Review: Long Night Moon by S.M. Reine

Title: Long Moon Summer
Author: S.M. Reine
Publisher: Red Idris Books
Publish date: March 2, 2012
Genre: YA, paranormal
Source: From author for review
Series: Seasons of the Moon #3
1. Six Moon Summer (review)
2. All Hallows' Moon (review)
3. Long Night Moon
4. Gray Moon Rising (expected pub Summer 2012)

**WARNING: SPOILERS**

Synopsis:
Something is killing innocent people around Rylie Gresham's town. The police think it's a wild animal, but she has other suspicions. There are new kids at school, and they have a lot in common with her: gold eyes, super strength, and a habit of turning furry. It seems Rylie's not the only werewolf around anymore.

It's up to Rylie and her werewolf-hunting boyfriend, Seth, to stop the killings. But saving lives doesn't come naturally to a monster, and territory battles could risk the life of her sickly aunt--not to mention her own. Rylie has no choice but to stand her ground, protect her home, and stop the murderers before anyone else gets hurt.

From Goodreads

Oh my goodness, the end of this one hurt my heart. I know that starting a review by talking about the ending is poor form, but, man, it made me sad! I’m so glad the next book is coming out this summer! No crazy year-long wait for the next one. Definitely a bonus of self-pubbed books.

Sara is one of my favourite self-published authors, and her take on werewolves is at the top of my list. One of my favourite things about her writing is how she describes the change from human to werewolf. Not only that, but even how she puts so much detail into the feelings inside Riley; how she can feel the werewolf stir inside of her based on the situation. Sara’s definitely a talented writer: she doesn’t just write these graphic scenes well, but she also puts so much emotion into her stories. In all of her books I’ve read, I always find myself feeling what the characters feel, and having an emotional connection to each of them. To me, that’s a good indicator of her abilities as a writer.

We saw more of Abel in this book. We got to know him a bit better as a person and he actually showed some emotion. Seth was a mixture of so many thoughts and worries that it made me sad and tired just thinking about what he had to shoulder. Then there were the new characters: Bekah and her brother, Levi, and Scott Whyte. I won’t say much about them (spoilers!), but lets just say they’re at the core of the issues in this book.

I already mentioned how the ending hurt my heart. The whole story was an emotional roller coaster ride. People dying, Riley forgetting things and sleeping too much, Abel acting strange and territorial, Aunt Gwyn getting sicker, Seth stuck between his feelings and his duty . . . I think this book was the most emotional out of them all, and I think it may be my favourite in the series, so far. I know that I’ll be holding my breath until the final book in the series, Gray Moon Rising, comes out in the summer!

Teaser Tuesday (42)

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme, hosted by MizB of Should be Reading. Just do the following:

Grab your current read

Open to a random page

Share two "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page

DO NOT INCLUDE SPOILERS (make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away, so that you don't ruin the book for others)

Share the title and author so that other participants can add the book to their TBR list is they like your teasers!

I'm finally reading City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare! I figure, with the next book coming out soon, it's about time I read it. Here's my teaser:

Even during his waking hours, he found it hard to look at Clary. She had always been able to see through him the way no one else had, and he could only imagine what she would think if she knew what he dreamed.

I'm still in the beginning of this book. I feel like it's going to be a lot different from the first three books, but I don't know how yet. Guess I'll just have to read and see!

Feel free to share your teasers with me! I'd love to see what you're reading.

Review: Wings of the Wicked by Courtney Allison Moulton

Title: Wings of the Wicked
Author: Courtney Allison Moulton
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books, HarperCollins
Publish Date: January 31, 2012
Genre: YA, paranormal
Pages: 319 (ebook)
Series: Angelfire
1. Angelfire (review)
2. Wings of the Wicked
3. Untitled (expected pub 2013)

**WARNING: SPOILERS**

Synopsis:
Life as the Preliator is harder than Ellie ever imagined.
Balancing real life with the responsibility of being Heaven’s warrior is a challenge for Ellie. Her relationship with Will has become all business, though they both long for each other. And now that the secret of who she really is has come out, so have Hell’s strongest reapers. Grown bold and more vicious, the demonic threaten her in the light of day and stalk her in the night.

