Thursday, February 9, 2017

STARFALL Launch Blitz & Giveaway


I am so excited to be part of the launch blitz for STARFALL, the second and last book in Melissa Landers' Starflight duology from Disney-Hyperion, which finally hit shelves this Tuesday! STARFLIGHT was my favorite read of 2016 (see my review here) and I cannot recommend it highly enough, so if you haven't checked out this duology yet do so below and order yourself a copy of each (the first book is currently less than a dollar)! And don't forget to enter the giveaway at the end for a Starflight duology swag pack!



ABOUT THE BOOK

Starfall (Starflight #2)
Title: STARFALL
Author: Melissa Landers
Release date: February 7, 2017
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Summary:

When Princess Cassia Rose fled her home world of Eturia to escape an arranged marriage, she had no idea her sudden departure would spark a war. Now after two years hiding as a ship hand, she is finally returning to her beloved home, but not in the way she imagined. Shackled by bounty hunters, she is violently dragged back to account for her crimes. Her only solace is that the Banshee crew managed to evade capture, including Kane Arric, her best friend...with occasional benefits.

Meanwhile, Kane and the rest of the crew of the Banshee plan a desperate rescue mission. But when they arrive on Eturia, Cassia isn't exactly in need of heroics—she's claimed her birthright as Eturia's queen, but has inherited a war-torn planet simmering with rebellion. Cassia must make alliances, and Kane, the bastard son of a merchant, isn't a choice that will earn her any friends. Kane knows he will never find someone to replace Cassia—and is certain she returns his feelings—but how can he throw away his own promising future waiting on a queen?

When the outer realm is threatened by the dangerous Zhang mafia, Cassia, Kane and the rest of the Banshee crew uncover a horrifying conspiracy that endangers the entire universe. In the face of unspeakable evil, Cassia must confront her own family's complicated legacy on Eturia and decide once and for all who her real family is.



Check out the first book!

Starflight (Starflight, #1)

Book 1: Starflight



ABOUT THE AUTHOR


Melissa Landers is a former teacher who left the classroom to pursue other worlds. A proud sci-fi geek, she isn’t afraid to wear her Princess Leia costume in public—just ask her husband and three kids. She lives outside Cincinnati in the small town of Loveland, “Sweetheart of Ohio.” For more information or just to say hello, visit her website.


Hi, booklovers!

I’m author Melissa Landers, and I’m so excited to launch STARFALL, the second and final book in my Starflight duology! This story picks up shortly after the first book ends, but now Cassia and Kane are the main characters, with Doran, Solara, and the rest of the Banshee crew pitching in to help take down an intergalactic mafia. (You know, just an ordinary day in space.) And while saying goodbye to characters is never easy, I think I gave the crew a proper sendoff with plenty of humor, heart, and action. I hope you love STARFALL as much as I do!

Haven’t read the first book? You’re in luck, because for a limited time, Starflight is on sale for 99 cents in all e-formats. Now you can binge read the entire duology in one sitting!

Praise for Starflight:
“Smart, action-packed and utterly addictive!” –New York Times bestselling author Amie Kaufman 
“Starflight has the cinematic appeal, warp-speed action and unlikely heroes of Star Wars.” –Justine Magazine 
“A lively tale of romance, space pirates, conspiracy, and made (as opposed to genetic) families.” –Booklist 
“A great choice for fans of raw sci-fi action, reminiscent of the lawlessness presented in the television series Firefly.” –School Library Journal
If you love sci-fi adventure with a dash of romance, I hope you’ll pick up the Starflight duology today. Starflight and Starfall are both available in stores and online.

To celebrate my book birthday, I’m offering one lucky winner a Starflight duology swag pack, complete with bookmarks and two signed mini posters! The giveaway is open internationally. Due to sweepstakes laws, entrants must be 18 years or older to participate.

Best of luck, and happy reading!

