Teaser Tuesdays - Ironskin

Jane backed up, as if she expected the odd butler to kneecap her and haul her back. "I thought I saw a fey," she said. The grass was wet and cool on her hot feet.

(page 139, Ironskin by Tina Connolly)




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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!

Grave Mercy - Book Review

Grave Mercy (His Fair Assassin #1)
by Robin LaFevers

What is it about:
Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others.

Ismae’s most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart?

What did I think of it:
I have tried reading this book back in 2012, but the present tense really put me off. Now two years later I'm getting more and more used to authors using present tense, and I've learned to not let it drag me out of the story (although I still am no fan). So I decided to give this book a second try, because the premise is cool.

And this time I managed to ignore present tense long enough to get hooked.

I will confess I had my doubts about the convent and how the nuns decide who should die. I really loved it when I discovered this played a large role in the story. It's not black and white, but shows how things are much more complex than just good vs. evil.

Ismae had to grow on me. She's a bit too cocky and sure of herself at first. Even when I thought she was blundering, she thought she was a marvel of perfection. Luckily she did change a bit and I could root for her. There were times she did jump to obvious wrong conclusions to create some tension, but that's a trick I've seen used before by authors, and can't be held against Ismae.

And then there was Duval!
Ismae is send to court in the role of Duval's mistress, to both their displeasure. Duval doesn't trust the convent and Ismae, with good reasons, for Ismae is told to spy on him. I loved Duval. He seemed a bit condescending at first, but when I learned more about him, I could understand his aloof manners much better. And it was a pleasure to read how he and Ismae grudgingly start to like each other.

There's also lots of intrigue, mysteries and dangerous situations. Who can Ismae trust? Can she fulfill her duty to the convent without losing herself in the process? I was totally engrossed in the story and finished in almost a single sitting.

This book is part of a trilogy as I understand it, but each book has a different lead character. The lead characters of the next books have been introduced in this book, and i can tell you I'm looking forward to reading the next book, because I want more!

Why should you read it:
This is a really cool Young Adult Fantasy read with intrigue and murder.

A Touch of Dead - Book Review

A Touch of Dead (Sookie Stackhouse #4.1, 4.3, 5.1, 7.1 & 8.1)
by Charlaine Harris

What is it about:
New York Times bestselling author Charlaine Harris has re-imagined the supernatural world with her “spunky” (Tampa Tribune) Southern Vampire novels starring telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse. Now, for the first time, here is every Sookie Stackhouse short story ever written (up to the publication date of this book at least)— together in one volume.

Stories include “Fairy Dust,” “One Word Answer,” “Dracula Night,” “Lucky,” and “Giftwrap.”

What did I think of it:
I have a rocky relationship with this series and especially with Sookie. I don't think I've ever disliked a main character so much as Sookie (OK, I confess: Harry Potter wins from Sookie, hands down), but still I enjoyed the series.

Then Sookie enraged me with her behavior towards one of her lovers, and it took me forever to pick up the next book in the series after that. That book did restore some of my love for the series, but I was still hesitant to continue reading. So I decided to pick up this collection of short stories in hope to find my enthusiasm again.

And this anthology sure did its job.

The stories are short and fun looks into the life of Sookie, and made me remember why I read 9 books in this series so far, and have the next two on my shelves.

My favorite stories were Fairy Dust and Dracula Night. The first gives a bit more background on Claudine and Claude. the second story has Eric, enough said.

I didn't like Giftwrap, but that's probably very personal. If I was Sookie and would ever discover what truly happened, I'd be kicking some serious ass in retaliation.

Overall I really enjoyed this book, and I think I will pick up book 10 in this series one of these days.

Why should you read it:
If you like the Sookie Stackhouse series, you will like this book.

On McPig's Wishlist - The Iron Trial

I'm very curious about this book, but with the price of the paperback being €11.26, I'm going to wait for a price drop or for the cheaper paperback that releases in May 2015.


The Iron Trial (Magisterium #1)
by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare

From NEW YORK TIMES bestselling authors Holly Black and Cassandra Clare comes a riveting new series that defies what you think you know about the world of magic.

