Spirit Storm by E.J. Stevens

Series: Spirit Guide, Book Two

Publisher: Sacred Oaks Press

Format: Kindle

Published: 13^th December 2010

Number of Pages: 210

Book: For Review From Author*

Genre: Ghost Story, Paranormal, Dark Romance, Urban Fantasy, Murder Mystery, YA

Recommended Age: 12+

Contains: Violence, Death

No Alcohol, Drug References

Available On: Amazon (Paperback, Kindle), Barnes & Noble (Paperback, Nook), Smashwords (eBook) and The Book Depository (Paperback)

Author's Blog: From The Shadows

The Spirit Guide Series

"Let the spirits guide you, but never let them take you."
Spirits of the Dead are coming...
Yuki is about to face an army of lost souls on Samhain, the night of Halloween, when the spirits of the dead roam free. Yuki will need all the help she can get from her friends, but will Calvin be there for her when she needs him the most?

                                                                   Review:

Yuki is special: she can smell the dead.  She is also running out of time.  Samhain is fast approaching – as is the storm of spirits it will bring with it.  Yuki needs to find a way to get through the night.  Preferably with her sanity.  To make everything worse, a murderer is out there – a murderer who seems to be targeting werewolves.  And then, just when Yuki is starting to think that her life cannot get any better, a disaster strikes.  And still, time is running out.  On the bright side, she’s found something to deal with her ghosty problems.  The downside?  It involves stealing.  From witches.  Wonderful, just wonderful…

Oh, how I missed Yuki!  Which proves how addictive this series is, seeing as I read Spirit Storm straight after I finished She Smells the Dead, but there you go.  And what a wonderful sequel!  It was just as quirky, cute, fun and such a pageturner!  I found myself sitting in bed, my kindle on my lap, reading way into the wee hours.  I love this series! 

Vanessa Stennings, more commonly known as Yuki, was just as wonderful as she was in the first book!  She had the craziest ideas (wearing a shirt full of safety pins to keep the spirits away.  Who else?), as well as being insanely excitable and energetic.  Her dress sense: amazingly wacky, featuring gourd spiders and shoulder-bag pumpkin ghosts.  And they were called Legs and Boo.  Don’t you just love her already?  She’s so cute, hilarious, and her wonderful madness was just contagious!

Calvin Miller was amazing.  And also an alpha wolf.  Basically, he says “jump”, the other wolves say “how high”.  He, too, was wonderfully mad.  And adorable.  He was so brave and strong: just what Yuki needed. And, I can tell you now, that Cal and Yuki were the cutest.  Ever.  They’re soulmates, but it actually works.  Cal’s soul is special: he has a spirit wolf.  And Yuki’s just plain special: hence, she smells the dead.  So, really, it’s more spirit mates.  Either way, they’re adorable.  So, so, so, so, so cute!  It also felt wonderfully real, all the way through the book.  It was the light in the spirity dark.

Emma was officially the best friend ever!  She was totally sweet and the “normal” thing grounding Yuki.  Plus she was completely addicted to research – how completely weird?  And she Training to be a vet, Emma named her cats Van Gogh and Chairman Meow!  Plus, I love her diabolical plans…!

Simon was kind of a jerk.  He was also sarcastic and very funny.  And a wolf.  An old one!  Seriously, he was born with the wolf spirit.  Which meant he was kind of, in Yuki’s own words, “off”.   He was, uh, “ancient”.  Y’know.  Thirty! 

Man.  In the first five pages: a murder!  That is just how I like my thrillers!  And a deranged, symbolic, werewolf-hating murder?  Does it get any better?  Yes.  When you throw in ghosts, eminent danger and a brilliantly wacky heroine.  I adore E.J.’s writing and plot, even if some parts felt a little skipped-over, a little anti-climatic.  But the ending?  Wow.  Let’s just say, if I didn’t already have the third book, there’d be a pretty impressive chance that I’d lose my sanity! 
Plus, on a completely unrelated topic, isn’t this cover just the most beautiful thing ever?

