The Rose Throne by Mette Ivie Harrison

Book Stats:
Age Range: 12 and up
Genre: Historical Fantasy
Hardcover: 400 pages
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Release date: May 14, 2013

Source: NetGalley

Reviewed by: Tynga

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

Richly-imagined fantasy romance from the author of Princess and the Hound, a tale of two princesses--one with magic, one with none--who dare seek love in a world where real choice can never be theirs. For fans of Megan Whalen Turner, Catherine Fisher, and Cassandra Clare. 

Ailsbet loves nothing more than music; tall and red-haired, she's impatient with the artifice and ceremony of her father's court. Marissa adores the world of her island home and feels she has much to offer when she finally inherits the throne from her wise, good-tempered father. The trouble is that neither princess has the power--or the magic--to rule alone, and if the kingdoms can be united, which princess will end up ruling the joint land? For both, the only goal would seem to be a strategic marriage to a man who can bring his own brand of power to the throne. But will either girl be able to marry for love? And can either of these two princesses, rivals though they have never met, afford to let the other live?

The Weyr Kingdoms were split in two when the King’s wife died. In his mourning, he felt such anger that he decided to keep his taweyr (fighting/death magic) and cast away Neweyr (life magic). Centuries later, the consequences are still very much present and only man can wield taweyr and woman neweyr. The unlucky ones born with the wrong magic, the Ekhono, are hunted down in the Kingdom of Rurik and forced to flee to Weirland. The princess of each kingdom thrives for something different and will do their very best to change their world, despite what little power they have.

The Rose Throne caught my interest while browsing netgalley because I’m such a fan of fantasy and I must confess, I’m still unsure if I liked this novel or not. There are elements I liked, others I disliked and even after thinking about it for a day after I finished reading, the juror is still out on that final decision. I guess I’m neutral?

One of the things I liked most about Mette Ivie Harrison’s book is the rich Lore she blessed us with. I loved the original magic she created and how it was handled by the characters. It created interesting tension between the characters and I appreciated that each Kingdoms had their own point of view on the matter. Further more, the fact that the Princess of Weirland (Issa) came to Rurik made things much more interesting as their culture clashed.

On the other hand, I had issued with the plot and pace. We follow both Princesses and their betrothed along their journey, for nearly a year and to my dismay, there wasn’t much action. They are executions, but it’s a common event in the Kingdom of Rurik and didn’t bring much heart-pounding energy. My main bother though, is the fact that there isn’t a clear goal during the whole journey. Yes, there is a desire to fulfill a prophecy, but every characters is so busy fulfilling their duties that it takes the passion out of it all. I wasn’t bored through the novel, don’t get me wrong, but I never felt an urgency nor a finish line to look forward to, so it was a disappointment to me. 

Thankfully, the individual character’s redeemed the previous issue in some ways. I liked that each of them had very unique personalities and each of them reacted in their own way when faced with the King in particular. Princess Issa is sweet and innocent and I loved her for it. She finds herself surrounded by wolves and is none the less determined to marry the young Prince Edik to save her own Kingdom. Her strong sense of duty could be dull but she was very endearing. Princess Ailsbet comes out as very austere because she keeps everyone out, but she loves her bother very much and I liked that she was willing to help Issa. Their unlikely relationship pleased me!

The young Edik was frustrating because he wanted so much to please his father that he was waking a fool of himself, on more than one occasion I felt this urge to shake some sense into him, but in the end, I simply pitied the poor kid. Lord Kellin, Ailsbet’s betrothed, turned out to be one of my favourite characters. I honestly couldn’t pin point the reason why, but I felt a connection to him. He is mysterious and play the part on the King’s most trusted man, all the while doing what’s best for his country, whether that King agrees or not (not that He would know).

The one thing I didn’t like, character wise, is the relationship between Issa and Kellin. They can’t stand each other as they meet, ignore each other, and at some point, without anything happening, they are madly in love. It was some unbelievable that I was completely baffled. I thought I might have missed a chapter or something.

