Waiting on Wednesday (5): Laini Taylor - Days of Blood and Starlight

Woo! I had a crazy weekend (in a good way!) and I'm still winding down from it.  Review of Dreamless by Josephine Angelini is in the works. In the meantime, here's my WoW:

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Title: Days of Blood and Starlight
Author: Laini Taylor
Publisher: Little, Brown & Co
Release Date: November 6th, 2012 
Summary (from Goodreads):

In this stunning sequel to the highly acclaimed "Daughter of Smoke and Bone," Karou must come to terms with who and what she is, and how far she'll go to avenge her people. Filled with heartbreak and beauty, mysteries and secrets, new characters and old favorites, Days of Blood and Starlight brings the richness, color and intensity of the first book to a brand new canvas.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone was declared a "must read" by Entertainment Weekly, was named a Best Book of the Year by Amazon.com, and The New York Times called it "a breath-catching romantic fantasy."

Why I Look Forward to This: Daughter of Smoke and Bone was absolutely fantastic, and its ending left me wanting more more more. I really need to see what's happening between Karou and Akiva, whether her family's alive and what she's going to do next. Taylor's prose and imagery are amazing. Cannot WAIT.

Showcase Sunday (2)

Showcase Sunday is a meme hosted by Books, Biscuits, and Tea that lets bloggers highlight any books or book-related swag they received this week, whether they're from bookstores, libraries, received for review, etc.

I got a few books this week! :D To start things off, I received an ARC via a Goodreads giveaway I won last week, which I'm almost finished with:

Title: Dreamless
Author: Josephine Angelini
Series: Starcrossed, #2
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release date: May 29th, 2012
Summary (via Goodreads):

Can true love be forgotten?

As the only Scion who can descend into the Underworld, Helen Hamilton has been given a nearly impossible task. By night she wanders through Hades, trying to stop the endless cycle of revenge that has cursed her family. By day she struggles to overcome the fatigue that is rapidly eroding her sanity. Without Lucas by her side, Helen is not sure she has the strength to go on.

Just as Helen is pushed to her breaking point, a mysterious new Scion comes to her rescue. Funny and brave, Orion shields her from the dangers of the Underworld. But time is running out—a ruthless foe plots against them, and the Furies’ cry for blood is growing louder.

As the ancient Greek world collides with the mortal one, Helen’s sheltered life on Nantucket descends into chaos. But the hardest task of all will be forgetting Lucas Delos.

Josephine Angelini’s compelling saga becomes ever more intricate and spellbinding as an unforgettable love triangle emerges and the eternal cycle of revenge intensifies. Eagerly awaited, this sequel to the internationally bestselling STARCROSSED delivers a gritty, action-packed love story that exceeds expectation.

I received this in the mail yesterday via a recent giveaway hosted by the author (signed + personalized, too!):

Title: The Thief-Taker's Apprentice
Author: Stephen Deas
Series: The Thief-Taker's Apprentice, #1
Publisher: Gollancz
Summary (via Goodreads):

When Berren makes the mistake of stealing a purse from a thief-taker, it should have condemned him to a short and brutal life in the slave-mines. So when the thief-taker offers to train him as an apprentice instead, he can’t believe his luck. But Berren’s new master has secrets of his own, and thief-takers and their apprentices are wont to make enemies far more readily than friends.

And I went down to the library and picked up these books:

Title: Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Series: Books of Faerie, #1
Publisher: Flux
Summary (via Goodreads):

Sixteen-year-old Deirdre Monaghan is a painfully shy but prodigiously gifted musician. She's about to find out she's also a cloverhand—one who can see faeries. Deirdre finds herself infatuated with a mysterious boy who enters her ordinary suburban life, seemingly out of thin air. Trouble is, the enigmatic and gorgeous Luke turns out to be a gallowglass—a soulless faerie assassin. An equally hunky—and equally dangerous—dark faerie soldier named Aodhan is also stalking Deirdre. Sworn enemies, Luke and Aodhan each have a deadly assignment from the Faerie Queen. Namely, kill Deirdre before her music captures the attention of the Fae and threatens the Queen's sovereignty. Caught in the crossfire with Deirdre is James, her wisecracking but loyal best friend. Deirdre had been wishing her life weren't so dull, but getting trapped in the middle of a centuries-old faerie war isn't exactly what she had in mind . . .

Lament is a dark faerie fantasy that features authentic Celtic faerie lore, plus cover art and interior illustrations by acclaimed faerie artist Julia Jeffrey.

