Christmas Countdown -- 13 days to go!

Countdown Christmas is an event at A Bookalicious Story to celebrate the coming of Christmas in 2 weeks time. There'll be fun interviews, Christmassy excerpts and giveaways just brimming with bookish-goodness ranging from YA Fantasies to New Adult Contemporary Romances to Adult Historical Romances. I hope y'all will join in this celebration! The more the merrier, aye? ;)

13 days to Christmas, what are y'all planning to do on this lovely wintery day? :) Today, I'll be featuring Livia Blackburne's self-published novella, POISON DANCE, prequel to MIDNIGHT THIEF which will be published next year July by Disney-Hyperion.

Publication Date: September 24th, 2013
Finished Date: December 3rd, 2013
Publisher: Livia Blackburne (self-published)
Format: eBook
Series: Midnight Thief #0.5
My Rating: 3.5/5

Blurb from Goodreads

James is skilled, efficient, and deadly, a hired blade navigating the shifting alliances of a deteriorating Assassin’s Guild. Then he meets Thalia, an alluring but troubled dancing girl who offers him a way out—if he’ll help her kill a powerful nobleman. With the Guild falling apart, it just might be worth the risk. But when you live, breathe, and love in a world that’s forever flirting with death, the slightest misstep can be poison.

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Author's Website

 Livia Blackburne

About Livia

Livia Blackburne started writing her debut novel MIDNIGHT THIEF while conducting research on the neuroscience of reading at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Since then, she’s switched to full time writing, which also involves getting into peoples’ heads but without the help of a three tesla MRI scanner. She still blogs about the intersection of psychology, neuroscience, and writing.

My Review

POISON DANCE is a fast-paced little read that neatly introduces us to a fantasy world of mercenary assassins and powerful noblemen called wallhuggers. The Guild's leader has recently passed away and the higher-ups are keeping it hush hush. James is a gifted assassin who doesn't necessarily like what he does and the new leader of the guild, but he's good in his trade and his new leader has this preconceived notion that James covets the title of top-dog.

In the midst of all these politicking and the daily bustles of Forge, there lives a dancing girl in a tavern called the Scorned Maiden. Thalia wasn't always a dancing girl, but she's here now with a mission - to kill a wallhugger. That's nigh impossible, what with all the Red Shields perpetually at their beck. She's a resourceful woman however, and she has chosen her mentor by eavesdropping on the tavern's many patrons' conversations - James. It's suicide to even think of assassinating a wallhugger, even if you're just an accomplice. James is a rational man, but Thalia's got outside connections and resources that might just be what James and his pals need to escape this stifling city. So therein begins an innocent woman's lessons in becoming a femme fatale and the (inevitable) romance between her and her enigmatic tutor.

Being a novella with an approximate word count of 14,000, there were parts of the story that were skimmed over perhaps a tad too much. Especially the ending, but we'll get to that.

The plot was engaging, though, and I grew to love the characters. They each have their distinctive characteristics, and I loved the development between James and Thalia. Though the "climax" in their romantic development wasn't all that fantastic, I was still rooting for them all the way. There was another subplot going on but it never got confusing.

I wasn't happy with the ending though! GAHHH, but that's because I'm a very one-track reader. I don't want to spoiler it too much, so you'll understand my frustration when you get there. That, and the ending was the part that was skimmed over the most. Blackburne's writing style was engrossing, up until a particular point and everything was tell instead of show. It was like all the details suddenly up and hid somewhere while everything was conveniently summed up without the hows.

That said, POISON DANCE shows much, much promise and I cannot wait to see what happens in MIDNIGHT THIEF, which sounds reminiscent of GRACELING by Kristin Cashore and all kinds of Fantasy goodness. I'm hoping to explore Blackburne's world in more depth and definitely to see more of James! ;) POISON DANCE reads more like a cross between YA and adult Fantasy, so younger readers should take note.

*An ecopy was provided by Livia in exchange for an honest review.*

Livia is giving away one (1) ecopy of POISON DANCE. This giveaway is international and will end two weeks after the last giveaway of the Christmas Countdown, Jan 8, 2014.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

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Thanks for visiting! Be sure to come back tomorrow to see what bookish goodness is in store. ;) You can refer to Day 1's post for all the days of the countdown.

