Wings by Elizabeth Richards

Wings by Elizabeth Richards 

Release Date - June 12, 2014

Publisher Website - Penguin/Razorbill
Publisher Social Media - Twitter
Pages - 400 pages
My Rating - 4/5
**received in exchange for an honest review from the publisher**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

Following the cliffhanger ending of Phoenix, Natalie finds herself separated from Ash and unexpectedly reunited with her parents, including the father she thought was dead. But she can only think of Ash. She hasn't heard a word of him since she and Elijah were brought to the underground headquarters of the Sentry Rebellion. But she vows to find him.

Ash, meanwhile is back in Black City; it's the perfect place to hide from the Sentry government. But not for long. He won't give up on Natalie or bringing an end to the terrible reign of Purian Rose.

A pulse-racing end to an exciting series.

Stakes within a series tend to escalate as the series comes to a close. The ending novel of a series basically feels like all bets are off. The fate of the characters, and sometimes they world they inhabit, will be definitively decided. Wings felt like a ticking clock counting down as Natalie, Ash, and the rebellion race towards the final confrontation with Purian Rose. 

The sexy, sensual vibe of the previous installments is lessened for the finale. The focus is on backstory, plot line pay offs, and increased action. This 'war' that has been building reaches it's climax and there are quite a few casualties. The death toll in this series has always been rather high, but Elizabeth Richards sends her series off with a bang. 

The world building is always one of my favourite elements of this series. The stark, ash filled Black City, and the contrasting lavish Centrum all have come to life because of Elizabeth Richards' brilliant descriptions. It's vibrancy still astounds me even after three books.

The inclusion of the backstory of a young man named Edmund confused me at first. I wasn't sure how his story was going to fit into the larger picture this series has been painting. The answers garnered from these 'flashbacks' were the payoff of the entire story. It answered questions I was desperate to know the answers to. It was what I had been waiting three books for, and it didn't disappoint. It showed a different side to the world our beloved characters live in. Edmund's story becomes vital to understanding how the world we first encounter in Black City came to be, and where the story is headed.

Character progression (in this installment at least)  is placed on the back burner, except for one intriguing exception. Purian Rose is a character that I thought I had figured out. I thought he was a menacing tyrant that was meant to be underdeveloped to show how irrational his behaviour was. Wings provided some unexpected depth to this character, and his motivations. There may not be any warm feelings towards him, but there is a surprising element to his character that fleshed out the story in an honest, organic way. The villain goes from simplistic, to much more complicated in the span of one book.

Elizabeth Richards has tied everything together by the end of this novel. The answers to those questions you have? Odds are she's answered them. The origin of the Sentry, the devastating beginnings of the Darkling segregation, and everything in between. Each puzzle piece fits into a larger story until everything clicks together and the bigger picture is finally revealed. It's been laid out from book one, and this novel offers the pay off that fans of the series have been waiting for.

Wings is satisfying conclusion to the Black City trilogy. As the dust settles on this paranormal/dystopian mix, the author showed that rebellion comes at a cost, and that sometimes the characters you least expect hide the most compelling secrets.

New To My Book Closet

It's that time of the week again. Time to show you what bookish goodies made their way into my home and book closet (to be saved from the evil book eating cat monster named Aria). This is inspired by the various "mailbox" posts out there (eg. In My Mailbox by The Story Siren, and Stacking the Shelves by Tynga's Reviews).

A pretty amazing week in my mailbox. I may have had a freakout when some of these arrived.

Wings by Elizabeth Richard (goodreads)
Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige (goodreads)
Second Star by Alyssa B. Sheinmel (goodreads)

A huge thank you to Elizabeth Richards for the surprise package of awesome. A huge thank you to Harper Collins Canada for the epicness that is Dorothy Must Die. Christy, from The Reader Bee, is my favourite for sending me Second Star. My Peter Pan fangirl flailed just a little (okay, maybe it flailed a lot).

Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews (goodreads)

 Thank you to Giselle from Book Nerd Canada and Lifetime Network/Shaw Media for the amazing Flowers in the Attic prize pack. I am looking forward to getting the copy of Bonnie and Clyde that is to be shipped soon!

