Hearts at Stake: Alyxandra Harvey (ARC Courtesy of Bloomsbury)

SUMMARY:

On Solange’s sixteenth birthday, she is going to wake up dead. As if that’s not bad enough, she also has to outwit her seven overprotective older brothers, avoid the politics involved with being the only daughter born to an ancient vampire dynasty, and elude Kieran Black—agent of an anti-vampire league who is searching for his father’s killer and is intent on staking Solange and her entire family. Luckily she has her own secret weapon—her human best friend Lucy—who is willing to defend Solange’s right to a normal life, whether she’s being smothered by her well-intentioned brothers or abducted by a power-hungry queen. Two unlikely alliances are formed in a race to save Solange’s eternal life—Lucy and Solange’s brother Nicholas, and Solange and Kieran Black—in a dual romance that is guaranteed to jump start any romance-lover’s heart. Even fans of the genre who’ve seen it all will find a fresh read with kick-butt characters and family dynamics that ring true for all brothers and sisters—vampire or otherwise.

OPINION: 4 STARS

Amusing, fast paced, and original. Those are some of the biggest adjectives that popped into my head throughout this book. It is a pretty unique take on vampires and the world that surrounds them and I think Harvey pulled it off quite well. Some of the 'typical' vampire traits still apply but she has very much made this world all her own.

The characters are all strong- Lucy and Solange especially. The story switches between their perspectives so I was able to get a good view of both girls. I could see why they were friends and where one lacked the other made up for it. Lucy is a hilarious character- her banter with other characters kept me alert and laughing, even in tense situations in the book.

Solange has 7 older brothers and I give Harvey points for this. She didn't just name them and call them brothers- she showed at least some interests and traits of each of the bothers. I find it very hard to keep that many characters different and still important but Harvey did a smooth job of it. Nicholas gets the most attention out of the brothers and he is a perfect blend of adorable, seductive and arrogant.

There is very little introduction for this book- it simply starts and almost immediately delves into the action and bigger points of the story. I was interested from the start with questions already forming and curiosity burning just a few pages in. What starts out to seem like it will be boring and repetitive compared to other books in this genre rapidly changes into something unique and enticing.

Harvey's writing is filled with humor and her analogies and the way she words things are original and many of them are witty. Several times I stopped reading for a few moments because the way she said something took me off guard, forcing me to pause and reflect on how there are many overly used ways to say the same thing or make the same comparison but Harvey used something very different. I admire it and for that reason, the writing stands out in many places for me with this book.

There will be more in this series, dubbed The Drake Chronicles, and I will certainly be reading. This book ends with a million burning questions sprouting immediately yet most things relative to this book's plot are answered, tied up and closed out. I feel satisfied though I do want more of the series as a whole and am curious about how things will play out from here. Harvey did not drag things out unnecessarily- she went straight to the point often.

Overall, I give this 4 stars. The analogies and many phrases stood in my mind but the writing was otherwise smooth and only some above average. The plot moves quickly and is strong with 2 well developed lead characters and I recommend this one.

This book is set to hit shelves December 22- just in time to add to holiday gift lists. For more information, check out the site devoted to the series and learn more about the Drake Chronicles.

Note: This book was provided courtesy of Bloomsbury publishing.

In My Mailbox (7)

In My Mailbox is hosted by the wonderful Kristi over at The Story Siren.

For Review:

Captivate by Carrie Jones (Courtesy of Bloomsbury)
Hearts at Stake by Alyxandra Harvey (Courtesy of Bloomsbury)
Explorer-X: Alpha by LM Preston (Courtesy of LM Preston)


And because I think it is really kind of cute, here is Toby, getting lost in a book....

Contests On The Blogosphere

Okay I will be updating this post as I find out more this weekend, but here is one steady post to alert you guys to several contests around the blogosphere rather than a new post for each one because face it, we all know that gets kind of old and clutters things up. All these links will also show up on my sidebar on the left for further reference.

First off, the 12 blogs of Christmas tour kicked off today with Kate at The Neverending Bookshelf. She is having a total of 9 winners, some for books and some for swag but is definitely making things awesome from the start! This ends December 31 and she also has the links to the other 12 blogs but I will be adding them in to this post as I go.

