{Review} of Demon Slave by Kiersten Fay

Demon Slave by Kiersten Fay
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

GENRE: Science Fiction Romance
THEME: Demon, Paranormal
RECEIVED: Author
AUTHORS BLOG: Kiersten Fays' Site

BLURB:

Marik Radkov believed the only thing left from his tortured past was the physical scars that adorned his body. But when he is stranded on a foreign planet, and held captive by an enticing blue eyed stranger, he is forced to face his past once more. To survive, he must subdue his lust, while keeping the mysterious and sexy woman from snaring his heart.

After escaping a violent assault of her home planet, Princess Nadua has been hiding on the cold planet Undewla for four hundred years, all but losing hope that her people will return for her. When the threat of a rebellion arises, Nadua must decide if she can trust the ruthless demon who strokes a desire she thought was long dead.

REVIEW:
It’s been a while since I read the first in the shadow quest series but as soon as I started, I immediately was drawn back in the world of demons and space pirates. I loved Sebastian and Anya’s story so much and was thrilled to read about them again even as secondary characters. This time around we get to follow Marik, a crewmember from Sebastians ship who is trying to track down Anya’s long lost sister. As always Fay creates lots of friction, romance, an alien planet and some great secondary characters.

Demon Slave follows Marik who is thrown right in the middle of a battle when his ship lands on a new planet. Trying to track down his captains mates sister, he is captured by a strange group who is lead by an exotic woman they know as their Queen, whom Marik cant resist. Not long after he discovers that the one he’s looking for is right in front of him, he must convince her that his Demon side means her no harm. But these two not only have to start trusting each other but also watch their backs from the danger that’s close to home for this tough Queen.

Marik is a damage guy and demon, but he has a warrior’s heart. He was once s slave and sadly is afraid of losing control and blacking out in the moment of his Edge. I felt bad for this guy as Fay digs deep into his past, the readers get glimpses of his tougher days. He was great in this plot, with his smoking hot charm and the chemistry that sizzled whenever he was near Nadua. I also got frustrated along with him because Nadua just didn’t make things easy for him even though he clearly wasn’t trying to hurt her. But anyways I loved his protectiveness and how when he fights he just goes into warrior mode and takes care of business.

Nadua was not my favorite heroine; I was a bit frustrated with her especially since I adored Analia in the first book. Nadua is tough, untrusting and doesn’t seem to want to understand what happening around her. I didn’t like how she treated Marik coldly one minute and then fall for him the next and then changed her mind again. I wanted to shake her and just take Marik for myself. But in the end I think she started to become a character I could like, she opened up and realized that Marik was trying to help her.

Overall I enjoyed this second installment, even though it wasn’t as strong as the first book, I loved reading about the old characters and tying in the storyline from the first with this one. Plus the readers get a bonus plot happening with Sonya and Ethan, which I’m dying to read more about these two! As always with Fay she knows how to steam up the pages with her character, while also creating an intriguing plot that keeps you on your toes. I look forward to reading about these memorable characters.

RECOMMENDATION:
This is an adult novel with lots of sexual content that is for mature readers. If you’re a fan of Ann Aguirre Sirantha Jax series or Larissa Iones’ Demonica series, you will love this!

View all my reviews

{Spotlight of the Week} The Experiment in Terror series by Karina Halle

This weeks spotlight of the week is the EIT Series by Karina Halle. A mix of paranormal, horror, romance and character that just keep getting better and better!

If you haven't read a book by Karina Hall your missing out...badly. She is a fantastic character writer and she gets down to the nitty gritty of things. her Experiment in Terror series is my absolute favorite horror/romance/paranormal, I cant get enough of Dex and Perry. Come Alive which releases in June is book 7 and I cant wait to see what ghostly troubles Dex and Perry get into next.

