THE DEEPEST NIGHT by Shana Abe

The Deepest Night
Shana Abe

Rating: A+
Release Date: 08/13/13
Synopsis:
A rich portrait of post-Victorian England, The Deepest Night seamlessly blends thrilling romance with riveting history and adventure—perfect for fans of Libba Bray and Lauren Kate.

It’s 1915, and sixteen-year-old Lora Jones is finishing up her first year as a charity student at Iverson, a prestigious, gothic boarding school on England’s southern coast. While she’s always felt different from everyone around her, now she finally knows why: She is a drákon, a rare, enchanted being with astonishing magical abilities.

As war hits Britain’s shores, and Lora reels from an unimaginable loss, she finds that her powers come with grave and dangerous responsibilities. At the request of Armand Louis, the darkly mysterious boy whose father owns Iverson, Lora will spend her summer at his lavish estate. To help the war effort—and to keep Lora by his side—Armand turns his home into a military hospital, where Lora will serve as a nurse. For Armand is inescapably drawn to her—bound to her by heart-deep secrets and a supernatural connection that runs thicker than blood.

Yet while Lora tries to sort out her own feelings toward Armand, fate offers an unexpected surprise. Lora discovers there is another drákon, a prisoner of war being held in Germany. And that only she, with her newly honed Gifts, will be able to rescue him.

With Armand, Lora will cross enemy lines on an incredible mission—one that could bond her to Armand forever, or irrevocably tear them apart.

Beautifully written, deeply romantic, and filled with daring adventure and magic, The Deepest Night is a mesmerizing novel of the enduring pull of destiny, and the eternal strength of love.

Do not read this review if you haven't read The Sweetest Dark! It contains spoilers for the first book.

STALKED BY DEATH by Kelly Hashway Review + Interview!!

Stalked by Death
Kelly Hashway

Rating: B+
Synopsis:Jodi knows that any slip-ups made by the Ophi--a special group of necromancers born under the 13th sign of the zodiac--will fall on her shoulders... and that Hades is just waiting for them to screw up so he can wipe out the Ophi line.

Unfortunately, Jodi has only convinced one Ophi to join her school: A hot guy named Chase who jeopardizes her relationship with Alex. Jodi loves Alex, but Chase can enhance her powers with just a touch—making her stronger than any Ophi has ever been.

Her mixed emotions send her powers surging out of control, and the dead start rising without her conscious summoning—exactly what Hades doesn't want! If she chooses Alex over Chase, she may lose the battle to Hades, leading the Ophi race to extinction. If she chooses Chase, she might be able to stop Hades for good… but lose everything else.

Jodi needs to figure things out fast--because death is stalking her at every turn.

My thoughts on the book:
Stalked by Death is a huge improvement over the first installment. While I enjoyed the premise of Touched by Death, there were quite a few problems with the book. However, because of the unique concept, I gave this series another chance, and I'm so glad I did! The characters are better developed and actually grow as the novel progresses this time. The plot is much stronger, and Hashway's writing is also improved. After reading this book, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this series to anyone!

Jodi is a much more likable character in this novel. She still does some dumb things, but she's not half as ignorant about what's going on. I actually enjoyed reading things from her perspective and was able to sympathize with her quite a bit. Alex got on my nerves for the first 3/4 of the book, though. He is so childish and temperamental that I wanted to hit him. Maybe if he'd acted differently then things wouldn't have gone to crap... maybe not, though because Jodi has a lot going against her and her relationship with Alex. I hated Chase from the beginning. He just seemed slimy. My opinion of him did not improve as the novel progressed. I enjoyed getting to know more about the secondary characters, and I came to especially like Tony. I hope we get to see more of him in the next installment. 

The plot is pretty solid and extremely intriguing. I figured out what was going on, to an extent, pretty early on, but Hashway still managed to surprise me quite a bit. I really did not see the ending coming, and I have no idea what Jodi and company are going to do now. The ending is a bit of a cliffhanger, which as you guys know, I don't like, but it did resolve a lot of the problems from this novel, so I'm not too angry about it. The ending definitely left me wishing book three would hurry and come out, though! 

Overall, I'd recommend this series to anyone who enjoys mythology inspired literature but is tired of the same retellings of the Hades and Persephone myth. The Touched by Death series focuses mainly on Medusa and her lineage, and it's quite interesting. If you enjoyed the first book, you will absolutely adore Stalked by Death. Give this series a try. You won't be sorry. 

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Here is my interview with Kelly Hashway!

Amber: I absolutely love that your novels are a unique spin on Greek mythology. What made you choose Medusa as the main mythological character? 

