Talon by Julie Kagawa

Talon by Julie Kagawa
Talon series, book one
Harlequin Teen, 2014
owned in personal collection

Here there be dragons.

Why did I wait so long to read this book? I love dragons.  My earliest book memories are of reading McCaffrey's Harper Hall trilogy (starting with Dragonsong) so reading about dragons is pretty much in my blood.  Plus I love Kagawa's writing style so this was a major win. 

Dragons hiding in plain sight - disguised as humans.  A secret organization of dragons plotting world domination. An even more secret organization of human dragon hunters.  What?! What a great premise for a book series.  Plus, you add teenage hormones into the mix?  Win. 

I was fascinated by the way that the members of Talon (the dragon organization) integrated dragon sleepers into human society.  As the book unfolded, you also got to learn more about the different factions of dragons they created, chameleons, vipers, etc... and I'm dying to learn more about them. I'm hoping that Kagawa delves deeper into that as the series continues.  I'm equally as curious to learn more about how St. George (the dragon hunter organization) raises and trains its operatives. 

This book sucked me right in and I'm happily now working my way through book two, Rogue. I'll let you all know if book two lives up to the first!

January's "Cheat" Book: The Lost Plot by Genevieve Cogman

The Lost Plot by Genevieve Cogman
The Invisible Library series, book four
Ace Books, 2018 - Owned in personal collection

So, as I mentioned, I'm doing a 2018 Books I Already Own Reading Challenge.  However, I know myself, and if I don't allow myself at least one new, shiny book a month, I will end up quitting before March... SO, this is my January "Cheat" book.

I can't review this book in too much depth, as it is book four in the series and I'd be giving away big spoilers.  However, I will say that I thoroughly enjoyed it and was glad that I had pre-ordered it and chosen it for my January "cheat." Cogman writes an admirable heroine who has just the right amount of smarts, style, grace, and kick-ass.  I love that while she in some ways depends on the men around her (Irene has no illusions about when her physical superiority is in question...), it is very clear that much more often, the men around her look to her for leadership and planning.

While I make a lot of jokes about Noah Wyle's The Librarian movies and the subsequent Indiana Jones style TV series, Irene Winters, in fact, lives the Librarian lifestyle that I would love to live if I were the heroine in a fantasy series.  Saving rare books for posterity.  Dealings with both dragons and fae?  Yes, please.  However, in real life, being a Librarian is not nearly so hard on one's potential health (ha!).

While you most definitely should start with book one of the series, The Invisible Library, I think so far this is my favorite addition to the series.  There is a very large moral issue, along with several smaller ethical dilemmas, being dealt with in this book, so the stakes are both physically and emotionally high.  Following Irene's choices pulled me pretty deep into her character and I found myself tearing up towards the end of the book as I thought she was going to end up being punished in the worst possible way for making the right decisions... then Cogman worked things out in just the right way for me to leave the book with a huge grin on my face! Perfect.

Now, back to reading the older books in my personal collection!

Blog Tour - Shadow Scale (Gold Star Review)

I am beyond excited to be part of Rachel Hartman's blog tour for Shadow Scale today! I LOVED Seraphina and could not wait for the sequel... as soon as I got my review copy I dove right in. 

Shadow Scale 
by Rachel Hartman 

sequel to Seraphina

The kingdom of Goredd: a world where humans and dragons share life with an uneasy balance, and those few who are both human and dragon must hide the truth. Seraphina is one of these, part girl, part dragon, who is reluctantly drawn into the politics of her world. When war breaks out between the dragons and humans, she must travel the lands to find those like herself—for she has an inexplicable connection to all of them, and together they will be able to fight the dragons in powerful, magical ways.

As Seraphina gathers this motley crew, she is pursued by humans who want to stop her. But the most terrifying is another half dragon, who can creep into people’s minds and take them over. Until now, Seraphina has kept her mind safe from intruders, but that also means she’s held back her own gift. It is time to make a choice: Cling to the safety of her old life, or embrace a powerful new destiny? (Description from Goodreads.com)

As I said above, I've been waiting three long years for this sequel! When the book finally arrived on my doorstep, I'm pretty sure there was some epic squealing and jumping...  As I started reading I kept struggling with myself. I had a huge urge to plow straight through and devour it, but then I could not help but slow down and savor Hartman's writing.  