Breaking Bad (season one)

So, if you've read my blog before, you are well aware of my Breaking Bad obsession. I NEED to own the entire series, and took steps to accomplish this by getting the first season. A re-watch is totally happening, and I expect I'll do a blog event around it.

Let me know what you got in your mailbox this week!

Happy weekend, and happy reading!

Cover Reveal - Wings by Elizabeth Richards

Today we are super excited to share the cover to WINGS, the third and final book in author's Elizabeth Richard's BLACK CITY series!

Check out this beauty! 

Wings (Black City #3) by Elizabeth Richards

Get the first two books in the series! 

OPEN INTERNATIONAL!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Phoenix by Elizabeth Richards

Phoenix by Elizabeth Richards
Release Date – June 4, 2013
Publisher Website -  Penguin
Publisher Social Media -  Twitter
Pages -  368 pages
My Rating- 4/5
**won from giveaway**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

Ash and Natalie are just starting to build a life together when things in the United Sentry States go from bad to worse. Ash and Natalie find themselves at the center of turmoil when dictator Purian Rose threatens Natalie’s life unless Ash votes in favor of Rose’s Law—a law that will send Darklings and other dissenters to a deadly concentration camp known as the Tenth.

When Ash can’t bring himself to trade Natalie’s life for those of millions of Darklings, her fate is sealed. Enter Elijah Theroux, the handsome Bastet boy Natalie once saved from her mother’s labs, where he’d been experimented on and tortured. It was his venom the Sentry used to create the lethal Golden Haze, the heart of the government conspiracy that led to Black City’s uprising and Ash’s rebirth as the Phoenix, the face of the rebellion. Elijah is back and Ash doesn’t like him; it’s clear he’s taken with Natalie, and Ash fears she may have feelings for him as well.

But Elijah also may have the answer to taking down Purian Rose for good—a powerful weapon called the Ora. Ash, Natalie and Elijah just have to escape Black City undetected to find it. But fleeing the city and finding this weapon (if it even exists) are easier said than done, and the quest could tear Ash and Natalie apart, even pushing them into the arms of others.

This enthralling sequel to Black City is just as absorbing, delicious and steamy as the first book, leaving readers hungry for the series conclusion.

Black City surprised me when I read it, so I was especially eager to get my hands on Phoenix. The second installment satisfied and continued with the storylines that drew me in.

These novels move at a rapid pace. They are filled with page turning developments. Betrayals, reveals, and sweet romance. The pacing is a little uneven at first, but once it gets going you’ll be hard pressed to put this down until you’ve finished.

The novel is split between the perspectives of both Ash and Natalie. It’s Ash’s voice that stands out between the two. His voice comes to life, and left me with a clear picture of what the character would look like. He, as a character, is brought to life by Elizabeth’s writing.

The political aspects of this series continue to be my favourite. They are captivating and are the cause of most of the tension in the novel. Things spiral from bad to worse for the Darklings and quickly escalate to a point where a stand off is inevitable. I predict the culmination of this will be an explosive third novel.  The atmosphere sets the stage for upheaval, and betrayals. There is more than one double cross, and one is particularly cutting to our main characters.

I like the increasing support of the rebellion and that everything is so close to erupting. It challenges the characters, and keeps the novel’s plot moving forward.

Purian Rose is exactly what I want a villain to be. He makes good on his horrific threats, and sends shivers down my spine. Elizabeth Richards uses him to the fullest potential and doesn’t shy away from having him follow through. It creates an interesting dynamic where, as a reader, I am kept on my toes. It allows for fear for the characters to seep in, and no happy outcome is guaranteed.  His focus is not just on the Darklings, but the newly introduced Lupines, and anyone who sympathizes with them.

Sebastian continues to leave me seething with rage. He does something so despicable, so unforgivable, so maddening, that I hope Natalie gets to enact some sort of revenge. Along with Purian Rose, Sebastian is the main focus of the rebellion going forward after what happens.

If, like me, you were nervous about the “the quest could tear Ash and Natalie apart, even pushing them into the arms of others’ part of that above synopsis let me assure you that the author manages to pull this off.  It’s more of a ’what if’ scenario as we are shown potentials. This, for me, just proved how deeply Ash and Natalie care about each other, and how right the characters are for each other.  Communication is important in any relationship and often is the cause of problems for Natalie and Ash. There were times where I wanted to shake both of them and FORCE them to talk to each other openly.