Star Rating:
4½ Out of 5

Read this book if you liked:

She Smells the Dead by E.J. Stevens

Soul Screamers by Rachel Vincent

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Challenges It's Taking Part In:

100 Books in a Year Reading Challenge 2011 (Hosted by Book Chick City)

2011 eBook Challenge (Hosted by The Ladybug Reads)

Happy Reading

Megan

* This book was received from author in exchange for an honest review

Blood Magic by Tessa Gratton

Series: Blood Journals, Book One

Publisher: Doubleday Childrens

Format: Paperback

Published: 7^th July 2011

Number of Pages: 416

Book: Bought

Genre: Paranormal, Dark Romance, Urban Fantasy, Magic, Action, YA

Recommended Age: 13+

Contains: Violence, Mild Swearing, Death, Alcohol, Cutting (You Need Blood For The Spells – It’s Slightly… Glorified?)

No, Drug References

Author's Blog: Tessa Gratton

“My whole body shivered.  I was about to find out if magic was real.  The electric thrill of terror was sharp on my tongue.  I cut deep.”

Silla is damaged and lost since the death of her parents.

Nick is the new boy in town with a chilling past of his own.

A mysterious spell book steeped in blood magic will bind Nick and Silla together.

But at what cost?

A fiery, intoxicating and pulse-pounding debut novel.

Review:

Silla has been left a shell by the death of her parents and her brother Reece isn’t much better off.  So when a book of magic is sent to her in the post by a man called only “The Deacon”, she sees it as a second chance.  A chance to prove what she knows is the truth.  With only salt, air and her blood, Silla regenerates a leaf.  Nick, the new boy in town, sees her doing magic and is bombarded with memories.  Slowly, Silla, Nick and Reece come together, fascinated by the magic.  But then they get a look at the darker side: Someone is after their book.  Can they defeat this new, dark foe?  And even if they can, at what cost?

This was my favourite magic book of the year by a long shot.  It had so much going on: love, action, magic, plus it had brilliant characters and believable relationships.  I was addicted, and now I want the magic!  It was just wonderfully dark and blood-filled, and not a vamp in sight…  I really liked Blood Magic!

Silla (full name Drusilla Kennicot, poor girl) was great.  The death of her parents damaged her, made her withdraw into herself, away from her friends.  She began to wear “masks”, hiding behind mental masks for calm, happy, ect.  She described them all, and they were wonderful: so detailed and intricate.  They were a way of protecting herself from everything.  This, her flaws and scars only made me love her more: she was both vulnerable and incredibly strong.

Nick Pardee was wonderful and totally cute.  He was damaged, too, but he was so sure of himself, only not in an arrogant-obnoxious way.  I loved him!  And I loved that he called his stepmom ‘Lilith’: mother of all demons.  It was great seeing how he grew, changed, and evolved throughout the story.

Reece Kennicot was a brilliant character.  When he got into something, he became obsessed, learning everything he could about the subject – something I found completely adorable.  He was also damaged by his parents’ deaths, and he, too, withdrew into himself.  He was just a real sweetie, and a wonderful brother.  He and Silla just had a sweet and totally believable relationship.  They both took care of one another, and trusted the other with everything.  They were so close, and completely felt like brother and sister.

Their Gram Judy was wonderful.   She wasn’t Reece and Silla’s biological grandmother, but she might as well have been.  She loved them and they loved her.  She was so strong, so wise, so caring and accepting: I loved her!

As for the romance of the story: Nick and Silla were perfect!  They got one another, and their relationship felt one-hundred-per-cent real.  I could feel how much they loved one another, how they’d do anything for one another.  They were just so cute!

The writing was wonderful.  I just loved the style: split between Nick and Silla, with diary entries from the ‘baddie’, for lack of a better word.  Split POV is, as some of you may have guessed, my favourite style of writing, and Blood Magic was no exception.  I loved getting to see how both Nick and Silla looked at everything – which was often in rather different ways.  The diary entries also helped me understand the backstory better, as well as giving an insight into the events that led to those in the story.  It was interesting, intriguing and genius.

As for the magic of this book: it was absolutely amazing, unlike anything I’ve read about before.  Life blood, magic, will.  I guess it all makes actual, common sense really.  Blood keeps us alive, magic celebrates life.  The good magic was just beautiful – there’s this one scene that I could just see in my head: technicolour, stunning.  It was used for healing, reviving and protection: wonderful.  Bad magic… not so nice.  Possession, eternal life and other such things aren’t quite as nice as healing, now, are they?  But overall, the magic was completely new and totally brilliant.

