WARD AGAINST DARKNESS by Melanie Card Cover Reveal!!!

Today Melanie Card and Entangled Teen are revealing the cover for book 2 in The Chronicles of a Reluctant Necromancer Series, WARD AGAINST DARKNESS. Also enter below for a paperback of the book or an eBook!

On to the reveal!

Blurb:

The last thing Ward de'Ath wants is more trouble. On the run from both the law and the criminal underworld, Ward and Celia flee Brawenal City only to stumble into the mansion of a powerful evil necromancer. And when Ward discovers the man possesses a dangerous grimoire, his duty leaves him no choice. He can't allow the necromancer to keep the grimoire. But the mansion is filled with monsters--human and undead--and Ward has no way of telling who's friend or foe. The only person he can trust is Celia who dominates more of his thoughts and feelings everyday. But there are still laws in the way of anything but friendship. She's still dead and he's still alive . . . for now.

Goodreads/Amazon/Barnes & Noble/The Book Depository

About Melanie:

Melanie has always been drawn to story telling. In fact, she can’t remember a time when she wasn’t telling a story in her head or on paper. In grade school, they had journal writing time which she turned into story telling time, weaving tales of magic and adventure that mimicked the fairy tales and myths that she loved to read. It was there, with the help of two very special teachers, that she nurtured this love and started her journey as a writer.

She writes fantasy, paranormal romance, and everything in between, seasoned with a good dash of adventure and mystery. Join her on my tales of magic, adventure, and romance.

Website/Twitter/Facebook/Goodreads

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Feature and Follow #34

This is a meme hosted every Friday by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read, where book bloggers answer a question each week and check out how others answered it. It's a cool way for bloggers and viewers to connect and learn more about each other!

Please state in the post if you're a new follower or old follower. If you don't tell me that you are following, then I don't know that you are. Therefore, I'll not follow you back. I would like to follow each and every one of you back, so it is important that you clearly state that you are following me and not just stopping by. When someone says, "just saying hi!" or "just hopping through!" then I have no idea if you are following or not. That means that I may or may not return the visit, depending on how much time I have. The people who state they are following me will definitely get a visit and follow back. Also be sure to leave a link back to your blog, otherwise I won't know where to go to follow you! Thank you.

Q: Today’s is the US’ Independence Day. Share your favorite book with a war in it, or an overthrow of the government.

A: Dance of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin

Happy 4th of July!

Happy Fourth of July from the Chicagoland area!

Be safe and have a good one!

FOREVERMORE by Cindy Miles

Forevermore
Cindy Miles

Rating: A-
Synopsis:
On a misty cliffside, mystery and romance await. . . .

Ivy Calhoun's life has been turned upside down. Her new stepdad has uprooted Ivy and her mom, bringing them to live in an actual castle in the misty Scottish countryside. There are stone-faced servants and shadowy corridors, and the ancient walls seem full of secrets. Ivy is at once frightened and intrigued.

Especially when she meets Logan, a gorgeous, elusive ghost who has haunted the castle grounds for decades. Ivy is immediately drawn to him . . . but Logan is not the only spirit around. Something dark and deadly is afoot, and soon Ivy finds herself in mortal danger.

Is Logan exactly what he seems? Could his mysterious past be tied to Ivy's present? And can Ivy stop herself from falling in love with him?

My thoughts on the book:
I went into Forevermore hoping for a cute and light read, and I was not disappointed. This novel is adorably sweet and touching. The characters are well-developed, the setting is amazing, and the world-building is top-notch. Miles is a wonderful writer, and the prose flowed nicely. The pacing is spot-on, and the plot kept me hooked until the very end. If you're looking for a light, happy, YA Paranormal Romance, then this book is for you. 

Ivy is one of the most likable heroines I've ever read. She's not a brat, but she's strong and tough in her own way. Without the snark and without pushing people away, she shows an inner strength that is lacking in many YA novels. She's selfless and caring, and she fights for what she wants and what she believes in. I truly enjoyed reading from her perspective.

While the secondary characters are well-developed, I wish we could have gotten to know Logan a bit better. I mean I feel like I know who he is in the novel, but I wanted to know a bit about his past, too. I feel like we learned more about Emma, the BFF, than we did about Logan. However, Logan is also a strong character, from what I can tell, and he's not angsty and tortured like so many YA love interests. This was a refreshing change. 

I absolutely loved the setting. I'm obsessed with Scotland, and Miles does an excellent job of describing the Highlands. I felt like I was there! The Scottish Highlands were almost another character in the novel, and I really liked that. Also, Miles' use of the Gaelic language and the description of the accents added to the environment. The world-building is also well-described and easy to understand, and the plot is intriguing. There is a bit of mystery and urgency throughout due to Elizabeth's hatred of Ivy and her subsequent actions. Ivy, unlike most teenagers, turns to adults for help, though. She leaves her family out of it, but she has adult and teenage friends, which I liked. As an only child, too, I can attest that most only children get along with adults as well as they do people their own age, normally. It seemed more realistic that she had friends who were grown-ups, and that she trusted them than it would have for her to handle everything on her own. 

Overall I absolutely adored this book and would recommend it to anyone who wants to read a "feel good" novel that is set in an enchanting place. Forevermore is a great summer read and should not be missed!

Order Forevermore!

Waiting on Wednesday #28!

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly post hosted at Breaking the Spine. Here is the upcoming release that I'm not-so-patiently waiting for! 

Sorry for the extended absence guys. The last semester of my senior year was insane, and then I had to do finals and graduation. After that, I moved and didn't have internet until today. Thanks for sticking with me. I'm back in full force now, and a giveaway will be coming up next week as a thank you to all of you awesome people. Now, without further adieu, here is the book I can't wait to read!

