Genre: Paranormal

A Breath of Frost

22 Nov, 2016 by in Uncategorized Leave a comment

A Breath of Frostby Alexandra Harvey
Published by Walker Childrens on January 7th 2014
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult
Pages: 482
Format: Hardcover
five-stars
Source: Library
Buy the BookGoodreads
In 1814, three cousins—Gretchen, Emma, and Penelope—discover their family lineage of witchcraft when a binding spell is broken, allowing their individual magical powers to manifest. Now, beyond the manicured gardens and ballrooms of Regency London, an alluring underworld available only to those with power is revealed to the cousins. By claiming their power, the three cousins have accidentally opened the gates to the underworld.

Now ghouls, hellhounds—and most terrifying of all, the spirits of dark witches known as the Greymalkin Sisters—are hunting and killing young debutante witches for their powers. And, somehow, Emma is connected to the murders…because she keeps finding the bodies.

Can the cousins seal the gates before another witch is killed…or even worse, before their new gifts are stripped away?

Wow. I picked this one up at our local library for some holiday reading, and bam! finished it all in one day. Where to begin? Set in Regency London during the time of debutante balls and underground secret societies, A Breath of Frost takes readers on a wild supernatural ride. Told from various points of view, I got to know several characters in depth. There’s a murder mystery, hidden portals, magic, and breakdowns of class within society. The writing is rich, detailed and multi layered. Setting is atmospheric with gas lamps, cobblestone roads, rooftop scenes and lavish parties.

Really, there’s so much to love in this fast moving plot! I will be reading book two and downloading book three, a hard to find short. Buckle up for a 400+ page novel with Herne the Hunter, Little Red and Grim Sister references. about_ the_authorAlyxandra Harvey lives in a stone Victorian house in Ontario, Canada with a few resident ghosts who are allowed to stay as long as they keep company manners. She loves medieval dresses, used to be able to recite all of The Lady of Shalott by Tennyson, and has been accused, more than once, of being born in the wrong century. She believes this to be mostly true except for the fact that she really likes running water, women’s rights, and ice cream.

Aside from the ghosts, she also lives with husband and their dogs. She likes cinnamon lattes, tattoos and books.

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Beyond the Rising Tide Blog Tour

18 Jun, 2016 by in contemp, young adult 1 comment

I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Beyond the Rising Tide

by Sarah Beard
Published by Sweetwater on June 14th 2016
Genres: Contemporary, Paranormal, Young Adult
Pages: 304
Format: Paperback
five-stars
Buy the BookGoodreads
Kai was seventeen when he died saving Avery's life, though he didn't have much to live for. After spending half his life being shipped around to different families, the only place he felt at home was on a street corner with his guitar. Now, it's been six months since his death. Six months adapting to a new kind of existence where instead of making music, he uses his new healing powers to save lives. But in his off hours, he watches helplessly as Avery's life is unraveled by his death.
Avery doesn't know that it was Kai who saved her life in the ocean, because her rescuer's body was never found. Wracked with guilt, the ocean she once loved is now her tormentor. As her surfboards collect dust in the garage, the weight of her grief destroys her relationships and stretches her to a breaking point.
Always willing to break rules for those he loves, Kai steals a ring that temporarily gives his body substance. With limited time, he does all he can to restore her life to the way it was before his tragic death, but Kai's half-baked plans rarely turn out the way he thinks they will. Beyond the Rising Tide is a beautiful love story that explores life, death, and the gray places in between.

 

 

Be forewarned, that once you pick up this book, you will need to carve out a day to read it and a while to recover.

Loved: The cover, it is perfect! The setting also matches the mood of the book and as a California native, I can appreciate the ocean, the vineyards, the sand and the fog.

Pace: Because most of this book is munched into three short days, it does at times feel rushed and the relationship too fast. But it makes for a page turning read!

Issues: Beyond the Rising Tide may be a trigger for someone who’s survived mental illness or suicide. This has some mature life experiences like drug use, foster care, divorce, bi -polar disorder and grief. It’s not so heavy as to be overwhelming, but definitely a book for a mature, older reader. The main characters are 17 but have lived a lot of life through their parents’ struggles.

