and RK Charron who won a copy of City of Angels by Sheralyn Pratt http://fireandicereads.com/2010/12/kaysville-release-party.html. Email us your mailing address.
FANG
By James Patterson
Paperback, 309 pages
Published March 15th 2010
by Little, Brown and Company
ISBN 0316036196
series Maximum Ride #6
3.5 stars
Being a kid with wings–constantly on the run–has never been easy, and Max and her flock are getting tenser than ever. First, on a trip to Africa, they meet a mysterious billionaire whose intense scrutiny of the Flock makes her fear the worst. And as if an impending apocalypse weren’t bad enough, canny birdkid Angel makes a dire prophecy about Max’s soul mate: Fang will be the first to die. Max’s desperate desire to protect Fang brings the two closer than ever. But can the team weather the storm, or will the turmoil rip them apart for the last time?
This is my very first book by James Patterson in his Maximum Ride series. Little Brown was kind enough to send me a copy for review and I just jumped right in. No expectations, and no emotional investment in the characters from five previous books.
Book six starts out with a flock of genetically altered bird children on their way to Africa for a CSM humanitarian mission. They run into evil scientists Dr. G-H and Dr. Chu. who are busy brewing up experiements advanced DNA mutation and want Max to offer the flock as subjects. Max the main character, MC and flock leader is sarcastic and hot tempered, with a chip on her shoulder. She tends to run away when things get tough. So as Dr. G-H introduces Dylan, another birdboy created expressly to be her perfect other half, she is out of there! She has just recently gone public in her relationship with Fang, her lifetime friend and second in command and the flock is not pleased.
There are two main male protagonists that are both vying for Max’s attention. Fang is closed secretive and strong while Dylan with his Caribbean eyes is open and wanting to learn. The ultimate question of the book is will Max be forced to choose between the one she’s always known and a new addition to her flock?
Fang is action packed as the flock faces wolf-like Erasers, mad scientists and a threat form within. One of the flock has double crossed the rest and Fang may pay the ultimate price with his life.
James Patterson has quite the happening series going on with a TON of online fans. I can see the appeal in his story and the fantasy. If I had read the entire series I think my rating would be higher. I would have liked to see more world building in their Colorado home where they retreat to for homeschooling and to hide out. Also, as Max and Fang head out on their own to Las Vegas there was a window of opportunity for fun, creative scenes which I felt wasn’t taken. As a reader I would hope down the line Patterson will expose us to more of what is going on inside Dylan and Fang’s mind. Fang fans will be happy to see the epilogue contains some of his secret memoirs that Max finds on their laptop. You’ll see a whole new side to the main man.
My favorite part is the letter Fang leaves for Max in the final chapter, and his promise for twenty years from now. I loved the additional materials in the back of the book which include a Chapter 35 1/2 written by a reader, a sneak preview to ANGEL due to be released February 14th and part of a new Manga adaptation of the book. I will pick up book 7 now that I’ve jumped in and need to know what happens! I found Fang entertaining and well suited for both boys and young women. There is minor violence, mention of underage tattoos and gambling but all around it’s a clean read. I’m looking now to try more titles by James Patterson. Visit the official site for James Patterson’s Maximum Ride at http://www.max-dan-wiz.com/
Fire and Ice giving away a paperback copy of Fang, a Maximum Ride Book #6 to our readers, donated by Little Brown. To enter to win fill out this form.
What is a giveaway hop?
Simple – Each participating blog hosts a giveaway and then we link up together allowing our followers to hop easily from one giveaway to another.
To enter to win click here and fill out the form. Our giveaway is open internationally. One winner will be drawn Monday January 17th at midnight and announced January 18th.
Be sure to visit all the blogs on the blog hop linky list for a chance to win lots more prizes! Good luck.
UnearthlyIn the beginning, there’s a boy standing in the trees . . . .
Clara Gardner has recently learned that she’s part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn’t easy.
Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place—and out of place at the same time. Because there’s another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara’s less angelic side.
As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she’d have to make—between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?
Unearthly is a moving tale of love and fate, and the struggle between following the rules and following your heart.
Okay so it’s no secret by now that I am an angel lover. The mythology, the biblical references, the source of the nephilum. This book though…WOW. It’s refreshing, mesmerizing. I picked it up I will unabashedly admit, based on the cover that called to me from the shelves at Barnes and Noble and was not disappointed.
Unearthly is slower paced and took a while for me to get into, but once I clicked, watch out. Locked, loaded, and eyes transfixed until the very end. Easily five stars to this one.
Cynthia Hand emphasizes functional family relationships and I loved that Clara’s mother tries her best to protect her children and keep them innocent. Despite the fact that she is a single mom, she holds her family tight and encourages them to follow their purpose. The idea that each of us has a unique role to fulfill in life and that we have the power to change the course of history is a powerful theme that rang through.
