Review: The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead

The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead

Title: The Indigo Spell (Bloodlines #3)
Author: Richelle Mead
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Young Adult
Publisher: Penguin Books (12th February 2013)
Blurb:

AN ANCIENT MAGIC.
A HEART-WRENCHING DECISION . . .

SYDNEY SAGE IS AN ALCHEMIST.
SHE PROTECTS VAMPIRE SECRETS –
AND HUMAN LIVES.

In the aftermath of a forbidden moment that rocked Sydney to her core, she is struggling to decide between following her Alchemist teachings – or her heart.

Then she meets alluring, rebellious Marcus Finch, a former Alchemist who is now on the run. As Marcus pushes her to rebel, Sydney finds that breaking free is harder than she thought.

There is an old and mysterious magic rooted deeply within her. And as Sydney searches for the person attacking powerful young witches, she realizes that she must embrace her magical blood – or else she will be next.

Rating: **** (4 stars)
Review:

The Indigo Spell is the third book in Richelle Mead’s Bloodlines series, and it continues Sydney’s story. I really enjoyed the first two books in the series, so much so that I then went back and read Mead’s Vampire Academy series from which the Bloodlines series is a spin-off.

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In My Mailbox (18)

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren, it is a weekly meme where people record what books they received that week. As I don’t receive books every week, I do the meme as and when I can.

These four books arrived this week, and I was really pleased to get my hands on them. I really enjoyed reading the latest Mercy Thompson book, and I am currently enjoying reading Eona.

The books that arrived this week 🙂

  • Frost Burned (Mercy Thompson #7) by Patricia Briggs
  • Fire Study (Study series #3) by Maria V. Snyder
  • Eona (Eon #2) by Alison Goodman
  • Amarok by Angela J. Townsend

Don’t forget that I am holding an international giveaway where you could win one copy of your choice from a list of 20 books by Kelley Armstrong. For more information (the rules and how to enter) follow the link.

So that was what’s in my mailbox this week. Leave a comment and let me know what’s in yours.

Review: Perfect Scoundrels by Ally Carter

Perfect Scoundrels by Ally Carter

Title: Perfect Scoundrels (Heist Society #3)
Author: Ally Carter
Genre: Contemporary, Crime, Young Adult
Publisher: Orchard Books (7th February 2013)
Blurb:

Kat’s never been afraid of a challenge – but now she faces the impossible . . .

Katarina Bishop’s family of loveable criminal masterminds couldn’t be less like the gorgeous Hale’s high-society relatives. So when Hale unexpectedly inherits his grandmother’s billion-dollar corporation, there’s no place for Kat. Kat won’t give up that easily, though, especially when she gets a tip-off that the will is a fake: an elaborate con to steal the company’s fortune. Only the most audacious plan yet can hope to rescue the situation. But is Kat willing to save her boyfriend’s company, if it means losing the boy?

Rating: ***** (5 stars)
Review:

Having loved the first two books in Ally Carter’s Heist Society series, I have been looking forward to getting my hands on Perfect Scoundrels for a while. I really enjoyed reading Kat’s adventures, but the blurb for this book really got me interested. It seemed like there was the potential that Kat could have a lot to lose in this book.

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Review: Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

Title: Beautiful Disaster (Beautiful #1)
Author: Jamie McGuire
Genre: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance
Publiser: Simon & Schuster UK (14th August 2012)
Blurb:

GOOD GIRL

Abby Abernathy doesn’t drink or swear and she works hard. Abby believes she has buried her dark past, but when she arrives at college, her dreams of a new beginning are quickly challeneged by the univeristy’s one-night stand.

BAD BOY

Travis Maddox, sexy, built, and covered in tattoos, is exactly what Abby needs – and wants – to avoid. He spends his nights winning money in a floating fight club, and his days as the notorious college Lothario.

IMMINENT DISASTER?

Intrigued by Abby’s resistance to his charms, Travis tricks her into his life with a simple bet. If he loses, he must remain celibate for a month. If Abby loses, she must live in Travis’s apartment for the same amount of time.

OR THE START OF SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL?

