Welcome to Novella November!

This month, we're doing something a little bit different: we're showcasing the novella. I've come to really enjoy novellas in the past few years and we've decided to use this month to exclusively review novellas, since we don't often talk about them on the site.

Novellas are great glimpses into a world you're already familiar with, as you'll see with some of the reviews we have coming up, but they're also an opportunity for an author to tell a story that would have too much filler if it got stretched to novel length (over 40,000 words, according to the criteria for the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America's Nebula award). Plus, novellas seem to be more and more popular, especially with all of the e-publishing options, so what better time to highlight some of these shorter but (hopefully) no less thrilling stories? After all, some of the great classics are novellas: H.G. Wells' THE TIME MACHINE, Truman Capote's BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S, STRANGE CASE OF DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE by Robert Louis Stevenson, ANIMAL FARM by George Orwell, A CHRISTMAS CAROL by Charles Dickens...the list goes on and on. But you're not really interested in classics if you're here, since we specialize in the paranormal, so get ready for a month of great paranormal/sci fi/dystopian novellas!

 

Read More

Posted by Tynga at 22:43

 Novella November  2 People left their mark

The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

The Naturals is pitched as The Mentalist meets Pretty Little Liars, but personally I think that comparison is extremely inaccurate and deceiving. In my mind, The Naturals is better suited for fans of Barry Lyga's I Hunt Killers than the two aforementioned titles. Jennifer Lynn Barnes has written one of the most compelling thrillers/mysteries that I have read in ages and this is an incredibly fresh start to a new series. I am extremely impressed with The Naturals and I am extremely surprised that I enjoyed this book as much as I did.

Between an extremely fast paced  killer plot, an enigmatic protagonist, an intriguing mystery, and the promise of a sequel; The Naturals definitely has a lot going for it. This is my first time reading a book by Barnes and I've got to say that this is a nearly perfect book for fans of thrillers. There truly aren't any dull moments in The Naturals and if I hadn't work to do, I probably could have read this book in one sitting. Though the book is about finding a killer, The Naturals is extremely light and is heavy on humorous dialogue. This is the perfect kind of a book, a quick read that reluctant readers will easily fall in love with!

What didn't work for me was the unnecessary romance because it just didn't feel like it worked well alongside the plot. The romance didn't really have any function in my mind, it felt forced and a bit frivolous. I wouldn't have minded romance, but there was no reason to insert a love triangle other than to make it "feel" like a YA book. Maybe I'm just feeling antagonistic at the author's decision to include numerous archetypes, which are beyond trite at this point. If Barnes had decided to make this love triangle unique in some way, I wouldn't have minded it's inclusion.

I'm not sure if I'm too well-versed with mysteries, but I figured out "the killer", before he/she had even made an appearance. Yes, I'm just that good or perhaps this book is slightly predictable and formulaic. I wouldn't say this book was completely predictable because there were a few plot twists that surprised me and that I thought were well-done.

I definitely would recommend reading The Naturals because it's quick, fast-pace and interesting premise. The romance will definitely put off some readers as well the stereotypical secondary characters. Despite my qualms with The Naturals, I can definitely say this is one of the better YA thrillers that I've read recently. I can definitely see myself continuing this series and I'm pretty eager to find out what happens in the forthcoming installments.

Read More

Posted by Tynga at 02:05

 Disney Hyperion, Hyperion, Jennifer Lynn Barnes, Mystery, Publisher, Review, The Naturals, Thriller, young adult  2 People left their mark

Guest blog by Tiffany Allee + giveaway!

Today we have a guest post from Tiffany Allee, author of several paranormal romance novels. She's here today to celebrate the release of VAMPIRES GAMES, the fourth novella in her Otherworlder Enforcement Agency series.

Please join me in welcoming Tiffany Allee to the blog, and make sure to stick around for the giveaway!

------------------

Top Five Most Fascinating Supernatural Dudes
by Tiffany Allee

I don’t think that I’m alone in my love for the tough, sexy, intelligent men that can be found in paranormal romance and urban fantasy books. In fact, I daresay that’s a big part of the draw of these books for many of us.

The hero of my latest release, vampire Claude Desmarais, is certainly a bit of a mystery to the heroine, Beatrice. And she has a few secrets of her own. But when their pasts collide, it will send them both into a fight for their lives.

So without further ado, here are some of the supernatural men I find most fascinating.

Listed in an order that changes every five minutes or so:

5. Bran Cornick (Mercy Thompson)

Bran is the only non-love interest to make my list of most fascinating. Why? Because he’s a badass. Mysterious. Not alpha looking in the traditional sense. He sneaks up on people because he appears so…harmless. I love that.

4. Anyan (Jane True)

The man is protective and loveable and has taken care of Jane for far longer than she realized. Plus, he turns into a dog. And in my head, he’s freaking adorable.

3. Barrons (Fever)

Barrons is mysterious. Tough. Unattainable. Getting to his core, touching on his story, took several books and a whole lot of craziness. But he was totally worth the wait. Even after reading the Fever series in its entirety, I feel like we’re still scratching the surface of this very complicated man—not to mention the rest of his crew.

2. Zsadist (Black Dagger Brotherhood)

Uhh…somehow I managed to not start the BDB series until very recently. I have no explanation for how this happened, but it’s being corrected, don’t you worry. Zsadist is now one of my favorite characters of all time. He’s so broken, yet strong. I love characters with real imperfections, real problems. And I can’t think of any as troubled as Zsadist. Which makes his story all the more touching.

