Review: Pawn by Aimee Carter

Book: Pawn by Aimee Carter

Series: The Blackcoat Rebellion #1

Released: November 26, 2013

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Pages: 304 (Kindle)

Rating: 5+

Goodreads 

*Pets the pretty cover*

From Goodreads:

YOU CAN BE A VII IF YOU GIVE EVERYTHING.

For Kitty Doe, it seems like an easy choice. She can either spend her life as a III in misery, looked down upon by the higher ranks and forced to leave the people she loves, or she can become a VII and join the most powerful family in the country.

If she says yes, Kitty will be Masked - surgically transformed into Lila Hart, the Prime Minister's niece, who died under mysterious circumstances. As a member of the Hart family, she will be famous. She will be adored. And for the first time, she will matter.

There's only one catch. She must also stop the rebellion that Lila secretly fostered, the same one that got her killed, and one Kitty believes in. Faced with threats, conspiracies and a life that's not her own, she must decide which path to choose and learn how to become more than a pawn in a twisted game she's only beginning to understand.

 Yeah, so this book. I love it. It's one I'll be reading again. I know a lot of people are dystopia-d out, but I am not. Honestly, it's one of my favorite things to read. I love entering a world different than our own, in any way shape or form (including space!). 

To be honest, there wasn't really anything I didn't enjoy about this book. There were so many unexpected twists and turns, which kept the story fresh and interesting. While it didn't reinvent the dystopain genre, it still felt new to me.

The story takes place in Washington DC. There is a caste system with numbers (much like in The Selection by Kiera Cass), and students are given a test when they turn 17 (much like Divergent), but that's where the similarities end, at least for those two books. Based upon your test score, you are then sorted into a class, with 1 being the worst, and 7 (only reserved for the Hart family who rules) the highest. 

Kitty Doe, an orphan abandoned by her parents because they could only keep one child (hence the last name Doe), takes her test, and receives a 3. And is assigned to do really crappy work. Literally. But instead of moving to Denver, she decides to become a prostitute. When she decides that's her plan, she leaves behind her boyfriend and the only mother she's ever known. 

On her first night in the brothel, she's purchased for a lot of money. The buyer? None other than the ruler himself, Daxton Hart. Turns out he needs someone to replace his niece Lila, who he, uh, had offed. Kitty's eyes are a perfect match to Lila's, and eyes are the one thing masking can't change. So what would be in it for Kitty other than not dying? Well her 3 will turn in to a 7. Her life will be perfect. She just has to do everything Daxton and his diabolical mother Augusta tell her to do. Which includes putting down the rebellion Lila was supporting. And marrying Knox, Lila's fiance. Sounds like a delightful family, yes?

This family is a hot mess. So much deception. So much backstabbing. SO many great plot points. I honestly couldn't keep track of who was screwing over who. There were so many twists, turns and unexpected happenings to keep me on my toes.

Plotting. Evil plotting.

Also, Elsewhere. ELSEWHERE. Holy crap guys. There's no way to describe what happens there. You'll just have to read it for yourself.

The characters in this story are so fantastically complex. Just when you think you have someone figured out, they go and do something that blows you out of the water and changes your opinion. This happens again and again and again. Kitty is a wonderful heroine. She's smart (despite what her test score showed), strong, intuitive, cunning and just all around awesome. Definitely a great character to build your story around. So much depends on her, and she doesn't disappoint. The supporting cast of characters doesn't let you down either. Benjy is a devoted boyfriend, who is also super intelligent. I wish there had been more development for his character, but I'm hoping it'll happen in the rest of the series. Knox, Celia, Daxton, and the real Lila are all equally fascinating in their own right. Each person has their own motivations, and it's a difficult task to decide who you really want to come out on top. 

And can I just talk about Augusta for a minute? The matriarch of the family is crazy diabolical you guys. What a great villain. She is unpredictable and that makes her super scary. 