Quoted on Goodreads:
In a large, flaky nut­shell, the Exper­i­ment in Ter­ror Series is an eight-part sci-fi/fantasy/horror series that revolves around a pair of ghost hunters. Well, aspir­ing ghost hunters, any­way. After film­ing a creepy expe­ri­ence in her uncle’s dilap­i­dated light­house, 22-year old Perry Palomino becomes a YouTube and inter­net star overnight. She attracts the atten­tion of Dex Foray, a pro­ducer and cam­era­man for a site that spe­cial­izes in var­i­ous webisodes, who con­vinces her to be a host for a low-budget ghost hunt­ing series. The only prob­lem is, nei­ther Perry or Dex are entirely “with it” — I mean, they see ghosts, after all. And when the duo isn’t wrestling with their very notion of real­ity, they’re grap­pling with a work­ing rela­tion­ship that’s deep-cut with sex­ual ten­sion. As the series moves on, lead­ing Perry and Dex to new locales and super­nat­ural sit­u­a­tions, their lives become more and more inter­twined, where they dis­cover that ghosts aren’t the only things that can haunt them.

Come Alive: EIT #7 (June)
BLURB: 
It’s one thing to bring the woman you love back into your life. It’s another to try and keep her there. For Dex Foray, con­vinc­ing Perry Palomino to open her­self to their bur­geon­ing rela­tion­ship has been more chal­leng­ing than hunt­ing ghosts, bat­tling demons and stalk­ing Sasquatch com­bined. Add in the fact that the only way they can keep their Exper­i­ment in Ter­ror show run­ning is to take on a third part­ner in the form of the mys­te­ri­ous Max­imus Jacobs — all while inves­ti­gat­ing a sin­is­ter voodoo sect in New Orleans — and you’ve got the per­fect South­ern storm and a recipe for dis­as­ter. Luck­ily, Dex has never been one to back down, even when his life –and heart — are on the line.

Come Alive is told from Dex’s POV.

Karina Halles Site

{Review} of Dare You To by Katie McGarry

Dare You To by Katie McGarry
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

GENRE: Young Adult
THEME: Contemporary Romance
RECEIVED: NetGalley
AUTHORS BLOG: Katie McGarrys' Site

BLURB:

Ryan lowers his lips to my ear. "Dance with me, Beth."

"No." I whisper the reply. I hate him and I hate myself for wanting him to touch me again....

"I dare you..."

If anyone knew the truth about Beth Risk's home life, they'd send her mother to jail and seventeen-year-old Beth who knows where. So she protects her mom at all costs. Until the day her uncle swoops in and forces Beth to choose between her mom's freedom and her own happiness. That's how Beth finds herself living with an aunt who doesn't want her and going to a school that doesn't understand her. At all. Except for the one guy who shouldn't get her, but does....

Ryan Stone is the town golden boy, a popular baseball star jock-with secrets he can't tell anyone. Not even the friends he shares everything with, including the constant dares to do crazy things. The craziest? Asking out the Skater girl who couldn't be less interested in him.

But what begins as a dare becomes an intense attraction neither Ryan nor Beth expected. Suddenly, the boy with the flawless image risks his dreams-and his life-for the girl he loves, and the girl who won't let anyone get too close is daring herself to want it all....

REVIEW:
I applaud McGarry, she has done it again, creating a story of two young teens who find out that they need each other and help pull through all the hardships with their families’ lives. I thought nothing could top Pushing the Limits but Dare You To comes in neck and neck. Even though I was not a fan of Beth, after reading her story and understanding why she is the way she is, I was able to like her and root for her to find happiness.

Dare You To follows Beth, a damaged young teen whose family life is anything but perfect. Her mother is a mess and the man she’s seeing hurts her and Beth any chance he gets. Luckily Beth’s uncle comes in and tries to help repair the damage that is Beth’s life. But as always she doesn’t make it easy to help her. After meeting Ryan, Beth starts to slowly open up, see’s what life might be like if she had people that cared for her. Ryan too see’s that his life has always been what his family wanted and not his choice, but Beth changes his way of thinking. Together trying to fix the broken pieces in each other’s lives.

Beth is one infuriating and emotional character, as the reader, finding out about her past and family troubles, I can seriously not blame her for being so negative and untrusting. She is so full of hate and doesn’t want to let anyone in, she has so many issues that I was happy that her uncle fought to find a way through all her layers to see if she’ll let him in. My only major issue was Beth’s insistence in helping her mother, that women seriously didn’t deserve a daughter who was so devoted to helping her. I wished that she would of thought things through a little better, it some instances it got annoying with her obsession of helping her mom. Her relationship with Isaiah, was focused on as well, not forgetting everything he’s done for her. Between Ryan and Isaiah it was an interesting dynamic, both these characters are a future and past, Beth has to find out what she really needs and wants.