1. Terrible (Downside)

Speaking of imperfect heroes, I never thought I’d find a drug dealer’s enforcer amazing and sexy and wonderful until I read the Downside series. Terrible is a perfect mix of imperfections. And the way he and the heroine, Chess, interact will make you fly and break your heart. I’ve never had such an emotional reaction to characters as I do with these two.

Who are some of your favorite supernatural dudes in fiction?

------------------

Thanks for visiting, Tiffany! For more Tiffany, check out the links below:

Website | Facebook | Twitter

And don't forget to visit the rest of the tour for more information on Entangled Ever After's October releases:

------------------

Here's the scoop on VAMPIRE GAMES:

She’s seen the past…

OWEA Agent Beatrice Davis is haunted by the death visions that help her solve crimes. When Detective Claude Desmairis, her vampire ex-lover, asks for her assistance on a case, she’d rather help him than take the mandated leave to stave off her burn-out.

The truth won’t stay buried…

Pressed to solve a series of crimes before the perpetrator blows the vampire world apart, Claude turns to a woman he thought he’d been able to leave behind. But he was wrong, and his feelings for her will only bring trouble in an investigation this dangerous.

As their passions reignite, they see a possible future together. Until her visions show her the face of the murderer—a man Claude can never betray.

Read an excerpt (scroll down)

Purchase: Amazon

------------------

There's a tour-wide giveaway of a $20 Amazon gift card. Check the Rafflecopter for details.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Read More

Posted by Tynga at 01:00

 Entangled, giveaway, Guest Post, Tiffany Allee  24 People left their mark

"When I'm not writing" with Skyla Dawn Cameron

This week we have a guest I'm really excited about: Skyla Dawn Cameron. She's been on my radar for a while thanks to Melissa at My World...in words and pages. (She runs a great blog and you should totally check it out.) She's organized a lovely tour for Ms. Cameron and her newly re-released Demons of Oblivion series and I'm thrilled to welcome her to the blog.

Before you go any further, though, there's one little announcement. If you've never tried this author and are intersted, you can do it for free! BLOODLINES is free this week: October 28-November 1. And when you fall in love, you can get the remaining e-books in the series are half price this week only.

Okay, that's the end of the plug so keep reading to see what Skyla Dawn Cameron does when she's not writing her next story.

For years, when I haven’t been writing, I’ve been working full time (in publishing), editing overtime, and my “hobby” time was spent writing as it was all I had left. Of course, that had to change, as working 24/7 turns even a workaholic into someone who starts having nightmares about spreadsheets.

Seriously. Spreadsheets.

Recently, I’ve come back to knitting (which I did briefly as a teen) and I see, clearly, why so many writers are knitters. First, it involves some math and logic, but also creativity, and it gets the whole brain working. I have trouble just watching TV—it’s too passive and I need to be doing something else—and knitting is a perfect thing to do while marathoning old X-Files episodes and relaxing the mind. Knitting is also basically a fertility treatment for plot bunnies; they multiply exponentially while I knit (and my plot bunnies? They’re vorpel and they bite).

(The Beginner Yarn Stash in August. It’s bigger now.)

It is also oddly relaxing to have sharp pointy objects in my hands at all times which might mean I’m a homicidal psychopath.

Next up is running, which, if you’d told me ten years ago that I’d one day say was a hobby, I have laughed and laughed at you. Possibly while stabbing you with knitting needles. Although aging and realizing you need to take care of your physical health is a factor, the truth is I enjoy running. The more I look back at my process as a writer, the more I can connect a lot of my books to simply taking a walk. I’ve always had a dog and I don’t drive, so I end up walking everywhere. And I like it. I like having my earphones in, tunes cranked up, letting my brain empty as I go from Point A to Point B. Since I most often write in first person, it’s a way of “getting into character” for me.

And running is the same, except I shut my brain off a little more as I focus on what I’m doing. The act of physically moving, of letting ideas roll around in my head, is one of the best things I’ve been able to do for my writing. I most often use the app Zombies, Run, but even just turning on music for half an hour and running helps. (If you’re a writer and you’re considering jogging, even if you’re like me and you’ve never been particularly physically active in your life, I highly recommend this post by Lilith Saintcrow.)

Finally, when I’m not writing, I’m often gaming.

I don’t do MMORPGs or anything, despite friends trying to get me into WoW. Honestly, I just don’t play well with others. But raiding tombs with Lara Croft, running in terror through the streets of Silent Hill, stealing everything not nailed down in Skyrim, or solving mysteries with Nancy Drew—these are the things that truly relax me. It’s probably the closest I get to a meditative state, leaving from the edges of virtual cliffs or lining up an arrow shot juuuust right. My brain clicks off (noticing a theme here? I need help to keep from overthinking constantly) and I’m focused on getting my poor character through something without being killed and knocked back to my last save point.

And leaping into a throng of zombies with a katana? Best. Stress. Reliever. Ever. Thanks for having me!

———————————

Thanks so much for visiting us, Skyla, and thanks to Melissa for including us in this tour!

For more Skyla, check out her website or follow her on Facebook or Twitter.

———————————

Here's the scoop on BLOODLINES:

If you're in her way, it sucks to be you.

After three hundred years of unlife, narcissistic vampire Zara Lain has seemingly done it all, and she's now making a living as a successful thief-turned-assassin. Her newest assignment seems simple enough: kill the aging leader of the O'Connor coven and his only heir, and she'll have another ten million in the bank.

