Currently Reading

Currently reading: Vulture by Bex Hogan.

Wednesday 24 July 2013

Waiting on Wednesday (23): These Broken Stars

I was just browsing NetGalley when I saw this book and the cover has me hooked already. Then I read the synopsis and now cannot wait to read it! 



These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Megan Spooner

"It's a night like any other on board the Icarus. Then, catastrophe strikes: the massive luxury spaceliner is yanked out of hyperspace and plummets into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive. And they seem to be alone. Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a young war hero who learned long ago that girls like Lilac are more trouble than they're worth. But with only each other to rely on, Lilac and Tarver must work together, making a tortuous journey across the eerie, deserted terrain to seek help. Then, against all odds, Lilac and Tarver find a strange blessing in the tragedy that has thrown them into each other's arms. Without the hope of a future together in their own world, they begin to wonder-would they be better off staying here forever? Everything changes when they uncover the truth behind the chilling whispers that haunt their every step. Lilac and Tarver may find a way off this planet. But they won't be the same people who landed on it. The first in a sweeping science fiction trilogy, These Broken Stars is a timeless love story about hope and survival in the face of unthinkable odds."

These Broken Stars is due to be published on 10th December 2013!

Tuesday 23 July 2013

Phoenix by Elizabeth Richards [Review]

Written by: Elizabeth Richards.
Published by: Putnam.
Format: Hardback.
Released: 4th June 2013.
Rating: 5/5.

Official synopsis: "Ash and Natalie are just starting to build a life together when things in the United Sentry States go from bad to worse. Ash and Natalie find themselves at the center of turmoil when dictator Purian Rose threatens Natalie’s life unless Ash votes in favor of Rose’s Law—a law that will send Darklings and other dissenters to a deadly concentration camp known as the Tenth. When Ash can’t bring himself to trade Natalie’s life for those of millions of Darklings, her fate is sealed. Enter Elijah Theroux, the handsome Bastet boy Natalie once saved from her mother’s labs, where he’d been experimented on and tortured. It was his venom the Sentry used to create the lethal Golden Haze, the heart of the government conspiracy that led to Black City’s uprising and Ash’s rebirth as the Phoenix, the face of the rebellion. Elijah is back and Ash doesn’t like him; it’s clear he’s taken with Natalie, and Ash fears she may have feelings for him as well. But Elijah also may have the answer to taking down Purian Rose for good—a powerful weapon called the Ora. Ash, Natalie and Elijah just have to escape Black City undetected to find it. But fleeing the city and finding this weapon (if it even exists) are easier said than done, and the quest could tear Ash and Natalie apart, even pushing them into the arms of others. This enthralling sequel to Black City is just as absorbing, delicious and steamy as the first book, leaving readers hungry for the series conclusion."

-

I have literally no idea where to start this review. I knew that it'd be an awesome read because book one of the trilogy, Black City, which was published last November blew me away, but boy was I unprepared for this one. This book reduced me to a quivering mess by the time I turned the last page. The stakes are so much higher than they were in Black City. Ash and Natalie made a joke of Purian Rose and he is not a happy chappy. They knew he wouldn't take it sitting down but boy does he have some horrors up his sleeve.

I will be honest, there are some points where I think Phoenix is a little quieter than it's predecessor, but that's only because there's quite a bit of tavelling across the United Sentry States, and also there is some build up for the final book in the trilogy, Wings, which is due next year, so this is understandable. Phoenix has a job to do, to set things up nicely for what is sure to be a stunning conclusion.  

I love the elements taken from our own history. The concentration camps - just the mere mention enough to send a chill down your spine and into your heart - really make a great addition to the story and make it feel all the more real. Purian's use of his army, the weapons they possess, and their sheer cruelty. All these make for a stunning conflict that has you glued to the pages as Ash, Natalie and co try to stay one step ahead of their enemy.

The characters, just as with Black City are as lovable and hatable as they were. You hate Purian with every fibre of your being and Sebastian turns out to be even more of a nasty piece of work. This book I feel is a lot grittier than book one, some of the things that happen, the things some of the characters do to one another... I just couldn't, and there was one point, which I'm sure Elizabeth knows what I'm on about... where something so vile and sickening happens that despite this being a totally addictive read, I had to put it down for five or ten minutes and just breathe through gritted teeth. If Sebastian was a real person, oh boy!

But then the good things. Ash. Damn. I said in my review for Black City he is sexy and I stand by that. He's just such a swoon-worthy character, I love all his chapters, I love everything about him, even his flaws. That and I imagine Zayn from One Direction as him as he just seems to fit so well! Haha. I know I've said this to Elizabeth herself and she agrees! Perfect casting there! And this book does get pretty damn steamy in places too! Pretty steamy indeed!

But no, this book knocked me even harder than the first so I am in someway dreading book three! What are you going to do to us next, Elizabeth? We're only human. We can't take it!