Shooting Stars Mag, who will be one of the Christmas tour stops, is also having A Year's Worth of Books contest- that's right, 1 book for each month on 2010, most of which will be 2010 books. This one is going to run through Jan 8.

YAY! Reads is having a Holiday giveaway. First place gets any book, their choice, under $15. Second place gets to choose between Hold Still by Nina LaCour and Waves by Sharon Dogar and third place gets the remaining book. Mention I referred you and we both get 20 extra entries. This one ends Dec 27.

Cornucopia of Reading is holding a 200 follower giveaway with some great titles such as Beautiful Creatures, Dr. Darcy, Vampyre, and Violet Wings along with several more and even choose your own preorder up for grabs for 2 winners. Ends Dec 30.

Pure Imagination is giving away 3 books to 1 winner for her birthday and the holidays. Up for grabs is Violet Wings, The Sky is Everywhere and Hush, Hush. Winner will be announced Dec 22.

Kimberly Derting is giving away an ARC of her upcoming debut book The Body Finder. I REALLY want this book so here's to hoping. Full details can be found on her site. This ends Dec 25.

Ramblings of a Teenage Bookworm is having a HUGE contest- she has put several amazing titles all in a box and fit as much in as possible and is shipping it out to one lucky winner. US Residents only and ending Dec 30. *crosses fingers and really hopes to win this one*

Things That Fly Giveaway: Captivate and Fallen

In light of the holidays and that my blog has hit 200 followers in just the 3 months I have been blogging, I am going to be holding a double contest to give away my ARCs of Captivate and Fallen. I loved both books very much but I intend to at some point buy the actual books to add to my personal bookshelf rather than keeping the ARCs for it- I kind of believe more in passing ARCs along rather than hording them, even if it is books I really love. I definitely recommend them both to anyone who likes fantasy- they are well written, well developed, and you can see the thought and effort that went into them. The characters are awesome in both.

There will be 2 winners, one for each book and to help promote the books and build my blog, the contest is going to run for quite awhile- through Sunday, January 24. When you enter, please tell me which book is your top choice and if you want to enter for only one or both. This will effect things when I choose winners at the end.

Unless I change it between now and the end of the contest, winners will be chosen using random.org and my list will be double randomized. Whoever my top 2 names are on the second list will be the winners, unless place 2 only wanted 1of the books and the first winner wanted that one too, in which case I will move to place 3.

Sorry, but this contest is US only- I just cannot afford to ship internationally unless you are willing to cover the extra shipping or have someone in the US willing to accept the book and send it on to you.

To enter, fill out this registration form. Do not enter via comments but feel free to leave comments- but any entries will be deleted from that section for privacy reasons. Please only fill it out once and put all your entries into it at one time.

Entries: If you enter, you get one automatic entry (duh).

Extra Entries:

You don't have to be a follower to enter but it would certainly be nice =)

• New followers: +2 (and hey, look on the bright side- you will likely get even more entries into future contests)
  

• Old followers (thanks guys!!!!): +3
  
  

Spread the word- I really am trying to get my blog out there more so this is where you will get the big number of entries:

• Blog about it- make an actual blog post: +7


• Sidebar on your blog: +3


• Tweet about it: +3


• Add or already have me on your blog roll: +5
  
  
• Referrals: You will receive 5 extra entries for each new follower you bring me- they must sign up to follow me and they must give me your name. The new follower will get one extra entry in thanks.

Comments: I will make random checks throughout the length of this contest and whomever are my top commentators (with actual, relevant comments and not just commenting for the sake of trying to be top) at each check will earn some extra points. This is something I will keep track of myself.

Again, you MUST fill out the registration form rather than entering via the comments and help spread the word! Thanks guys and remember, this one is going to run through January 24 and depending on how it does, I might add in another book or two.

Captivate: Carrie Jones (ARC)

SUMMARY (Courtesy of borders.com)

Zara and her friends knew they hadn't solved the pixie problem for good. Far from it. The king's needs grow deeper every day he's stuck in captivity, while his control over his people gets weaker. It's made him vulnerable. And now there's a new king in town.

A turf war is imminent, since the new pixie king, Astley, is moving in quickly. Nick nearly killed him in the woods on day one, but Zara came to his rescue. Astley swears that he and Zara are destined to be together, that he's one of the good guys. Nick isn't buying it, though Zara isn't as sure -- despite herself, she wants to trust the new king. But it's a lot more than her relationship with Nick that is at stake. It's her life -- and his.