But in the dangerous world of the supernatural, few things are ever “simple.”

When a massive assault decimates the continent's population of powerful witches and warlocks, and its orchestrator has vampires being hunted down and captured, Zara realizes the tables have turned and now she'll be playing the hero. Forced to join with a smart-mouthed fellow vampire, a demonologist who's also a fan of hers, a recently widowed—and frequently brooding—warlock, and her best friend's mom, Zara's grudgingly willing to do what she can to save the day.

If only people would stop ruining all her outfits...

Includes bonus short story “Thrall”, narrated by warlock Nate O’Connor.

Warning: contains heavy doses of snark, a sexually confident heroine who likes killing people and has no secret heart of gold, lots of explosions, and very naughty language.

Also, some terrible stuff happens to expensive formal wear. I’m sorry. I’m really, really sorry.

Read an excerpt

Purchase: Amazon

And here's the rest of the series:

Main Series:

1 – Bloodlines
2 – Hunter
3 – Lineage
4 – Exhumed
5 – Oblivion (Coming Soon)

Side Stories & Novellas:

A Vampire Walked Into a Bar (Tales from Alchemy Red)
Whiskey Sour Home: A Zara Lain Story (Free at My World...in words & pages)
Damaged: A Zara Lain Novella
9 Crimes: A Nate O’Connor Novella
Trick or Death (Tales from Alchemy Red)
Kami of Christmas Past: A Peri Takata Novella (Coming Soon)
Howl: A Juliette Aubrey Novella (Coming Soon)

———————————

Do you guys have suggestions for who you’d like to see featured on the blog? If so, you can make your suggestions on this page. No guarantees that your favourite authors will be able to participate but we’ll try!

Authors, would you like to visit  us? Please email me at jenn (at) tyngasreviews (dot) com and we’ll set it up!

Read More

Posted by Tynga at 01:00

 Adult, Skyla Dawn Cameron, When I'm not writing  4 People left their mark

Grave Secret by Sierra Dean

I discovered this series less than a year ago so I was able to devour the first four books, the novellas, and the spinoff pretty quickly. I'm almost caught up now, as I just finished GRAVE SECRET, which I was desperate to read after the end of KEEPING SECRET. I needed to know what kind of relationships Secret would maintain with the main men in her lives and what the next Horrible Thing would be. Well, in GRAVE SECRET, I got my answers to both but I was only partially satisfied.

The relationship side of GRAVE SECRET is very satisfying. Secret gives Lucas a very satisfying cold shoulder because he's a giant jerk who has been using her to solidify his power base. I liked him at first but he's become less appealing as we've learned more about his true motivations. Soul bond or no, Lucas Rain is an [expletive here] and I'm pleased that Secret wants nothing personal from him anymore. It's a situation that still leaves her with Holden and Desmond to deal with, but Secret's personal life gets back-benched when she learns that Kellen has gone missing. I've always really liked Kellen as a character so I was quite invested in knowing what had happened to her. The answer was something of a surprise but I generally liked this part of the novel.

I was less fussy about Secret's interactions with Aubrey. I won't say who Aubrey is but I will say that Secret is a total tool in her dealings with this character. I found it incredibly frustrating to watch her interactions with Aubrey because she had some really smart moments followed by a stack of incredibly stupid ones, which had severe consequences. I generally love Secret's brash, balls-out approach to life but I found her maddening in parts of GRAVE SECRET, which hadn't happened before. I still love the series but I found the second half of the book less satisfying because Secret was acting TSTL in some ways. Her mistakes lead to some interesting moments and Secret redeems herself in the end but it was rough going for a while there.

There is also one truly upsetting moment in GRAVE SECRET. You'll know what I'm talking about when you read it and you will be devastated. It involves a character I adore. In fact, I think GRAVE SECRET has a lot of emotional punch, especially when it comes to Kellen. She's always been a bit superficial but we really get to see her heart this time around and it's a nice story.

As always, Dean will leave you eager for the next instalment in Secret's crazy life, which should be extremely satisfying since an old enemy rears his head. I've got my e-reader queued up to SECRET UNLEASHED as you read this!

Read an excerpt (click on the Excerpt tab)

Read More

Posted by Tynga at 03:00

 Adult, Purchased, Review, Samhain, Secret McQueen, Sierra Dean, Urban Fantasy, Vampire, werewolf  1 Person left their mark

Introducing Our New Reviewer!

A while ago, I posted a recruitment post, looking for someone to replace our dear Helen. She isn't leaving completely, but life is forcing her to take a part-time reviewer status, thus the need to find a new member! After much thought, and chat with many of the applicants, our choice settled on Jon!

We are convinced Jon's reviews will be right at home here on Team Tynga's Reviews and thought that the fact that he is a teenage boy will be an interesting touch!

Here's a little more about him:

My name is Jonathan, but I prefer to be called by Jon; personally if it was up to me, I wouldn’t have such a banal name. You just might know me as Scott Pilgrim, which is my blogger pseudonym that I used in the book blogging community for years. I’m a teenage guy who always has his nose in a book and I can be found fanboying about my obsessions (The Big Bang Theory, The Mortal Instruments, Doctor Who, Teen Wolf) on a daily basis. Besides reading and blogging, I am an aspiring YA author in the historical fiction and contemporary genres. My dream is to write a book that will leave an emotional impact on readers weeks after finishing. One day, I hope to travel to India, France, Japan, Italy, and Greece, but for now I’m content with traveling to Narnia, Hogwarts, and Idris. I’m not antagonistic that my Hogwarts acceptance letter never arrived, it was probably lost in the mail

I’d like to invite you to welcome him on board and wish him an happy birthday because today is his big day!

