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February 28, 2013

Review: Emblaze by Jessica Shirvington

Emblaze (The Voilet Eden Chapters, #3)
Title: Emblaze (The Violet Eden Chapters #3)
Author: Jessica Shirvington
Publication date: March 5, 2013
Publisher: Raincoast
Genre(s): Young Adult (Paranormal/Angel)
Source: Publisher
Format: ARC
Pages: 464
Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Indigo
Once again Violet Eden faces an impossible choice ... and the consequences are unimaginable. Violet has come to terms with the fact that being part angel, part human, means her life will never be as it was.

Now Violet has something Phoenix - the exiled angel who betrayed her - will do anything for, and she has no intention of letting it fall into his hands. The only problem is that he has something she needs too. Not afraid to raise the stakes, Phoenix seemingly holds all the power, always one step ahead. And when he puts the final pieces of the prophecy together, it doesn't take him long to realise exactly who he needs in order to open the gates of Hell.

With the help of surprising new allies, ancient prophecies are deciphered, a destination set and, after a shattering confrontation with her father, Violet leaves for the islands of Greece without knowing if she will have a home to return to...
The Violet Eden Chapters series gets better by each sequel. I recall that I enjoyed Embrace well enough to dive into Entice which I enjoyed much more than Embrace. However Emblaze is even better. Each new book is better than the previous one! this gets me excited to pick up Endless because the cliffhanger Shirvington leaves us with will mock me all the way to october, when Endless comes out. To put it simply, The Embrace series is one of the few paranormal series that I actually enjoy reading, this is an accomplishment since I am not a big fan of the paranormal genre.  
Because I want people to actually pick this series up when they read my review, I will not be posting spoilers of Embrace, Entice, and even Emblaze. In this third installment, Violet is put in the biggest dilemma any person could possible be put in. She has to decide between the people she loves, releasing something dangerous to the world, or sacrificing her life for the off chance that this would keep everyone safe. In this novel, Violet is also stronger than ever; she doesn't take crap from anyone and works out and tries to get stronger and control her power as much as she can. She is the definition of a kick butt heroine in my opinion. However she is miserable, her soul wants something completely different from what her brain and logic is telling her and I honestly felt sorry for her. I wouldn't want to be put in her position because I might not be as selfless as she is. 
We get more of Spencer and, unfortunately, Phoenix in Emblaze. Spencer is sort of like her best friend/side kick and I loved that the platonic friendship is still intact in Emblaze. Phoenix however, I couldn't say I was glad for his lengthy occupancy in this novel... until I read the one chapter from his POV. Oh Shirvington, why do you do this to me? I was happy hating him but now I can't do that because you humanized him *sigh*. Of course I can't forget Lincoln, the tortured and smoldering love interest of Violet. He is the ideal book boyfriend, so girls you need to start reading this series. Even with what he is going through, he still puts everyone first, and endures everything by himself. I honestly wanted Violet to shake him and tell him that he isn't alone. Though I know the circumstances don't allow for this. I can't say more in fear of writing a spoiler, so I'll stop here. 
The action in this novel is also pretty kick butt and I enjoyed this book, however my only complaint is the length of this book (450 pages!) especially since I know there is around 3 more books in this series. I hope some things get resolved in the next book. I will eagerly be waiting for Endless, I have heard it is the best so far in this series so my expectations are high, though I know Shirvington's writing won't disappoint!  
The books in The Violet Eden Chapters:


February 27, 2013

Review: The Goddess Inheritance by Aimee Carter

The Goddess Inheritance (Goddess Test, #3)
Title: The Goddess Inheritance (The Goddess Test, #3)
Author: Aimee Cater
Publisher: HarlequinTeen
Publication date: February 26, 2013
Genre(s): Young Adult (Greek Mythology)
Source: Publisher
Format: Physical ARC
Pages: 384
Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Indigo
Love or life.
Henry or their child.
The end of her family or the end of the world.
Kate must choose.


During nine months of captivity, Kate Winters has survived a jealous goddess, a vengeful Titan and a pregnancy she never asked for. Now the Queen of the Gods wants her unborn child, and Kate can't stop her--until Cronus offers a deal.

In exchange for her loyalty and devotion, the King of the Titans will spare humanity and let Kate keep her child. Yet even if Kate agrees, he'll destroy Henry, her mother and the rest of the council. And if she refuses, Cronus will tear the world apart until every last god and mortal is dead.

With the fate of everyone she loves resting on her shoulders, Kate must do the impossible: find a way to defeat the most powerful being in existence, even if it costs her everything.

