Grabby Paws: Witchrise by Victoria Lamb & Winterspell by Claire Legrand

“Grabby Paws” is my version of the Waiting on Wednesday meme hosted by Breaking The Spine that highlights upcoming releases that I can’t wait to get my paws on. 🙂

Today I have grabby paws for…

Only one witch can rise above the coming storm …

When Tudor witch Meg Lytton receives an unexpected legacy – her mother’s magical wand, ring and spellbook – she has no idea her future happiness is in danger. For the witchfinder Marcus Dent is back in her dreams, and he will use any weapon to gain her newfound powers for himself.

Now Meg must discover the secret of Invictus, her mother’s magical ring. Summoned back to Hatfield, she knows a battle is coming. But Meg is no longer alone in her struggle against Dent. Surrounded by her friends, she faces her greatest challenge head-on: losing Alejandro, her beloved. For it seems the Spanish novice has been keeping secrets from them all.

Powers clash and hearts break in the spellbinding third book of The Tudor Witch Trilogy.

Why I have grabby paws…

So…two of my favorite things? The Tudor Era & witches. Now that the third book is out I can binge-read them all!

Releases September 30th

I also have grabby paws for…

The clock chimes midnight, a curse breaks, and a girl meets a prince . . . but what follows is not all sweetness and sugarplums.

New York City, 1899. Clara Stole, the mayor’s ever-proper daughter, leads a double life. Since her mother’s murder, she has secretly trained in self-defense with the mysterious Drosselmeyer.

Then, on Christmas Eve, disaster strikes.

Her home is destroyed, her father abducted–by beings distinctly nothuman. To find him, Clara journeys to the war-ravaged land of Cane. Her only companion is the dethroned prince Nicholas, bound by a wicked curse. If they’re to survive, Clara has no choice but to trust him, but his haunted eyes burn with secrets–and a need she can’t define. With the dangerous, seductive faery queen Anise hunting them, Clara soon realizes she won’t leave Cane unscathed–if she leaves at all.

Inspired by The Nutcracker, Winterspell is a dark, timeless fairy tale about love and war, longing and loneliness, and a girl who must learn to live without fear.

Why I have Grabby Paws…

All that need be said is this:

NUTCRACKER RETELLING!

But I’ll also add FAERIES and VICTORIAN!

Releases September 30th

Cover Reveal: Wicked by Jennifer L. Armentrout

We are so excited to bring you the Cover Reveal for Jennifer L. Armentrout’s WICKED! WICKED is a New Adult Paranormal Romance and is a part of Jennifer L. Armentrout’s Wicked Trilogy. It is being released on December 8^th, 2014. So make sure you pre-order it today!!

 

Amazon

WICKED 

Things are about to get Wicked in New Orleans.

Twenty-two year old Ivy Morgan isn’t your average college student. She, and others like her, know humans aren’t the only thing trolling the French Quarter for fun… and for food. Her duty to the Order is her life. After all, four years ago, she lost everything at the hands of the creatures she’d sworn to hunt, tearing her world and her heart apart.

Ren Owens is the last person Ivy expected to enter her rigidly controlled life. He’s six feet and three inches of temptation and swoon-inducing charm. With forest-green eyes and a smile that’s surely left a stream of broken hearts in its wake, he has an uncanny, almost unnatural ability to make her yearn for everything he has to offer. But letting him in is as dangerous as hunting the cold-blooded killers stalking the streets. Losing the boy she loved once before had nearly destroyed her, but the sparking tension that grows between them becomes impossible for Ivy to deny. Deep down, she wants… she needs more than what her duty demands of her, what her past has shaped for her.

But as Ivy grows closer to Ren, she realizes she’s not the only one carrying secrets that could shatter the frail bond between them. There’s something he’s not telling her, and one thing is for certain. She’s no longer sure what is more dangerous to her—the ancient beings threatening to take over the town or the man demanding to lay claim to her heart and her soul.

 

Jennifer L. Armentrout:

# 1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV.

She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

 Website ** Facebook ** Twitter ** Novel Goodreads ** Author Goodreads

Strange & Ever After by Susan Dennard Book Blitz + Giveaway!

IFB is hosting the promo tour for the third and final book in Susan Dennard’s steampunk, zombie trilogy. Continue below for a sample and a cool giveaway.

 

Series: Something Strange & Deadly #3

Release date: July 22nd 2014

Publisher: HarperTeen

Purchase: Amazon | B&N

 

Synopsis via Goodreads:

In the conclusion to the trilogy that Publishers Weekly called “a roaring—and addictive—gothic world,” Eleanor Fitt must control her growing power, face her feelings for Daniel, and confront the evil necromancer Marcus…all before it’s too late.

