Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay

Juliet Immortal holds no punches and right from the start, Stacey Jay shows the reader that she means business. This isn't the Romeo & Juliet you read in High School, no sirree. Stacey Jay has taken "the greatest love story ever told" and has made some bold changes. Personally, I never believed Romeo & Juliet was a love story and it was an absolute delight to read a much darker, more brutal version of the Shakespearean tale. Despite the fact that Jay has taken liberties with her retelling, I loved the way that Juliet Immortal maintained some of the core essentials of the play.

Don't be fooled by the publisher's blurb. This is nothing like Shiver or Hush, Hush at all and marketing it as such is an injustice to Stacey Jay's novel. Juliet Immortal thrives on intense action scenes, pitch-perfect character development and shocking plot twists. I never thought I'd say this, but I loved the teenage drama and angst in Juliet Immortal. I can't believe that I just described teenage angst as a high point of a novel, but seriously I savored all of the high-school drama.

I loved Juliet, she was such a strong-willed and intense character that I couldn't help but gloat over. I felt for Juliet and I was absolutely enthralled by her battle against the devious Romeo. Romeo was a such finely crafted villain and he was equally alluring as he was dangerous. I really look forward to seeing more of Romeo in Romeo Redeemed! The rest of the characters in Juliet Immortal are just as beautifully written and I loved watching each character's arc unfold.

I still can't get over all of the plot twists that Jay inserted in Juliet Immortal. I'm usually the type of reader that can detect what direction a plot is moving early on, but I was so surprised with all of the twists and turn in this novel. This is the type of book that is so compulsively read-able that once you start a chapter, you can't stop midway. I loved the ending of this book and it was so fitting, but a part of me wishes that this was a stand-alone. Everything is so perfectly wrapped up that I'm not sure a sequel is necessary, but I will definitely be reading Romeo Redeemed.

Juliet Immortal is a wonderfully dark retelling with an engaging plot and characters you will obsess over. This is definitely one of the best retelling out there and I am so happy that this lived up to my expectations. Between Of Beauty And Beast and Juliet Immortal, Jay is proving herself to be the master of retellings. I'm beyond ecstatic to read more of Jay's books, especially Princess Of Thorns, her take on Sleeping Beauty!

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by Tynga at Wednesday, January 29, 2014

 Delacorte, Juliet Immortal, Library, Paranormal, Paranormal Romance, Random House, Retelling, Review, Romance, Stacey Jay, young adult  4 People left their mark

✎

SS: Interview with Stacey Jay + Giveaway!

 

I am so happy to share an amazing interview with the even more amazing Stacey Jay in regards to her upcoming fantasy re-telling, OF BEAST AND BEAUTY!

 

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

1. What inspired you to take on a "Beauty and the Beast" re-telling and how do you think your story compares to such a famous tale?

"Beauty and the Beast" was always my favorite fairy tale. I loved that Beauty saw past the undesirable exterior of the Beast to the good heart within, and adored the literal take on the transformative power of love. What I didn't like, however, was that Beauty was the only one who was required to look beneath the surface. I also didn't care for how easily Beauty (in most versions of the fairy tale) accepted her fate. I thought a girl taken captive and isolated from everything she'd ever known should have a considerable amount of rage to work through before she could begin loving the creature who imprisoned her.

In OF BEAST AND BEAUTY I've flipped the script--having the princess, Isra, take the Beast captive instead of vice versa--and both my hero and heroine are required to look past the undesirable exterior of "the other" in order to love the person inside. Gem, my hero, has to deal with his anger at being held captive before he can begin to care for Isra, and both Isra and Gem are forced to reexamine the meaning of beauty and its place in their world.

2. How were you able to come up with the unique setting of Yuan, a domed city that makes human sacrifices for the sake of all? It's almost like the Aztecs!

I did a lot of thinking about first world attitudes about beauty before creating the city of Yuan. It has always troubled me the way beautiful young girls are raised up to be goddesses in our culture, only to be just as eagerly torn down and vilified when they begin to age, gain weight, act out in a way unbefitting an object of adoration, or otherwise move beyond our society's narrow definition of what makes an ideal, young beauty. We may not actually sacrifice these girls, but many are irrevocably damaged by their time as "princesses" of modern pop culture. It's unhealthy not only for these girls, but for our culture as a whole. I tried to reflect that in the city of Yuan. (Yuan has some dirty secrets I can't reveal without being spoiler-y.)