Not only is this another fantastic example of a fantasy that I just could not wait to see unfold, but Hartman truly does have a gift for description.  Her characters, places, and general world-building sucked me in once again.  Though this is a hefty tome (coming in at almost 600 pages), I never felt as if it was too much.  Each scene felt right and necessary.  I love the amount of information that she was able to continue to add to Seraphina's world - the history of the kingdoms, Seraphina's past interactions with the other ityasaari (half-dragons) and then her ability to merge the backstories of several characters into one larger, more important storyline.  Absolutely compelling. 

Those of you waiting with bated breath as I was, you won't be disappointed.  Seraphina's tale is one of war, love, friendship, betrayal, danger, compromise, and compassion.  Though I'm sorry to see it end, it was well done and I enjoyed it all the way through. Another gold star to Rachel Hartman! 

Full disclosure: Review copy received from Publisher for Blog Tour

Frozen

Frozen
by Melissa De La Cruz and Michael Johnston
Heart of Dread, book one

Welcome to New Vegas, a city once covered in bling, now blanketed in ice. Like much of the destroyed planet, the place knows only one temperature—freezing. But some things never change. The diamond in the ice desert is still a 24-hour hedonistic playground and nothing keeps the crowds away from the casino floors, never mind the rumors about sinister sorcery in its shadows.

At the heart of this city is Natasha Kestal, a young blackjack dealer looking for a way out. Like many, she's heard of a mythical land simply called “the Blue.” They say it’s a paradise, where the sun still shines and the waters are turquoise. More importantly, it’s a place where Nat won’t be persecuted, even if her darkest secret comes to light.

But passage to the Blue is treacherous, if not impossible, and her only shot is to bet on a ragtag crew of mercenaries led by a cocky runner named Ryan Wesson there. Danger and deceit await on every corner, even as Nat and Wes find themselves inexorably drawn to each other. But can true love survive the lies? (description from Amazon.com)

The world-building in this book is so interesting! This is a real genre-blender, with strong fantasy elements and a dystopian setting.  I loved imagining the city of New Vegas functioning in such a seedy way amongst such a barren, unlivable landscape.  I thought that De La Cruz and Johnston did a great job revealing tidbits about the world and its past little by little, keeping me on the edge of my toes (so to speak) chapter by chapter.  

As a fantasy reader, I really loved discovering the variety of supernatural creatures in this newly imagined world and seeing how they acclimated to living among, or at least near, the humans.  I'm very intrigued to see if the second book follows Nat again in her home, or if it goes back to New Vegas with Wes... maybe both! Either way, I'm definitely curious to see things further develop. 

For me, this was a real page-turner.  There was danger lurking at every turn and characters that I really enjoyed.  I think most fantasy fans will enjoy this one! 

Full Disclosure: eARC received from Netgalley

Seraphina

Seraphina

by Rachel Hartman

 

Four decades of peace have done little to ease the mistrust between humans and dragons in the kingdom of Goredd. Folding themselves into human shape, dragons attend court as ambassadors, and lend their rational, mathematical minds to universities as scholars and teachers. As the treaty's anniversary draws near, however, tensions are high.

Seraphina Dombegh has reason to fear both sides. An unusually gifted musician, she joins the court just as a member of the royal family is murdered—in suspiciously draconian fashion. Seraphina is drawn into the investigation, partnering with the captain of the Queen's Guard, the dangerously perceptive Prince Lucian Kiggs. While they begin to uncover hints of a sinister plot to destroy the peace, Seraphina struggles to protect her own secret, the secret behind her musical gift, one so terrible that its discovery could mean her very life. (description from Amazon.com)

 

It has been a little while since I have read a story about dragons that has left me in awe.  It's not that the dragon books out there aren't great...it's that they all seem to have very similar lore these days.  Not so in Seraphina.  Though I have read books where dragons could take human form before, Hartman writes about this process and other dragon-y aspects in such a way that it felt utterly new and brilliantly done. 