Clara, the main heroine is quirky and awkward so there’s quite a few places to chuckle. What I love is that while she’s half angel, she’s also very human, a believable teen. Tucker, one of the main men is a rodeo cowboy with wicked blue eyes and a fun easy personality. It’s cute how much he looks up to Clara and adores her. I have to say though- I am team Christian and was from the very start. He appears to Clara in her visions, is there to catch her when she falls. Granted he’s also popular and acts unaffected by Clara’s preparatory swooning, but near the end I really hoped Clara would accept his reciprocal interest. I was frustrated when their relationship was left hanging by a thread.
There were a few things that I wondered about. Like why does her hair turn orange? Can’t they take her some where professional and get it done right? And if her dad lives in New York, why didn’t she follow Christian there over the summer to be closer to him? I’m hoping book 2 has a lot more back story and Clara/Christian time! I’m redicting something not so good is up with Clara’s brother.
Unearthly is so far the best book I’ve read in 2011. I would recommend it to all as a clean, fun paranormal read. This book lives up to its hype and when you get to the last page you’ll be craving more.
Visit Cynthia’s website to learn more about the series. http://www.cynthiahand.blogspot.com/
Add your entries and leave your links. We will choose two winners. Contest ends February 13, 2011 and is open internationally.
Angel Burn
by L.A. Weatherly
Hardcover, 403 pages
Expected publication: May 24, 2011
by Candlewick Press
(first published October 1st 2010)
ISBN 0763656526
series: Angel Trilogy #1
4 stars
Willow knows she’s different from other girls, and not just because she loves tinkering with cars. Willow has a gift. She can look into the future and know people’s dreams and hopes, their sorrows and regrets, just by touching them. She has no idea where this power comes from. But the assassin, Alex, does. Gorgeous, mysterious Alex knows more about Willow that Willow herself. He knows that her powers link to dark and dangerous forces, and that he’s one of the few humans left who can fight them. When Alex finds himself falling in love with his sworn enemy, he discovers that nothing is as it seems, least of all good and evil. In the first book in an action-packed romantic trilogy, L. A. Weatherly sends listeners on a thrill ride of a road trip – and depicts the human race at the brink of a future as catastrophic as it is deceptively beautiful.
This book has quite the interesting little history. I found “Angel Burn” on Netgalley from Candlewick Press and started reading. Then figured out (from all the reviews on Goodreads) that the book had been previously released as “Angel” in 2010 by Usborne books in the UK. The original edition is 500 pages long while this one to be released May 24th is 410 pages long. Candlewick has yet to publish the cover image for Angel Burn so please note the one above is the UK version.
What I loved: Angel Burn has awesome main characters and plenty of action packed suspense.
Alex, age 17 seems much older. He’s been living the life of a CIA agent and angel killer since he was a child. Growing up in the desert of Albuquerque, NM. He’s lost all of those close to him in the battle of the angel invasion. Closed, confident and cut, his character does a lot of growing. Readers see a completely different, more sensitive side of him as he begins falling in love.
Willow Fields is introduced as the main MC in Chapter one with he head under the hood of her best friend’s car. She is considered “weird” by her friends at school. Thrift shopping, strong and independent, Willow fixes cars and reads the future to support her and her mom. They live with Aunt Jo in Pawtucket, NY. Her mother Miranda is schizophrenic and catatonic, completely disabled as a result to her interactions with Willow’s father.The side characters in Angel Burn are very much on the side. The bulk of the book focuses on Willow and Alex.
What I disliked: At times the switching in point of view from first person to third person omniscient gets confusing. And though the book is told from several different points of view, the personalities of each new character introduced is not fully fleshed out.
Weatherly introduces a much more sinister angel than those we normally see in YA fiction, a parasitic being feeding off of human life force. This was hard for me to swallow.
I hope: Angel Burn gets a new cover and book trailer. And, I wish we would have learned more about Beth’s angel Paschar.
The main distraction: was the language. I almost put it down after two chapters because of the repeated use of the Lord’s name in vain- seemed like overkill for me. Also you can tell immediately that the book is written from a British perspective with the word “right” used in conversation instead of okay. I find it endearing, but US readers may scratch their heads if they’ve never read a book from the UK before.
Overall: I enjoyed Angel Burn more than I disliked it- enough that I would read the sequel. It is unique. Alex is one worth reading about. Angel Burn ends in an unresolved resolution that makes me want to learn more. The plot is action packed and character driven. As well, Alex and Willow’s trip across the United Sates via road trip while on the run was a selling point for me. (You can see author photos of their road trip here)
Content: Swearing, under age drinking, violence.