Overall: Beautiful, healing. You may be a mess of tears in some parts. Sarah Beard explores life after death and the in between, as well as learning to recover and live after losing something. There are undertones of the atonement and of how we have to accept the sacrifice that has been given. Christian themes are well- woven and not overtly mentioned.

What a good read!!

 

Blog Tour Schedule

June 14: Singing Librarian Books | Emmy Mom | Compass Book Ratings
June 15: Katie’s Clean Book Collection | Cindy Bennett
Sweetly Made | Sorcery in the Bookshelves
June 16: Rockin’ Book Reviews | Geo Librarian
June 17: Heidi Reads | Kindle and Me
June 18: Fire and Ice
June 19: Inklings and Notions
June 20: My Book a Day
June 21: Bookworm Lisa | Min Reads and Reviews | LDS Women’s Book Review
June 22: Robyn Echols Books | Fantasy World | The Write Path
June 23: Wishful Endings | Getting Your Read On | Batch of Books
June 24: Mylissa’s Reviews and Book Thoughts | Maybe Books Will Be Our Always
June 25: Charmed Haven Book Reviews | Just Commonly
June 26: Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews
June 27: Literary Time Out | Book by Book
June 28: That Artsy Reader Girl | The Real Housewives of Riverton
June 29: Mel’s Shelves
June 30: Books Are Sanity | Fictionally | Read Headed Book Lady


about_ the_author

Sarah Beard is the author of YA novels PORCELAIN KEYS and BEYOND THE RISING TIDE. She earned a degree in communications fromSarahBpic1cropXsmall the University of Utah and is currently pursuing an MFA in creative writing from VCFA. When she’s not writing, she referees wrestling matches between her three boys and listens to audiobooks while folding self-replicating piles of laundry. She is a breast cancer survivor, a baker of sweets, a seeker of good love stories, a composer of melancholy music, and a traveler who wishes her travel budget was much bigger. She lives with her husband and children in the shadow of the beautiful Wasatch Mountains. You can follow Sarah on twitter at @authorsarahb, or at facebook.com/authorsarahbeard. Her website is sarahbeard.com.

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Witch Fall Blog Tour

17 Jan, 2014 by in amber argyle, blog tour, book review, giveaway, Uncategorized 8 comments

I received this book for free from Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Witch Fall Blog Tour

Witch Fall

by Amber Argyle
Published by Starling on October 24th 2013
Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, Young Adult
Pages: 332
Format: eBook
three-half-stars
Source: Xpresso Book Tours
Buy the BookGoodreads
All things fall.

Even Witches.

Supreme in their dominion over seasons, storms, and sea, the Witches have forgotten the unmatched destructiveness of mankind. And among the weapons men seek are the magical songs of the Witches.

Lilette is one of the few who see the decadence and decay weakening the Witches. As an outsider amid her own kind, can she help them survive the coming war?

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Fire and Ice is happy to be a part of the official blog tour for Amber Argyle’s Witch Fall. Follow the full Xpresso Book tour here

Review

This is my first taste of Amber Argyle’s writing. When I heard Witch Song was free right now, I downloaded the first book in the series then jumped ahead to the third, Witch Fall for the tour. This one is meant as a prequel, or standalone, so the order can be reverse the way I approached the series.

Amber is a master at world building! Witch Song, set in an Asian empire, which I am assuming would be much like Japan or China, is the tale of Lilette. A girl who has lost everything she loves,  including her family,  and somehow survives a shipwreck. She finds home on a remote island and is about to be married to the father of her best friend, the chief of the tribe. Women in this book don’t have much say in the matters of marriage, bethrothal, and  concubines.  Their plight is one I struggled with as well as some of the darker elements. But Lilette is a persistent fighter and she is bound to find a way out when she’s kidnapped by the enemy, an elite, a royal prince with a brutal edge.

A tale of espionage, fantasy and magic, Witch Fall has eloquent writing with detail and lots of action. Can Lilette learn to trust those who she knows from her childhood? Can she remember her song of the Creator and save the destruction of her people? All balance has been lost by rulers seeking power and Lilette is the key to saving them.