His first review will be up this Wednesday, so make sure to stop by!

I would also like to thank everyone who took the time to apply! I truly appreciate your interest in Team Tynga’s Reviews!

Read More

Posted by Tynga at 06:20

 News  8 People left their mark

Far Shore by Traci L. Slatton

The dystopian genre has been quite popular in the last couple of years, especially when it come to Young Adult books, but truthfully I haven't read many that are outside the YA subgroup. The After Trilogy (or series?) has frankly been a great discovery and I'm a big fan of the concept and the story. As an adult dystopian book, I think it's a nice change from the YA genre books that I'm used to reading, since it does allow for darker and more mature themes. If you thought dystopian books only worked for YA, Traci L. Slatton will prove you wrong.

The post-apocalyptic mists destroy everything in their path, and for those who were lucky to avoid being engulfed by these mists, it either transformed them into ruthless survivors, crazy psychopaths, mindless imbeciles or changed ordinary people into heroes. The main character, Emma, is one of these heroes because the appearance of the mists has given her the ability to heal with the simple touch of her hands. Her story is a complicated one, and her dedication to her family and to those she loves brings out the best in her. She is a true survivor, doing anything and everything she needs to do in order to survive and keep her family and friends out of danger, even risk being held prisoner in order to free her lover, Arthur, from torture at the hands of their nemesis. I really admire what she goes through to save Arthur, and while I don't necessarily agree with her actions, I can understand where she's coming from. Leaving her husband and daughters behind, she embarks on a mad mission to free her lover. I find it a bit shameless to leave a husband behind in order to save another lover, and while she did believe her husband dead in the beginning of this new relationship, she does cause him a lot of pain by bouncing between the both of them.


Arthur is a strong and intelligent man, and I can definitely see why any woman in her right mind might be attracted to him. What began as a business transaction between Arthur and Emma turned into romance and love. Their relationship is a complicated one for sure and even if I'm completely against infidelity, I think they make a great pair and I really hope everything ends up in their favor in the end.

Actually, many survivors find love over the course of the series and I think those stories are important in order to balance out the death and the destruction of this post-apocalyptic world. I love how detailed the secondary characters are and how their romantic relationships are present too. Truthfully, I think the author's character development is phenomenal because she really makes you care about each and everyone of her characters. The camaraderie between the characters also balances out the darker themes of the book, and truthfully, just makes is more interesting to read. The series is really about the human condition so it's also nice to see how different characters deal with the new struggles of this post-apocalyptic world.

This series definitely keeps getting better and better! Mysteries about the Arthur and the origin of the mists continue to be revealed and the mists begin to evolve into something stronger and more organized. I was introduced to this series as a trilogy but I really hope it doesn't end with book 3. Emma and Arthur's story is definitively not over and I can't wait to see how things will unfold. I would absolutely recommend this series to any fan of dystopian books, especially those who want to branch out from YA dystopian series that seem to be dominating the genre lately.

Read More

Posted by Tynga at 03:30

 Adult, After Trilogy, Author, Dystopian, Parvati Press, Post-Apocalypse, Review, Traci L. Slatton  Leave your mark

Stacking The Shelves [79]

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

If you want to find out more about Stacking The Shelves, please visit the official launch page!

——————

Hello you guys!

There won't any vlog this week because I'm in no condition to show my face to the world right now. As some of you might know, my pregnancy has been difficult thus far, worst even than my first one, and to make matters worst I had to fall in the street last Saturday. I was brought to the hospital by ambulance (because of the pregnancy) and had the scare of my life when the nurse couldn't find the baby's heart beat, but we found it with an ultrasound. She is fine, no worries :)

I am stuck with a heavy plastic boot and crutches though for another week at minimum, which means I need assistance at all time to take care of Lily, which I find really hard.

On the bright side, I finally received my Kindle Paperwhite new gen! I ordered it at the beginning of the month when my kindle keyboard died unexpectedly. And now I finally have it *happy dance* I have to say I prefer the functionality of my old one, but I guess it's just a matter of getting used to it. I love the integrated light though!

Also, we found a new member to join the team and will introduce him next week!

What did you add to your shelves this week?

[inlinkz_linkup id=332653]

Read More

Posted by Tynga at 20:19

 Stacking The Shelves  51 People left their mark

A Fool's Errand by Maureen Fergus

Turns out even though Persephone grew-up as a slave, she was the long lost twin sister of the young King Finnus. Finding out brings its lot of trouble though and to save her life, as well as the one of her friends and her brother, she must set out on a foolish quest to discover the Pool of Genezing. There's only one problem though, no body knows if it really exist. When your very life is in the balance though, you are willing to take leaps of Faith!

What an awesome second installment to this trilogy! Written by a fellow Canadian, this series is available in print, only in Canada, BUT, it's available in the US in kindle format, so fear not! I truly loved the first encounter, The Gypsy King, even though I thought it didn't quite live up to Cashore or Snyder. The same is true for A Fool's Errand, but I think I enjoyed it even more than I did the first book.

The characters we came to love, or despise depending on the character, are still an intricate part of the story and I was pleased to see Finn and Rachel being granted a bigger role. We discover a more serious side to them, and even though I liked the touch of humor of the first book, circumstances being what they are, the tone was simply perfect. King Finnus exceeded my expectations and proved to be a lot more than many thought.

