Friday Reads: ARC Review of A Study In Silks by Emma Jane Holloway!!

This week's Friday Reads starts with the first book of a series that mix a number of genres and does so in a fantastic way!


A Study in Silks by Emma Jane Holloway

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A Study in Silks is the first book in a trilogy (maybe series?) about Sherlock Holmes' niece Evelina. I was lucky enough to get an ARC for review on NetGalley of all the books so far in exchange for an honest opinion.

These books are a quite difficult to describe since they mix magic with murder mysteries, clockwork and steampunk, historical period and romance... but done so well! I'm still surprised how seamlessly all the different elements on this novel combine and work together, fitting perfectly like pieces of a puzzle!

Evelina is Sherlock Holmes niece, her mother was Sherlock's and Mycroft's sister but she married under her station so her family renounced her. Her father was one of the Coopers, famous part of a circus troupe and once the Holmes closed the door to them, the circus was their only option. Evelina grew there, with her mother's stories of another world till both her parents died and her Holmes grandmother decided to claim her and sent her to a school for ladies where she met Imogen Roth, daughter of a family well off and part of Society. Evelina is part of two very different worlds and doesn't feel entirely whole in either of them.

The story starts in a London in the 19th century that is not exactly historical but has quite a bit of Steampunk in it, with its clockwork machines and its Steam barons that have the monopoly of everything to do with technology in the Empire of Queen Victoria.Magic is forbidden in this world and those who have the Blood know better than to reveal their abilities.

Evelina is staying with Imogen's family in their London home when one of the maids is murdered in very suspicious circumstances, so Evelina decides to start investigating to try and solve the crime quickly to avoid too much attention from the police or her own uncle that could undermine the Roth family's reputation. But there's so much more at stake than just a maid's death.

This book is full of plots, politics, magic and even though it doesn't have any big twists you discover the clues and piece together the full picture more or less at the same time that Evelina does, so my interest was always enganged. It is told from different POVs, changing with the chapters and though sometimes it seemed a bit of an odd shift it's never difficult to follow the change cause the characters all have distinctive voices.

Evelina is a great character, she's headstrong and kind, aware of the rules she has to follow as part of the London Society but continues to bend them here and there to be who she thinks she must be. She doesn't only want to enjoy some dances and pretty dresses, but she also has a head for details and observation (rather like her uncle Sherlock) and wants to enroll in a college for ladies. She's also good at tinkering with clockwork and has magic in her blood. In more than one occasion she ends up biting more than she can chew, but one way or another she always tries to do what's right and it's very loyal to her friends and family.

There is a love triangle in this story and quite surprisingly for me, it does make sense, it does add to the story and it is done in a believable fashion. Each one of the guys is from one of the worlds that Evelina is part of: Tobias is Imogen's brother and an absolute rake, handsome but disolute. Nick is of unknown origin and parentage, has also Blood magic and was part of the circus troupe that Evelina grew in and both were inseparable as children and that grew into something more as they did. Both of them make Evelina lose her cool head at times, but she knows that neither of them can be part of her future. Nick because of a strange connection of their magics and Tobias because of family honour and Society proprietness.

It was a bit of a slow read sometimes at first, but once all characters are connected and all dots seem to be getting connected to form a picture I couldn't get through the pages fast enough! There is quite a bit of heartbreak for Evelina and I was very grateful that I had the ARC of the next book already in my Kindle app once I finished this one!

Very original take on Victorian steampunk historical fiction with a good dash of murder mystery Sherlock Holmes style. Well deserved 4 stars.



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TWO Blog Tour: Review + Favourite Quote!

Hello everyone and welcome to my stop on the Blog Tour for TWO by Leigh Ann Kopans, organized by the ladies at Pen And Muse Press!

TWO is the awaited sequel to One and came out on October 8th. I was so very excited to read this one since I absolutely loved One and its unique premise and voice. I was also very much in love with the cover and with the fact that we'd be getting this story book from Elias' POV! I'll be sharing with you all both my review and my favourite quote.

I had trouble picking my favourite quote cause I loved so many, but then thinking about it, I just remembered something that really resonated with me, and I wanted to share this particular quote with all of you:

"I feel safer on the ground, but being safe is not what we're always meant to do. I know that now."

Curious already? Check out the stunning cover and the blurb!

 Elias and Merrin’s story continues in TWO, coming October, 2013...

Elias and Merrin are on the run.

After escaping the Biotech Hub, they thought they could breathe easy, or at least a little easier. But when bombs slam into the Social Welfare Hub only hours after their arrival, it becomes clear there's nowhere to hide - and no end to what Biotech will do to get them back.