I totally pictured Ursula in my head.

There are so many revelations throughout the book I couldn't even keep track of all of them. But WOW. Carter does a great job of making each twist mean something. They are all there for a reason, and they work. Oh how they work.

SO... yeah. Do yourself a favor and pick this one up. It's wonderfully grim, gritty, and complex.

ALIENATED Launch & NOOK Giveaway!

Hey everyone! We're excited to be a part of Melissa Landers' launch week party! I've been looking forward to this book for a while, so I'm glad it's finally here. As I've mentioned several times before sci-fi/fantasy is my favorite genre to read, so this one is right up my alley. We're lucky to have a post from the author herself today, so without further ado, here's Melissa!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ***~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Hey, fiction lovers. I’m author Melissa Landers, and I’m thrilled to announce that my debut YA sci-fi romance, ALIENATED, is finally available from Disney-Hyperion! Cue the dancers and toss the confetti, because it’s been a long wait!

                              

In a nutshell, ALIENATED is the story of valedictorian Cara Sweeney, who gets more than she bargained for when she agrees to host the nation’s first intergalactic exchange student, the gorgeous but emotionally-stilted Aelyx (pronounced A-licks) from planet L’eihr. The tone is light and humorous, but I explore some deeper themes as well.

What do reviewers have to say?

“The storyline is out of this world and character development paired with authentic voice is superb. Filled with intrigue and suspense, this book will appeal to both sci-fi and contemporary YA fiction fans.” –VOYA

“Interstellar relations heat up in this start to a new romantic science fiction series. Landers [explores] larger social, ecological, and ethical issues in this tense, fast-paced read.” –Booklist

“The perfect blend of sizzling romance, action, and suspense.” –#1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout

“Smart, funny, and epic. I am now awaiting contact from planet L’eihr.” Julie Cross, bestselling author of Tempest.

“Intergalactic exchange students? Yes, please! I fell in love with this story and couldn’t put it down.” Jodi Meadows, author of Incarnate.

If you like hot, swoony science fiction as much as I do, I hope you’ll give ALIENATED a try. It’s now available in stores and online.

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1eHsLaf

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1dZqtBI

Book Depo (free international shipping): http://bit.ly/1hzxOfs

Indie Bound: http://bit.ly/1dfZHDW

To celebrate my book birthday, I’m offering one lucky winner a Nook Simple Touch. I’ll even throw in a $25 gift card to Barnes & Noble so you can fill your new e-reader with whatever you want!

Now for the fine print: This giveaway is open to US residents only. (Sorry, international friends, but you need a US billing address to buy digital content on the Nook.) Due to sweepstakes laws, entrants must be 18 years or older to participate.

Best of luck, and happy reading!

Melissa Landers is a former teacher who left the classroom to pursue other worlds. A proud sci-fi geek, she isn’t afraid to wear her Princess Leia costume in public—just ask her husband and three kids. She lives outside Cincinnati in the small town of Loveland, “Sweetheart of Ohio.” For more information, or just to say hello, visit www.melissa-landers.com.

 Check out the book trailer below:

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ***~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

We're so excited to join in the giveaway! Use the rafflecopter below to enter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Into the Still Blue by Veronica Rossi

Book: Into the Still Blue by Veronica Rossi

Series: Under the Never Sky #3

Released: January 28, 2014

Publisher: HarperCollins

Pages: 400 (Kindle)

Rating: 5+

 

Goodreads 

 

 

From Goodreads:

The earth-shattering conclusion to Veronica Rossi's "masterpiece" Under the Never Sky trilogy and sequel to the New York Times bestselling Through the Ever Night (Examiner.com).

Their love and their leadership have been tested. Now it's time for Perry and Aria to unite the Dwellers and the Outsiders in one last desperate attempt to bring balance to their world.

The race to the Still Blue has reached a stalemate. Aria and Perry are determined to find this last safe-haven from the Aether storms before Sable and Hess do-and they are just as determined to stay together.