Wednesday, February 8, 2017

WoW: Tash Hearts Tolstoy (Kathryn Ormsbee)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly blogging event hosted by Breaking the Spine, in which one spotlights an upcoming release they are eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:


Tash Hearts Tolstoy
Title: Tash Hearts Tolstoy
Author: Kathryn Ormsbee
Release Date: June 6, 2017
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Summary:

From the author of Lucky Few comes a quirky teen novel about internet fame, peer pressure, and remembering not to step on the little people on your way to the top!

After a shout out from one of the internet’s most beloved personalities, Natasha “Tash” Zelenka has found herself and her amateur web series plucked from obscurity and thrust in the limelight. And who wouldn’t want fame and fortune?

But along with the 40,000 new subscribers, the gushing tweets, and flashing Tumblr gifs, comes the pressure to deliver the best web series ever. As Tash struggles to combat the critics and her own doubts, she finds herself butting heads with her family and friends—the ones that helped make her show, Unhappy Families (a modern adaption of Anna Karenina, written by Tash’s eternal love Leo Tolstoy), what it is today.

And when Unhappy Families is nominated for a prestigious award, Tash’s confusing cyber-flirtation with an Internet celeb suddenly has the potential to become something IRL—if she can figure out how to tell him that she’s a romantic asexual. But her new relationship creates tension with her friend Paul since he thought Tash wasn’t interested in relationships…ever.

All Tash wants to think about is the upcoming award ceremony in Orlando, even though she’ll have to face all the friends she steamrolled to get there. But isn’t that just the price you pay for success?



Why I'm Looking Forward To It: Asexual female main character ftw!!! Finally a romance I may be able to truly relate to!


What book are you waiting on this week?

Tuesday, February 7, 2017

Release Spotlight: Starfall (Melissa Landers)


Today I'm thrilled to spotlight Starfall by Melissa Landers! After declaring last January that Starflight would prove my favorite read of 2016 (and it did!), I've been looking forward to this companion sequel with great anticipation. If you haven't already checked out Starflight, see the links at the end for more information!


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

Starfall (Starflight #2)

Title: Starfall (Starflight #2)
Author: Melissa Landers
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Release Date: 2/7/17

When Princess Cassia Rose fled her home world of Eturia to escape an arranged marriage, she had no idea her sudden departure would spark a war. Now after two years hiding as a ship hand, she is finally returning to her beloved home, but not in the way she imagined. Shackled by bounty hunters, she is violently dragged back to account for her crimes. Her only solace is that the Banshee crew managed to evade capture, including Kane Arric, her best friend...with occasional benefits.

Meanwhile, Kane and the rest of the crew of the Banshee plan a desperate rescue mission. But when they arrive on Eturia, Cassia isn't exactly in need of heroics—she's claimed her birthright as Eturia's queen, but has inherited a war-torn planet simmering with rebellion. Cassia must make alliances, and Kane, the bastard son of a merchant, isn't a choice that will earn her any friends. Kane knows he will never find someone to replace Cassia—and is certain she returns his feelings—but how can he throw away his own promising future waiting on a queen?

When the outer realm is threatened by the dangerous Zhang mafia, Cassia, Kane and the rest of the Banshee crew uncover a horrifying conspiracy that endangers the entire universe. In the face of unspeakable evil, Cassia must confront her own family's complicated legacy on Eturia and decide once and for all who her real family is.


Add to Goodreads

PURCHASE:
Amazon | B&N | Indiebound | Book Depository


Check out the first book!

Starflight (Starflight, #1)

Book 1: Starflight

Monday, February 6, 2017

Review: A Shadow Bright & Burning (Jessica Cluess)

A Shadow Bright and Burning (Kingdom on Fire, #1)
Title: A Shadow Bright & Burning
Series: Kingdom on Fire, Book 1
Author: Jessica Cluess
Publisher: Random House BYR
Release Date: September 20, 2016
Genre: Young Adult Alternate Historical Horror Fantasy
Told: First Person (Henrietta), Past Tense
Content Rating: Older Teen (scary images, minor horror/gore, fantasy fighting, sensuality)
Format Read: ARC (publisher)
Find On: Goodreads
Purchase On: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository
Summary:

I am Henrietta Howel.
The first female sorcerer in hundreds of years.
The prophesied one.
Or am I?