Ryan has a lot of ups and downs in his family; know where near as bad as Beth but enough to hope that he finds a way to get through it. He’s a smart kid and a seriously amazing athlete. I felt bad for this guy as well, he is trapped, his family makes the decision and his father (who is super frustrating) only wants Ryan to have the life he (his dad) wants. I loved how Beth helped Ryan see reason with his family problems, as he helped her. I liked how Ryan was so opposite of Beth, the chemistry was off the charts, the banter was perfect, the perfect guy with the imperfect girl.

Overall this is a heavy story, the emotional sides of both characters, the readers will be rooting for these two to have some happiness. There are so many other characters that helped make this story amazing and I’m hoping the readers will connect with them again in the next books. I can’t wait for Isaiah’s story I already know its going to be one heck of a book.

RECOMMENDATION:
This is a young adult novel with romance and majorly tough family situations. Fans of Jennifer Echols Such a Rush and Lara Zielin’s The Waiting Sky should read Dare To You by Katie McGarry a.s.a.p!

View all my reviews

{Cover Reveal + Giveaway} of Michael (Sons of Old Trilogy, #2) by Annabell Cadiz

Seeing Night is happy to reveal the cover for Michael the second installment to the Sons of Old Trilogy by Annabell Cadiz.

Michael (Sons of Old Trilogy, #2)
Author: Annabell Cadiz
Genre: New Adult, Supernatural, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal
Estimated Publication Date: August 2013
Goodreads

BLURB:

Zahara Faraday looks like a normal eighteen-year-old and lives in a quiet neighborhood with her overprotective parents. She works at a bookstore and hangs out with her best friend Becca King on a daily basis. But underneath the normal lies a secret life filled with dangerous supernaturals. Zahara belongs to a world made of Light Witches, rogue Imagoes (supernatural creatures with super strength, speed), fallen angels, and Nephilim (hybrid children born half-human, half-angel). Where her father Solomon Faraday is human, her mother Mia and her Aunt Catalina are Light Witches. They help protect the human world by hunting down rogue supernaturals who commit heinous acts against humans.

What they never expected was the possibility of having to hunt down the one rogue coven they had befriended and come to trust in their battle against Lucifer. Rekesh Saint-Louis is the leader of the most powerful Imago coven in Florida and now he’s the most wanted. Supernatural bodies are starting to pile up with an ancient ritual long forbade being used to murder them and the symbol, one large cross with four smaller crosses around it, which represents Rekesh’s coven, being left behind. Rekesh and the Elders of his coven set out to find who is behind the murders and clearing his name before a war between the covens begins. To make matters more difficult, Rekesh also has to deal with the return of someone he would rather preferred stayed away.

Meanwhile, Zahara and Becca are spending more time brushing up on their training, knowing an attack from Lucifer can come at any moment. Between patrolling neighborhoods and hanging at the boarding school created by Charles Stephens—a fallen angel who created the school to protect the children of rogue supernaturals—they are introduced to an old friend of Charles, Michael. Zahara begins to develop a closer bond with Jason as they train and chase down clues to clear Rekesh’s name. Jason also starts to develop a close bond with Michael, protecting a very powerful secret.

But Rekesh’s coven being set up isn’t the only danger. A new powerful and lethal drug has emerged from the shadows of the supernatural world called Inferi. A side effect of the drug: it leaves the supernatural hungering for blood—both human and supernatural.

Lucifer is on the move and he will stop at nothing to get his hands on Zahara and complete the first act of his plan.

A battle is about to begin.

One that may cost the Faraday family everything they hold most dear.

AUTHOR BIO:
Annabell Cadiz was born in the sweltering heat of South Florida. She was raised surrounded by Puerto Rican chefs and band of siblings that weren’t all related to her. A self-proclaimed nerd and book-a-holic (her room does hold much evidence to prove her claims are justifiable), she created TeamNerd Reviews to showcase her EXTREME love for novels where, along with her best friend, Bridget Strahin, she hosts book reviews, interviews, giveaways, Indie Shoutouts and much more. She also blog tour services for authors. She also had the pleasure of being published in three separate issue of Suspense Magazine. She also adores Cinnamon Teddy Grahams, has an addiction to Minute Maid Orange juice, and is a proud Jesus Freak. She is working on getting LUCIFER, the first book in SONS OF OLD TRILOGY ready to be published.