She’s been warned.
Cadan, a demonic reaper, comes to her with information about Bastian’s new plan to destroy Ellie’s soul and use an ancient relic to wake all the souls of the damned and unleash them upon humanity. As she fights to stay ahead of Bastian’s schemes , the revelations about those closest to her awaken a dark power within Ellie that threatens to destroy everything—including herself.

She’ll be betrayed.
Treachery comes even from those whom she loves, and Ellie is broken by the deaths of those who stood beside her in this Heavenly war. Still, she must find a way to save the world, herself, and her love for Will. If she fails, there will be hell to pay.

From Goodreads

What an explosive sophomore novel for Courtney! I was so excited to hop back into Ellie’s story and see what challenges she was going to face next. There were quite a few twists and turns that I wasn’t expecting. It was also a lot more risque than the first. I think that Courtney took some chances this time around in terms of more taboo topics, especially for YA. But the story was just as amazing. I enjoyed the romance a lot because it had more layers. It wasn’t just relationship building, it was conflict, both internal and external, and desire.

Ellie is the same kickass girl that we met in Angelfire. She’s been training and patrolling and trying to come to terms with the fact that she’s really the archangel Gabriel. Things are made even harder for her because of the distance Will is trying to keep from her. He’s afraid of the consequences from Michael if he disobeys and pursues more of a relationship with Ellie aside from the Preliator-Guardian relationship. It was easy to see the difficulties both Ellie and Will were having by trying to keep the relationship professional.

We got to see a lot more of Nathaniel and Lauren in this book, which I thought was awesome. They’re Will’s family and I feel like getting to know them helps us to understand Will a bit better. Cadan is a great addition to this novel. We met him in the first, but really get to know him in the second. We see him as a person with feelings rather than as a demonic reaper. We also learn a lot of his secrets.

The storyline was just as exciting as the first. Ellie’s got the toughest demonic reapers coming after her so that Bastian can perform a ritual that will stop her from ever being reincarnated again, by killing her soul. But Ellie still wants to hold onto her human life: her friends, her school, her family. I think that makes her a lot more relatable. Not a lot of people can relate to being a reincarnated archangel stuck in a teenaged human body, but they can relate to things in their life changing and trying to hold onto the constants. That’s one of my favourite things about Ellie as a character, and Courtney’s writing.

This review is kind of all over the place, but I basically want you to know that this second novel matches the first perfectly, that the characters and the writing are perfect continuations of the first, and that this is one sequel that you do not want to miss. Now I’m dying waiting for the next one, since Courtney left it off on a huge cliffhanger!

In My Mailbox (38)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme that gives bloggers a chance to share what books they've received in the last week. It's hosted by The Story Siren and you can find out more info about it here.




I haven't gotten any books in a while because I was in Kenya teaching. I did have a review book in my inbox when I got home, and took advantage of a sale at Chapters to pick up a few books I'm dying to read! Here's what I got:

Bought
Pandemonium (Delirium #2) by Lauren Oliver {Goodreads | Book Depository | Amazon}
Fever (The Chemical Garden #2) by Lauren DeStefano {Goodreads | Book Depository | Amazon}
Above by Leah Bobet {Goodreads | Book Depository | Amazon}

For review
Long Night Moon (Seasons of the Moon #3) by S.M. Reine (ebook) {Goodreads | Amazon}
Thanks to the author for the ebook review copy!

I've already made my way swiftly through Long Night Moon and loved it. S.M. Reine is one of my favourite self-published authors, and this series is definitely at the top of my favourites as well.
As for the other books, I'm so excited to read the two sequels because the first books in these series were some of my favourite debuts from last year. I'm really excited to read Above because it's a 2012 debut and the author is Canadian! That's even Toronto on the front cover! I also feel special, because it's not even out anywhere else until next month ;)

What did you get this week?

Judging a Book by Its Cover (5)

I do Judging a Book by Its Cover randomly, when I collect several book covers that I think are worthy of being judged as awesome! You can see all my Judging a Book by Its Cover posts here.

Links will direct you to the corresponding Goodreads pages.

