A Reluctant Queen: The Love Story of Esther by Joan Wolf Review

29 Sep, 2011 by in Uncategorized 1 comment

A Reluctant Queen: The Love Story of Esther
by Joan Wolf
Published July 5th, 2011
by Thomas Nelson
Book Source: publisher
ISBN 1595548769
4 Stars

An inspired re-imagining of the tale of Esther, a young Jewish woman thrust from a life of obscurity into a life of power, wealth, intrigue . . . and tender love.

See the story of Esther in an entirely new way-with all the political intrigue and tension you remember, but told as a passionate and tender love story between a young man and woman. Misunderstood by many, King Xerxes was a powerful but lonely man. Esther’s beauty caught the eye of the young king, but it was her spirit that captured his heart.

Imagine anew the story of Esther, one of our faith’s great heroines, destined to play a key role in the history of Christianity.

I enjoyed this sweet romance set in the time of Esther. The author has made some changes to the original bible story (she does not have the King Xerxes ruling, but a King by name of Ahasuerus who is the brother of Xerxes in the story, but there is no historical evidence of his existence). Some of these changes were out of necessity to lengthen the tale, some were artistic changes in order to forward the story.

Esther is conflicted. She has come to love her husband, and fears that he will discover that she is a Jew and cast her off. She knows that he loves her too, but he is led by honesty and despises lies. When a declaration is made, by Haman in the name of the King, that would lead to the extermination of all Jews, Esther must act on faith and reveal herself as a Jew and plead for the lives of her people.

The plot runs smoothly throughout. It was truly an enjoyable story.

Content: clean, mention of concubines, etc

I received a copy of this book in order to write this review. No further compensation was received. Summary and cover image from Goodreads.

The Radleys Blog Tour and Giveaway

29 Sep, 2011 by in matt haig, radleys, simon schuster 17 comments

Fire and Ice is thrilled to be today’s stop on The Radley’s Blog Tour! Read an excerpt below and be sure to enter to win their giveaway for a copy of THE RADLEYS in both hardcover and paperback signed by author Matt Haig and some blood-red hot chocolate by commenting on this post!

The Radleys
by Matt Haig
Paperback, 384 pages
Published June 7th 2011
by Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group
ISBN 1451610335

Just about everyone knows a family like the Radleys. Many of us grew up next door to one. They are a modern family, averagely content, averagely dysfunctional, living in a staid and quiet suburban English town. Peter is an overworked doctor whose wife, Helen, has become increasingly remote and uncommunicative. Rowan, their teenage son, is being bullied at school, and their anemic daughter, Clara, has recently become a vegan. They are typical, that is, save for one devastating exception: Peter and Helen are vampires and have—for seventeen years—been abstaining by choice from a life of chasing blood in the hope that their children could live normal lives.

One night, Clara finds herself driven to commit a shocking—and disturbingly satisfying—act of violence, and her parents are forced to explain their history of shadows and lies. A police investigation is launched that uncovers a richness of vampire history heretofore unknown to the general public. And when the malevolent and alluring Uncle Will, a practicing vampire, arrives to throw the police off Clara’s trail, he winds up throwing the whole house into temptation and turmoil and unleashing a host of dark secrets that threaten the Radleys’ marriage.

The Radleys is a moving, thrilling, and radiant domestic novel that explores with daring the lengths a parent will go to protect a child, what it costs you to deny your identity, the undeniable appeal of sin, and the everlasting, iridescent bonds of family love. Read it and ask what we grow into when we grow up, and what we gain—and lose—when we deny our appetites.

About the author : Matt Haig is the author of The Last Family in England, a UK bestseller narrated by a Labrador; The Dead Fathers Club, a widely acclaimed update of Hamlet featuring an eleven-year-old boy; and The Possession of Mr. Cave, a horror story about an overprotective father. His work has been translated into twenty-four languages. He lives in York, England, with the writer Andrea Semple and their two children.

