Reading Fictional: 2014

December 31, 2014

Review: This Shattered World by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

Title: This Shattered World (Starbound #2)
Author: Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Release date:Disney-Hyperion
Source: Netgalley
Format: eARC

Rating: 4.5/5

Buy on: Amazon | B&N | BookDepository

You can read my review of These Broken Stars - here

The second installment in the epic Starbound trilogy introduces a new pair of star-crossed lovers on two sides of a bloody war.

Jubilee Chase and Flynn Cormac should never have met.

Lee is captain of the forces sent to Avon to crush the terraformed planet's rebellious colonists, but she has her own reasons for hating the insurgents.

Rebellion is in Flynn's blood. Terraforming corporations make their fortune by recruiting colonists to make the inhospitable planets livable, with the promise of a better life for their children. But they never fulfilled their promise on Avon, and decades later, Flynn is leading the rebellion.

Desperate for any advantage in a bloody and unrelentingly war, Flynn does the only thing that makes sense when he and Lee cross paths: he returns to base with her as prisoner. But as his fellow rebels prepare to execute this tough-talking girl with nerves of steel, Flynn makes another choice that will change him forever. He and Lee escape the rebel base together, caught between two sides of a senseless war.

This Shattered World is the second book in the Starbound trilogy, it can be read without reading the previous book, because it has new characters, a different story, but at some point the story of Jubilee and Flynn, intertwined with Lilac and Tarver´s story (main characters of These Broken Stars) and end up fighting the same enemy.

The story begins on the planet Avon, which is in a lull of a war that has lasted 10 years between rebels and militia; and this truce could be threatened when Flynn kidnaps captain Jubilee, something that he hadn´t planned, but he took the opportunity to question her about somethings that didn´t check on his planet, about the delaying terraforming and a mysterious base that might have something to do with its delayed development of it, but things do not happen as expected and he ends up helping her, against the wishes of the other rebels, which makes them form a connection between two people who are on different sides of a war.

For those that already read These Broken Stars, you will know what is happening to the planet Avon, and why soldiers lose their minds and start to attacking unprovoked to the settlers and the why of the strange lights, and if you haven´t read it this will be a great mystery, trying to find all the strange things happening in this world.

Something that struck me is that I saw many parallels with the story of Romeo and Juliet, not only because Jubilee called Flynn "Romeo" the first times that they interact, but there were several things that reminded me of the story, as the two main characters are on the wrong side of a war, both knowing that their connection can not be due of years of war between the two sides, one of the characters doing something unforgivable to the "family" of other, among other things.

This Shattered World is a great sci-fi book, action-packed, with a lot of mystery, romance, with strong and smart main characters, with great chemistry between them (is not instant love), and also has a very good and satisfying ending. I really really loved it very much!!! And I cannot wait to read the next book.

Waiting On Wednesday (153): Made You Up

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

The book I´m waiting this week is

Made You Up by Francesca Zappia

Release date: May 19th 2015

Reality, it turns out, is often not what you perceive it to be—sometimes, there really is someone out to get you. Made You Up tells the story of Alex, a high school senior unable to tell the difference between real life and delusion. This is a compelling and provoking literary debut that will appeal to fans of Wes Anderson, Silver Linings Playbook, and Liar.

Alex fights a daily battle to figure out the difference between reality and delusion. Armed with a take-no-prisoners attitude, her camera, a Magic 8-Ball, and her only ally (her little sister), Alex wages a war against her schizophrenia, determined to stay sane long enough to get into college. She’s pretty optimistic about her chances until classes begin, and she runs into Miles. Didn't she imagine him? Before she knows it, Alex is making friends, going to parties, falling in love, and experiencing all the usual rites of passage for teenagers. But Alex is used to being crazy. She’s not prepared for normal.

Funny, provoking, and ultimately moving, this debut novel featuring the quintessential unreliable narrator will have readers turning the pages and trying to figure out what is real and what is made up.

What book are you waiting this week?