Kelly: I'm terrified of snakes, so Medusa scared me a first. But then I found a lesser-known myth about her and I thought maybe she got a bad reputation and was wrongfully cursed. So I looked into it more and decided I wanted to show a very different Medusa in my books.

Amber: For those who haven't read your books yet, can you describe this series in five words or less?

Kelly: Necromancers, zombies, Medusa, and Hades

Amber: Can you name a few of your favorite books and/or authors?

Kelly: I love Rick Riordan and his Percy Jackson series. The man is a genius with words. I also fell really hard for Patch in Becca Fitzpatrick's Hush, Hush series.

Amber: If you could have dinner with any of your characters, who would you choose and why?

Kelly: Alex. Wow, I didn't even have to think about that one. ;) I'd like to share a bowl of mac and cheese with him because while he's really tough, he has another side to him that's almost broken. I'd comfort him in a heartbeat. (Sorry, Jodi!)

Amber: What song makes you think of Alex and Jodi?

Kelly: "Just Tonight" by The Pretty Reckless and "Dance with the Devil" by Breaking Benjamin. Jodi and Alex go through so much together so the emotions are always on high.

Amber: Where is your favorite place to write?

Kelly: I almost always write at my dining room table, but I can write just about anywhere.

Amber: We all know Alex loves mac and cheese, but what's Jodi's favorite food?

Kelly: Filet mignon. Because her mom never had a lot of money, Jodi didn't get to eat filet mignon often but she loves it.

Amber: Is Hades really as bad as he seems?

Kelly: Well, he is the god of the underworld, so what do you think? ;)

Amber: What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

Kelly: Read great books. It's the best form of research. And then take that inspiration to write as much as you can.

Amber: Thank you, Kelly, for taking the time to answer these questions! 

CREWEL by Gennifer Albin

Crewel
Gennifer Albin

Rating: A
Synopsis:
Enter a tangled world of secrets and intrigue where a girl is in charge of other’s destinies, but not her own.
 
Sixteen-year-old Adelice Lewys has always been special. When her parents discover her gift—the ability to weave the very fabric of reality—they train her to hide it. For good reason, they don’t want her to become a Spinster — one of the elite, beautiful, and deadly women who determine what people eat, where they live, how many children they have, and even when they die.
 
Thrust into the opulent Western Coventry, Adelice will be tried, tested and tempted as she navigates the deadly politics at play behind its walls.  Now caught in a web of lies and forbidden romance, she must unravel the sinister truth behind her own unspeakable power.  Her world is hanging by a thread, and Adelice, alone, can decide to save it — or destroy it.

My thoughts on the book:
I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked up a copy of Crewel. I decided to take a chance on it and bought it at a library sale, and I'm so glad I did. This novel is fantastic. Albin weaves a captivating and seemingly "perfect" world (hence why I categorized it Utopian instead of Dystopian, in which the world isn't perfect and everyone knows it) with realistic characters and a mysterious and suspenseful plot. I enjoyed Crewel much more than I thought I would, and I can't wait for the sequel, Altered, to come out in October. 

In my opinion, Adelice is everything a main character should be. She's sarcastic and strong, yet still has a heart, which at times makes her vulnerable. Yes, she needs to learn to keep her mouth shut sometimes, but at least she's not one who would stand around and let awful things happen without trying to do something about it. Even though she experiences great loss, she still manages to keep herself together in order to survive. Jost is pretty amazing, too, though I'm not sure how I feel about some of the revelations regarding him. I absolutely love Erik. He's funny and charming, and I actually think I like him better than Jost. I'm not really one for love triangles, and I'm not sure why everyone likes Adelice better than every other female I've encountered, unless they, too, find sarcasm enduring, but this one doesn't come across as too obnoxious. Each of the characters, including secondary characters and "bad guys," is well-developed and believable. There are no stock characters, and each character evolves as the novel unfolds. 

The world-building is top-notch, and it is scattered throughout the story. Thankfully there aren't really any info dumps, except a few of the lessons from Loricel. Albin is so good at explaining things that I actually understood the weaving, which is a miracle, considering my scientific knowledge, haha. I could clearly picture Arras and the Coventry, and I was impressed by both the concept and execution of this world. The plot is extremely suspenseful, and it's impossible to know who can and cannot be trusted, which adds an air of mystery. I felt bad for Adelice quite often, but she never really takes the time to stop and feel sorry for herself, which I liked. The poor girl can't stay out of trouble, though, and I was kept on edge throughout the entire novel. The pacing is spot on, and the ending ties things up nicely. Yes, a mysterious occurrence happens right at the end, but a lot of the problems and questions are resolved by the end of this book, so I don't feel like the cliffhanger was too terrible. 

