Bright Blaze of Magic

Title: Bright Blaze of Magic
Author: Jennifer Estep
Rating:  4/5
Reviewed for NG

Description:
Bad Things Always Come In Threes…

As a thief, I'm good at three things: hiding in the shadows, getting in and out unseen, and uncovering secrets. I put these skills to work for the Sinclair Family, one of the magical mobs that run the tourist town of Cloudburst Falls.

Everyone knows Victor Draconi wants to take over all the other Families--and kill every last Sinclair. What they don't know is that I'm on to him, and no way will I let the man who murdered my mom get away with hurting all the other people I care about. Especially when I've got places to break into, stuff to steal, and Devon Sinclair fighting right by my side…

My Review: The first thing I got to say is that I love how all Jennifer's books are tied together somehow... its real nice. Another thing is that even if this story and Lila kicks butt it doesn't have the same feeling as Mythos Books- but alas that was my first series I read of hers. The Mythos actually made me cry thru out the series... this one not so much but I still love the story. And it ended with some of the conflict not addressed but what the heck... this trilogy was filled with action and I love the pixes and other creatures filled in it like the Lochness! So yup yup!

Starflight

Title: Starflight
Author: Melissa Landers
Rating:  5/5

Description:
Life in the outer realm is a lawless, dirty, hard existence, and Solara Brooks is hungry for it. Just out of the orphanage, she needs a fresh start in a place where nobody cares about the engine grease beneath her fingernails or the felony tattoos across her knuckles. She's so desperate to reach the realm that she's willing to indenture herself to Doran Spaulding, the rich and popular quarterback who made her life miserable all through high school, in exchange for passage aboard the spaceliner Zenith.

When a twist of fate lands them instead on the Banshee, a vessel of dubious repute, Doran learns he's been framed on Earth for conspiracy. As he pursues a set of mysterious coordinates rumored to hold the key to clearing his name, he and Solara must get past their enmity to work together and evade those out for their arrest. Life on the Banshee may be tumultuous, but as Solara and Doran are forced to question everything they once believed about their world—and each other—the ship becomes home, and the eccentric crew family. But what Solara and Doran discover on the mysterious Planet X has the power to not only alter their lives, but the existence of everyone in the universe...


My Review: I loved this book, the crew reminded me of Firefly because they are a group of misfits! The story was awesome and I read most of the book this morning and couldn't put it down... and will read all her books! Well I'm a big fan of hers already! So yup!

Spring 2016 Penguin Teen Preview Sampler

Review for The Dark Days Club
Review for Salt to the Sea

Title: Rebels of the Sands
Author:Alwyn Hamilton
Rating: 4/5
Sample reviewed for NG

Description: She’s more gunpowder than girl—and the fate of the desert lies in her hands.

Mortals rule the desert nation of Miraji, but mystical beasts still roam the wild and barren wastes, and rumor has it that somewhere, djinni still practice their magic. But there's nothing mystical or magical about Dustwalk, the dead-end town that Amani can't wait to escape from.

Destined to wind up "wed or dead," Amani’s counting on her sharpshooting skills to get her out of Dustwalk. When she meets Jin, a mysterious and devastatingly handsome foreigner, in a shooting contest, she figures he’s the perfect escape route. But in all her years spent dreaming of leaving home, she never imagined she'd gallop away on a mythical horse, fleeing the murderous Sultan's army, with a fugitive who's wanted for treason. And she'd never have predicted she'd fall in love with him...or that he'd help her unlock the powerful truth of who she really is.

My review: The sample was too short but i liked what I read. The main character and story was interesting... and as soon as the library lets me borrow it... i will!
:
Wink Poppy Midnight & The Passion of Dolssa <--- Didn't really like these two!

Salt to the Sea

Title: Salt to the Sea (Sneak Peak)
Author: Ruta Sepetys
Pub Date: already out!
Rating: 2/5
Reviewed for NG

Description:

In 1945, World War II is drawing to a close in East Prussia, and thousands of refugees are on a desperate trek toward freedom, almost all of them with something to hide. Among them are Joana, Emilia, and Florian, whose paths converge en route to the ship that promises salvation, the Wilhelm Gustloff.Forced by circumstance to unite, the three find their strength, courage, and trust in each other tested with each step closer toward safety.

Just when it seems freedom is within their grasp, tragedy strikes. Not country, nor culture, nor status matter as all ten thousand people aboard must fight for the same thing: survival.

Told in alternating points of view, and perfect for fans of Anthony Doerr's Pulitzer Prize-winning All the Light We Cannot See, Erik Larson's critically acclaimed #1New York Times bestseller Dead Wake, and Elizabeth Wein's Printz Honor Book Code Name Verity, this masterful work of historical fiction is inspired by the real-life tragedy that was the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff--the greatest maritime disaster in history. As she did in Between Shades of Gray, Ruta Sepetys unearths a shockingly little-known casualty of a gruesome war, and proves that humanity can prevail, even in the darkest of hours.

 

My Review: Interesting story just not my cup of tea at all, so I read the whole Sampler but I'll probody not read the whole book... sorry!