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December New Release Giveaway Hop (INTL) - HERE

December 20, 2014

Review: Exquisite Captive by Heather Demetrios

Title: Exquisite Captive (Dark Caravan Cycle #1)
Author: Heather Demetrios
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Release date: October 7th 2014
Source: Edelweiss
Format: eARC

Rating: 3.5/5

Buy on: Amazon | B&N | BookDepository

Forced to obey her master.
Compelled to help her enemy.
Determined to free herself.

Nalia is a jinni of tremendous ancient power, the only survivor of a coup that killed nearly everyone she loved. Stuffed into a bottle and sold by a slave trader, she’s now in hiding on the dark caravan, the lucrative jinni slave trade between Arjinna and Earth, where jinn are forced to grant wishes and obey their human masters’ every command. She’d give almost anything to be free of the golden shackles that bind her to Malek, her handsome, cruel master, and his lavish Hollywood lifestyle.

Enter Raif, the enigmatic leader of Arjinna’s revolution and Nalia’s sworn enemy. He promises to free Nalia from her master so that she can return to her ravaged homeland and free her imprisoned brother—all for an unbearably high price. Nalia’s not sure she can trust him, but Raif’s her only hope of escape. With her enemies on the hunt, Earth has become more perilous than ever for Nalia. There’s just one catch: for Raif’s unbinding magic to work, Nalia must gain possession of her bottle…and convince the dangerously persuasive Malek that she truly loves him. Battling a dark past and harboring a terrible secret, Nalia soon realizes her freedom may come at a price too terrible to pay: but how far is she willing to go for it?

Inspired by Arabian Nights, EXQUISITE CAPTIVE brings to life a deliciously seductive world where a wish can be a curse and shadows are sometimes safer than the light.

Exquisite Captive is a novel about the jinnis, magical creatures belonging to the Arabian mythology, the plot develops slowly and describing the jinni´s world, castes and ruling goverment, but the story is set in present-day Hollywood (with magical elements), but through flashbacks we get to see Arjinna, the jinni´s homeland. Also at the beginning the jinni´s castes are described, which are five and of these four castes each draws their power from an element, either water, air, fire and earth and there is a breed that is the one that ruled them because they could get power of all the elements, this caste was known as the Ghan Aisouri and its only survivor is Nalia.

Nalia is a jinni that was captured, imprisoned in a bottle and sold by the Dark Caravan- that those who are trafficking jinnis - her new master Malek, he´s one of the most powerful men on earth. Malek has already ask for his first two wishes, but he doesn´t intend to ask his third his third and final wish because he isn´t willing to lose Nalia, so that he never intended to ask his third wish and wants to keep her with him forever. So when Raif comes into her life and offers to free her on one condition, she´ll tell him the location of a powerful artifact that could help win the war but also could be dangerous to the people of Arjinna. So in order to be free Nalia needs to get the bottle that always hung on Malek´s neck and one that he never takes off in her presence, so to get it she must seduce him.

For my taste I felt that the books was a little bit long, the story is told from the point of view Nalia, Raif and the villain, which I felt could had been shorter because I skip read the villians POVs.

Overall, what I liked most was that it was about jinnis, this is the first book I´ve read where the main character is a jinni, which was refreshing. As I previously mentioned the plot develops slowly, it has almost no action, but there is romance. Something I'm interested to see in the subsequent books is how it´s going to be handle the love triangle.

Book trailer

December 17, 2014

Review: Hot Blooded by Amanda Carlson

Title: Hot Blooded (Jessica McClain #2)
Author: Amanda Carlson
Publisher: Orbit
Release date: April 23rd 2013
Reading level: Ages 18 and up

Rating: 4/5

Buy on: Amazon | B&N | BookDepository

You can read my review of Full Blooded - here

It hasn't been the best week for Jessica McClain.

Her mate has been kidnapped by a Goddess hell-bent on revenge --- but Jessica is playing for keeps.

Because she's the only female werewolf in town...it comes with its own set of rules...and powers.

Aided by two vamps, two loyal Pack members, and one very reluctant human, Jessica must rescue her man while coming to terms with what being a wolf really means.

All in a day's work for a girl.