Title: Out of Oz
Author: Gregory Maguire
Series: The Wicked Years, #4
Publisher: William Morrow
Summary (via Goodreads):

The marvelous land of Oz is knotted with social unrest: The Emerald City is mounting an invasion of Munchkinland, Glinda is under house arrest, and the Cowardly Lion is on the run from the law. And look who’s knocking at the door. It’s none other than Dorothy. Yes, that Dorothy.

Amid all this chaos, Elphaba’s granddaughter, the tiny green baby born at the close of Son of a Witch, has come of age. Now, Rain will take up her broom in an Oz wracked by war.

The stirring, long-awaited conclusion to the extraordinary bestselling series begun with Wicked, Out of Oz is a magical journey rife with revelations and reversals, reprisals and surprises — the hallmarks of the brilliant and unique imagination of Gregory Maguire.

Should be fun reading!

From the Review Pile (2): Melanie Rawn, Jennifer Roberson, Kate Elliott - The Golden Key

From the Review Pile is a meme hosted by Stepping Out of the Page every Thursday.
The aim of this meme is to showcase books that you've received for review (or any book that you own and really want to read/review) but haven't yet got around to reading, in order to give the book some extra publicity.

Title: The Golden Key 
Authors: Melanie Rawn, Jennifer Roberson, Kate Elliott

Publisher: DAW

Released: June 2011 (first published 1996)
Buy from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookdepository

Summary (via Goodreads):  

In Tira Virte, art is prized for its beauty and as a binding legal record of everything from marriages to treaties. Yet not even the Grand Duke knows how extraordinary the Grijalva family's art is, for certain Grijalva males are born with the ability to alter events and influence people in the real world through that they paint. Always, their power has been used for Tira Virte. But now Sario Grijalva has learned to use his Gift in a whole new way. And when he begins to work his magic both the Grijalvas and Tira Virte may pay the price.

I picked this up sometime last year because it looked interesting -- I haven't read anything by the authors before, but this seems right up my alley. I think the length's been putting me off (it's over 800 pages in MMP format), but one of these days I'll get to it. The world-building sounds too cool to pass over.

Just a reminder...

... of this awesome thing that Thea Harrison (author of the awesome Dragon Bound, which I reviewed here) is doing for her birthday:

My 50th birthday is on May 29th, and it’s getting close fast!  Like last year, I would like celebrate my birthday in true hobbit fashion by giving things away.

I hope you will help me celebrate.  For any of you that donate your gently used books to your local library, I would be happy to send you a signed bookplate.

You can check out the entire post with more details here. She'll also pick a donor at random to receive handmade soap. :D Check it out!

Waiting on Wednesday (4): Melissa Marr - Carnival of Souls

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Title: Carnival of Souls
Author: Melissa Marr
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: September 4th, 2012 
Summary (from Goodreads):

In a city of daimons, the Carnival of Souls hosts a deadly competition. Once in a generation, every citizen can fight to join the ruling elite. Without the competition, Aya and Kaleb would both face bleak futures—if for different reasons. For each of them, fighting to the death is the only way to try to live.

In our own world, Mallory knows that her father—and every other witch—fled the daimons’ city long ago. She trains to be lethal because it’s only a matter of time until the daimons catch up with them.

While Mallory possesses little knowledge of The City, every inhabitant of The City knows of her. There are plans there for Mallory, and soon she, too, will be drawn into the decadence that is the Carnival of Souls. 

From Melissa Marr, bestselling author of the Wicked Lovely series, comes a brand-new tale of secrets, love, and the struggle to forge one’s own destiny.

Why I Look Forward to This: I love Melissa Marr. LOVE. I thought the Wicked Lovely series was great, and Graveminder even moreso; I adore her characters and themes. She seems to be a fantastic person as well as a great author -- I follow her on Twitter and always appreciate what she has to say. This sounds really dark and fantastic, and I can't wait to get my hands on it. :D

[review] Chris Wooding - Retribution Falls (Tales of the Ketty Jay, #1)

Title: Retribution Falls
Author: Chris Wooding
Series: Tales of the Ketty Jay, #1
Publisher: Orion/Indigo
Format read: Paperback (UK edition)
Source: Won via Twitter giveaway
Buy from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookdepository
Summary (via Goodreads):  

Sky piracy is a bit out of Darian Frey’s league. Fate has not been kind to the captain of the airship Ketty Jay—or his motley crew. They are all running from something. Crake is a daemonist in hiding, traveling with an armored golem and burdened by guilt. Jez is the new navigator, desperate to keep her secret from the rest of the crew. Malvery is a disgraced doctor, drinking himself to death. So when an opportunity arises to steal a chest of gems from a vulnerable airship, Frey can’t pass it up. It’s an easy take—and the payoff will finally make him a rich man.

