Review: The Eternity Cure

The Eternity Cure (Blood of Eden #2)
by Julie Kagawa
Published April 30th 2013
by Harlequin Teen
ARC from Netgalley

Summary from Goodreads:

Allison Sekemoto has vowed to rescue her creator, Kanin, who is being held hostage and tortured by the psychotic vampire Sarren. The call of blood leads her back to the beginning—New Covington and the Fringe, and a vampire prince who wants her dead yet may become her wary ally.

Even as Allie faces shocking revelations and heartbreak like she’s never known, a new strain of the Red Lung virus that decimated humanity is rising to threaten human and vampire alike.

Thoughts:
This is a very hard review to write. I'm always drawn to strong female characters and I did fell in love with Allie when she was introduced in the first book. Compared to Julie's earlier heroine (Meghan) Allie is certainly no damsel in distress and she's definitely a very independent, bad ass chick even before she was turned into a vampire.

And after falling for Zeke and becoming a softie, I'm so glad that she's back to her sarcastic self in the beginning of this book. But the plot in this one seemed to meander a bit. She stumbled upon the evil Jackal that she had killed in the last book, made a pact of sorts and went on a mindless pursuit of their creator; Kanin. I'm just confused how easily Allie agreed to Jackal's plan eventhough she hated his guts and I had a feeling that Allie is now embracing her vampire side more freely now instead of being in a dilemma for the most part of the first book.

I know most readers welcomed the appearance of Zeke in the middle of this book but their romance feels awkward to me. At the end of it, there's too many questions to be answered that it made me so disappointed and conflicted about the series.

Verdict: 3 stars.
In my Books in a Series and Fantasy Reading Challenge 
Available on: Amazon

Review: Imaginable

Imaginable (Intangible #2)
by J. Meyers
342 pages
Published April 16th 2013

Review copy

Summary from Goodreads:

Twins Sera and Luke Raine’s unusual abilities are growing. Sera is healing vampires now, making them human again. And, at times, Luke can actually change the future he Sees.

But Sera’s healing has dangerous consequences, and though Luke is altering the outcome of more visions, he can’t control them yet.

Now Sera is in danger as the dark creatures of the Realm seek to use her. As Luke struggles to master his gift in order to save his sister, he discovers even more about his powers. 

And what he learns just may put him in greater danger than Sera has ever been.

Thoughts:
The Intangible series certainly gets better and more interesting in the second installment! The second book continued after the events of the first book where twins; Sera and Luke discovered that they are bestowed with supernatural powers. Luke can see visions of future but is still struggling with his gift while Sera can heal paranormals.

I love the fact that the author wasted no time when the book started right off with an intense action scene at the beginning. The twins, their elf guardian; Fey and some of their gifted friends were hanging out in a coffee joint when they were suddenly approached by a mysterious paranormal and then all hell breaks lose!

Apparently Sera's healing powers caused quite an uproar among the paranormal community since the vampires who were turned back to humans still retained their super strength and vampire traits which created a whole new race of paranormals. And Luke is afraid that it is too late for him to act to prevent events from his vision from becoming a reality.  Luke, Fey and their friends race against time to rescue Sera as the warring powers of paranormals kidnapped Sera so they can used her for their own advantage.

The heart stomping action certainly is a big plus point of the series. And the scores of interesting characters makes it more enjoyable. Fey is indeed my favourite character and I love that she's given a prominent part in this book. I am so rooting for her and Luke and it's nice to see their relationship develop through time. Hopefully the next book has some surprises for the twins and I really can't wait for it.

Verdict: 5 stars.
In my Books in a Series and Fantasy Reading Challenge 
Available on: Amazon

Waiting on Wednesday #25: The Beautiful and the Cursed

Waiting on Wednesday is a wonderful meme created by Jill from Breaking the Spine where we highlighted an upcoming release that we're eagerly anticipating.

The Beautiful and the Cursed 

(The Dispossessed #1) 

by Page Morgan
Paperback, 343 pages
Expected publication: May 2nd 2013 

by Hot Key Books 

Summary from Goodreads:
Ingrid Waverley is a young woman to be reckoned with. Faced with her brother's mysterious disappearance after an abrupt move to Paris, she is determined to discover what has happened to him. Soon she and her sister Gabriella are drawn into a Parisian underworld more terrifying than they could ever have imagined, but watching over them are two impossible (and impossibly handsome) young men. Luc is a 'Dispossessed', an ancient gargoyle whose sworn duty it is to protect the humans who inhabit his abbey. Nolan has secrets of his own too. He is a member of the Alliance - a shadowy group dedicated to keeping Paris safe from the demonic forces that threaten to destroy it.