I’m also on the fence regarding the conclusion of The Rose Throne, mostly because a lot happens at once, which felt very anti-climatic compared to the rest of the novel and because  miss Harrison made some very cleaving decisions. Not every character will live to tell the tale, and I was surprised at the way some characters dealt with the events. I can’t say much more without spoiling the conclusion to you, but in the end, I don’t know if I will read the second book in the series.

I liked the lore and the characters, and if you enjoy Mette Ivie Harrison’s writing style I’m sure you love enjoy this novel. Too bad it didn’t quite work for me in the end.

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by Tynga at Monday, May 13, 2013

 Egmont, Fantasy, Magic, Review, young adult  1 Person left their mark

✎

The Demon Catchers of Milan by Kat Beyer

The Demon Catchers of Milan by Kat Beyer

Book stats:
Reading Level: Young Adult
ARC: 272 pages
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Release date: August 28, 2012

Series: n/a

Source: ARCycling

Reviewed by: Lili

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

Mia's ordinary life is disrupted in the most horrifying way possible when she is possessed by a hungry and powerful demon--and only saved by the arrival of relatives from Italy, the country her grandfather fled many decades ago. Now her cousins Emilio and Giuliano say the only way to keep her safe is for her to come back with them to Milan, to live, to learn Italian, to fall in and out of love, and to master the family trade: fighting all demons with the lore of bell, book, and candle. Milan is not what Mia expected, but it will change her forever, in this stunningly well-written novel about an American girl who, fleeing an ancient evil, finds her only salvation in her ancestral home.

Several things interested me in regards to this book. First of all, the title has the word “demon” in it. I think it’s really rare that we can come across a young adult book with demons in it and exorcisms and the entire shebang, so I was excited to see what this book had in store for me. And the other reason I was excited for this book is because the title has the word “Milan” in it. I love everything relating to Italian culture and absolutely adore Italy. And while I can happily say I’ve been to many Italian cities, Milan has yet to be one of them. Oh, how I’d love to visit Milan.

So, as you can tell, my excitement for this one was rather immense. I think that this book fell somewhat flat to me because I was so excited, but by no means did I not enjoy this book. I truly did enjoy it. I guess the word that comes to mind to describe this novel is “satisfactory.”

This book begins with the main character, Mia, getting possessed by a demon. In all honesty, it was done a little weirdly. I couldn’t tell exactly what was happening and it happened way too fast. I didn’t realize certain thoughts were that of the demon inside of her until it was exorcised out of her by her family members using the powers of bell, book, and candle. This aspect of the novel was somewhat disappointing. However, once Mia was in Milan and we began to learn more about the demons through her studies and she witnessed other demons inhabiting humans, I began to understand things a little more.

I have to say that the Milan aspect of this novel was really well done. I truly felt the proper and loving close-knit Italian family vibes oozing off of the page and I loved it. These serial chefs and coffee drinkers ranged in age, personality, and beliefs, thus making this book incredibly heartwarming and sweet in the familial aspect. This was a home run in the Italian culture department. You don’t see a huge part of Milan through description because Mia was confined into her family’s home until she learned how to handle demons, but it was certainly very well done in this aspect. Plus, who wants to escape a family home where elder deceased relatives disembodied voices sing you lullabies at night because they really care?

With that being said, I have to admit that some plot points bummed me out. While the overall plot was fascinating to me, there were a few small problems that I had with the book. Really, two. The first is that side characters were there to serve their purpose and once that purpose was fulfilled, they practically disappeared entirely from the novel and Mia’s thoughts. I wish that everything was properly taken care of. My other plot problem was the ending. We spent the entire length of this book trying to figure out who the demon that possessed Mia was. There were hints, a mystery to be unraveled, and the book completed before the epiphany ever hit. There were never true plot hints dropped regarding the demon’s identity until the end of the novel and right when you thought it would be revealed, the book ended and nobody else cared to bring it up ever again. With no companion novel or sequel planned that is known to readers, this is incredibly frustrating to me. Something I was eagerly awaiting that was one of the main focuses of the novel was just…never completed. Frustrating, right?