The second novel in the Jessica McClain series is a full on action adventure featuring one angry Goddess and plenty of monsters, demons, and a few newly risen beasties...

After Full Blooded´s ending, I needed to read its sequel immediately, because at the end of the previous book someone important in the life of Jessica is kidnapped by a goddess, so she makes plans and and a pact with a Queen to receive aid to get help in her search. So Hot Blooded starts with Jessica, getting ready to go to get her mate back, and her companions are Tyler, Danny, two vampires and a human.

Although I was desperate for Jessica to rescue her mate as soon as possible, her whole journey felt something like the movie Clash of the Titans or any other story about some epic mythology where they must face various mythical creatures, demons and other obstacles to reach the lair of the Goddess, and once there they have to face more obstacles and not all her companions make it out alive at the end of that journey.

The plot had me hooked and waiting to know what would happen next, because every time there was something hidden or lurking trying to stop Jessica to reach her destination. Also during the trip she slowly discovers something new about her new powers as werewolf.

Overall, I really liked Hot Blooded because it was full of adventure, action, very likable characters and the world where the plot unfolds continues to expand and continue introducing new characters and paranormal races. This book is highly recommended for fans of urban fantasy.

Waiting On Wednesday (152): The Sin Eater's Daughter

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

The book I´m waiting this week is

The Sin Eater's Daughter (The Sin Eater’s Daughter #1) by Melinda Salisbury

Release date: February 24th 2015

Seventeen-year-old Twylla lives in the castle. But although she’s engaged to the prince, Twylla isn’t exactly a member of the court.

She’s the executioner.

As the Goddess embodied, Twylla instantly kills anyone she touches. Each month she’s taken to the prison and forced to lay her hands on those accused of treason. No one will ever love a girl with murder in her veins. Even the prince, whose royal blood supposedly makes him immune to Twylla’s fatal touch, avoids her company.

But then a new guard arrives, a boy whose easy smile belies his deadly swordsmanship. And unlike the others, he’s able to look past Twylla’s executioner robes and see the girl, not the Goddess. Yet Twylla’s been promised to the prince, and knows what happens to people who cross the queen.

However, a treasonous secret is the least of Twylla’s problems. The queen has a plan to destroy her enemies, a plan that requires a stomach-churning, unthinkable sacrifice. Will Twylla do what it takes to protect her kingdom? Or will she abandon her duty in favor of a doomed love?

What book are you waiting this week?

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Don´t forget to enter my current giveaway:

December New Release Giveaway Hop (INTL) - HERE

December 16, 2014

December 15, 2014

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is a meme hosted by Book Journey.

Each week we spotlight the books we are reading, planning on reading or just finished reading.

Click on the image to look description in Goodreads.

Finished reading

Last week I read Even in Paradise, is a contemporary novel about a girl that loved a family with all her heart, first she met Julia at boarding school, later she meets her brother an feels attracted to him but above all she loved them all in different ways and how even though all of them had flaws for her they were perfect.

Beware of the Wild is a paranormal novel about a girl named Sterling that lives near a sort of enchanted swamp, and how the swamp sort of kidnaps people and soon after everyone forgets about them and now the swamp took Sterling´s older brother and in return a girl comes out and everyone remember her to be Sterling older sister and nobody remember her older brother Phin.

Reviews to come.

Currently reading

What I´m going to read next?

What are you reading today?

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Don´t forget to enter my current giveaway:

December New Release Giveaway Hop (INTL) - HERE

December 14, 2014

December New Release Giveaway Hop

December New Release Giveaway Hop

Hosted by Book Nerd

December 15 - 31, 2014

The giveaway is International.

Win a book of your choice from the new releases below or one December New Release book of your choice up to 20 Dlls from TBD.

This Shattered World (Starbound #2) by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

No Place to Fall by Jaye Robin Brown

Top Ten Clues You're Clueless by Liz Czukas

Zodiac (Zodiac #1) by Romina Russell

Princess of Thorns by Stacey Jay

Ignite (Defy #2) by Sara B. Larson

Details

There will be one winner.
Win one December New Release book of your choice up to 20 US Dlls from TBD (must have been published in December 2014).
You must be a follower via GFC.
You must be 13 or older to enter for the YA books.
You must be 18 or older to enter for the NA or Adult book.
International as long as Book Depository delivers to your country, check here.
Giveaway ends on December 31.
Winner will be announced on January in this post and twitter.