Babble:
Gargoyles in Paris saving damsels in distress? I really hope this intriguing book will live up to the expectations. What do you guys think? Sounds really cool, huh?

Review: The Elite

The Elite (The Selection #2)
by Kiera Cass
Published April 23rd 2013 

by HarperTeen

Summary from Goodreads:

Thirty-five girls came to the palace to compete in the Selection. All but six have been sent home. And only one will get to marry Prince Maxon and be crowned princess of Iléa.

America still isn’t sure where her heart lies. When she’s with Maxon, she’s swept up in their new and breathless romance, and can’t dream of being with anyone else. But whenever she sees Aspen standing guard around the palace, and is overcome with memories of the life they planned to share. With the group narrowed down to the Elite, the other girls are even more determined to win Maxon over—and time is running out for America to decide.

Just when America is sure she’s made her choice, a devastating loss makes her question everything again. And while she’s struggling to imagine her future, the violent rebels that are determined to overthrow the monarchy are growing stronger and their plans could destroy her chance at any kind of happy ending.

Thoughts:
As much as I did not enjoy the first book, it's kind of hard to resist not wanting to find out what's going to happen in the series. So with some hesitation, I did pick up this book wanting to satisfy my curiosity and ended up finishing it in one night.

Yup, I still think that America is kind of lame compared to the other dystopian heroine out there but Prince Maxon charmed me all the way. I really get now what he's going through and it's not really glitz and glamour being a royal prince. So while America annoyed me to no end with her indecisiveness over which boy she should choose, Prince Maxon is the reason I finished the book so quickly.

There is really no competition between Aspen and Prince Maxon since most of the time Aspen comes off as so desperate to remind America of their past relationship every chance he got. While Prince Maxon just won America's heart just by being understanding and giving her time to sort out her thoughts. Really, he's so dreamy! 

The twist about the secrets of Ilea is kind of predictable but the secret involving Prince Maxon makes me root for him even more. Is it too obvious that America will end up with him in the end? I just hope that the next book have some delicious and juicy twists that will keep me entertained otherwise this series will become so predictable. There are only 4 girls left by the end of the book and yes America is still one of them.

Verdict: 3 stars.
In my Books in a Series and Fantasy Reading Challenge 

Waiting on Wednesday #24: Across a Star-Swept Sea

Waiting on Wednesday is a wonderful meme created by Jill from Breaking the Spine where we highlighted an upcoming release that we're eagerly anticipating.

Across a Star-Swept Sea (For Darkness Shows the Stars #2) 

by Diana Peterfreund
Hardcover, 464 pages
Expected publication: October 15th 2013 

by Balzer + Bray

Summary from Goodreads:

Centuries after wars nearly destroyed civilization, the two islands of New Pacifica stand alone, a terraformed paradise where even the Reduction—the devastating brain disorder that sparked the wars—is a distant memory. Yet on the isle of Galatea, an uprising against the ruling aristocrats has turned deadly. The revolutionaries’ weapon is a drug that damages their enemies’ brains, and the only hope is rescue by a mysterious spy known as the Wild Poppy.

On the neighboring island of Albion, no one suspects that the Wild Poppy is actually famously frivolous aristocrat Persis Blake. The teenager uses her shallow, socialite trappings to hide her true purpose: her gossipy flutternotes are encrypted plans, her pampered sea mink is genetically engineered for spying, and her well-publicized new romance with handsome Galatean medic Justen Helo… is her most dangerous mission ever.

Though Persis is falling for Justen, she can’t risk showing him her true self, especially once she learns he’s hiding far more than simply his disenchantment with his country’s revolution and his undeniable attraction to the silly socialite he’s pretending to love. His darkest secret could plunge both islands into a new dark age, and Persis realizes that when it comes to Justen Helo, she’s not only risking her heart, she’s risking the world she’s sworn to protect.

Babble:
For Darkness Shows the Stars is quite a surprise for me. I nearly give up on it because of the slow moving pace and depressing beginning but after finishing it, I was moved to tears. I've never read The Scarlet Pimpernel which this book is based upon but the idea of a secret vigilante sounds so appealing.

Waiting on Wednesday #23: Rebel Spring

Waiting on Wednesday is a wonderful meme created by Jill from Breaking the Spine where we highlighted an upcoming release that we're eagerly anticipating.

