Review: Winter's Passage

Meghan Chase used to be an ordinary girl...until she discovered that she is really a faery princess. After escaping from the clutches of the deadly Iron fey, Meghan must follow through on her promise to return to the equally dangerous Winter Court with her forbidden love, Prince Ash. But first, Meghan has one request: that they visit Puck--Meghan's best friend and servant of her father, King Oberon--who was gravely injured defending Meghan from the Iron Fey.

Yet Meghan and Ash's detour does not go unnoticed. They have caught the attention of an ancient, powerful hunter--a foe that even Ash may not be able to defeat....

Title: Winter's Passage (The Iron Fey Novellas ~ Books 1.5)
Author: Julie Kagawa
Publication Date: June 01 2010
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
ISBN: 1426858329
Length: 49 Pages
Add it to your TBR Pile: Goodreads
Buy It: Amazon US / Amazon UK

Source: Purchased (Kindle Edition)
Cover Love: What is not to love?
Point of View: 1st person, following Meghan

My Rating: 4 Stars

This is a very quick read.  Even with it only being 49 pages there is still quite a bit of retelling from The Iron King.  However with that said there is a also a further progression to the story so it is well worth the read.  This novella picks off right where The Iron King left off, Ash has come to collect Meghan so that he can take her back to the Winter Court and to his mother, Queen Mab.  Not a lot of detail can be given about a novella without giving away too much but I do suggest reading this.  There is more than enough story progression to make it worth it.

“If there are three things I’ve learned in my time among the fey, they are this: 

don’t eat anything you’re offered in Faeryland, 

don’t go swimming in quiet little ponds and never, ever, make a bargain with anyone.”

MORE QUOTES FROM WINTER'S PASSAGE

Review: The Iron King

Meghan Chase has never fit in at her small-town high school, and now, on the eve of her 16th birthday, she discovers why.

When her half brother is kidnapped, Meghan is drawn into a fantastical world she never imagined--the world of Faery, where anything you see may try to eat you, and Meghan is the daughter of the summer faery king.

Now she will journey into the depths of Faery to face an unknown enemy . . . and beg the help of a winter prince who might as soon kill her as let her touch his icy heart.

Title: The Iron King (The Iron Fey ~ Book 1)
Author: Julie Kagawa
Publication Date: February 01 2010
Publisher: Harlequin Teen 
Length: 363 Pages
Add it to your TBR Pile: Goodreads
Buy It: Amazon US / Amazon UK

Source: Purchased (Kindle Edition)
Cover Love: Love the colors and swirls!
Point of View: 1st person, following Meghan

My Rating: 4 Stars

Have you ever watched any of the classic 1980's fantasy films?  Legend, The Neverending Story, Willow, The Princess Bride, Labyrinth and so on?  I so got that same kind of vibe while reading The Iron King.  Julie Kagawa does an amazing job setting the scene for this series.  There is a ton of world building and it is completed brilliantly with a lot of wonderful details.

Meghan is a bit of a 'damsel in distress' at times but then she has moments of brilliance where she redeems herself completely.  Robbie/Puck is a classic and I think the author has done well in rewriting him.  To take on one of the original literary bad boys... I mean that takes some guts!  Ash, the Winter Prince, is written exactly as I would imagine him.  Cold and covered in frost but that all slowly starts to melt away.  I love how Ash can control his Winter elements when fighting.  He can throw ice shards, freeze his opponents and his sword is described as glowing blue.  I picture a constant ring of frosty air around him and his sword.

Of course there is the ever popular love triangle going on.  Puck was sent by the Summer King to watch over Meghan.  He has always been her friend and has always been by her side. But she has always looked at him as just that... a friend.  It is obvious that his feelings run a bit deeper.  Then there is Ash.  Ash is of the Winter Court and Meghan the Summer Court, any relationship between them would be doomed from the start. But who follows rules?

The faery world Julie has created is not rainbows and pretty pixies.  It is dark, menacing and you can easily get eaten alive if you are not careful.  It is very rare to find anybody who will help you without wanting something from you in return.  And a faery takes their bargaining very seriously... if you ever partake in a faery bargain be sure to read the fine print of the details.  They tend to be sneaky little buggers.

I don't want to give too much away about the story itself because it is so magical and fantastical!  I want you to be able to enjoy it as much as I did, love the way she was able to take the classical fairy tales and modernize them.  The only reason why I have not given The Iron King 5 stars is because I feel it has room to be even better and I am pretty excited to read the rest of the series to see how great it can be!