Giveaway: Each Friday, we will select one person who commented on all participating blogs for that week to win a prize. The winner will be announced each Monday on Helen and Rowan’s twitter accounts @Helen_Radley and @rowanradley and in the next Monday’s blogger’s post.

The prize will be a copy of THE RADLEYS in both hardcover and paperback signed by author Matt Haig and some blood-red hot chocolate.

This Week’s Blog Tour Stops for the Radley’s

Monday September 26.
Sara @ http://www.novelnovice.com/
Tuesday September 27.
Tirzah @ http://www.thecompulsivereader.com/
Wednesday September 28.
Noa @ http://www.paperbackdolls.com/
Thursday September 29.
Heather @ http://www.fireandicephoto.blogspot.com/
Friday September 30.
Heidi @ http://www.yabibliophile.com/

Watch The Radleys book trailer
Follow Helen and Rowan’s twitter accounts: @Helen_Radley and @rowanradley
Visit the Radley’s webpage including a great quiz to find out: ARE YOU A RADLEY?

The Radleys by Matt Haig

Comment here and on each of the blog tour stops this week to enter win the huge prize pack! Visit the blog tour page for a list of all the blogs participating and more chances to win next week.

Hang ‘Em High Blog Tour

28 Sep, 2011 by in tristi pinkston 8 comments

Hang’em High
by Tristi Pinkston
Paperback, 258 pages
Published July 1st 2011
by Walnut Springs Press
ISBN 1599928000
4.5 stars

When Ida Mae Babbitt receives an invitation to visit her son Keith’s dude ranch in Montana, she¹s excited to mend their broken relationship, but not so excited about spending time with cows. Arlette and Tansy go along with her, ready to take a vacation that does not involve dead bodies or mysteries of any sort – one must have a break from time to time. But it seems a no-good scoundrel has moseyed into Dodge City and is bent on causing all sorts of trouble for the ranch. Unable to keep her curiosity in check – especially when it seems her own son is the most likely culprit – Ida Mae decides to investigate. Can she lasso the varmint and get him to the sheriff in time?

Hang ‘Em High is my favorite in the Secret Sisters series so far. It’s an easy clean read with a refreshing moral and plenty of laugh out loud moments as Ida Mae Babbitt and her geriatric crew are out to solve another mystery. Set in Billings, Montana, this cozy focuses on the estranged relationship between Ida Mae and her adult son Keith. It explores the family dynamics of alcoholism and teenage pregnancy as well as forgiveness and giving up control as a “smother”.

I absolutely ate this book up. I only wish I knew all the of side characters a little better and am oh so curious as to how things are going to end up between Eden, Ren and Kevin. Guess I’ll have to read the rest of the series to find out!

I would definitely recommend Hang ‘Em High to all readers as a good, clean book that will bring a smile to your face. Thanks to Tristi Pinkston and Walnut Springs Press for the chance to be on the blog tour!

About the Author:
Tristi Pinkston can’t remember a time when she didn’t want to write. Her first poem was penned at the age of five, as was her first book about a little puppy with big dreams, Sue the Dog. It was quite a journey from Sue to Tristi’s first published novel, but a journey she loved taking. When she’s not homeschooling her children, ignoring her dishes, contemplating grocery shopping, or procrastinating the laundry, Tristi works as a freelance editor and online writing instructor.

She is a popular presenter at the annual LDStorymakers Writers Conference, and she finds some of her greatest joy in helping authors realize their true potential. She also enjoys blogging, reviewing books, watching good movies and taking really long naps every Sunday afternoon. Hang ‘Em High is the third Secret Sister mystery series, and Tristi’s eighth published book. Visit Tristi on her website and blog.

Purchase Hang ‘Em High at Deseret Book or Amazon.


To celebrate the release of Tristi’s eighth book, she’s holding a contest! If you leave a comment on this review, you will be entered into a drawing for a free manuscript evaluation, done by Tristi Pinkston Editing http://www.tristipinkstonediting.blogspot.com/ In fact, you can leave comments on all the blogs participating in this virtual book tour!

