The Girl in the Clockwork Collar

The Girl in the Clockwork Collar
by Kady Cross
Steampunk Chronicles, book two

In New York City, 1897, life has never been more thrilling-or dangerous Finley Jayne and her "straynge band of mysfits" have journeyed from London to America to rescue their friend Jasper from the clutches of a devious criminal demanding a trade-the dangerous device Jasper stole from him... for the life of the girl Jasper loves. 

One false move from Jasper, and the strange clockwork collar around Mei's neck tightens and tightens. From the rough streets of lower Manhattan to elegant Fifth Avenue, the motley crew of teens follows Jasper's elusive trail. And they're about to discover how far they'll go for friendship. 

More than ever, Finley must rely on powerful English duke Griffin King to balance her dark magic with her good side. Yet Griffin is at war with himself over his secret attraction to Finley... and will risk his life and reputation to save her. 

Now, to help those she's come to care for so deeply, Finley must infiltrate the criminal gang. Only problem is, she might like the dark side a little too much... (Description from Goodreads.com)

God, I need to catch up with this series! There's four books now and I'm JUST reading book two *facepalm*.  Not only do I love Kady Cross' (also known as Kate Locke, whose books I DEVOUR) writing, but these are such fun steampunk adventures.  

I really enjoyed not only getting to follow some more of Finlay's adventures, but also getting to learn more about some of the secondary characters, especially Jasper.  Learning more about his origins added a whole new layer to the series and I'd love to see even more of that in the other books...we'll have to see when I catch up! LOL.  There were new nuances to the romantic relationships in this follow-up, as well, which left me grinning and slightly swoony at times.  I can't wait to see Finlay and Griffin finally figure their relationship out!! 

I liked the jump over to America in this one.  I thought it let things sort of start fresh for a few people.  The addition of some key New York inhabitants had me grinning, and I longed to be there at that time (in this steampunk world, of course! I want to ride a dirrigible!!). A great read that has me scrambling to find time to read the next one... 

Full Disclosure: Borrowed from My Library 

Storm Siren

Storm Siren
by Mary Weber
Storm Siren trilogy, book one

In a world at war, a slave girl’s lethal curse could become one kingdom’s weapon of salvation. If the curse—and the girl—can be controlled.

As a slave in the war-weary kingdom of Faelen, seventeen-year-old Nym isn’t merely devoid of rights, her Elemental kind are only born male and always killed at birth — meaning, she shouldn’t even exist.

Standing on an auction block, Nym is snatched up by a court advisor and given a choice: be trained as the weapon Faelen needs to win the war, or be killed. Choosing the former, Nym is unleashed into a world of politics, bizarre parties, and rumors of an evil more sinister than she’s being prepared to fight . . . not to mention the handsome trainer whose dark secrets lie behind a mysterious ability to calm every lightning strike she summons. But what if she doesn’t want to be the weapon they’ve all been waiting for? (Description from Goodreads.com) 

Ooh, there's nothing I like better in a supernatural fantasy than a heroine that I can relate to, even when I can't relate to her at all.  Meaning...Nym is an elemental, able to summon storms and control the weather...someone with powers I couldn't even imagine, yet Weber writes her emotions in such a way that I can actually imagine being Nym.  She freaks out over her powers, she feels guilty for all the destruction she causes, she falls in love, and fears for her life in the midst of an impending war.  She is a girl that I can imagine being or knowing outside of the powers...and then she's even cooler because, well, she can conjure a hurricane if she gets angry! Amazing. 

Though this world is a fictional land with its own history and belief system, interesting creatures and supernatural powers, Weber presents it so that it is not only easy to fall into the world, but also you can't help but be captivated by the crazy couture costumes at the fancy dress parties, be horrified by the flesh-eating war horses, or be terrified at the idea of a shapeshifting mad man looking to take over the world. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, loved the EPIC twist at the end, and I need book two as soon as I can get my greedy little hands on it! I want more Nym!! 

Full disclosure: ARC received from Wunderkind PR for honest review

Waiting on Wednesday: Rebel Belle

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme created and hosted by Breaking the Spine and highlights books that bloggers are all itching to get in their greedy little hands. LOL. 

My choice for this week is:

Rebel Belle 
by Rachel Hawkins

Publication date: April 8, 2014 

Description (from Goodreads):
Harper Price, peerless Southern belle, was born ready for a Homecoming tiara. But after a strange run-in at the dance imbues her with incredible abilities, Harper's destiny takes a turn for the seriously weird. She becomes a Paladin, one of an ancient line of guardians with agility, super strength and lethal fighting instincts.

