Posts Categorized: Spells

Elemental Fairy Art Giveaway

29 Jun, 2010 by in Samantha Nowak, Spells 22 comments



In search of fairies and water elements after reading “Spells” by Aprilynne Pike and “Paranormalcy” by Kiersten White I ran across Samantha Nowak!
I am a freelancing illustrator/artist with a love for the fantasy genre. Here you will find Limited and Open Edition prints of my fantasy pieces, as well as my Enchanted Names~ which are customizable fantasy prints. Great gifts for children, fantasy lovers, and people who love customized art.
Samantha was kind enough to donate two 8×10 matted prints of the fairy of your choice and a bookmark for each winner

To enter to win (there are two winners): Leave your name and email address below
additional entries
+1 visit her Art Website http://samanthanowak.com/
+1 become a fan an facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Samantha-Nowak-Illustrations/317019143645?ref=nf
+2 follow us on twitter @FireIcePhotos and http://twitter.com/sn_illustration
+1 for each retweet @FireIcePhotos
+5 for a post on your blog or adding our button to your site
Contest ends July 29, 2010 and is open Internationally. Good Luck!

Book review- Spells by Aprilynne Pike

23 Jun, 2010 by in new YA fiction, Spells 3 comments

published: May 4th 2010 by Harper Teen
details: Hardcover, 359 pages
characters: Laurel Sewell, David Lawson, Tamani
isbn 0061668060
3.5 Stars

Six months have passed since Laurel saved the gateway to the faerie realm of Avalon. Now she must spend her summer there, honing her skills as a Fall faerie. But her human family and friends are still in mortal danger–and the gateway to Avalon is more compromised than ever.
When it comes time to protect those she loves, will she depend on David, her human boyfriend, for help? Or will she turn to Tamani, the electrifying faerie with whom her connection is undeniable?

WARNING: Review contains spoilers…

Okay, I have to say that I waited a few days to write this review to see if Spells would seep in and entrance me like WINGS did and I have to say, not so much. I love Tamani, really love him, and felt much like I did during Eclipse and New Moon of the Twilight series. Enough with David already! He is great as far as humans go but I was Team Tamani from the start. Now I will have to read book three so I can see him win somehow. I got to the second to last chapter and was shouting “what is she thinking?!!” Pick the fae!

What I liked:
  • tinkering of the fairies and learning about herbs at the academy
  • The festival and kiss with Tamani
  • Kae and her men in black. Some serious Troll butt kicking!
  • The World Tree and meeting Tamani’s family
  • Seeing the feelings revealed between David and Chelsea…go get her David! Leave Laurel to Tamani.
  • The high speed, big action ending. Gotta say I loved the end of the book, Aprilynne amped it up quite a few notches
  • Her mother’s store and apothecary business

What I would Change:

  • Spells was a little too slow moving for me
  • Too much poinitng out of the class structure in fairy land. It doesn’t seem to bother anyone but Laurel
  • The mention of gong to bed with David in her joking with Chelsea, it seemed totally out of place. Why do so many YA authors feel they have to slip in sex somewhere?
  • I’d love to see more action and less of Laurel’s teen aged complaining and rants on social status.

Overall though, I am a huge fairy fan and will read the whole series I am sure! I am hoping the love triangle resolves itself in a suitable way *coughs* and kudos to Aprilynne Pike for another interesting book. With that cliff hanger end I will HAVE to wait to see what happens…

Browse inside SPELLS at HarperCollins http://www.harpercollins.com/books/Spells-Aprilynne-Pike/?isbn=9780061668067
Get to know Aprilynne Pike at her website here: http://www.aprilynnepike.com/Spells/
See our Wings inspired shop on Etsy here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/HeatherZahnGardner?section_id=6655519

In My Mailbox #15

18 Jun, 2010 by in Spells 6 comments

I went out to get the mail yesterday and lo and behold…Harper Teen sent me an ARC of Paranormalcy by Kiersten White. SWEET! I think I literally cheered in my driveway. SO excited to read this one and she was born in Utah!! I truly enjoy reading her blog http://kierstenwrites.blogspot.com/2009/11/everyone-has-book-inside.html. Luckily, I am reading Spells by Aprilynne Pike; any other book would have been pitched on site. But really who can resist the fae folk… especially Tamani? I am entranced. Reviews on these books coming soon because I can’t wait.

Waiting on Wednesday "Spells"

27 Jan, 2010 by in Spells 3 comments

Summary From Aprilynne Pike’s website:
Spells, the sequel to Aprilynne Pike’s #1 New York Times best-selling debut, continues the story of a not-so-ordinary girl named Laurel.

“I can’t just storm in and proclaim my intentions. I cant ‘steal’ you away. I just have to wait and hope that, someday, you’ll ask,” Tamani said.

“And if I don’t?” Laurel said, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Then I guess I’ll be waiting forever.”

Six months have passed since Laurel saved the gateway to the faerie realm of Avalon. Now she must spend her summer there, honing her skills as a Fall faerie. But her human family and friends are still in mortal danger–and the gateway to Avalon is more compromised than ever.

When it comes time to protect those she loves, will she depend on David, her human boyfriend, for help? Or will she turn to Tamani, the electrifying faerie with whom her connection is undeniable? Available from HarperTeen on May 4, 2010.

Praise for Spells

“Spells is brilliant and lovely. Aprilynne Pike’s talent just continues to bloom and I am almost afraid to see how awesome her next book will be.”

–Carrie Jones, author of the New York Times best-selling Need and Captivate

While we are waiting check out our Wings inspired jewelry in the Etsy store and watch these fun videos on Aprilynne’s first novel, Wings…