 

He took her brother, he took her mother, and now, Marcus has taken her good friend Jie. With more determination than ever to bring this sinister man to justice, Eleanor heads to the hot desert streets of nineteenth-century Egypt in hopes of ending this nightmare. But in addition to her increasingly tense relationships with Daniel, Joseph, and her demon, Oliver, Eleanor must also deal with her former friend, Allison, who has curiously entangled herself in Eleanor’s mission.

 

With the rising dead chomping at her every move and Jie’s life hanging in the balance, Eleanor is convinced that her black magic will see her through to the bitter end. But there will be a price. Though she and the Spirit Hunters have weathered every battle thus far, there will be consequences to suffer this time—the effects of which will be irreversible. And when it’s over, only some will be able to live a strange and ever after.

 

Susan Dennard will leave readers breathless and forever changed in the concluding pages of this riveting ride.

Susan Dennard is a writer turned marine biologist turned writer again. Strange and Ever After is the conclusion to her trilogy, which includes A Darkness Strange and Lovely and Something Strange and Deadly. Among the traits she shares with her heroine Eleanor are a weakness for Shakespeare quotes, a healthy appetite for baked goods, and an insatiable curiosity. Sadly, Susan does not get to wear a corset or wave a parasol on a daily basis.

 

WEBSITE | GOODREADS | TWITTER | FACEBOOK

 

The Complete Series

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Strange And Ever After by Susan Dennard Blog Tour + Giveaway!

Strange and Ever After 

(Something Strange and Deadly #3)

by Susan Dennard

Publisher: HarperTeen

Release Date: July 22nd 2014

Synopsis:

In the conclusion to the trilogy that Publishers Weekly called “a roaring—and addictive—gothic world,” Eleanor Fitt must control her growing power, face her feelings for Daniel, and confront the evil necromancer Marcus…all before it’s too late.

He took her brother, he took her mother, and now, Marcus has taken her good friend Jie. With more determination than ever to bring this sinister man to justice, Eleanor heads to the hot desert streets of nineteenth-century Egypt in hopes of ending this nightmare. But in addition to her increasingly tense relationships with Daniel, Joseph, and her demon, Oliver, Eleanor must also deal with her former friend, Allison, who has curiously entangled herself in Eleanor’s mission.

With the rising dead chomping at her every move and Jie’s life hanging in the balance, Eleanor is convinced that her black magic will see her through to the bitter end. But there will be a price. Though she and the Spirit Hunters have weathered every battle thus far, there will be consequences to suffer this time—the effects of which will be irreversible. And when it’s over, only some will be able to live a strange and ever after.

Susan Dennard will leave readers breathless and forever changed in the concluding pages of this riveting ride.

Want to read an extra scene from A Darkness Strange & Lovely in Daniel’s POV? Click here!

 

 

Follow the FFBC Strange And Ever After Blog Tour and don’t miss anything! Click on the banner to see the tour schedule.

I am a writer, reader, lover of animals, and eater of cookies. I used to be a marine biologist, but now I write novels. And not novels about fish either, but novels about kick-butt heroines and swoon-worthy rogues (I reallylike swoon-worthy rogues).

I live in the Midwest with my husband and two dogs (Asimov and Princess Leia), and you can learn more about my crazy thoughts and crippling cookie-addiction on my blog or twitter.

My debut, SOMETHING STRANGE AND DEADLY is now available from HarperTeen along with the prequel, A DAWN MOST WICKED, and the sequel A DARKNESS STRANGE & LOVELY.

Look for STRANGE & EVER AFTER in summer 2014 and TRUTHWITCH in fall 2015!

Note: I am on Goodreads to READ. So, if you want to discuss books and the joys of literature, add me as a friend!

Win (1) hardback copy of Strange and Ever After (US Only)

Win (1) E-book of Strange and Ever After (INT)

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Review: Allegiant by Veronica Roth: A Let-Down of Matrix-Level Proportions

Allegiant

by Veronica Roth

Genre: Young Adult Dystopian

Series: Divergent #3

Source: Purchased

 

Book Summary:

The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered—fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories. 

But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature—and of herself—while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love. 

Told from a riveting dual perspective, Allegiant, by #1 New York Times best-selling author Veronica Roth, brings the Divergent series to a powerful conclusion while revealing the secrets of the dystopian world that has captivated millions of readers in Divergent and Insurgent.

I’ll say it again: a let-down of Matrix-level proportions. Why do I say it? Because, like the Matrix Trilogy, with the last installment, the entire story collapsed under its own weight, crushing (ie. killing off) basically all of the characters, to the point where the audience is so horrified that they lose all emotional attachment to said characters and start to wonder if maybe everyone would have been better off staying blissfully ignorant?