Dreaded DNFs (2)

Since I'm planning to blog about my DNF (for those who don't know what this abbreviation means, it's Did-Not-Finish) reads, I might as well make an official banner. I'm not sure if it's the books I pick up recently aren't all that interesting or is it just that I'm in a reading funk, but almost every book I pick up nowadays I DNF it. I've been so busy recently but I still try to squeeze in some reading time every morning or while I'm commuting -- I even brought a book to my teacher's wedding reception! Yes, book nerd for life for the win~.

Howwwwweva, none of the books is doing it for me. ARGH I'm so desperate to be pulled into another kickass heroine's world. A good romance. A good action sequence. A good escapade. Anything! I even try picking up huge-ass famous books but I'm still not getting anywhere. Sigh, any good recs, anybody? :(

Skulk by Rosie Best
Published: October 1st, 2013 by Strange Chemistry

Blurb from Goodreads

When Meg witnesses the dying moments of a shapeshifting fox and is given a beautiful and powerful stone, her life changes forever. She is plunged into the dark world of the Skulk, a group of shapeshifting foxes.

As she learns about the other groups of shapeshifters that lurk around London – the Rabble, the Horde, the Cluster and the Conspiracy – she becomes aware of a deadly threat against all the shapeshifters. They must put aside all their enmity and hostility and fight together to defeat it.

--Thoughts--

AWESOME cover, exciting premise, execution? Not so much. I mean, the world Meg is in is surprisingly shallow, her mom is unconvincingly tyrannical and her dad conveniently detached and unfeeling. The descriptions and action are also written in a way that is remarkably unengrossing and I just couldn't relate to Meg in any way. Poor development all the way around.

Stopped at 32%. See, I did try.

Dark Magic by Christine Feehan
Carpathian Book 4
Published: May 31st, 2007 by Piatkus Books

Blurb from Goodreads

They were masters of the darkness, searching through eternity for a mistress of the light...

Would she find magic--or madness--in his dark embrace?

Young Savannah Dubrinsky was a mistress of illusion, a world-famous magician capable of mesmerizing millions. But there was one--Gregori, the Dark One--who held her in terrifying thrall. Whose cold silver eyes and heated sensuality sent shivers of danger, of desire, down her slender spine.

With a dark magic all his own, Gregori--the implacable hunter, the legendary healer, the most powerful of Carpathian males--whispered in Savannah's mind that he was her destiny. That she had been born to save his immortal soul. And now, here in New Orleans, the hour had finally come to claim her. To make her completely his. In a ritual as old as time...and as inescapable as eternity.

--Thoughts--

K, I saw this at a Times book sale and decided to skip the first 3 books in the series. I occasionally like to read bout a dominant, intimidating hero and an independent heroine who fall irrevocably in love, but Feehan is pushing the limits of dominant in Gregori. Granted, he has moments of tenderness and care but he crosses the boundaries into arrogant jerk (and not the kind that gives you the sexy butterflies in yer tummy yummy) territory far too often. Sometimes I just want to slap him upside down for all his annoying ego and authoritarian male attitude.

And, nearly the entire plot for the first 70 pages of its 350 pages is about Gergori's arrogance and how he claimed Susannah even before her birth. Please.

Stopped at page 70.

Lover Mine by J.R. Ward
The Black Dagger Brotherhood Book 8
Published: April 27th, 2010 by NAL

Blurb from Goodreads

In the darkest corners of the night in Caldwell, New York, a conflict like no other rages. Long divided as a terrifying battleground for the vampires and their enemies, the city is home to a band of brothers born to defend their race: the warrior vampires of the Black Dagger Brotherhood.

John Matthew has come a long way since he was found living among humans, his vampire nature unknown to himself and to those around him. After he was taken in by the Brotherhood, no one could guess what his true history was- or his true identity. Indeed, the fallen Brother Darius has returned, but with a different face and a very different destiny. As a vicious personal vendetta takes John into the heart of the war, he will need to call up on both who he is now and who he once was in order to face off against evil incarnate.

