A Sliver of Shadow - Book Review

A Sliver of Shadow (Abby Sinclair #2)
by Allison Pang

What is it about:
Just when her new life as a TouchStone — a mortal bound to help OtherFolk cross between Faery and human worlds — seems to be settling down, Abby Sinclair is left in charge when the Protectorate, Moira, leaves for the Faery Court. And when the Protectorate’s away…let’s just say things spiral out of control when a spell on Abby backfires and the Faery Queen declares the Doors between their worlds officially closed.

The results are disastrous for both sides: OtherFolk trapped in the mortal world are beginning to fade, while Faerie is on the brink of war with the daemons of Hell. Along with her brooding elven prince Talivar and sexy incubus Brystion, Abby ventures to the CrossRoads in an attempt to override the Queen’s magic. But nothing in this beautiful, dangerous realm will compare to the discoveries she’s making about her past, her destiny, and what she will sacrifice for those she loves.

What did I think of it:
I loved the first book in this series, but a few things at the end of that book made me fear I might feel different about book 2.

And I was right.

Don't get me wrong: A Sliver of Shadow is a really cool story, full of intrigue, suspense and action. It's a story that grips you and keeps you reading.

No, it's the love triangle that got me really annoyed. I will confess that I'm not a fan of love triangles at the best of times, but here it even got to me more than usual.

Brystion was a very cool character in the first book, but in A Sliver of Shadow he's cast like he's the bad guy when it comes to the relationship between him and Abby. I couldn't help but feel that this was done to make me feel sympathetic to Abby and her growing feelings for Talivar. Which is a shame as Talivar is a very cool character as well and I'd have understood why Abby is torn between the two men even without the Brystion bashing.

So in the end I loved the story, but was annoyed by the romance. Still the overall reading experience was a positive one and I will certainly pick up the next book in this series.

Why should you read it:
It's beautifully written Fantasy

Mishap and Retribution - Excerpt

Mishap & Retribution (Mishap #3)
by M.M. Shelley

At the Dawn of Time a curse against Man was made and only Death will satisfy it.

The year is 2045 and twins Grasiella and Tatiana who are Cinerian, Fae and Human must choose a side and may find themselves on different sides of an ancient war.

With Tatiana trapped in the Fae realm and learning what life has been like, she has found herself bonding with the Fae. Grasiella seeking the whereabouts of her twin has come to a crossroads of her own.

Separated and neither knowing the fate of the other, each make their way to an uncertain future.

Death has swept across the Hawaiian Islands and the cost of peace may be too high.

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Short Excerpt Mishap and Retribution:

Grasiella kept a safe distance between herself and Missy as she followed her through the thick jungle of the Big Island of Hawaii. Missy was keeping something from her; she could feel it and Grasiella had to know what it was. It was not an easy task to locate Missy or to follow her, Missy was fast and she seemed to fly from tree to tree. She suddenly vaulted onto the ground only to run like a gazelle around the trees and brush. Grasiella had never needed to work so hard at trying to stay concealed; she had experienced a close call the first time that Missy had come crashing to the earth from her high perch in the trees.

Earlier in the day Missy had agreed to meet with Grasiella after receiving a gnome who had carried the message. Grasiella had needed to swipe a strand of hair from Missy without her realizing what she was doing; she had used the strand of hair for a tracking charm. It was the only way that Grasiella was able to keep up with Missy; if not for the charm she would have lost her miles back.

Over the course of the last few weeks Grasiella’s skills at charms had improved, it was a skill she had never thought to use for anything other than her own amusement. Now she had no choice but to use her magic as a way of discovering the secrets that everyone on the islands seemed to be carrying around with them. Those secrets were pivotal to her and her twin sister Tatiana’s survival.

Missy came to a stop at the base of the Kohala Mountains her body tensed as she stood unmoving. Grasiella used the trunk of a tree to block herself from view and peeked out to watch carefully. It seemed as if the air had become still and the noises of the jungle had come to a halt as she anxiously waited to see what Missy would do next.

Missy’s head rolled to the right, her right arm rose level with her shoulder until it suddenly shot skyward stretching up, her palm opened filling with the light from the sun. Ever so slowly her head rolled to the left and she repeated the movements on the left side of her body. Very slowly her arms began to drop until they rested at her sides and as they dropped a piece of the mountain shifted ever so slightly to the left. Missy kicked out with her left leg jumped into the air and landed on her hands in a handstand position her back to the Kohala Mountains. Her right leg bent backwards and very slowly she touched the mountain with her foot.

Another piece of the mountain shifted aside this time it revealed an opening in the shape of a trillion. Missy pushed against the ground with her hands, swung back around until she was on her feet and strode into the mountain, sealing it shut behind her.

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Teaser Tuesdays - The Gathering

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: - Grab your current read - Open to a random page - Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) - Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!


He caught my arms and backed up, studying my face.
"Has anyone had access to your drinks recently?" he said. "Any strange allergic reactions? Bug bites?"
(page 205, The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong)

Pretties - Book Review

Pretties (Uglies #2)
by Scott Westerfeld

What is it about:
Gorgeous. Popular. Perfect. Perfectly wrong.

Tally has finally become pretty. Now her looks are beyond perfect, her clothes are awesome, her boyfriend is totally hot, and she's completely popular. It's everything she's ever wanted.

But beneath all the fun -- the nonstop parties, the high-tech luxury, the total freedom -- is a nagging sense that something's wrong. Something important. Then a message from Tally's ugly past arrives. Reading it, Tally remembers what's wrong with pretty life, and the fun stops cold.