Honestly, if you haven't read Black City, do it! Yes it's vampires, but they're so much more than that and the whole race issue kind of detracts from them being supernatural, more just vulnerable. I can't recommend them enough and I am dying for Wings already!

All Our Yesterdays trailer unveiled...

I've been excited about this book for a little while and it seems the excitement, particularly among bloggers, is getting bigger by the day. I currently have a proof on my Kindle and am looking forward to reading it soon, but this has just made it go up my tbr pile a little bit... The trailer was unveiled yesterday and it was made by one of the best YA bloggers around. Casey over at Dark Reads has made videos based on books and about books for a while now and this is the first time she's actually been approached by a publisher to make an OFFICIAL trailer, so this is all very exciting! I couldn't be more excited for Casey and with the results being so amazing it's sure to be the first of many! Well done Casey, I definitely cannot wait to read this awesome book now!


All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill is published by Bloomsbury and is due on 1st August! So not long to wait to grab your copy!!

Monday 22 July 2013

Trailer for SF Said's PHOENIX


I'll be honest I haven't read any of SF's work before but after getting an email in my inbox over the weekend about Phoenix which is due out next month I got so excited because it sounds amazing, the cover looks amazing and it has an awesome trailer which seems to give an awesome insight into the book. And the illustrations look amazing. You can feast your eyes on the awesome cover above, and check out the trailer below. I for one cannot wait to read it!


"THE SUPERNOVA IS COMING . . . ONE BOY ALONE CAN SAVE THE GALAXY!  
Lucky thinks he's an ordinary Human boy. But one night, he dreams that the stars are singing – and wakes to find an uncontrollable power rising inside him. 
Now he's on the run, racing through space, searching for answers. In a galaxy at war, where Humans and Aliens are deadly enemies, the only people who can help him are an Alien starship crew – and an Alien warrior girl, with neon needles in her hair. 
Together, they must find a way to save the galaxy. For Lucky is not the only one in danger. His destiny and the fate of the universe are connected in the most explosive way . . . "


Saturday 20 July 2013

Cover and title unveiled for Black City #3!!!!

So I don't really know how I missed this, but yet again I am late to the party! Late last night, and I mean really late... like 3am late... I was browsing twitter in between reading and watching TV because I am an insomniac and who needs sleep anyway, right?! So, anyway, I was just reading and then I saw something that Elizabeth Richards had re-tweeted about a cover reveal for a book called Wings. Ooh... Might as well check it out, wonder who it's by... *clicks link*... *loads...* SHOOT! SHOOT! NO WAY! NO FREAKING WAY! It's Elizabeth's book. It's the finale of the Black City trilogy... Eeep... Compose yourself... And then I saw the picture of the cover and I was so excited. Because guys, it is beautiful. It's just so awesome, you need to see it for yourself...

BOOM!


Just... Gah! The colours. The title. The butterfly. The shattered glass. It is so so beautiful and it fits along with the previous books, Black City and Phoenix and it's going to look so freaking amazing on my bookshelf next to them. I cannot wait to read it. It's out in 2014, which just reminded me, I really need to get my review of Phoenix up because it was a stunning read!

If you haven't already, check out Black City. It doesn't have a UK publisher at the moment, although why the hell not, I do not know... MADNESS I TELL YOU, MADNESS! But, you can buy it for your Kindle on Amazon UK or you can just import the beautiful physical copies in courtesy of the Book Depository, which is what I did! Black City really is amazing, please don't let the fact that it's about vampires deter you because it's so much more than that! And Ash is one sexy character for sure that will have you demanding to read on!


Saturday 6 July 2013

Nowhere by Jon Robinson [Review]

Written by: Jon Robinson.
Published by: Puffin.
Format: Paperback.
Released: 4th July 2013.
Rating: 5/5.

Official synopsis: "'No one's coming for us. Not our families, not the police. No one.' Alyn, Jes, Ryan and Elsa are Nowhere. A concrete cube in the middle of a dense forest. Imprisoned inside are one hundred teenagers from all over the country. They're all criminals. But none of them remember committing any crimes. Who has put them there. What do their captors want? And how will they ever break free . . . ?"

Nowhere is the first book in a new trilogy being published by Puffin books here in the UK. Britain is falling. Government is ailing. And the Prime Minister is desperate to cling on to his position. But riots are near, revolution, the public are unhappy. So when he meets a man, Felix, who says that he and a few of his wealthy friends known as the Pledge can help, he'll do anything it takes. But little does the Prime Minister actually know what he's getting himself in for. 

Enter a world of conspiracy where you cannot really trust anyone. 

Enter Nowhere itself, a prison for teenagers that could be anywhere in the world. For Alyn, Jes, Ryan, Harlan and Elsa there is only one thing in their mind. Escape. They don't know how. They don't know where they even are, but they do low tht they have to escape, they have to let people know what's going on here. But the guards are violent and suspicious, weilding ibises, weapons that let out a blast of sound knocking you unconscious without living a mark and they're quick to use them, even when they don't have to.