3. How will OF BEAST AND BEAUTY compare to your greatly loved JULIET IMMORTAL series?

OF BEAST AND BEAUTY is a love story, and one of my favorites that I've written, but it's also about more than the love between a boy and a girl. It's about loving the world and the people in it, and the decisions you make to show that love. For that reason, it was a book that, while I was writing, resonated on many levels for me. I hope it does the same for my readers!

4. I am a huge re-telling nut, which is one of the many reasons that I'm excited to read OF BEAST AND BEAUTY alongside many. If you had to write a re-telling for any other tale dear to your heart, what would it be and why?

If so many people hadn't already done so, it would be fun to play with the Snow White myth. There are so many wrongs to right in that story, and I'd love to think of some crazy/fun way to reimagine the dwarves.

5. Did any obstacles present themselves while having so many narrators? I understand this story is told from Isra's, Gem's, and Bo's perspectives.

The characters in this story were very real to me and had their own "voices" that spoke out when I sat down to write so having several narrators wasn't difficult. It was actually nice. It allowed me to build suspense in ways you can't always manage when experiencing a story through only one character's point of view.

6. If your characters were to celebrate the summer solstice, how would they celebrate?

They would dance around a bonfire all night and greet the morning with an enormous picnic. And there would be cookies. Lots of cookies.

7. Have you ever celebrated the summer solstice?

I haven't! I have celebrated winter solstice, but never its counterpart. I'm hoping to make it to a celebration this year.

 

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

Thank you so much for stopping by, Stacey! <3 I'd certainly read a Snow White re-telling authored by you!

 

More about OF BEAST AND BEAUTY:

 

In the beginning was the darkness, and in the darkness was a girl, and in the girl was a secret...

In the domed city of Yuan, the blind Princess Isra, a Smooth Skin, is raised to be a human sacrifice whose death will ensure her city’s vitality. In the desert outside Yuan, Gem, a mutant beast, fights to save his people, the Monstrous, from starvation. Neither dreams that together, they could return balance to both their worlds.

Isra wants to help the city’s Banished people, second-class citizens despised for possessing Monstrous traits. But after she enlists the aid of her prisoner, Gem, who has been captured while trying to steal Yuan’s enchanted roses, she begins to care for him, and to question everything she has been brought up to believe.

As secrets are revealed and Isra’s sight, which vanished during her childhood, returned, Isra will have to choose between duty to her people and the beast she has come to love.

 

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

 

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

 

 

Stacey has been kind enough to offer up an OF BEAST AND BEAUTY prize pack containing a pin, a limited edition necklace, and a few other surprise goodies. The giveaway is US only.

Ends July 5th, 2013

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

Stacey Jay is a recovering workaholic (or at least working hard at recovering) with two small children, and a passion for playing pretend for a living. She’s been a full time mom-writer since 2005 and can't think of anything she'd rather be doing. Her former careers include theatre performer, professional dancer, poorly paid C-movie actress, bartender, waiter, math tutor, and yoga instructor.

In her very limited spare time, Stacey enjoys cooking elaborate dinners and eating them very slowly, dressing up in costumes with her sons, and drinking wine with her husband. She loves to hear from readers and personally answers every single email she receives.
(source)

 

Website | Facebook | Twitter

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by Lili at Friday, June 21, 2013

 giveaway, Interview, Random House, Stacey Jay, Supernatural Solstice, young adult  14 People left their mark

✎

Of Beast and Beauty by Stacey Jay

Of Beast and Beauty by Stacey Jay

Book stats:
Reading Level: Young Adult
ARC: 387 pages
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Release Date: July 23, 2013

Series: n/a

Source: From Publisher for Review

Reviewed by: Lili

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

In the beginning was the darkness, and in the darkness was a girl, and in the girl was a secret...