This time around, the better part of the novel took place in the forest and the different tribes (which where amazing to discover, Fergus created such unique customs for them!) while our heroes face countless dangers on their quest for the pool. Throughout the whole mission, I was simply hooked onto the characters steps, and I have to confess, I was frustrated when we left Persephone's point-of-view to go back to Mordecai's POV. I had this strong Need to know what would happen to Persephone and Azriel, and while the Regent's perception provides depth to the story, I never really cared for him. There is also a mysterious character chasing after our heroes, and I thought it added a nice suspense not knowing what his intentions really were.

The plotline was exciting and engrossing. Truly, despite being over 500 pages long, this novel was a real page turner. True to herself, Fergus also ended  this novel with a bang and I truly can't wait to see if my suspicion concerning some plot points were founded. No title or tentative release date were revealed (to my knowledge) so I hope I won't have to wait too long for the last novel! If you are a fantasy lover, I strongly suggest you give this novel a try :)

Read More

Posted by Tynga at 02:04

 Gypsy, High Fantasy, Historical, historical fiction, Maureen Fergus, Penguin, Publisher, Razorbill, Review, The Gypsy King, young adult  Leave your mark

Fractured by Sarah Fine

If you remember, SANCTUM by Sarah Fine was one of my favorite books ever of last year. Really, when it came to dark stories with a slow burn romance, it was number one. So, you can imagine my shock and extreme happiness when I learned that my name--little ole me--is in the acknowledgements section of book two, FRACTURED. This was an insane privilege that left me with happy tears in my eyes because it was completely unexpected. However, it made book two an even bigger challenge then I initially anticipated. See, my name's in this book. It made me simultaneously nervous and anxious to read it. And while I love Sarah Fine's ability to tell an amazing story, I knew that this book was going to have some plot twists that is really going to make or break this series for some readers. I didn't want to have such a sincere dedication in a book that I didn't love as much as book one.

...But I am so happy to report that I feel honored to have my name in this book. Not only does it avoid suffering from the dreaded sequel syndrome, but the novel is taken places that your average young adult read is not. To put it simply, this novel is ballsy, but it also makes it incredibly polarizing. There are going to be people like me who adored every second of the novel despite the heartbreak because it's taken in such unique directions, and then there are going to be people who feel like this novel was not at all what they expected and they won't be the happiest campers out there. Hell, I can understand that perspective, it'll be a lie if I told you that my heart isn't currently lying on the floor in two separate pieces, but I believe this is in large part due to Fine's ability to tell an amazing story. To elicit such intense emotions in a reader is an enviable trait, and while I'd rather be experiencing other emotions then my intense grief, my hesitancy to write a proper review because of my crazy emotions is a testament to her ability as an author.

My favorite aspect of this novel was Lela's character growth. She is one tough cookie and that makes me love her so much. She's never been in such an extreme leadership position before, so her journey to gaining self-confidence and figuring everything out--including the unfortunate bumps along the way--was very well done. She also learned more about herself as a person because of the new relationships she explored in her high school. Fine made sure that most of her characters were three-dimensional instead of your usual stereotypical young adult cliches. Malachi, as always, was delicious and self-sacrificing, putting everyone before himself. It's impossible to hate him for this. There was also two new Guards named Jim and Henry that I adored entirely. While they're not the easiest to work with at times, they further showcase Fine's ability to take a broken character and set him or her forth on their path to redemption. It seems that everyone has some type of powerful back-story in this one.

The exploration of relationships in this novel deserves a small mention, too. Book one was the process of Lela and Malachi getting together. Now, we get to watch their relationship progress. They're getting more serious, so they have to learn how to conquer and overcome trials and tribulations. To make matters worse, they've got your usual relationship drama on top of creepy Mazikin drama. These two just can't catch a break, can they? Their story is heartbreaking and real, funny and series. These two are just so passionate and powerful--I love them so much. Aside from that, Fine puts a huge emphasis on the simplicity and importance of friendship because it is such a powerful bond. I really appreciated this and often found myself smiling whenever I sensed this underlying theme.

As amazing as this book was, I want to point out that it does have some drama in it. However, this is the way drama should be explored. It's not overpowering of the plot and our characters are so strong that they try to avoid it, though their occasional break-downs just add to the realism. As the synopsis suggests, the main setting is a modern day Rhode Island high school. There's bound to be some catty drama, relationship drama, school-wide drama, etc. It's an inevitability that Fine handled beautifully. This part of the novel initially worried me because it's no secret that I despise drama as a whole, but I never felt like any of their real-life experiences distracted me from the plot and instead I felt as if they made the story realistic. Plus, Malachi's inability to understand the current world and some verbal cues was absolutely hilarious.

Which brings me to the part of this review that I was hoping to avoid...the ending. It's been days since I have completed this book and I still can't think about it. It gets my heart beating fast and my emotions are swirling around me in a tornado. It's terrible and brilliant. It's terribly brilliant! It leaves me literally begging for book three ten times more than I wanted book two. It promises even more triumph and tribulations, character growth and fighting, love and hate, and a final showdown that just got incredibly personal. I'm literally shaking in anticipation and a desire to be inside Lela's head once more. I need this book like a baby needs candy, and I won't rest until I get it.

Sarah Fine has cemented herself as one of my favorite authors ever. Everything that she pens is brilliant. I highly recommend this series to those interested in a unique twist on the afterlife. Perfect for fans of dark stories with amazing romances, I cannot stress how much I love this series.