I have to say, I was very excited to read this book. As soon as I saw the cover and read the synopsis I knew it'd be right up my street and I was so right. It's fast paced, full of intrigue and despair and it also has this underlying sense of hope, that no matter how bad the situation looks there is always and will always be a way.  It's wonderfully written, the prose really taking a hold of you and making you want to know what's going to happen next. M only dislike is the ending. But it's in a good way. It's so tense...

What. No... That did not just happen. Tell me that did not just happen... Turn the page... No! This cannot be the end.  I need more. Lots of tears. I cannot wait for book 2! Please, 2014, hurry up?

Friday 5 July 2013

Ruins cover unveiled

Ruins is the third book in Dan Wells Partials sequence, and whilst I am yet to read the second book, Fragments I cannot wait. The cover has been unveiled and it looks amazing. 2014 is shaping up nicely!


The First by Jason Mott [Review]

Written by: Jason Mott.
Published by: Mira.
Format: eBook.
Released: 1st June 2013.
Rating: 3/5.

Official synopsis: "In Jason Mott’s haunting and unforgettable debut novel, The Returned, an impossible miracle is occurring all across the globe. Read how it all begins in this short story, The First. It’s been just over a year since Edmund Blithe died, and just over a month since his fiancée, Emily, stopped wearing her engagement ring. Emily has finally begun to move on… Until Edmund mysteriously and inexplicably returns, sending the world—and Emily—into a tailspin. Edmund is only just the beginning. Around the world, people’s loved ones are returning from beyond, seeking only to reenter the lives they left behind. As the world dives deep into uncertainty, Emily and Edmund are determined to find their way back to one another…even if it means risking everything. The reappearances continue in The Sparrow, and look for The Returned from Harlequin MIRA, a moving tale of a family given a second chance at life and a world where nothing—not even death—is certain."

There have been all kinds of amazing things said about Jason Mott's debut novel, The Returned, which is due for release this Summer and to drum up even more excitement for the release there are going to be a series of eBook shorts released to kind of show people what to expect and also explore the world a little more.

The First is... well... it's the first of three eBooks which will continue with The Sparrow which came out on 1st July and The Choice which is due on 1st August. They're relatively short. Equating to 24 pages in print, according to the Amazon listing, they are quick reads designed to whet your appetite and The First did just that for me. While the format doesn't lend itself well to a lot of build up or much emotion, this did surprise me. It drew me in and I instantly wanted to know what happened to the characters, Emily and Edmund, next. Will they be reunited? Will things be like they were before the accident? How has this happened? Wasn't Edmund buried? Emily had seen his coffin lowered into the ground...

Very good, but like I say there wasn't much room to explore, but it did make me excited for the book itself which is currently on my to read list, and I cannot wait to get to it.

You can download The First, and now The Sparrow, for free on Amazon for your Kindle. It's free. Why not give it a go?



Monday 1 July 2013

Zom-B Angels by Darren Shan [Review]

Written by: Darren Shan.
Published by: Simon and Schuster.
Format: Hardback. 
Released: 
Rating: 5/5.

Official synopsis: "Where can you find shelter in a city of the damned? How can you build a new life if you're undead? Who can you trust in a world gone mad? B Smith has come to a crossroads..."

This is the fourth book in Darren Shan's Zom-B series, one that I am championing as much as I can because its Darren and zombies and its set in England and so much more, but unlike the first three books in the series, Angels is arguably a quiet affair, much unlike the rest of Shan's work.  But this book has a job to do, one Darren has talked about quite extensible. It's a book that is building the foundations for the rest of series as it answers some questions and at the same time opens up a whole other can or works that can see our characters going in several different directions over the course of the rest of the series. 

I've said before how hard reviewing these books is getting because we're still in the stage where the overall story is still being laid out but enough is happening that it could be spoiled because of things that happen earlier on. Thanks Darren for making the books all twisty and turny. 

The twist in this one though is a biggie. It reveals where the zombies originated, and I'll be honest I wasn't expecting it at all - but it makes complete and utter sense and it could prove very interesting. It's something most people know about and possibly learnt about in school and something one of my teachers spoke about a bit being a bit of a conspiracy theorist himself... I hope this doesn't happen in real life. Haha. It almost had me scared.

As ever the writing is tight and polished, but then you expect no less from Darren. He works so hard on his books and works on them for several years before they even see print. I'm still trying to decide what I think about B and I think this is something Darren wants. I find myself warming to her and then she does something and I want her decaying body to crumble and just disappear. She annoys, endears and also humours you in equal measure but sometimes the balance tips...

The next book, Zom- B Baby isn't out until September but I already foaming at the mouth to see what's going to happen next and after the tweet Darren sent me about the book I'm even more excited! Being it on.

My thanks to Scholastic and Schuster for my review copy, you guys rock!