But when the attack goes horribly wrong, Frey suddenly finds himself the most wanted man in Vardia, trailed by bounty hunters, the elite Century Knights, and the dread queen of the skies, Trinica Dracken. Frey realizes that they’ve been set up to take a fall but doesn’t know the endgame. And the ultimate answer for captain and crew may lie in the legendary hidden pirate town of Retribution Falls. That’s if they can get there without getting blown out of the sky.

Random paragraph: "There were two guards, in addition to the gaoler, though the prisoners rarely heard them speak. They were there to keep an eye on things. 'Just in case you try any foolery,' the gaoler said, with a pointed look at Crake. They'd evidently been warned that there was a daemonist among the prisoners. Crake's golden tooth would be useless: he couldn't deal with three men. His skeleton key was lying somewhere in the Ketty Jay's cargo hold, equally useless." (p. 334, Indigo paperback edition)

This book made me tired. Very, very tired.

Showcase Sunday (1)

Showcase Sunday is a meme hosted by Books, Biscuits, and Tea that lets bloggers highlight any books or book-related swag they received this week, whether they're from bookstores, libraries, received for review, etc. 

I went to Books-A-Million today. I really, REALLY shouldn't have, but...

Title: Beautiful Creatures

Author(s): Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Series: Caster Chronicles, #1

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Summary (via Goodreads):

There were no surprises in Gatlin County.

We were pretty much the epicenter of the middle of nowhere.
At least, that's what I thought.
Turns out, I couldn't have been more wrong.
There was a curse.
There was a girl.
And in the end, there was a grave.
Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

Title: The City & the City

Author: China Miéville

Publisher: Del Rey

Summary (via Goodreads):
New York Times bestselling author China Miéville delivers his most accomplished novel yet, an existential thriller set in a city unlike any other–real or imagined.
 
When a murdered woman is found in the city of Beszel, somewhere at the edge of Europe, it looks to be a routine case for Inspector Tyador Borlú of the Extreme Crime Squad. But as he investigates, the evidence points to conspiracies far stranger and more deadly than anything he could have imagined.  

Borlú must travel from the decaying Beszel to the only metropolis on Earth as strange as his own. This is a border crossing like no other, a journey as psychic as it is physical, a shift in perception, a seeing of the unseen. His destination is Beszel’s equal, rival, and intimate neighbor, the rich and vibrant city of Ul Qoma. With Ul Qoman detective Qussim Dhatt, and struggling with his own transition, Borlú is enmeshed in a sordid underworld of rabid nationalists intent on destroying their neighboring city, and unificationists who dream of dissolving the two into one. As the detectives uncover the dead woman’s secrets, they begin to suspect a truth that could cost them and those they care about more than their lives.  

What stands against them are murderous powers in Beszel and in Ul Qoma: and, most terrifying of all, that which lies between these two cities. 

Casting shades of Kafka and Philip K. Dick, Raymond Chandler and 1984, The City & the City is a murder mystery taken to dazzling metaphysical and artistic heights

Title: Railsea 
Author: China Miéville
Publisher: Random House
Summary (from Goodreads):

On board the moletrain Medes, Sham Yes ap Soorap watches in awe as he witnesses his first moldywarpe hunt: the giant mole bursting from the earth, the harpoonists targeting their prey, the battle resulting in one’s death and the other’s glory. But no matter how spectacular it is, Sham can't shake the sense that there is more to life than traveling the endless rails of the railsea–even if his captain can think only of the hunt for the ivory-coloured mole she’s been chasing since it took her arm all those years ago. When they come across a wrecked train, at first it's a welcome distraction. But what Sham finds in the derelict—a series of pictures hinting at something, somewhere, that should be impossible—leads to considerably more than he'd bargained for. Soon he's hunted on all sides, by pirates, trainsfolk, monsters and salvage-scrabblers. And it might not be just Sham's life that's about to change. It could be the whole of the railsea.

From China Miéville comes a novel for readers of all ages, a gripping and brilliantly imagined take on Herman Melville's Moby-Dick that confirms his status as "the most original and talented voice to appear in several years." (Science Fiction Chronicle)

One of my friends raves over Beautiful Creatures, and I'm curious about it because of the mixed reactions among reviewers -- it was only $3.97, so I couldn't pass it up. The City & the City was only $5. Railsea was full price, but I'm SO curious about it that I decided to buy it. :D

And for review, I received:

Title: Envious of the Clouds
Author: Amy Michelle Mosier
Summary (via Lulu): 

A small collection of sonnets, triolets, rondeaux and haiku, as well as free verse poetry. In the style of Dickinson and Longfellow, it's an attempt to resurrect Victorian era poetry.

