Dust

Dust

by Sarah Daltry

Source: Publisher

Format: ARC PDF

Who makes YOUR choices?

"I was once the type of person who was impressed by starlight; the type of person who would dance beneath glass ceilings and let the world swim in its loveliness. The sky reminds me of the parties we used to throw - parties like the one last night. The memories bring back the trill of harps and endless ripples of satisfied laughter. Now, though, when I try to recall what I felt, all I hear is screaming."

In a world ravaged by war and oppressive forces of evil, a princess must fight to claim her bloodright and save her people.

When the princess, Alondra, falls for the beautiful, blue eyes of a hooded stranger, it awakens in her a taste for freedom and an escape from her duty.

But her parents have other plans; they have a kingdom to protect and Alondra must marry to ensure the peace between nations. Only what happens when your parents choose a cold-hearted assassin as your betrothed? 

As lies, illusions, and long hidden vendettas surface, the princess has to confront a very secret history. One that makes her realize that she not only risks losing her liberty, but also everything she has known and loved.

Issues:

-Alondra. As a character she was kind of a juxtaposition. She was originally portrayed one way, but then acted quite the opposite for the rest of the story. 

-The romance. The pacing of the romance made it a bit unbelievable, and everything escalated quickly.

Also, the original situation with the blue eyed stranger felt a bit ridiculous.

-The plot. It was strangely paced. The action got started really early on (which is fine, I like that.), but then it was like it hit this point where all that was happening was action and honestly I got a little bit bored.

-The action. The action got to be a bit excessive and monotonous for my taste.

-The flashbacks. Sections flipped back and forth from "now" and "then" I found it to be unnecessary for the most part and a bit confusing at times.

-The world building. I was really confused a lot of the time and couldn't figure out what the world was supposed to be like or how parts of it worked.

Pros:

-Alondra. I liked the personality she had for the majority of the time. She was kind but fiery upon occasion. Unfortunately the original portrayal of her was a bit more spoiled brat. 

-Romance. It was cute, if unrealistic. 

Last Thoughts:

Honestly, I was not a fan. It was an interesting concept but it fell short for me.  There was way too much going on and I couldn't find any reason to care about any of it. I give it a weak one star out of five and sadly, wouldn't recommend it. 

Gif. Consensus: 

A Month of Giving: Week Four

Oh my! We are already in the end of December! Shocking isn't it? If you remember from my first post  I mentioned that this week's would be special. Part of the reason is that I am doing my first international giveaway! The other part is that there are some twists to the US giveaway but I'll talk about those down below.

So here's what you need to know:
- I will be giving away two books a week every week in December.
-The books being given away are lightly used and well taken care of ARCs, some of which have come out/been published already, while others have yet to be released/published.
-These weekly giveaways only run for one week. So enter ASAP.

(NOTE: since this is my first international giveaway, please enter it only if you are NOT a US resident so that international readers get a chance to enter and win. US residents can enter the specifically US giveaways. Also I am not responsible for anything after the prizes leave my hands!)

International Giveaway:

So I have to be kind of stingy here, so I am only giving away ONE book (via the book depository), but I promise that I'll try to do a few more giveaways like this throughout the year instead of doing one big giveaway for you guys, I hope that is ok.

Sometimes I don't get around to reviewing books or my review doesn't show how much I really adored the read. So I am letting you guys pick one from a selection of my favorite books (most of which I never reviewed) from the past few years.

Options:

1) Dragonswood: This is a super fun read I read all the way back in 2012! I must have really enjoyed it because it has stuck with me, and I still remember it quite fondly. It had a lot going on, but it never felt like there was an overwhelming amount of things happening at once.

2) Darker Still: I love Leanna Renee Hieber and I love this series. It is just stunning! Magical, twisted, and totally swoon worthy. You can see my review with here here. And my review from 2012 is over here.

3) The Replacement: This is a really special book. It is unlike anything I've read before and is dark, but not at the same time. It is indescribably unique and quite the trip.