Now, as with the Matrix, I experienced the whole series back-to-back. I can’t even imagine the betrayal felt by fans who waited and waited for each book to come out, only for it to end like this. The same emotional reactions could have been elicited without the story becoming so unnecessarily tragic. Actually, there would have been a better emotional reaction, because the reader would not have been struck numb by shock. The tragedy was simply unnecessary.

So that was the ending. Let’s talk about the book:

The more I think about it, the Great Revelation of the last book was just okay. Not bad, really, but not enough, given the ending.

I did like that Tris and Tobias each got to narrate. Tobias is so, so much more sympathetic a character that I found his narration refreshing after Tris’ harsh, judgmental coldness.  However, the narrative “voice” of both Tris and Tobias sounded virtually identical, and I often had to go back and check to see whose chapter I was reading. I know it can be hard to pull off dual narration, but I do wish there had been more differentiation.

This is how it should have ended: Allegiant Alternate Ending

And this should have been the epilogue: Allegiant Alternate Ending Epilogue

If, like me, Allegiant either ripped your heart out or numbed you to the whole series, read those, and salvage yourself.

I can only hope they fix this massive mistake in the movies. I won’t hold my breath.

 

Grabby Paws: Ruin & Rising by Leigh Bardugo

“Grabby Paws” is my version of the Waiting on Wednesday meme hosted by Breaking The Spine that highlights upcoming releases that I can’t wait to get my paws on. 🙂

Today I have grabby paws for…

The capital has fallen. The Darkling rules Ravka from his shadow throne.

Now the nation’s fate rests with a broken Sun Summoner, a disgraced tracker, and the shattered remnants of a once-great magical army.

Deep in an ancient network of tunnels and caverns, a weakened Alina must submit to the dubious protection of the Apparat and the zealots who worship her as a Saint. Yet her plans lie elsewhere, with the hunt for the elusive firebird and the hope that an outlaw prince still survives.

Alina will have to forge new alliances and put aside old rivalries as she and Mal race to find the last of Morozova’s amplifiers. But as she begins to unravel the Darkling’s secrets, she reveals a past that will forever alter her understanding of the bond they share and the power she wields. The firebird is the one thing that stands between Ravka and destruction—and claiming it could cost Alina the very future she’s fighting for.

Why I have grabby paws…

Even though I haven’t started this series yet, I already know I’ll love it. So I want the third book to release already do I can go on a series-binge. The Russian mythology aspect is especially tantalizing. I love exploring new mythologies, and I’m not as familiar with Russian myth as I’d like to be. Plus the author seems like a really cool person.

Releases June 17th

Review: Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Insurgent

by Veronica Roth

Genre: Young Adult Dystopian

Series: Divergent #2

Source: Purchased

Book Summary:

One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris’s initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

Definitely better than the first book. Insurgent opens up the world and gives us a peek at the other factions, specifically Amity and Candor. Amity is my favorite faction, so I enjoyed getting to see them up-close, even if they too have major flaws.

But that peace serum they make? I think Tris needs to be on it all the time. She’s so much easier to like that way.

I liked her better in this one, even when she was spinning out of control and alienating everyone. And I especially liked her more when she finally got it together

The Candor truth serum sounded terrifying in Divergent, but we get to see it in use here, and you know what? I think it’s awesome. I wish it existed. So many problems are created by dishonesty, especially in this book, that Candor started to look really appealing, even if their leadership was composed of spineless idiots.

We get more character interaction here, which I always like. We get to know the Dauntless-born initiates better and even some characters from unexpected factions become allies and friends.

Oh, and the factionless! I still think it’s weird they exist. This world was supposed to be a utopia, with a place for everyone, so why so many displaced? Perhaps things would have worked better if there had been fewer or no factionless. Either way, it was cool getting to meet them.

The thing about this series: I like it intellectually, but I don’t love any of the characters. I’m not sure why, but it’s a shame.

And like many people, I wish I’d stopped reading at Insurgent.

Review: Divergent by Veronica Roth

Divergent

by Veronica Roth

Genre: Young Adult Dystopian

Series: Divergent #1

Source: Gifted

Book Summary:

In Beatrice Prior’s dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue–Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is–she can’t have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are–and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she’s chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she’s kept hidden from everyone because she’s been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, Tris also learns that her secret might help her save the ones she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

Okay, so I knew I had to read this before the movie came out, and I loved the Hunger Games, so I had high hopes. Did I love it as much as I loved The Hunger Games? No. (Though I still gave two books to go!) Was it a really good story? Yes. The Chicago setting was excellent. I spent an accidental five hours in Chicago once (thankfully not during winter) and it is a beautiful, interesting place. I was constantly curious about the world outside the city, and hopefully we’ ll get more of that in the next two books. I also want to know why the lakes dried up. Having seen them in person, the imagery of empty marshland being all that’s left was haunting.

