Wednesday, February 10, 2016

Review - The Beautiful and the Cursed by Page Morgan


 The Beautiful and the Cursed (The Dispossessed, #1)
The Beautiful and the Cursed (The Dispossessed #1)
By Page Morgan
Published May 14th, 2013 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers
341 pages

4 stars - Fantastic! 

Synopsis from Goodreads.com: 

 After a bizarre accident, Ingrid Waverly is forced to leave London with her mother and younger sister, Gabby, trading a world full of fancy dresses and society events for the unfamiliar city of Paris.

In Paris there are no grand balls or glittering parties, and, disturbingly, the house Ingrid’s twin brother, Grayson, found for them isn’t a house at all. It’s an abandoned abbey, its roof lined with stone gargoyles that could almost be mistaken for living, breathing creatures.

And Grayson has gone missing.

No one seems to know of his whereabouts but Luc, a devastatingly handsome servant at their new home.

Ingrid is sure her twin isn’t dead—she can feel it deep in her soul—but she knows he’s in grave danger. It will be up to her and Gabby to navigate the twisted path to Grayson, a path that will lead Ingrid on a discovery of dark secrets and otherworldly truths. And she’ll learn that once they are uncovered, they can never again be buried.


Review:

I have found another winner! 

If you saw my review of Stolen Songbird by Danielle L. Jensen, then you know that I was in a terrible reading slump for awhile. Until I found Stolen Songbird that is. I immediately wanted to read the sequel to that beautiful book but was unfortunately unable to. So I went to my bookshelf and found another book. I was kind of nervous before starting The Beautiful and the Cursed because I wasn't quite sure that I would enjoy it, especially after reading a 5 star book. I was afraid that my slump would start all over again. Clearly I had nothing to worry about because this book is a pretty awesome start to, what I'm sure is going to be, a pretty awesome series. 

Ok, now to the review! 

I have only read one other series about gargoyles and demons and what not. The only reason I read the previous series was because I absolutely love the author. But I wasn't always sold on gargoyles and I was never really sure if I wanted to read about them. I think Page Morgan does a pretty good with gargoyles. Her descriptions and the history that she wrote was enough to keep me interested. The whole book had a darker and older sort of feel to it and I really felt like I was there with those characters. I haven't read too many Gothic novels and I really enjoyed the feel of this one. 

The characters themselves were interesting as well. It took a little longer to feel attached to them and, for that reason, I gave this book 4 stars. It was a little slow in certain parts but once I got closer to the end, I couldn't put it down! I had to know what would happen to Ingrid and her friends. There is a ton of action and suspense near the end. 

It feels like I haven't really said anything about this book, but it wasn't too long to begin with. Overall, I think that this is a great start to the series. I am really interested in seeing what happens next and I really wish that I would've bought the second book when I bought the first. The history of the gargoyles, demons, angels, and humans was interesting and I want to know more about it. Plus I just have to know what happens with Ingrid and Luc! I definitely recommend if you are interested in Gothic novels and gargoyles. 

Vanessa

Monday, February 8, 2016

Review - Stolen Songbird by Danielle L. Jensen


Stolen Songbird (The Malediction Trilogy, #1)
Stolen Songbird (The Malediction Trilogy #1)
By Danielle L. Jensen
Published April 1st, 2014 by Strange Chemistry
469 pages

5 stars - AMAZING!!


 Synopsis from Goodreads.com:

For five centuries, a witch’s curse has bound the trolls to their city beneath the mountain. When Cécile de Troyes is kidnapped and taken beneath the mountain, she realises that the trolls are relying on her to break the curse.

Cécile has only one thing on her mind: escape. But the trolls are clever, fast, and inhumanly strong. She will have to bide her time…



But the more time she spends with the trolls, the more she understands their plight. There is a rebellion brewing. And she just might be the one the trolls were looking for...