Read More

Posted by Tynga at 02:06

 Amazon Children's Publishing, BEA, Fantasy, Guards of the Shadowlands, Review, Sarah Fine, young adult  Leave your mark

Giveaway: Never Fade by Alexandra Bracken

 

I am super happy to have a fun giveaway for you today, to 'show that your quest for truth and justice will NEVER FADE'!Courtesy of Disney Book Group, one lucky winner will get a custom Never Fade t-shirt and a copy of Never Fade.

Here's a bit more about the book :)

The gripping and highly anticipated second installment in a dark YA trilogy about teens with dangerous powers on the run from the government.

Ruby never asked for the abilities that almost cost her her life. Now she must call upon them on a daily basis, leading dangerous missions to bring down a corrupt government and breaking into the minds of her enemies. Other kids in the Children's League call Ruby "Leader", but she knows what she really is: a monster.

When Ruby is entrusted with an explosive secret, she must embark on her most dangerous mission yet: leaving the Children's League behind. Crucial information about the disease that killed most of America's children-and turned Ruby and the others who lived into feared and hated outcasts-has survived every attempt to destroy it. But the truth is only saved in one place: a flashdrive in the hands of Liam Stewart, the boy Ruby once believed was her future-and who now wouldn't recognize her.

As Ruby sets out across a desperate, lawless country to find Liam-and answers about the catastrophe that has ripped both her life and America apart-she is torn between old friends and the promise she made to serve the League. Ruby will do anything to protect the people she loves. But what if winning the war means losing herself?


Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

Now onto the giveaway itself!

It is open to US addresses only.

Ends November 6th, 2013.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Read More

Posted by Tynga at 01:14

 Alexandra Bracken, Disney Hyperion, Fantasy, giveaway, Hyperion, The Darkest Mind, young adult  1 Person left their mark

"When I'm not writing" with Karen Greco + giveaway!

Our guest this week is indie author Karen Greco. Her book, HELL'S BELLE, just got a snazzy new cover and she's on tour to promote her novel. Keep reading to find out what Karen does when she's not working on the HELL'S BELLE sequel and to enter the tour-wide giveaways for e-copies of the novel.

When I am not writing, I am hanging out with my dog!



This is Mercy. She's an adult Rottweiler--she was a rescue so we aren't sure her exact age. We guess she's around 8, maybe a little older. She's been a member of our family for about 6 or 7 years now.

My daughter was about 4 when we adopted Mercy, and the two of them were hilarious when they met. My kid sat on the floor of the shelter, and Mercy just plopped herself down and started rolling in my daughter's lap. They've been best friends ever since.

Mercy is super lazy, so much of the day is spent in some variation of a horizontal position. She gets playful for about 10 minutes a day. She basically jumps on the bed and barks. Then she lays down.

It's super hard to get her off the bed.

Her laziness makes her a great dog. We had a dog who was completely insane. He was like a ninja, and would get onto counters and steal food. He took a chunk out of the Thanksgiving turkey one year. Ate a plate of chocolate chip cookies another. Every time I thought something was far enough away and he couldn't get to it, he'd find a way to prove me wrong.

Mercy is definitely not as food driven. Certainly, she begs like the best of them, sad brown eyes staring at us while we eat our dinner. But she isn't so up for a snack that she'd get up on two legs and try to hit the counter. That's way too much effort.

When we go for our daily constitutional, I can't take her much more than a half a mile. Once in a while I do a mile with her, but always worry at the half way mark that she will make me carry her home. When we first got her, I tried to take her for a jog, but she stopped dead after about a block and wouldn't budge. So walk it is! She does get really excited when it's time to go, but after a quarter mile, the bloom is definitely off the rose. She usually comes home and takes a nap.

Speaking of sleeping, she takes up a good half of the bed. Some dogs sleep curled into sweet little balls. Not Mercy. She loves to stretch out.

As a writer, she's terrific company. Of course there is a couch in my office, so when it's time to get to work, she climbs on there and snores away while I type. She'll lift her head when I talk to her, if only to give me the "shut up, Mom" stink eye because I woke her up.

But when I am not writing, I can count on her to sit on the couch and hang and watch a movie. Or my daughter and I will play dress up with her (she's a good princess). Sometimes I'll watch her watch the fish. But her absolute favorite game is bite mom's feet.

If there is such a thing as reincarnation, I want to come back to life as Mercy.

———————————

Thanks so much for visiting us, Karen, as part of your HELL'S BELLE tour!

For more Karen, check out her website or follow her on Facebook or Twitter!

You can also check out other stops on her tour by clicking on the banner below:

———————————

Here's the scoop on HELL'S BELLE:

Half-vampire, half-human, Nina Martinez spent most of her life underground as part of an elite secret team of government agents who quietly take down rogue monsters -- the human world none the wiser.

She moves back to her hometown of Providence, RI to keep an eye on the recent uptick in supernatural activity, and to help run the bar she co-owns with her aunt. Her attempt at a “regular” life, not to mention a budding relationship with smoking hot FBI agent Max, is cut short because of a string of ritual murders targeting the city's community of witches.

But Nina's investigation unearths deadly secrets from her long buried parents. Now the target of supernatural assassins, could Nina be the most dangerous vampire hybrid to ever exist? No wonder she can’t get a date.

An urban fantasy set in a decaying Providence, Rhode Island, HELL'S BELLE is a fast-paced, adrenaline-fueled roller-coaster ride through a city on the cusp of becoming an urban wasteland. An energetic, expansive, and cinematic, HELL'S BELLE was called "captivating" by Kirkus Reviews.