And the storyline was flawless, new and quirky.  A few twists: I guessed.  But the others?  No clue.  Nada, none.  The plot was just perfect, it had so many twists and I just got completely lost in it: it was wonderful.  And there was this one part that was so sudden, so sad.  So horrible and unexpected.  I cried – I actually cried.  Plus, the action was remarkable.  Birds, corpses, deer.  There was just so much going on! Just enough blood spilled to pump me full of adrenalin, but not enough to totally creep me out.  Perfect!

This book had everything: romance, action, suspense, magic, blood.  I was absorbed from start to finish, trying to figure it all out.  I loved it!  I need the next book!  Now!

Star Rating:
4½ Out of 5

Read this book if you liked:

Wicca Series by Cate Tiernan

Once a Witch by Carolyn MacCallough

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Challenges It's Taking Part In:

100 Books in a Year Reading Challenge 2011 (Hosted by Book Chick City)

Happy Reading

Megan

Teaser Tuesday (#18)

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

 

Here are the rules:

• Open your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• Be careful not to include spoilers!
• Share the title and author too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR list if they like your teaser!

It's been donkey's years since I've done this meme!  So I thought I ought to start up again!   Since I'm juggling a squillion books right now, I thought I'd do random quotes from a few of them.  :)

From Savor by Megan Duncan, Chapter One, Page 24

"As much as I love you, Louie, I sure hope you're not the only man in my life."

"Talking to that fat cat again, I see."

Savor (Warm Delicacy, Book One) by Megan Duncan

Synopsis From Goodreads:

When Claire Miller turned eighteen all she wanted to do was celebrate her birthday, but after a night on the town with her best friend she awakes to a visitor she never expected. The rulers of her region, a vampire royal family, have chosen her to be turned as their new heir and vampire princess. Claire quickly discovers the royal family is not what they seem and that she has secrets in her past, she never knew existed.

This is great!  I'm really liking it!  Keep a look out for the blog tour! ;) 

From Thin Air by Lynn Seresin, Prologue, Page Two

I was a sylphid.  One of the daughters of the air.  An elemental being of the highest order of vibration.

Thin Air (Thin Air Saga, Book One) by Lynn Seresin

Synopsis From Goodreads:

Alice Ayre is no ordinary teenager. She took her first name from a statue in Central Park, pulled her last name out of the air (literally), and she’s actually almost a thousand years old. In fact, the only “ordinary” thing about Alice is that she’s in love.

Alice was a sylphid—a winged air spirit—when she spotted Daniel Field camping in the Adirondacks and lost her heart to the handsome NYU student. Intangible to the human senses, her only hope of winning his heart resides in becoming mortal, even though transmutation is forbidden by Paralda, ruler of the air. Risking punishment, however, seems a small price to pay for a chance at true happiness.

Enraged over Alice’s departure, Paralda has sent transmuted assassins to pursue her into the human world. Alone with her secret–who would believe her?—Alice must elude a nameless, faceless enemy sworn to destroy the happy, new life she’s risked so much to achieve.

This is great too - new take on faeries!  I'll have a few posts on this coming up over the next month!  :D

From Kill All Enemies by Melvin Burgess, Page 78

He was dead.  It wouldn't be bullying, now - it would be justice.  A pacifist can only take so much.

Kill All Enemies by Melvin Burgess

Synopsis From Goodreads:

Everyone says fourteen-year-old Billie is nothing but trouble. A fighter. A danger to her family and friends. But her care worker sees someone different. Her classmate Rob is big, strong; he can take care of himself and his brother. But his violent stepdad sees someone to humiliate. And Chris is struggling at school; he just doesn't want to be there. But his dad sees a useless no-hoper. Billie, Rob and Chris each have a story to tell. But there are two sides to every story, and the question is ...who do you believe?

I'm loving this one too.  It's raw, emotional and full of messages. 

From Virals by Kathy Reichs, Chapter Eight, Page 55

"Monkey attack."  Hi slogged back up the grade.  "The enemy had air superiority, but we survived."  He swatted Ben on the shoulder.  "Don't worry, I sent a message.  They won't dare return."