 

I could picture the painful process of a giant dragon folding in on itself to take Saar (human) form. I could empathize completely with how they must feel trapped and utterly alien amongst humankind.  I understood their mathematical and scientific brains, revolted by human feeling and floundering as emotions they did not want flooded their systems. 

 

Hartman manages to convey excellently drawn perspectives of both humans and dragons as they beome embroiled in political strife.  Seraphina, who can see both perspectives, is the perfect narrator.  Her struggle to fit in, yet hide herself from scrutiny is fascinating. Her relationship with dragonkind draws readers in effortlessly.  Her struggle to fight off feelings for the one man she should never pursue...

 

A phenomenal fantasy debut, absolutely recommended to all fantasy readers, and well worthy of a shiny, shiny (dragon scale shiny, LOL) gold star:

 

 

Full disclosure: Borrowed from my library

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What's On My Hold List?

 

Welcome to the September 2012 edition

of

"What's on My Hold List?"

 

One of the most beautiful things about working in a Library is that I have the ability to put lots of things on hold and read them *before* I buy!! These are some of the books that I'm currently waiting for, though I may buy one or two of them after reading, as well.

Blackwood

by Gwenda Bond

 

 

The Crown of Embers

by Rae Carson

sequel to The Girl of Fire and Thorns

 

 

Delusion in Death

by J.D. Robb

In Death series, book 44

 

Fever Moon: the graphic novel

by Karen Marie Moning

 

Hidden

by Sophie Jordan

Firelight, book three





The Mark of Athena

by Rick Riordan

The Heroes of Olympus, book three

 

Two Weeks' Notice

by Rachel Caine

The Revivalist, book two

 

 

You can click on each title to go to their Amazon page for a description...

 

So, these are the books I'm waiting anxiously to get my hands on...what are you waiting for??



The Secret World of Alaina Downs - With a Giveaway!

The Secret World of Alaina Downs
by Rebecca Rynecki

When 22 year old Alaina stumbles into a world that she thought only existed in her mind, she is understandably a little bit freaked out. Who wouldn't be? Characters that she had written down years ago are walking, and talking, and telling her that she is the only one who can save the princess and the kingdom of Isleen. Um...okay. As she travels down to the southern kingdom with Sir Gabriel, a really hot knight, she falls off horses, has an interaction with an evil witch, gets attacked by a sea creature, and even falls from lust into love. (description from Amazon.com)

As some of you know I am in a writer's group. This, THIS book is one of my writing partner's first books. So exciting!! Becca worked incredibly hard on this book and having read it several times, I can confidently say that I am super proud to have been a part of her journey to publication.

BUT...on to the book. This book would actually make a really great summer read so it's timely that it's just out now. :)  It has adventure. It has romance. It has, well...a dripping, hot knight with a wicked sense of humor. How can you go wrong?

Fan of Princess Bride? Then you NEED to read this book. It has the same tongue in cheek humor and homage to the fantasy genre. I laughed, I cried a little, then I almost shot tea right out of my nose when the next snarky spot hit.  I loved so much of this book...I kind of wish I'd written it myself! LOL.

Sea monsters
Hot knights
Dragon rides
Spiders in the Loo
Princesses in Comas
One bad-@ss  Baba Yaga

These are just some of the (you don't know it, yet, but...) hilarious things you will find in The Secret World of Alaina Downs. If you would like the chance to find out for yourself, you're in luck. I have a brand-y new published copy of  the book to give away! 

To enter, just leave me a comment with your name and email address. If you want for fun, you could also tell me your favorite fantasy hero... I love to learn about some hotties I may have missed in the past, LOL. You  have until Friday, July 20th to enter.  On Saturday, July 21st I will announce the winner chosen via Random.org and they will have until Tues., July  24th to get me their US mailing address so that I can ship  out this fantastic book! 