Go to Tristi Pinkston’s blog at http://www.tristipinkston.blogspot.com/ for a list. The deadline is October 5th at midnight MST. If you win and you’re not a writer, you can give this evaluation to a friend. Good luck!

Daughter of Smoke and Bone Review and ARC Giveaway

27 Sep, 2011 by in Uncategorized 6 comments

Daughter of Smoke and Bone
by Laini Taylor
Hardcover, 420 pages
Published September 27th 2011
by Little, Brown & Company
ISBN 0316134023
Book Source: publisher
4 stars

Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil’s supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she’s prone to disappearing on mysterious “errands”; she speaks many languages–not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she’s about to find out.

When one of the strangers–beautiful, haunted Akiva–fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

Last night at 3 Am when I couldn’t sleep I was up finishing the last few chapters of The Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor. It’s been a long time since I’ve read something so truly unique. Taylor has fashioned worlds and characters the likes of which you’ve never seen. Let’s start with Karou, a blue haired teenager living in Prague and living a double life as an art student/errand runner for Brimstone- a wishmonger Chimaera. Her time is spent fetching human teeth from all over the world while on the side she’s fighting off the unwelcome sneak entrances of her ex-boyfriend, vampire actor Kaz. Not only is Karou a master with her pencil and paper, but she can handle old weapons with skill. Yet something fundamental is missing. She is lonely, empty and longs to be filled.

Akiva is a hardened warrior stolen form his mother at age 5 and raised to fight a war that is still raging between the Chimaeara and Seraphim. Across his fingers are the tally marks of the sacrifices he has made and in his heart is the brokenness of a forbidden love. When Karou and Akiva cross paths in a busy marketplace sparks and swords will fly.

A well spun fantasy with paranormal elements, Daughter of Smoke and Bone is incredibly rich in description and history. I will admit I was a bit lost for the first 95 pages with all the talk of teeth and little context to put things in to, but once I got used to the names and places it all started to fall together in one well orchestrated tale. It’s a story of holding on to hope when all else fails and believing in the possibility of a seemingly impossible future. Guaranteed this book is unlike anything you’ve ever read before! With side characters full of personality and so many multi layered elements Laini Taylor has an amazing imagination. Thanks so much to LBC for letting us be swept away into the world of Karou.

Content: moderate swearing, mention of sex with mature undertones through out the book, moderate violence. Not recommended for readers under age 16. Adult crossover title.

The Giveaway: Fire and Ice is giving away two advanced reading copies of Daughter of Smoke and Bone courtesy of Little Brown publishing. To enter to win fill out this form. Must be 16 or older and have a US mailing address.

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer Review and T-Shirt Giveaway

27 Sep, 2011 by in michelle hodkin, simon schuster, tshirt giveaway, who is mara dyer 19 comments

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer
by Michelle Hodkin
Hardcover, 464 pages
Published: September 27th 2011
by Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing
ISBN 1442421762
book source: BEA
3 stars

Mara Dyer doesn’t think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.
It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can’t remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.

There is.

She doesn’t believe that after everything she’s been through, she can fall in love.

She’s wrong.

Hmmmm. This is one of those really hard reviews to write because there is so much you can’t say! Plus the plot of The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer is shrouded in mystery and suspense and I want to keep it that way. So here’s what I will say…

What I liked: The cover is a five. Wow. Beautiful. I could frame it! The author is awesome. I met her at BEA and she responds well to her fans.

This book sucked me in because I love psychological thrillers. Mara is dealing with some heavy duty issues such as PTSD and hallucinations which I really like to see addressed so openly in YA literature. I have a love-hate relationship with both the main characters. Mara has quite the trashy mouth which for me is hard to read. I like that she tells it like she sees it, just maybe not so colorfully. Main bad boy Noah was the love ’em leave ’em type before Mara came along. Even though I seriously wonder why both of them acted the way they did at times I was still rooting for them. By far the best character of the book was Mara’s brother Daniel. It is so refreshing to see a good strong sibling relationship!