The author described it to me as poetry for people who don't normally read poetry. I do like poetry, but I haven't read it for pleasure in a while, so I look forward to getting to this. :)

Spotlight Friday (2): MeiLin Miranda - Lovers and Beloveds, Son in Sorrow

Spotlight Friday is a (hopefully) weekly feature I'm starting to highlight books that should get more attention.

Title: Lovers and Beloveds
Author: MeiLin Miranda
Publisher: Sans Culotte Press
Released: 2010
# of Ratings on Goodreads: 98
Buy From: Amazon
Read the Serialization: Here
Summary (via Goodreads):

When eighteen-year-old Prince Temmin comes of age and joins his father's court, he's unprepared for its politics, assassins and sexual intrigues--and even more unprepared for the King's immortal advisor Teacher, the holder of the royal family's hidden magic. Teacher becomes Temmin's tutor, his lessons contained in a magic book. Through it, Temmin experiences everything each story's characters do, and he's forced to confront serious mistakes in the kingdom's--and his own--past.

His present is no easier. He's falling for beautiful twins--brother and sister--who are the human hosts of the gods of love and desire called the Lovers. Being with them is more than sex; it's a religious calling. But an ancient prophecy says if Temmin heeds the Lovers' call it may spell the end of the monarchy, and his father fights him every step of the way.

Temmin must choose: Serve the Lovers and lose his father--and possibly the kingdom--or serve the King and risk the wrath of the Gods.

Title: Son in Sorrow
Author: MeiLin Miranda
Publisher: Sans Culotte Press
Released: March 28th, 2012
# of Ratings on Goodreads: 23
Buy From: Amazon | Author's Website | Smashwords
Read the Serialization: Here
Summary (via Goodreads):

Prince Temmin incurred his father's wrath when he took Supplicancy in the Lovers' Temple; his devotion to the Gods outweighed his father's rage. Now he faces a greater challenge: his forbidden love for Allis, the human host of the goddess Neya. If he doesn't conquer his emotions, he may bring the Lovers' deadly fury down on them both--but pride and desire stand in his way. When a murder rips his greatest support from him, Temmin turns to the magic book of his ancestors to find answers to his need both for revenge and for a woman he must not love.

All the while, enemies inside and outside the kingdom are plotting against the monarchy, and the gods prove once again they are no one's friends.

I Rec This Because: This was rec'd to me quite a while back for something similar to the Kushiel series (one of my favorite), and though I don't think they're quite similar, I can see where they're coming from.

Spoiled Prince Temmin is growing up, with all the confusion and hormones that brings; assassination attempts and navigating politics doesn't help matters. I haven't read the second book yet, but the first really succeeds at character development. Sex plays a heavy role in these books, and though it gets squicky sometimes, it's supposed to; the theme of consent is absolutely huge, and one action that Temmin performs at the beginning of the novel -- nearly forcing himself on another woman while in a drunken state -- is returned to and looked at frankly time and time again. There is a story-within-a-story about a woman who has a lust spell cast on her, and Temmin's advisor uses this as a good teaching lesson: is she well enough? Could she really have consented to things in her state? The way Temmin realizes his mistakes and develops as a character is really deftly handled.

There's some great feminist themes within the first book, too: at one point, Temmin asks, "If the women were so important, then why aren't they in the histories?" Teacher gives a "thin smile" and quickly proves him wrong.

In short, if you want some intelligent erotica with serious themes in a fantasy setting, you'd probably do well to check this out.

(An interesting history with these books: they started as a serialization, but when the author was running into problems, her fans pitched in money -- enough money for her to finish the serialization and get it published professionally. The second book was crowdfunded via Kickstarter: she only asked for $1500, but people gave her over $5000. People believe in these!)

From the Review Pile (1): Kate Quinn - Empress of the Seven Hills

From the Review Pile is a meme hosted by Stepping Out of the Page every Thursday.
The aim of this meme is to showcase books that you've received for review (or any book that you own and really want to read/review) but haven't yet got around to reading, in order to give the book some extra publicity.

Title: Empress of the Seven Hills

Author: Kate Quinn

Publisher: Berkley Trade

Released: April 2012
Buy from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookdepository

Summary (via Goodreads):  

From the national bestselling author of Daughters of Rome and Mistress of Rome comes a tale of love, power, and intrigue spanning the wilds of the Empire to the seven hills of Rome.

Powerful, prosperous, and expanding ever farther into the untamed world, the Roman Empire has reached its zenith under the rule of the beloved Emperor Trajan. But neither Trajan nor his reign can last forever . . .