In the domed city of Yuan, the blind Princess Isra, a Smooth Skin, is raised to be a human sacrifice whose death will ensure her city’s vitality. In the desert outside Yuan, Gem, a mutant beast, fights to save his people, the Monstrous, from starvation. Neither dreams that together, they could return balance to both their worlds.

Isra wants to help the city’s Banished people, second-class citizens despised for possessing Monstrous traits. But after she enlists the aid of her prisoner, Gem, who has been captured while trying to steal Yuan’s enchanted roses, she begins to care for him, and to question everything she has been brought up to believe.

As secrets are revealed and Isra’s sight, which vanished during her childhood, returned, Isra will have to choose between duty to her people and the beast she has come to love.

I think that writing a coherent review currently is impossible. It’s been a really long time since a book made my heart speed up, my breathing shallow because I was so engrossed. It’s been a really long time since I thought that a writer’s writing style is really beautiful and went out of my way to tell others that. It’s just been a while since a book managed to truly blow me away and make me love it so much. OF BEAST AND BEAUTY, the first book I’ve ever read by Stacey Jay, managed to do all that and more. I can already tell that this book will stick with me for a while.

The intricacies of this new world was fascinating. They easily engross you and hold you captive throughout the duration of the book--making it an incredibly quick and enjoyable read. It’s set in a dying world where domed cities must make royal sacrifices every thirty years in order to ensure the continual thriving of their people. Isra, the blind future Queen of Yuan, is set to be the next sacrifice to allow her people to continue to live. The domes are necessary to cut the citizens off from the evils of the outside world and the disfigured race that lives in the desert. The Monstrous are beastly people with poisonous claws and they must be feared, but when they break into Yuan and one of them murders the King, everything spirals out of control. They leave a single Monstrous prisoner behind named Gem in order to ensure peace between the two races, but he is unwelcome by all except Isra who is strangely fascinated by her new prisoner and eventual friend. A lot of the amazing world-building was displayed through personal anecdotes and the telling of old legends from both races, and I found this to be a welcome, unique touch that kept my interest without having to info-dump. This also allowed the mystery of Yuan to be unraveled in a really unique way that left me flipping pages as fast as I could.

I think the strongest point of this story was the characterization. Both Gem and Isra live in two completely different yet equally dying worlds, and they both will do anything required to save those they love. But, in the end, they both have the biggest hearts of gold. They can plan to do terrible things but never follow through with it. They’re both just so good, and I truly truly loved that. Isra never allowed her blindness to hinder her. In fact, it just made her stronger. And Gem was proud of who he was, even if the Smooth-Skinned people that Isra ruled believed he was disgusting. His form was beautiful and his people were beautiful. In his eyes, everything somehow was beautiful. I liked the hidden messages that such a thought process shared. And I also loved the side characters, especially Needle, Isra’s loyal maid, best friend, and dress-maker despite being born mute. Bo was a unique side character as well, often warring with himself about what is right since he tended to simply feel for so many people. He had a good heart, he just didn’t know how to manage everything. This book is told in the altering perspectives of Gem and Isra, with a few chapters in Bo’s perspective thrown in. I normally would think his perspective was completely unnecessary, but he added a lot of back-plot to the story and summed up all questionable plot lines. Although, I have to admit, while I enjoyed his voice I did not love it nearly as much as I loved Gem and Isra’s.

And, while this book has so much more to it, it’s still a BEAUTY AND THE BEAST re-telling at its heart, meaning that the romance is important. And, damn, can I say that I love love and this love story. It was slow-going and passionate all at once--the way a love story should be. And the BEAUTY AND THE BEAST interpretation was great. It added all the more meaning to the words “beastly” and “beautiful” and made me smile endlessly while reading the epilogue--an epilogue so sweet and perfect that I never wanted it to end. While I couldn’t have asked for a better story, I was saddened to turn to the last blank page because I grew so attached to Isra and Gem. Even now, I don’t want to leave them behind just yet.