Xhex, a symphath assassin, has long steeled herself against the attraction between her and John Matthew. Having already lost one lover to madness, she will not allow the male of worth to fall prey to the darkness of her twisted life. When fate intervenes, however, the two discover that love, like destiny, is inevitable between soul mates.

--Thoughts--

I knowwwww, I know, how can I not like John's book right? I stopped with this series after Zsadist's book even though I loved everyone one of the first three instalments in this series, but I couldn't summon the interest to pick up V's, Butch's, Rhev's and Phury's(?) books. I didn't want to skip so many books though, so I just didn't continue with BDB. But after reading all the reviews of the bloggers and Goodreads users whom I share similar reading tastes (see, I do my research to reduce DNFs, but this still happens. Grr) and an average 4.2 rating from ~55,000 readers? I thought this was a sure win but nothing exciting ever happens! John gets a tat, he's depressed but determined to find Xhex, and Xhex is just trapped in that room with only her thoughts. And the flashbacks to Darius' past? They're cool and morbidly fascinating but nothing beyond that.

Stopped at page 96 of 653. I still plan on revisiting John and Xhex tho, cause I have faith in this series.

 

 

 

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For the sake of kicking myself out of this reading funk, I've been careful about only picking books that are traditionally published (sorry self-pub authors! It's not that I don't have faith in your books, it's just that I'm afraid of picking up a badly edited one and there are more badly-edited books in self-pub than traditional. SORRY, but I'm hardpressed to get out of this funk that's been clinging to me like a leech), have ratings higher than a 4 and very exciting premises. But it's still not working! The only book I've finished recently is POISON DANCE by Livia Blackburne, which is a novella.

What are your most recent DNFs? Any good recs? Something like DEFY by Sara B. Larson and UNCHAINED by J. Lynn, though I havent' read DEFY, I can feel that I'll like it already. Haha, but it refuses to be released and I don't wanna request for an ARC just in case I don't like it and then I'll feel bad for writing a less than stellar review.


Anyhoo, thanks for visiting and reading! Check back for the next Christmas Countdown post later tonight (for me, morning/afternoon for those in the US I think)!

Winner!

A winner at ABS in I don't know how long since I've last hosted a giveaway! Haha, and this is the first book that I'm giving away from my own pile. :D So, the winner for the choice of paperback from my book pile to celebrate the end of my (sorta) 2-year hiatus is....

#59 - Miki!

An email has been sent your way, Miki. Please respond with your pick within 48 hours!


**Winner was randomly chosen by Rafflecopter. ABS will not be responsible for any lost mail and will apologise profusely but will not be able to resend another copy.


There's another giveaway going on on the blog! It's going to be a whole 2 weeks of celebration, here's Day 1's giveaway. :)

Thanks for visiting!

Update + Christmas Countdown!! + Giveaway

Oh damn, I think I've been more busy after my exams than before it! I've been to class outings, chalets, and CCA gatherings and studying for the SATs I've been unable to really sit down and read/blog without stress. But it's been fun. Fun and tiring, but still fun. :)

 (I'm the dorky one at the top left corner with the peace sign)

 

 

(Cycling with half my lifeguard teammates and coach! I'm the rider on the front left. :)

 

 

 

 But I haven't just been having fun at the beach and chalets, I've been planning a celebration of sorts for the coming of Christmas since after my exam and sooooo, preeeeesenting.......

 

 

 

 

Now, a wonderful, magical season is only right when you celebrate with really fun and amazing authors, aye? So I've put together 2 weeks of interviews, stories, reviews and GIVEAWAYS with some really awesome authors! :)) I will be flying off to Europe on a vacay with my family on the 22nd, so most of my posts around then will be scheduled ones.

So, to kick start this countdown goodness, I have invited Livia Blackburne, author of upcoming novel MIDNIGHT THIEF. It will be published by Disney-Hyperion in July 2014.

10 Things About Livia

1. I write fantasy. Most often YA fantasy, but sometimes I branch out.

2. I was born in Taiwan, raised in Albuqurque, and spent my twenties in Boston, where I studied biochemistry at Harvard and neuroscience at MIT.

3. I started my debut novel Midnight Thief in high school, because writing a novel was the only way I could get out of the mandatory camping requirement. I finished about 60 pages. They were 60 awful, awful pages.

