Friday Reads: Hexed by Michelle Krys!!

Hello guys! Welcome to this week's edition of Friday Reads!

Today's book is a debut mix of contemporary setting with paranormal witchcraft related issues, and I was super lucky to win a preorder for it on Nova's blog Out of Time during one of her giveaways (thank you, Nova & Michelle!). It's also been by first buddy read with the awesome Becca of Pivot Book Reviews, but I'm sure it won't be the last! Do check out Becca's review of Hexed on her blog too!



Hexed by Michelle Krys

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The first moment I heard about Hexed, I was quite intrigued, even if I'm not usually big on stories about witches, so when I a preorder for it in a giveaway, I was rightly chuffed!

Hexed is a good mix of contemporary setting with paranormal aspects of witchcraft, even if we don't get that many answers about the witchcraft world, it is quite different from the usual view of witchcraft. There are no potions or wants, but more using your inner power and using spells only to channel that better.

Indigo, or Indie, our main character is one of those characters that can be a lil polarizing. You might like her with a few reservations and enjoy her growth (even if you feel like shaking her on occasion), or you end up disliking her. I felt that Indie was a character with flaws but ultimately likeable, and I was glad to see her grow into herself and out of her "popular" persona. Sometimes her treatment of Paige, her neighbour and childhood friend or her interactions with Bianca and Devon made me want to shake her, but she always felt like a very real character to me.

Paige was a very sweet girl, one of those genuine good people that don't care much about appearances or what the "in crowd" think and go their own way and I was glad that she was there for Indie, even when she wouldn't deserve it.

Devon and Bianca... they seem to be typically cut "popular" kids, and it might be playing into stereotypes, but I think that with some hints to a barely scratched depth in their characters, they can be realistic enough and fulfill their role. They are who they are, and make no apologies for it, so you don't feel that bad disliking them. And despite how easy it would have been for Indie to be sucked back in into their "popularity" and expectations, I'm glad that she took a stance and kept herself strong.

Bishop... well, Bishop is an interesting character, he's full of snark and mystery but half the time can be an arse, and the other half he seems to be rather stingy when it comes to providing information. He ended up growing on me, but he was someone I felt like smacking in the back of the head on occasion in the first half of the book!

There are two factions in the magical world of Hexed, The Family that are supposed to be the good guys (but sound like the mafia with a name like that) and then The Priory (which sounds like monks, but nope nothing contemplative about them). The Priory are clearly the bad guys, if nothing else cause they seem to kill without remorse and enjoy torture, but The Family seem to be too high and mighty to really qualify as good guys. They fail to intervene properly to protect their own and they seem to have a big disregard for regular, non-magical, humans. I have a feeling there's more to these two groups that what we've learnt so far, and I hope we'll get more answers in the sequel.

The book has a rather good pace, intermixing regular life with witchcraft related elements, with twists, emotional wrecking moments and even a dragon! That might have added half a star to the book right there, dragons are always awesome! If there's a way to add a dragon to a book, always do it! I liked that although Indie was a bit whiney on occasion, she always ended up facing things, fighting to the best of her abilities and not backing down easily at all! Some of the twists I didn't see coming at all, and that ending and epilogue?? Horrible cliffhanger alert! Charmed cannot come out soon enough!

All in all, a great debut well deserving of 3.5 (4 if you count the dragon!).



View all my reviews

Nerd Blast: Hexed by Michelle Krys!!

Welcome to this Nerd Blast organized by Book Nerd Tours for Hexed by Michelle Krys!
Today is Hexed's release day and I'm so excited to be part of this Nerd Blast!

Hexed

(The Witch Hunter #1)
Author: Michelle Krys
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Pages: 384Release Date: June 10th, 2014

About the book:

If high school is all about social status, Indigo Blackwood has it made. Sure, her quirky mom owns an occult shop, and a nerd just won’t stop trying to be her friend, but Indie is a popular cheerleader with a football-star boyfriend and a social circle powerful enough to ruin everyone at school. Who wouldn’t want to be her?

Then a guy dies right before her eyes. And the dusty old family Bible her mom is freakishly possessive of is stolen. But it’s when a frustratingly sexy stranger named Bishop enters Indie’s world that she learns her destiny involves a lot more than pom-poms and parties. If she doesn’t get the Bible back, every witch on the planet will die. And that’s seriously bad news for Indie, because according to Bishop, she’s a witch too.

Suddenly forced into a centuries-old war between witches and sorcerers, Indie’s about to uncover the many dark truths about her life—and a future unlike any she ever imagined on top of the cheer pyramid.

AMAZON | B&N | INDIEBOUND | GOODREADS

About Michelle Krys

 Hi there! I'm the author of the YA novel HEXED, slated for publication with Delacorte Press/Random House Children's Books Spring 2014. I'm repped by Adriann Ranta of Wolf Literary Services. Visit me at michellekrys.com or follow @MichelleKrys on Twitter.