Virals (Virals, Book One) by Kathy Reichs

Synopsis From Blurb:

Tory Brennan is as fascinated by bones and dead bodies as her famous aunt, acclaimed forensic anthropologist Tempe Brennan.  However, living on a secluded island off Charleston in South Carolina, she doesn't have much opportunity to put her knowledge to the test.  Until she and her group of technophile friends stumble acroos a shallow grave containing the remains of a girl who has been missing for over thirty years.

With the cold-case suddenly hot, Tory realises that they are involved in something fatally dangerous .  On the run from forces they don't understand, they have only each other to fall back on.  Until they succumb to a mysterious infection that heightens their senses and hones their insticts to impossible levels.  Their illness seems to have changed their very biology - and suddenly it's clear that the island is home to something well beyond their comprehension.  It's a secret that has driven men to kill once.  And will drive them to kill again...

Love this book!  And Hi kills me! :D

Well, that's my very, very, very long Teaser.  Sorry!

What's your teaser this week?

In My Mailbox (#30)

 In My Mailbox was created by Kristi at The Story Siren.  It's a perfect way to see who's reading and review what.  Awesome!

This week I went to an Oxford University Press' bloggers evening.  It was awesome!  I met Joss Stirling - author of Finding Sky and Stealing Phoenix - and Dave Cousins, whose book Fifteen Days Without a Head is coming out in January.  I also got to meet some of my fellow bloggers, which was really nice!  There were extracts, funny stories, book talk and brownies!  Anyhoo, it was a lot of fun, and I left with three books from OUP and one from Liz from My Favourite Books.  It was a great evening!

Who was there: Darren (Bookzone 4 Boys), Carly (Writing from the Tub), Casey & Hayley (Dark Readers), Dwayne (Girls Without A Bookshelf), Karen (Teenage Fiction For All Ages), Liz & Mark (My Favourite Books), Paula (PaulaSHx), Sammee (I Want To Read That), Stacey (The Pretty Books), Viv (Serendipity Reviews) and Sarah (Feeling Fictional).  It was so lovely to meet you all!
Here are Joss's Website and Dave's Website, so you can have a look at their books. :)   If you want a really, really good account of the evening, check out Sarah's blog.  :D

From OUP:

Stealing Phoenix (Benedict, Book Two) by Joss Stirling (Goodreads | Amazon)

Catch a Thief and Lose Your Heart

A finished copy!  *happy dance*  It's soo pretty!  I know I've already read it, but I'm reading it all over again!  I really, really, really love this book! 

Fifteen Days Without a Head by Dave Cousins (Goodreads | Amazon)

Dave gave us a reading of this.  It had everyone there cracking up!  And on the back it says: Meet Laurence.  Very soon he will dress up as his mum and impersonate a dead guy on the radio.  I've started it, and it's amazing so far!  It comes out January!

Mortal Chaos by Matt Dickinson (Goodreads | Amazon)

Some Will Live

Many Will Die

All Are Connected

This looks great!  It's a thriller, all about the butterfly effect.  Y'know, that theory that when a butterfly flaps their wings in England, there's a hurricane in Hawaii?  It comes out February!

Midwinterblood by Marcus Sedgwick (Goodreads | Amazon)

What Would You Sacrifice For Someone You've Loved Forever?

Thank you so, so, so much to Liz from My Favourite Books for giving this to me!  She overheard me talking about Marcus Sedgwick, and gave me this!  It looks great, and I can't wait to read it: thank you Liz!

For Review:

House of Vampires by Samantha Rendle 

I was contacted by the small publisher of this book - Silverwood - and asked to review this.  As I love all things vamp, I said yes.  The cover is awesome too! :D

Tower of Parlen Min (The Narrow Escapes of Ves Asirin) by Matt Xell (Goodreads | Amazon)

An action-filled book by the sounds of it.  Thanks to the author!

From NetGalley:

If I Tell by Janet Gurtler (Goodreads | Amazon | NetGalley)

One Small Mistake.  One Giant Secret.

This looks amazing!  Very thought-provoking.  Can't wait!