4. I finished Midnight Thief 12 years later, because writing a novel was the only way I could keep my sanity while conducting my doctoral research. This time, I got to 370 pages, and they were much less awful than the initial 60.

5. I write a blog about psychology and neuroscience for writers. You can check it out here.

6. Like every good Asian kid, I played the piano as a child. I don’t do that as much anymore, but I still love to sing and dance.

7. I’m horrible at any sports involve fast moving projectiles, and I dislike most sports that involve highly repetitive movements (running, swimming, biking, etc.). This leaves basically dancing and martial arts.

8. When I wanted sweets as a child, my mother would give me one M&M. I thought that was normal, and to this day, have very low tolerance for sweets. One bite of chocolate bar, half a scoop of ice cream is about all I can take.

9. If I had to choose one author with the biggest influence on my reading and writing development, it would be Tamora Pierce.

10. Some of my favorite books: Graceling by Kristen Cashore, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Plain Kate by Erin Bow, Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein, Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor, The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch.

Poison Dance
Midnight Thief #0.5

Blurb

James is skilled, efficient, and deadly, a hired blade navigating the shifting alliances of a deteriorating Assassin’s Guild. Then he meets Thalia, an alluring but troubled dancing girl who offers him a way out–if he’ll help her kill a powerful nobleman. With the Guild falling apart, it just might be worth the risk. But when you live, breathe, and love in a world that’s forever flirting with death, the slightest misstep can be poison.


Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Author's Website

Midnight Thief
Midnight Thief #1

Blurb

Growing up on Forge’s streets has taught Kyra how to stretch a coin. And when that’s not enough, her uncanny ability to scale walls and bypass guards helps her take what she needs. But when the leader of the Assassins Guild offers Kyra a lucrative job, she hesitates. She knows how to get by on her own, and she’s not sure she wants to play by his rules. But he’s persistent—and darkly attractive—and Kyra can’t quite resist his pull. Tristam of Brancel is a young Palace knight on a mission. After his best friend is brutally murdered by Demon Riders, a clan of vicious warriors who ride bloodthirsty wildcats, Tristam vows to take them down. But as his investigation deepens, he finds his efforts thwarted by a talented thief, one who sneaks past Palace defenses with uncanny ease.

When a fateful raid throws Kyra and Tristam together, the two enemies realize that their best chance at survival — and vengeance — might be to join forces. And as their loyalties are tested to the breaking point, they learn a startling secret about Kyra’s past that threatens to reshape both their lives.

In her arresting debut novel, Livia Blackburne creates a captivating world where intrigue prowls around every corner — and danger is a way of life.

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository | Author's Website



From December 11-14th, the Poison Dance ebook is on sale for .99 cents as part of the Fantasy Romance Holiday Promotion. Buy Poison Dance ebook at: Kindle (US) | Nook | Kobo | iBooks Paperback: Amazon

Check out eleven other fantasy romance books also on sale for .99 cents here. And enter the giveaway below for a chance to win a $100 Amazon gift card.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

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Here's the calender for the entire countdown, so you won't be confused/can check back anytime:

December 11th - (YA) Livia Blackburne Book Promo
December 12th - (YA) Review + Giveaway: Poison Dance by Livia Blackburne
December 13th - (Adult PNR) Excerpt + Giveaway: Storm Warrior by Dani Harper
December 14th - Top 10 Book Boyfriends + Giveaway
December 15th - (YA) Book Promo + Giveaway: Jenny Lundquist
December 16th - (Adult HR) Author Interview + Giveaway: Michelle Diener
December 17th - (Adult UF) Interview + Excerpt: Lorenda Christensen
December 18th - (Adult UF/PNR) "Would You Rather" Interview + Giveaway: Katie Reus
December 19th - (NA) Interview + Giveaway: Pepper Winters
December 20th - (Adult CR/PNR) Short Story + Giveaway: Olivia Hardin
December 21st - (NA) Interview + Excerpt: Juliana Haygert
December 22nd - (Adult HR) Guest Post + Giveaway: Ayr Bray
December 23rd - (YA) Character Interview + Giveaway: Lisa Tawn Bergren  
December 24th - (YA) CB
December 25th - CHRISTMAS!!


Thanks for stopping by! :))