Brash and headstrong, Vix is a celebrated ex-gladiator returned to Rome to make his fortune. The sinuous, elusive Sabina is a senator’s daughter who craves adventure. Sometimes lovers, sometimes enemies, Vix and Sabina are united by their devotion to Trajan. But others are already maneuvering in the shadows. Trajan’s ambitious Empress has her own plans for Sabina. And the aristocratic Hadrian — the Empress’s ruthless protégé and Vix’s mortal enemy — has ambitions he confesses to no one, ambitions rooted in a secret prophecy.

When Trajan falls, the hardened soldier, the enigmatic empress, the adventurous girl, and the scheming politician will all be caught in a deadly whirlwind of desire and death that may seal their fates, and that of the entire Roman Empire . . .

I won this recently from The Maiden's Court, but haven't had the chance to crack it open yet. Historical fiction is usually not my favored genre, but I loved Daughters of Rome and keep up with everything Kate Quinn does now. I read Mistress after Daughters and didn't like it as much, but I think her writing's improved and can't wait to revisit Vix and Sabina.

This meme is perfect for me -- I have so many books I need to get to. Props to Stephanie for starting this!

(Also, the formatting's wonky in this post -- sorry! I'll see if I can fix it.)

[review] Josephine Angelini - Starcrossed (Starcrossed, #1)

Title: Starcrossed
Author: Josephine Angelini
Series: Starcrossed, #1
Publisher: HarperTeen
Format read: ebook
Source: Personal collection, purchased from Sony Reader store
Buy from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Sony | Bookdepository
Additional note: Special $0.99 ebook edition with bonus material (extended author's note, four chapters of the upcoming sequel). It's going to be available for only a limited time, so if you're curious about it and don't mind plunking down a dollar, now's the time to get it!
Summary (via Goodreads):

Set on the island of Nantucket, STARCROSSED tells the tale of Helen Hamilton, a young woman whose destiny is forever altered when she meets Lucas Delos and tries to kill him in front of her entire high school. Which is terribly inconvenient, not only because Lucas is the most beautiful boy on the island, but also because Helen is so achingly shy she suffers physical pain whenever she is given too much attention.

Making matters worse, Helen is beginning to suspect she’s going crazy. Whenever she’s near Lucas or any member of his family she sees the ghostly apparitions of three women weeping bloody tears, and suffers the burden of an intense and irrational hate. She soon learns that she and Lucas are destined to play the leading roles in a Greek tragedy that the Three Fates insist on repeating over and over again throughout history. Like her namesake, Helen of Troy, she’s destined to start a war by falling in love. But even though Lucas and Helen can see their own star-crossed destiny, they’re still powerfully attracted to each other. Will they give up their personal happiness for the greater good, or risk it all to be together?

Random paragraph: "As she watched the sand turn gray, then pink, then coral with the rising sun, Helen thought that this was the second dawn she had seen in as many days. Of the two, she much preferred this one. She was in far more pain, but she was also alive and completely free from anger. Helen hadn't realized how heavy the burden of hate had been until she was allowed to put it down."  (p. 76, ebook edition as displayed on Sony Reader)

I've always been curious about this one, and when I won a giveaway for an ARC of the sequel, it encouraged me to finally get to it. I requested an inter-library loan, but the very next day, it went on sale at ebook retailers for $0.99. I picked it up immediately -- maybe there's still a way to cancel that loan request...

This seems to be polarizing among the YA blogging community, which made me extra curious about it. Thankfully, I wound up really enjoying it.

[review] Sherrilyn Kenyon - Acheron (Dark-Hunter, #15)

Title: Acheron
Author: Sherrilyn Kenyon
Series: Dark-Hunter, #15
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Format read: Hardcover
Source: Personal collection
Buy from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookdepository
Summary (via Goodreads): 

The most anticipated story in the blockbuster Dark-Hunter series. The never-before-revealed story of the Dark-Hunter leader, Acheron.  He was made human in order to escape death, but in death he was reborn a god. . .

 Eleven thousand years ago a god was born. Cursed into the body of a human, Acheron spent a lifetime of shame. However, his human death unleashed an unspeakable horror that almost destroyed the earth. Then, brought back against his will, Acheron became the sole defender of mankind.
Only it was never that simple. For centuries, he has fought for our survival and hidden a past he’ll do anything to keep concealed. Until a lone woman who refuses to be intimidated by him threatens his very existence.
Now his survival, and ours, hinges on hers and old enemies reawaken and unite to kill them both.
War has never been more deadly... or more fun. 