“I licked my lips and whispered, "Is this where you say you'll kill me?"
One corner of his lips curled. "If you like," he murmured, a flicker of amusement finally crossing his face. "Though it's gotten far too interesting for that.”

MORE QUOTES FROM THE IRON KING

Book Blogger Spotlight: Book Me!

Book Me!


When and why did you become a book blogger?

I started blogging about six months ago to give my partner a break! I would shoot through a book within two days and then spend the next week talking his ear off, giving him a run down on all the things I loved and the things I hated and what I would have done if I were the one writing that book. I believe it was actually his idea, though. I think his exact words were "You should start a blog! Go blog about this!" He's a smart guy!

How did you come up with the name of your blog?

I actually had a blog called Sugar Me Timbers! over on wordpress, that was dedicated to cakes and my kids parties. When I switched to blogger I shortened it to Sugar Me! And then when I started my book blog, Book Me! just seemed like a natural progression.

What is your favorite thing about blogging?

The followers! Without a doubt! Book Bloggers have such a strong community and aside from the occasional Dramarama, everyone is so supportive of one another! We stick together in a show of nerd-girl/boy solidarity! I've met some extraordinary people through Book Me! and made some lifelong friends!

What do you find the hardest about blogging?

The memes! I love the memes, I love getting to visit new blogs each and every week, but I also find it the most time consuming! I have two babies under five and two YA manuscripts in the works, as well as running an author site, hosting a blog tour for the FEAR Anthology, which my short story WHAT GOES AROUND will be featured in. To say I'm a busy girl, would be the understatement of the century! Sometimes I'm a little lax in the time in which to get back to people, but I always get there eventually, and I ALWAYS, ALWAYS FOLLOW BACK!

Does your blog participate in any weekly features and if so which is your favorite?

Too many! I've actually dropped a couple from the list because of time constraints, but Teaser Tuesday and Feature Follow Friday are my absolute faves!

What has been your favorite moment since you became a book blogger? Which review, interview or giveaway have you been most proud of?

Can I say all of them? Just kidding! Shortly after I started Book Me! I had Jennifer L. Armentrout stop by the blog to read my review of Obsidian. I swear I let out the biggest fangirl squee, I ended up waking the kidlets! ;) I also got to do a character interview with Daniel and Farley from Sovereign Hope, which was just so much fun! My Review for Blackbrooke was featured in ... Blackbrooke, so I'm pretty proud of that as I was the first person outside of the beta and publishing team to read it! And for some reason I'm just really proud of my review for Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma and my review for Pushing The Limits by Katie McGarry. Though now that I've said that I'll probably re-read and cringe, cringe, cringe!

What kind of genres do you enjoy reading and reviewing the most?

YA most definitely! But when I've had too much of all that unfulfilled sexual tension I have to find something steamy to sate the grown-up in me. 

What is your favorite individual book or series? What makes you love it so much?

There are just too many. Okay here goes:

Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma, this book almost killed me. It was physically painful to read because it was so good and so incredibly sad!

Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout, I finished this book and felt like I needed face re-constructive surgery from smiling so much! It's everything I love about YA!

Blackbrooke by Emma Silver, because it's well written and so, so imaginative!

Easy by Tammara Webber. I loved this book. Easy was sort of my first foray into contemporary new adult and I loved it.

City Of Bones by Cassandra Clare, the first three novels of the Mortal Instruments just rocked my world! Before this I'd never really understood how limitless an author's imagination could be. I've been really disappointed with the latest instalments of The Mortal Instruments, I feel like a lot of the magic of the first three was lost by the publisher's need to milk a sure thing. But I still class Cassie as one of my all time favourite authors because she's just that clever!

Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry, OH MY NOAH! I think that's all that really needs to be said ;)

This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers. I LOVE ME A GOOD ZOMBIE STORY! Combine that with YA dramarama, the odd kissing scene or two, and some really scary situations and I'm in heaven!

Who is your favorite fictional male character, why and from what book or series are they from?

Can I say my own? No? Um ... Okay, I think it's a tie between Daemon Black (Jennifer L. Armentrout's Lux series), Jace (Cassandra Clare's Moratal Instruments), Seth (Jennifer L. Armentrout's Covenant series) and Alpha male Ren (Andrea Cremer's Nightshade series)

Who is your favorite fictional female character, why and from what book or series are they from?