Rebel Spring (Falling Kingdoms #2)
by Morgan Rhodes, Michelle Rowen 

Hardcover, 432 pages
Expected publication: December 3rd 2013 by Razorbill 

Summary from Goodreads:

Auranos has been conquered and the three kingdoms — Auranos, Limeros, and Paelsia — are now unwillingly united as one country called Mytica. But alluring, dangerous magic still beckons, and with it the chance to rule not just Mytica, but the world...

CLEO is now a prisoner in her own palace, forced to be an ambassador for Mytica as the evil King Gaius lies to her people

MAGNUS stands to eventually inherit the new kingdom but is still obsessed with his feelings for his adopted sister Lucia

LUCIA is haunted by the outcome of the breathtaking display of magic that allowed her father to capture the kingdoms

JONAS watches at the palace gates, a troop of rebels behind him, waiting for him to tell them how he plans to overtake King Gaius

When Gaius announces that a road is to be built into the Forbidden Mountains, formally linking all of Mytica together, he sets off a chain of events that will forever change the face of this land. Because Gaius is not just burrowing into a pile of rock. He’s tunneling directly into the Watchers’ Sanctuary. And his actions will have cosmic consequences.

Babble:
I love high fantasy! And for once the multiple point of views did not disappoint. The fast-paced tone of the first book also is a plus point. Can't wait for this.

Review: Stung

Stung

by Bethany Wiggins
Published April 2nd 2013
by Walker Childrens
ARC from Netgalley

Summary from Goodreads:

There is no cure for being stung.

Fiona doesn’t remember going to sleep. But when she opens her eyes, she discovers her entire world has been altered—her house is abandoned and broken, and the entire neighborhood is barren and dead. Even stranger is the tattoo on her right hand—a black oval with five marks on either side—that she doesn’t remember getting but somehow knows she must cover at any cost. She’s right.

Those bearing the tattoo have turned into mindless, violent beasts that roam the streets and sewers, preying upon the unbranded while a select few live protected inside a fortress-like wall, their lives devoted to rebuilding society and killing all who bear the mark.

Now Fiona has awakened branded, alone—and on the wrong side of the wall.

Thoughts:
I have never felt so conflicted about a book before. The book started out very promising with the introduction of our heroine who woke up alone in her own house. But everything seemed amiss. Her room is neglected and dusty and her own brother doesn't recognized her when he comes in barreling like a mindless monster.

Normally I would love a science fiction with an element of mystery thrown in, which the idea behind the book is all about. But the over abundance of violence and the weak protagonist just turned me off. Her string of bad decisions just annoyed me to no end. Instead of rising to the challenge, Fiona just floundered terribly when she is facing a possible conflict.

And the introduction of a possible love interest just seemed so out place.Readers could have predicted what was happening sooner if such distractions are not included and the story would have appeared more interesting without the unnecessary violence.

Verdict: 2 stars.
In my Books in a Series Reading Challenge 

FF Friday #12

Hi, everyone! It's time for another FF Friday.

Q: We are about to see a lot of posts & tweets about reader conventions, RT, BEA, ALA and many more are starting soon. Which one would you love to attend? Where and why?

I would love to go to ALA just to mingle around with all the other book lovers but since I live halfway around the world that would just seemed so impossible. Sigh.

Waiting on Wednesday #22: Gameboard of the Gods

Waiting on Wednesday is a wonderful meme created by Jill from Breaking the Spine where we highlighted an upcoming release that we're eagerly anticipating.

Gameboard of the Gods (Age of X #1)
by Richelle Mead
Hardcover, 464 pages
Expected publication: June 4th 2013 by Dutton Adult
Summary from Goodreads:

In a futuristic world nearly destroyed by religious extremists, Justin March lives in exile after failing in his job as an investigator of religious groups and supernatural claims. But Justin is given a second chance when Mae Koskinen comes to bring him back to the Republic of United North America (RUNA). Raised in an aristocratic caste, Mae is now a member of the military’s most elite and terrifying tier, a soldier with enhanced reflexes and skills.

When Justin and Mae are assigned to work together to solve a string of ritualistic murders, they soon realize that their discoveries have exposed them to terrible danger. As their investigation races forward, unknown enemies and powers greater than they can imagine are gathering in the shadows, ready to reclaim the world in which humans are merely game pieces on their board.

Babble:
This is certainly one of the most anticipated book this year. I'm so tempted to read this just because Richelle Mead wrote it but that plot sounds awfully familiar. It kind of reminded me of Legend. What do you guys think?

