Review: The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead

The Indigo Spell (Bloodlines #3) by Richelle Mead

Publisher: Razorbill

Publication date: February 12th 2013

My rating: 5 stars 

In the aftermath of a forbidden moment that rocked Sydney to her core, she finds herself struggling to draw the line between her Alchemist teachings and what her heart is urging her to do. Then she meets alluring, rebellious Marcus Finch--a former Alchemist who escaped against all odds, and is now on the run. Marcus wants to teach Sydney the secrets he claims the Alchemists are hiding from her. But as he pushes her to rebel against the people who raised her, Sydney finds that breaking free is harder than she thought. There is an old and mysterious magic rooted deeply within her. And as she searches for an evil magic user targeting powerful young witches, she realizes that her only hope is to embrace her magical blood--or else she might be next.
 

Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, the Bloodlines series explores all the friendship, romance, battles, and betrayals that made the #1 New York Times bestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive—this time in a part-vampire, part-human setting where the stakes are even higher and everyone’s out for blood.

The Indigo Spell was a mix of mystery, a little danger, and all kinds of swoony goodness!  Lovers of Sydrian will NOT be disappointed!

After the events of The Golden Lily, Sydney is questioning her beliefs and her unquestioning loyalty she’s had for the Alchemists.   Her affinity and use of magic also disturbs her.   Add to that, she’s mixed up over her feelings for Adrian.  Being a Moroi and a human, being together goes against everything she’s been taught to believe: it’s wrong and unnatural.  But Sydney can’t help but replay that passionate kiss they shared, and even before that, the closeness and chemistry that led to it. 

Now, Ms. Terwillinger warns of a new dangerous threat to Sydney, a witch on the loose draining girls with power.  Sydney has no choice but to submerge herself deeper into the magic world as a defense, and to help save these potential victims.   Finding Marcus Finch, the former Alchemist is also a top priority, seeing as he might provide information on the Alchemists’ dark secrets.  

I think I’m one of the few out there, who’s loved Sydney from the beginning.  I love her analytical and sharp mind.  I found her social awkwardness endearing and hilarious, but in The Indigo Spell, Sydney comes into her own!  She’s had a lot of changes and upheavals in her thinking, and I think she’s grown so much from the Sydney we met in the Vampire Academy series.  Even though, I’ve always loved Adrian from the beginning, I never thought of him as viable boyfriend material.   He was charismatic, but all over the place.  In the Bloodlines series he’s grown so much, no longer is he the spoiled and pampered playboy.  Not that he’s lost his mischievous edge, he just thinks of more than himself now.  First and foremost, he thinks of Sydney:

“Well, you can think what you want, so long as you remember—no matter how ordinary things seem between us—I’m still here, still in love with you, and care about you more than any other guy, evil or otherwise, ever will.” 

“No one’s going to throw you around and get away with it,” said Adrian.“What happened with us has nothing to do with you,” retorted Marcus.“Everything about her has to do with me.”—Adrian

He was so sweet and protective over Sydney, I had a big smile on my face, and I was basically doing a happy dance throughout the book! 

I’m pleased to report that Jill was far less irritating than she had been in previous books, but maybe that’s because she didn’t play a huge part in this installment.  Eddie and Angeline took a back seat, as well, and I found myself missing them a little.  I have a feeling in the next book all three will have a much larger role. 

With so much love for this book, I have a little unease when I think of what’s probably coming in the next book.  Of course, that won’t prevent me from diving straight in the moment is comes out.  As always, Richelle Mead does not disappoint!

Randoms loves:  The Ivashkinator, Hopper the “dragon,” purple t-shirts, Alpha Yam Ergo: AYE.

**********SPOILER***********

Favorite Quote: 

Adrian tipped my face up toward his and kissed me.  Like always, the world around me stopped moving.  No, the world became Adrian, only Adrian.  Kissing him was as mind-blowing as ever, full of that same passion and need I had never believed I’d feel.  But today, there was even more to it.  I no longer had any doubt whether this was wrong or right.  It was the culmination of a long journey…or maybe the beginning of one.