Even if it costs her eternity.
The Goddess Inheritance is the final installment in The Goddess Test trilogy. It is a greek mythology trilogy that centers around the god of the underworld finding a wife and partner for eternity. This is a spoil free review for all three books. First of all, I was a bit hesitant in starting this one because while I loved The Goddess Test, I wasn't a big fan of Goddess Interrupted. I didn't like the direction Aimee Carter took with the story and to put it simple, I didn't really love this finale as much as I hoped I would either, it was closer to Goddess Interrupted than The Goddess Test. Kate and Henry are still in so much crap, their lives are all at stake, along with all the other gods and evil seems that this time it will win. 
I enjoyed the action, especially the plotting and such, however I wasn't a big fan of the way everyone was treating Kate; basically a useless, helpless, girl. I wished they took her seriously but at the same time I wished she would use her brain for five minutes and think of the consequences of her attempts at trying to help, when all that happens is her messing up things even worse. Yes, she is that kind of character. I really wished she grew up of her Goddess Interrupted stage and for Carter to bring back the confident and independent character I witnessed in The Goddess Test. Unfortunetly her devotion to her family as well as selflessness were not enough to keep my frustrations of her at bay. 
As for James, I know people didn't like his agenda, but I found him to be the most human and interesting secondary character in this series. He was the crying shoulder and the helping hand when Kate needed it. He would have definitely been my favorite character but I also have a soft spot for Henry. We don't see much of him in this book but I just loved him here. He was sweet, a true protector and a worthy love interest in my books. I have to say that most of the book was spent with Henry and Kate apart and I just wished we had more time with both of them together, a bit of peace and quiet before the storm, but at least the few scenes between them were really sweet. 
All in all I have to say that The Goddess Test is still my favorite out of these books, but Carter wrote the ending with the evil thought that we would all now never be able to forget the last book. It is bittersweet, I can only warn you of that, but as usual (of course we all know that) good prevails. I would definitely recommend it to fans of YA greek mythology. I will also be picking up Aimee Carter's new series when it comes out!
Other books by Aimee Carter:

February 26, 2013

Blog Tour: The Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnett

Hello lovely readers and welcome to today's blog tour stop of The Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnett, hosted by Itching For Books! The Nightmare Affair was a book so outside the usual genre I read, but I highly enjoyed it. Be sure to check out my review and the giveaway below!


Title: The Nightmare Affair
Author: Mindee Arnett
Publisher: TorTeen
Publication year: March 5, 2013
Genre(s): Young Adult (Mystery/Paranormal)
Source: Blog Tour
Format: Digital ARC
Pages: 367

Sixteen-year-old Dusty Everhart breaks into houses late at night, but not because she’s a criminal. No, she’s a Nightmare.

Literally.

Being the only Nightmare at Arkwell Academy, a boarding school for magickind, and living in the shadow of her mother’s infamy, is hard enough. But when Dusty sneaks into Eli Booker’s house, things get a whole lot more complicated. He’s hot, which means sitting on his chest and invading his dreams couldn’t get much more embarrassing. But it does. Eli is dreaming of a murder.

Then Eli’s dream comes true.

Now Dusty has to follow the clues—both within Eli’s dreams and out of them—to stop the killer before more people turn up dead. And before the killer learns what she’s up to and marks her as the next target.




Mindee Arnett lives on a horse farm in Ohio with her husband, two kids, a couple of dogs, and an inappropriate number of cats. She’s addicted to jumping horses and telling tales of magic, the macabre, and outer space. She has far more dreams than nightmares.
Follow Arnett on her: Website || Goodreads || Twitter
It is refreshing to read about a female protagonist who is not perfect or a damsel in distress. Dusty is neither of those, but a girl who is just so normal, or as normal as a nightmare can be, that it was so much fun to read about her. She would embarrass herself at times, get in odd situations because her curiosity got the best of her, crush on a guy but deny it to herself because.. why would she even want to crush on the popular guy? and have very normal girl problems; it was all very amusing and entertaining. 
On top of how awesome Dusty is, she is also a nightmare, in the literal sense. She can get into people's dreams.. a bi-weekly dosage of fectus from them to keep her energy levels. She stumbles upon a nightmare that actually came true and ends up in the middle of a murder mystery that she needs to figure out fast before more people, including herself, end up dead. With the help of the guy she saw the murder nightmare in, Eli: the popular guy, they try to uncover the evil schemes that could bring destruction to the whole world. 
Personally, I found the mystery to be a bit obvious but also shocking at the same time. I knew immediately that one of the characters introduced was evil, but at the same time I was rather shocked to find out who was really behind everything. In all honesty I was a bit restless with the mystery and how Dusty, her only real flaw in my opinion, was too trustworthy towards the wrong people but very doubtful towards the people who are closest to her. The middle of the novel lulled a bit.. and I was waiting for when the plot would pick up its momentum, and it did towards the end, especially with the shocking ending. As for the romance, I found it to be very sweet and secondary to the real plot; just the way I like it sometimes in my novels. All in all, The Nightmare Affair is a great novel with a kickbutt heroine that all the girls can relate to. I would definitely recommend it to paranormal and mystery young adult fans. 

Check out the trailer below!