WINNER: Antonia J.

Congratulations!

The winner have been notified by email and will have 48 hours to respond.

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December 11, 2014

Review: Stitching Snow by R.C. Lewis

Title: Stitching Snow
Author: R.C. Lewis
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Release date: October 14th 2014
Source: Netgalley
Format: eARC

Rating: 4/5

Buy on: Amazon | B&N | BookDepository

Princess Snow is missing.

Her home planet is filled with violence and corruption at the hands of King Matthias and his wife as they attempt to punish her captors. The king will stop at nothing to get his beloved daughter back—but that’s assuming she wants to return at all.

Essie has grown used to being cold. Temperatures on the planet Thanda are always sub-zero, and she fills her days with coding and repairs for the seven loyal drones that run the local mines.

When a mysterious young man named Dane crash-lands near her home, Essie agrees to help the pilot repair his ship. But soon she realizes that Dane’s arrival was far from accidental, and she’s pulled into the heart of a war she’s risked everything to avoid. With the galaxy’s future—and her own—in jeopardy, Essie must choose who to trust in a fiery fight for survival.

Stitching Snow is the retelling of the story of Snow White, in which Essie the main character is a hacker/mechanic and she lives on a remote planet, along with her 7 robots.

Essie lives on planet Thanda where the main job is mining and she lives in a remote colony inhabited only by men where she works as a mechanic, in addition to fighting in a cage as fun for residents in exchange for a cut in the betting. There she lives a quiet life to some extent separate from the rest of the population with her 7 miners robots, each of them have different personalities. And life continues without any complications until a ship crashes near her home and she rescues the pilot Dane, he´s on a mysterious mission, so Essie decides help him repair his spaceship and hence the main plot is unleashed, where we see everything going with Essie, to get to fulfill a destiny from which she didn´t want any part of it,

The good or bad about retellings is that you already have a general idea of the story, so their plot are regularly predictable and Stitching Snow was no exception, as I already had an idea what to expect and where the story was going and although I have not even read the original story of Snow White (not sure if this is darker), I have only the reference of the Disney tale, but this story it had the key elements and some parts weren´t that predictable.

Stitching Snow reminded me a little of several books and some movies (all mixed up), which is maybe why I liked a lot ... as has a main character that literally kicks ass, besides being an excellent mechanical, hacker and lives in a mine, there is also some people that has powers of mind "control", which are considered rebels/exiles, we have the planet Windsong that is the one that controls the other planets, there the aristocrats change genetically modified their hair color, eyes, etc, because it´s fashionable, .. oh and I forgot .. the planet Thanda is a planet of eternal winter, the planet Garamite is a desert and planet Windsong is all green and beautiful scenery .... so...what other books/movies it reminds you?

Overall, I liked the world where the story unfolds, as is full of science fiction, some scenes of action, adventure, with a dose of romance, with good main characters and a good ending, without loose ends. Besides that so far it seems that is not part of any series trilogy, which is a plus.

December 10, 2014

Waiting On Wednesday (151): All Fall Down

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

The book I´m waiting this week is

All Fall Down (Embassy Row #1) by Ally Carter

Release date: January 27th 2015

A new series of global proportions -- from master of intrigue, NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Ally Carter.

This exciting new series from NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Ally Carter focuses on Grace, who can best be described as a daredevil, an Army brat, and a rebel. She is also the only granddaughter of perhaps the most powerful ambassador in the world, and Grace has spent every summer of her childhood running across the roofs of Embassy Row.

Now, at age sixteen, she's come back to stay -- in order to solve the mystery of her mother's death. In the process, she uncovers an international conspiracy of unsettling proportions, and must choose her friends and watch her foes carefully if she and the world are to be saved.

What book are you waiting this week?

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