Sequel info: Looks like Angel Burn is part of a trilogy. In the UK Angel Fire , book two is set to be released June 2011. No word on a release in the U.S.
Thanks to Candlewick Press and NetGalley for letting me read Angel Burn.
My Teaser Tuesday is Bumpy Landings by Donald J. Carey
KatieDyd Designs offers a full line of personalized stationery and other paper goods. In an age of e-everything, a personalized note makes a real statement- KatieDyd products help you make a stylish one. Enjoy browsing the shop & thank you for stopping by.
Description
• Customizable two sided SLIM calling cards/mommy cards. Pictured in Leaf and Espresso.
• Each card measures approx 3.5 inches by 1.25 inches. The hand-cut cards are printed on luxurious 100 lb smooth, matte cardstock with archival ink.
• Your calling cards arrive beautifully enclosed a handmade slide box.
To Enter To Win one set of 30 calling cards personalized just for you: simply leave a comment below
additional optional entries
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Add up your entries and leave the total with the links in your comment. Contest ends February 10, 2011 and is open internationally
The Vespertine
by Saundra Mitchell
304 pages
Expected publication: March 7, 2011
by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children’s
ISBN0547482477
5 stars
It’s the summer of 1889, and Amelia van den Broek is new to Baltimore and eager to take in all the pleasures the city has to offer. But her gaiety is interrupted by disturbing, dreamlike visions she has only at sunset—visions that offer glimpses of the future. Soon, friends and strangers alike call on Amelia to hear her prophecies. However, a forbidden romance with Nathaniel, an artist, threatens the new life Amelia is building in Baltimore. This enigmatic young man is keeping secrets of his own—still, Amelia finds herself irrepressibly drawn to him.
When one of her darkest visions comes to pass, Amelia’s world is thrown into chaos. And those around her begin to wonder if she’s not the seer of dark portents, but the cause.
The Vespertine was a full sensory experience for me. I wanted to savor every page and soak in every detail. The first pull came from the fact that the majority of the novel is set in Baltimore, Maryland close to my childhood home. Main character Amelia van Broek describes places I know by heart and the sunsets she describes are ones I’ve seen. What most struck me about this book is that I truly felt the plot as if through Amelia’s eyes, I saw things as if I were there. I sympathized with her chosen fate and her motivation.
Written in first person poetic prose The Vespertine has an ethereal feel peppered with historical and paranormal elements. The back history is well researched and author Saundra Mitchell adds finishing touches that make it authentic to the Victorian age.. The tone is pulled between dark and tragic overlapped with frivolity during Amelia’s first summer season with her cousin Zora. The girls enjoy lighthearted outings with friends, picnics and archery. Their friendship as cousins is endearing and deep. All seems well enough, until Amelia begins to see glimmers of the future, premonitions that come at sunset. Soon the home is flooded with calling cards and visits from others seeking their fortune. When future telling turns to prophecies fulfilled all begin to question if Amelia possesses the power to make her foretold events come true.
1889 in Baltimore is also a summer of looking for the perfect husband, a coming of age. Formal dances with dresses made of lace and organza as well as courting and interested callers. Zora, Amelia’s cousin has her heart set on Thomas Rae, son of the local doctor. He is genuine and of impeccable manners, my favorite character in The Vespertine. Amelia, on the other hand, is dangerously and mysteriously drawn to Nathaniel Witherspoon, a fourteenth by profession– one hired to round out the odd 13 number at dinner parties. He’s an artist who smells of turpentine and oil paints, one below Amelia’s society. I personally found him a little creepy, but captivating none the less. Nathaniel holds a secret and Amelia wants to know more.
Words can’t describe how much I enjoyed this book. Everything from the beautiful poetic writing to the minor details of dress making and courtship. The Vespertine is more than just a book, it an emotional journey that will whisper to you long after you’ve shut the pages. Everything about it is haunting and lush. Saundra Mitchell masterfully writes in the actual voice of a young girl in the Victorian age; it’s is authentic, moving, and magical. I can not wait for the companion novel Spring Sweet to be released in 2012.
Thanks so much to Houghton Mifflin and Netgalley for allowing me to step into the world that is The Vespertine. Learn more by visiting http://www.thevespertine.com/
Saundra Mitchell has generously offered a tiny taste of The Vespertine for you, the readers of Fire and Ice. Delight in dance cards, sandalwood fans and more by filling out this form. Three winners will be drawn February 11, 2012.
Want to immerse yourself in Amelia’s world? Here’s your chance…
To view her original list and listen online head over to Saundra Mitchell’s The Vespertine website http://thevespertine.com/music.html