Be sure to enter below for a chance to win a signed copy of The Nightmare Affair. Everyone is welcome to enter because it is open internationally! Click on the link to direct you to the Rafflecopter




February 25, 2013

1:Face Watches, Heard of them?



So I rarely (meaning never) do non bookish posts but I thought this is for a good cause and I would like as many people to know about it as I could! 

So what are these 1:Face Watches? well.. they are watches! They come in six different colors and each color represents a cause.. from cancer, hunger, to water. These watches aren't just appealing for the cause, but they are also slick, hot, and so freaking eye catching! Below are the metric that each color represents. 


Below are the charities for each one of the causes
charitywater NBCF acs
  keepachildalive ODW adventure





As for the price, for such a support, 40 dollars is very cheap! You get to pick your color and right away you are supporting the cause you believe in. Ofcourse there are other options such as supporting all the causes with one watch or voting on a new color. You can go directly to their website for more information. 



So how has 1:Face Watches affected the world?
change-21
The 1:face story
That video had my body in nonstop goosebumps and made me really really want to buy one. Honestly when I saw them I thought Apple was venturing into the watch industry with the causes too because I know they have one for Aids support when you buy Red products from them. So not only are these watches so stylish, but they are a smart way to use the consumers in a way to benefit both sides. By the time this post is up I would have probably ordered mine. Which cause would you support? Sad to see breast cancer hasn't reached the goal but so impressed the rest exceeded it! I think I would buy the black one, in support of cancer patients!

Changing the world 1:face at a time


Watches



February 23, 2013

Blog Tour: Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys


Hello lovely readers and welcome to today's blog tour stop of Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys, hosted by Razorbill Canada. This novel is the second by Sepetys, the first being Between Shades of Grey. I urge you all to read my review then go to the nearest store and pick a copy for yourself! 



Title: Out of the Easy
Author: Ruta Sepetys
Publisher: Razorbill
Publication year: February 12, 2013
Genre(s): Young Adult (Historical/Mystery)
Source: NetGalley
Format: Digital ARC
Pages: 384

It’s 1950, and as the French Quarter of New Orleans simmers with secrets, seventeen-year-old Josie Moraine is silently stirring a pot of her own. Known among locals as the daughter of a brothel prostitute, Josie wants more out of life than the Big Easy has to offer. She devises a plan get out, but a mysterious death in the Quarter leaves Josie tangled in an investigation that will challenge her allegiance to her mother, her conscience, and Willie Woodley, the brusque madam on Conti Street.

Josie is caught between the dream of an elite college and a clandestine underworld. New Orleans lures her in her quest for truth, dangling temptation at every turn, and escalating to the ultimate test.


Ruta Sepetys
Ruta Sepetys was born and raised in Michigan in a family of artists, readers, and music lovers. Her award-winning debut novel, "Between Shades of Gray" was inspired by her family's history in Lithuania and is published in 40 countries. Her new novel, "Out of the Easy" is set in the French Quarter of New Orleans in 1950. A historical tale of secrets and lies, "Out of the Easy" is a haunting reminder that decisions can shape our destiny. Ruta lives with her family in Tennessee.
Follow Sepetys on her: Website || Goodreads || Twitter
Out of the Easy was such a pleasant surprise. I did not expect to enjoy it as much as I did. Even now, I am still thinking about this book and how amazing it is. Out of the Easy is about the life of Josie, the daughter of a brothel prostitute in New Orleans in the 1950s. However all Josie wants is to get out of New Orleans, go to college, and leave behind the life that she never wanted that includes an uncaring and rather heartless mother and the work prospects that seem to be pressuring her into submitting to. 
Josie is a very strong willed and confident female protagonist. Not many girls can move away from their own home at the age of 11 and get their own apartment on top of a book shop and hold a steady job there up to now, at the age of 17. This takes a ton of presistance and determination. Josie also never dwelled on how horrible her life is, but thought of ways to get away from it and improve it. Also, having a mother like the one Josie has? my god, I would have disowned myself ages ago. Her mother is not only caring but is obsessing with a dangerous man that has hit her more than once, and actually steals.. from her own daughter. However Josie does have a mother figure in her life and, surprisingly, it is the madame of the brothel, Willie Woodley. From the outside she may seem to be tough as steel, but when it comes to Josie? you know she would do anything for her. The relationship between those two, even if unconventional, was so heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time. 
Other secondary characters include Patrick, Jesse, and Cokie. The first is her close friend, the second is the love interest, and the third is sort of like her guardian; he is a driver who works for Willie and is always looking out for Josie. I have to say that romance isn't a prevailing theme in this novel, but I am a fan of romance in my novels and I still ended up loving Out of the Easy, so I would honestly recommend it to all young adult readers. I believe that Out of the Easy is a literary gem. It is one of those books with so many underlaying themes and "morales of the story" that I think everyone should at least try to pick this book up. I know for a fact that if you did, you would be swept up and to the world of Josie and the dreams that she, and you, want to come true.