Just when life can't get any more disastrously crazy, Harper finds out who she's charged to protect: David Stark, school reporter, subject of a mysterious prophecy and possibly Harper's least favorite person. But things get complicated when Harper starts falling for him--and discovers that David's own fate could very well be to destroy Earth.

With snappy banter, cotillion dresses, non-stop action and a touch of magic, this new young adult series from bestseller Rachel Hawkins is going to make y'all beg for more.

The Dark Between

The Dark Between
by Sonia Gensler

Publication Date: August 27, 2013.

At the turn of the twentieth century, Spiritualism and séances are all the rage—even in the scholarly town of Cambridge, England. While mediums dupe the grief-stricken, a group of local fringe scientists seeks to bridge the gap to the spirit world by investigating the dark corners of the human mind.

Each running from a shadowed past, Kate, Asher, and Elsie take refuge within the walls of Summerfield College. But their peace is soon shattered by the discovery of a dead body nearby. Is this the work of a flesh-and-blood villain, or is something otherworldly at play? This unlikely trio must illuminate what the scientists have not, and open a window to secrets taken to the grave—or risk joining the spirit world themselves. (Description from Amazon.com)

I loved the atmosphere of this book. Set in the early 1900's in England, spiritualism is all the rage.  Combined with the development of early sciences, the three teens find themselves caught in a mystery that finds at its heart the question...are there really ghosts or is everything just an illusion of the otherworld?  The pseudo-sciences explored were fascinating and the way that Gensler ties everything together totally sucked me in to the story.  

While I had my suspicions about who was really involved with what and why, I found myself absolutely captivated watching the characters figure it all out.  A great supernatural mystery for historical fans. 

Full disclosure: Review copy received from SLJ

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children - Paperback Edition

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

by Ransom Riggs

 

A mysterious island.


An abandoned orphanage.


A strange collection of very curious photographs.



It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive. 

(Description from Amazon.com)

While I first read this book in February 2012, I was lucky enough to be contacted by Quirk Books with the offer to review a paperback copy of the book.  Not only was it really cool to revisit the story which is built around these great creepy historical photographs (see below), but the paperback copy now has some new great things included!

The new paperback copy of the book has even more creepy photographs included, plus an author interview with Ransom Riggs... AND the first chapter of the upcoming sequel, Hollow City (expected publication date is Jan 14, 2014).  I loved getting an inside peek at how Riggs developed the story and a little hint at where it will be going.  After reading the first chapter of the new book, I can't wait to read it! 

Trust me, if you haven't checked out this book yet, you should.  This is the perfect semi-creepy, slightly magical, but still historically set realistic story for readers aged tween and up.  I guarantee you will be as sucked into the story as I was, eagerly turning the pages to find the next intriguing photographs and trying to place them into Jacob's mysterious tale.

Full disclosure: Paperback copy received for review from publisher

The Gift

The Gift
by Andrea J. Buchanan

High school sophomore Daisy Jones is just trying to get by unnoticed. It doesn’t help that she’s the new girl at school, lives in a trailer park, and doesn’t even own a cell phone. But there’s a good reason for all that: Daisy has a secret, unpredictable power—one only her best friend, Danielle, knows about.

Despite her “gift” (or is it a curse?), Daisy’s doing a good job of fitting in, and a gorgeous senior named Kevin even seems interested in her! But when Daisy tries to help Vivi, a mysterious classmate in a crisis, she soon discovers that her new friend has a secret of her own. Now Daisy and her friends must deal with chilling dreams and messages from the beyond. Can Daisy channel the power she’s always tried to hide, before it’s too late? (description from Amazon.com) 

This book, originally self-published, could probably have benefited from a thorough editing job.  While the premise had moments of promise, there were too many small extra plotlines that were actually distracting from the main story. I also think that it seemed to take a little too long for the two major arcs of the story to come together. That *could* be partially attributed to the fact that I listened to this as an audio book, so the whole story took some time, but I really think the ghost/energy connection was too hard to piece together the way that the author presented it. 

Even though I didn't really enjoy the story, I was happy to find that the author included the songs that Kevin "performed" and also Danielle's diary entries (which I thought would have made a nice addition perhaps interspersed within the story...).  It made for a more interesting end.   

Full disclosure: Audio book received to review for SLJ

Revival

Revival

by Jena Leigh

The Variant series, book one

 



Possessing the uncanny ability to fry a television set from twenty paces can really wreck a girl's social life.

If you're looking for proof, just ask sixteen-year-old Alexandra Parker. After catching her boyfriend in the arms of the prettiest girl in school, she made the journey from social elite to social pariah in a haze of electricity and exploding electronics. But finding herself at the bottom of Bay View High's social hierarchy was nothing compared to the shock of discovering who--and what--she really is.