Good Luck!!  
 Full disclosure: Beta Reader for this book prior to publication

Scary School

Scary School
by Derek the Ghost 

You think your school's scary?


Get a load of these teachers:

Ms. Fang, an 850-year-old vampire
Dr. Dragonbreath, who just might eat you before recess
Mr. Snakeskin—science class is so much more fun when it's taught by someone who's half zombie
Mrs. T—break the rules and spend your detention with a hungry Tyrannosaurus rex!

Plus gargoyles, goblins, and Frankenstein's monster on the loose, the world's most frighteningly delicious school lunch, and the narrator's an eleven-year-old ghost!

Join Charles "New Kid" Nukid as he makes some very Scary friends—including Petunia, Johnny, and Peter the Wolf—and figures out that Scary School can be just as funny as it is spooky! (description from Amazon.com)

What a cute start to a new "scary" but not too scary series. This would be great for kids who are desperate  to read Stine's Goosebumps series, but perhaps aren't quite ready yet. Then this would also segue really well  into these same kids reading Harrison's Monster High series when they got a  little older. 

With scary, but funny teachers, a weirdly fascinating and dangerous school, and kid characters that you immediately want to befriend,  this book was a quick and FUN read! Narrator and ghost, Derek, walks  us through the school year, introducing both teachers and classmates.  I  loved that there was a girl named Frank (that's pronounced RACHEL!) and that the school Librarian is a dinosaur and that the gourmet school lunches are cooked up by a giant octopus! One of my favorite scenes was when the half-dead sports coach gives a special anatomy lesson by peeling off his skin so that students can see his internal organs!

With a surprisingly good "moral" about friendship, Scary School begins a series that is sure to find fans among the chapterbook set! Book two,  Monsters on the March also just came out on June 26th.

Full disclosure: Review copy set to me by the author

Mini Reviews: The My Life Has Gone Horribly, Horribly Wrong Edition

Everneath

by Brodi Ashton

Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath. Now she’s returned—to her old life, her family, her boyfriend—before she’s banished back to the underworld . . . this time forever. She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can’t find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend these precious months forgetting the Everneath and trying to reconnect with her boyfriend, Jack, the person most devastated by her disappearance—and the one person she loves more than anything. But there’s just one problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who enticed her to the Everneath in the first place, has followed Nikki home. Cole wants to take over the throne in the underworld and is convinced Nikki is the key to making it happen. And he’ll do whatever it takes to bring her back, this time as his queen.

As Nikki’s time on the Surface draws to a close and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she is forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole’s queen. (description from Amazon.com)

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the mythology of the Everneath and the idea of immortals living amongst us, but cursed to steal life from others to survive.  I thought that Nikki was really believable as someone who'd been so hurt that she'd tried to escape her emotions and then paid a terrible price. Well worth a read!

Full disclosure: Audio book received to review for Audiofile Magazine
*2012 Debut Author Challenge title*

The Fox Inheritance

by Mary Pearson

The Jenna Fox Chronicles, book two

Once there were three. Three friends who loved each other—Jenna, Locke, and Kara. And after a terrible accident destroyed their bodies, their three minds were kept alive, spinning in a digital netherworld. Even in that disembodied nightmare, they were still together. At least at first. When Jenna disappeared, Locke and Kara had to go on without her. Decades passed, and then centuries.

Two-hundred-and-sixty years later, they have been released at last. Given new, perfect bodies, Locke and Kara awaken to a world they know nothing about, where everyone they once knew and loved is long dead.

Everyone except Jenna Fox. (description from Amazon.com)

I LOVED The Adoration of Jenna Fox. I was beyond excited when I knew that this sequel was coming out. At first, I was a little hesitant because Jenna wasn't the narrator and it skipped so far into the future, but it turns out that this was a great follow-up. Not *quite* as good, but interesting and really thought provoking, nonetheless!
*2012 TBR Pile Reading Challenge Title*

Dragonswood

by Janet Lee Carey

Wilde Island is not at peace. The kingdom mourns the dead Pendragon king and awaits the return of his heir; the uneasy pact between dragons, fairies, and humans is strained; and the regent is funding a bloodthirsty witch hunt, hoping to rid the island of half-fey maidens.

