how and the who/what that I had before! Hopefully I'll get more answers and less questions in Infinite!

A short, intense and quick read, very well deserved 4 stars!



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