Content: Witch Fall packs a punch… literally. If you have a weak stomach for violence (as I do), you may want to bow out. Recommended for mature teens or adults. To see other content highlight here: threat of sexual abuse, violence against women, lots of death by sword, sensuality.

heatherAbout the Authoramber_argyle

Amber Argyle is the author of Witch Song and Fairy Queen trilogies. She grew up with three brothers on a cattle ranch in the Rocky Mountains. She spent hours riding horses, roaming the mountains, and playing in her family’s creepy barn. This environment fueled her imagination for writing high fantasy. She has worked as a short order cook, janitor, and staff member in a mental institution. All of which has given her great insight into the human condition and has made for some unique characters. She received her bachelor’s degree in English and Physical Education from Utah State University. She currently resides in Utah with her husband and three small children.

Author Links

Purchase the Series- all under $3.99

Fire and Ice Giveaway

One ebook copy of Witch Fall. Open internationally.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
 

Tour Giveaway

Signed copies of Witch Song, Witch Born, and Witch Fall (US only) a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Early Review ~Dangerous Dream: A Beautiful Creatures Story

10 Dec, 2013 by in book review, dangerous creatures, hachette, kami garcia, little brown, m stohl Leave a comment

I received this book for free from Netgalley, Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Early Review ~Dangerous Dream: A Beautiful Creatures Story

Dangerous Dream: A Beautiful Creatures Story

by Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl
Series: Dangerous Creatures 0.5
Published by Hachette, Little Brown Young Readers on December 17, 2013
Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, Young Adult
Pages: 46
Format: eARC
Source: Netgalley, Publisher
Buy the BookGoodreads
The #1 New York Times bestselling Beautiful Creatures series continues in this brand-new digital-exclusive story.

Catch up with Ethan, Lena, and Link as they finally graduate from high school and get ready to leave the small Southern town of Gatlin. But when Dark Caster Ridley makes an appearance, the sometime bad girl can't resist picking a fight with her sometime boyfriend, Link. Angry and rebellious as ever, Ridley ends up alone in New York City and becomes entangled in the dangerous underground Caster club scene, where the stakes are high and losers pay the ultimate price.

Where's a Linkubus when you need him?

It’s been quite a while since I’ve read a book in this vein. I left off with book two in the Caster Chronicles– Beautiful Darkness in 2010. But when Little Brown sent a link to the prequel in a  new spin off series– Dangerous Creatures– I decided to jump back in and give it a whirl. Now that I’ve dabbled in the what’s to come, I’m adding Dangerous Creatures to my TBR list.

Book 0.5, Dangerous Dream starts right at graduation from High School for Ethan, Lean, Ridley and Link.  The first couple of chapters are from Ethan Waite’s point of view as he’s waiting for the long and drawn out ceremonies in his hot Southern town of Gatlin to end. There’s the debutante girls with fluffy hair and the long drawn out renditions of awful sappy songs…and then there are snakes. Three guesses who is up to no good again? Ridley. The Siren with an attitude, a pink lollipop and dark caster powers. She can break up an event rather quickly. Her boyfriend (or so he likes to believe) Link takes the next chapter from his point of view. Drummer in a  local band he has fallen for Ridley hard. Even though he knows what she is and the powers she would, he cant stop from falling in love.  He starts a snowball of events that leave Ridley reeling and she makes her escape to travel the world and keep her mind off of Link by numerous diversions.

Ridley ends up in New York which is where the majority of Dangerous Dream is set. It picks up a gritty feel reminiscent of Cassie Clare’s Mortal Instruments series as Ridley takes on the night life in a Dark Caster underground club. The night life holds high stakes and Ridley take s a gamble that just might cost more than she bargained for.

I loved the sights, smells and food we taste as readers under the story crafting of Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. These two fill in their world in a way that you will feel you are there. They are amazing storytellers. I will say I’m missing Amma and her culinary creations!

Overall, a fast read with lots of appeal to fans of paranormal and urban fantasy.  We are introduced to two new “bad boys” and are teased in the end with the beginnings of book one. If you are a fan of Link and Ridley be excited because the Dangerous Creatures series is for you!

Mature YA. Highlight to reveal content:  drugs, moderate swearing, senusality, gambling, drinking, gritty underground feel

 

4

heather

About the Authors

kami-garciaKami Garcia is the #1 New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, Wall Street Journal & international bestselling co-author of the Beautiful Creatures Novels (Beautiful Creatures, Beautiful Darkness, Beautiful Chaos & Beautiful Redemption). Beautiful Creatures has been published in 50 countries and translated in 39 languages. The Beautiful Creatures movie released in theaters on February 14, 2013.