Tess, daughter of a blacksmith, has visions of the future, but she still doesn't expect to be accused of witchcraft, forced to flee with her two best friends, or offered shelter by the handsome and enigmatic Garth Huntsman, a warden for Dragonswood. But Garth is the younger prince in disguise and Tess soon learns that her true father was fey, making them the center of an exciting, romantic adventure, and an ancient prophecy that will bring about peace between all three races - dragon, human, and fairy. (description from Amazon.com)

This book could be read alone, or as a follow up to Carey's Dragon's Keep. It is a marvelous fantasy about a world where so much magic exists and the poor main character is abused and persecuted for even the thought of her practicing... Love, adventure, heartbreak...the book encompasses it all. A new favorite fantasy!

Inheritance

Inheritance
by Christopher Paolini
Inheritance Cycle, book four

Not so very long ago, Eragon—Shadeslayer, Dragon Rider—was nothing more than a poor farm boy, and his dragon, Saphira, only a blue stone in the forest. Now the fate of an entire civilization rests on their shoulders.

Long months of training and battle have brought victories and hope, but they have also brought heartbreaking loss. And still, the real battle lies ahead: they must confront Galbatorix. When they do, they will have to be strong enough to defeat him. And if they cannot, no one can. There will be no second chances.

The Rider and his dragon have come further than anyone dared to hope. But can they topple the evil king and restore justice to Alagaësia? And if so, at what cost? (description from Amazon.com)

It's going to be hard to write a decent review of this book without being spoilery, but I'm going to try.

As with Paolini's second and third book, there were moments that I felt dragged a little. It's hard not to have that happen, though, when you are writing a book about such an epic journey to the destruction and recreation of a kingdom. Even Tolkein's epic Lord of the Rings trilogy had moments that felt too long.

However, aside from some slight draggishness in certain parts, I thought Paolini did an excellent job ending this series. There were no easy outs. It was a very difficult and illuminating journey. Many of the characters suffered and learned new things about themselves and where they stand in regards to the other Alagaesians. Though my heart ached in spots, this was a very realistic ending.

While parts made me tear up, and I somehow wished that the ending could have been changed just a little (even as I fully acknowledged that this ending was right), other parts made my heart sing. For every shred of doubt and darkness in this book, there is a shining beacon of hope. It is very well balanced.

When I finished, I was satisfied. Though there are a few more things I would like to learn....I have my suspicions about a few things, too (like who Angela the herbalist may really be...), and thankfully Paolini says in his author's note that though there will not be any more books featuring this specific cast of main characters, he plans to someday revisit Alagaesia and perhaps shine some light on those questions unanswered. YAY!

Full disclosure: Audio book received to review for AudioFile

A SciFi Legend that will be missed.

Anne McCaffrey passed away yesterday, Nov. 21st in Ireland. My heart aches knowing that she will never again produce a brilliant story about dragons or crystalline magic, or selkies...

As announced in the Locus' website, Anne McCaffrey was the first woman to win both the Hugo and Nebula awards. One of her Pern novels was the first hardcover science fiction novel to make the New York Times Bestseller List. She was in a word, EPIC.

What this article does not have, though, is the human touch. A real story of how Anne McCaffrey touched someone's life. Well, here's mine:

Anne McCaffrey's three Pern novellas for children, Dragonsong, Dragonsinger, and Dragondrums, are literally the first three real books that I can remember reading. Technically, I wasn't even reading them originally. My mom would read them to me as bedtime stories. I literally bonded with my mom and grew up on Anne McCaffrey's earliest Pern stories. (*This is also where I first originally decreed that I must have a little dragon to cling to my shoulder with its tail wrapped around my neck!! Years before I read anything by G.R.R.M.)

As I got older, I got hooked on McCaffrey's Crystal Singer, The Tower and the Hive, and Petaybee series. I loved each in different ways. I loved them all because they were written by Anne McCaffrey.

Her work will truly be missed by the world, and by me.