Time Between Us by Tamara Ireland Stone | October 9, 2012
Embers and Echoes (Wildefire #2) by Karsten Knight | August 28, 2012

Black City by Elizabeth Richards | November 13, 2012
Gravity by Melissa West | October 16, 2012

Breathe by Sarah Crossan | October 2, 2012
A Fractured Light (A Beautiful Dark #2) by Jocelyn Davies | September 25, 2012

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater | September 18, 2012
Beautiful Redemption (Caster Chronicles #4) by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl | October 23, 2012

Defiance by C.J. Redwine | August 28, 2012
What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang | September 18, 2012

What do you think of these covers? Which ones are you anticipating the most? Let me know in the comments!

Have a Good Weekend & Happy Reading!

Waiting on Wednesday (51)

"Waiting on" Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that showcases upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating!





This week I'm waiting on:

The Selection by Kiera Cass
Publication date: April 24, 2012

Synopsis:
For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in the palace and compete for the heart of the gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself- and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

From Goodreads

Why I want it: Ok, that cover for starters, is fantastic. I love how her reflections have different poses, and of course that dress is fabulous. The storyline reminds me a little bit of The Bachelor and Lauren DeStefano's Wither. I think it'll be really interesting to see what Cass's "world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels" ends up looking like.

Interesting tidbit of info: The Selection has actually been picked up by The CW to be made into a TV series. Visit Kiera Cass's website for more info!

What upcoming releases are you looking forward to?

Teaser Tuesday (41)

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme, hosted by MizB of Should be Reading. Just do the following:

Grab your current read

Open to a random page

Share two "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page

DO NOT INCLUDE SPOILERS (make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away, so that you don't ruin the book for others)

Share the title and author so that other participants can add the book to their TBR list is they like your teasers!

I'm reading the third book in my favourite self-published series right now. The book is called Long Night Moon, and it's written by the fabulous S.M. Reine. Here's my teaser:

The wolf rose in her gut at the smell of a challenger. Rylie's body seized, and she bowed her head against the strength of it.

It's not much, but as I'm reading book 3 in a series, I don't want to give you any spoilers. This one just came out on Friday and I'm really happy that I have an eARC so I could start it earlier than that. And I just finished it on Monday. Seriously, this is my favourite self-pubbed series.

Check out the acrostic I wrote for a Must Read Monday post, using the title of the first book, Six Moon Summer. You can also find my review for Six Moon Summer here, and for All Hallows' Moon (book 2) here.

Feel free to share your teasers. I'd love to see what you're reading!

Review: The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa

Title: The Iron Daughter
Author: Julie Kagawa
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Publish Date: August 1, 2010
Genre: YA, fantasy
Pages: 288 (ebook)
Series: Iron Fey
1. The Iron King (review)
2. The Iron Daughter
3. The Iron Queen (January 25, 2011)
4. The Iron Knight (October 26, 2011)

**WARNING: SPOILERS**

Synopsis:
Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron fey--ironbound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her.

Worse, Meghan's own fey powers have been cut off. She's stuck in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can't help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart.

From Goodreads

I was a little afraid about what I’d find in the pages of The Iron Daughter. I was afraid to see the way Ash treated Meghan because I knew how much it would break her heart and mine, even if he was doing it to protect her. From a romantic point of view, this book was brutal. But it also kept me turning the pages because I knew Ash couldn’t keep up the facade forever, no matter how much he wanted to protect her.

And just like the first book, it was packed full of action and stuff happening. The great thing is that Kagawa can write in such a way that she can pack lots of stuff into a story without it seeming rushed or like there’s too much going on. When the plot really explodes and the ball starts rolling, it gets crazy in the Nevernever. Ash flip flops so much it’s got your head spinning. Grimalkin is useful... when he decides to show up. Puck adds confusion, and yet also comfort. And Ironhorse is a surprising ally.

Although poor Meghan is distracted by her conflicted feelings for Ash, she still manages to be a pretty badass girl who’s intent on her purpose and not willing to falter. She may be pretty damaged because of Ash, but she still have her priorities straight. First, prevent a war between the Summer and Winter Courts. After that, everything else.

I’m very interested to see where this story goes next, especially after the ending that Kagawa gave us. The titles also increase my curiosity. I can see now how “The Iron Daughter” is a good title for the second book, and now I want to see why the next is called The Iron Queen.