I don’t know what else to say about this one aside from the fact that it blew me away entirely. I can’t think of a single piece of criticism because I did love it so much. I recommend this book to anyone willing to read it. Those who love fantasy re-tellings, those who love an amazing romance, those who love something different and unique or a book littered with fascinating political intrigue and dark unknowns lurking beneath the surface. This is a book that could be universally loved and I truly hope anyone who picks it up will love it as much as I did. To put it simply, this book is a must read of 2013, no questions asked.

 

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by Lili at Friday, June 21, 2013

 Fantasy, Random House, Review, Stacey Jay, young adult  6 People left their mark

✎

SS: Interview with Stacey Jay + Giveaway!

 

I am so happy to share an amazing interview with the even more amazing Stacey Jay in regards to her upcoming fantasy re-telling, OF BEAST AND BEAUTY!

 

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

1. What inspired you to take on a "Beauty and the Beast" re-telling and how do you think your story compares to such a famous tale?

"Beauty and the Beast" was always my favorite fairy tale. I loved that Beauty saw past the undesirable exterior of the Beast to the good heart within, and adored the literal take on the transformative power of love. What I didn't like, however, was that Beauty was the only one who was required to look beneath the surface. I also didn't care for how easily Beauty (in most versions of the fairy tale) accepted her fate. I thought a girl taken captive and isolated from everything she'd ever known should have a considerable amount of rage to work through before she could begin loving the creature who imprisoned her.

In OF BEAST AND BEAUTY I've flipped the script--having the princess, Isra, take the Beast captive instead of vice versa--and both my hero and heroine are required to look past the undesirable exterior of "the other" in order to love the person inside. Gem, my hero, has to deal with his anger at being held captive before he can begin to care for Isra, and both Isra and Gem are forced to reexamine the meaning of beauty and its place in their world.

2. How were you able to come up with the unique setting of Yuan, a domed city that makes human sacrifices for the sake of all? It's almost like the Aztecs!

I did a lot of thinking about first world attitudes about beauty before creating the city of Yuan. It has always troubled me the way beautiful young girls are raised up to be goddesses in our culture, only to be just as eagerly torn down and vilified when they begin to age, gain weight, act out in a way unbefitting an object of adoration, or otherwise move beyond our society's narrow definition of what makes an ideal, young beauty. We may not actually sacrifice these girls, but many are irrevocably damaged by their time as "princesses" of modern pop culture. It's unhealthy not only for these girls, but for our culture as a whole. I tried to reflect that in the city of Yuan. (Yuan has some dirty secrets I can't reveal without being spoiler-y.)

3. How will OF BEAST AND BEAUTY compare to your greatly loved JULIET IMMORTAL series?

OF BEAST AND BEAUTY is a love story, and one of my favorites that I've written, but it's also about more than the love between a boy and a girl. It's about loving the world and the people in it, and the decisions you make to show that love. For that reason, it was a book that, while I was writing, resonated on many levels for me. I hope it does the same for my readers!

4. I am a huge re-telling nut, which is one of the many reasons that I'm excited to read OF BEAST AND BEAUTY alongside many. If you had to write a re-telling for any other tale dear to your heart, what would it be and why?

If so many people hadn't already done so, it would be fun to play with the Snow White myth. There are so many wrongs to right in that story, and I'd love to think of some crazy/fun way to reimagine the dwarves.

5. Did any obstacles present themselves while having so many narrators? I understand this story is told from Isra's, Gem's, and Bo's perspectives.

The characters in this story were very real to me and had their own "voices" that spoke out when I sat down to write so having several narrators wasn't difficult. It was actually nice. It allowed me to build suspense in ways you can't always manage when experiencing a story through only one character's point of view.

6. If your characters were to celebrate the summer solstice, how would they celebrate?

They would dance around a bonfire all night and greet the morning with an enormous picnic. And there would be cookies. Lots of cookies.

7. Have you ever celebrated the summer solstice?

I haven't! I have celebrated winter solstice, but never its counterpart. I'm hoping to make it to a celebration this year.

 

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

Thank you so much for stopping by, Stacey! <3 I'd certainly read a Snow White re-telling authored by you!

 

More about OF BEAST AND BEAUTY:

 

In the beginning was the darkness, and in the darkness was a girl, and in the girl was a secret...