 

Summerlost (SP)

Title: Summerlost (Sneak Peak)
Author: Ally Condie
Pub Date: 3-29-16
Rating: 3/5
Reviewed for NG
Sample Version until book is out!


Description:
It's the first real summer since the devastating accident that killed Cedar's father and younger brother, Ben. But now Cedar and what's left of her family are returning to the town of Iron Creek for the summer. They're just settling into their new house when a boy named Leo, dressed in costume, rides by on his bike. Intrigued, Cedar follows him to the renowned Summerlost theatre festival. Soon, she not only has a new friend in Leo and a job working concessions at the festival, she finds herself surrounded by mystery. The mystery of the tragic, too-short life of the Hollywood actress who haunts the halls of Summerlost. And the mystery of the strange gifts that keep appearing for Cedar.

Infused with emotion and rich with understanding, Summerlost is the touching new novel from Ally Condie, the international bestselling author of the Matched series that highlights the strength of family and personal resilience in the face of tragedy.

My Review: Very fast 6 chapters I would have to say. I'm not sure about anything about this book. Story and Characters are a mystery... not sure if I'll like this or not. :| But I will try again when the book is out and I can do a full read of it.

Soundless

Title: Soundless
Author: Richelle Mead
Rating:  4/5

Description: For as long as Fei can remember, there has been no sound in her village, where rocky terrain and frequent avalanches prevent residents from self-sustaining. Fei and her people are at the mercy of a zipline that carries food up the treacherous cliffs from Beiguo, a mysterious faraway kingdom.   When villagers begin to lose their sight, deliveries from the zipline shrink and many go hungry. Fei’s home, the people she loves, and her entire existence is plunged into crisis, under threat of darkness and starvation.   But soon Fei is awoken in the night by a searing noise, and sound becomes her weapon.   Richelle Mead takes readers on a triumphant journey from the peak of Fei’s jagged mountain village to the valley of Beiugo, where a startling truth and an unlikely romance will change her life forever....

My Review: Not so much fantasy, wanted more of it but the Chinese myth was good enough to keep my interest to finish the book!
Already Previewed to Chapter 4!

Coming in Third

Title: Coming in Third
Author: Amber Kell
Rating: 4/5

Description:

Love sometimes comes in threes.

With his mother plotting to have him wed, Niall decides to sneak out of the fae palace and fulfill one of his greatest fantasies. At the Unconventional bar, he finds a pair of lion shifters looking to spice up their love life. Unable to resist the strong attraction between them, Niall lets the persuasive pair take him home.

Jovan and Luka have been searching for their third for years. When Niall stumbles into the bar, their shifter instincts tell them the innocent fae could be their long sought mate. After a sensual night together, they’re certain the beautiful man was fated to be theirs.

His guards fetch him from the shifters’ bed and Niall is taken away from the pair. Upset about Niall’s return to the palace and a possible arranged marriage, the lion shifters battle to decide their future—should they go and fetch their mate or let it only be the one-night stand Niall promised them?

My Review: Short and Sweet like this review, I usually don't read gay novels that much but hey its got magic- faes, and Horney shapeshitfers... oh mine. Very hot for such a short story and I'll probody check out her other short stories :P

The Dark Days Club (SP)

Title: The Dark Days Club
Author: Alison Goodman
Pub Date: Already Out!
Rating: 4/5
Reviewed for NG
Sample Version until I pick up the full copy!

Description: 

Helen must make a choice: Save her reputation, or save the world.London, 1812. Eighteen-year-old Lady Helen Wrexhall is on the eve of her debut presentation at the royal court of George III. Her life should revolve around gowns, dancing, and securing a suitable marriage. Instead, when one of her family's maids disappears, she is drawn into the shadows of Regency London.
There, she meets Lord Carlston, one of the few able to stop the perpetrators: a cabal of demons that has infiltrated all levels of society. Carlston is not a man she should be anywhere near, especially with the taint of scandal that surrounds him. Yet he offers her help and the possibility of finally discovering the truth about the mysterious deaths of her parents.
Soon the two of them are investigating a terrifying conspiracy that threatens to plunge the newly Enlightened world back into darkness. But can Helen trust a man whose own life is built on lies? And does she have the strength to face the dangers of this hidden world and her family's legacy?
Set in the glittering social world of the Regency upper-crust, the Dark Days Club is a supernatural adventure that introduces New York Times best-selling author Alison Goodman's Lady Helen Wrexhall—another heroine whom, like Eona, readers can take to their hearts.

My Review: I gave it a four out of five because the story and characters are interesting and now I want to read the rest of this book which is a good thing I grabbed it from the library so soon I will read the rest. Like the mystery of what is going on and the period of time it is setting!

The Glittering Court

Title: The Glittering Court
Author: Richelle Mead
Pub Date: 4/5/2016
Rating: 3/5
Reviewed for NG

Description: 

 Big and sweeping, spanning the refined palaces of Osfrid to the gold dust and untamed forests of Adoria, The Glittering Court tells the story of Adelaide, an Osfridian countess who poses as her servant to escape an arranged marriage and start a new life in Adoria, the New World. But to do that, she must join the Glittering Court.