Henrietta Howel can burst into flames.
Forced to reveal her power to save a friend, she's shocked when instead of being executed, she's invited to train as one of Her Majesty's royal sorcerers.

Thrust into the glamour of Victorian London, Henrietta is declared the chosen one, the girl who will defeat the Ancients, bloodthirsty demons terrorizing humanity. She also meets her fellow sorcerer trainees, handsome young men eager to test her power and her heart. One will challenge her. One will fight for her. One will betray her.

But Henrietta Howel is not the chosen one.
As she plays a dangerous game of deception, she discovers that the sorcerers have their own secrets to protect. With battle looming, what does it mean to not be the one? And how much will she risk to save the city—and the one she loves?

Exhilarating and gripping, Jessica Cluess's spellbinding fantasy introduces a powerful, unforgettably heroine, and a world filled with magic, romance, and betrayal. Hand to fans of Libba Bray, Sarah J. Maas, and Cassandra Clare.


*          *          *

Review copy provided by publisher for an honest review. Thank you, Random House!


In a Sentence: An engrossing yet frustrating yet enchanting alternate historical horror fantasy with vivid characters and engaging prose.

It's rather fascinating how humans have the emotional capability to be engrossed in a book and yet at the same time frustrated with it as well. That was my constant state for most of A Shadow Bright & Burning - reluctant to put it down, but always upset about one thing or another. Usually it was main character Henrietta, a moderately clever girl in the beginning but flippant about serious matters and later so distractedly concerned with the opinions of others that she came to rely too heavily on them and rarely seemed to think for herself. Occasionally it was the setting, a mishmash of history and fantasy and gothic romance with an odd dash of the Fae thrown in (for reasons never explained) that I never really wrapped my mind around until the very end. And then there was the action, too short and choppy and rather nonchalant to excite me or make any kind of impact despite the thrilling things happening.

But in spite my frustrations, this was one of the best books I read in 2016. It started strong on the very first page, delivering an engrossing story with enchanting magic and chilling monsters I had not expected but nevertheless found sensational. While Henrietta was generally more frustrating than not, she was a vivid character with an entertaining journey full of unexpected twists and animated secondary characters that really made the story shine. And although the action fell disappointingly flat, the rest of the writing was expressive and engaging and brought the enigmatic world to life.

I didn't quite agree with how the book concluded (despite its logic, I guess), but by the end I realized just how fully developed the formerly frustrating world had become and how invested I now was in the story and its players. It took the full 400 and change pages but everyone and everything had grown on me, and I am now very excited to continue following Henrietta and her story in A Poison Dark & Drowning!

Conclusion: While frustrating at times, this was an engrossing story of magic and monsters that was one of my favorite reads of 2016. I definitely recommend it for anyone who enjoys alternate historical horror fantasy, and look forward to the next book with great anticipation!

Re-read?: Definitely

Scribble Rating: 
4.5 of 5 Scribbles


Friday, February 3, 2017

The #FridayReads Review (2/3/17)



Welcome to The #FridayReads Review, a regular Friday segment where I share what I've been reading the past week, and what I'm planning to read next! Want to join the Friday fun? Post your own #FridayReads Review and leave the link in the Comments below, or just Comment with what you've been reading!


>> CURRENTLY READING <<
To Catch a Killer
To Catch a Killer by Sheryl Scarborough (ARC)
I'm not normally much for reading mysteries, but I'm intrigued by forensics and the story sounded interesting so I decided to give this a try. Unfortunately it has since reminded me why I don't like to read mysteries, but now about 40% in I'm invested enough to see it through. I believe I've already called the killer/mystery, although the story is still young so I do have an alternate theory as well. The problem is I've watched so many mysteries in the last two decades that I never know if something is purposefully obvious or I just picked up on it easily because I'm conditioned to notice such things. We'll find out.


>> JUST FINISHED <<
The Crown's Game (The Crown's Game, #1)Duels and Deception

The Crown's Game by Evelyn Skye (ARC)
4.5 Stars. An amazing alternate historical fantasy with a rich world, solid writing, vivid characters, awesome magic, and an engrossing story. I did have some small issues with the love triangle (or was it a love square?) and omniscient point of view, but overall more 5 than 4 stars by the end, especially after the climatic twists I did not see coming. Wish I had the sequel for immediate consumption! T-T Review to come.