Review: Perfect Scoundrels (Heist Society #3) by Ally Carter

Perfect Scoundrels by Ally Carter
Publisher: Orchard
Publication date: February 7th 2013.
My rating: 4 stars

Katarina Bishop and W.W. Hale the fifth were born to lead completely different lives: Kat comes from a long, proud line of loveable criminal masterminds, while Hale is the scion of one of the most seemingly perfect dynasties in the world. If their families have one thing in common, it's that they both know how to stay under the radar while getting--or stealing--whatever they want. No matter the risk, the Bishops can always be counted on, but in Hale's family, all bets are off when money is on the line. When Hale unexpectedly inherits his grandmother's billion dollar corporation, he quickly learns that there's no place for Kat and their old heists in his new role. But Kat won't let him go that easily, especially after she gets tipped off that his grandmother's will might have been altered in an elaborate con to steal the company's fortune. So instead of being the heir--this time, Hale might be the mark. Forced to keep a level head as she and her crew fight for one of their own, Kat comes up with an ambitious and far-reaching plan that only the Bishop family would dare attempt. To pull it off, Kat is prepared to do the impossible, but first, she has to decide if she's willing to save her boyfriend's company if it means losing the boy.

Perfect Scoundrels in my opinion is the best from Ally Carter in the Heist Society series yet. I had my initial doubts when picking this up as Uncommon Criminals didn’t pack the punch that I’d expected; but Perfect Scoundrels was one heck of a thrilling ride and went onto show me why I fell in love with this series in the first place.

Kat Bishop is back, but this time the con she has to deal with is a lot closer to home, Hale’s grandma’s will is suggested to be a fake, all the evidence on the contrary suggests so too. Kat knows it’s a con she must figure out, but doing so could hurt someone really close to her; Hale, he’s been left in charge of Hale industries, so she doesn’t want this to be true either, and the only way she can get to the bottom of this is by behind his back, something she doesn’t want to do either, so what’s a girl like Kat to do?

It was great fun being back with the gang again, they found themselves in an unusual situation, Kat and her friends were known for being the greatest thieves, they had robbed the Henley, something which had never been done before. But now they had it all to deal with, Kat had to risk losing her friendship with Hale or Hale losing everything. As far as cons went this time, the gang definitely found themselves buried deep.

Returning characters made Perfect Scoundrels a hoot of a read, the banter back and forth, the comradeship between Kat’s friends and family made me realise how much I missed being around them. But the series of events which occurred definitely had a damaging effect on one of my favourite characters; Hale. In the previous two books I adored Hale’s humour and his attitude to life, he was laid back, never fretted about anything and took everything in his stride. But after losing his grandma Hale was a lost and vulnerable boy, and I hated seeing this side of him. He was torn between staying true to his family, a family that had been out of the picture and his family he had made in the last two years with the Bishops. It was a tough con for everyone to deal with but especially poor Hale. The fun Heist books, we all had come to know and love, for the first time dealt with serious and heart breaking undertones.

Despite my heart crumbling throughout most of the book, Ally Carter also had me thoroughly surprised by upping her cons. A few times I had a couple of ideas which way things would go but I was totally off the mark. The surprises kept on coming right until the very end.

Perfect Scoundrels was an exciting follow up to Uncommon Criminals, I have secret hopes that Carter decides to continue with this wonderful series as I can’t wait to see what Kat and the rest of the gang find themselves caught up in next time.

Review: Iced by Karen Marie Moning

Iced by Karen Marie Moning

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Publication date: October 30th 2012

My rating: 4.5 stars 

The year is 1 AWC—After the Wall Crash. The Fae are free and hunting us. It’s a war zone out there, and no two days are alike. I’m Dani O’Malley, the chaos-filled streets of Dublin are my home, and there’s no place I’d rather be.
 
Dani “Mega” O’Malley plays by her own set of rules—and in a world overrun by Dark Fae, her biggest rule is: Do what it takes to survive. Possessing rare talents and the all-powerful Sword of Light, Dani is more than equipped for the task. In fact, she’s one of the rare humans who can defend themselves against the Unseelie. But now, amid the pandemonium, her greatest gifts have turned into serious liabilities.

Dani’s ex–best friend, MacKayla Lane, wants her dead, the terrifying Unseelie princes have put a price on her head, and Inspector Jayne, the head of the police force, is after her sword and will stop at nothing to get it. What’s more, people are being mysteriously frozen to death all over the city, encased on the spot in sub-zero, icy tableaux.

When Dublin’s most seductive nightclub gets blanketed in hoarfrost, Dani finds herself at the mercy of Ryodan, the club’s ruthless, immortal owner. He needs her quick wit and exceptional skill to figure out what’s freezing Fae and humans dead in their tracks—and Ryodan will do anything to ensure her compliance.

After finding out Iced centered on Dani, Mac’s fourteen-year old sidhe-seer friend, I did not plan on reading it.   I changed my mind after Jenny @ SupernaturalSnark forced convinced me to pick it up, and I was instantly hooked.   I'm shocked at how much I ended up loving this story. I mean, come on, it's an adult story centered on a fourteen year old!  Color me surprised.