Meanwhile, time is running out to rescue Cinder, who was abducted by Hess and Sable for his unique abilities. And when Roar returns to camp, he is so furious with Perry that he won't even look at him, and Perry begins to feel like they have already lost.

Out of options, Perry and Aria assemble a team to mount an impossible rescue mission-because Cinder isn't just the key to unlocking the Still Blue and their only hope for survival, he's also their friend. And in a dying world, the bonds between people are what matter most.

In this final book in her stunning Under the Never Sky trilogy, Veronica Rossi raises the stakes to their absolute limit and brings her epic love story to an unforgettable close.

 

First and foremost, if you have not read the first two book in this series, Under the Never Sky and Through the Ever Night, you should get thee to a bookstore, Amazon, or wherever you like to buy books right now and buy this series. As with all books in series, there will be mentions of plot points from the first two books. 

 

You tell 'em Snape.

So up until a few months ago, I had never been worried about how some of my favorite series would end. Was I totally happy with Mockingjay? Eh, not so much, but it was still good. I loved the end to The Bitter Kingdom. But all of my dreams of HEA were shattered, SHATTERED I TELL YOU, when I read Allegiant (my review of which is here). Since then I've been so much more cautious and let's just say scared, to read series enders. I was much more optimistic when early reviews started coming in and some of my favorite reviewers said good things about this book. I am thrilled to say that Ms. Rossi most definitely did not disappoint.

 

On to the review. 

 

The story picks up 4 days after Through the Ever Night Leaves Off. Aria is suffering from being shot. Perry is trying to figure out how to save the Tides, Roar is shrouded in grief, the Dwellers are sick, and poor Cinder is still captured by Hess and Sable (who is so SO incredibly evil). Basically everyone needs to find the Still Blue. The aether is now almost constant, and has turned red-something that last happened before the Pods were created. 

One of the best things about this book was all of the action. I loved every minute of it. Our heroes are under constant threats from all different directions. They're facing the aether storms, Hess, Sable, discord between the Tides and the Dwellers. It never stops. Even when you *think* they are going to get a reprieve, something else pops up.

But mixed in with all of that action there are some wonderfully swoon-worthy moments between Perry and Aria. What I love so much about their relationship in this book in particular is how much they open up and actually TALK to each other. Communication people. It works! But my favorite moments from the entire book is when they are discussing how Perry doesn't have a nickname for her (while Roar, on the other hand has TONS for her).

Seriously. How DO you find a nickname to encompass all of that?

Another one of my favorite aspects of this series has always been the friendships. Aria and Roar have to been one of my favorite book-friendships EVER. I love those two together. They fully understand one another in a completely platonic relationship. They maintain that close connection throughout the turmoil that has occurred (and does occur) during this series. While Aria and Roar maintain their friendship, Roar and Perry are definitely at odds during this book. It hurt my feels to see these two former best friends hardly even tolerate one another.

There were definitely a few surprising characters this go round. Soren quickly became one of my favorite people in this book. He's snarky, intelligent and damaged. I enjoyed his developing friendship with the Tides. Which leads me to Brooke. I couldn't stand her in the first two books, but she definitely came into her own in this book. And then there's Sable. Dude is every villain you've ever read about and wanted to throttle rolled all in to one. We only got a small glimpse of his evilness in Through the Ever Night when he killed Liv. He takes it to a whole other level in Into the Still Blue. 

I'm not really going to go into the plot points, because you really just need to read this for yourself. There's so much that happens and I think it's best read if you have no idea what you're getting into. Just know that it's full of awesomeness.

 

One last thing that I thoroughly enjoyed about this book: it's realistic (within the realm of this world anyway!). There are lots of schemes. Sometimes they work, and sometimes they don't. I appreciated that Rossi didn't make everything easy for them just because they're our heroes.  