Grave Mercy (His Fair Assasin, Book One) by Robin LaFevers (Goodreads | Amazon | NetGalley)

Why Be The Sheep, When You Can Be The Wolf?

This looks great!  Really, really great!  :D

Saving June by Hannah Harrington (Goodreads | Amazon | NetGalley)

This looks brilliant - really, really brilliant. 

Wolf Mark by Joseph Bruchac (Goodreads | Amazon | NetGalley)

High action, an awesome cover... Lovin' the look of this one! :)

The Iron Knight (The Iron Fey, Book Four) by Julie Kagawa (Goodreads | Amazon | NetGalley)

Ok, I haven't got the third in this series.  But I couldn't resist!!

That's me.  I have just realised that I did not buy a single book! O.O  I'm shocked.  Oh well, I'm sure I'll make up for it.  There are a few I'm eyeing... ;)

What was in your mailbox this week?

Crossed Opening Chapters

Those of you who have read Matched by Ally Condie may know that the second in the series, Crossed is coming out in November.  Thanks to Penguin, you guys can read the opening chapters!  To read them, go: here.

Crossed by Ally Condie

See It On Goodreads

The dystopian craze continues...

Who will Cassia choose?

Will Society allow them to be together?

Or will crosses and double-crosses stand in their way?

Hope you enjoy the extract...  And isn't that cover just beautiful?

In My Mailbox (#30)

In My Mailbox was created by Kristi at The Story Siren.  It's a perfect way to see who's reading and review what.  Awesome!

 

 

I think I may just have had one of my best weeks ever!  On Friday, I woke up to not one, but two packages!!  One was from Bloomsbury, and the other was from a giveaway I won, with a signed copy of Forever by Maggie Stiefvater.  It's probably obvious, but this was followed by much dancing round the house.  As well as that, I got an incredible-looking review book that the author has really kindly agreed to have a giveaway for later on.  And a vampire review book: I'm in the blog tour, and again we are having a giveaway!  Phew.  As I said.  Best.  Week.  Ever!

For Review:

Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly (Goodreads | Amazon)
I've been wanting this one for ages - so I was very, very, very excited to get a copy!  The paperback version comes out in October.  Isn't the cover gorgeous?

Fracture by Megan Miranda (Goodreads | Amazon)
A Lot Can Happen In Eleven Minutes
This is an ARC - super exciting!  It comes out in January, and let me just tell you: it looks ace!  Thank you to Bloomsbury!  :D

Hurricane (Hurricane, Book One) by Jenna-Lynne Duncan (Goodreads | Amazon)
Hurricane looks amazing.  It's set in Hurricane Katrina, with a paranormal twist!  Eeek! :D  And we're planning on having an interview and giveaway along with it - eBooks, signed bookmarks...  Keep an eye out!  Plus, a portion of the profit from each book goes to Habitat for Humanity - New Orleans.  Thank you Jenna! (Jenna's Website)
Savour (Warm Delicacy, Book One) by Megan Duncan (Goodreads)
I'll be taking part in this tour - my date's the 4th of October.  It's a vampire book, and it looks amazing!  I'm really looking forward to reading the book!  Thanks Megan!  (Megan's Website)

Won:

Forever (The Wolves of Mercy Falls, Book Three) by Maggie Stiefvater (Goodreads | Amazon)
This is the first thing I've won!  I got a Blood Magic postcard, a Forever Maggie keyring and a signed copy of Forever by Maggie Stiefvater!  *happy dance* Thank you Pamela, from At Home Between the Pages!!


Bought:



Brigands M.C. (Cherub, Book Eleven) by Robert Muchamore (Goodreads | Amazon)
I love this series: loads of action, teen spies and great writing - what's not to like?  I think this is the one before the last in the series...  So I'm excited about reading it! :D


Well, as I said at the beginning: I had a super duper week!  I'm rather pleased with it!! :D

What was in your mailbox this week?

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Series: The Wolves of Mercy Falls, Book One

Publisher: Scholastic

Format: Paperback

Published: 5^th October 2009

Number of Pages: 448

Book: Bought

Genre: Paranormal, Dark Romance, Urban Fantasy, Magic, Action, YA

Recommended Age: 12+

Contains: Violence, Mild Swearing

No Alcohol, Drug References

Author's Blog: Maggie Stiefvater

“The pack circled around me, tongues and teeth and growls.”