With that being said, the way that the book ended made me realize that this novel was a “coming of age” novel in some senses. Mia had to learn about herself, her estranged relatives and family history. She grew up. She learned how to dress, she learned how to be happy and to stop dreading her looks and her “mousy hair.” She learned to accept herself and to give herself self-worth. I never realized this until the very last page, so this was a cute moral to the story because we got to watch her journey to discovering her own strength.

All in all, I recommend this book to others who are interested in a unique paranormal story that would prefer a coming of age story rich with Italian cultural ways. This novel is a good, quick read, that’s worth picking up if it sounds like your kind of book.

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by Lili at Wednesday, March 13, 2013

 Demon, Egmont, kat beyer, Review, young adult  Leave your mark

✎

Giveaway: Notes from Ghost Town and The Butterfly Clues by Kate Ellison

Egmont USA is offering a lovely giveaway to celebrate the release of two Kate Ellison book: the new release of NOTES FROM GHOST TOWN and the paperback release of THE BUTTERFLY CLUES, Kate's newest book! One (1) lucky winner will receive a hardcover copy of NOTES FROM GHOST TOWN and a paperback copy of THE BUTTERFLY CLUES.

Here’s more about both titles:

Olivia Jane was excited for the summer and spending it with her best friend, Stern. But that was ruined when he was mur­dered...by Olivia's mother. Flashing forward, Olivia's life has been transformed since that awful night.

After her mother's incarceration, Olivia must move on, but she hates her father's new fiancée, Heather, and with her dad's new real estate development (she calls it Ghost Town) in the works, she barely sees him. But a new boy, Austin, has kindled feelings inside her that she hasn't felt since Stern's death.

Arriving at the same time as this new guy is a mysterious note that brings Stern's murder back to the forefront; Olivia knows that she must discover the truth behind her friend's death once and for all.

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

Seventeen-year-old Penelope "Lo" Marin has always collected beautiful things. Since her brother's untimely death, her collection has become an obsession. When she finds an antique butterfly necklace that belonged to a murdered girl at a flea market, she impulsively steals it and becomes fixated. As Lo delves deeper into the life of this girl she feels an otherworldly connection to, she finds herself in the middle of a violent underworld of crime, drugs and sex. But the more questions she asks, the more danger she is in. Can Lo uncover the killer's identity, or will she become the next victim?

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

Giveaway details:

One (1) winner gets a hardcover copy of THE BUTTERFLY CLUES and a paperback copy of NOTES FROM GHOST TOWN

US & Canada only

Ends Sunday, February 17, 2013

To enter, obey the Rafflecopter!

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by jenn at Monday, February 04, 2013

 Egmont, giveaway, Kate Ellison  17 People left their mark

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Giveaway: Nobody & Every Other Day by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

To celebrate the release of Nobody on January 22nd, Edmont USA is offering two of Jennifer’s titles to one lucky winner!

Here’s more about both title:

There are people in this world who are Nobody. No one sees them. No one notices them. They live their lives under the radar, forgotten as soon as you turn away.

That’s why they make the perfect assassins.

The Institute finds these people when they’re young and takes them away for training. But an untrained Nobody is a threat to their organization. And threats must be eliminated.
Sixteen-year-old Claire has been invisible her whole life, missed by the Institute’s monitoring. But now they’ve ID’ed her and send seventeen-year-old Nix to remove her. Yet the moment he lays eyes on her, he can’t make the hit. It’s as if Claire and Nix are the only people in the world for each other. And they are—because no one else ever notices them.

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

Every other day, Kali D’Angelo is a normal sixteen-year-old girl. She goes to public high school. She argues with her father. She’s human.

And then every day in between . . . she’s something else entirely.

Though she still looks like herself, every twenty-four hours predatory instincts take over and Kali becomes a feared demon-hunter with the undeniable urge to hunt, trap, and kill zombies, hellhounds, and other supernatural creatures. Kali has no idea why she is the way she is, but she gives in to instinct anyway. Even though the government considers it environmental terrorism.

