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.

Follow Friday

Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted Parajunkee and Alison Can Read. It's a great way to meet new blogger friends. This weeks question is:

Q: Have you broken up with a series? If so which one and why?

I have yet to fully break up with a series. I have series that I haven't finished yet, but will eventually. I have this strange need to finish something once I have started. I think they only one that comes close is the Vampire Diaries series. I haven't read the last 3 books, and don't exactly have the desire to pick them up right now. I won't say never, but it'll be quite awhile before I do.

Happy Weekend!

Book Expo Days 2 and 3

Days two and three were less intense for me than day one. I had less signings I wanted to attend, and things felt a little calmer on the floor as well.

DAY TWO

The main signing I wanted to attend was for Vicious by Victoria Schwab. It was honestly the most intense signing I had attended. The line was long, and it started much earlier than expected. I believe they ended up not having enough books for everyone who wanted to line up. Victoria was delightful and super friendly. We talked about Wesley's guyliner and even got talking about Captain Hook from Once Upon A Time! She's lovely, and I would love to just sit and have tea with her and discuss books.

The line ups in the autographing area were handled much better this year than last. All in all, it was a much smoother process than previous years. Everything was organized and it kept everything running smoothly.

I also managed to make the Cristin Terrill signing for All Our Yesterdays. Highlight was getting to see the new cover of the book via awesome postcards that she gave out at the signing. I LOVE the new cover and if you haven't seen it, be sure to check out Goodreads.

There was some confusion regarding the Cassandra Clare signing that I was hoping to attend. I had inquired and was told that they only had a certain number of books, and that they had reached their limit of people in line. I decided to head over to the Realistic/Contemporary Fiction panel instead. It turned out that I could have stayed and got a book signed by Cassandra, but I ended up loving the panel.

The panelists included Robyn Schneider, Katie Cotugno, Suzanne Young, Cat Patrick, Corey Ann Haydu, and was moderated by Margo from Epic Reads.

Robyn Schneider, Katie Cotugno, Cat Patrick, Suzanne Young, Corey Ann Haydu and Margo

The panel was fantastic. I loved how they described realistic vs contemporary. Contemporary is set in the here and now. Eleanor and Park was presented as realistic fiction since it was set in the 80's. This differential between the two made so much sense, and is a perfect way to describe them.

All of the ladies were funny, and insightful. However, I left the panel desperate to read The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider. She was rather sweet and HILARIOUS. Her main character Ezra sounds adorable, and hello....it has a roller coaster accident in it. Luckily I managed to snag a copy at the panel.

At the end of the day fellow blogger Kelly (from KellyVision) was off to meet Samantha Shannon at the Bloomsbury booth as she had won some kind of contest. I had wanted to say hello to Shannon so I tagged along and inquired about joining the meet up. The lovely people at Bloomsbury were happy to let me crash along with Kelly.

Samantha and I had 'met' over Twitter, and she's just as lovely in person. After getting all of our ARCs signed, and some photo ops later, we said goodbye. We were all sympathizing over Samantha's poor feet! She wore high heels and as cute as the shoes were, her feet definitely were not thanking her. Samantha has a fantastic recap on her blog that I urge you to check out.

Vicious by V.E. Schwab (Goodreads)

How To Love by Katie Cotugno (Goodreads)

Altered by Gennifer Albin (Goodreads)

The Infinite Moment of Us (Goodreads)

Rags and Bones by Various (Goodreads)

Curtsies and Conspiracies by Gail Carriger (Goodreads)

The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider (Goodreads)

Rose Under Fire by Elizbeth Wein (Goodreads)

All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill (Goodreads)

I ended this day in New York by meeting Kelly and Gae Polisner (along with Emilie, of course) for dinner and drinks. It was a lovely evening and I hope to meet up with Kelly again next year.

DAY THREE

I only had a few things I wanted to do the last day. Mainly go to the Robin Wasserman signing, and attend a fantastic sounding panel.

The YA/Adult Cross-over Panel was a big draw for me since I tend to read both YA and Adult novels. The panel discussed the reasons novels become popular with both age categories among other things. The panelists included Samantha Shannon and Sarah J Maas. 

Sarah J Maas and Samantha Shannon

I found it interesting that Sarah kept her younger readers in mind while writing her Throne of Glass series. Samantha mentioned being delighted by the fact that Bloomsbury categorized her novel as adult as it gave her room to expand on some elements she had wanted to explore in more depth.

The notion that fantasy bridges the gap a little easier than other genres was discussed, and there were many thoughts as to why, but most could agree that since it was dealing with 'true life' experiences one would have during a certain age bracket, it opens it up a little more. Everyone can sort of relate a little bit easier to fantasy novels, because we can imagine ourselves in this fantastical world.