Random paragraph: "She started to leave, then stopped and reversed course before she raked him with a scathing glare that was only a pittance of the hatred she felt stinging her every molecule for this man. 'You punk asshole. What was this? A game for you? This is my life's work you just annihilated and for what? Shits and giggles? Or was this nothing more than a fraternity prank? Please tell me that you didn't just ruin my integrity to get some kind of drinking points. This is something I've been working for since before you were born. How dare you make a mockery of me. I hope to God that one day someone degrades you like this so that you'll know, just once in your spoiled pompous life, what humiliation feels like.'" (pgs. 440-441, hardcover edition)

In short: I tried, but I don't think Sherrilyn Kenyon's books are for me.

Waiting on Wednesday (3): Libba Bray - The Diviners

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Title: The Diviners
Author: Libba Bray
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Release Date: September 18th, 2012 
Summary (from Goodreads):

Evie O'Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City--and she is pos-i-toot-ly thrilled. New York is the city of speakeasies, shopping, and movie palaces! Soon enough, Evie is running with glamorous Ziegfield girls and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is Evie has to live with her Uncle Will, curator of The Museum of American Folklore, Superstition, and the Occult--also known as "The Museum of the Creepy Crawlies."

When a rash of occult-based murders comes to light, Evie and her uncle are right in the thick of the investigation. And through it all, Evie has a secret: a mysterious power that could help catch the killer--if he doesn't catch her first.

Why I Look Forward to This: It's Libba Bray! Doing more historical fantasy! DURING THE 1920S! -happy sigh- As much as I liked Beauty Queens, I'm really happy to see her releasing more fantasy books, and I love books set during this time period. The integration of the occult themes sounds marvelous, and I'm sure the book will have no lack of the author's wit and humor. :)

[review] E L James - Fifty Shades of Grey (Fifty Shades, #1)

Title: Fifty Shades of Grey
Author: E L James
Series: Fifty Shades Trilogy, #1
Publisher: Vintage
Format read: Paperback
Source: Loan from Mom
Buy from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookdepository
Summary (via Goodreads):

When literature student Anastasia Steele goes to interview young entrepreneur Christian Grey, she encounters a man who is beautiful, brilliant, and intimidating. The unworldly, innocent Ana is startled to realize she wants this man and, despite his enigmatic reserve, finds she is desperate to get close to him. Unable to resist Ana’s quiet beauty, wit, and independent spirit, Grey admits he wants her, too—but on his own terms.

Shocked yet thrilled by Grey’s singular erotic tastes, Ana hesitates. For all the trappings of success—his multinational businesses, his vast wealth, his loving family—Grey is a man tormented by demons and consumed by the need to control. When the couple embarks on a daring, passionately physical affair, Ana discovers Christian Grey’s secrets and explores her own dark desires.

Erotic, amusing, and deeply moving, the Fifty Shades Trilogy is a tale that will obsess you, possess you, and stay with you forever.

Random paragraph:  "And then this evening, he actually hit me. I've never been hit in my life. What have I gotten myself into? Very slowly, my tears, halted by Kate's arrival, begin to slide down the side of my face and into my ears. I have fallen for someone who's so emotionally shut down, I will only get hurt--deep down I know this--someone who by his own admission is completely fucked up. Why is he so fucked up? It must be awful to be as affected as he is, and the thought that as a toddler he suffered some unbearable cruelty makes me cry harder. Perhaps if he was more normal he wouldn't want you, my subconscious contributes snidely to my musings ... and in my heart of hearts I know this is true. I turn into my pillow and the sluice gates open ... and for the first time in years, I am sobbing uncontrollably into my pillow." (p. 285, paperback edition)

You see that paragraph up there? This is after Christian spanked Ana, supposedly within the confines of an informed, consensual relationship. (Also, this is gonna be explicit and possibly NSFW -- just a warning before you click the jump.)

Spotlight Friday (1): Alaya Johnson - Moonshine, Wicked City

Spotlight Friday is a (hopefully) weekly feature I'm starting to highlight books that should get more attention.

Title: Moonshine
Author: Alaya Johnson
Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books
Released: 2010
# of Ratings on Goodreads: 222
Buy From: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookdepository
Summary (via Goodreads):

Imagining vampires at the heart of the social struggles of 1920s, Moonshine blends a tempestuous romance with dramatic historical fiction, populated by a lively mythology inhabiting the gritty New York City streets.

Zephyr Hollis is an underfed, overzealous social activist who teaches night school to the underprivileged of the Lower East Side. Strapped for cash, Zephyr agrees to help a student, the mysterious Amir, who proposes she use her charity worker cover to bring down a notorious vampire mob boss.