After being zapped out of a burning bookstore by the mysterious Declan--a hero nearly as handsome as he is infuriating--Alex finds herself under the protection of the powerful Grayson family. It's through them that she learns the truth: that the world she's always known is nothing like it appears to be... and that she has far more in common with them than she might want to believe.

Now, on the run from a fire-wielding hit man and a secretive government organization, Alex must navigate a strange and treacherous new world filled with superhuman mutants known as Variants. As she begins to unravel the many secrets of her family's past, she uncovers the real reason for her parents' death twelve years earlier--and finds out that the threat to her family, and to everyone she cares about, is still dangerously real. (description from Amazon.com)

 

Ever thought that your break-up was electric? Well, Alex's pretty much is! LOL. Alex has developed the uncanny knack of frying any electronics within about 20 feet any time her emotions spike. Fun, huh? Well, after a very hot, and strangely intriguing guy follows Alex around for a day, saves her from being burned alive and TELEPORTS her to a remote cabin in the woods...somewhere...Alex finds out that she's not the only one out there with special abilities. 

 

I loved meeting the members of the adoptive Grayson family.  Kenzie is that girl you'd love to have as a best friend, and Alex does love her, though she still loves her normal best friend, Cassie, too...and can read people's minds.  Nate is a telekenetic and little Brian sees the future. Not your average household...but they are interesting!

 

I really liked the dynamics of their family. It was not only interesting to see how they interacted like siblings in general, but also how they dealt with each others' abilities...and to then see them band together when threatened by outsiders... In fact, I loved seeing all of the "Variants" deal with regular people and the Agency that governs them. 

 

Hmmm...have I accidentally given away too much already? Maybe....oh well. I vow not to tell you the biggest secret, but I WILL tell you that even when Alex thinks she knows who she really is, nothing is ever really certain... I cannot wait to find out what happens in book two...

 

Don't forget to check back here tomorrow. I have an interview with the author, Jena Leigh!!

 

Full disclosure: Ebook sent to me by author to review

Iced

Iced
by Karen Marie Moning
Dani O'Malley series, book one

The year is 1 AWC—After the Wall Crash. The Fae are free and hunting us. It’s a war zone out there, and no two days are alike. I’m Dani O’Malley, the chaos-filled streets of Dublin are my home, and there’s no place I’d rather be.

Dani “Mega” O’Malley plays by her own set of rules—and in a world overrun by Dark Fae, her biggest rule is: Do what it takes to survive. Possessing rare talents and the all-powerful Sword of Light, Dani is more than equipped for the task. In fact, she’s one of the rare humans who can defend themselves against the Unseelie. But now, amid the pandemonium, her greatest gifts have turned into serious liabilities.

Dani’s ex–best friend, MacKayla Lane, wants her dead, the terrifying Unseelie princes have put a price on her head, and Inspector Jayne, the head of the police force, is after her sword and will stop at nothing to get it. What’s more, people are being mysteriously frozen to death all over the city, encased on the spot in sub-zero, icy tableaux.

When Dublin’s most seductive nightclub gets blanketed in hoarfrost, Dani finds herself at the mercy of Ryodan, the club’s ruthless, immortal owner. He needs her quick wit and exceptional skill to figure out what’s freezing Fae and humans dead in their tracks—and Ryodan will do anything to ensure her compliance.

Dodging bullets, fangs, and fists, Dani must strike treacherous bargains and make desperate alliances to save her beloved Dublin—before everything and everyone in it gets iced. (description from Amazon.com)

What a great start to the Fever spin-off series. Moning is such a stellar author. I had been initially both excited and a little concerned about having the spunky and smart Dani as the main character in this series.  You may wonder why the concern? Well, because Dani is only a *very young* teen and Moning is known for some pretty steamy situations in her books. 

Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with the overtly sexual scenes that writers like Moning or Laurell K. Hamilton may be known for, in fact they both write some of my favorite guilty pleasure reads, but to have that type of writing and a teen MC?  That felt a little wonky to me.  I was extremely pleased with how Moning handled the potential problem. 

As those familiar with her writing would expect, Dani is neither shielded from the overtly sexual or seedy parts of life in Dublin post-fae take over, nor is she shielded from becoming the object of fascination for some very, ummm...shall we say alpha male figures in the city.  What keeps things in line, though, is that everyone is very cognisant of her age and treats her appropriately.  Though we all know that someday these men will pursue more from Dani, for the moment their goals remain largely in keeping her alive to reach that someday point...

Well done. Very well done.  Beyond that issue, too, I liked the whole continued world building now that shall we say the sh*t has truly hit the fan for humans.  I will definitely be picking up the newest book in the series as soon as it comes out.

Full disclosure: Borrowed through interlibrary loan