Either way, Travis has no idea that he has met his match. Or that this is the start of an obsessive, intense relationship that will lead them both into unimaginable territory . . .

Rating: **** (4 stars)
Review:

I have to admit that it was the cover which first drew me to this book, then I read the blurb and I was intrigued. It sounded like it had a lot of potential, and then there were the reader quotes on the back of the book compairing it to Twilight and Shades of Grey. . . If that is the kind of book you’re looking for, then I suggest that you look elsewhere.  There are no sparkly vampires, no Native American werewoves, and no BDSM. Beautiful Disaster is a dark, complex, messy story.

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In My Mailbox (17)

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren, it is a weekly meme where people record what books they received that week. As I don’t receive books every week, I do the meme as and when I can.

This is my first IMM post since October 2012, and it includes all the books I got for Christmas. As always I have bought most of the books on this list myself. I have been meaning to do this post for a while, but never quite got around to it. However, before we go much further I would like to take the time to let you know that I am currently holding an international giveaway more details about it will be at the end of this post.

Books I got for or around Christmas

  • Skylark (Skylark #1) by Megan Spooner (thanks Secret Santa) [You can find my review here]
  • Saving June by Hannah Harrington (thanks Secret Santa)[You can find my review here]
  • Vessel by Sarah Beth Durst (thanks Secret Santa) [You can find my review here]
  • Thirteenth Child (Frontier Magic: Book One) by Patricia C. Wrede [You can find my review here]
  • Young Warriors ed. by Tamora Pierce and Josepha Sherman [You can find my review here]
  • A Witch in Love (Winter Trilogy #2) by Ruth Warburton [You can find my review here]
  • Angel Fire (Angel #2) by L. A. Weatherly
  • Falling Kingdoms (Falling Kingdoms #1) by Morgan Rhodes [You can find my review here]
  • Magic Study (Study #2) by Maria V. Snyder [You can find my review here]
  • The Fault in our Stars by John Green [You can find my review here]

I got these around February 14th

  • Night School Legacy (Night School #2) by C. J. Daugherty
  • The Indigo Spell (Bloodlines #3) by Richelle Mead
  • The Lost Prince (The Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten #1) by Julie Kagawa
  • Gates of Paradise (Blue Bloods #7) by Melissa de la Cruz
  • Perfect Scoundrels (Heist Society #3) by Ally Carter
  • Disney’s The Princess and the Frog (DVD)
  • Disney’s Tangled (DVD)

My current library loans

  • What Happens in London (Bevelstoke #2) by Julia Quinn
  • A Night Like This (Smythe-Smith Quartet #2) by Julia Quinn
  • Hidden (House of Night #10) by P.C. and Kristin Cast
  • The Enchantress (The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel #6) by Michael Scott

I won this 🙂

  • Dragon Bound (Elder Races #1) by Thea Harrison – a HUGE thank you to Lucy at Moonlight’s Gleam, who is running the Women of the Otherworld Reading Challenge which I am taking part in, for this 🙂 I was the winner for month 12.

  • Written in Red (The Others #1) by Anne Bishop

So twenty-one books later that is it for me. Congratulations to everyone that has made it to the end here. I’ve read most of the books and enjoyed them 🙂 which I think is pretty awesome.

So I mentioned that I was holding a giveaway earlier, right? Well it’s international and you could win one copy of a book of your choice from a list of 20 books. For the rules and how to enter follow the link.

So that was what’s in my mailbox this week. Leave a comment and let me know what’s in yours.

Review: Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Title: Beautiful Creatures (Caster Chronicles #1)
Authors: Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Young Adult
Publisher: Razorbill (4th February 2010)
Blurb:

IN ETHAN WATE’S HOMETOWN THERE LIES THE DARKEST OF SECRETS . . .

THERE IS A GIRL. SLOWLY SHE PULLED THE HOOD FROM HER HEAD . . . GREEN EYES, BLACK HAIR. LENA DUCHANNES.

THERE IS A CRURSE. ON THE SIXTEENTH MOON, OF THE SIXTEENTH YEAR, THE BOOK WILL TAKE WHAT IT’S BEEN PROMISED. AND NO ONE CAN STOP IT.