Review:
  
Wow. Just...wow. I have had this beautiful book sitting on my bookshelf for probably a year now! The masterpiece was sitting on my bookshelf when I could have been reading it! But, really. Stolen Songbird was such a fantastic read. I was in quite a reading slump when I finally decided to give this book a try. I had bought it because it sounded interesting and the ratings were pretty great, but I wasn't quite sure if it would be to my liking. I am so glad that all my fear was for nothing! I flew through this book so fast that it is safe to say that my reading slump is over.

I'm not sure if I can begin to explain why I loved this book, but I'll definitely try. Cecile and Tristan are my first reason. Those two characters were amazing in my opinion. I loved how strong Cecile was despite the fact that her whole life was taken from her. She was in a completely foreign place but she didn't ever give up hope that things would be alright in the end. Then there was Tristan. Sigh. ;) We get to read a few chapters here and there of Tristan's thoughts. I really enjoyed this because we got to learn more about Tristan and his motives. I won't say too much more for fear of spoiling. Oh, and let's not forget about the relationship between those two. :) Aside from them, there were a few other characters that were awesome as well. They were supportive friends and definitely humorous.

The whole story on how Trollus came to be was definitely interesting. I loved reading about the history of the trolls and realizing that I might know the secret of who they really are. This whole book really just caught my attention and didn't let go. I was intrigued by the characters and the setting. I wanted to know what the secrets that everyone was keeping were.

Overall, the whole book was such an enjoyable read and something that I really needed after days of not reading. I loved the characters and the world that Jensen created. I actually thought that this was a standalone book when I was reading it but I was glad to find out that this is actually a trilogy. I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book! I mean, that ending was something else and I absolutely have to know what happens next! Definitely pick up this book if you haven't yet. You will not regret it!!

Vanessa

Monday, February 1, 2016

Thirst: Blood of my Blood by R P Channing (Spotlight and Excerpt)


Hello Everyone! Today I have a Spotlight post, as well as an excerpt, for Thirst: Blood of my Blood by R P Channing. Sounds pretty interesting so definitely check it out! 


Thirst: Blood of my Blood
By R P Channing

Synopsis:
 


~ Kira Sutherland ~

After a near fatal accident (and getting cheated on by her 'boyfriend'), and beating up the lead cheerleader (with whom the boyfriend cheated...), and being labeled as having 'issues' in her school because she, uhm, sees ghosts, Kira is left with two choices:

1. Continue her 'therapy' (where she's told the ghost is a hallucination and also gets her legs ogled too often...)

Or

2. Go to Starkfield Academy, a boarding school for "Crazies and Convicts" (as the social media sites call them.)

She chooses the latter...

~ Cory Rand ~

Cory Rand has not had an easy life. His mother died in a car accident when he was twelve, and so did his mother's best friend...sort of. You see, Janice made a promise to take care of Cory just before she died, and so she lingers. Undead. A ghost that watches out for him.

Brought up in an abusive home, Cory quickly falls into a life of disreputable behavior. After his third offense (which was prompted by a girl, as usual - he has a weakness) he's left with two choices:

1. Be tried as an adult and share a cell with a guy named Bubba (he thinks...)

Or

2. Go to Starkfield Academy, which Cory is pretty sure is run by vampires. But, hey, at least he'll get an education.

He chooses the latter...

It's at Starkfield that Kira meets Cory Rand, a boy with an insatiable Rage who sees ghosts, too. As well as other things, other things from his past, things that confuse him, things like fire and witches and demons.

Things he's always ignored.

Until now.

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Buy Links:
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B018M5GTLI 

$20 Amazon Gift Voucher Giveaway!!
At the back of the book there is a giveaway link. Once the book hits fifty reviews on Amazon, one of those reviewers will win a $20 (US Dollars) Amazon Gift Voucher!


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Author Bio:

R P Channing started writing three years ago, but never published anything even after churning out over a million words of fiction. Thirst: Blood of my Blood is the first book he dared to publish. When asked why, he said, “Because it’s the first thing I wrote that my wife actually enjoyed reading.” When not hammering away (most literally) at his keyboard, he can be found buried in a book, reading anything from romance to horror to young adult to non-fiction to comedy.

Author Links:

Website

Twitter

Amazon