Fairy Bad Day

Fairy Bad Day
by Amanda Ashby

While most students at Burtonwood Academy get to kill demons and goblins, fifteen-year-old Emma gets to rid the world of little annoying fairies with glittery wings and a hipster fashion sense. She was destined to be a dragon slayer, but cute and charming Curtis stole her spot. Then she sees a giant killer fairy - and it's invisible to everyone but her! If Emma has any chance of stopping this evil fairy, she's going to need help. Unfortunately, the only person who can help is Curtis. And now, not only has he stolen her dragon-slayer spot, but maybe her heart as well! Why does she think it's going to be a fairy bad day? (description from Amazon.com)

This was a cute read. I really enjoyed the world building. Slayers that devote their lives to ridding the world of certain types of paranormal creatures...cool. I love that they go to school for it. The training sequences were fun...I actually wished there had been a little more description there. The fairies were hilarious. I loved them and then the giant killer fairy?? Bad-@ss. Very cool.

There were a lot of things I really liked about this book. There were a few moments, though, where I would find myself tempted to skim a few pages. I'm not sure if it was slightly too long or what...BUT, I would definitely read a sequel set in this world.

A Game of Thrones

A Game of Thrones
by George R. R. Martin
A Song of Ice and Fire, book one

Long ago, in a time forgotten, a preternatural event threw the seasons out of balance. In a land where summers can last decades and winters a lifetime, trouble is brewing. The cold is returning, and in the frozen wastes to the north of Winterfell, sinister and supernatural forces are massing beyond the kingdom’s protective Wall. At the center of the conflict lie the Starks of Winterfell, a family as harsh and unyielding as the land they were born to. Sweeping from a land of brutal cold to a distant summertime kingdom of epicurean plenty, here is a tale of lords and ladies, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and bastards, who come together in a time of grim omens.

Here an enigmatic band of warriors bear swords of no human metal; a tribe of fierce wildlings carry men off into madness; a cruel young dragon prince barters his sister to win back his throne; and a determined woman undertakes the most treacherous of journeys. Amid plots and counterplots, tragedy and betrayal, victory and terror, the fate of the Starks, their allies, and their enemies hangs perilously in the balance, as each endeavors to win that deadliest of conflicts: the game of thrones.(description from Amazon.com)

An absolutely epic series opener.

I can't even really decide what to say about this book. I watched the first season of Game of Thrones on HBO and decided I had to read these books. (Not to mention I had seriously good recommendations to read these from about five really trusted friends - Geri, Jen, McKean...I'm looking at you guys, especially! :P) I'm so glad I did not just decide to watch the show. Yes, the show is awesome...seriously if you don't get HBO, when the DVDs come out, get it from the library...seriously. You will not regret it! But...the book gives you sooo much more background info.

There were a lot of political and family histories that I did not understand all the nuances of as I watched the show. Martin has so many characters and intricate plot lines going at once that you need to have the explanations that you can't get visually. Martin is a storytelling genius that manages to keep track of a million things and has built a world so EPIC that it defies all expectations. I am in total awe of his abilities as a writer and as a reader, I just want to dive right back into this fascinating world.

For a thousand and one almost unexplainable reasons, I have to give this book a GOLD STAR review. If I did double gold star reviews, this book would get one.



If you love fantasy, you MUST give this series a try.

Now, the book size can be daunting...each book has around 800 pages...but, I read this on my Nook, a few chapters at a time between other books and it was very manageable that way. I'm not sure I can read the second book that slowly, as I will probably read it before the second season of the show comes out and I'll be dying to know what happens, but I do plan to get it on my Nook because an 800 page book is SO much easier to carry around that way!! LOL.

Final thoughts - I had a dream when I was little that I would grow up to have a baby dragon that rode around on my shoulder. This was directly related to reading Anne McCaffrey's Dragonsinger, Dragonsong, and Dragondrums several times as a child. Imagine how my heart sang when I discovered a very similar scenario in this book????