I love Alex (also from the Covenant series). She's fiesty as hell, without risking her femininity and funny, too! And I love Dru Anderson from Lili St. Crow's Strange Angels series. In a way I suppose they're quite similar, just the right amount of kick-ass meets girlieness. I can't stand a whiny damsel. I don't mind a damsel every now and then, but it's the whiny bit that will literally make me throw my book at the wall and never pick it up again.

Who are your favorite three authors and why?

Well, you've probably got an idea by now that I'm a huge Armentrout fan! There's just something insanely believable about the characters she creates, even when they're out of this world ;). And chemistry? Good lawd can that woman write a book! I'm also a big fan of a controversial read, the writer in me likes to be challenged when I read, so I loved Tabitha Suzuma's Forbidden. And I'm completely in awe of Cassandra Clare's world building abilities in The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices series.

If you could turn one book or series into films, what would you pick and who would you cast as the main characters?

Oh gosh what a hard question! Well, I'd love to see Emma Silver's Blackbrooke made into a movie! I think Emma created something incredibly original with Blackbrooke and I'd love to see those characters and the Crits brought to life. Also, I think Sovereign Hope by Frankie Rose just reads like a blockbuster movie, so that would be kinda fun, too!

What are you reading right now?

I'm two timing at the moment ;)

Shadows by Paula Weston

and

Seduced In The Dark by CJ Roberts. This one is the follow up to Captive In The Dark, which just blew my mind into the next century!

Paper books or ebooks?

Ooh! Another toughy, I'm going with ebook because they're so lightweight and I can take it anywhere, despite the number of the pages I'm reading. Can you imagine trying to cart a book the size of Breaking Dawn in your handbag? But I do really miss the smell of ink and that feeling of cracking a spine (I know, book lovers everywhere are horrified with me right now)on a new book.

Which would be your favorite place to read? Curled up on a cold day in front of a fireplace, in front of a window on a lovely overcast rainy day or outside on a hammock on a warm summer’s day?

Cold day, fireplace, window. I live in Australia and our summers are HOT, HOT, HOT! I'd take the cold any day!

Milk chocolate, white chocolate or dark chocolate?

Milk! Definitely!

Coffee or hot tea?

Tea, I love a good cuppa! Though I'm insanely picky about how I have it. It's kinda crazy, I'm even picky about what cup it comes in.

Would you like to give any other details about yourself? How can others find you around the web? Such as Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, etc...

As well as running the pinkest blog on the block, Book Me! I'm also an author, and I love me some stalkers! Come visit me at:

Author Website: http://www.carmenjenner.com
Carmen Jenner Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/carmen.jenner.1
Carmen Jenner Twitter: https://twitter.com/CarmenJAuthor

Book Me! Blog: http://www.bookmereviews.com
Book Me! on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bookmereviews 
Book Me! Twitter: https://twitter.com/BookMeReviews

Thanks so much for featuring me Christine! I had a blast!
You ask some tough questions! :)

Review: Unspoken

Kami Glass is in love with someone she’s never met—a boy she’s talked to in her head since she was born. This has made her an outsider in the sleepy English town of Sorry-in-the-Vale, but she has learned ways to turn that to her advantage. Her life seems to be in order, until disturbing events begin to occur. There has been screaming in the woods and the manor overlooking the town has lit up for the first time in 10 years . . .

The Lynburn family, who ruled the town a generation ago and who all left without warning, have returned. Now Kami can see that the town she has known and loved all her life is hiding a multitude of secrets—and a murderer. The key to it all just might be the boy in her head. The boy she thought was imaginary is real, and definitely and deliciously dangerous.

Title: Unspoken (The Lynburn Legacy ~ Book 1)
Author: Sarah Rees Brennan
Publication Date: September 11 2012
Publisher: Random House 
Length: 384 Pages
Add it to your TBR Pile: Goodreads
Buy It: Amazon US / Amazon UK

Source: Purchased (Kindle Edition)
Cover Love: Simply lovely and in a way really captures the feel of the book!
Point of View: 3rd person

My Rating: 5 Stars

What a perfectly unique, delightful and wonderful read!

The setting that Sarah has written is perfect. Regardless of the bad things that are currently happening, I want to live in Sorry-in-the-Vale. I want to buy sweets in the candy shop, I want to have a quiet drink in the local pub and I want to walk down the high street lined with the yellowed Cotswold Stone buildings with the overgrown ivy. Not only do I want to live there but I want Kami Glass as my best friend. She is funny, quick witted, strong, loyal and very brave. Oh and did I mention funny? I laughed so hard I cried. I loved her interactions with her friends and with her family, her father is also hilarious! They easily joke with each other and through these interactions you can see how much they deeply love each other.