Book Chick City gave it 5-stars, calling it "one of the best urban fantasies I have read this year!"

Read an excerpt (scroll down)

Pre-order: Amazon

———————————

There's a tour-wide giveaway of 10 e-copies of HELL'S BELLE (.mobi or .epub)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

———————————

Do you guys have suggestions for who you’d like to see featured on the blog? If so, you can make your suggestions on this page. No guarantees that your favourite authors will be able to participate but we’ll try!

Authors, would you like to visit  us? Please email me at jenn (at) tyngasreviews (dot) com and we’ll set it up!

Read More

Posted by Tynga at 01:35

 giveaway, Karen Greco, When I'm not writing  2 People left their mark

My Lady Quicksilver by Bec McMaster

Sad to say but this is probably my least favourite London Steampunk novel. It's written with McMaster's characteristic steam and action but I didn't like MY LADY QUICKSILVER nearly as much as KISS OF STEEL or HEART OF IRON. Don't get me wrong -- MY LADY QUICKSILVER is a good book but it didn't meet the admittedly high expectations I hold after reading the first two books in the series.

Here's the good: McMaster takes us to a different side of her world, with her heroine being a member of the human resistance rather than a member of the supernatural society. Rosalind got involved with the movement because her deceased husband Nathaniel was active. After he died, she took on the mantle of Mercury and leads one pocket of the resistance. (There is dissent within the ranks, which is a key part of the plot.) She's interesting because she lacks many of the physical advantages of her opponents but her upbringing has made her more than a match for Jasper Lynch, the leader of the Nighthawks. She's got great spycraft and it was a lot of fun getting to know her.

Jasper is also an interesting lead. He's the law and he's tasked with finding Mercury. I actually liked him a lot more than Rosalind, partially because he's been in other stories and I've been very curious about how he ended up as Master of the Nighthawks, and also because I loved his devotion to his team and justice. He has a much better sense of the political situation in the London Steampunk series than Rosalind, who I found frustrating sometimes.

I enjoyed their developing relationship but I thought the ending was overly tidy. I could predict how they were going to get their HEA and I think that's why the story lacked some punch for me.

There is a really neat subplot that involves the murders that Lynch has to solve. I thought this was a really smart part of MY LADY QUICKSILVER and it's probably one of my favourite things in the novel.  I won't talk too much about it since spoilers aren't any fun but this plotline made me quite curious about what other folks are doing in the series universe.

There's nothing really bad about MY LADY QUICKSILVER but I didn't enjoy it nearly as much as the first two books in McMaster's series. I do hope that you enjoy MY LADY QUICKSILVER more than I did. Despite the fact I'm not as effusive about this one, I'd still recommend this series to people who are looking for sexy steampunk romance with a supernatural bent because McMaster has created an amazing world and has a captivating writing style.

 Read an excerpt

 

Read More

Posted by Tynga at 03:00

 Adult, Bec McMaster, London Steampunk, Netgalley, Review, Sourcebooks, steampunk, Steampunk romance, Vampire  Leave your mark

Terminated by Rachel Caine

Rachel Caine never ceases to entertain me and this third book of her Revivialist series is no exception. It begins exactly where the previous book ended, with non-stop action and intrigue. Bryn and her gang friends are on the run, avoiding death and bullets from the Fontain Group, the group responsible for backing most of the funding for the creation of Returné, the drug that allows its users to more or less live forever.

Right from the beginning of this series, I simply fell for Rachel Caine's take on zombies. I mean these aren't your typical flesh eating zombies. Ok, so some are known to crave raw meat, but not to the point of becoming mindless feeding drones. They are free thinking beings with the ability of regenerating their bodies with the help of nanites, the real genius behind the drug Returné. The people "infected" with the nanites could be classified as dead because without them, they wouldn't be alive. Rachel Caine redefines what it means to be a zombie in this book, explaining it with science and technology. I'm a big science geek so this series holds a lot of appeal because of all these little scintific details. I love it because the author actual takes the time to explain how the zombie came to be, and it's not left to some mysterious virus or what not.

What really holds this story together is the quirky and original characters. Bryn is a strong female lead and despite her raw meat eating tendencies, she's definitely someone I would like to have around. Her quick thinking abilities make her a good partner to be on the run with, and her humour and sarcasm would simply make the adventure a fun one. Patrick, her sometimes lover is not present a lot in the first part of the book so when they come across each other once again, I was really happy because their complicated relationship is the type of relationship you love to read about. Especially when one of the people hunting them down happens to be Patrick's crazy ex-wife. Other major forces behind hunting down Bryn and her group of allies are an unknown bunch of financial backers. Not much is known about these mysterious antagonists. I think that's what makes it so frustrating, not knowing who Bryn is fighting except a group called the Fontain Group.

TERMINATED is a great way to finish a trilogy with a bang. Actually, I'm assuming it's the last book of the series, but if it's not, I would be really glad to read more about Bryn and company. You definitely don't want to miss this book of intruigue, action and will to survive. You'll never see zombies the same way again!

Read More

Posted by Tynga at 02:00

 Penguin, Purchased, Rachel Caine, Review, Revivalist, ROC Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Zombies  1 Person left their mark

Stacking The Shelves [78]

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

If you want to find out more about Stacking The Shelves, please visit the official launch page!