Tortall and Other Lands: A Collection of Tales

Tortall and Other Lands: A Collection of Tales
by Tamora Pierce

Collected here for the first time are all of the tales from the land of Tortall, featuring both previously unknown characters as well as old friends. Filling some gaps of time and interest, these stories, some of which have been published before, will lead Tammy's fans, and new readers into one of the most intricately constructed worlds of modern fantasy. (description from Amazon.com)

Tamora Pierce is my favorite author. I love almost everything she's ever put out. She is an incredible world-builder and her characters have phenomenal depth. If you've never read anything by Ms. Pierce, this would be an excellent place to start...you could read one story, or them all!

I loved that while some of the stories relate to Tamora Pierce's larger series books, each could be read individually, and some were completely new. One of my favorites was called "Huntress," and took place in modern day New York City, seemingly realistic fiction until Artemis, the Moon Goddess makes an appearance.

Fans of Daine from the Wild Magic series will rejoice to read a story about Kitten, her little dragon friend. Aly's fans (Trickster series) will love to read the story about birthing her triplets. Several others are set in the Tortallan kingdom and surrounding lands, but feature new and interesting characters.

The best thing about these stories, though, is that they can tackle tough topics without losing the reader's interest in the fantastic. Morality, murder, discrimination, sexism, abuse...it's all there with tough, interesting characters in fascinating situations to take it on. I ended just about each story with a smile on my face (sometimes a tear in my eye...) and a warm feeling in my heart.

Well worth checking out!

Winner - Vanish Swag

Okay, so I totally dropped the ball on this one and got caught up in family stuff and forgot to announce the VANISH SWAG giveaway winner!

So, very belatedly...

I am pleased to announce that the winner of the Team Draki Vanish Swag giveaway (via random drawing at random.org) is...

Read2Read!!

Read2Read, check your email...you have until Saturday, September 10th to contact me with your mailing address so I can send the swag out to you ASAP. Congratulations again!

Vanish Swag Giveaway!

Did you love Sophie Jordan's Firelight as much as I did?
(Check out my slightly ummm, gushy review here)

Well, since the sequel, Vanish comes out in ten days (9/6), I thought I would share my TEAM DRAKI love and give you all a chance to win some HOT Draki swag!

Included are two Firelight postcards, two Vanish postcards, four Firelight stickers, and a TEAM DRAKI bracelet. *Which I love!!*



For your chance to win this swag and support TEAM DRAKI, just leave a comment below with your name and email address before Wed., Aug. 31st. On Thurs., Sept. 1st, I'll randomly draw a winner and they will have until Sun., Sept. 4th to get me their address (US/Canada only, please) for shipping. Good luck and GO TEAM DRAKI!!

Dragon Spear

Dragon Spear
by Jessica Day George
Dragon Adventures, book three

With peace established between the humans and the dragons, young couple Creel and Luka are planning their wedding. But then the dragon queen, Velika, is kidnapped by a band of rogue dragons in need of a ruler. When Creel and Luka rush to help, they discover that Luka's father has plans to take back the Far Islands from the dragons. Creel's happily ever after just might be postponed . . . again. (description from Amazon.com)

I love this series and this was a great end to the trilogy (at least I think it's the last book). Creel is one of my favorite characters...and I love the relationship she has with Luka. They truly care for each other, flaws and all. Even when Creel continually gets herself into scrapes...and back out of them...poor Luka (he gets so worried sometimes!!) just has to trust that Creel will be okay.

Creel is an awesome heroine. She is smart and brave and loyal. Creel has become friends with dragons and is helping slowly to bring the humans and dragons back together. When the Queen Dragon, Velika, is kidnapped though, right before laying her eggs, Creel, Shardas, Luka, and Creel's brother, Hagen, have to set out after her.

Another great adventure ensues, imbued with questions about discrimination and morality. Many of the characters figure out exactly who they are and what they should be doing. Creel proves once again that she will sacrifice anything for her friends, and that her friends also trust her implicitly.

