Hi there! I’m Kay: an opinionated book blogger enamoured with the world of novels. Reader of Speculative Fiction (the posh word for Sci-Fi/Fantasy) and Young Adult novels. Believer in the many uses of the towel, the science of deduction and other fandom in-jokes.

This blog has been closed since early 2016. To the publishers and writers: thanks for all the support over the years. To my readers and fellow bloggers: keep in touch!

 

 

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Recent Reviews

Magic Burns by Ilona AndrewsAurelia by Anne OsterlundUprooted by Naomi NovikShadow Study by Maria V. SnyderThis Shattered World by Amie Kaufman, Meagan SpoonerUnited We Spy by Ally CarterAll Fall Down by Ally CarterEve and Adam by Katherine Applegate, Michael GrantHex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

On My Wishlist (Feb. 13th, 2010)

On My Wishlist is a weekly meme hosted by Book Chick City. It allows us to share the books we haven’t bought yet but are waiting to be bought and devoured.  (This post was inspired by the fab In My Mailbox by Kristi at The Story Siren).

Darkborn (Darkborn Trilogy, #1) by Alison Sinclair
This looks like a gorgeous book – and has some pretty fab quotes on the back – but I just haven’t really gotten around to actually getting it.

For the Darkborn, sunlight kills. For the Lightborn, darkness is fatal. Living under a centuries-old curse, the Darkborn and the Lightborn share the city of Minhorne, coexisting in an uneasy equilibrium but never interacting. When Darkborn physician Balthasar Hearne finds a pregnant fugitive on his doorstep just before sunrise, he has no choice but to take her in. Tercelle Amberley’s betrothed is a powerful Darkborn nobleman, but her illicit lover came to her through the daytime. When she gives birth to twin boys, they can see, something unheard of among the Darkborn. When men come for the boys, Balthasar is saved by the intervention of his Lightborn neighbor—and healed by the hands of his wife, Telmaine. Soon he finds himself drawn deeper into political intrigue and magical attacks, while Telmaine must confront a power she can no longer keep sheathed in gloves, a power she neither wants nor can control.

Queene of Light (Lightworld/Darkworld, #1) by Jennifer Armintrout
I have seen nothing but positive reviews of Armintrout’s writing. That – and the cover – places it firmly towards the top of my wishlist!

In a time not long from now the veil between fantasy and reality is ripped asunder – creatures of myth and fairy tale spill into the mortal world. Enchanted yet horrified, humans force the magical beings Underground, to colonize the sewers and abandoned subway tunnels beneath their glittering cities.

But even magic folk cannot dwell in harmony, and soon two Worlds emerge: the Lightworld, home to faeries, dragons and dwarves; and the Darkworld, where vampires, werewolves, angels and demons lurk.

Now, in the dank and shadowy place between Lightworld and Darkworld, a transformation is about to begin…

Ayla, a half faery, half human assassin, is stalked by Malachi, a Death Angel tasked with harvesting mortal souls. They clash. Immortality evaporates, forging a bond neither may survive. And in the face of unbridled ambitions and untested loyalties, an ominous prophecy is revealed that will shake the Worlds.

Lord of the Fading Lands (Tairen Soul, #1) by C.L. Wilson
This looks like such a great Fantasy Romance! Really, really want it!

Once he had scorched the world.

Once he had driven back overwhelming darkness.

Once he had loved with such passion, his name was legend…

Tairen Soul

Now a thousand years later, a new threat calls him from the Fading Lands, back into the world that had cost him so dearly. Now an ancient, familiar evil is regaining its strength, and a new voice beckons him – more compelling, more seductive, more maddening than any before.

As the power of his most bitter enemy grows and ancient alliances crumble, the wildness in his blood will not be denied. The tairen must claim his truemate and embrace the destiny woven for him in the mists of time.

Review: Hearts at Stake (aka My Love Lies Bleeding) by Alyxandra Harvey

Review: Hearts at Stake (aka My Love Lies Bleeding) by Alyxandra HarveyHearts at Stake (aka My Love Lies Bleeding) by Alyxandra Harvey
Series: The Drake Chronicles #1
Published by Bloomsbury, Walker Books for Young Readers
Pages: 256
Genres: Paranormal YA, Young Adult
Source: Purchased myself
Add to Goodreads
Rating:

On Solange’s sixteenth birthday, she is going to wake up dead. As if that’s not bad enough, she also has to outwit her seven overprotective older brothers, avoid the politics involved with being the only daughter born to an ancient vampire dynasty, and elude Kieran Black—agent of an anti-vampire league who is searching for his father’s killer and is intent on staking Solange and her entire family.

Luckily she has her own secret weapon—her human best friend Lucy—who is willing to defend Solange’s right to a normal life, whether she’s being smothered by her well-intentioned brothers or abducted by a power-hungry queen. Two unlikely alliances are formed in a race to save Solange’s eternal life—Lucy and Solange’s brother Nicholas, and Solange and Kieran Black—in a dual romance that is guaranteed to jump start any romance-lover’s heart.