What didn’t I like? There were some holes in plot and at times I was scratching my head wondering what in the world was going on. Santaria? The missing shop and priest?
Where did Mara’s best friend Jaime go- I mean I know he was grounded…but? Didn’t enjoy the paranormal elements. Also a little too much foreshadowing for my taste.

I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone. So…I predict this book will be huge. While it was captivating, I still personally have very mixed feelings about it. In short, The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer is steeping in eery atmospheric undertones. It’s definitely one you’ll read all in one sitting.

Content- heavy swearing and violence, sexual tension and violence, petting, underage smoking. Not recommended for younger teens.

Find author Michelle Hodkin on her website here. Thanks so much to Simon & Schuster for the advanced reading copy!

Fire and Ice is giving away one “Who is Mara Dyer” black t-shirt courtesy of author Michelle Hodkin to our readers. To enter to win fill out this form. Giveaway is open internationally and ends October 11, 2011.

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Book Review and Ipad Giveaway for Pumpkin Roll

26 Sep, 2011 by in pumpkin roll, Shadow Mountain 72 comments

Pumpkin Rollby Josi S. Kilpack
Paperback, 368 pages
Published September 7th 2011
by Deseret Book Company
ISBN 1609087453
Book Source: publisher
4 stars

Sadie Hoffmiller is looking forward to spending her favorite baking season of the year making delicious New England recipes in Boston, Massachusetts, with her favorite leading man, Pete Cunningham, as they babysit his three young grandsons. But when the boys insist that Mrs. Wapple, the woman who lives across the street, is a witch, Sadie and Pete are anxious to distract the boys from such Halloween-induced ideas. However, it gets harder and harder to explain the strange things that keep happening, particularly after Sadie learns the eccentric Mrs. Wapple has been attacked in her home. As the unexplained occurrences escalate, Sadie finds herself embroiled in yet another mystery with life-or-death consequences. Can Sadie discover whoever—or whatever—is behind the mystery before anyone else gets hurt? Or will this be Sadie’s last case?

Don’t ask me how I have gone so long without reading one of Josi Kilpack’s culinary mysteries, but I have obviously been missing out on all the fun. Pumpkin Roll is absolutely perfect for Fall and Halloween! Set in Jamaica Plain, a small township of Boston it is close to heart of the Salem Witch Trials. Things get spooky fast for Sadie and boyfriend Pete who are on vacation together while watching Pete’s grandchildren. Between light bulbs exploding, strange faces in the window, night time visitors and the witch across the street who is always digging in her yard, Sadie is sure there’s a mystery to be unraveled. In her nosy neighbor way she offers a plate of cookies to Mrs. Wapple and is determined to figure out why she’s so strange. But danger lurks around the fence!

With mouthwatering recipes for cookies, whoopie pies, clam chowder and cinnamon twists, Pumpkin Roll is one you don’t want to read while hungry! Sadie will have you itching to bake and trying to put together all the little clues behind this who done it. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to all readers as a must have before Halloween. The atmospheric creepy tone is topped off with lots of comfort foods for a perfect combination. Now that I’ve discovered The Sadie Hoffmiller Culinary Mystery Series I can’t wait for Banana Split coming in Spring 2012. Thanks so much to Deseret Book for sending me Pumpkin Roll!

Content: some violence and creepiness

About the Author: Josi S. Kilpack hated to read until her mother handed her a copy of The Witch of Blackbird Pond when she was 13. From that day forward, she read everything she could get her hands on and accredits her writing “education” to the many novels she has “studied” since then. She began writing her first novel in 1998 and never stopped. Her novel, Sheep’s Clothing won the Whitney Award 2007 for Mystery/Suspense. Lemon Tart, the first book in the Sadie Hoffmiller Culinary Mystery series was a finalist in 2009. Her most recent book, Blackberry Crumble, is the fifth book in the Sadie Hoffmiller Culinary Mystery Series. Josi currently lives in Willard Utah with her husband, four children, one dog, and varying number of chickens.