When a local boy is killed by wolves, Grace’s small town becomes a place of fear and suspicion.  But Grace can’t help being fascinated by the pack, and be one yellow-eyes wolf in particular.  There’s something about him – something almost human.

Then she meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away…

A chilling love story that will have you hooked from the very first page.

Review:

Grace was attacked by wolves as a child.  One saved her.  The wolf with the yellow eyes.  She found herself obsessed with the pack after her attack, obsessed with her yellow-eyed wolf.  And he seems obsessed too.  He watches her from the woods, all winter long.  Only, now a boy has been killed, and the town is out for the wolves’ blood.  Knowing she has to find a way to save them, Grace hurries home.  And finds an injured boy in her kitchen.  A boy with yellow eyes… 

But is love enough to keep the cold away…?

I picked up this book, expecting it to be like all the other werewolf, dark romances out there.  God, was I wrong.  Shiver was amazing, unlike anything I’d read before.  The plot, the characters, the world…  I just fell in love.  I was addicted, from start to finish.  And I was left desperate for more.

Grace was a brilliant main character: strong, brave and sweet.  She was obsessed with the wolves, and she knew that there was more to them.  She never gave up on her wolves.  I loved her for that.  And for her reaction to Sam…  Plus, I felt so sorry for her: her parents were never there, and she couldn’t think of a way to make them love her.  But them not being there made her so strong and independent, which were two of her best qualities. 

Sam was amazing.  He was a werewolf and he loved Grace so, so much.  He was just such a sweetheart and incredibly strong.  My own heart honestly ached for him, and everything he’d gone through.  All he longed for was to be human – he wanted him life back, his family.  I loved him.  And I loved that he had an egg fixation as a kid.  And, God, he was so, so romantic and very artistic.

Grace and Sam’s relationship was wonderful and completely believable.  It also had to be the sweetest thing ever.  They knew one another.  Sam watched Grace in wolf-form, protecting her.  Grace knew that he would never hurt her, that he would die for her.  Sure, it wasn’t a traditional start to a relationship.  But it was perfect and truly beautiful.  They were both so adorably obsessed with one another!  And so funny.  And so cute.  Sam the “delicate flower” to Grace’s “stoic” personality!

Even better: the ‘supporting characters’ were just as amazing!  Grace’s best friend, Rachel, was wonderfully hyper, and took to calling Sam “The Boy”: she was awesome!  Isabelle was kind of mean, lost and sarcastically funny; a character you start of not liking, but slowly change your mind about.  I could go on, but that might bore you all.

The mythology in this book was incredible, unlike anything I’d ever read about before.  The detail stunned me, the new facts stuck in my head and still haven’t left.  I’ve never read anything like Shiver before, and shudder to think how much thought and time must have gone into the details.  But the work paid off!  The mythology was what truly made this book stand out from the crowd.

What helped, also, was the writing.  The wonderful, wonderful writing.  It was breathtakingly beautiful, yet also insanely simple and fun to read.  Plus, it had my favorite narrative: dual POVs!  Having both Sam and Grace talk gave me a full insight into both their worlds.

Now.  I have read many a wolf books.  But this one was special.  Because, while I read, everything else just dropped away.  I felt the love, the sadness, the pain, the heartache.  I felt everything.  I could feel the wolf’s coat, the breath on my neck, the cold…  How many books can do that?

If you hadn’t gathered, I adored Shiver.  I did so many things whilst reading: laugh, grin, jump, smile at the sweetness, and I cried.  I loved the mythology, the romance, the friendship: everything.  I fell in love with Maggie’s writing.  I was left desperate for more.  Wild for more.   I’m just thankful I have Linger, ‘cause otherwise I’d be fearful for my mental health.

Star Rating:
4¾ Out of 5

Read this book if you liked:

Finding Sky by Joss Stirling

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare

Challenges It's Taking Part In:

100 Books in a Year Reading Challenge 2011 (Hosted by Book Chick City)

Off the Shelf Challenge (Hosted by BA Reading Challenges)

Happy Reading

Megan