What he doesn’t tell her is why. Soon enough she’s tutoring a child criminal with an angelic voice, dodging vampires high on a new blood-based street drug, and trying to determine the real reason behind Amir’s request — not to mention attempting to resist (often unsuccessfully) his dark, inhuman charm.

Title: Wicked City
Author: Alaya Johnson
Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books
Released: April 10th, 2012
# of Ratings on Goodreads: 16
Buy From: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookdepository
Summary (via Goodreads):

In this page-turning follow up to Moonshine, it’s summer in the city and most vampires are drunk on the blood-based intoxicant Faust. The mayor has tied his political fortunes to legalizing the brew, but Zephyr Hollis has dedicated herself to the cause of Faust prohibition--at least when she isn’t knocking back sidecars in speakeasies.

But the game changes when dozens of vampires end up in the city morgue after drinking Faust. Are they succumbing to natural causes, or have they been deliberately poisoned? When an anonymous tip convinces the police of her guilt, Zephyr has to save her reputation, her freedom and possibly her life. Someone is after her blood--and this time it isn’t a vampire.

I Rec This Because: It's urban fantasy done right. I roll my eyes at most urban fantasy series because, instead of trying to evoke a sense of place or setting, many authors seem to pick a city at random and throw supernatural creatures in it. There is an implication, described very well by Daniel Hemmens at Ferretbrain, that a city and its people isn't interesting to authors or readers -- instead, it requires supernatural phenomena to make it interesting. Another complaint is the lack of inclusion of minorities; they often seem substituted for supernatural "outcasts" (vampires, werewolves, etc) instead.

This series doesn't suffer from these pitfalls. The Zephyr Hollis books take New York City's rich history and combine it with the supernatural. The main character, Zephyr Hollis, is a social activist who works at a night school; her roommate is an Irish immigrant with the powers of a seer. Her women's-only apartment is run by a Russian woman, the blood bank is run by a Jewish Ukrainian grandmother, there's a bakery owned and run by Syrians -- there is no lack of diversity, which is incredibly refreshing. Johnson deftly invokes the atmosphere of the 1920s, with speakeasies and protests abound. The vampires don't sparkle; if exposed to daylight, or killed by other means, they exsanguinate (or "pop") in a pretty disgusting manner.

The books are slow burns (lots of buildup and character development), but they're fun at the same time. I especially enjoyed the mob politics in both books -- the Turn Boys (a gang of young vampires) were fascinating to read about. Zephyr's a great heroine, and I thought it was really nice that in the second book, when she acts crappy, other characters call her on it. If you want urban fantasy that's a little different, this is worth checking out.

Waiting on Wednesday (2): China Miéville - Railsea

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Title: Railsea 
Author: China Miéville
Publisher: Random House
Release Date: May 15th, 2012 
Summary (from Goodreads):

On board the moletrain Medes, Sham Yes ap Soorap watches in awe as he witnesses his first moldywarpe hunt: the giant mole bursting from the earth, the harpoonists targeting their prey, the battle resulting in one’s death and the other’s glory. But no matter how spectacular it is, Sham can't shake the sense that there is more to life than traveling the endless rails of the railsea–even if his captain can think only of the hunt for the ivory-coloured mole she’s been chasing since it took her arm all those years ago. When they come across a wrecked train, at first it's a welcome distraction. But what Sham finds in the derelict—a series of pictures hinting at something, somewhere, that should be impossible—leads to considerably more than he'd bargained for. Soon he's hunted on all sides, by pirates, trainsfolk, monsters and salvage-scrabblers. And it might not be just Sham's life that's about to change. It could be the whole of the railsea.

From China Miéville comes a novel for readers of all ages, a gripping and brilliantly imagined take on Herman Melville's Moby-Dick that confirms his status as "the most original and talented voice to appear in several years." (Science Fiction Chronicle)

Why I Look Forward to This: I started getting into Miéville's work this year -- his concepts are utterly fascinating and his prose is top-notch. I've heard that this one is marketed towards a more YA audience, which is interesting -- a few reviews on Goodreads say that this seems way too difficult for teens, but there are some who would love a challenge. Can't wait to try this one!

[review] Thea Harrison - Dragon Bound (Elder Races, #1)

Title: Dragon Bound
Author: Thea Harrison
Series: Elder Races, #1
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Format read: Mass market paperback
Source: Personal collection
Buy from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookdepository
Summary (via Goodreads):

Half-human and half-wyr, Pia Giovanni spent her life keeping a low profile among the wyrkind and avoiding the continuing conflict between them and their dark Fae enemies. But after being blackmailed into stealing a coin from the hoard of a dragon, Pia finds herself targeted by one of the most powerful-and passionate-of the Elder races. 