IN THE END, THERE IS A GRAVE.

LENA AND ETHAN BECOME BOUND TOGETHER BY A DEEP, POWERFUL LOVE. BUT LENA IS CURSED AND, ON HER SIXTEENTH BIRTHDAY, HER FATE WILL BE DECIDED. ETHAN NEVER EVEN SAW IT COMING.

Rating: *** (3 stars)
Review:

Normally when I pick books it is because I either know and like the author, or because I have heard about it on the blogsphere. That was not the case with Beautiful Creatures. Instead I saw the trailer for the film and thought it sounded like the book might be something I would love.

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Women of the Otherworld Challenge: 13 + International Giveaway!!

Each month beginning March 1st, 2012, challenge members will read or re-read the title for that month. In addition, challenge members will either post a review, their reading experience, character castings or anything else related to that title. You have freedom to have fun with your monthly post so be creative! Seeing as this series is 13 novels long, this challenge will last 13 months.

So this is it. The final book, and my final post for this challenge.

13 by Kelley Armstrong (UK cover)

13 (Women of the Otherworld #13)
by Kelley Armstrong
Published: 24th July 2012

13. The breath-taking, explosive finale to the Women of the Otherworld series.

War is coming to the Otherworld. A sinister cult known as The Supernatural Liberation Movement is hell-bent on exposing the truth about supernaturals to the rest of the world. Their violent, ruthless plan has put everyone at risk: from werewolves to vampires, from witches to half-demons.

Savannah Levine – fiery and unpredictable – stands at the heart of the maelstrom. There is a new, dark magic inside her, granting her the power to summon spells of terrifying strength. But whether this magic is a gift or a curse, no one knows.

On the eve of battle, all the major players must come together in a last, desperate fight for survival – Elena and Clay; Adam and Savannah; Paige and Lucas; Jeremy and Jamie; Hope, Eve and more . . . They are fighting for their lives. They are fighting for their loved ones.

They are fighting for the Otherworld.

You can find my 4 out of 5 star review for 13 here.

I had really mixed views about 13 when I first heard about it. I wasn’t totally convinced that I wanted to read it – after all, 13 represented the end of an era for me as well as the end of one of my favourite urban fantasy series.

The Women of the Otherworld series had been such a large part of my reading life since my mid/late-teens that I was somewhat disappointed to discover that there were going to be just 13 books in the series, and that the final three books were going to be Savannah’s arc. As I’m sure you know by now, if you’ve been following these posts, Elena is my favourite character. She started the series, and I was hoping that she would end the series – full circle so to speak, but that kind of already happened in Frostbitten so I’m not too disappointed.

In the end I think 13 provided a good ending to the series, and that Savannah was a good choice to lead the final arc of the series. I’m still a little sad to see the series end, but as I own a copy of all 13 books I have plenty of opportunities to re-read them – opportunities which this challenge offered me, so thank you Moonlight’s Gleam for organising and running this challenge!

>>Giveaway!

As this is my last post for the Women of the Otherworld Reading Challenge I have decided to offer ONE lucky person the chance to win ONE copy of their choice from one of the books listed below (to find out more about the book click on the link and it will take you to its Goodread page). To enter click the link to the Rafflecopter form, but don’t forget to read the rules before entering!

You could win a copy of . . .

RULES

  • To enter this giveaway you must be 18 years or older (this is due to the fact that some of the giveaway prizes are aimed at an adult audience).
  • This competition is open internationally (except where prohibited by law).
  • ONE winner of this giveaway will recieve ONE copy of a book of their choice from the list above.
  • The giveaway opens on 14th March 00:00GMT and closes on 11th April 00:00BST. Any entries recieved outside these dates will not be eligable for entry.
  • Only one entry per person is allowed.
  • The winner will be notified by email within 48 hours of the end of the giveaway.
  • The winner will need to respond to the email within 72 hours of recieving the email or a new winner will be chosen.
  • The Flutterby Room is not responsible for contacting or forwarding prizes to entrants who provide unclear or incomplete information or for entries lost, misdirected, delayed or destroyed.
  • The Flutterby Room is not responsible for any loss or damage of the prize in transit.
  • The Flutterby Room reserves the right to cancel this competition at any time without any prior warning.
  • The Flutterby Room reserves the right to disqualify any entry at any time.

PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE ANY IDENTIFYING DETAILS (SUCH AS FULL NAME, OR EMAIL ADDRESS)  IN THE COMMENT SECTION BELOW. ALL SUCH COMMENTS WILL BE DELETED AS SOON AS THEY ARE NOTICED.

Link to Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck everyone!

Review: Falling to Ash by Karen Mahoney

Falling to Ash by Karen Mahoney

Title: Falling to Ash (Moth #1)
Author: Karen Mahoney
Genre:Urban Fantasy, Young Adult
Publisher: Corgi Books (27th September 2012)
Blurb:

MARIE O’NEAL USED TO HAVE A LIFE, A FAMILY . . . AND A PULSE.

But now, everything’s changed. Marie is dead, and in her place newly-made vampire Moth stalks the streets of Boston, struggling to make sense of a world in which she no longer belongs . . .

Rating: ****(4 stars)
Review:

I first came across the character of Moth in a short story titled ‘Falling to Ash’ in a short story collection/anthology called The Eternal Kiss (you can find my thoughts on the collection here) and I absolutely fell in love with the world and character Karen Mahoney created. So, of course, when I heard that Mahoney was going to write a novel based on that short story I had to get my hands on a copy.

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Review: A Perfect Blood by Kim Harrison

PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR THE HOLLOWS SERIES AS A PERFECT BLOOD IS THE TENTH BOOK IN THE SERIES.

A Perfect Blood by Kim Harrison (UK cover)

Title: A Perfect Blood (The Hollows 10)
Author: Kim Harrison
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: HarperVoyager (31st January 2013)
Blurb:

WELCOME TO THE HOLLOWS . . .

Ritually murdered corpses are appearing across Cincinnati, terrifying amalgams of human and other. Pulled into help investigate by the I.S. and the FIB, former witch-turned-day-walking-demon Rachel Morgan soon realizes a horrifying truth: a human hate group is trying to create its own demons to destroy all Inderlanders, and to do so, it needs her blood.

She’s faced vampires, witches, werewolves, demons, and more, but humanity might be her toughest challenge yet.

Rating: ***** (5 stars)
Review:

A Perfect Blood is the tenth book in Kim Harrison’s The Hollows series, and it continues the story of Rachel Morgan, a witch who recently discovered that she’s actually a demon. The Hollows is one of my favourite urban fantasy series, and I have been waiting a while to get my hands on a copy of this book.

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Review: Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead

PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR THE VAMPIRE ACADEMY SERIES AS LAST SACRIFICE IS THE FINAL BOOK IN THAT SERIES.

Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead

Title: Last Sacrifice (Vampire Academy #6)
Author: Richelle Mead
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Young Adult
Publisher: RazorBill (7th December 2010)
Blurb:

IT ALL COMES DOWN TO NOW.

THE QUEEN IS DEAD AND THE MOROI WOULD WILL NEVER BE THE SAME.

Rose Hathaway is awaiting wrongful execution and there exists only one man who can stall this terrible fate. Rose must look to both Dimitri and Adrian, the two great loves of her life, to find him.

With her best friend, Lissa, in a deadly struggle for the royal throne, the girls find themselves forced to reply upon enemies and questioning those they thought they could trust . . .

But what if true freedom means sacrificing the most important thing of all? Each other.

Rating: *** (3 stars)
Review:

Last Sacrifice is the final book in Richelle Mead’s brilliant Vampire Academy series. Having read and enjoyed the other books in this series, I decided it was time to read the final installment. Like my reading of Spirit Bound, I think my reading of this book was influenced by my reading of Bloodlines and The Golden Lily. Last Sacrifice is a brilliant end to the Vampire Academy series, and Richelle Mead does a brilliant job in answering the majority of my questions.

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