In the domed city of Yuan, the blind Princess Isra, a Smooth Skin, is raised to be a human sacrifice whose death will ensure her city’s vitality. In the desert outside Yuan, Gem, a mutant beast, fights to save his people, the Monstrous, from starvation. Neither dreams that together, they could return balance to both their worlds.

Isra wants to help the city’s Banished people, second-class citizens despised for possessing Monstrous traits. But after she enlists the aid of her prisoner, Gem, who has been captured while trying to steal Yuan’s enchanted roses, she begins to care for him, and to question everything she has been brought up to believe.

As secrets are revealed and Isra’s sight, which vanished during her childhood, returned, Isra will have to choose between duty to her people and the beast she has come to love.

 

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

 

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

 

 

Stacey has been kind enough to offer up an OF BEAST AND BEAUTY prize pack containing a pin, a limited edition necklace, and a few other surprise goodies. The giveaway is US only.

Ends July 5th, 2013

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

Stacey Jay is a recovering workaholic (or at least working hard at recovering) with two small children, and a passion for playing pretend for a living. She’s been a full time mom-writer since 2005 and can't think of anything she'd rather be doing. Her former careers include theatre performer, professional dancer, poorly paid C-movie actress, bartender, waiter, math tutor, and yoga instructor.

In her very limited spare time, Stacey enjoys cooking elaborate dinners and eating them very slowly, dressing up in costumes with her sons, and drinking wine with her husband. She loves to hear from readers and personally answers every single email she receives.
(source)

 

Website | Facebook | Twitter

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by Tynga at Friday, June 21, 2013

 giveaway, Interview, Random House, Stacey Jay, Supernatural Solstice, young adult  14 People left their mark

✎

Blood on the Bayou by Stacey Jay

Blood on the Bayou by Stacey Jay

Book stats:
Reading level: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Mass Market paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Pocket Books
Release date: March 27th 2012

Series: Annabelle Lee #2

Source: Personal Shelf

Reviewed by: Christine

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

The second book in a new urban fantasy series featuring mosquito-sized fairies with poisonous bites that drive humans insane.

It's only been three weeks since Annabelle helped solve the murder of Grace Beauchamp, and in the process, she discovered a secret world of invisible, magic-working people who have decided she might have what it takes to join their ranks.

As best as she can determine, Annabelle’s attack by a group of fairies has infected her with paranormal ability she did not previously possess, including being able to mentally move objects and heal wounds. Her new abilities appear to have few negative side effects, aside from creepy dreams. But would that change if she stopped injecting herself with the mystery drug delivered to her by the even more mysterious Tucker, one of the Invisibles? Leery of trusting criminals with her health, Annabelle wishes she had someone she could talk to about the changes in her life. Enter Hitch, FBI agent and Annabelle's ex, who's back in Donaldsonville on an off-the-books investigation. Hitch suspects that there's a government-funded illegal lab that’s developing a controversial fairy-killing spray that could adversely affect the existence of every living thing in the delta—including humans. And Hitch and Annabelle will have to find a way to work together if they're going to find a way to shut it down.

Blood on the Bayou is the second book about Annabelle Lee, one of the few who are immune to the toxic bites of fairies who thrive in the Louisiana bayous. After having solved a gruesome murder in book one, Annabelle is asked by her ex to help him investigate the death of a co-worker – off the books. Though solving the case seems to be the easiest thing in Annabelle’s life right now: she also has to deal with not only two but three scorching hot men, her newly acquired magical abilities and killer fairies out for blood. Add all that up and you get a riveting tale of magic and mayhem, set in an atmospheric small town in Louisiana full of crazy good characters. 

Annabelle, the heroine of Blood on the Bayou is a deeply flawed character. In book one, she was a complete mess, barely functional. I was glad to see that in this second book, she definitely grows. She still has a hard time sorting out her feelings (who wouldn’t if you had to decide between three men) and she still ends up making rash, unwise decisions. Yet, there is a number of scenes where you can see that she is more responsible now. I’m completely fine with her getting her act together one step at a time, since nobody can go from pill and alcohol addict to responsible adult in no time. Slow character development just makes Annabelle more believable and realistic.