Thornhill

By: Kathleen Peacock

Release Date: 09/10/13

Synopsis:

Mac can’t lose another friend. Even if he doesn’t want to be found.

The ripple effect caused by Mac’s best friend Amy’s murder has driven Mac’s new love, Kyle, to leave Hemlock and disappear from her life forever. But Mac knows that Kyle plans to enroll in a rehabilitation camp, where he can live with other werewolves. She refuses to accept his decision, especially since the camps are rumored to be tortuous. So she sets out in search of Kyle with a barely sober Jason—and Amy’s all-seeing ghost—in tow.

Clues lead Mac to find Kyle in a werewolf den in Colorado—but their reunion is cut short by a Tracker raid. Now Mac and Kyle are trapped inside the electric fences of Thornhill, a camp for young werewolves. As she devises an escape plan, Mac uncovers dangerous secrets buried within the walls of Thornhill—and realizes that the risk to the people she loves is greater than ever before.

What book are you waiting on this Wednesday?

CONFESSIONS OF AN ALMOST-GIRLFRIEND by Louise Rozett

Confessions of an Almost-Girlfriend
Louise Rozett

Rating: C
Synopsis:
 Rose Zarelli has big plans for sophomore year—everything is going to be different. This year, she’s going to be the talented singer with the killer voice, the fabulous girl with the fashionista best friend, the brainiac who refuses to let Jamie Forta jerk her around...

...but if she’s not careful, she’s also going to be the sister who misses the signals, the daughter who can only think about her own pain, the “good girl” who finds herself in mid-scandal again (because no good deed goes unpunished) and possibly worst of all...the almost-girlfriend.

When all else fails, stop looking for love and go find yourself.

My thoughts on the book:
Confessions of an Almost-Girlfriend was a bit of a disappointment for me. I didn't enjoy it nearly as much as I enjoyed Confessions of an Angry Girl. I feel like Rozett was grasping at straws at certain points, and some of the characters' actions don't match their personalities nor their words. I know that a lot of people loved this one, but unfortunately I'm not one of them. 

Rose really annoyed me in this installment. She seemed weak and whiny. She was also self-absorbed. Basically, I felt like I was transported back in time and reliving my teenage years, which is something I never want to do. This is why I don't read much contemporary, because I don't want to feel like this. Jamie was a jerk, as usual, and I couldn't stand that she remained hung up on him and just let him treat her like crap. He's the worst romantic interest ever. The other characters were also obnoxious, other than Holly, and I just really didn't enjoy reading about any of them.

The plot was kind of non-existent, and some of the developments didn't seem very well thoughtout. The pacing was off, and it dragged in places. The backstory of the importance of tolerance was good, and needs to be addressed more often. I commend Rozett for taking on that issue, and for addressing how schools often times make bullying worse by how they handle it. However, this novel just didn't work for me.

Overall, I'd recommend this book to those who enjoyed the first installment and want to see how the story progresses. If you were iffy on the first novel, then chances are you won't like this one. You may want to check it out from the library before buying it. 

Order Confessions of an Almost-Girlfriend

 

IN THE AFTER by Demitria Lunetta

In the After
Demitria Lunetta

Rating: A-
Synopsis:
They hear the most silent of footsteps.
They are faster than anything you've ever seen.
And They won't stop chasing you...until you are dead.

Amy is watching TV when it happens, when the world is attacked by Them. These vile creatures are rapidly devouring mankind. Most of the population is overtaken, but Amy manages to escape—and even rescue “Baby,” a toddler left behind in the chaos. Marooned in Amy’s house, the girls do everything they can to survive—and avoid Them at all costs.

After years of hiding, they are miraculously rescued and taken to New Hope, a colony of survivors living in a former government research compound. While at first the colony seems like a dream with plenty of food, safety, and shelter, New Hope slowly reveals that it is far from ideal. And Amy soon realizes that unless things change, she’ll lose Baby—and much more.

Rebellious, courageous, and tender, this unforgettable duo will have you on the edge of your seat as you tear through the pulse-pounding narrow escapes and horrifying twists of fate in this thrilling debut from author Demitria Lunetta.

My thoughts on the book:
In the After was a pleasant surprise for me. I really wasn't expecting to enjoy it. Sometimes I love sci-fi books and sometimes I hate them. I absolutely loved this novel. The pacing is spot on, the writing is wonderful, the world-building is fantastic, and the plot is intriguing and will hook you from the beginning. Lunetta had a unique idea with this story, and I'm so glad that I read it. The only complaint I have is that the secondary characters could have used a bit more development. Amy is well-rounded and easy to relate to, though. You really shouldn't miss this book.

Amy is a strong and likable main character. I really respected her, and could relate to her even though our lives are very different. She is hardened and a bit tough sometimes, but she's a good person underneath, and that's always obvious. While she does a few dumb things randomly, and she refuses to keep her stupid mouth shut sometimes, overall, I liked her a lot. Baby is an interesting character, as is Rice. I hope we get to see more of them in the subsequent novels.

The plot is extremely unique and intriguing. I was hooked from the first page due to Lunetta's writing. Right away, I could picture what Amy was seeing, and I sympathized with her immediately. That doesn't happen for me in many books, and I love when it does. The ending is not a cliffhanger, thankfully, and most of the issues from the first novel are solved. Still, there are enough things left unanswered that I'm looking forward to the next installment. The pacing is perfect, and I didn't get bored or distracted.

Overall, this is one of the best sci-fi books I've ever read. I'd recommend it to anyone who is looking for something different and enjoys unique plots and a strong main character.

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