Thoughts: Hearts at Stake is a fun debut novel but don’t set the bar too high when you pick it up. The action was entertaining, but not all that memorable. Plot turns and twist were all over the place, and kinda hard to follow. The world building consisted of tell-and-no-show. And as for the romance, well, both pairings fell flat.

But it was still an entertaining read! Harvey has a tongue-in-cheek style that I enjoyed – and we have to give her serious credit for creating the most violent vegetarian (Lucy) I have ever read! I also loved the relationship between the two narrators: best friends, Lucy and Solange. They are fiercely protective of each other, but extremely different. They work very well together, as whatever one of them lacks the other makes up for. It was a lovely dynamic!

It was released in the US with the cover/title you see before you… but in the UK they decided to rename it to My Love Lies Bleeding and gave it a Twilightesque cover. Usually I like the changes made by UK publishers, but not this time.

Hearts at Stake is a light-hearted, funny read. So although there is a lot of life-threatening violence… it is light-hearted violence! (If that makes any sense.) So, if you can, try to get a US copy (I got mine from Fobidden Planet in London) so that the content matches the cover!

Bottom line? This was a fun, light-hearted read – but I was not particularly in love. Pick it up if you are looking for a fast-and-fun read! The next book in the series, Blood Feud, is out in July.

Waiting on Wednesday: Radiance by Alyson Noel

“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that are being eagerly anticipated.
Radiance by Alyson NoelRadiance by Alyson Noel
Young Adult/Middle Grade – Immortals Spin-off #1
August 31st 2010 by St. Martin’s Griffin

Welcome to the Here and Now.

Riley Bloom left her sister, Ever, in the world of the living and crossed the bridge into the afterlife—a place called Here, where time is always Now. Riley and her dog, Buttercup, have been reunited with her parents and are just settling into a nice, relaxing death when she’s summoned before The Council. They let her in on a secret—the afterlife isn’t just an eternity of leisure; Riley has to work. She’s been assigned a job, Soul Catcher, and a teacher, Bodhi, a curious boy she can’t quite figure out.

Riley, Bodhi, and Buttercup return to earth for her first assignment, a Radiant Boy who’s been haunting a castle in England for centuries. Many Soul Catchers have tried to get him to cross the bridge and failed. But he’s never met Riley…

Although I wasn’t in love with Noel’s Evermore, I really did enjoy her sister. I am really looking forward to hearing her own story – especially as it involves a her dog!

Review – The Espressologist by Kristina Springer

The Espressologist by Kristina Springer
BookDepository / Amazon / Amazon UK
LibraryThing / Goodreads

Rating: 4 stars
Pages: 192

Summary: What’s your drink of choice?Is it a small pumpkin spice latte? Then you’re lots of fun and a bit sassy.Or a medium americano? You prefer simplicity in life.Or perhaps it’s a small decaf soy sugar-free hazelnut caffe latte? Some might call you a yuppie.

Seventeen-year-old barista Jane Turner has this theory that you can tell a lot about a person by their regular coffee drink. She scribbles it all down in a notebook and calls it Espressology. So it’s not a totally crazy idea when Jane starts hooking up some of her friends based on their coffee orders. Like her best friend, Em, a medium hot chocolate, and Cam, a toffee nut latte.

With overtones of Jane Austen’s Emma and brimming with humor and heart, this sweet, frothy debut will be savored by readers.

Thoughts: I adored The Espressologist! It is a modern-day fairytale: enchanting, funny and caffinated!

Everything I love about coffee shops is in this book! The drinks, the environment, and the perky staff. Although I have to say, reading it in Starbucks made it even more enjoyable. Short and sweet, I finished it in a single day.

Jane was a breath of fresh air as a narrator – and I felt the style was very much like my own. I swear this is just a book I forgot to write! The only thing I wish had been more developed was the love interest Cam – who I never really, er, got. Had I liked him even a little bit more, this could easily have been a 5 star book. It was honestly that enjoyable!

The hardback edition – which is currently the only one out – has an adorable coffee stain circle etched into it.  And how much more adorable could that cover possibly get?  ♥

Bottom line? A wonderful, escapist read for coffee-lovers of all ages. Especially if you need a little reality to cleanse your palate between all the fantasy YA in the market!

What are you reading on Monday? – (Feb. 8th, 2010)

monday reading

It’s Monday! What are you reading this week? is a weekly event to celebrate what we are reading.

Books I am currently reading:

  • Heart at Stake by Alyxandra Harvey – Only a few chapters in, but am enjoying the verse so far!

Books finished this week:

  • Fallen by Lauren Kate – Pretty enjoyable, but I felt as though the end was a bit rushed.  I’m just glad I didn’t end up hating it like some reviewers!

Reviews posted this week

  • Dark Lover by J.R. Ward – Loved this series and finally got around to writing a review!
Reviews to write:
  • The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler
  • Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr
  • Fallen by Lauren Kate
  • Moon Called by Patricia Briggs