Their last chance for safety and answers is the Clandestine Service Hub. CS has intel on the real, broader purpose behind Fisk’s experiments , and the newfound knowledge of the horrors hidden deep within Biotech’s walls sends Merrin back to recover a secret formula that could ruin the Supers’ world forever—and might just save the lives of the Biotech victims spiraling out of control.

Elias' sisters are counted among the victims of Fisk’s experiments, and if Elias can't find and help them, their powers will destroy them--sooner rather than later. Returning to the place it all began terrifies him, but with Fisk ready to make an example out of Merrin, and his sisters’ lives --and the lives of all Supers--hanging in the balance, he might not have a choice. If he can't find the courage to face his worst fears, Elias might lose more than his newfound powers.

He might lose everyone he loves.

Two on pre-order from author’s site: http://www.leighannkopans.com/index2.php#!/Order_TWO

Two on Amazon:
Paperback: http://www.amazon.com/Two-One-Universe-Volume-2/dp/1492176486
Ebook: http://www.amazon.com/Two-One-Universe-ebook/dp/B00FKLKQNU/ref=la_B00DAIZ3HY_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1381260053&sr=1-3

Two on Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/two-leigh-ann-kopans/1117016442?ean=9781492176480

About the author: Raised on comic books and classic novels, Leigh Ann developed an early love of science fiction and literature. As an adult, she rediscovered her love for not only reading, but also writing the types of fiction that enchanted her as a teen. Her debut novel, ONE, is about a girl with only half a superpower, the boy who makes her fly, and her struggle to make herself whole.








Leigh Ann on Goodreads:http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6439443.LeighAnn_Kopans

Leigh Ann on Twitter: https://twitter.com/LeighAnnKopans

Leigh Ann on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeighAnnKopansbooks

Leigh Ann on Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/leighannkopans/one-two/

Leigh Ann’s website: http://www.leighannkopans.com/index2.php#!/HOME

Leigh Ann’s blog: http://leighannkopans.blogspot.com/

My Review:

After finishing ONE, the debut for LeighAnn Kopans and finding out that there was gonna be a sequel (there had to, with that ending!), I was extremely impatient to get to read it and when the author gave me the chance to get an ARC I jumped at it! I got the ARC in exchange for an honest review and my opinion is my own.

TWO is the sequel that takes up right where ONE left us, and even though I'm gonna try my best to avoid spoilers for the book, I don't think I can avoid spoilers for ONE.

Where ONE was told from Merrin's perspective, TWO is told from Elias' and that took a little while for to get used to. His perspective is so different from Merrin's and I was quite used to being in Merrin's head, but seeing how the story progresses it had to be told from Elias' perspective.

The Biotech Hub was severly damaged once Merrin rescued Elias, his sisters and her own brothers with the help of her parents. Merrin and Elias are on the run, trying to find a safe place to hide and find some answers to all the questions the information they got at Biotech prompted. They know their best bets are the other Hubs cause Supers, not even Ones, aren't entirely welcome amongst the general population. Social Welfare Hub is their first pit stop but it's clear that they're not safe from Biotech there so they fly to their best option: the Clandestine Service Hub or CSH (or the Supers CIA equivalent).

Elias is more damaged and rattled from the experience in Biotech's lab and all the revelations they had to face there than he even wants to acknowledge and that is the major motivation of how he deals with their immediate present and future. He's so worried about everyone's safety, Merrin's and his sisters' most of all, and he seems to carry the world on his shoulders, always worrying about how to keep everyone safe while Merrin keeps on trying to find answers and solutions.

The relationship between Merrin and Elias does take a bit of a toll due to their different focus and Elias keeps on having some insecurities about what Merrin's feelings really are and what their different outlooks might mean for their relationship, which are very real concerns and a way to keep both their characters and the relationship itself growing and changing.

We get some old friends back, like Leni and Daniel, and they also make some new friends with different Supers that make Merrin want to learn and push more and that get Elias to worry even more.

There are plenty of twists and turns in the plot, with some quite unexpected surprises thrown for good measure. There's a fight against time and a daring rescue again, and despite his wish for staying safe, Elias has the key to save everyone if he decides that risks are worth taking.

A fantastic sequel that closes the series but that could leave some openings for spin off stories, that I do hope the author will take, cause I'd love to read more about the ONE & TWO universe!

Very well deserved 4 and a half stars!

Waiting On Wednesday #11!

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!

My eagerly awaited book for this week is Across A Star-Swept Sea by Diana Peterfreund!

Goodreads summary:

"Centuries after wars nearly destroyed civilization, the two islands of New Pacifica stand alone, a terraformed paradise where even the Reduction—the devastating brain disorder that sparked the wars—is a distant memory. Yet on the isle of Galatea, an uprising against the ruling aristocrats has turned deadly. The revolutionaries’ weapon is a drug that damages their enemies’ brains, and the only hope is rescue by a mysterious spy known as the Wild Poppy.