——————

Happy weekend everyone! Here are the books I got over the last few weeks. It feels like I've forgotten a couple, but I'm pretty sure I got them all. Sometimes I have such a hard time keeping track of which one is new!

eBooks

   

——————

For Review

Cold Light by Traci L. Statton

Far Shore by Traci L. Slatton

Purchased

Wild Cards by Simone Elkeles

Terminated by Rachel Caine

Kinslayer by Jay Kristoff

The Call of the Cthulhu and Other Weird Stories by H.P. Lovecraft

Won

Herald of the Storm by Richard Ford

So what did you add to your shelves this week? We want to know! And don't forget to share your link with everyone!

Have a good reading week (literally, for some Canadian college and university students)!

[inlinkz_linkup id=330219]

Read More

Posted by Tynga at 02:25

 Stacking The Shelves  22 People left their mark

Harlequin Halloween Tour: Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

This year we are lucky enough to celebrate Halloween with a bunch of amazing Harlequin authors! Specifically, Author Julie Kagawa, and her character Zeke are stopping by the blog! This sweet, tough, and disillusioned boy came over to tell us what's the 'Scariest part of being in love'.

 

--------------

"The scariest part of being in love? You mean...other then the fact that the girl I'm in love with happens to be a vampire?" *Laughs* "Well, to be honest, I guess what scares me the most is Allie's belief that she's a monster. Not that I believe she is; I've watched her fight. I've seen her struggle so hard not to give in to her instincts. And she does have that darkness inside her, that drive to kill and feed and destroy like all the other vampires; I'm not so blind to think it isn't there. But I've accepted that part of her, and I know she will continue to fight it with everything she has. It doesn't scare me. She doesn't scare me.

"No, what scares me is that Allie sometimes believes she's nothing but a vicious, soulless killer. And, because she doesn't want to hurt anyone, she'll pull back, shut everyone out. The thing that frightens me most is the thought that, one day, Allie will decide she can't put me in danger anymore, and she'll leave. Walk out of my life forever. But it's all right. Because if that happens, I'll just go after her again. She can push me away all she likes. I won't give up until I convince her that she's not a monster, and that I don't care if she's a vampire and has to feed on humans and only comes out at night. None of that matters to me. When I look at Allison, I don't see a monster, or even another vampire. I fell in love with the girl."

--------------

Zeke is one of the main characters in the Blood of Eden series and here's more about the first book, The Immortal Rules:

A Legend begins.

Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a walled-in city.
By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten.
Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them—the vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself dies and becomes one of the monsters.

Enter Julie Kagawa’s dark and twisted world as an unforgettable journey begins.

About The Immortal Rules - Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

--------------

Harlequin is hosting two amazing giveaways for the tour and Tynga's Reviews' readers gets to participate in the Trick giveaway!

Open to Canada & US only.
All you have to do to enter is to fill the rafflecopter form below!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

---------------

About Julie Kagawa:

Julie Kagawa was born in Sacramento, California. But nothing exciting really happened to her there. So, at the age of nine she and her family moved to Hawaii, which she soon discovered was inhabited by large carnivorous insects, colonies of house geckos and frequent hurricanes. She spent much of her time in the ocean, when she wasn’t getting chased out of it by reef sharks, jellyfish and the odd eel.

To pay the rent, Julie worked in different bookstores over the years, but discovered the managers frowned upon her reading the books she was supposed to be shelving. So she turned to her other passion: training animals. She worked as a professional dog trainer for several years, dodging Chihuahua bites and overly enthusiastic Labradors, until her first book sold and she stopped training to write full-time.

Julie now lives in Louisville, Kentucky, where the frequency of shark attacks are at an all-time low. She lives with her husband, two obnoxious cats, one Australian shepherd who is too smart for his own good and the latest addition, a hyperactive Papillon puppy.
website,blog, Facebook,Twitter,Goodreads

 

Follow the rest of the tour!

Monday, September 30th- Cara Lynn Shultz and Spellbound -The Irish Banana

Wednesday, October 2nd  - Cara Lynn Shultz and Spellcaster – Alice Marvels

Friday, October 4th  - Gena Showalter and Alice in Zombieland & Through The Zombieglass – The Page Turners

Monday, October 7th  - Dawn Metcalf – Indelible – Refracted Lights

Wednesday, October 9th  - Rachel Vincent and The Soul Screamers Series -Such A Novel Idea

Friday, October 11th  - Victoria Lamb  and Witchstruck – Book Swoon

 

Monday, October 14th  - Melissa Darnell and Crave & Covet – The Book Swarm

Wednesday, October 16th  - Melissa Darnell and Consume – A Bookish Escape

Friday, October 18th  - Julie Kagawa and The Immortal Rules – Tyngas Reviews

Monday, October 21st  – Julie Kagawa and The Eternity Cure – Bittersweet Enchantment

Wednesday, October 23rd  -Michelle Rowen and Dark Kiss – Books & Things
Friday, October 25th  -Michelle Rowen and Wicked Kiss – Bewitched Bookworms



 

Read More

Posted by Tynga at 01:34

 giveaway, Guest Post, Harlequin, Julie Kagawa, Paranormal  19 People left their mark

Bitten trailer

Oooh, the first trailer for Bitten, the Space Channel's adaptation of Kelley Armstrong's Otherworld series. I wasn't sold on Laura Vandervoort as Elena when I heard she was cast but the trailer has changed my mind. What do you think?

Read More

Posted by Tynga at 03:00

 Kelley Armstrong, News, Trailer  3 People left their mark