 

I love these characters. I didn't want them to go away. EVER. I didn't want this series to end. I'd be more than happy to continue living in this world-maybe some more stories involving Roar perhaps?

I'll leave you with my favorite quote from the story:

Smart girl, Aria.

Review: Timebound by Rysa Walker

Book: Timebound by Rysa Walker

Series: The Chronos Files #1

Released: January 1, 2014

Publisher: Skyscape

Pages: 374 pages (Kindle)

Rating: 3.75 of 5

 

Goodreads 

 

 

From Goodreads:

When Kate Pierce-Keller’s grandmother gives her a strange blue medallion and speaks of time travel, sixteen-year-old Kate assumes the old woman is delusional. But it all becomes horrifyingly real when a murder in the past destroys the foundation of Kate’s present-day life. Suddenly, that medallion is the only thing protecting Kate from blinking out of existence.

Kate learns that the 1893 killing is part of something much more sinister, and Kate’s genetic ability to time-travel makes her the only one who can stop him. Risking everything, she travels to the Chicago World’s Fair to try to prevent the killing and the chain of events that follows.

Changing the timeline comes with a personal cost, however—if Kate succeeds, the boy she loves will have no memory of her existence. And regardless of her motives, does she have the right to manipulate the fate of the entire world?

 

 

 Time travel? Historical setting? Future setting? AND a current setting? Sounds like a book right up my alley. I had high hopes when I downloaded this one as part of the Kindle Prime feature, and it definitely paid off. I really enjoyed reading this book.

Kate is an average teenager. Her parents are divorced, and she splits time between the two of them. All of this sudden her estranged grandmother (Katherine) shows up asking to have lunch with Kate and her mother. While at lunch, Kate notices a pendant her grandmother has out on the table is glowing a bright blue. While her mother is away from the table, Katherine briefly tells Kate she has a "power" that not everyone has.

 

Katherine, in fact, is from the future. She is a CHRONOS historian (all this gets explained, so I'm not going to do it). She gets stranded in the 1960s when something happens at CHRONOS headquarters causing her pendant to no longer work.

This pendant is what allows a person to travel in time. Kate (and her dad, by default, kinda) move in to Katherine's house, so Kate can be trained in how to use the pendant because....

 

As it turns out, Kate's grandfather, Saul, is a BAD GUY and caused CHRONOS to fail, is altering timelines. Like a lot. Which is making some of Kate's family disappear (like in Back to the Future!).

Look! Marty and those two other people

Upon the realization that basically Kate doesn't exist, she meets Trey. Trey is a super cute, helpful, and all around good guy. He decides to help Kate out with her problem. There's some insta-love happening, but I felt like it kinda worked within the context. Kate desperately needed a friend, and Trey was there and willing to help her out (and not freak out about what Kate was saying). 

BUT there's this other guy. Kiernan. Who Kate seemed to know in another... timeline? Past? Future? And apparently they had / have / will have a relationship. Ha. 

So, Kate finally figures out when and where she needs to "jump" in time to fix whatever Saul is doing. However, TWIST, if she fixes the timeline, then Trey won't remember her. There's a great discussion between Connor (Katherine's assistant) and Kate about what is right vs. what's best.



I loved all of the historical references. Using actual facts from history give the story an added depth that I appreciated. Sometimes it did feel a little forced, but I could see how it would be beneficial and a learning experience for younger readers who may not know as much of this history. It gives you glimpses of Woodstock, civil rights, suffrage, and the World's Fair in Chicago.

I can see how the time-travel aspect could get very confusing at times. Due to my love of Doctor Who and other time-travel related things, it was actually fairly easy for me, personally, to follow. But, there are a couple of times I did have to pause and think about when things were taking place. It doesn't flow in a line as the Tenth Doctor says, but more a big ball. (See clip below which is really rather accurate in relation to this book).

 

 
Overall I really enjoyed this book, and would recommend it to anyone who likes sci-fi, mystery and especially time-travel. I'm looking forward to Book 2!