Book of the Month: March

Book of the Month is a monthly event, hosted by Book Whales. This is done to highlight one of the books we have read in the previous month.

So my book of the month is (cue drum roll please..)

Clockwork Princess

by Cassandra Clare 

I'm sorry for putting this up quite late. I'm totally swamped with work and family that I haven't even written a review of the book but it is without a doubt my favourite book for March. The Infernal Devices is certainly a better series in my opinion compared to The Mortal Instruments just because Will is a much more likeable hero compared to Jace. And JEM! I'm so obsessed with him.

Blog Tour (Review): And Then I Found You

And Then I Found You: A Novel
by Patti Callahan Henry

Published April 9th 2013

by St. Martin's Press 

Summary from Goodreads: 

Kate Vaughan is no stranger to tough choices.

She’s made them before. Now it’s time to do it again.

Kate has a secret, something tucked away in her past. And she’s getting on with her life. Her business is thriving. She has a strong relationship with her family, and a devoted boyfriend whom she wants to love with all her heart. If Kate had ever made a list, Rowan would fill the imagined boxes of a perfect mate. But she wants more than the perfect on paperrelationship; she wants a real and imperfect love. That's why, when Kate discovers the small velvet box hidden in Rowan's drawer, she panics.

It always happens this way. Just when Kate thinks she can love, just when she believes she can conquer the fear, she’s filled with dread. And she wants more than anything to make this feeling go away. But how?

When the mistakes have been made and the running is over, it’s time to face the truth. Kate knows this. She understands that a woman can never undo what can never be undone. Yet, for the first time in her life she also knows that she won’t fully love until she confronts those from her past. It’s time to act.

Can she do it? Can she travel to the place where it all began, to the one who shares her secret? Can the lost ever become found?

Thoughts:
A touching tale about the a woman's journey to self discovery. We get to follow Katie as a 13 year old girl and then through the years as she gets her heart broken and faces the ups and downs of life. As Katie faces a difficult choice in her life, she is now very wary of love. When her fears of being tied down by a commitment seemed to be overwhelming, she decided to face the one person who has been haunting her life all this time. Her first love; Jack.

I was genuinely touched by the trials and tribulations the main protagonist have gone through. And when I found out that this story is actually based on a true story, it just make it so real. As the story  constantly shift from the past to the actual present, we get to see two sides of Katie and how she matured and changed over the years.

It is certainly a hard decision to give up her daughter for adoption so it is certainly interesting when she has to face all the consequences of her past decisions. I love how at the end everything comes in full circles and finally Kate/Katie found her redemption. This book is definitely recommended for anyone looking for an inspiring story that will touched your heart.

Verdict: 4 stars.
Available on: Amazon

Want to win a copy of this book? Enter HERE. 

Waiting on Wednesday #21: The Falconer

Waiting on Wednesday is a wonderful meme created by Jill from Breaking the Spine where we highlighted an upcoming release that we're eagerly anticipating.

The Falconer (The Falconer #1)
by Elizabeth May 

Expected publication: September 19th 2013
by Gollancz

Summary from Goodreads:

Lady Aileana Kameron can sing, paint prettily, and murder the fae as easily as dancing a waltz. But how far is she prepared to go for vengeance?

Edinburgh, Scotland, 1844

18-year-old Lady Aileana Kameron, the only daughter of the Marquess of Douglas, was destined to a life carefully planned around Edinburgh’s social events – right up until a faery kills her mother.

Now it’s the 1844 winter season. Between a seeming endless number of parties, Aileana slaughters faeries in secret. Armed with modified percussion pistols and explosives, every night she sheds her aristocratic facade and goes hunting. She’s determined to track down the faery who murdered her mother, and to destroy any who prey on humans in the city’s many dark alleyways.

But she never even considered that she might become attracted to one. To the magnetic Kiaran MacKay, the faery who trained her to kill his own kind. Nor is she at all prepared for the revelation he’s going to bring. Because Midwinter is approaching, and with it an eclipse that has the ability to unlock a Fae prison and begin the Wild Hunt.

A battle looms, and Aileana is going to have to decide how much she’s willing to lose – and just how far she’ll go to avenge her mother’s murder.

Babble:
Do check out the Goodreads page of this book because there's a hilarious comment by the author filled with crazy pictures and funny gifs to entice readers to go out and buy the book. Since I'm always on the look out for exciting YA steampunk to brighten up my days, this is certainly a must have.