4) Shadows: I actually have reviewed this one, along with the second book you can see those reviews here. It is one of the best angel/nephilim books I've read in a while!

So, pick one, and if you win I'll have the book depository send one your way!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

US Giveaway:

Giveaway one:

-One ARC copy of Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige. (I had a fun time reading this one a while back, you can see my mini review here.)
-One ARC copy of Please Excuse This Poem: 100 New Poets for the Next Generation by Brett Fletcher Lauer, and Lynn Melnick, forward by Carolyn Forche
-One rainbow candy cane that is cherry flavored

Rafflecopter giveaway


Give away two:

-One ARC copy of Midnight Thief  by Livia Blackburne
-One ARC copy of Silent Alarm  by Jennifer Banash
-One rainbow candy cane that is cherry flavored

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Month of Giving: Week Three

It's the third week in a whole month of giving! See my first post for more detail and specifics, but the list below will tell you what are the real necessities.

One change/note: I won't be able to send out the prize from this giveaway for at least a week after the winner is announced.

So here's what you need to know:
- I will be giving away two books a week every week in December.
-The books being given away are lightly used and well taken care of ARCs, some of which have come out/been published already, while others have yet to be released/published.
-The weekly giveaways only run for one week. So enter ASAP.
-Said weekly giveaways are only open to US residents. (Yes, yes, international readers I hear you just hold on and keep reading.)
- There will be special giveaway the week of the 21st.
* This same week, there will be a giveaway (using the book depository) for INTERNATIONAL Readers only! (I'm finally doing it for you guys!)

This week's prize is...

An ARC copy of Seeker by Arwen Elys Dayton. It has an expected publication date of  February 10th 2015. I have really enjoyed it and it is undeniably unique. It is interesting and something that will intrigue Sci-Fi lovers everywhere.

And an ARC copy of Now That You're Here by Amy K. Nichols! This one came out the beginning of this month and it was one of my favorite books in the past few months. It was really cool and you can read my deeper thoughts in my review here.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Darkest Part of The Forest

The Darkest Part of the Forest

by Holly Black

Date of Expected Publication: January 13th, 2015

Source: Liberty Bay Books

Format: Paperback ARC

Children can have a cruel, absolute sense of justice. Children can kill a monster and feel quite proud of themselves. A girl can look at her brother and believe they’re destined to be a knight and a bard who battle evil. She can believe she’s found the thing she’s been made for.

Hazel lives with her brother, Ben, in the strange town of Fairfold where humans and fae exist side by side. The faeries’ seemingly harmless magic attracts tourists, but Hazel knows how dangerous they can be, and she knows how to stop them. Or she did, once.

At the center of it all, there is a glass coffin in the woods. It rests right on the ground and in it sleeps a boy with horns on his head and ears as pointed as knives. Hazel and Ben were both in love with him as children. The boy has slept there for generations, never waking.

Until one day, he does…

As the world turns upside down, Hazel tries to remember her years pretending to be a knight. But swept up in new love, shifting loyalties, and the fresh sting of betrayal, will it be enough? 

At first all I wanted to do was spill my guts out about this book as soon as I finished the last word. Actually, I was dying to blog about it after the first word, but I've been putting it off for a while now because now that I sit to write a review for it, I have absolutely no clue where to start, or what to say. I have never been at as much a loss for words as I am right now. This book gave me an unsatisfiable book hangover for a full week and still haunts me. As soon as I finished it I wanted to read it over again. I didn't really want a sequel or a series, one book summed everything up perfectly, but I loved the story so much that I wanted to read it over and over again until my eyeballs fell out. I couldn't read anything else for a really long time because it wasn't as good, and I just wasn't in the mood for any other type of book. I just wanted The Darkest Part of The Forest again. Thankfully, I am back on track now, but I must say, this book destroyed me like no other.