On the neighboring island of Albion, no one suspects that the Wild Poppy is actually famously frivolous aristocrat Persis Blake. The teenager uses her shallow, socialite trappings to hide her true purpose: her gossipy flutternotes are encrypted plans, her pampered sea mink is genetically engineered for spying, and her well-publicized new romance with handsome Galatean medic Justen Helo… is her most dangerous mission ever.

Though Persis is falling for Justen, she can’t risk showing him her true self, especially once she learns he’s hiding far more than simply his disenchantment with his country’s revolution and his undeniable attraction to the silly socialite he’s pretending to love. His darkest secret could plunge both islands into a new dark age, and Persis realizes that when it comes to Justen Helo, she’s not only risking her heart, she’s risking the world she’s sworn to protect.

In this thrilling adventure inspired by The Scarlet Pimpernel, Diana Peterfreund creates an exquisitely rendered world where nothing is as it seems and two teens with very different pasts fight for a future only they dare to imagine."


Why am I eagerly awaiting Across A Star-Swept Sea? Well, for starters I adored the first novel this one is a companion to, For Darkness Shows The Stars and I can't wait to see the characters from that book have a few cameos in this one. But mainly cause I love the idea of a retelling of The Scarlet Pimpernel with a girl being a kickass spy and no one being the wiser!

What are you all (im)patiently waiting to read this week?

Mark This Book Monday: ARC Review of Resist by Sarah Crossan!

The last Mark This Book Monday of this week is an ARC of the final book of a dystopian duology about a world without trees.


Resist by Sarah Crossan

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Resist is the final book on the Breathe duology and I was lucky enough to get an ARC from NetGalley for review. As always, there might be some spoilers for Breathe but I'll try my best to make sure there are no spoilers for Resist in this review.

The books starts right where Breathe left us, with what's left of the inhabitants of The Grove trying to get to Sequoia, the last known bastion of the Resistance and with the situation inside the Pod being unstable and the government tightening up their rule.

Resist is told from different POV's again, and though it makes sense to keep on changing to show where everyone is and what is happening to all the characters, it felt a bit jumpy at times. The voices of each of the characters felt distinctive enough for me not to be confused while reading and I didn't feel like skipping any POV's since all held important information. Quinn and Bea have quite a bit of character growth, he's no longer acting like a pampered boy trying to play at changing things but is actually trying to be better and make a change, and Bea despite having to deal with many ugly things she becomes stronger and more capable as the book progresses, there won't be any more victimism from her and she'll deal with everything in her own terms.

Sequoia is not what the remnants of the Resistance expected and the leader of it has her own wacky ideas and demands no less obedience and control than at the Pod, and when Alina, Silas and the rest are faced with the ugly truth, they have to leave and try to make their own place and revolution, since no other options out there are the perfect solution for them.

Ronan is a character that I didn't care for much in Breathe, but he becomes a much more interesting guy in Resist, trying to come to terms with his past actions and making his own choices. In a way his journey is somewhat similar to Quinn's but without the loss of status that Quinn had, so he can be an insider help and a big instigator.

Most of the book is a build up to the final climax and battle for the Pod and for change, for a chance to turn what exists into something better but the final battle and resolution just felt a little too fast for me.

Resist was a quick read, enjoyable but it felt like it didn't completely grabbed me. A 3 star read for me.



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Mark This Book Monday: The Elite by Kiera Cass!!

Hello everyone! This week's Mark This Book Monday are gonna be up a little later than usual, but my weekend off and away did shake my schedule a bit!


The Elite by Kiera Cass

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I got an ARC for review of this book via NetGalley and finished it right before release day. I thoroughly enjoyed it, but I wasn't sure what rating to give it so I decided to wait a bit and let it settle in, but then I thought I had already reviewed it and completely forgot to do so till now!

The Elite starts right were The Selection left us, with America as part of the Elite six girls left for Maxon to choose his bride from. She still needs to figure out if she can give up Aspen completely and if she's ready to take on all the responsabilities the being the future queen would entail.

This book is one of the rare instances when a clear love triangle has a certain purpose and doesn't irritate the heck out of me. America has Aspen in her life now and even though they have very limited interactions, he is determined not to give up on her, and Maxon is also trying to become a better prince because of America and the fresh perspective on many things she is giving him.

We learn more about the Royal family, and we get a very good look at the past of Illea and how it came to be how it is. America gets quite a shock since things are not as she was taught (are they ever?) and she finds herself making some rash choices that might have not been very bright ones in hindsight but that are quite right for who she is. America has her heart in the right place, and is quite against injustice so some of the events show her a side of Maxon and the Royal family that she can't agree with, bringing up some more doubts to her choice. At the same time, what happened with Marley (not gonna give more details, no spoilers) also showed us a different side of Maxon, and add a bit more contrast between his public persona that agrees with his father, and his real self that wants to be different and be different from his father.