Giveaway!!

One Winner will get a signed hardcover of HEXED (US Only)
4 Winners will get a Hexed bookmark and Signed custom Hexed Bookplat (Intl)

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/e849f7878/" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway

Enter the giveaway here:  http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/e849f7878/

Waiting On Wednesday #42!!

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted at Breaking The Spine  that spotlights those can't-wait-to-get-my-hands-on-them books that we are eagerly awaiting!

What book am I totally dying to get my hands on to this week? Hexed by Michelle Krys! 

Goodreads summary:

If high school is all about social status, Indigo Blackwood has it made. Sure, her quirky mom owns an occult shop, and a nerd just won’t stop trying to be her friend, but Indie is a popular cheerleader with a football-star boyfriend and a social circle powerful enough to ruin everyone at school. Who wouldn’t want to be her?

Then a guy dies right before her eyes. And the dusty old family Bible her mom is freakishly possessive of is stolen. But it’s when a frustratingly sexy stranger named Bishop enters Indie’s world that she learns her destiny involves a lot more than pom-poms and parties. If she doesn’t get the Bible back, every witch on the planet will die. And that’s seriously bad news for Indie, because according to Bishop, she’s a witch too.

Suddenly forced into a centuries-old war between witches and sorcerers, Indie’s about to uncover the many dark truths about her life—and a future unlike any she ever imagined on top of the cheer pyramid.

Why am I eagerly awaiting Hexed? Well, the synopsis sounds like the kind of witch story I'd like and sounds so quirky and different! I was also super lucky to win a preorder on a giveaway, so I'm totally dying for it to arrive (hopefully on release day) and start reading it!

What are you all (im)patiently awaiting this week?

Xpresso Book Tours Blog Tour for The Secret of Isobel Key by Jen McConnel!!

Hey there everyone! Today I'm taking part in the Blog Tour for The Secret of Isobel Key by Jen McConnel, organized by Xpresso Book Tours!

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

The Secret of Isobel Key by Jen McConnel

Published by: Bloomsbury Spark
Publication date: December 19th 2013
Genres: Contemporary, Mystery, New Adult

Synopsis:

Lou is in the middle of a quarter-life crisis. Fresh out of college, she’s unemployed and unsure of herself. But when she gets the chance to escape to Scotland with her best friend, it could be the answer to her quest for self-discovery. The trip is not at all what she expected, especially when her tour guide turns out to be the dreamy historian Brian, and together they embark on a hunt for information about Isobel Key, a woman accused of witchcraft in the seventeenth century.

They set out to learn the truth of the condemned witch, but Lou isn’t prepared for the knowledge that awaits her. She must face her own demons if she has any hope of righting the wrongs of the past. Flashing between the seventeenth century and modern day Scotland, The Secret of Isobel Key is a mystery that will please readers of all ages.

Goodreads | Amazon |  Barnes & Noble

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. 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.  She is the author of The Secret of Isobel Key (NA 2013) and Daughter of Chaos (YA 2014).


Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook

My Review

The Secret of Isobel Key really intrigued me because of its focus on Scotland and the witch trials there. And despite our rocky beginning, I'm quite glad that I read this book.

The narrative alternates between the present time and the story of Louisa and her trip with her best friend Tammy to Scotland, and the 17th century and the story of Isobel Key, midwife and accused of witchcraft.

I have to say at first I really disliked Lou, she seemed a wee bit too much of a pushover for me. Too worried, too unsure of herself, and she can't even tell her best friend when she disagrees with her? And Tammy, the best friend, just seemed too oblivious to care about what her allegedly best friend really feels like? But, once Lou finds something she really cares about, she finally starts coming out of her shell and turns into a much more interesting character. Having the cute and adorable Scotsman, Brian the red-haired lad, around seemed also good motivation for Lou to stop being so sillily shy, blushing every 5 seconds!

The best part of the narrative in my opinion was the one about Isobel Key, I feel like the author would do a fantastic job writing historical fiction! Everything seemed so relatable, so real, so well researched!

The mix of both stories was not exactly a shock, but was explained well enough, and for once I was very satisfied with the ending. A reasonable one, showing Lou having a proper head on her shoulders, but I would have loved an epilogue with a bit more of a HEA too!

All in all, despite our rocky beginning, deserving of 3 to 3.5 stars!

Xpresso Book Tours Blog Tour for Witch Fall by Amber Argyle!

 Hey there everyone! Today I'm taking part in the Blog Tour for Witch Fall by Amber Argyle , organized by Xpresso Book Tours!

I will be sharing by 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?