Enter to win copy of Pumpkin Roll on Goodreads.

In conjunction with the release of Pumpkin Roll, the author, Josi S. Kilpack, and the publisher, Shadow Mountain, are sponsoring a contest for a new iPad.

To enter, leave a comment in the comment section of this blog before November 1, 2011. Winners will be announced and notified November 3rd 2011.

For additional ways to enter, go to http://www.josiskilpack.com/

Crosroads Blog Tour and Signed Book Giveaway

23 Sep, 2011 by in mary ting 15 comments


Fire and Ice is proud to be one of the stops on the Crossroads Blog Tour hosted by Late Bloomer Online

Crossroadsby Mary Ting
Paperback, 315 pages
Published July 29th 2011
by World Castle
ISBN 9781937085
Claudia Emerson has a good friend who shares the same first name and last name. That friend unfortunately dies in a tragic accident during homecoming dance. Claudia is distraught at the loss of her friend, but is even more disturbed by her dreams, which seem to take her to another place called Crossroads. Unknown to her, Crossroads is like a second heaven, a place between heaven and earth. It is where the souls of humans in comas or near death experiences may wander. Where, Claudia meets Michael, a nephilim, a half angel, half human, whom she often meets in her dreams. It turns out that this isn’t her first visit to Crossroads, which is an enigma for no human can ever travel there until Claudia.

Now the fallen and demons are after her, suspecting she must be special and it is up to Michael and the other nephilims to protect her. Her dream becomes a nightmare as more secrets are revealed, about who she really is, and the true identities of the people she loves most. Can Michael fight his growing feelings for Claudia and protect her as a guardian angel should?

Claudia Emerson keeps having strange dreams which pull her to a place she’s seen before and faces that are familiar yet foreign. Then she’s awakened by a phone call form her best friends asking if she’s still alive. Quickly her life is turned upside down as dream meets reality and she’s introduced to a class of half human/half angels called Alkin. Pulled into an age old battle between good and evil Claudia has a new guardian angel named Michael and it’s all she can do to stay away from the attraction she feels. Their love is forbidden and Michael ‘s role becomes blurred as he starts to fall for Claudia. Can the two of them fight off the fallen who are after her and can they satisfy eh Royal Council who want some answers about who Claudia really is?

Crossroads will appeal to readers who like books full of angel lore and YA romance. While I was intrigued there were a few things I struggled with like connecting to Claudia’s character and voice. With references to Guess jeans and Honda’s being cool the teen scene seemed to be trapped back in the 90’s. And why can’t Claudia ever fight for herself? Michael I really enjoyed but his change from brash and rude to automatically in love doting boyfriend was quite abrupt. I’m thinking the bad guy Aden was far too easily defeated and he’ll be back. I am also hoping we learn more about Austin in book two. He is up to no good I tell ya!

My favorite character was Davin- he’s much more down to earth and real and kept the story going for me. I’d love to see him in an even more central role. With poetic writing and beautiful scenery you’ll get wrapped up in Crossroads. I think Mary has a wonderful idea and am curious to see where she goes with it for the rest of the series.

Content: There was quite a lot of heavy handed romance and kissing scenes so I’d recommend this one for only older teens. (It was a little too much for my taste) There is also moderate violence as angels fight the fallen.
Thanks so much to Late Bloomer Online and Mary Ting for letting us be a part of the tour!
About the Author: Mary Ting resides in Southern California with her husband and two children. She enjoys oil painting and making jewelry. Writing Crossroads was a way to grieve the death of her beloved grandmother. It was inspired by a dream she once had as a young girl.

Find Mary Ting on
Facebook
Twitter
Blog
Website
Goodreads

Fire and Ice is giving away one author signed paperback copy of Crossroads to our readers. Open to US readers ages 16 and older. Giveaway ends October 14, 2011. To enter to win fill out this form.