When Kali notices a mark on the lower back of a popular girl at school, she knows instantly that the girl is marked for death by one of these creatures. Kali has twenty-four hours to save her, and unfortunately she’ll have to do it as a human. With the help of a few new friends, Kali takes a risk that her human body might not survive . . . and learns the secrets of her mysterious condition in the process.

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

Giveaway details:

One (1) winner gets a Hardcover copy of Nobody & a paperback copy of Every Other Day

Open to US & Canada

Ends January 30th, 2013

To enter, Fill the form!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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by Tynga at Wednesday, January 16, 2013

 Egmont, giveaway  5 People left their mark

✎

Every Other Day by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Every Other Day by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Book Stats:
Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 329 pages
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Release date: December 27, 2011

Series: n/a

Source: Won

Reviewed by: Lili

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

Every other day, Kali D'Angelo is a normal sixteen-year-old girl. She goes to public high school. She attends pep rallies. She's human.

And then every day in between . . . She's something else entirely.

Though she still looks like herself, every twenty-four hours predatory instincts take over and Kali becomes a feared demon-hunter with the undeniable urge to hunt, trap, and kill zombies, hellhounds, and other supernatural creatures. Kali has no idea why

she is the way she is, but she gives in to instinct anyway. Even though the government considers it environmental terrorism.

When Kali notices a mark on the lower back of a popular girl at school, she knows instantly that the girl is marked for death byone of these creatures. Kali has twenty-four hours to save her and, unfortunately, she'll have to do it as a human. With the help of a few new friends.

This book has a little bit of everything! Demon-hunters, murderous mythical beasts, villains, psychics, zombies, love, mystery, and plot twists galore. If you weren’t a fan of Jennifer Lynn Barnes before, you certainly will be now. And while this book wasn’t completely mind-blowing like some of her other books, it’s definitely an enjoyable read that can be finished in one sitting.

Kali is a really interesting character. We’re able to experience both her demon-hunting personality and her human personality within the first two chapters. The change between them was smooth and she still retained aspects of the other personality when she made the switch between them. You can easily tell it’s the same girl, except while one likes to hide the other likes to hunt. While Kali’s characterization was strong, what bothered me was that she’s an incredibly impulsive character, though part of this could be contributed to her ever-growing hero complex. Half the time you practically want to beg her to step back and think things through for a few minutes, just as her friends do, but she’s simply not that type of girl.

For the most part, the characterization in the other characters was strong. The only one I had a little trouble with was Elliot. At first I thought he was supposed to be some type of love interest despite the fact that he had a girlfriend, but after the fourth or fifth time that I was reminded that he had an attitude and amazingly high and sharp cheekbones, I realized he’s just a secondary character that always pops in and out at the weirdest times while being chock full of opinions that tend to go against everyone else’s. On a positive note, I found Zev’s character to be fascinating, as the same with pretty much everyone else.

It shocked me that this book spanned over the course of only several days. I didn’t count the days throughout the book, but I think the main portion of the book spanned for about a week and then there was the epilogue portion after the final showdown months later. For such a short period of time, a lot of huge events occurred and the plot progression made it seem well taken care of. I never once felt rushed because of the time constraints. The plot was extremely fast-paced and full of action and it held my attention with ease. At times I wish there was more detail, but I was never over-informed and every point in the story had a clear purpose.

All in all, I have to admit that this was a really enjoyable read, sprinkled with some awesome laughs. It’s one of those books that is better than “good,” but falls just short of being “great.” Either way, I do recommend this book to anyone in need of a unique story with a strong heroine at the center of it all. Barnes will not disappoint.

Read an Excerpt 

 

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by Lili at Wednesday, October 24, 2012

 Egmont, Review, young adult  3 People left their mark

✎

Timepiece by Myra McEntire

Timepiece by Myra McEntire

Book stats:
Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 336 pages
Genre: Paranormal
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Release date: June 12, 2012

Series: Hourglass #2

Source: NetGalley

Reviewed by: Stéphanie

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

A threat from the past could destroy the future. And the clock is ticking...