When I finished the book:

Me:Everyone:

As soon as I read the first word, I knew I wasn't going to be able to put it down and I was right. The way Holly Black wrote and the style she used couldn't have been more perfect for the type of story it was, It was thoroughly enchanting. Holly Black's writing is bewitching.

The plot was the perfect pace and kept me on my toes the entire time and I was able to follow it all without any horrible info dumping or anything because the world building was flawless.

There is nothing I can say to fully explain and sum up my complete obsession with both the characters and the concept. Really just the whole book. Anyways, I didn't have any problems with any of the characters. Sure Hazel and Ben had kind of strange and absent parents, but that was part of their character and it was recognized that their family was kind of an anomaly so I was ok with it, and there were moments of involvement. Jack's parents played a surprisingly large role and it worked with everything else very nicely.

All of these characters were unique and a bit weird, but without being horribly quirky. Holly Black does an amazing job of making her characters some of the realist feeling that I've read. They all have this inexplicable tangibility. I don't want to say too much about Hazel or the romances because I want to talk about them in a later post. However, I will say that I loved Hazel's romance and will sing it high praises into eternity. Ben's on the other hand was abrupt and felt more logical and less real on an emotional level. It was like a lightning strike, there was a bit of thunder before but that was your only warning, there was no development, or gradual progression to it. So I couldn't ship it quite like I wanted to.

The concept was to die for! A true fairy tale like no other. It was a mix of so many classic elements, knights and fair folk, and all the superstitions that come with it all. It was a really interesting and fun blend that felt oddly natural and wonderfully fresh.

I also really enjoyed that she incorporated and addressed real and difficult issues that people face and are especially prominent in teen lives. There are mini existential crises, struggles to define who they are, mistakes, betrayals, and general struggling with a bit of learning how to be a human, and it is great.

Last Thoughts: 
It's like I keep saying, it is indescribable, words don't do it justice. This book is bewitching and will probably eat your soul (in a good way, I promise). I just...I don't even know what to say. It took my breath away. It was love at first word. I give it the ultimate five out of five stars and my highest recommendation. Read it. Read it now. No regrets.

Goodreads and Liberty Bay Books!

General Gif Consensus:

A Second Week of Giving

If you read the post last week, you already know how this all works, but here is a little reminder just incase!

So here's what you need to know:
- I will be giving away two books a week every week in December.
-The books being given away are lightly used and well taken care of ARCs, some of which have come out/been published already, while others have yet to be released/published.
-The weekly giveaways only run for one week. So enter ASAP.
-Said weekly giveaways are only open to US residents. (Yes, yes, international readers I hear you just hold on and keep reading.)
- There will be special giveaway the week of the 21st.
* This same week, there will be a giveaway (using the book depository) for INTERNATIONAL Readers only! (I'm finally doing it for you guys!)

This week's prize..,

An ARC copy of Far From You by Tess Sharpe! This one already "came out" but I really enjoyed it and you can check out my review here!

AND an ARC copy of Zodiac by Romina Russell. I haven't gotten to write a review of it yet and I may never, but it was quite enjoyable! It "comes out" December 9th 2014!





a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Book that Broke Briana

Ensnared (aka the book that broke Briana)

by A.G. Howard

Expected Publication Date: January 6th 2015

Source: Liberty Bay Books

Version: Paper Back ARC

Disclaimer: I am trying to keep this general, but I wouldn't recommend reading this review at all if you haven't read at least the first book, Splintered. There are some details that may hint at certain outcomes or spoilers. Spoilers or large hints to spoilers are "gray-ed" out and you can highlight them to read at your own risk!

Request: If you do highlight and read the spoilers please do not discuss specifics in the comments or elsewhere because that would spoil it to those that chose not to read the spoilers, and wait for the book.