*Spoiler Ahead*
I love that you finally get to see Creel and Luka get married...not once, but twice!! ...and of course, Shardas and Velika's babies hatching...
*Spoilers End*

Well worth the read if you've read the previous two books, Dragon Slippers and Dragon Flight. If you love adventure, romance, friendship, and dragons...this series is for you.

A Tale Dark and Grimm

A Tale Dark and Grimm
by Adam Gidwitz

In this mischievous and utterly original debut, Hansel and Gretel walk out of their own story and into eight other classic Grimm-inspired tales. As readers follow the siblings through a forest brimming with menacing foes, they learn the true story behind (and beyond) the bread crumbs, edible houses, and outwitted witches.

Fairy tales have never been more irreverent or subversive as Hansel and Gretel learn to take charge of their destinies and become the clever architects of their own happily ever after. (description taken from Amazon.com)

I am amazed that this is Gidwitz's debut novel. His nod to the Grimm brothers is clearly evident in the gruesome traditional stylings of the fairy tales found here, but the clever melding of one into another to make one long, harrowing journey for Hansel and Gretel is so well done and original.

Though this is not my favorite fairy tale retelling, partially because I just am not as fond of the traditional Hansel and Gretel tale as some others, the tone of the book is amazing. The narrator repeatedly cautions readers to take small children out of the room, taunts readers with "The End...sort of..." over and over, and generally adds a witty humor to the dark, creepy, bloody tales.

For anyone who enjoys a good, cautionary tale this would be the next book to check out!

OMG!! It's finally coming out!!!

Announced today!!!
Christopher Paolini's fourth book in the Inheritance Cycle, aptly named Inheritance will be coming out on November 8, 2011...Finally!
It IS the final book in the series.

Eona - Blog Tour

Eona: The Last Dragoneye
by Alison Goodman

Publication Date: April 19, 2011

Eon has been revealed as Eona, the first female Dragoneye in hundreds of years. Along with fellow rebels Ryko and Lady Dela, she is on the run from High Lord Sethon's army. The renegades are on a quest for the black folio, stolen by the drug-riddled Dillon; they must also find Kygo, the young Pearl Emperor, who needs Eona's power and the black folio if he is to wrest back his throne from the selfstyled "Emperor" Sethon. Through it all, Eona must come to terms with her new Dragoneye identity and power-and learn to bear the anguish of the ten dragons whose Dragoneyes were murdered. As they focus their power through her, she becomes a dangerous conduit for their plans. . . . (description taken from Amazon.com)

At almost 650 pages, this conclusion to Eona's story is epic. I received this ARC as part of a tour where you only have seven days to read the book before you pass it on and honestly, I felt really rushed trying to squeeze this book into such a short time frame. I absolutely want to go back and read this one again as soon as it comes out. There are portions I'd like to linger over, to sink into, to really immerse myself in again.

I love, absolutely love the Eastern flavor of Eona's story. One reason that I felt Eon: Dragoneye Reborn was so amazing when I first read it was because it really introduced a whole different cultural feel to epic fantasy...at least for me. I love the connections to the Chinese Zodiac, the clothing styles, the swords, the political structure...in this second book, I loved the descriptions of the fishing villages, then the contrast with the pleasure gardens...I have never really been interested in traveling all the way to Asia and yet, Alison Goodman makes me want to find a way to travel back in time to an earlier Asian era, though I'd be sorely disappointed without the accompanying dragons.

I really enjoyed how Goodman can steep Eona's story with the horrors and terrifying uncertainty of a country on the brink of war and yet counterbalance all of those negative images with small moments of positive personal interactions. Moments of passion, friendship, even just decency and kindness. Eona learns to come into herself as a woman, not just a warrior in this book. She also learns what truly constitutes family - both the blood kind and the chosen.

I must read this book again. The ending is very well done. The spiritual completion of Eona's journey was great and I really want to read it over again slowly to really fully catch all of the nuances. This is not a book to skim. Though I am happy with this book as the sequel to the first, I am sad that there is not a planned third. It's not that I feel anything was left out of Eona's story...I just really love her world and would love to go back!

Well worth the read.

Full disclosure: ARC received from Book It Forward ARC Tours