Jared. I love Jared. Ever since Kami and Jared were babies they have been able to speak to each other in their minds. They have grown up together and have grown to care for each other. They never ask too many questions about each other's 'real' lives and to be honest they both believe this is only a voice in their head and that the other is not a real person, I mean how could they be real... right?

Wrong. The Lynburns are the family that own the town. They own pretty much all of the land and the people of the village of quite scared of them. They have not lived in Sorry-in-the-Vale for many years but they have returned. The two youngest Lynburns are cousins. There is Ash who is a good student, good son, well just an all around good boy. Then there is his cousin. Gets into fights, doesn't do very well in school, rides a motorcycle, well just an all around bad boy. His name? Jared. At first Kami thinks that his name being Jared is a coincidence, it isn't. This IS Jared, HER Jared.

The interactions between these two are intense. They have to learn how to deal with each other being real and having a face and body to put with the voice in their head. As you can imagine this is difficult. Living your entire life half thinking you are crazy because there is somebody who can feel your emotions and who you have shared your entire life with only to then find out they are a real living breathing person. As they get closer they start to realize their feelings are not just about the closeness they feel toward each other but that of real love. I know a lot of people will get the 'instant love' vibe but it's not. You have to remember these two have grown up together their entire lives. They probably know each other better than their family knows them. So no instant love to be found here.

I was completely engrossed in this book. The pacing is marvellous, I was never bored and I can honestly say there were so many twists and turns that I didn't know what to expect next. I could picture easily in my mind every aspect, Sarah does an amazing job with the descriptions. I experienced every emotion and feel like I could walk into Sorry-in-the-Vale tomorrow and know my way around and already know the people who live there.

It was also very refreshing to read a story with such a strong and charismatic female lead. Kami is not arrogant or snotty. She doesn't see herself as drop dead gorgeous, she does think of herself as pretty but her looks are not something she focuses a lot on. She is no push over and she knows how to protect herself. She fights hard for her friends and will stop at nothing to find truth and justice. The side characters are also so well written that you fall in love with absolutely everybody.

And finally the ending... What can I say about the ending? A few words come to mind. What??? No!!! Stop!!!! UGH!!! Why??? The ending is a killer. I am not telling you to forgo reading this book because of the ending in fact I am telling you it is that good that you need to read it as soon as possible but it does not stop the fact that it is a dreaded cliffhanger. This is book one in the series with the next book, Untold (The Lynburn Legacy ~ Book 2), due to be published on August 29th, 2013. At the time of this review being published that is only 10 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days, 1 Hour, 28 Minutes and 15 Seconds away... Not that I am counting or anything.

On a bit brighter note I have just found that the author has so far released two short prequels.  These are available as a free PDF download and can be found through Goodreads by clicking on the cover photos below.  They are only around 12-15 pages each but at least this is a little bit more of Kami and Jared while we wait.

“Is this true, Kami? Are you going out on a date?” Dad asked tragically. “Wearing that? Wouldn’t you fancy a shapeless cardigan instead? You rock a shapeless cardigan, honey.”

MORE QUOTES FROM UNSPOKEN

Sneak Peek: Walking Disaster

How much is too much to love?

Travis Maddox learned two things from his mother before she died: Love hard. Fight harder.

In Walking Disaster, the life of Travis is full of fast women, underground gambling, and violence. Just when he thought he was invincible, Abby Abernathy brings him to his knees.

Every story has two sides. In Jamie McGuire's New York Times bestseller Beautiful Disaster Abby had her say. Now it's time to see the story through Travis's eyes.

If you have read my review of Beautiful Disaster then you already know how much I absolutely loved that book!  It was easy for me to give it 5 big beautiful twinkling and glowing stars.  I had also mentioned that Walking Disaster is set to be published on April 16th, 2013.  While Beautiful Disaster is told from Abby's point of view, Walking Disaster is told from Travis'.  I am beyond excited about this and I am counting down the days...

Earlier in the week Jamie's publisher set out a task for her to get 13,000 likes on her Facebook page.  They promised that if she managed this task in four days that they would release the entire prologue of Walking Disaster.  Well, it took her only 5 hours to get over 13,000 likes!  They were so impressed they didn't even make us wait until Thursday and released it today.

So here, without further ado is the link to the entire prologue to Walking Disaster.  Enjoy!

WALKING DISASTER PROLOGUE