The romance leads me to one of the biggest twists in the novel.  Something is revealed that has the potent ional to rip Ash and Natalie apart. It puts a ticking clock on their relationship and opens up other questions for the series. It’s something I am expecting to see fully developed in the next installment, but the impact could be huge, not just for our main characters, but the world they inhabit. The ending creates an even more perilous situation, and is a fantastic starting point to a tension filled finale that is sure to please.

A smart, tense, and romantic second installment to a series that has depth and a surprisingly complex political aspect to it. It’s a YA series that begs to be made into a movie…preferably one staring Ezra Miller as Ash.

New To My Book Closet

It's that time of the week again. Time to show you what bookish goodies made their way into my home and book closet (to be saved from the evil book eating cat monster named Aria). This is inspired by the various "mailbox" posts out there (eg. In My Mailbox by The Story Siren, and Stacking the Shelves by Tynga's Reviews).

A huge mailbox this week. I had the Ottawa Blogger Mix and Mingle as well as some amazing titles arrived in my mailbox.

Perks of Being A Wallflower DVD!!

Boundless by Cynthia Hand (Thanks Katie!) (goodreads)

Phoenix by Elizabeth Richards (goodreads)

Mila 2.0 by Debra Driza (goodreads)
Between The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke (goodreads)
Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight (goodreads)

Takedown by Allison Van Diepen (goodreads)
Poison by Bridget Zinn (goodreads)
The Loop by Shandy Lawson (goodreads)

Huge thank you to Elizabeth Richards for the ARC of Phoenix. I won it via her Facebook page during a contest she had! Super excited to read it.

A huge thank you to all the publishers and bloggers who made the Ottawa Blogger Mix and Mingle a huge success. Be sure to check out my recap if you haven't already.

Happy Sunday and Happy Reading!

Waiting On Wednesday....Phoenix

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

My pick this week is Phoenix by Elizabeth Richards

**SPOILERS FOR BLACK CITY**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

Weeks after his crucifixion and rebirth as Phoenix, Ash Fisher believes his troubles are far behind him. He and Natalie are engaged and life seems good. But his happiness is short-lived when he receives a threatening visit from Purian Rose, who gives Ash an ultimatum: vote in favor of Rose’s Law permanently relegating Darklings to the wrong side of the wall or Natalie will be killed. 

The decision seems obvious to Ash; he must save Natalie. But when Ash learns about The Tenth, a new and deadly concentration camp where the Darklings would be sent, the choice doesn’t seem so simple. Unable to ignore his conscience, Ash votes against Rose’s Law, signing Natalie’s death warrant and putting a troubled nation back into the throes of bloody battle.

I enjoyed Black City quite a bit and am looking forward to this sequel. Ash is pretty swoon worthy and after the ending of Black City I am dying to find out what happens next.

Expected release date June 4, 2013

Best of 2012 - Top 5 Swoon Worthy Guys

As the end of the year comes near I thought it might be fun to do some Best of 2012 lists. These won't be every day, and so far I only have two planed.

This list is all about the guys. I am going to list my top 5 most swoon worthy guys of 2012.

1 Noah from The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Noah made my list last year, and is on it again this year. His British accent, disheveled appearance, and how much he loves Mara all make him a strong contender for most swoon worthy book guy of 2012.

2 Will from Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin

Tattoos can be sexy, and Will makes them work. His heart of gold, and rugged appearance, and tousled hair make him pretty swoon worthy.

3 Ash from Black City by Elizabeth Richards

Sensual, and seductive describes Ash perfectly. A little bit bad, but caring underneath make him a perfect addition to this list.

4 Wolf from Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

While I think the other new character, Carswell Thorne, will win over a majority of people and be on a lot of 2013 lists, Wolf won my heart. He's a conflicted character and those are always the most appealing.

5 Willem from Just One Day by Gayle Forman

Since this book isn't out, and I don't want to spoil anything I am going to keep this brief. He is going to be on a lot of these lists next year after this book is released! Trust me. He's very swoon worthy.

So there are my top 5 most swoon worthy guys for this year. Who would make your list? Let me know in the comments!