From two bestselling superstars, a dazzling and magical middle-grade collaboration centering on the students of the Magisterium, an academy for those with a propensity toward magic. In this first book, a new student comes to the Magisterium against his will -- is it because he is destined to be a powerful magician, or is the truth more twisted than that? It's a journey that will thrill you, surprise you, and make you wonder about the clear-cut distinction usually made between good and evil.


Expected publication: September 9th 2014 by Doubleday Children's Books

Enchanting the Lady - Book Review by Voodoo Bride

Enchanting the Lady (Relics of Merlin #1)
by Kathryne Kennedy

What is it about:
Little-noticed Felicity Seymour is a woman with a problem: she can't take control of her parents' lands until she can prove her magical abilities, of which she's never had the slightest hint.

When she meets a handsome were-lion baronet, Terence Blackwell, she's surprised at his interest; what she doesn't know is that Terence smells the taint of relic-magic on her, the same magic that killed his brother. Resolving to learn her secrets, Terence courts the worried wallflower and is as surprised as anyone when he falls head over heels.

What did Voodoo Bride think of it:
A delightful mix of historical and paranormal romance.

I picked this up because it was cheap, and because I was tempted by the pretty cover, so I was pleasantly surprised when this turned out to be a romantic and very enjoyable read.

I liked Felicity, although she did try my patience at time. She was a bit slow in figuring out nasty things were going on around her. I did love the interaction between her and Terence though, they made a cute couple. The romance was very sweet.

Terence is a were-lion, which makes him some sort of social outcast in high society. I thought that could have been used a bit more in the story. It was presented as an obstacle, but didn't really feel that way to me.

That aside: I really liked the story and the romance. It was pretty obvious what was going on, but as this is a Historical Paranormal Romance, that doesn't matter too much, it's first and foremost about the romance.

All in all I very much enjoyed this book and will most certainly try other books by Kathryne Kennedy. This one will go on the keeper shelves to be reread.

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

Teaser Tuesdays - My Soul to Save

But despite my fleeting amusement, my plan was not funny. It was born of desperation and inspiration, and it would never work if Tod didn't get on board. Fast.

(page 200, My Soul to Save by Rachel Vincent)




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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!

Time of Ruin - Book Review

Time of Ruin (Ash and Ruin #2)
by Shauna Granger

What is it about:
The world has ended, and hope is the most dangerous thing left.

Battered and bruised after barely escaping San Francisco with their lives, Kat, Dylan, and Blue press north – desperate to reach the possibility of a new home.

But strange, monstrous ravens are tracking the remaining survivors, food is becoming scarce, gasoline is running short, and people are becoming suicidal, making survival almost impossible.

And the Pestas are growing bolder. Somehow, their numbers are growing.

The further north they go, the harder it becomes to ignore the signs that they’ve made a fatal mistake. Kat must face the impossible truth that there is no escape, there is no safe haven, and their worst nightmares don’t come close to their new reality.

What did I think of it:
I fell in love with the first book in this trilogy, so I got my trotters on Time of Ruin as soon as I could. I can tell you the waiting until it was available on bookdepository was torture, I almost caved and bought the ebook instead. But knowing I would want the book in print if I loved it even half as much as World of Ash, made me hold back and wait for the print version.

And Time of Ruin was worth the wait.

Kat and Dylan did have a few moments where I wanted to kick some sense into them, but overall they are likable and acting with common sense. They seem to be immune to the plague that decimated the population, but that doesn't mean there are no dangers that could kill them. There are other (desperate) survivors, a lack of food, and the Pestas to deal with.

Time of Ruin takes off shortly after where book one ended, and soon I was engrossed in the story again. Kat and Dylan decide to go north to find Kat's uncle, but it seems the north isn't the safest place to be. They have to decide whether to push on or come up with another plan, and who to trust.

I love the world building and the Pestas. Granger manages to give a Post Apocalyptic setting something unique with these creepy creatures, while at the same time giving me all the elements I love in Post Apocalyptic stories as well. In World of Ash the Pestas remained mysterious, but in this book there are some discoveries about the Pestas that have me eager to find out even more.

The ending of this book isn't a cliffhanger, but enough things are still left open that I need the next book to see how everything will end.

All in all this is a really cool Post Apocalyptic Young Adult read, and I will wait impatiently for the conclusion of this trilogy. I might try one of Granger's other books in the meantime.

Why should you read it:
If you like Post Apocalyptic YA, you will most probably love this series.