Pretenders by Lisi Harrison (Goodreads)

Charming by Elliott James (Goodreads)

The Waking Dark by Robin Wasserman (Godreads)

Never Fade by Alexandra Bracken (Goodreads)

The Cutting Room Floor by Dawn Klehr (Goodreads)

That's a wrap on Book Expo American 2013. I can't wait to do it all again for Book Expo America 2014. 

Any titles you're curious about and want me to read right away? Leave them in the comments and I will do my best to get to the ASAP! Looking forward to sharing my reviews of all these titles closer to release dates.

Book Expo America Day One

Day one of Book Expo America started early. Previous experience let me know that people started arriving at the Javits Center around 7:00 or so. Our group arrived and got a place in line to wait for the exhibit hall to open.

A trend that I enjoyed last year was the morning 'entertainment'. Becca Fitzpatrick had something for the Hush, Hush series in 2012. This year was Veronica Roth's turn as cute tote bags were handed out by members of the different factions of Divergent. 

One of the factions of Divergent handing out tote bags

I also loved the Mortal Instruments banner that was above the exhibit hall doors....

Since day one tends to be the busiest, it also tends to be the day I get the most books. This year was no different.

Emilie and Jess waiting to be let into the exhibit hall

I met Kendare Blake and talked about her book being set in the town of Thunder Bay, Ontario. It's a town I am familiar with and was quite excited to see it used in a story. Kendare is really nice, and I was beyond happy to get a copy of Antigoddess. 

I also met Marisha Pessl who is releasing her second novel, Night Film, at the end of the summer. I've heard nothing but amazing things about this thrilling sounding read. In fact, it may have been the book I was most looking forward to getting my hands on during the event.

Random House's booth was a popular one for me that day, as I also queued up for Lauren Kate's signing. I love all these Atlantis inspired novels that seem to be popping up. Side note regarding Random House - their in booth signings are run amazingly well. They have strict policies about when you can line up, and they had out tickets to ensure they don't have more people than books. It made for a much more pleasant experience.

I wasn't expecting to make the Kami Garcia signing, but as luck would have it I was able to catch the tail end of it. She included a fantastic Unbreakable bookmark as well. Super excited to have a copy of this.

The other books I snagged were drops done at the publisher's booths. The most popular by far was the Scholastic drop for The Dream Thieves. I was impressed at the sheer number of people lined up to get a copy of this coveted sequel. The Raven Boys was fantastic, so I have high hopes for this one.

Teardrop by Lauren Kate (Goodreads)

Splintered/Unhinged by AG Howard (Goodreads)

Wild Cards by Simone Elkeles (Goodreads)

Antigoodess by Kendare Blake (Goodreads)

The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater (Goodreads)

Crown of Midnight by Sarah J Maas (Goodreads)

Jessica Darling's It List #1 by Megan McCafferty (Goodreads)

The 100 by Kass Morgan (Goodreads)

Mrs Poe by Lynn Cullen (Goodreads)

Covet by Tracey Garvis Graves (Goodreads)

Night Film by Marisha Pessl (Goodreads)

All The Truth That's In Me by Julie Berry (Goodreads)

Marie Antoinette Serial Killer by Katie Alender (Goodreads)

The Returned by Jason Mott (Goodreads)

Burial Rights by Hannah Kent (Goodreads)

Frozen by Melissa De La Cruz and Michael Johnston (Goodreads)

Unbreakable by Kami Garcia (Goodreads)

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black (Goodreads)

Certain books seem to have a bigger presence than others. Bloomsbury is certainly promoting The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon. I was familiar with the title before BEA (as I am an advocate) and was thrilled to see all the attention it was getting. Another big Bloomsbury title was Crown of Midnight by Sarah J Maas.

Harlequin's big title was The Returned by Jason Mott. If you're not already aware a TV show based on the novel will be debuting on the ABC network this Fall. Resurrection looks amazing, and if you haven't already be sure to check out the teaser trailer for it.

Other big titles of the convention were All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill, Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein, and everyone seemed to want to get their hands on the new Jessica Darling.

The longest line I waited in for a signing was Victoria Schwab's for Vicious (more on that tomorrow). I also hear that the Holly Black signing line was long as well. 

I left the first day feeling insanely lucky, tired, and excited about the titles coming out in the second half of the year. It made me feel that my favourite read has yet to be discovered, and that is an incredible feeling.

My other two days were not nearly as busy so I am going to recap them together. Be sure to come back tomorrow for the rest of my Book Expo America experience.

Non BEA Events Recap

The thing I love most about Book Expo America is the people you meet, the vibe and entire feel that the week long celebration of books has. It's hard to convey in words, but I have been fortunate to experience this for the third time this year.

Before I start with a daily breakdown of what my BEA experience was like, I am going to talk about a fun pre-BEA event I was invited to.

The lovely people at Simon and Schuster invited me to their blogger fall preview night. After taking a nine hour bus ride to New York City and a quick nap, Emilie (from Emilie's Book World) and I embarked to the stunning Hudson Terrace.

The authors in attendance were Jenny Han, Siobhan Vivian, Cat Patrick, Suzanne Young, Jason Reynolds, Corey Ann Haydu and Amy Butler Greenfield.

Corey Ann Haydu impressed me with her thoughts on research and how she approached a novel about OCD.

Jason Reynolds quickly charmed everyone. His novel sounds interesting, and he seems like a genuinely nice guy.

Amy Butler Greenfield's novel Chantress weaves music with the supernatural. I was immediately interested in reading it when she described the process of writing the novel. She mentioned that when she came up with the ideal of something happening when you sang, she immediately realized it had to be something sinister.

Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian teased us with Fire With Fire details, and promised that 'all would be revealed' in regards to the illusive Mary. I was already dying to read this one, but they made me even more eager. Their friendship comes through in even in little interviews like this. They know each other so well that writing together must be fun for them.

Suzanne Young and Cat Patrick discussed what it was like to write together for Just Like Fate. I loved that each of them was writing their own story. It made it so that they were eagerly awaited the next chapter as well as looking forward to feedback on their own writing. I was intrigued by the concept of two different love interests for the two different storylines, and can't wait to meet each of the guys.

Along with getting some scoop on the hottest upcoming fall titles, we were able to mix and mingle with fellow bloggers, authors, and Simon and Schuster staff. The food was delicious, and I loved the special watermelon flavoured drinks they were serving as well.

Getting to run into Jamie from Broke and Bookish was a highlight. She's the sweetest! Seeing fellow Canadian bloggers Michele (Just A Lil' Lost) Ardo (A Wordsmith) and Jess (Read My Breath Away) is always fun, but getting to hang out with them during this amazing party was nothing short of awesome.

Siobhan Vivian chatted with our group for quite awhile. I adore her. She's hilarious, and so friendly.

We were spoiled with some fantastic goodie bags as we left for the evening, included were titles from each of the authors and another surprise - Perfect Ruin by Lauren DeStefano. I may have squealed and did a happy dance when I spotted it included in the bag.

Chantress by Amy Butler Greenfield (Goodreads)

OCD Love Story by Corey Ann Haydu (Goodreads)

When I Was the Greatest by Jason Reynolds (Goodreads)

Fire with Fire by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian (Goodreads)

Just Like Fate by Suzanne Young and Cat Patrick (Goodreads)

Perfect Ruin by Lauren DeStefano (Goodreads)

Huge thank you to Simon and Schuster for the lovely evening. It's an experience I won't soon forget. Sadly, I don't have pictures as I totally forgot to put my battery in my camera. However, I believe someone has a photo of the Ottawa and Toronto bloggers together. If I track it down, I'll update this to include it.

Another event I attended during BEA was the annual Teen Author Carnival. It's always a fun evening and the panels are one of my favourite parts of the entire week.

I received a goodie bag from this event as well. Inside were two titles I was super excited about. Ann Redisch Stampler also had a few copies of Where It Began from Simon and Schuster that she was able to hand out as well.

Heartbeat by Elizabeth Scott (Goodreads)

Tumble & Fall by Alexandra Coutts (Goodreads)

Where It Began by Ann Redisch Stampler (Goodreads)

The panels I attend were called Reality Bites and the second panel was Heros and Heartthrobs. The authors participating in the panels were as follows

Reality Bites

David Levithan

Cat Patrick

Leila Sales

Elizabeth Scott

Ann Stampler

Suzanne Young

Allen Zadoff

Heros and Heartthrobs

Erin Bowman

Susane Colasanti

David Levithan

Elizabeth Scott

Jennifer Smith

Allen Zadoff

My take away from these panels is mainly that David Levithan is awesome. Hilarious, and insightful. He's also a fantastic speaker. Leila Sales was also rather fun, and her book sounds wonderful. Each of the authors did a fantastic job of promoting their book, and I've added many to my 'to be read' wish list.

Suzanne Young, Cat Patrick and David Levithan during Teen Author Carnival

Cat Patrick and Suzanne Young at Teen Author Carnival

Other random insights from BEA week (but that aren't relating to BEA itself) are...

I tried Shake Shack for the first time. I may be in love. So yummy! A return trip next BEA is needed. They give you the cutest little pagers so that you know when your food is ready too! Love little things like that.

Henry Cavill's face is EVERYWHERE in the city (and this is not a bad thing)

Tomorrow I will be recapping the first day of Book Expo and Wednesday I will recap days two and three in one post, so be sure to come back to check those out.