Now she has to choose between fighting to forget what she knows and fighting for her life -- because the authorities don't intend to let anyone with this information survive.

What did I think of it:
Although a nice read I didn't like this book as much as Uglies, the first book in this series.

The world building is still lacking enough explanation to satisfy my curiosity. The whole society feels unreal because of that.

Then there's the mixed messages Westerfeld is giving in this book. The Pretties and their world are wrong, he seems to want to say, but at the same time his lead characters, who are fighting against the system, are all but anorexic (there's a reason they're not eating, but still) and at one time in the story Tally practically gets worshipped because of her Pretty looks.

And of course: We can't have a YA series without a love triangle, now can we?

Those annoyances aside I enjoyed the story. Tally is still likeable, even as an airheaded Pretty and Zane (the newly introduced last side of our love triangle) was a very interesting and cool character as well. I rooted for them to find a solution to their problems.

The book ended in a cliffhanger ending that would have annoyed me if it wasn't for the fact I know I can borrow the next book in this series from a friend as soon as she has finished reading it.

Why should you read it:
It's a nice Dystopian YA read

Fractured Light - Book Review

Fractured Light (Fractured Light #1)
by Rachel McClellan

What is it about:
Llona Reese is used to living on the run. After a Vyken killed her parents, she knew they would eventually come for her too. She can’t take any chances. But when she starts to make friends for the first time in her life, she gets careless and lets her guard down. Big mistake.

As an Aura, Llona can manipulate light and harness its energy. But if she wants to survive, Llona will have to defy the Auran Council and learn to use her power as a weapon against the Vyken whose sole desire is to take her light. Now she’s caught in something bigger than she can understand, with a power she can’t wield, and no one she can trust, except, just maybe, a mysterious stranger.

What did I think of it:
This was a nice Paranormal YA read.

Llona is a likeable heroine even if she sometimes made me cringe in horror when she did something without really thinking the consequences through. But even though her actions weren't very smart at times, I could understand why she acted like she did. There were also some really cool other characters. My favorite was Llona's friend May who has some intriguing secrets of her own.

There's a bit of a love triangle going on, but it's done in such a way that I actually liked it for a change. Both guys are interesting and the way they act felt believable.

The story itself is suspenseful and entertaining. Llona being an Aura, someone who can manipulate light, was a cool and new concept to me. And even though my bad guy detector was once more spot on, there was enough mystery to keep me guessing where the story would lead to.

The ending was satisfying and set itself up nicely for the sequel which I probably will give a try once it releases.

Why should you read it:
It's an enjoyable Paranormal YA read

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Revived - Book Review

Revived
by Cat Patrick

What is it about:
As a little girl, Daisy Appleby was killed in a school bus crash. Moments after the accident, she was brought back to life.

A secret government agency has developed a drug called Revive that can bring people back from the dead, and Daisy Appleby, a test subject, has been Revived five times in fifteen years. Daisy takes extraordinary risks, knowing that she can beat death, but each new death also means a new name, a new city, and a new life. When she meets Matt McKean, Daisy begins to question the moral implications of Revive, and as she discovers the agency's true goals, she realizes she's at the center of something much larger — and more sinister — than she ever imagined.

What did I think of it:
I very much enjoyed this book.

The idea of a drug that brings people back from the dead is really intriguing and Patrick did a great job in setting up a suspenseful storyline about the drug and how it's used.

I absolutely loved Mason, one of Daisy's guardians and an agent of the organisation behind the Revive experiment. He's a cool and interesting character. I also really liked Audrey, a girl with whom Daisy becomes friends after her latest move. Audrey is the one who makes Daisy start to wonder about Revive and its uses. Through Audrey Daisy also meets Audrey's brother Matt, who was the typical YA heartthrob.

I did get annoyed by some small things. For one I thought that the relationships that develop in this book were going way too fast. You just don't get to be BFFs in just a couple of weeks in my opinion. I also thought Daisy was much too trusting for someone who's been in a secret experiment for most of her life. I felt like kicking some sense into her from time to time.

But those things aside this was an entertaining read and I will check out what else Patrick has written.

Why should you read it:
It's an enjoyable and suspenseful YA read

Showing my RAK

I had a couple of slow RAK months in which I send some books, but didn't receive any myself. But this month I was lucky!

Mariska from Me and My Books send me Linger!

Thanks Mariska! I'm looking forward to reading it.


And as always: I'm signing up again for this month's RAK.

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RAK:

The RAK movement (=Random Acts of Kindness): it is an initiative organized by the Ladies at the Book Soulmates where everyone posts their whislists and then other people realize one (or more) wishes of a person. Meaning that they send some books to the lucky person they picked! Doesn't it sound fabulous?

Rules:

• Sign up each month you'd like to participate in.

• Show off your participation! Grab one of the buttons available :)

• Create a wish list and post it in the Google Doc located in each R.A.K post for the month.
{Post on your blog, Amazon, where ever as long as there's a link to it.}

• If you choose to do a R.A.K for someone, check out their wish list and contact that blogger for their address.

• At the end of the month, SHOW US YOUR R.A.K!

• Make a post saying 'Thank You' to whoever granted one of your wishes and share it with us :)

OPEN TO EVERYONE!

Let's keep our International bloggers in mind and in our hearts.

Remember, there's always the Book Depository and they offer FREE shipping!