Overall, I'd recommend this novel to anyone who is looking for a unique and intriguing Sci-fi/Utopian book. Give Crewel a try. You won't be sorry. 

Order Crewel today!

DARK TRIUMPH by Robin LaFevers

Dark Triumph
Robin LaFevers

Rating: B
Synopsis:
Sybella arrives at the convent’s doorstep half mad with grief and despair. Those that serve Death are only too happy to offer her refuge—but at a price. The convent views Sybella, naturally skilled in the arts of both death and seduction, as one of their most dangerous weapons. But those assassin's skills are little comfort when the convent returns her to a life that nearly drove her mad. And while Sybella is a weapon of justice wrought by the god of Death himself, He must give her a reason to live. When she discovers an unexpected ally imprisoned in the dungeons, will a daughter of Death find something other than vengeance to live for?

My thoughts on the book:
Dark Triumph does not live up to the standards set by Grave Mercy; however, it is an enjoyable read. The leading characters are still well-developed and intriguing, and the plot held my interest, but there are some gaps. This is a good book, and I enjoyed it, but it doesn't stand out like Grave Mercy did. 

Sybella is an extremely complex and dark character. I really admire her because she doesn't fall apart constantly (and believe me she has plenty of reasons too). Also, she does what she has to do. Sometimes she's cowardly, but overall she's extremely strong. I liked learning about her, and I really enjoyed seeing the world through her eyes. It was also interesting to see Ismae through Sybella's perspective instead of her own. I loved Beast, but it was hard to warm up to him as a romantic interest because Sybella constantly calls him ugly. I mean saying it once so that we get that he's not the typical swoon-worthy beautiful hero would have been fine, but the constant insult to his looks I found to be a bit brash and also distracting. Some of the secondary characters are extremely well-developed, like Julian, whom I really had mixed feelings for. On the one hand he is just so messed up, and he has such a distorted view of things that I had to feel badly for him, but on the other hand he's a freaking incestuous pervert, which made me hate him. Other characters, such as Pierre, fell flat for me. 

The plot is interesting, and it's definitely all about Sybella's personal journey. I really felt like I was there, living through this with her, and I was rooting for her the entire time. It's impossible not to care what happens to her, and some of the situations will keep you on the edge of your seat. However, there seem to be some gaps in the storytelling. I'm not sure if that's just how Sybella thinks or if that was unintentional. The book is action-packed, but the fight scenes started running together after awhile. I don't think every fight scene needed to be detailed as much as it was. Also, the writing is wonderfully done, but there are uncorrected typos in the hardcover finished edition, which is not okay, in my opinion. The pacing is a bit slow in the beginning, as well. Also, I just could not buy the romance between Beast and Sybella. They are supposed to be in love after a few days of traveling together, but I never *saw* it happen. Supposedly the readers were witness to when this happened, but I just didn't see it at all. It could have been made a little more obvious instead of just magically appearing. The ending ties things up nicely for Sybella, but leaves things open for Annith, who is our next leading lady. I'm looking forward to her story. 

Overall, I really did enjoy this novel, even though this review doesn't really sound like I did. I also had issues with it, though, and wanted to share those as well. I'd recommend this novel to people who are looking for a good historical fiction novel and for those who loved Grave Mercy.

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SLIDE by Jill Hathaway is free!!!

Hey guys, I'm super excited to let you know that one of my favorite books, Slide by Jill Hathaway, is free on Kindle for a limited time. What are you waiting for? Go download your copy!

Attention all YA authors out there!

Write YA fiction? Elephant Rock Books are launching a new Young Adult imprint and are initiating this imprint with a book prize! Click the link below for more details.

ERB New Voice in YA Contest

Elephant Rock Books are after quality stories with heart, guts, and a clear voice. They’re especially interested in the quirky and the hopeful and the real. They are not particularly interested in genre fiction and prefer stand-alone novels, unless you’ve got the next Hunger Games. We seek writers who believe in the transformative power of a great story, so show us what you’ve got. 

Prize:

Winner will receive a $1,000 lump-sum prize as part of their book deal with our new imprint Elephant Rock Books YA.

Contest Judges:

Becky Quiroga Curtis, Children's Book Buyer, Books & Books

Louise Brueggemann, Children's Services Supervisor, Naperville Public Library

Submission Period:

July 1 to Sept. 15.

Submit the Following via Submittable:

Cover letter including a brief novel summary, your bio/credits, capacity/ideas/availability to promote the book, with the first fifty (50) pages of your manuscript, and brief chapter-by-chapter synopsis.