This story picks up after the events of Shadowfever.   Cruce is imprisoned under The Abbey, Mac found out Dani’s part in her sister Alina’s murder, Christian is on his way to becoming an Unseelie Prince, and the walls between Faery and the human world have come down leaving the world in chaos. 

Dani is not defenseless because she carries one of the only two weapons that can kill Fae, The Sword of Light.  That coupled with her sidhe-seer powers of super speed, and Fae-sight makes her a powerful weapon, even if she is only fourteen.  She is the one who rescued Mac from the Unseelie Princes, which just goes to show you how special Dani is.  This does not go unnoticed by Ryodan, the owner of Chester’s, and one of Barron’s men (whatever it is that they are).  He forces Dani to come work for him when a hoarfrost monster “ices” part of his club, and parts of the city, leaving a trail of dead humans and Fae alike. 

One of the joys of reading this was Dani’s character.  Kat describes her aptly:

Beneath her hardy, bruised exterior shines pure gold.  She is filled with light as no one I have encountered before….Though she is cross and grumpy and irritable as any teen, there is not one ounce of ill will in her and she has had reason to feel it. Indeed, reasons enough to fill a book, but she radiates only excitement and happiness to be alive.

This was a surprise to me, because in the Fever series, Dani annoyed me.  Not so here.  She is a bundle of positive energy and full of life. 

I will say Dani's age is distressing, because I couldn’t help rooting for a romance, and I knew it's not possible at the moment (oh Karen, how you mess with my head!!).  Ryodan is quickly becoming an obsession!!  (Sorry Barrons)  Ryodan and Christian are both trying to stake their claim on her knowing that she's going to turn into an amazing woman, and this would be disturbing, but she has no clue of their feelings toward her. I think this is the reason I could go with this odd situation.  This is okay for now, but I can see it becoming a real issue after this book. KMM will likely frustrate and piss off her readers if she doesn't age Dani (somehow) by a few years in the next book. 

Here are some quick thoughts:  I hate Jo, and her sparkly crap.  Please get rid of her now.  Christian is creepy as heck, yet I’m a little conflicted about him.  Dancer is all kinds of hot-nerdy-goodness!  Smart is so sexy.  

The problem/mystery of the hoarfrost monster is resolved, but we were left on a cliffhanger as well as many questions and speculations.  Jenny and I emailed each other numerous times while I was reading this, and we continue to do so.  This is a testament to the addictive nature of Karen Marie Moning’s writing.  I’m dying for the next book and I’m anxious to see how KMM handles this sticky situation.  Plus, hello, cliffhanger!!!  

One last thing, I listened to the audio-book version of this and I highly recommend it! There is a female and male narrator and they are AMAZING!! 
 

I had to include some of my favorite quotes:

“Turn it off," Ryodan says without even looking at me."You're distressing Dani. No one distresses Dani but me.”

“No one but me is ever going to teach you, Dani.” He touches me before I see it coming, has his hand under my chin, turning my face up. My shiver is instant and uncontrollable.“That’s non-negotiable. You signed a contract with me that grants exclusivity. You won’t like it if you try to break it.”

Watching the light go out of his cool, clear eyes in the alley behind BB&B had just about slayed me. I missed him. I bloody fecking missed him. Ryodan says real soft, "Disappointed or loyal." I got no intention of dying. "Loyal," I say.

Author Event Recap & Giveaway: Breathless Reads Tour 2013

Hello readers! Once again I feel lucky to live in Southern California because we truly get the most awesome author events.  This last Monday, February 11th, I went to see authors: Brenna Yovanoff, Marie Lu, Jessica Khoury, and Andrea Cremer at the charming Mrs. Nelson's Toy and Book Shop for their Breathless Reads Tour Stop.  It was a packed and lively event.  And once again, Arlene from WinterHaven Books and I arrived early to grab our seats and gossip books. Don't forget to scroll down for a chance to win two of the new releases.

 

The evening focused on the writer's experience, publishing, and the market influence on writing YA.  

Brenna signing Paper Valentine

The bubbly Andrea Cremer

When asked about censoring for YA, Brenna said that she usually ends up with a very violent first draft and usually has to reign it in.  This got a few laughs from the audience. She said where she won't censor herself is emotionally. She wants the emotions to be as authentic and raw as possible, so readers who may be experiencing things such as grief, loss, or even an eating disorder would be able to pick up her book and have it feel realistic and relatable.  

Andrea Cremer has a lot coming out this year. Rise, the sequel to Rift, Invisibility a collaboration with David Levithan, an adult series will debut in the fall, and a fourth Nightshade novel with a tentative release in December.  When talking about censoring her writing for YA she said she's never felt like she had to hold back as long as she stuck to the authenticity of the character's experience.  The sexuality in YA is more about coming of age, and an adult experience is very different.