Review: These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

Book: These Broken Stars 

by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

Series: Starbound #1

Released: December 10, 2013

Publisher: Disney Hyperion

Pages: 374 pages (Hardcover)

Rating: 5 of 5

Goodreads

From Goodreads: It's a night like any other on board the Icarus. Then, catastrophe strikes: the massive luxury spaceliner is yanked out of hyperspace and plummets into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive. And they seem to be alone.

Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a young war hero who learned long ago that girls like Lilac are more trouble than they’re worth. But with only each other to rely on, Lilac and Tarver must work together, making a tortuous journey across the eerie, deserted terrain to seek help.

Then, against all odds, Lilac and Tarver find a strange blessing in the tragedy that has thrown them into each other’s arms. Without the hope of a future together in their own world, they begin to wonder—would they be better off staying here forever?

Everything changes when they uncover the truth behind the chilling whispers that haunt their every step. Lilac and Tarver may find a way off this planet. But they won’t be the same people who landed 

on it.

So. THIS BOOK you guys. It's so wonderful. I love it. I had so many emotions throughout this book. If you follow me on Goodreads you would've seen my posts while I was reading it. They were all over the places. Lots of "this is so great!" with some "I'm enthralled and fascinated!" and then a "No. no no no no no. NOOOOOO" mixed in. So yeah. I should probably start from the beginning though.

I've been anxiously awaiting the release of this book, ever since Gillian over at Writer of Wrongs was live tweeting her reading of it a few weeks. I couldn't wait to get my hands on it when it was released on Tuesday. Plus, did you SEE that cover? Swoon. I love that dress. (It actually went on tour with a few writers which you can see here).

So basically this book is Titanic in space. And then kinda like Lost once they crash land (I'll get to that in a minute). 

It starts off on board the Icarus, the most wonderful ship in the whole world (sound familiar?). We meet Tarver Merendsen, who is a war hero from a poor background, and Lilac LaRoux (I adore this name. So great), who is the richest girl in the world-plus the daughter of the man whose company built the Icarus. They meet, he has some insta-love going on (which, blah, so not realistic), but then he finds out who she is and immediately changes his mind. The first couple of chapters are good, not great. The story really picked up for me once the Icarus starts to crash. 

The book alternates between Tarver and Lilac's points of view. And it totally works. What else works? The mysterious interrogation of Tarver between the chapters. It's leading you somewhere, and you can't wait to find out where.

Tarver & Lilac end up in an escape pod together, which crash-lands on a nearby planet. This is when I really, really started loving this story. There's lots of tension, arguing, and all around discord. Tarver has the survival instincts of a soldier who has been placed in dangerous situations, and Lilac? Well, she just appears to be a spoiled rich girl. (Like Jack & Rose from Titanic. Ha.) But you guys, there is so much more to these characters that gets unraveled as the story goes on. They each have lots of layers. Like onions. Or parfaits. 

Or ogres.

So as they traipse around the island planet, they start to notice lots of mysterious things. Like whispers. And this is where I started to think of Lost. In which case Tarver = Sayid and Lilac = Shannon. Add in an odd smoke monster, and I would've been in heaven.

Seriously. He's even a soldier. And she's rich. SAME!

I'm really invested in this story and the characters by this point. And then. AND THEN.. 

AMIE KAUFMAN AND MEAGAN SPOONER RIPPED MY HEART OUT. AND HAPPILY TRAMPLED IT INTO THE GROUND.

Me: Why? WHY? WHYYYYYYYY????

But. BUT. The book doesn't end there. There's more. Lots more. So don't let the massive depression that will inevitably take hold of you stop you from finishing this book. It's worth it. And I LOVE the ending. So there's that to keep you going.

This is most definitely one of the best books of the year. And it would be a great book to convert friends over to the Sci-Fi genre if they're not already fans.