There are quite a few unexpected revelations, the threat of the rebels is present and a bit mdore ire, though I keep on wondering what their real purpose is, and how it is so easy for them to infiltrate the palace and escape capture. I'm hoping we'll get a bit more information about their real purpose and how they came to be in the final book!

At the end of the book America is equally confused and unable to decide, Maxon is trying harder to be his own person and we get a good look at who the King really is and what America will have to deal with if she were to become Queen.

I'm quite interested to see how this love triangle will be resolved, cause I am not sure who I'd choose myself either!

The Elite was quite a fun read with some emotional moments I connected with, so I give it 3 and a half stars!





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Showcase Sunday #13!!

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 my SS is a bit later than usual (it's no longer Sunday in Spain!) cause I left on Friday morning for a weekend away to attend a co-worker's wedding and arrived home past midnight! But still, here it is!

Purchased (via Kindle app)

Perfect Ruin by Lauren DeStefano

Through The Zombie Glass by Gena Showalter

For Review (via NetGalley)

Pendulum by Ciara Knight

This week I didn't get too many books, which is good since my TBR list is way too long already! I'm also still waiting for a pair of books in the mail, hurry up Royal Mail & Correos!

What all did you guys get this week?

Friday Reads: Not A Drop To Drink by Mindy McGinnis!!!

For starters in this week's Friday Reads I have one of my most anticipated books of this year and quite a brilliant debut!


Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Not A Drop To Drink has been one of my most anticipated books of this year and I'm extremely pleased to say that it has not only not dissapointed me but has exceeded my expectations!

This not a dystopian or postapocalytpic book per se, maybe a bit postapocalytpic, but not the big-crash-happened sort, mostly is a very disturbingly-probable-scenario-in-the-future.

I'm gonna be trying my best to not spoil the story in any way, even if I'd love to discuss and dissect the book and share all its wonders, but I still think this is a book better enjoyed with just enough information.

Water is scarce, a very precious resource that must be protected at all costs, that is what Lynn's mother always taught her and that's the only reality that Lynn ever had. Life is harsh, surviving is not easy even less for two women living alone, not even if they are alert, aware and armed.

The world the author builds in here feels so realistic, so possible that it's actually scary. It's a world were people are trying to survive and that doesn't always bring out the best in humanity and Mindy doesn't pull any punches on her story, so be ready to deal with very ugly sides of humanity and very emotional scenes.

The main character, Lynn, has always learnt hard lessons from her mother and she taught her how to survive, how to keep her pond safe and how not to trust anyone coming to the pond. She raised Lynn has a hard character, with very little empathy for other people hardships or situations, focused only on her tasks and the lessons from her mother. After her mother is gone she learns many other lessons, not less hard but that make her character grow and change without changing who she is really. She learns to look further than her pond and her world, learns that there is more to life than just surviving and that other people can help her to learn to live. It is quite a journey and one you totally ride with Lynn, even if you can see what she might be missing even if she isn't.

There's a bit of romance in this book, very understated, very important, very believable and very heartbreaking. I said it before, this is not an easy or fluffy book and they way the story progresses continues to show that.

Harsh but beautiful, this is a book I'd highly recommend to anyone. Highly deserved 5 stars!



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Waiting On Wednesday #10!!

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!

The book I'm super excited about that releases soon (next week!) is Two by LeighAnn Kopans!

Goodreads summary: 

"Elias and Merrin’s story continues in TWO, coming October, 2013...

Elias and Merrin are on the run.

After escaping the Biotech Hub, they thought they could breathe easy, or at least a little easier. But when bombs slam into the Social Welfare Hub only hours after their arrival, it becomes clear there's nowhere to hide - and no end to what Biotech will do to get them back.

Their last chance for safety and answers is the Clandestine Service Hub. CS has intel on the real, broader purpose behind Fisk’s experiments , and the newfound knowledge of the horrors hidden deep within Biotech’s walls sends Merrin back to recover a secret formula that could ruin the Supers’ world forever—and might just save the lives of the Biotech victims spiraling out of control.

Elias' sisters are counted among the victims of Fisk’s experiments, and if Elias can't find and help them, their powers will destroy them--sooner rather than later. Returning to the place it all began terrifies him, but with Fisk ready to make an example out of Merrin, and his sisters’ lives --and the lives of all Supers--hanging in the balance, he might not have a choice. If he can't find the courage to face his worst fears, Elias might lose more than his newfound powers."



Why am I eagerly awaiting Two? I read and loved One, and this is the second and final book in the One Universe duology, so I can't wait to see how the story continues and even more since Two is told from Elias perspective! Also, that cover? A-mazing!

What are you all (im)patiently waiting to read?