Kaleb Ballard's relentless flirting is interrupted when Jack Landers, the man who tried to murder his father, timeslips in and attacks before disappearing just as quickly. But Kaleb has never before been able to see time travelers, unlike many of his friends associated with the mysterious Hourglass organization. Are Kaleb's powers expanding, or is something very wrong?

Then the Hourglass is issued an ultimatum. Either they find Jack and the research he's stolen on the time gene, or time will be altered with devastating results.

Now Kaleb, Emerson, Michael, and the other Hourglass recruits have no choice but to use their unusual powers to find Jack. But where do they even start? And when? And even if they succeed, it may not be enough...

The follow-up to Hourglass, Timepiece blends the paranormal, science fiction, mystery, and suspense genres into a nonstop thrill ride where every second counts.

I was very eager to read this book since the previous book ended with too much unfinished business for my liking. TIMEPIECE has been on my watch list, ever since I finished Hourglass (Hourglass #1), and although this newest installment answered a lot of my questions, new ones have been posed. All this intrigue is keeping me on my toes and making me wish I had the rest of the story in my hands, right now!

The Hourglass series is about a group of people with special abilities that revolve around time travel. Some can actually time travel and see rips (or clips) of the past or the future. Others can see or sense other peoples memories and emotions through time. In this sequel, the author has added more to the mix and introduced us to a new twist, the Infinityglass. This object is rumored to enable people the ability to steal time related gifts. We don’t learn much about this Infinityglass but I’m sure it will be an important object in the next book. Another new twist is fragility of time. Rips are starting to fuse with reality and time related powers are starting to go wonky, just enough to keep the readers interested.

In this sequel, I’m glad the author switched the point of view (POV) to Kaleb instead of continuing with  Emerson’s POV from Hourglass. Emerson, although a strong female lead, started getting on my nerves at the end of the previous book. I’ve noticed more and more YA books using a male’s point of view these days and I’m enjoying the refreshing outlook on life with all of these male narrators. Since Kaleb is such an interesting character I had no problem reading from his POV.

Life for Kaleb has never been easy. Sensing other people’s emotions has often been annoying for him, especially with his mother in a coma, and his father back from the dead. Also, his father, Liam, is constantly keeping secrets from him, which is taking a toll on their already rocky relationship. One of the things I really like about this book is the relationships between the all the characters. Kaleb is very jealous of Michael (someone he has always considered like an older brother) but ever since bad things have been happening in the Hourglass world, Liam has been confiding in Michael instead of Kaleb. Kaleb’s developing relationship with his new love interest Lily is really fun to follow, since Kaleb has always been a flirt and a ladies’ man. The I-don’t-like-you dialogue between the two is very appealing and kept me interested in the story, for sure. I find Myra McEntire relies a lot on dialogue when writing her books and since she’s so go at it, it really works for her.

I have to admit, time travel books aren’t my favorite because thinking about the consequences of changing the past makes my head hurt. Fortunately, Myra McEntire writes very well and even if I did get lost a few times in a time travel hurricane, the flow of the story was never ruined. All I can say is, if it doesn’t make sense, keep reading, and everything will come together in the end.

There’s one quote from the book that I really love and want to share it with all of you. It’s more or less a way of saying “seize the moment” or “live in the now”, but I believe Myra’s way of voicing it is much prettier:

“The exact spot where the hourglass filters the sand from the future to the past. That’s where we have to live […]. Before all the sand runs out, or before somebody shakes it all up again.”

Although TIMEPIECE might not necessarily make my list of top books for the year of 2012, the series is worth a second look. I noticed an improvement in the the author’s writing, after only one book and I think we can expect great things from her.

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by Unknown at Sunday, July 08, 2012

 Egmont, Myra McEntire, Review, time travel  2 People left their mark

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