Random paragraph:  "She turned her back to him and knelt at the stream, already consumed with the thought of scouring the Goblin stink off her body. Self-consciousness tried to take over as she stripped off her ruined T-shirt and filthy bra, but she squashed it. At least it wasn't broad daylight. He had no doubt seen thousands of naked women before. (Thousands? No, definitely not the time to go there.) Nothing mattered more than getting that stink off her." (p. 127, mass market paperback edition)

Thoughts: I've seen this recommended often to fantasy fans who want to try out paranormal romance, and this was so. much. fun.

[review] Faith Hunter - Bloodring (Rogue Mage, #1)

Title: Bloodring
Author: Faith Hunter
Series: Rogue Mage, #1
Publisher: Roc
Format read: Paperback
Source: Local library
Buy from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookdepository
Summary (via Goodreads): 

In a novel filled with lush imagery and exhilarating action, Faith Hunter creates a near-future world caught in the throes of an ambiguous apocalypse - where a woman with everything to hide finds her true destiny revealed. As humanity struggles with religious strife and seraphs and demons fight a never-ending battle, a new species has arisen. "Neomages" are human in appearance, but able to twist left-over creation energy to their will. A threat to both humans and seraphs, they are confined in luxurious Enclaves. Thorn St. Croix is no ordinary neomage. Nearly driven insane by her powers, she is smuggled out of an Enclave and now lives among humans, channeling her gift of stone-magery into jewelry making. But when Thaddeus Bartholomew, a dangerously attractive policeman, tells her that her ex-husband has been kidnapped, Thorn risks revealing her identity to find him. And for Thorn, the punishment for revelation is death.

Random paragraph: "Dry reddish brown residue coated the cracks and vugs of the amethyst. Lucas' blood. I knew that with his blood embedded in the lavender crystal, I could scry for him successfully. I picked up the phone and dialed Rupert. A few minutes later, Audric entered, carrying a sandwich and reeking of pork." (p. 216, paperback edition)

Thoughts: This was a struggle to get into at first. It started off pretty awkwardly, with lots of info-dumps and odd segues from first-person to third-person; the written-out dialects were also questionable. However, once it took off, I found myself sinking comfortably into the post-apocalyptic world that Hunter created.

I wish...

... that more books with romance would involve decent dudes instead of this whole alpha-male, I'm-gonna-harass-and-intimidate-you-because-I-love-you thing.

I just finished reading a book by a romance author in which the female protagonist was recovering from a prolonged sexual assault, and the love interest kept harassing her because he thought she was "a survivor." Another book by the same author had a female character who couldn't deal with being touched without reacting badly, so the male love interest tried some exposure therapy crap wherein he kept touching her to get her used to it.

I don't find this hot, and it really upsets me when I encounter it. 

Which isn't to say that the alpha-male trope is a totally lost cause -- sometimes it's fine, as long as the heroine can stand up for herself. But sometimes it gets really icky and rapey and blerrrgh.

Idk. YMMV, of course, but it's definitely not for me. I was reading a thread recently on books that didn't have a typical "alpha male" character, and there really didn't seem to be many out there!

Waiting on Wednesday (1): Maggie Stiefvater - The Raven Boys

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

[review] Brenna Yovanoff - The Replacement

Title: The Replacement
Author: Brenna Yovanoff
Publisher: Razorbill/Penguin
Format read: Hardcover
Source: Local library
Buy from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookdepository
Summary (via Goodreads): 

Mackie Doyle is not one of us. Though he lives in the small town of Gentry, he comes from a world of tunnels and black murky water, a world of living dead girls ruled by a little tattooed princess. He is a Replacement, left in the crib of a human baby sixteen years ago. Now, because of fatal allergies to iron, blood, and consecrated ground, Mackie is fighting to survive in the human world.

Mackie would give anything to live among us, to practice on his bass or spend time with his crush, Tate. But when Tate's baby sister goes missing, Mackie is drawn irrevocably into the underworld of Gentry, known as Mayhem. He must face the dark creatures of the Slag Heaps and find his rightful place, in our world, or theirs.

Random paragraph: "According to Roswell, I had a shot at her. But even if that was true, having a shot was different from knowing how to take it. She was a bright spot at the center of things, while I was destined to spend house parties and school dances standing against the wall with the guys from the Latin club. Except even that wasn't the right way to describe what I was." (p. 61, hardcover edition)

Thoughts: I really, really wanted to like this book. It always caught my eye: a small town with a huge secret? Somebody who gets violently ill around metal and modern technology? Sign me up!

The horror aspect was well-done. However, the rest did not live up to my expectations.