I was lucky enough to read the special edition paperback, which had all sorts of fun extra features like author interviews and a playlist, but the best feature was definitely the Faction Manifestos. I read these before I started the novel for some background and was glad I did. Unfortunately, the faction I would fit in best, Amity, was the one mentioned least in Divergent. Probably because Tris would never pick it. Early in the book, she irritatingly says something like “but I could never be Amity”. Like it should be obvious. Later on, you realize that given her personality, Tris would never fit in there, but at the time the brush-off bothered me. I wish my favorite faction wasn’t dismissed so easily.

Of course, Tris herself drove me nuts because we are absolutely nothing alike. At one point she says “I could never be attracted to someone so weak” and I just wanted to shake her. Like wow, who are you to judge? Dauntless is absolutely the last faction I’d ever chose, and of course that’s the one whose initiation process we get to see up close. I could understand the comradeship that would form, and I acknowledge that once Dauntless was more about protecting people and less about suicidally stupid, pointless risks, but still. Not my favorite faction. Thankfully I did like that character of Four. At one point, Tris expresses that she likes him even though he isn’t particularly gentle or kind (another line that had me rolling my eyes at her), but I think she got it wrong. At least Four has legitimate reasons for his hardness, and beneath it he was a really good person.

I found the world of Divergent rich and fascinating, but I kind of wish I could have explored it though a different character, in a different faction. I never really clicked with Dauntless and Tris got on my nerves repeatedly. She IS selfish, and even arrogant. Thankfully she does acknowledge her mistakes and grows a bit especially after the events towards the end of the book. I hope we see lots more growth to come. All in all, a promising start to a series that explores complex issues of identity and virtue.

Grabby Paws: Starling by Fiona Paul

“Grabby Paws” is my version of the Waiting on Wednesday meme hosted by Breaking The Spine that highlights upcoming releases that I can’t wait to get my paws on. 🙂

Today I have grabby paws for…

In the stunning conclusion to the Secrets of the Eternal Rose trilogy, there is nothing more dangerous that a secret closely kept… Cass and Luca are fugitives, on the run from the law and the deadly Order of the Eternal Rose. As they separate to pursue the only evidence that could save them, their worlds-and their romance-are torn apart by spiteful friends and murderous enemies. When Cass finds herself ensnared in the Order’s twisted plot, Falco emerges once again as her only hope for freedom. But it turns out Luca has a shocking scheme of his own. From ancient mercenaries to sly magicians, from clever courtesans to vengeful killers, no one can be trusted. In the breathtaking conclusion to the Secrets of the Eternal Rose trilogy, Cass must confront the Order and once and for all decide her destiny. Who will fly beside her when she finally finds her wings? This historical romantic thriller is perfect for fans of Philippa Gregory’s The Other Boleyn Girl, Anna Godberson’s The Luxe, and Libba Bray’s A Great and Terrible Beauty and The Diviners.

Why I have grabby paws…

I know, I know, but I like this cover better, okay? The other one makes it look too much like Contemporary Romance.

Anyway! I haven’t started this series yet because I have the second book and not the first, but wow it sounds amazing! Paranormal Historical in Venice with secret societies and magic and forbidden romance. *sigh* I can’t wait to dive in and read the whole series! Also, Fiona Paul is just awesome. It’s because of her that I found the picture I use for Grabby Paws. She shared it during a Twitter Party. And she’s really nice.

Releases March 20th

Grabby Paws: Daughter of Chaos by Jen McConnel

“Grabby Paws” is my version of the Waiting on Wednesday meme hosted by Breaking The Spine that highlights upcoming releases that I can’t wait to get my paws on. 🙂

Today I have grabby paws for…

There comes a time in every witch’s life when she must choose her path. Darlena’s friends have already chosen, so why is it so hard for her to make up her mind? Now, Darlena is out of time. Under pressure from Hecate, the Queen of all witches, Darlena makes a rash decision to choose Red magic, a path no witch in her right mind would dare take. As a Red witch, she will be responsible for chaos and mayhem, drawing her deep into darkness. Will the power of Red magic prove too much for Darlena, or will she learn to control it before it’s too late?

DAUGHTER OF CHAOS is the first in the RED MAGIC paranormal YA trilogy.

Why I have grabby paws…

Okay, so not only is it about witches, but it’s about Hecate! And it’s first in a series! I cannot properly express the level of excitement I have for this book. Actually, maybe I can. I am so excited about this book that I’m actually pre-ordering it. I hardly ever pre-order books, so this is a big deal. I think the last one I pre-ordered was The Indigo Spell.

My pre-ordering may even be rewarded because the author Jen McConnel (who is awesome by the way) is holding a contest for people who pre-order the book. Click on the button above to find out more and enter.

Want a teaser?

Click the picture above for the full teaser.

Want another teaser? Go here. 🙂

Are you as excited as I am yet?!

Releases March 25th