 Witch Fall by Amber Argyle

(Witch Song #3 (Prequel))
Publication date: October 24th 2013
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult

Synopsis:

All things fall.

Even Witches.

Supreme in their dominion over seasons, storms, and sea, the Witches have forgotten the unmatched destructiveness of mankind. And among the weapons men seek are the magical songs of the Witches.

Lilette is one of the few who see the decadence and decay weakening the Witches. As an outsider amid her own kind, can she help them survive the coming war?

 Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15829923-witch-fall?ac=1

Purchase: 

--Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Witch-Fall-Song-3-ebook/dp/B00H9MJL48/ref=sr_sp-atf_title_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1389014427&sr=8-3&keywords=amber+argyle

--Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/witch-fall-amber-argyle/1117953686?ean=2940149096534

Since Witch Fall is book 3 but also a prequel, you might want to check out book 1, Witch Song, that is FREE on Amazon to celebrate Witch Fall's release!

 http://www.amazon.com/Witch-Song-Amber-Argyle-ebook/dp/B00E8MFVG4/ref=pd_sim_kstore_4 

 About the author:

Amber Argyle is the author of Witch Song and Fairy Queen trilogies. She grew up with three brothers on a cattle ranch in the Rocky Mountains. She spent hours riding horses, roaming the mountains, and playing in her family’s creepy barn. This environment fueled her imagination for writing high fantasy. She has worked as a short order cook, janitor, and staff member in a mental institution. All of which has given her great insight into the human condition and has made for some unique characters. She received her bachelor’s degree in English and Physical Education from Utah State University. She currently resides in Utah with her husband and three small children.

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

 My Review

I'm not usually a big fan of witches books, they usually end up full of a few too many cliches. But after loving Amber Argyle's Winter Queen, I knew I needed to give a chance to her Witch Song series.

Witch Fall is the third book but it's actually a prequel, so reading it before Witch Song and Witch Born makes sense chronologically, though it might have spoiled me a bit for Brusenna's journey, since I already know a history she might have to learn from scratch through the books.

Lilette's story is not an easy one to read, not because it is not beautifully told or because it's boring. It is cause it's full of too many losses and a neverending fight to do what's right. She might just be the most powerful witch that ever was and the quest for that power is what starts a chain of events that lead to a lot of destruction and death. Witches have the power of creation and life, and they can control the elements with their signing, and despite their best intentions such a power can be corrupted.

This book has a bit of everything, from the intimate of the wonderful relationships between the different characters, to the grand scheme of things full of power plays, politics and a fantastic world building. There's friendship, romance, betrayal, epic battles and emotional scences.

Lilette was a wonderful main character, a survivor despite all odds, always trying to find a way out of bad situations, never surrendering herself to fate, and always fighting to do what's write. Even when I didn't fully agree with her choices I still liked her strenght and her determination. A strong female character that I loved rooting for!

If you love stories about witches, you really need to read this series, and if you aren't so sure about them, give this one a try, it might make a convert out of you!

Very well deserved 4 stars!

The Giveaway

US only

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/d04251308/" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway

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.



View all my reviews

Friday Reads: ARC Review of Witchstruck by Victoria Lamb!

For the next Friday Reads, a surprise approval from Harper Collins on NetGalley that through my reading & reviewing schedule off and a welcome change of pace, back to one of my fave genres, historical fiction.


Witchstruck by Victoria Lamb

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I got an ARC of Witchstruck on NetGalley via the publisher but that did not influence my opinion or review of this book at all.

Witchstruck is the first book in The Tudor Witch Trilogy, I was so drawn to this book because it combines historical fiction with the paranormal world of witches.

It is the story of Meg, a young woman with the gift of magick that has been thought how to control her gift and the secrets of white magick by her aunt. She has been brought by her father to the service of Lady Elizabeth, the banned Tudor princess sent into exile and reclusion by her half sister and queen, Mary. Meg didn't want to leave her aunt but was glad to get away from a suitor intent on marrying her, the county's official witchfinder, Marcus Dent.

Being a woman in the 16th century was not easy but being a witch even less, having to hide your gift for fear of being hanged or burnt just on the mere baseless accusation. And being a witch on the circle of the lady Elizabeth, who is always watched waiting for a mistake, could be the most dangerous position of them all. Even more since England is getting a wave of Catholicism washing over it with the marriage & alliance of queen Mary with Philip, the future king of Spain. And to make sure the lady Elizabeth is being catholic and properly pios, she get sent a priest and a future knight of the order of the Compostela Knights to watch over her.

I really liked the way both the paranormal aspect and the historical period mixed in this book, never once I felt it didn't work together. Elizabeth was known to have a certain fascination with horoscopes and seeing the future, proven by her long association with John Dee (alchemist, astrologer and all around mystic) so for me it was no stretch of the imagination to think that she'd want to have & use a young witch as her companion.