Black City by Elizabeth Richards

Black City by Elizabeth Richards
Release Date – November 13, 2012
Publisher Website –  Razorbill/Penguin
Publisher Social Media -  Twitter
Pages - 384 pages
My Rating- 4/5
**Provided by publisher for an honest review**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

In a city where humans and Darklings are now separated by a high wall and tensions between the two races still simmer after a terrible war, sixteen-year-olds Ash Fisher, a half-blood Darkling, and Natalie Buchanan, a human and the daughter of the Emissary, meet and do the unthinkable—they fall in love. Bonded by a mysterious connection that causes Ash’s long-dormant heart to beat, Ash and Natalie first deny and then struggle to fight their forbidden feelings for each other, knowing if they’re caught, they’ll be executed—but their feelings are too strong. 

When Ash and Natalie then find themselves at the center of a deadly conspiracy that threatens to pull the humans and Darklings back into war, they must make hard choices that could result in both their deaths.

A futuristic world where vampires (called Darklings) are segregated from the human population, Black City is a lushly romantic, vividly captivating and intense read.

The descriptions in the novel read like a movie. Every character, and every detail is described vividly. The writing is it's strongest in it’s descriptions. The novel itself is well plotted, and the pacing will keep you turning the pages. It was, for me, a rather quick read as I was invested right from the beginning.

The novel hinges on the set up of segregation. The political propaganda, demonstrations, and corrupt government officials kept the tension taunt and the action coming. It’s not hard to see the similarities to any group that has ever been discriminated against, and it was all too easily imagined. The public crucifixions were especially uncomfortable.  Purian Rose and the Sentry are chilling, and calculating.

The vampires in this novel come with a serious bite.There is a seductive, sexual quality to everything they do. Add in the fact that their venom provides an exhilarating high and it’s easy to see how one would be tempted. Sexuality and vampires are so intricately linked that it’s hard to make it feel fresh. Elizabeth Richards manages to do that, and make it insanely sexy.

Ash is half darkling, and half human. Belonging to neither group weighs heavily on Ash, and he is achingly lonely. His bad boy persona (complete with selling himself as a drug) mixed with his desire to belong made him quite swoon worthy. He cares passionately and deeply about those in his life, and packs a delicious bite.

Natalie, a government officials daughter, and I got off to a rough start. High maintenance and snobby were words that first came to mind. She quickly won me over. She proves herself to be brave, selfless, and fiercely protective over her sister. She shows that she is not as easily manipulated as others would like.

Day, a classmate who becomes Natalie’s best friend, was awesome. The friendship that blossoms between these two was one of my favourite parts of the story. I also enjoyed the friendship between Ash and Beetle.

The romance in the novel may come off as rushed, but the explanation behind this felt logical within the story. The hint of a potential love triangle grabbed my interest because it’s such a unique situation.  The parties involved, and how it comes to fruition were well plotted and the result of a few surprising twists.

A sensual, intense, and engrossing read that will leave you in a haze. Phoenix can not get here quickly enough as the ending leaves you eagerly awaiting the second installment to Ash and Natalie’s love story.

Weekly Obsessions

The awesome Kelly at KellyVision started posting a weekly post highlighting whatever she happened to be obsessed with that week. I LOVE this idea, so much in fact that I will be doing it myself every Saturday.

Here are my obsessions this week:

BOOKS

Cover for Elizabeth Richard's Phoenix

HOLY HOTNESS! This is a stunning cover. This is coming out in June 2013 which is a quick turn around from Black City. I can't wait to read both of them as I have heard awesome things. Add this to your Goodreads account and start pining.

Cover of The Elite by Kiera Cass

Again with the HOTNESS! This series has some pretty amazing covers. I love the similarities to the first cover, with enough differences to have it stand out. Also the orange is really eye catching. It'll stand out on the shelves for sure. Be sure to add it to your Goodreads account.

TV

Captain Hook from Once Upon A Time

Admittedly I have yet to see him grace my television screen, but take a look at this photo -

Um....sexy with a little swashbuckling! The actor also happens to be Irish. *dies from hot accent*. It is encouraging that he has been promoted to series regular. Could our tough, and awesome Emma fall for his devilish charms? I think she just might. *swoon*. I still miss August, can we have him back now?