OPIONION: 5 STARS

WOW! This one was even better than the first and built on the world created so splendidly. Yes, this book captivated me from start to end. It picks up abruptly, wasting no time recapping what happened in the first book which is something that I love. Throughout, a pretty steady pace is kept with enough intrigue and mystery to keep me going through slower parts.

The events in this book are things I never would have imagined happening and they play out and tie together beautifully. I can see the effort and thought Jones put into this one which makes me appreciate it even more. The lore that is introduced is done so at a good pace, showing more as needed without it being overloaded and drowning. I am definitely liking the bigger picture that develops in this book that was not a part of Need.

Zara's character continues to build and develop and though there were a few times I sat there yelling at her to not do something, I could see exactly why she was doing it and if I were in that situation, I probably would have made the same choice. She didn't do it because the author needed it to happen- there were reasons and motivations and for me, they were solid. Her mental reference of phobias comes out in this book again although instead of the chapters being titled with phobias, they are titled with facts/hints about pixies- many of them humorous- that help the story even more. I loved the chapter titles in this book and am interested to see what Jones has in store for the next installment.

Astley is a new character that is introduced- and one I love. I won't say whether he is good or bad- I fell in love with him anyways and it wasn't for either of those sides. He is just awkward enough for me to find him pretty much adorable. It comes out in unexpected ways and places but it makes him seem far more human- something that is big in this book since Zara is in danger of being turned pixie which means she is not human either. The debate of that, the implications of it, and even the feelings towards are ones that play out in many fantasy books but I still think they were done very well here with some originality added.

I thought this about the first and I certainly think it about this book- this take on pixies is amazing. It reminds me in many ways of vampires, fairies and even shifters in some ways and yet, Jones has painted them into something all their own. Their hierachy, ways and attributes are perfectly carried out. From the glamour to the blue skin to the gold dust, I adore how unique, personalized and original these pixies are- and how the stereotypical, Tinkerbell type view of them comes into play so often. The Buffy references in this book also made me laugh- it is a show I watched and can relate to and I like it even more because it is older rather than newer trend.

The writing in this one was about the same as the first- I didn't see much improvement but I do like her writing style. It is again in Zara's frame of mind but the instances of humor are put in quite well. There were only a few places where I had to stop and reread because things jumped unexpectedly for me but I did read an ARC- so such istances could change.

I give this one 5 stars because it kept me interested, it had plenty of twists and unexpected surprises, and I adored the ending. It was a perfect cliff hanger- closing enough of this story while leaving me thirsting for the next one without an overwhelming number of ifs, whats, whys and hows. I recommend this set to anyone who likes fantasy- it has a love story but that isn't the central focus and it is original and steadily paced.

Craving more? Visit the Need website here- there is also a very awesome giveaway going on for a few different prizes so check it out!

Note: This book was provided courtesy of Bloomsbury Publishers.

Waiting on Wednesday (3)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine.

This week's choice is Guardian of the Dead by Karen Healey. First off, I just really like that name! The cover intrigued me too- somewhat theatrical. I don't think this is the final cover but I do believe it is what will be on the ARCs (Oh how I want one) and even if it isn't the final- I really like this one. This one is slated to hit stores April 1, 2010.

Summary (From Karen's website):

In less than a day I had been harassed, enchanted, shouted at, cried on, and clawed. I’d been cold, scared, dirty, exhausted, hungry, and miserable. And up until now, I’d been mildly impressed with my ability to cope.

At her boarding school in New Zealand, Ellie Spencer is like any ordinary teen: she hangs out with her best friend, Kevin; obsesses over her crush on a mysterious boy; and her biggest worry is her paper deadline. Then everything changes: In the foggy woods near the school, something ancient and deadly is waiting.

Debut author Karen Healey introduces a savvy and spirited heroine with a strong, fresh voice. Full of deliciously creepy details, this unique, incredible adventure is a deftly crafted story of Māori mythology, romance, betrayal, and war.

Who else thinks this one sounds awesome? It's on my 2010 Debut Author Challenge reading list and definitely one I will be getting right around when it is finally published and released.