Another very interesting aspect of Annabelle’s life are the men who fight for her attention. Just like her, I was constantly torn as of which one I like best, as Cane, Hitch and Tucker are very different personalities. At the end of the book though, I was pretty sure that I made my choice. Tucker and his lazy charm and sexiness and sharp tongue kind of won me over. While there is a lot of drama going on, it never feels over the top. The unresolved issues with her ex-boyfriend are just as plausible as her problems with Cane, her sort of boyfriend. Annabelle has serious commitment issues, so the way she reacts to Cane’s desire for commitment is just natural. Annabelle has to go through a lot  in this book in general, not just your typical relationship drama. We finally get to know some of the reasons why she is so messed up. I like how in each book we find another piece of the puzzle that is Annabelle and thus get to know her a little better. Discovering these tidbits about her past and understanding the whole story behind her behavior makes it considerably easier to feel for her.

Trust seems to be a major topic in this book. While Annabelle steps up and finally trusts someone with a secret she has been keeping, she is being lied to and kept in the dark a lot in this book and is deeply hurt when she finds out. Even more so as those who lie to her and keep things from her are those closest to her. It really pulled on my heartstrings to see her hurting over that each time.

In Blood on the Bayou there’s also a new development regarding her magical abilities. Surprisingly, the nasty fairies seem to be one of the sources she learns about her powers. Just like Annabelle’s magical abilities and her love life, the world Stacey Jay has created gets more complex in this book. Annabelle gains troubling insights in the world of the fairies and a shocking revelation about experiments with fairy venom at the end of the book looms ominously over the next. Even with that much going on, Stacey Jay manages to set exactly the right pace in this book. Fast, action filled scenes alternate with slower scenes heavy with emotions. Thus, you get thrilling, dark tale that will keep you up all night.

All in all, Blood on the Bayou is a perfect sequel in a great urban fantasy series. Sadly, this series doesn’t seem to get the attention it deserves. If you’re a fan of character driven books with damaged heroines, unique and atmospheric world building and real character development, I strongly suggest you read this series. It offers everything I could wish for in a book.

Interested? Head over to Stacey Jay’s homepage for an excerpt!

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by Christine at Wednesday, April 11, 2012

 Fey/Faeries, Review, Simon Schuster, Stacey Jay  6 People left their mark

✎

Giveaway: Blood on the Bayou by Stacey Jay

Thanks to Simon & Schuster I have 3 copies of Blood on the Bayou by Stacey Jay to offer you!

It’s the sequel to Dead on the Delta, which I own but haven’t read yet *shame on me* but I think it looks awesome and highly original!

Here’s more about the book:

The second book in a new urban fantasy series featuring mosquito-sized fairies with poisonous bites that drive humans insane.

It's only been three weeks since Annabelle helped solve the murder of Grace Beauchamp, and in the process, she discovered a secret world of invisible, magic-working people who have decided she might have what it takes to join their ranks.

As best as she can determine, Annabelle’s attack by a group of fairies has infected her with paranormal ability she did not previously possess, including being able to mentally move objects and heal wounds. Her new abilities appear to have few negative side effects, aside from creepy dreams. But would that change if she stopped injecting herself with the mystery drug delivered to her by the even more mysterious Tucker, one of the Invisibles? Leery of trusting criminals with her health, Annabelle wishes she had someone she could talk to about the changes in her life. Enter Hitch, FBI agent and Annabelle's ex, who's back in Donaldsonville on an off-the-books investigation. Hitch suspects that there's a government-funded illegal lab that’s developing a controversial fairy-killing spray that could adversely affect the existence of every living thing in the delta—including humans. And Hitch and Annabelle will have to find a way to work together if they're going to find a way to shut it down.

Read an Excerpt

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

Blood on the Bayou will be on sale on March 27th, but you can win a copy now!

3 copies up for grab

US only

Ends on March 26th, 2012

To enter, obey the Rafflecopter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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by Tynga at Wednesday, March 14, 2012

 giveaway, Simon Schuster, Stacey Jay  8 People left their mark

✎