MOVIE

The Perks of Being A Wallflower

This movie was everything I hoped it would be. The performances were great by all the cast but Ezra Miller truly shines as Patrick. He's fantastic, and I predict he'll be winning Oscars eventually. His performance gave me chills and I can't stop thinking about how amazing he was in this role. Logan Lerman's portrayal of Charlie was also very well done.

This is one of those rare movies made from books where the movie kept the heart and soul of the novel. The author wrote the screenplay and directed and it made all the difference.

Side note - I was sad that one of my favourite parts of the trailer wasn't in the actual movie. :(

So what you are obsessed with this week?

New To My Book Closet

It's that time of the week again. Time to show you what bookish goodies made their way into my home and book closet (to be saved from the evil book eating cat monster named Aria). This is inspired by the various "mailbox" posts out there (eg. In My Mailbox by The Story Siren, and Stacking the Shelves by Tynga's Reviews).

I got three books for review.

From What I Remember by Stacy Kramer and Valerie Thomas (goodreads)
Black City by Elizabeth Richards (goodreads)

from Netgalley

The Goddess Legacy by Aimee Carter (goodreads)

I was super excited to find Black City waiting at my door. A huge THANK YOU to Penguin Canada for sending this for me. I am super excited to read it.

Another huge THANK YOU to Hachette Group Canada for sending From What I Remember. It kind of sounds like The Hangover movies, and I am hoping it's just as funny!

I also want to think Daniel Marks author of Velveteen for sending my some AMAZING bookmarks. I LOVE them and the quote

She walks a tightrope between psychotic and smokin'

I love this quote so much! I am excited to read this novel.

I also want to give a huge THANK YOU to Harlequin Teen and Netgalley for the chance to read and review The Goddess Legacy. I am looking forward to learning more about Persephone especially.

Happy Sunday and Happy Reading!

Waiting on Wednesday...Black City

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

My pick this week is Black City by Elizabeth Richards

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

In a city where humans and Darklings are now separated by a high wall and tensions between the two races still simmer after a terrible war, sixteen-year-olds Ash Fisher, a half-blood Darkling, and Natalie Buchanan, a human and the daughter of the Emissary, meet and do the unthinkable—they fall in love. Bonded by a mysterious connection, that causes Ash’s long dormant heart to beat, Ash and Natalie first deny and then struggle to fight their forbidden feelings for each other, knowing if they’re caught they’ll be executed—but their feelings are too strong. When Ash and Natalie then find themselves at the center of a deadly conspiracy that threatens to pull the humans and Darklings back into war, they must make hard choices that could result in both their deaths.

This has a slight Romeo and Juliet sound to it. I love the idea of humans and "Darklings" and the whole war between the two sides. It sounds like the Darklings might be sort of like vampires which is awesome. I am super excited for this one and I can't wait for November.

Expected release date - November 13, 2012

Obsessions for the week...

The awesome Kelly at KellyVision started posting a weekly post highlighting whatever she happened to be obsessed with that week. I LOVE this idea, so much in fact that I will be doing it myself every Saturday.

Here are my obsessions this week:

BOOK

Cover of Black City by Elizabeth Richards

This cover is stunning. I love it. It's so eye catching, and the colour scheme works really well. The synopsis also amazing. One of my top "Pine For" books of the fall. This has been all over bookish blogs the last little while and if you haven't already make sure to check out the Goodreads information.

cover of Reached by Ally Condie

I like this cover the best out of the three in this series. I love the red dress, and the girl fully breaking out of the bubble she was in. I also love that each cover was the colour of one of the capsules in the story.

Winterspell by Claire Legrand

This doesn't come out until 2014, but AHHHHHHHHHHH! I am pining so bad for this one. It sounds AMAZING. It's based on the Nutcracker and I love the Nutcracker story. Find out more on Goodreads.

OTHER

Book Expo America

Chris Colfer is the Master of Ceremonies for the Children's Author Breakfast! John Green is a speaker! Guess who freaked out?! Guess who has tickets?! I am super psyched to go. Chris is my favourite part of Glee. Seriously, I love Kurt. I may embarrass myself. Hopefully the awesome Kelly who will be there can prevent this. SO FREAKING EXCITED! All the exclamation points in the world are not enough.

What are you obsessed with this week?