Book Review-Original Sin by Beth McMullen

21 Sep, 2011 by in mystery Leave a comment

Original Sin
A Sally Sin Adventure
by Beth McMullen
Hardcover 304 Pages
Publication Date: July 12, 2011
by Hyperion
ISBN: 1401324215
Rating: 3 Stars
Source: Publisher

On the surface, Lucy Hamilton looks just like all the other stay-at-home San Francisco moms. She takes her three-year-old son, Theo, to the beach, to the playground and to the zoo. She feeds him organic applesauce and free-range chicken. She folds laundry and plays on the floor with Matchbox cars until her knees ache. What no one knows about Lucy, not even her adoring husband, is that for nine years Lucy was Sally Sin, a spy for the United States Agency for Weapons of Mass Destruction. And that’s just the way she wants to keep it – a secret. But when Lucy’s nemesis Ian Blackford, a notorious illegal arms dealer, hits the USAWMD’s radar, the Agency calls Sally Sin back to action to lure Blackford out into the open. Racing against time, Lucy must fight to save herself, her loving family – and, oh right – the world. Hilarious and resonant, ORIGINAL SIN is the story of one woman’s quest to find that most elusive work-life balance in the face of danger, intrigue, and proper recycling habits.

You know, I really do love a good mystery, and Original Sin has many of the characteristics of a good mystery: a strong lead, interesting characters, plenty of action and a well unraveled plot. Sally (or Lucy) looks to the world like every other paranoid, first time mother; with her purse filled to the brim with sippy cups and crackers, watching her 3 year old son’s every move. What everyone around her doesn’t realize is that her paranoia comes from experience, she has seen the worst the world can do and isn’t about to let it reach her precocious little boy (he is very clearly and only child).

I enjoyed the back and forth between current day and Sally’s past adventures with the USAWMD. You really get a picture of the whole Sally when you see both aspects of her life. Past and present begin to mingle and help you understand more of what is going one. The author does a great job of unraveling a little bit of the mystery at a time, building your knowledge of the big picture bit by bit. Even by the end of the book, you aren’t quite sure how everything fits together, leaving you to anticipate the next book in the series.

So, why if I enjoyed the mystery, do I only give this book a three star rating? This comes into content. I admit, I am a bit of a prude when it comes to the books that I read. To be honest, if I hadn’t been sent this book on review, I would likely have quit reading it after the 5th dropping of the “F-bomb” (about 2 chapters into the book). What I find curious about it’s use is that it appears to be the author‘s swear word of choice, because we see very little other swearing (a few other incidents here and there). There is also very limited sexual content (mostly all innuendo or a quick mention of what occurred, without much description). This leads me to ask, why include the aforementioned “F-bomb” so often if you kept the book fairly clean of anything else? I honestly really enjoyed the story-line and had it left out the swearing or limited it more I would easily have given this book a 4.5 star rating.

Content: quite a bit of the “F-bomb” and other minor swear words, mention of sex between adults and other somewhat sexual content (but fairly minor). See the paragraph above for more on the book’s content.

I received a copy of this book for review purposes. No other compensation was received.

Meet Our New Part-Time Reviewer Christine

21 Sep, 2011 by in Uncategorized Leave a comment

Fire and Ice will be undergoing some changes in the next couple of months as we expand. One of them is adding three new part time reviewers to our staff. Meet our first new reviewer, Christine.

“Mother to five children (one daughter and four sons) who range in age from four to 11, I read whenever I can get a free moment! Cozy Mysteries, Regency Era and other Historical Fiction, and Clean Romance are my favorite Genres. I read Pride and Prejudice at least once a year. Rereading my favorite books is a hobby of mine, but I am also always in search of new favorites. Aside from reading I enjoy running, singing, baking bread and crochet. “-Christine Jensen (@stickyprints)

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