After surviving a disastrous battle at prom, Alyssa has embraced her madness and gained perspective. She's determined to rescue her two worlds and the people and netherlings she loves. Even if it means challenging Queen Red to a final battle of wills and wiles . . . and even if the only way to Wonderland, now that the rabbit hole is closed, is through the looking-glass world--a parallel dimension filled with mutated and violent netherling outcasts. In the final installment of the wildly popular Splintered trilogy, Alyssa and her dad journey into the heart of magic and mayhem in search of her mom and to set right all that's gone wrong. Together with Jeb and Morpheus, they must salvage Wonderland from the decay and destruction that has ensnared it. But if they succeed and come out alive, can everyone truly have their happily ever after?

First off, I want to squeal and give a HUGE shout out to Liberty Bay Books for the ARC. (I died a little inside when I found it.) Also, A.G. Howard TWEETED ME BACK! It was so cool to have an author actually respond to tweets about their book! (I don't dislike it when authors do not do this because that is asking a lot, but I just thought it was cool that she took the time to reply to every single one!)

Let's kick it off with the one issue I had. The romance. You may remember from my review of Unhinged that I became hardcore team Morpheus during that book. So naturally I was rooting for him, but I did like Jeb for a while, so I didn't really feel like there was anyway I could be too horribly disappointed by the outcome of the triangle. I was mistaken. I hated how the triangle was resolved.(SPOILER) A choice never really had to be made, and personally I found the resolution a little weak and lack luster. I can't say more without spoiling it. Go read it then come back and we can discuss it.

(SPOILER) Also, everyone had such a happy ending. Everything was just wrapped up in a little bow with no loose ends and that kind of frustrated me. Life doesn't happen like that so why do stories?

However, Ensnared maintained all the other things I loved from Splintered, and Unhinged. The characters were still their brilliant selves (well mostly *wink wink*), however I wished there had been a little bit more development evident as it was happening. Characters changed, and it was obvious at the end, and it was explicitly showed in a few moments along the way. I was impressed by the amount of character development that it had though.

The plot was still cool and on point. It kept me wanting more, although I may have liked the plot of the others, a smidge better.

Again, the writing and voice were super fun and really worked well with everything else.

Last Thoughts: Despite a few minor qualms, I devoured this book and it devoured me. It was super fun and I was entertained through every second of it. The concept of the entire series is stellar. Howard crafts a unique series like no other, with an ultimately satisfying ending. I have to give it four to four and one half stars out of five because the few problems I had with it were too large to ignore.

Goodreads and Liberty Bay Books!

General Gif Consensus: 

A Month of Giving: Week One

I am so immensely thankful for Liberty Bay Books. It has only been a bit over a year of working with them and still, it is already hard to remember what it was like before. They have made a huge difference in how I blog and because of their support I am able to do some really awesome things!

Suzanne came to me with yet another brilliant idea/offer. She suggested doing, "a month of giving" to give away more ARCs! Well you don't have to ask me twice! Of course I said yes! So now I'm here to kick it off. I am beyond thrilled to be able to share so many great books with you guys! I would not be able to do this without Liberty Bay Books, Suzanne, and all her amazing employees!

So here's what you need to know:
- I will be giving away two books a week every week in December.
-The books being given away are lightly used and well taken care of ARCs, some of which have come out/been published already, while others have yet to be released/published.
-The weekly giveaways only run for one week. So enter ASAP.
-Said weekly giveaways are only open to US residents. (Yes, yes, international readers I hear you just hold on and keep reading.)
- There will be special giveaway the week of the 21st.
* This same week, there will be a giveaway (using the book depository) for INTERNATIONAL Readers only! (I'm finally doing it for you guys!)

Week One: "Holly Black: New and Old"
Again you only have 7 days to enter and you have to be a US resident.

This week's prize is two Holly Black ARCs...

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown received a grand review and rating from me which you can see here, but be warned it was from my earlier days and may be a bit wild. (This one has been "out" for a while.) 

The Darkest Part of the Forest almost didn't make it into the giveaway pile because I loved it so much that I wanted to keep it forever and ever. That review is still to come because the book won't be "released" until January 13th 2015. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway