Patience is a Virtue (#3) + Newsflash

Oooh, my TBR list is seriously growing.. And I don't know which to start first! Well, start first after my O level exams. :( But oh well, who can resist the siren call of books, ay?

In case you haven't seen any of my previous Patience is a Virtue posts yet, this is a kind of a meme of sorts where I post the books that have already been released that I can't wait to start on, but can't cause I'm still reading some other books. FYI, this seems like Waiting on Wednesday, but there's a slight difference. WoW features books which have not been released yet.

Ok, first up is Touch of Magic by Maria V. Snyder, which I have managed to get an ARC, courtesy of Netgalley and Harlequin.:D

Blurb from Goodreads:
Laying hands upon the injured and dying, Avry of Kazan assumes their wounds and diseases into herself. But rather than being honored for her skills, she is hunted. Healers like Avry are accused of spreading the plague that has decimated the Territories, leaving the survivors in a state of chaos.

Stressed and tired from hiding, Avry is abducted by a band of rogues who, shockingly, value her gift above the golden bounty offered for her capture. Their leader, an enigmatic captor-protector with powers of his own, is unequivocal in his demands: Avry must heal a plague-stricken prince—leader of a campaign against her people. As they traverse the daunting Nine Mountains, beset by mercenaries and magical dangers, Avry must decide who is worth healing and what is worth dying for. Because the price of peace may well be her life....

This is the first of Snyder's new series - The Power series. It's getting great reviews and ratings on Goodreads (4.27/5), and it sounds really intriguing. So, what's not to love right?

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Next up, Seduction of a Highland Lass by Maya Banks. Book two in the McCabe Trilogy, and a total winner cover (hmm, did that come out a little too pervy?).

Blurb from Goodreads:
A warrior is caught between family loyalty and forbidden love in book two of bestselling author Maya Banks’s sensual new trilogy featuring three indomitable Highlanders.

Fiercely loyal to his elder brother, Alaric McCabe leads his clan in the fight for their birthright. Now he is prepared to wed for duty, as well. But on his way to claim the hand of Rionna McDonald, daughter of a neighboring chieftain, he is ambushed and left for dead. Miraculously, his life is saved by the soft touch of a Highland angel, a courageous beauty who will put to the test his fealty to his clan, his honor, and his deepest desires.
An outcast from her own clan, Keeley McDonald was betrayed by those she loved and trusted. When the wounded warrior falls from his horse, she is drawn to his strong, lean body. The wicked glint in his green eyes ignites a passion that will follow them back to Alaric’s keep, where their forbidden love draws them deeper into the pleasures of the flesh. But as conspiracy and danger circle closer, Alaric must make an impossible choice: Will he betray his blood ties for the woman he loves?

All of Bank's books have smokin' hot covers, which is kind of a bad thing, cause then I won't be able to buy the hard copy of the book. Imagine my mom opening the mailbox and looking at this M18 cover addressed to me staring at her face. Not a very comfortable scene.

Anyway, I absolutely enjoyed the first in the series, In Bed with a Highlander (click to see my review), and this one's synopsis sounds so much more exciting (not to mention steamy hot)! Can't friggin' wait to start reading it!

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Last for the day, is The Colonel's Lady by Laura Frantz. It hasn't gained much popularity yet (Sorry Ms Frantz, but reality tends to be cruel sometimes), not much that I can see anyway, but it's having wonderful reviews - again on Goodreads - and the synopsis sounds TERRIBLY awesome. My historical romance heart was hooked immediately.

Blurb from Goodreads:
In 1779, when genteel Virginia spinster Roxanna Rowan arrives at the Kentucky fort commanded by Colonel Cassius McLinn, she finds that her officer father has died. Penniless and destitute, Roxanna is forced to take her father's place as scrivener. Before long, it's clear that the colonel himself is attracted to her. But she soon realizes the colonel has grave secrets of his own—some of which have to do with her father's sudden death. Can she ever truly love him?

Readers will be enchanted by this powerful story of love, faith, and forgiveness from reader favorite Laura Frantz. Her solid research and deft writing immerse readers in the world of the early frontier while her realistic characters become intimate friends.

Not a terribly big fan of the cover tho..The model's just a teeeensy weeeensy bit on the plump side for me.. Oh well, the synopsis's so great it kinda makes up for the model bit. Haha, but I do really love that soft blue of the dress she's wearing.. Very mauve-baby-blue. Love it! It's so court-lady-but-not-at-all-highhanded, just the right amount of docile-ness, elegant, and just well, soft.

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This is just a little sidenote.

I'm currently reading Touch by Jus Accardo (see my previous post for the official cover and blurb), and it is totally rocking my socks. A big thank you to Entangled Publishing for providing this ARC and Jennifer Armentrout, author of the Covenant and a few dozens more great series for the recommendation.

NEWSFLASH

Jus Accardo's going to have a blog tour and Entangled Publishing has chosen this blog to be one of the stops! *Pop streamers and confetti**happy dance*

:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

Mine would most likely be on December 1st, last day of the tour because of my stinking exams. Lol, but yes, look out for it!

I'm still reading Touch, but I have to say, it is one fast-paced novel! And it has a rocking hero..Totally gorgeous and..oooh, hubba hubba. Haha. That's all I'm going to say for now.

Upcoming review...

Half-blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Click on the book's name to go to its site on Goodreads and Jen's name to go to her blog.

All I can say is, it was great, and I am very unhappy now cause the next book is HALF A FRIGGIN' YEAR AWAY! SIX HORRIBLE, TRAGIC, PAINFUL MONTHS AWAY!! Sigh.. But yes, it was good while it lasted.. Now? It is pure torture. I think I'm going to give it a 4.5 stars rating tho, because of a certain few things, but that is for the review. Now, it's time to say fare thee well, my good readers.:)

Haha, thanks for stopping by! So, what are you desperate to read now?

Touch by Jus Accardo -- COVER REVEAL!

It is 12.15am here, so I guess it's time for the big reveal. I'm so excited!!

Thanks to Jennifer L. Armentrout, I've managed to be one of the bloggers who gets the first peek at the new cover of TOUCH by Jus Accardo!! And it is amazing.. I wouldn't say it's better than the previous one, I liked the color scheme for the ARC version, which is this one:

Buuut, the new one has a hot guy in the centre. HOT GUY. CENTRE.:D

So, without futher ado, let me introduce to you............................................................

...

...

...



Official Blurb:
When a strange boy tumbles down a river embankment and lands at her feet, seventeen-year-old adrenaline junkie Deznee Cross snatches the opportunity to piss off her father by bringing the mysterious hottie with ice blue eyes home.


Except there’s something off with Kale. He wears her shoes in the shower, is overly fascinated with things like DVDs and vases, and acts like she’ll turn to dust if he touches her. It’s not until Dez’s father shows up, wielding a gun and knowing more about Kale than he should, that Dez realizes there’s more to this boy—and her father’s “law firm”—than she realized.


Kale has been a prisoner of Denazen Corporation—an organization devoted to collecting “special” kids known as Sixes and using them as weapons—his entire life. And, oh yeah, his touch? It kills. The two team up with a group of rogue Sixes hellbent on taking down Denazen before they’re caught and her father discovers the biggest secret of all. A secret Dez has spent her life keeping safe.


A secret Kale will kill to protect.

Cool, right? Not only does it have an intriguing synopsis and an awesome cover, it has an average rating of 5/5 stars now on Goodreads. All I've been hearing are raves and praises for this book, so, keep your eyes peeled for this debuting author on November 1st when TOUCH will be officially released!

You can visit Jus Accardo on her Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads sites.

And, if you're really taken by this novel, you can preorder it on Amazon | Barnes and Noble.

Oh, Ms Accardo's having an ARC giveaway for TOUCH on her website-blog now. Go check it out! She's awesome, really.

I can't request for its ARC because of my stupid exams..:(((((

Oh well, thanks for dropping by! So, what do you think of this book? (And that hot male flesh on the front cover:D)

The River Of Time Series -- NEWSFLASH

Yessss! Ms Bergren has annouced a sequel to TORRENT called TRIBUTARY. I love how they're all river channel names. But there's a slight twist to it, it will not only be in Gabi's point of view, it will also be in Lia's! That means we are gonna get some Luca goodness. :)

Additionally, she will be having 3 MORE books solely in Lia's POV. I wasn't very taken by that idea at first, but now, after reading TORRENT, I realise I'm fine with anything as long as I can quickly dive back into their world. It's just so amazing and addictive! So it will be like 3 Gabi POV, 1 Gabi+Lia POV buffer novel, then 3 Lia POV.

Awesome-ness.

She has also generously put up an exerpt of TRIBUTARY on her website. CLICK HERE to check it out!

Double awesome-ness.

Buuut, book 4 (which is TRIBUTARY) has not been contracted yet, but lets keep our fingers crossed!

Ok, now, it is time to spam TROT pictures.

                           (MY TEAM!)

                               

MUAHAHAHA

Thanks for stopping by!:D

Review: Torrent by Lisa Tawn Bergren

Published Date: September 1st, 2011
Finished Date: September 25th, 2011
Publishers: David C. Cook
Format: Paperback
Pages: 388
Series: The River of Time Book Three

Blurb from Goodreads: When Gabi and Lia finally learn to surf the river of time, they realize they must make hard choices about life and love in the third and final book in the River of Time series.

Gabi and Lia Betarrini have learned to control their time travel, and they return from medieval Italy to save their father from his tragic death in modern times. But love calls across the centuries, and the girls are determined to return forever—even though they know the Black Plague is advancing across Europe, claiming the lives of one-third of the population. In the suspenseful conclusion of the River of Time series, every decision is about life … and death.

My Review

I loved it. Period.

I devoured this book. You can see the chew and claw marks on my copy; It's just so utterly... Wow. I am lost for words. Bergren has yet again delivered a masterpiece of a novel. Well done!

Gabi, her sister, Lia, and their mother escaped the battle raging on in olden time Italia to race back to their own time to save Gabi's dad. They succeeded. Duh, lol.

Anyway, after they rescued him, Gabi is anxious to return to her beau's, one Lord Marcello Forelli, side, but because of the unpredictable River of Time (the handprints in Tomb 2), they were thrust back 1 year after they left... And to what? Castello Forelli now under the rule of Firenze and the evil Lord Cosmo Paratore...

Not only that, after being reunited with Marcello and Lia with Luca (that scene is one sweeeet moment), they had to travel to a neutral state to negotiate the terms of release for Fortino, Marcello's brother who has endured one year of torture under the barbaric Firenze's hands, surviving only because of Lord Rodolfo Greco's (my man) continual interference. Surviving, but barely.

Once there, the neutral state turned out to be not so neutral (lol), and so Gabi has a choice to make: to go to Firenze as a prisoner, or to go there as the intended bride of Lord Greco - whom I would like to remind, is one of Firenze's leaders.

It's hard to think of him as barbaric like the rest of his brethren, what with all the hotness and awesomeness and charm oozing out of the pages..Haha, now I sound so gay and girlie. Blueargh. But yes, he is Gabi and Marcello's enemy.

I have to say this again - I loved it; Every single minute of it, tho I thought that it ended too soon and too quick. I wanted more, I craved more of it.. Sigh, I know I know, like everything else, all good things have to come to an end.. Stupid nature law.

Bergren managed to incorporate threefolds more suspense and action, more challenges and obstacles that at one point, Gabi almost lost her marbles. Like seriously lose it. She went screaming and running away from Marcello and her family kind of crazy. But apart from the crazy side of things, there were more romance and heartbreak, sweet moments and times where you just felt like smashing your face into the pages so that you can also be transported there to experience what the characters are experiencing.

There is this one part I find that I must quote. And must you guess who's spotlight moment that is? It is my one and only froggy (in case you haven't read my previous reviews for WATERFALL and CASCADE, I really think the name Greco sounds like a frog..)!

This quote is going to be long..Approximately 1 page worth of text, but totally worth the typing.

Quote: [Gabi is talking to Rodolfo, a few hours before their forced nuptials.]

" The knock at my door made me jump in surprise. Hurriedly, I closed the shutters and went to the door and cautiously opened it a crack. Rodolfo. With the guard behind him.

His lips parted, and his eyes widened in wonder. He shook his head a little, "M'lady...you are exquisite."

I fought the urge to stare back at him. Because he appeared more the Roman god than ever, all six feet of him, his olive skin glistening with oils beneath his white toga, tied at the waist. A ring of greenery around his hair. And the smell of him--perfumes of sandalwood and spice...

...................(redundant part)

I paused at the fruit bowl and lifted a tiny apple to take a bite, hearing the door shut behind him and feeling his approach more than hearing it. He was silent. Stealthy. How did he do that?

He put his broad hands on my shoulders and then dragged them downward, terribly, beautifully, painfully slowly, across several inches until they rested on my upper arms, skin against skin. I could feel the warmth of his chest behind me, and I closed my eyes, trying to summon the strength to move away, to break this trance I seemed to be in. But he was pulling me closer, silently asking my permission. Letting his left hand run down the length of my arm, entwining his fingers with mine, wrapping both our arms in front of my waist. I could feel his breath past my ear. Felt him hold it a moment, then pick up speed, full of desire. His lips, soft and warm, pressed into my temple, then moved down toward my jaw. Each kiss sent delicious shivers down my spine, down my arms. "Gabriella," he moaned, each word a warm huff upon my skin. He leaned his face against mine, heavy, as if weak. "Forgive me, I cannot help myself. I want you. Want you for my own. Be my wife. Be mine." "

If you're wondering why they're in togas, it's because they're getting married in Roma, so they have to follow their customs and all. But isn't he just delicious?? Lol. Ok, I should tone down on the pervy-ness.

But if you're fuming at Gabi for two-timing, rest assure, she pushed him away. Sigh, that's why I didn't continue typing. But Rodolfo helped her escape in the end..Know why? Cause he's the self-sacrificing one, the loyal friend who gave his heart to his friend's girl. Which is sad.

There was much more Christianity stuff inbued here, more than WATERFALL and CASCADE. I was fine with it, I mean, it made Gabi stronger, wiser, and ultimately more mature, AND I guess olden time peeps are all more into religion, so it made it more believable. But it did get rather cheesy sometimes, especially when Gabi started spouting some life philosophies. But it was fine, very inspiring and all.

All in all, I loved the adrenaline-pumping action, the schemes, deception, and suspense. I loved the courage and bravery of the now-united Betarrini family. I loved the colorful, beautiful world of olden Italia. And most of all, I loved the sweet romance infused within its pages. It was an utterly delightful ride down the river of time together with a wonderful cast of characters. In a way, it was a bittersweet reading process because I knew that this would mark the end of our journey with them, but one that I would most happily embark upon again in the near future (which is after my stupid, stupid exams >:(  ).

My Rating

Clockwork Prince ARC Giveaway on Goodreads

Did you know that Simon & Schuster, Ms Cassandra Clare's US publisher is giving away 100 ARCs of Clockwork Prince? That's madness. So for those of you who have never heard of The Infernal Devices series yet (which I seriously do not think is possible), here's the whole deal.

This is the second book in The Infernal Devices series, by the way.

Synopsis:
In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street—and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa’s powers for his own dark ends.

The special Collector’s First Edition will include a never-before-seen letter from Will to his family!

With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister’s war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move—and that one of their own has betrayed them.

Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, though her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will—the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?

As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart.

Sad thing is, this giveaway is only for US residents. Which sucks. :( Lol, for us non-US peeps anyway. But oh well, all we can do is hope Ms Clare's international pubs will also take part. But US residents, if you don't sign up, you're either really stupid, or really stupid.

:)

Patience is a Virtue (#2)

So, I've just received a book in my mail, but I'm planning to do my very first In My Mailbox after my exams. BUUUT I'm dying to start reading SO many books that I'm now doing another Patience is a Virtue post. Why did I name this Patience is a Virtue you ask? Well, that's because I am not creative (what with all the Teaser Tuesday, Follow Friday..I was also thinking of Whirling on Wednesday. Thought it was lame. Then I thought Desperado? Nah, too desperate), and that's what I keep telling my friends, so, here I am.:)

And to explain what Patience is a Virtue is again for those of you who are seeing this for the first time, it is the books that has already been published that I desperately want to read, but have to be put on hold cause I am still reading other books.

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First up - TORRENT BY LISA TAWN BERGREN!!!!!

Torrent is book three in The River of Time series.

Synopsis:
When Gabi and Lia finally learn to surf the river of time, they realize they must make hard choices about life and love in the third and final book in the River of Time series.


Gabi and Lia Betarrini have learned to control their time travel, and they return from medieval Italy to save their father from his tragic death in modern times. But love calls across the centuries, and the girls are determined to return forever—even though they know the Black Plague is advancing across Europe, claiming the lives of one-third of the population. In the suspenseful conclusion of the River of Time series, every decision is about life … and death.

I have read Waterfall and Cascade (book one and two in the series. Click on the titles to see my review of them), and I was absolutely captivated by the enchanting world of olden time Italia. Absolutely stunning series.

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Next up, is Sasha by Joel Shepherd.

This is the first book in the Trial of Blood and Steel series.

Synopsis:
Sasha turns her back on her regal heritage, forsakes the life she could have as the princess in a rich kingdom, and trains instead to be a powerful warrior, fighting for the good of the people her father commands. Sasha is a princess, the like of which the highland country of Lenayin has never seen before. Spurning her royal heritage to be raised by the great warrior, Kessligh, her exquisite swordplay astonishes all who witness it. But Sasha is still young, untested in battle and often led by her rash temper. In the complex world of Lenayin loyalties, her defiant wilfulness is attracting the wrong kind of attention. Lenayin is a land almost divided by its two faiths: the Verenthane of the ruling classes and the pagan Goeren-yai, amongst whom Sasha now lives. The Goeren-yai worship swordplay and honour and begin to see Sasha as the great spirit—the Synnich—who will unite them. But Sasha is still searching for what she believes and must choose her side carefully. When the Udalyn people—the symbol of Goeren-yai pride and courage—are attacked, Sasha will face her moment of testing. How will she act? Is she ready to lead? Can she be the saviour they need her to be?

Looks bloody cool.

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Last but not least, Invitation to Ruin by Bronwen Evans.

Synopsis:
One Good Lady Is About to Go Bad. . .


The only thing Miss Melissa Goodly has ever wanted out of a marriage is love. But any hope of that dissolves one wild night, when she loses herself in the arms of the most irresistible--and unobtainable--man in all of England. For when they are discovered in a position as compromising as it is pleasurable, she has no choice but to accept his proposal.


Avowed bachelor Anthony Craven, Earl of Wickham, never meant to seduce an innocent like Melissa. Yet now that the damage is done, it does seem like she'd make a very convenient wife. After all, she is so naive he won't have to worry about ever being tempted. Or so he thinks, until the vows are spoken and they are left alone--and his new bride reveals a streak just as brazen and unrestrained as his own. . .

I won this on the Goodreads First Reads program from the very author, Ms Evans, herself. Cool, huh?:D:D

I think I have this historical-fantasy craving now. Lol.

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Thanks for stopping by! Sooo, what're you craving to read now?

Review: Blood Song by Rhiannon Hart

Published Date: September 1st, 2011
Finished Date: September 18th, 2011
Publishers: Random House Australia
Series: Lharmell Book One

Blurb from Goodreads: I wanted to turn but I was held captive by the song on the wind. I’m coming, I told the voices. Please, wait for me.

When her sister becomes betrothed to a prince in a northern nation, Zeraphina’s only consolations are that her loyal animal companions are by her side – and that her burning hunger to travel north is finally being sated.

Already her black hair and pale eyes mark her out as different, but now Zeraphina must be even more careful to keep her secret safe. Craving blood is not considered normal behaviour for anyone, let alone a princess. So when the king’s advisor, Rodden, seems to know more about her condition than she does, Zeraphina is determined to find out more.

Zeraphina must be willing to sacrifice everything if she’s to uncover the truth – but what if the truth is beyond her worst nightmares?

My Review

From the very first page, BLOOD SONG managed to capture my attention. Quite wholly, I might add.

It started out describing our protagonist's, Zeraphina's, home. Which is a run-down castle in some landlocked country suffering very bad weathers and thus, bad crop yields. Things are looking bad for the three of them - Zeraphina, her sister and their mother (princess, princess, and queen) - when the prince of the wealthiest country sends them a letter requesting Fina's sister's hand in marriage.

The weird stuff happens here. Fina suddenly has this sudden urge to go to the North (where said wealthiest country lies), and a blue-eyed apparition keeps appearing before her.

Who is he? And does this urge and mysterious blue-eyes have any connection to the illness that took her when she was but a babe and has thus made her crave for blood?

Once in the northern nation, she tries to find out more about this much-unknown country which lies on the opposite side of the strait from Lharmell, and which waged wars against Lharmell time and again. But Rodden, the King's young, handsome and reclusive advisor, is on to her. But what does he do up in his turret where he coops himself all the time?

Well, of course they're all connected. This is YA Lit we're talking about.

Even tho this novel is based on a (kinda sad) variation of vampires, I did like it. Very much. Hart didn't focus on the romanctic relationship between Zeraphina and Rodden, but the sparks that flew between them were as clear as day. And I loved every single moment of it. Both were so smart and witty, trying to outsmart the other every time they saw each other. When they weren't, well, those scenes are just absolutely heart-wrenching. And when Rodden caught Fina trying to flirt with the other guards to try and worm out information, that scene was priceless. PRICELESS. lol.

There was plenty of suspense and action. Rodden was a top-notch archer; Fina is a stupendously good archer. Put them together and you have many funny challenges thrown at each other.

 Oh, and I loved it when they were fighting side by side when they were trapped in Lharmell. The land and its inhabitants were depicted absolutely vividly. The land had this withering, dying feel to it, and its inhabitants - the "vampires" - were downright freaky. So when they were fighting back-to-back, quarelling side-by-side - in short, spending some quality time together, it was sweet.

However, one thing I found rather annoying was Fina's self-centeredness at the start of the book. Her sister was worrying her nuts off about her fiance being killed in a hunt, and was going to be carted off to the far northern nation to marry another prince she has never met, but Fina just kept lobbying her to go, just because she had this urge to see the North. All under the mask of thinking for their dying, bankrupt country. She's being such a bad sister. There's such a thing called empathy, yo!

That aside, I did love the book. There was definitely much action and thrill reading this, and the subtle hint of romance between 2 very stubborn, very awesome protagonists was such joy to read. Loved it!

My Rating

Altered Destiny - OFFICIALLY RELEASED!

It is officially out, people! WOW. YA fans out there, you do not want to miss this book. It has everything that you could ever want - suspense, action, romance, betrayal, etc. So, without further ado, let me introduce to you this amazing book by Shawna Thomas, published by Carina Press.

Synopsis:
Selia has run her family's tavern since she was fifteen and can hunt and fight the equal of any man. When she rescues a badly wounded man and nurses him back to health, she has no idea she's about to change not only her life, but also the destinies of two peoples…
The battered warrior is Svistra—a race of bloodthirsty savages determined to destroy her homeland. Or so the stories claim. Jaden reveals a different truth: how his ancestors were driven into the barren northern mountains. Now they are strong and war parties are pushing south wanting their land back.

The son of a Svistra Commander, Jaden is looking for a way to bring peace to both humans and Svistrans. He tries to ignore his growing passion for Selia, but when she is captured he has to decide what he would be willing to sacrifice to save the woman he loves…

The cover is so beautiful - Look at that glowing, evening-sun orange! It's....so.....It's like a sunset. A beautiful beautiful sunset. Add to that, it has a story to match it.

You can visit Ms Thomas at her Website | Blog | Goodreads Author Page | Twitter .

And you can read my review of it here.

Review: Vanish by Sophie Jordan (a.k.a Sharie Kohler)

Published Date: September 6th, 2011
Finished Date: September 18th, 2011
Publishers: HarperTEEN
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 294
Series: Firelight Book Two
 

Blurb from Goodreads: To save the life of the boy she loves, Jacinda did the unthinkable: She betrayed the most closely-guarded secret of her kind. Now she must return to the protection of her pride knowing she might never see Will again—and worse, that because his mind has been shaded, Will’s memories of that fateful night and why she had to flee are gone.


Back home, Jacinda is greeted with hostility and must work to prove her loyalty for both her sake and her family’s. Among the few who will even talk to her are Cassian, the pride’s heir apparent who has always wanted her, and her sister, Tamra, who has been forever changed by a twist of fate. Jacinda knows that she should forget Will and move on—that if he managed to remember and keep his promise to find her, it would only endanger them both. Yet she clings to the hope that someday they will be together again. When the chance arrives to follow her heart, will she risk everything for love?

My Review

Look at that cover.. Such beautiful things are just not possible, y'know what I mean? It is absolutely gorgeous. A little kink tho - why is her eyebrow not silver?>:/

Comparatively, I had set mighty high expectations for this book after FIRELIGHT, and I must say that I am a little disappointed with VANISH (but it is still a crazy awesome book AND series!).

VANISH picks up right where FIRELIGHT left off, where Jacinda, her mother and sister, Tamra, were being escorted back to the pride by Cassian, prince of said pride. But during their tense drive back, they met with Will's hunter family. Dun dun dunnn!

Anyway, in that very bleak face-off, something happened to Tamra and she manifested. (Oooh, big spoiler.XP) So, because of Tamra's newfound abilities, she managed to salvage the situation. But also because of Tamra's heroic feat, Will's memory of Jacinda and the promise he made to her to find her no matter where she went, may very well have wiped out clean from his mind. Vanished from his memories.
The trio returns to the pride, amongst suspiscious glares and unfriendly neighbors. Tamra is now lodging with another draki; their mom was given multiple shifts that pushes her to work till ungodly hours; Jacinda, instead of having one of the top jobs (working at the library, which is what she did prior to their escape), was allocated a place with the gutting crew. In short, life was bleak and bad.

Will Will (not a typo) remember Jacinda? Will he find her? But what will happen if he actually found her? Can she run away from her mom and sister when they're all each other have? And what about Cassian? He really loves Jacinda, doesn't he?

All this are answered within the pages behind this very beautiful and silvery book jacket. I STILL CAN'T GET OVER THE COVER. IT IS JUST TOO BEAUTIFULLLLLLLLL!

So. I still loved Jordan's writing here as I did in FIRELIGHT. Her scenic descriptions and the characters' emotional development were done perfectly. You can feel Jacinda's torn emotions and dilemma, and when it comes to Cassian, wow. Just, wow. When she says "his intense gaze", you can feel some hot male attention searing thru your skin. Lol.

However, what I was disappointed in, and what ultimately made me give it a 4 and not a resounding 5, is because of Will's change in behavior. And it isn't a good transformation, I can assure you. He became too assertive, and his sweet, romantic demeanor towards Jacinda was almost non-existent in here. My heart totally broke (*piang*) when Will came back into the spotlight. I was expecting a quietly fierce, but still caring and loving Will to fight his way back into Jacinda's life. Now? He's not actively fighting for her and just... Well, too assertive and aggressive. And he actually said something to hurt Jacinda so that she would agree to run away with him. Which is total jerk attitude.

I don't know if it is to sway us towards Team Cassian or what, but Jordan portrayed Cassian as such a... Self-sacrificing and protective and sweet and romantic and alpha and possessive male. I love him. I am totally Team Cassian now. I actually was wary when I read all those reviews saying how they have been swayed over to Team Cassian, thinking I would never cross the enemy line over from Team Will, but Will crossed the line for me. He was a total jerk here, and Jacinda had to fight for their relationship.

Sometimes, I enjoy the love triangles and the fight for who loves who in the end, but over here the focus and harping about it was bordering on excessive. And annoying. Jacinda CANNOT make up her mind. And whenever she's with Will or Cassian, she would feel like she's betraying the other. Which she is. But she desnt't have to think about it the WHOLE time, EVERY time she's with one of them.

When she's with Cassian, "no, I shouldn't betray Will. Cause he's the one for me. I know it all the way down to my bone marrows. Even after all that he has sacrificed and fought for, even tho he protected me and pushed away my sister and everyone, and even tho I reciprocate some of the love you've showered upon the undeserving me, Will is the one for me".

When she's with Will, "I kissed Cassian. I am a sinner. You're too good for me, even tho you're acting like a jerk, and you want me to choose you over my family who desperately needs me. But I can't push you away, cause it feels so goddamn comfortable in your arms". It's annoying.

And she wallows a lot in her misery.

Buuuut, I liked the plot and the suspense. I loved the pride. I loved the mystery and the magical feel everytime Jacinda steps out into the forests. I loved the drakis, I loved their forms and colors and when they fly, you soar with them. The way Jordan describes it, you can almost feel the wind on your face and your hair whipping about behind you. Enchanting and captivating.

The stakes are much higher here. More to lose, more to consider, more dilemmas, more conflicted emotions. Jordan came back with ten-folds more drama and epic-ness. It was an amazing ride thru the world of the draki.

I'm giving this a 4.5 rating. Because it mighty well deserves it.

My Rating

(Because I don't have a 4.5 pictureXP)

There's a sneak preview of VANISH provided by Harpercollins. CLICK HERE!

Half-blood Book Trailer #3 + Giveaway

Half-blood's release is SOO close, guys! You don't know about it? Blasphemous.

It is awesome.

So, what's the book about?

Synopsis:
The Hematoi descend from the unions of gods and mortals, and the children of two Hematoi-pure-bloods-have godlike powers. Children of Hematoi and mortals-well, not so much. Half-bloods only have two options: become trained Sentinels who hunt and kill daimons or become servants in the homes of the pures. Seventeen-year-old Alexandria would rather risk her life fighting than waste it scrubbing toilets, but she may end up slumming it anyway. There are several rules that students at the Covenant must follow. Alex has problems with them all, but especially rule #1:Relationships between pures and halfs are forbidden. Unfortunately, she's crushing hard on the totally hot pure-blood Aiden. But falling for Aiden isn't her biggest problem--staying alive long enough to graduate the Covenant and become a Sentinel is. If she fails in her duty, she faces a future worse than death or slavery: being turned into a daimon, and being hunted by Aiden. And that would kind of suck.

The Giveaway!

1) Jennifer is giving away two ARCs of HALF-BLOOD as a contest on the trailer! So CLICK HERE to head over to her blog to try to win those.

2) If you haven't already pre-ordered HALF-BLOOD (which is highly highly recommended), but if you haven't, Amazon and Bookdepository have them in stock and is shipping them out early.

Thanks for stopping by! Sooo, what d'you think about this??

Review: Son of Ereubus by J.S. Chancellor

Published Date: November 1st, 2011
Finished Date: September 14th, 2011
Publishers: Rhemalda Publishing
Format: Paperback
Pages: 292
Series: Guardians of Legend Book One

Blurb from Goodreads: Since time immemorial, man has lived in fear of losing his soul to the darkness of Saint Ereubus. For generations, the Ereubinians have wielded that power and ruled like gods. Three thousand years ago, Man irresolutely placed his faith in a mythical world. That world, Adoria, now holds Man's final hope. As the last stronghold of Man is threatened, the fates of three strangers become forever intertwined and everything they once believed will be irrevocably changed as they discover that their time has run out.

My Review

I loved the synopsis of this book, and after I read it, I immediately scrambled about to get it.

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That was my face when I saw the The End. Like..That's it? It wasn't even a proper ending. Ok, I shall continue harping about the ending later.

It had an action-filled plot, endearing characters, but written in a complicated writing style at times.

This review would be boring, cause the book didn't enthrall me, neither did it repel. Altogether rather lukewarm, really.

Ariana goes off into the woods to avoid the festivities going on in the town to mourn the day her mother died a few years back on that day. However while out in the wilderness, she met with an entire hunting party of the widely feared, cruel, soul-sucking Eidolon people (I don't know what their called..Eidolonians? No..Arh).

Garren, the High Commander of Eidolon, was leading that hunting party when he spotted her (for lack of a better word, prey), and started hunting her down. And nothing, nothing ever outruns him. But Ariana almost did, if not for that root that tripped her and made her sprain her ankle.

Everything began here. Garren straddled her hip and he had her at sword's point, but he just couldn't seem to deal the final blow looking into those eyes that blazed with determination and strength. So here's the thing: he gave her his cloak and let her go. And to fool his generals so that they wouldn't all go hunting her down like any wild game, he cut himself to show that a scuffle did ensue but that he killed the girl in the end.

My man, that one.

Anyway, from there, Ariana struggled to walk to somewhere where she could live and heal her wounds, when all of a sudden, an arrow whizzes thru the air and embeds into her side. Luckily for her, that arrow belonged to Michael, Archorigen of Adoria. In short, the king of the good guys.

But over there, she's having vision-like dreams of Garren, and she found out that she wasn't entirely human. And more bizarre stuff keeps popping up. But the tip of the shit pile is that her best and closest friend has been kidnapped by the Eidolon army and is kept there as a Breeder (true to its name, she's there to reproduce. Sounds kinda crass).

How can one girl break into the world swarming with cruel bastards that will sooner suck her soul than negotiate terms of release, and get her friend out all in one piece? What is her strange connection with Garren that ignites strange feelings in her and gives her such visions? What in the world is she, if she is not fully human? And why did her father keep her identity a secret from everyone, including her?

As I've said, the plot was suspenseful and was never dull. Something's always happening, and it kept me on the edge of my seat.

The only dull point that I can point out is that her writing seemed kind of complicated at parts, which made the scenes confusing. I couldn't follow thru when this happens, and so I breeze thru them most of the time. But other than that, the selective third person POV was handled perfectly.

Oh, I loved the humor in this one. Tho they were few and far between, every time one comes along, I would almost certainly smile or chuckle to myself.

Example: Jareth gestured to his little friend. "I'm sorry, I forgot to introduce you. This is Cryx. He's my faithful companion, useless in the most important of assignments, but comforting in the least of them. He tends to have a bit of a temper, so he'l pitch a fit if you don't pet him..."

Not really an explicit joke, more of a dry sentence that was funny. Hm, I didn't phrase that right.. But yes, I found the book funny. And with that medieval-like talking going on, it sounds to me like some hybrid form of poetic humor. Which is amazing.

I absolutely adored the entire cast. Ariana was strong, brave, independent, loyal, beautitful, kind, and compassionate; Michael was a loving, protective brother, an understanding friend, and a worthy leader; Garren was sweet, also very protective of Ariana, a man with strong faith, will, determination, courage, and character; Jareth was a charming angel boy, he stayed by Ariana's side and became her confidant when she felt very alone when she first arrived at Adoria, and he's always there with a smile. The Braeden - Adorians who sever off their wings when they were young to live amonst humans to protect them - also caught my attention. Most of them were battle-seasoned warriors, and they were all unexpectedly loyal to Michael. Atagonists were mighty evil, that was very well done too.

The ending leaves much to be desired. It was abrupt and uncalled for. It seemed more like the book was getting overtly thick, therefore they had to cut it off there. Which sucks. Cause now, I'm on some sort of cliffhanger with a fatal drop before me, and I have to wait for 2 more months for that "fishing hook" to hook me back away from that steep drop.

My review's getting wacky and weird, and it's a sign for me to stop. Doesn't bode well for this review if I continue..Who know's what other crap I'll write.:O

Anyway, book was above average. Loved the storyline, loved the cast, loved the scenery and world building, loved the development of the interactions between the characters, but got confused at some parts of the book, and the ending was dissatisfactory.

4 - 4.5 stars.

My Rating:

P.S. The next book, BLOOD OF ADORIA, will be out come November 1st, 2011. Look out for it!

Cover Reveal (#1) : Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout

This is my very first cover reveal post, so if I miss anything out or do anything dissatisfactorily, try not to judge meXP.

So, I know everyone has been waiting for Ms Armentrout's new book deal's great cover reveal right? I have been ever so lucky to be in on the big S before every one!! BE JEALOUS. Lol, kidding. So..... Introducing, (*Drum roll*)...


Dun dun DUNNN~


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Title: Obsidian (A Lux Novel, Book One)

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Series: Lux Series Book One

Genre: Young AdultRelease Date: December 2011

ePub ISBN: 978-1-937044-29-9

Print ISBN: 978-1-937044-23-7

Starting over sucks.

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I’d pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, outhouses, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring. Until I spotted my hot neighbor with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.

And then he opened his mouth.

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something…unexpected happens.

The hot alien living next door marked me.

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and the mark he left on me has me lit up like Las Vegas strip to the bad guys. The only way I'm getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades. If I don't kill him first, that is.

And then things got really bad…

And here's the front and back of the book:

So cool! Look at the guy's eyes! Their like..Luminous green. It's like he's going to shoot laser out of his eyes at any time.. LOL, ok, I'm totally de-cooling the whole deal here.

I've only ever read one book by Ms Armentrout, which is the prequel to the Covenant series, DAIMON. You can find my review of it here: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/173567665 .

That one read convinced me that whatever Ms Armentrout writes will surely be a masterpiece, that's why although I'm not a big fan of aliens, I'm willing to give this one a shot when it comes out.

Remember what Dwayne Johnson said about his perspective of aliens in The Race to Witch Mountain?

(Not a direct quote): They're all slimy green stuff that goes, "Take me to your leader."

Lol, but Mr Next-Door-Neighbor suuure doesn't look like a green glob of slime to me! (yum..lol, kidding.)

Oh well, that's it for this cover reveal. Be sure to check out it's pages and grab the countdown widget at the sidebar of this blog, or go to Ms Armentrout's page, or go to Obsidian's pages to check it out and maybe even pre-order it!:)

Apart from that, she has a few more series that are coming out soon.

Young Adult Novels

The Covenant Series

Daimon (prequel) - available now

Half-Blood - 10/18/2011

Pure - 04/2012

Diety - Fall 2012

A Cursed Novel

Cursed - 09/2012

A Lux Novel

Obsidian - 12/06/2011

Adult Novels

Unchained (Lily & Julian's story) - 03/2012

Goodreads page

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12578077-obsidian

Entangled Publishing Page

http://www.entangledpublishing.com/

Amazon Pre-order

Should be up shortly.

Jennifer L. Armentrout

http://twitter.com/#!/JLArmentrout
http://jenniferarmentrout.blogspot.com/
http://www.goodreads.com/jenniferlarmentrout

www.acovenantnovel.com

Teaser Tuesday (#1)

I'm feeling really tired now, so I can't be bothered to make a button for my own teaser tuesdays. Lol, but I am going to share a teaser from this book which I'd gotten from Netgalley which I REALLY liked, and which would be released on September 19th, 2011! Before I begin, let me gve some credits and instructions first.

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

 

Altered Destiny by Shawna Thomas

Synopsis: Selia has run her family's tavern since she was fifteen and can hunt and fight the equal of any man. When she rescues a badly wounded man and nurses him back to health, she has no idea she's about to change not only her life, but also the destinies of two peoples…
The battered warrior is Svistra—a race of bloodthirsty savages determined to destroy her homeland. Or so the stories claim. Jaden reveals a different truth: how his ancestors were driven into the barren northern mountains. Now they are strong and war parties are pushing south wanting their land back.


The son of a Svistra Commander, Jaden is looking for a way to bring peace to both humans and Svistrans. He tries to ignore his growing passion for Selia, but when she is captured he has to decide what he would be willing to sacrifice to save the woman he loves…

My Teaser:

" “Not even Svistra can track in weather like this. Our trail is gone.” He moved, and she could feel the whisper of his voice next to her ear. “Relax, Selia. We’ll be here a while.” "

Uh oh, I've broken a few rules already. Firstly, that wasn't 2 lines. Secondly, it wasn't a random page; It was my favourite scene in the book :P.

But oh well, it's 38% of the Kindle version of the book.

My review of the book can be found here: Review of Altered Destiny by Shawna Thomas.

So, what's your teaser tuesday?

Patience is a Virtue (#1)

Hey all!

I was just looking through my book pile and felt a sudden urge to share all the books that I desperately want to start reading but can't, because I'm still reading another book. It can't really be considered as a Waiting on Wednesday (hosted by Breaking the Spine), where you'll post the books that haven't been published yet that you've been eagerly awaiting.

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1st up: Touch by Jus Accardo

 

Touch by Jus Accardo

Synopsis: When a strange boy tumbles down a river embankment and lands at her feet, seventeen-year-old adrenaline junkie Deznee Cross snatches the opportunity to piss off her father by bringing the mysterious hottie with ice blue eyes home.

Except there’s something off with Kale. He wears her shoes in the shower, is overly fascinated with things like DVDs and vases, and acts like she’ll turn to dust if he touches her. It’s not until Dez’s father shows up, wielding a gun and knowing more about Kale than he should, that Dez realizes there’s more to this boy—and her father’s “law firm”—than she realized.

Kale has been a prisoner of Denazen Corporation—an organization devoted to collecting “special” kids known as Sixes and using them as weapons—his entire life. And, oh yeah, his touch? It kills. The two team up with a group of rogue Sixes hellbent on taking down Denazen before they’re caught and her father discovers the biggest secret of all. A secret Dez has spent her life keeping safe.

A secret Kale will kill to protect.

Sounds cool, doesn't it?? I've just gotten an email from Netgalley and they've declined my request to view Touch, by Jus Accardo. They only accepted bloggers with a following of 750! Lol, well, I'm not happy, but the book has gotten quite some ravings, and I was intrigued by it.

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Next Up, is Archangel's Blade by Nalini Singh. It is the fourth book of the Guild Hunter series.

Archangel's Blade by Nalini Singh

Synopsis: The severed head marked by a distinctive tattoo on its cheek should have been a Guild case, but dark instincts honed over hundreds of years of life compel the vampire Dmitri to take control. There is something twisted about this death, something that whispers of centuries long past...but Dmitri's need to discover the truth is nothing to the vicious strength of his response to the hunter assigned to decipher the tattoo.


Savaged in a brutal attack that almost killed her, Honor is nowhere near ready to come face to face with the seductive vampire who is an archangel's right hand, and who wears his cruelty as boldly as his lethal sensuality...the same vampire who has been her secret obsession since the day she was old enough to understand the inexplicable, violent emotions he aroused in her.


As desire turns into a dangerous compulsion that might destroy them both, it becomes clear the past will not stay buried. Something is hunting...and it will not stop until it brings a blood-soaked nightmare to life once more...

I've read all the books in the Guild Hunter series and Psy-Changeling series, and I have got to tell you this:
I loved every single moment of having the books in my hands. I swear, you will not regret picking it up.

This book is in Dmitri's POV tho, and I'm feeling rather apprehensive because I have never been particularly fond of him before... But it has FANTABULOUS reviews, and it's written by Nalini, and nothing ever comes out of her that isn't to-die-for. So I'm still very excited and eager to start reading it.:)

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3rd book of today, is none other than Blood Song by Rhiannon Hart. It's the first book in the Lharmell series, and the cover is totally gorgeous.

 

Blood Song by Rhiannon Hart

Synopsis: I wanted to turn but I was held captive by the song on the wind. I’m coming, I told the voices. Please, wait for me.

When her sister becomes betrothed to a prince in a northern nation, Zeraphina’s only consolations are that her loyal animal companions are by her side – and that her burning hunger to travel north is finally being sated.

Already her black hair and pale eyes mark her out as different, but now Zeraphina must be even more careful to keep her secret safe. Craving blood is not considered normal behaviour for anyone, let alone a princess. So when the king’s advisor, Rodden, seems to know more about her condition than she does, Zeraphina is determined to find out more.

Zeraphina must be willing to sacrifice everything if she’s to uncover the truth – but what if the truth is beyond her worst nightmares?

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Hmm, there are a few more books that are on my immediate to-be-read (TBR) list, but I think 3 is amibitious enough for now. By gods, my O's are a month away and I'm still reading and blogging books..sigh..

Anyway, other books include books by Meljean Brook (one which was released very recently called DEMON MARKED), The Society by Lilith Saintcrow (tho it was released in 2005), etc.

Yep, that's it for today, folks!

So, what are yall hungering to read now?

Review: Dragon Actually by G.A. Aiken [Part One+Part Two]

 

Published Date: October 6th, 2008
Finished Date: September 10th, 2011
Publishers: Zebra Books
Format: Paperback
Pages: 352
Series: The Dragon Kin Book 1

Blurb from Goodreads: It's not always easy being a female warrior with a nickname like Annwyl the Bloody. Men tend to either cower in fear - a lot - or else salute. It's true that Annwyl has a knack for decapitating legions of her ruthless brother's soldiers without pausing for breath. But just once it would be nice to be able to really talk to a man, the way she can talk to Fearghus the Destroyer. Too bad that Fearghus is a dragon, of the large, scaly, and deadly type. With him, Annwyl feels safe-a far cry from the feelings aroused by the hard-bodied, arrogant knight Fearghus has arranged to help train her for battle. With her days spent fighting a man who fills her with fierce, heady desire, and her nights spent in the company of a magical creature who could smite a village just by exhaling, Annwyl is sure life couldn't get any stranger. She's wrong. And just wait until you meet the rest of the family...

My Review

This book comprises of two novellas - DRAGON ACTUALLY and CHAINS AND FLAMES (both are connected).

Part One: Dragon Actually

To describe what I felt immediately after I got to the The End, I would probably put it as "Lukewarm".

Annwyl the Bloody and Fearghus the Destroyer have both earned their reputation, and they mighty well deserve it.

Both have a great destiny upon them, and both destinies are rather intimately intertwined, if you know what I mean. Lol.

Annwyl leads a fearsome rebellion which has garnered the support from the neighboring kingdoms against her cruel brother. Both hates each other, and wants to see the other's head on a pike. The last one standing gets to rule Dark Plains.

Fearghus is a prince, but an emotionless and unfeeling one at that. All he wanted was to live peacefully and alone in his cave in the Dark Glen, but all that serenity and tranquility was shattered when Annwyl and her adversaries stumbled in fighting to the death.

Annwyl was losing the fight and was bleeding heavily when Fearghus emerged from his cave in his dragon form. The other soldiers tried to run but were burnt to cinders mere seconds later. Annwyl just stood in front of the dragon, talked some crap, and fainted (from the wound at her side). Fearghus was intrigued by this woman who didn't cower or grovel at his feet upon meeting him, so he, with the aid of his sister, healed her.

Therein begins a great love story between dragon and woman. But their lives in peace were not to be, and soon, Annwyl has to lead her loyal troops to battle against her brother, who has managed to procure Hefaidd-Hen as an ally, one of the most powerful and feared wizards of all time...

I thought it rather cliche, actually. And Fearghus's attraction to her was close to instantaneous, which, I think, lacked proper development. It was all too soon when Fearghus started being afraid that Annwyl would have to leave him one day. However, Annwyl took some time to warm up to him, prompting Fearghus to court her (in their totally bizarro ways. Well, one is The Bloody and the other The Destroyer. What did you expect? Tulips and daisies?). Looking at them slowly get past the denial that they're in love and start to warm up to each other was sweet, and that saved my impression of the book.

The final battle which I was led to think was supposed to be an epic finale, but lol, it wasn't. It was actually all said and done in the middle of the book. Know why, cause Fearghus and Annwyl still had a lot to settle amongst themselves. So the back part of the book was mainly dedicated to the romance department more than the fantasy sector.

It wasn't bad, not all that amazing neither was it downright boring. Lukewarm, really.

Random Musing:

1) The names in here are downright bizzaro.

Example: Briec the Mighty - it sounds like Brick. Lol, Mighty Brick.

                       Gwenvael. Can you guess little Gwen's sex? He's a man. Gasp.

Morfyd - It reminds me of morphine..

Fearghus - Fear girls. Really?

Annwyl - It just sounds funny to me.

2) When Fearghus piss Annwyl off in one of their snarky banters and arguments that is a love-hate thing for me, Annwyl growls. She's a human, how can she growl? I can't growl, would love to, but... How?

3)Oh, and can I just say that I don't like the cover? Lol.

My Rating for Dragon Actually:

Part Two: Chains and Flames

In a way, CHAINS AND FLAMES is very much similar to DRAGON ACTUALLY. CHAINS AND FLAMES is the story of how Berclek, Fearghus's father, met and courted Fearghus's mom, Rhiannon. And as the saying goes, like father, like son.

Rhiannon and her mom, the Queen of all dragons, hadn't had a very good mother and daughter relationship, and her mother, fearing her daughter's immense powers, sealed Rhiannon's magic and betrothed her to one of her most loyal commanders, Bercelek.

Hearing this, Bercelek needed no encouragement to Claim her, since he had already set his sights on her way back when they were merely 50 winters old (yes, back when they were younger, around 50 years of age. Lol)the very first time he laid eyes on her. But y'know, like Fearghus, Bercelek only likes those girls with a fearsome, strong-willed, and mighty obstinate attitude.

So that actually says a lot about our dear Rhiannon already, actually. She was very opposed to marrying the low born, loyal to her archenemy (her mom) Bercelek, but she hadn't any choice since her mom took the liberty to seal away her powers almost completely, rendering her unable to shift back to her humongous, beautiful, strong, white dragon form. All that and leaving her at the mouth of Bercelek's cave high up in the mountains, which means the only way out, is down.

Thus begin the slow seduction of the handsome dragon warrior to the girl of his dream, all kicking and scratching and ordering him around whenever he got near. That plus the traps and plots Rhiannon's evil mom have set in place for the couple...

I liked C&F more than DRAGON ACTUALLY. I'm not really sure why, with Rhiannon's masochistic love for being bound when Bercelek does his things to her (in bed, I might add), I found them more endearing.

The romance segment in here was developed much better; Rhiannon did not immediately take to being forced unto just another male by her overbearing and obnoxious mother. And although Bercelek kind of fell for her the instant he saw her, there was a good reason for that. It was an accident, really. Bercelek accidentally stepped on her tail when he was entering the throne room one day, and she turned around and almost killed him. And that turned him on. Weird, but it's a reason nonetheless.

Tho the romance did improve, the plot sure didn't. Lol, a little ridiculous and fantastic, if you ask me. Petty love affairs and family discord because of paranoia and frayed nerves. Very insubstantial.

Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed the witty banters between our protagonist couple and with Bercelek's family. I loved the sarcastic humor and those humor borne out of Rhiannon's innocence and Bercelek's possessiveness of her that Aiken imparted within.

Example 1: "He turned her to look at him, both hands gripping her upper arms. "Could you have been more obvious?"

She blinked in confusion. "Obvious about what?"

"Your blatant admiration of my father."

"Well even you have to admit he's bloody gorgeous!"

He didn't have to admit a damn thing.

She winced. "Oooh. Well that came out terribly wrong..." "

Oh, speaking about being gorgeous, one thing I'm kinda miffed about is everyong, and I mean EVERYONE in their realm is beautiful. I mean, what the hell?

Example 2: [Something was happening to Rhiannon when she was in Bercelek's home and was surrounded by his parents and his many siblings.]

"Then... she dropped. As if one of the gods slammed her with his mighty claws. But the force behind it was so great, Rhiannon’s body slammed through the floor of the Great Hall, disappearing from their sight.

“Gods!”

“The dungeon! She’s gone to the dungeon!”

“We have a dungeon?” "

Oh, and I loved some of her descriptions. HEE-larious.

Example: "With a groaned sigh of resignation, he released her wrists and rolled onto his back. Still, she had to bite her lip to stop herself from laughing at the sight of his erection creating a nice tent with the bedding."

LLOLL.

Nice tent with the bedding...Like, WHAAT?

Haha, yep, other than that are the many sweet moments that Rhiannon and Bercelek had nearer to the end. But at the start, it's more of Bercelek's hot wooing. He was very confident and very alpha. Very dangerous combination, indeed. Yum. LOL.

It was a relaxing read, not too fast-paced or adrenaline pumping.

Anyway, yep, I would give this book a 4 gladly, or maybe a 4.5.:)

My Rating