Kami is also the author of Unbreakable, the first book her paranormal solo series, THE LEGION (coming October 1, 2013.

Kami grew up outside of Washington DC, wore lots of black, and spent hours writing poetry in spiral notebooks. As a girl with Southern roots, she has always been fascinated by the paranormal and believes in lots of things “normal” people don’t. She’s very superstitious and would never sleep in a room with the number “13″ on the door. When she is not writing, Kami can usually be found watching disaster movies, listening to Soundgarden, or drinking Diet Coke.

Kami has an MA in education, and taught in the Washington DC area until she moved to Los Angeles, where she was a teacher & Reading Specialist for 14 years. In addition to teaching, Kami was a professional artist and led fantasy book groups for children and teens. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, son, daughter, and their dogs Spike and Oz (named after characters from Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

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Margaret Stohl is the author of ICONS, the first book in the Icons Series, forthcoming from Little, Brown in Spring 2013 – as well as the New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, Los Angeles Times, Indie-Bound and Internationally Bestselling co-author of the Beautiful Creatures Novels (with Kami Garcia.)

Including BEAUTIFUL CREATURES (2009), BEAUTIFUL DARKNESS (2010), and BEAUTIFUL CHAOS (2011), BEAUTIFUL REDEMPTION (2012)– along with DREAM DARK, a Beautiful Creatures story available exclusively online (August, 2011) – the Beautiful Creatures Novels have been translated into 28 languages and 37 countries.  The Beautiful Creatures movie based on the books comes out February 14, 2013 from Alcon and Warner Bros. It stars Alden Ehrenreich, Alice Englert, Viola Davis, Emma Thompson, Jeremy Irons, Thomas Mann and Zoey Deuthc with the Academy Award nominated writer/director Richard LaGravenese.

Beautiful Creatures was an ALA William C. Morris YA Debut Award finalist in 2010, as well as a SCIBA award finalist, a NYPL Book for the Teen Age, and a YALSA Teen Top Ten Pick. Beautiful Creatures was named the #1 Teen Pick from Amazon in 2009, and the #5 Editors Pick, Overall.

A longtime veteran of the videogame industry, Margaret’s work includes – to name a few – SPIDERMAN, FANTASTIC FOUR, DUNE 2000, THE PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE LEGEND OF JACK SPARROW, DEFENDER, THE SOPRANOS, SLAVE ZERO, APOCALYPSE, ZORK NEMESIS, ZORK GRAND INQUISITOR, SPYCRAFT, COMMAND & CONQUER: RED ALERT RETALIATION, and COMMAND & CONQUER: TIBERIAN SUN.

After working with Activision (now Activision/Blizzard) and Westwood Studios (now EA), Margaret became a co-founder of 7 Studios with her husband, Lewis Peterson. She has previously been nominated for “Most Innovative Game Design” at the Game Developers Conference.

Margaret has participated in the Nashville Screenwriters Conference, the Tribu dei Lettori in Rome, and the BAU Institute/Otranto Residency, as well as the LA Times Festival of Books, Romantic Times, and the Texas Book Festival. She was the Director of Programming for the 2011 YA Capitol Bookfest in Charleston, SC, and a founding member of the Smart Chicks tour.

Margaret has been featured in Amherst Reads, and is a contributor to the Los Angeles Review of Books. She has been a member of the WGA West and PEN West. Margaret’s original screenplays have been optioned by Clasky-Csupo and Nickelodeon Movies for feature film.

A graduate of Amherst College, where she won the Knox Prize for English Literature, Margaret earned a MA in English from Stanford University, and completed classwork for a PhD in American Studies from Yale University. Margaret was a teaching assistant in Romantic Poetry at Stanford, and in Film Studies at Yale. She attended the Creative Writing Program of the University of East Anglia, Norwich, where she was mentored by the Scottish poet George MacBeth.

Margaret loves traveling the world with her daughters, who are epee fencers, and living in Santa Monica with her husband, also a writer, and two bad beagles.

 

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