Marie signs Prodigy

Marie Lu shared her personal tips on writing: Just get the words down on the page.  Don't be afraid to write the bad stuff because sometimes you have to get it out before you can move on to writing the good stuff.  One of the things about writing that surprised her is the dichotomy of the life. She feels like half her life is spent as an introvert writing and the other half as an extrovert doing interviews, events, and social media to talk about her books.  She is currently in revisions on the third book in the Legend series: Champion.  Marie was happy the ending of Prodigy broke my heart, lol!  
 

Jessica Khoury

I was amazed to find out Jessica Khoury is only twenty-two and already has her first published novel out, Origin.  She graduated high-school at sixteen and went to college right after.  She said that if she could go back and give herself writing advice it would be to put the books away and get out and live life. Have your own adventures, because this is what enriches your writing, gives it quirkiness, personality, and makes it unique. Jessica said when taking trends in publishing into consideration, it's nice to know what they are, but don't let it influence your writing so that your story suffers. Jessica is currently working on a companion novel to Origin. 

Khoury, Lu, Yovanoff, and Cremer

Now for the exciting part.  To show our appreciation to all our lovely readers we're giving away a Signed Hardcover of Prodigy by Marie Lu and Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff to one lucky reader!  The giveaway is INTERNATIONAL.  The only requirement is that you follow the blog.  Just enter the rafflecopter below for a chance to win. Good luck and thanks for stopping by!

Signed Copies

Review: The Lost Girl by Sangu Mandanna

The Lost Girl by Sangu Mandanna

Publisher: Random House UK

Publication date: 3rd January 2013.

My rating: 4.5 stars 

Eva’s life is not her own. She is a creation, an abomination – an echo. Made by the Weavers as a copy of someone else, she is expected to replace a girl named Amarra, her ‘other’, if she ever died. Eva studies what Amarra does, what she eats, what it’s like to kiss her boyfriend, Ray. So when Amarra is killed in a car crash, Eva should be ready;

But fifteen years of studying never prepared her for this.

Now she must abandon everything she’s ever known – the guardians who raised her, the boy she’s forbidden to love – to move to India and convince the world that Amarra is still alive

The Lost Girl weaves an intricate tale of a society where echoes are created. Echoes are never given the chance to live their own lives but are created so they can replace the life of their others when they have died. It’s so that the family doesn’t have to experience any loss of any sort, they may never have the exact family member back but a similar replica who whilst being born has learnt everything about their other; their friends, what they’re currently learning in school but also getting distinguishable features like them, a slanting fringe one week, a tattoo the next. So whenever the time comes they are able to step into their others shoes immediately like they haven’t been gone at all.

Eva has been created by the loon to take over Amarra’s life. It’s clear through the daily journals that Eva receives from Amarra that Amarra doesn’t want Eva taking over her life, but nothing can be done unless agreed upon by Amarra’s parents. Eva at the beginning had it all to deal with, she’s brought up in one environment where people around her love and care for her, but one day through no chance of her own she will be uprooted from it all and have to live with a completely different family, she’s learnt about them for years but it’s still not the same, she has to pretend to be someone she’s not with everyone Amarra knows and millions of miles away in Bangalore, India. That’s not all, Eva’s life is constantly at risk because in certain counties like India, echoes are illegal, so if found Eva could lose her life and risk her family’s life too. Then there are the hunters who are always on the trail of echoes, hell bent on destroying them. To top it off, if Eva doesn’t continue to live her life as Amarra intended to, the loom can just get rid of Eva as they wish.

Honestly The Lost Girl was just one thrilling ride, Sangu Mandanna managed to create such a unique story that I was just tearing through this book. The dangerous world the loom created had me highly captivated. I can never imagine being born just to live someone else’s life, especially as Eva had to do in a different country where they had a different culture and just leaving my loved ones behind and never having contact with them again. But unlike other echoes Eva was a resilient echo, she was never quick to admit defeat when her back was against the wall, but decided to battle through it all. I truly admired her strength and determination; I loved watching her go through so many life experiences and see the character at the end which emerged.

The Lost Girl couldn’t have been such a fantastic novel if it wasn’t for the strong set of secondary characters. They all in their own ways had their own spunk and drive which made meeting them such a wonderful reading experience. I started the story with a few favourites, but picked up a lot more along Eva’s journey, that I had such a tough time parting ways with some of them over the course of the book.

The Lost Girl was a majestic debut from Sangu Mandanna. This early on in the year, I am happy to declare this book already as one of my favourites. I hope Sangu decides to give us more from Eva’s fantastic world because I for one would love to dive back into it.