I really liked both Meg's and Elizabeth's characters, both are young and are facing not the best of odds, but they both try to do what's right and stay strong and true to themselves despite the pressures from outside. I loved how close Meg's relationship with her aunt was and how she was ready to face danger for her and others she cared for.

Our Spanish Compostelan knight, Alejandro, was a character not difficult to love, showing kindness and not being a horrible fanatic and clearly from the beginning you see something will happen between him and Meg, but I liked that it progressed slowly, with loads of stops and starts because you don't expect things between a witch and a Catholic night to be all passion from day one!

The plot was engaging but without too many surprises, no big twist and turns but still enough intrigue and strife to make you want to keep on turning pages to see if Elizabeth will come back to court, to see if Meg will not be discovered and hanged as a witch...

The only thing that didn't all the time sound right to me where the uses of Spanish words from the Spanish characters, cause some times they weren't actual Spanish words, as when Alejandro's servant kept on calling Meg "signorina", cause that's Italian.

All in all a very engaging read in a genre that I really like and haven't been reading much as of late (historical fiction) and one that leaves you wanting to read more of the story in the next book without a terrible cliffhanger in the end.

Very well deserved 3 and a half stars.



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Mark This Book Monday: Discworld Series by Terry Pratchett!!

A new week has arrived, with a fresh new Monday and with a new recommendation to feed your mind, and entertain it!


Today I'm introducing you to a series that will keep you giggling and entertained for quite a long time. After all, the Discworld series has nearly 40 books already! The 39th to be published this October.


You might be thinking that a series comprised of so many books can be too daunting to even try to start, or that it would get boring and dragging for so many books, but I can assure you nothing is further from the truth!

First of all, as its own name reflects, it's a series of books based on the Discworld (a flat round world, riding in the back of a giant turtle, supported by four elephants, yeah, you read that right), but they are not the kind of books you need to read one after the other, they're actually divided into different story arcs, so they can be grouped into smaller series if you may, and even so, each book can be read as a story on its own, though of course, there are references to previous novels here and there. Here is a lovely scroll where you can see what I mean, and also, you can check the Wikipedia article (but be warned, there are spoilers!).






So far, I've read all the Night Watch novels, except for the graphic novel "Where is my Cow?" and by checking the Wikipedia article, I just got excited since the next novel to come out, it'll be a Watch novel! Sam Vimes, Captain Carrot and the rest of the Watch are, so far, my favourite set of characters. Sam Vimes, his Excellency, is a copper, an old style copper, not the brightest one ever, but one that is hell bent on doing what's right, and has no regard for politics. Captain Carrot is a six-foot-tall dwarf, and the Watch as an equal opportunities policy, so there are dwarves, werewolves, zombies, vampires and even a Nobby Nobbs. Also, a very present character in this books is Lord Vetinari, the tyrannical ruler of Anhk-Morpork (the biggest city in the Discworld). I'd recommend you start with them, the first novel being "Guards! Guards!".


My second fave series so far are the stories featuring Death, yes, the anthropomorphic personification of death, and his interesting family. Yes, Death has a family. Even though Death appears in almost all books in the Discworld series, with his speaking in CAPS, there's a series where we meet his adopted daughter, his apprentice, his butler and his granddaughter. Oh, and Death is quite partial to cats too. Lots of irony and lots of comedy in these books. The first one of this arc is "Mort".


I've also read on of the "Ancient Civilizations" books, called Pyramids, that for an Egypt & history fan & an atheist like myself, was absolutely hilarious! If you want to try a book that is not part of a bigger story arc to see if you like the writing style and the general feel of the entire series, I recommend you start with this one.


Starting now with the Wizards & Rincewind series, I've read so far three of the books, "The Colour of Magic", "The Light Fantastic" & "Sourcery", and I've also started reading "Eric". So far, they're also a lot of fun, but the wizard characters are changing quite often, since wizards ascend in the hierarchy by stepping into their dead predecessors empty shoes, so there's a certain short life span for wizards of certain ranks.


Also, I've just started reading the Witches arc. I'm really digging this books too, cause even if they're about witches, and witches do magic, it's not all about crazy mumbo jumbo, but more about headology and common sense, and well, magic when you just have to. So far I've read "Equal Rites", the first book, and I'm half way with "Wyrd Sisters".


As you can see, I fairly like this series, it's chock full of references to world history & events, fantasy books, superstitions, fairy tales, and even Shakespeare! They're the kinda books that make you giggle and laugh out loud; and one of our fave parts when G & me are reading them, is reading hilarious passages to each other from whatever book the other is reading. Terry Pratchett really is well deserving of being Sir Terry Pratchett.


Wossaname and Music With Rocks In It!!