Duels & Deception by Cindy Anstey (ARC)
4 Stars. A lighthearted Austen-esque mystery romance with entertaining characters and an engaging whodunit. Mini Review to come.


>> [POSSIBLY] READING NEXT <<
(subject to change with my ever-shifting reading whims)
By Your Side
By Your Side by Kasie West (PBK)
A new Kasie West!!! Set in a library!!! Finally the time has come!!! XD


So what are you reading this week?

Wednesday, February 1, 2017

WoW: The Crown's Fate (Evelyn Skye)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly blogging event hosted by Breaking the Spine, in which one spotlights an upcoming release they are eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:


The Crown's Fate (The Crown's Game, #2)
Title: The Crown's Fate
Author: Evelyn Skye
Release Date: May 16, 2017
Publisher: Balzer & Bray (HarperCollins)
Summary:

Perfect for fans of Shadow and Bone and Red Queen, The Crown’s Fate is the thrilling sequel to the New York Times bestselling The Crown’s Game, an atmospheric historical fantasy set in Imperial Russia.

Russia is on the brink of great change. Pasha’s coronation approaches, and Vika is now the Imperial Enchanter, but the role she once coveted may be more difficult—and dangerous—than she ever expected.

Pasha is grappling with his own problems—his legitimacy is in doubt, the girl he loves loathes him, and he believes his best friend is dead. When a challenger to the throne emerges—and with the magic in Russia growing rapidly—Pasha must do whatever it takes to keep his position and protect his kingdom.

For Nikolai, the ending of the Crown’s Game stung deeply. Although he just managed to escape death, Nikolai remains alone, a shadow hidden in a not-quite-real world of his own creation. But when he’s given a second chance at life—tied to a dark price—Nikolai must decide just how far he’s willing to go to return to the world.

With revolution on the rise, dangerous new magic rearing up, and a tsardom up for the taking, Vika, Nikolai, and Pasha must fight—or face the destruction of not only their world but also themselves.



Why I'm Looking Forward To It: I just finished devouring The Crown's Game this week and now I needs the sequel, precious! I needs it!!


So what book are you waiting on?

Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Release Spotlight: By Your Side (Kasie West)


Today I spotlight the first of two 2017 Kasie West releases, that of BY YOUR SIDE from HarperTeen! As this contemporary romance takes place in a locked library, it is unquestionably my most anticipated of hers yet, and I cannot wait to get my hands on my long pre-ordered copy later this week for immediate consumption! Have you checked it out yet? If not, do so below!


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

By Your Side

Title: By Your Side
Author: Kasie West
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: 1/31/17

In this irresistible story, Kasie West explores the timeless question of what to do when you fall for the person you least expect. Witty and romantic, this paperback original from a fan favorite is perfect for fans of Stephanie Perkins and Morgan Matson.

When Autumn Collins finds herself accidentally locked in the library for an entire weekend, she doesn’t think things could get any worse. But that’s before she realizes that Dax Miller is locked in with her. Autumn doesn’t know much about Dax except that he’s trouble. Between the rumors about the fight he was in (and that brief stint in juvie that followed it) and his reputation as a loner, he’s not exactly the ideal person to be stuck with. Still, she just keeps reminding herself that it is only a matter of time before Jeff, her almost-boyfriend, realizes he left her in the library and comes to rescue her.

Only he doesn’t come. No one does.

Instead it becomes clear that Autumn is going to have to spend the next couple of days living off vending-machine food and making conversation with a boy who clearly wants nothing to do with her. Except there is more to Dax than meets the eye. As he and Autumn first grudgingly, and then not so grudgingly, open up to each other, Autumn is struck by their surprising connection. But can their feelings for each other survive once the weekend is over and Autumn’s old life, and old love interest, threaten to pull her from Dax’s side?


Add to Goodreads

PURCHASE:
Amazon | B&N | Indiebound | Book Depository