Both a school and a business venture, the Glittering Court is designed to transform impoverished girls into upper-class ladies who appear destined for powerful and wealthy marriages in the New World. Adelaide naturally excels in her training and even makes a few friends: the fiery former laundress Tamsin and the beautiful Sirminican refugee Mira. She manages to keep her true identity hidden from all but one: the intriguing Cedric Thorn, son of the wealthy proprietor of the Glittering Court.

When Adelaide discovers that Cedric is hiding a dangerous secret of his own, together, they hatch a scheme to make the best of Adelaide's deception. Complications soon arise—first, as they cross the treacherous seas from Osfrid to Adoria, and later, when Adelaide catches the attention of a powerful governor.

But no complication will prove quite as daunting as the potent attraction simmering between Adelaide and Cedric. An attraction that, if acted on, would scandalize the Glittering Court and make them both outcasts in wild, vastly uncharted lands. . 

My Review: This is only a sample that is chapter 1 to 11, so far the story is interesting and I like the world, story, and characters... can't say much about it till it comes out- but I'm sure I'll read the rest of it!                               

Sage's Eyes

Title: Sage's Eyes
Author: V.C. Andrews
Rating: ★★★★
Reviewed for NG

Description:
Sixteen-year-old Sage is a lonely child. Her adoptive parents watch her obsessively, as if studying her for warning signs of…something. And maybe they’re right to—even she can’t make sense of the strange things she sees and hears. She possesses knowledge that other teenagers don’t, that her parents and teachers—no adult—could possibly have. So when Sage finally makes a friend who understands her alarming gift, he becomes her confidant, a precarious link to the truth about who she really is. For Sage and the alluring new boy at school share many things in common. Perhaps, they’ll learn, far too many things.

My Review:
At the start I didn't even know this was going to be supernatural much less Wiccan. I enjoyed the story and characters... hated the parents till the end and can you blame me. I love the writing style but I like all her books :) Now to the next book!

Untraceable

Title: Untraceable
Author: Laura Griffin
Rating: 4/5

Description:
ALEX LOVELL MAKES PEOPLE DISAPPEAR. TURNS OUT, SHE'S NOT THE ONLY ONE.
Private investigator Alexandra Lovell uses computer skills and cunning to help clients drop off the radar and begin new lives in safety. Melanie Bess, desperate to escape her abusive cop husband, was one of those clients. But when Melanie vanishes for real, Alex fears the worst, and sets out to discover what happened. Using every resource she can get her hands on -- including an elite team of forensic scientists known as the Tracers, and a jaded, sexy Austin PD detective -- Alex embarks on a mission to uncover the truth.
As far as homicide cop Nathan Deveraux is concerned, no body means no case. But as much as he wants to believe that Alex's hunch about Melanie's murder is wrong, his instincts -- and their visceral attraction -- won't let him walk away. As a grim picture of what really happened begins to emerge, Nathan realizes this investigation runs deeper than they could ever have guessed. And each step nearer the truth puts Alex in danger of being the next to disappear....

My Review: It was an alright book, not really what I read a lot of but it was a sort of fresh air moment to read this. Picked out for me by someone in Tall, Dark and Deadly book group to read for this month. The story was solid but I knew who did it... there was one twist which was cool. I might continue with this series soon enough :)

The Iron Warrior

Title: The Iron Warrior
Author: Julie Kagawa
Rating: 5/5 Loved!

Description:
The Iron Prince—my nephew—betrayed us all.  He killed me.  Then, I woke up.  Waking after a month on the brink of death, Ethan Chase is stunned to learn that the Veil that conceals the fey from human sight was temporarily torn away. Although humankind's glimpse of the world of Faery lasted just a brief moment, the human world has been cast into chaos, and the emotion and glamour produced by fear and wonder has renewed the tremendous power of the Forgotten Queen. Now, she is at the forefront of an uprising against the courts of Summer and Winter—a reckoning that will have cataclysmic effects on the Nevernever.  Leading the Lady's Forgotten Army is Keirran himself: Ethan's nephew, and the traitor son of the Iron Queen, Meghan Chase.To stop Keirran, Ethan must disobey his sister once again as he and his girlfriend, Kenzie, search for answers long forgotten. In the face of unprecedented evil and unfathomable power, Ethan's enemies must become his allies, and the world of the fey will be changed forevermore.

My Review:
Oh wow what an ending I must say and a journey. Which left me in tears in parts and a smile in others. Julie Kagawa can sure write a story and characters that I fallen in love with! And I hope the future door does open for the Nevernever and another story is written. Because who knows what will happen to Kenzie and Ethan's kid or kids... or the future of that wonderful story! LUVED IT!

Sand Chronicles v.1-6

Title: Sand Chronicles v.1-6
Author: Hinako Ashihara
Rating: 3/5

Description: After her parents get divorced, Ann Uekusa and her mother move from Tokyo to rural Shimane. Accustomed to the anonymity of city living, Ann can't get used to the almost overbearing kindness of the people in her mother's hometown. But when personal tragedy strikes, Ann discovers how much she needs that kindness.

My Review: Ann is annoying thru the manga... I just want to finish this I got 4 volumes left and the library doesn't have it boo!