Star Cursed by Jessica Spotswood

Star Cursed by Jessica Spotswood
Release Date – June 18, 2013
Publisher Website -  Penguin/Putnam
Publisher Social Media -  Twitter
Pages - 384 pages
My Rating- 5/5
**obtained for review from publisher**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

With the Brotherhood persecuting witches like never before, a divided Sisterhood desperately needs Cate to come into her Prophesied powers. And after Cate's friend Sachi is arrested for using magic, a war-thirsty Sister offers to help her find answers—if Cate is willing to endanger everyone she loves.

Cate doesn't want to be a weapon, and she doesn't want to involve her friends and Finn in the Sisterhood's schemes. But when Maura and Tess join the Sisterhood, Maura makes it clear that she'll do whatever it takes to lead the witches to victory. Even if it means sacrifices. Even if it means overthrowing Cate. Even if it means all-out war.

In the highly anticipated sequel to Born Wicked, the Cahill Witch Chronicles continue Cate, Maura and Tess's quest to find love, protect family, and explore their magic against all odds in an alternate history of New England.

In series there is potential for book two to be drawn out, stall the story and save all the big reveals for the final book in the series. If this is true in the Cahill Witch Chronicles, than I may not survive the third book. Filled with twists, reveals, and swoon worthy romance, Star Cursed pulls no punches.

Cate is quickly becoming one of my favourite female characters. She's thoughtful and careful and this doesn't change in Star Cursed. She doesn't become someone she's not because of her power. Even what it's clear that she is one of the strongest witches in the Sisterhood, she remains steadfastly Cate. It will be interesting to see how her actions at the end of the novel shape her character going forward, as I expect a slightly harden, anger fueled witch may be what's in store.

Maura is so head strong. She's opinionated and doesn't back down. She's the more cunning out of the three sister, and the more willing to get what she wants at any cost. She crosses a few lines in Star Cursed that I didn't expect for any of the sister's to ever cross. It only heightens that Jessica Spotswood is unflinchingly willing to go to the darkest parts of their relationships.

Tess is quickly growing into a surprising character. Her desire to do good, and he sweet nature are contrasted with some pretty impressive power. She seems wise beyond her young years, .

It's the relationship between the three sisters that fascinates me. The mixture of love and competition between them feels organic. It reads like a true sisterly bond that bonds them as much as it tears them apart. I can't wait to see where the relationship goes from here, especially with the revelations at the end of the novel.

The Brotherhood is one of the best villains I've come across in awhile. Simply because I fear them. I fear for our characters as a result. As a reader it's a terrifying, and yet exhilarating thing when you fear for the main characters. It's often easy to put stock in the fact that your main characters are safe. Jessica Spotswood has went for the jugular by telling us not only are they not safe, but that one of our beloved Cahill sisters will die. I creates a tension that's different from most stories. She's partnered this fear with a group that is chill inducing in it's single minded focus. Add to this the fact that certain members of the Sisterhood may not have the best intentions, and I was constantly on edge.

The real danger to Cate, Maura and Tess comes from within. The prophecy talks not only of the witch that will save them all, but that one of the sisters would die at the hands of another. The entire prophecy and it's implications is ingenious. As tensions grew within the sisters, as a reader, I immediately became agitated. The reveal of who is the prophesied witch was a definite twist, as it was not who I was expecting. I am still not sure there won't be another twist thrown in, but I was more than satisfied with the unveiling.

I thought the end of Born Wicked was bad. Star Cursed is worse. Star Cursed takes your heart, rips it up and shows it to you for good measure. Stunned isn't even a strong enough word. It's an emotional one where your connection to the characters factors into how deeply you feel it. It's torturous in the best possible way. I am pretty sure Jessica will take much delight in the agonized response to the final chapters. In other words... book three now please.

As someone who fully loved Born Wicked,  Star Cursed surpassed all my expectations, and was even better than the first novel. The Cahill sisters cast a seductive tale filled with romance, and witchcraft that left me spell bound.

Vote For My Next Read

I've collected titles of books that people think I should check out. Now for the next step - voting.

I will review the 3 books that receive the most votes. In order to vote simply put the titles of the 3 you would like me to read in the comments below. I will tally them up at the end of voting and will announce the 3 winning titles, and when I'll be reviewing them. The titles with the most votes will determine which 3 win.

Voting will be open from today and end on June 15th.

Thank you to everyone who suggested titles, and everyone who will be voting.

The choices are -

The Pull of Gravity by Gae Polisner
The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney
Obsidian by Jennifer L Armentrout 
Strength by Carrie Butler
Easy by Tammara Webber
Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris
Article 5 by Kristen Simmons
Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay
Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

I've linked each to their Goodreads page in order for everyone to be able to look at the synopsis.

This has been really fun already and I can't wait to be exposed to new novels because of this.