Where to Find the Author: Website/Goodreads/TeamNerd Reviews/Twitter/Pinterest

FILL OUT THE RAFFLECOPTERS BELOW TO ENTER BOTH GIVEAWAYS

Sons of Old Trilogy Giveaway

**Opened to U.S. and International Fans**

**Must be 13 or older to participate**

**Winner will be selected on MAY 31, 2013 and have 24 HOURS to respond before another winner is selected**

Ten Lucky Winners Will Receive E-Copy of Lucifer (Sons of Old Trilogy, #1) and ARC of Michael (Sons of Old Trilogy, #2) (once its ready)

One Lucky Winner Will Receive
E-Copy of Lucifer (Sons of Old Trilogy, #1) by Annabell Cadiz
A cupcake keychain
Body wash from Bath and Body Works in the scent of Pin Chiffon
Girls Rock Wristband & Mini Notebook

{Review} A Witch's Handbook of Kisses and Curses by Molly Harper

A Witch's Handbook of Kisses and Curses by Molly Harper
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

GENRE: Paranormal Romance
THEME: Witches, Vampire, and Shifters
RECEIVED: Edelweiss
AUTHORS BLOG: Molly Harpers' Site

BLURB:

Nola Leary would have been content to stay in Kilcairy, Ireland, healing villagers at her family’s clinic with a mix of magic and modern medicine. But a series of ill-timed omens and a deathbed promise to her grandmother have sent her on a quest to Half-Moon Hollow, Kentucky, to secure her family’s magical potency for the next generation. Her supernatural task? To unearth four artifacts hidden by her grandfather before a rival magical family beats her to it.

Complication One: Her grandfather was Mr. Wainwright and the artifacts are lost somewhere in what is now Jane Jameson's book shop.

Complication Two: her new neighbor, Jed Trudeau, who keeps turning up half naked at the strangest times, a distraction Nola doesn't need. And teaming up with a real-life Adonis is as dangerous as it sounds, especially when he’s got the face of an angel and the abs of a washboard—can Nola complete her mission before falling completely under his spell?

REVIEW:
I adored Molly Harpers Naked Werewolf series, I’m always looking for paranormal romances with a great sense of humor and Harper is the go to author for that. I hadn’t read the first in the Half Moon Hollow series but was easily pulled into this fun and humorous world without feeling lost. This series does mention many characters from the Jane Jameson series, fans of that series will be excited but don’t worry the new characters are the main focus.

A Witch’s Handbook of Kisses and Curses follows Nola Leary, a witch who travels to Half-Moon Hollow to keep her promise to her grandmother. She is searching for special artifacts that will secure the magic in her family for the next generation. But she has a couple of obstacles in the way; one being a rival family of witches, two that the artifacts are hidden in who knows where in town, and three her very attractive new neighbor. Nola has a time limit, the clock is ticking and the enemy is getting closer.

Nola is such a fun character that is definitely overwhelmed with trying to keep a secret from her boyfriend, meet long lost relatives and accidentally ending up with two jobs. As always in Harpers books the humor is my favorite and Nola has some great one-liners and scenes. I loved her friendship with everyone she meets in town, especially her neighbor Jed. What frustrated me the most was she obviously wasn’t feeling that connection to her boyfriend; he doesn’t even like her family, I wanted her to see that this guy wasn’t for her a little sooner. But nonetheless I adored Nola as characters on a mission and her journey as she discovers more about herself and that her enemies may surprise her.

Jed was a unique character; I knew he was up to something and that he was a supernatural in some manner. This guy will surprise you in every way, I had know idea there was going to be such a shocker with his character. He always seems to catch Nola at some funny moments; of course she can’t seem to get this guy off her mind. The relationship between the two was paced well with lots of banter and chemistry that made me love this couples development.

Overall Harper does a fantastic job introducing characters into an already evolved town from another series. I didn’t feel that I needed to read the other series to understand because Nola was the focus. I loved every character, they all brought something special to the plot and of course humor. In the end I’ll definitely be coming back to this world and can’t wait to see what happens next with Nola and what new characters Harper introduces.

RECOMMENDATION:
This is an adult novel with lots of humor, steamy moments and unforgettable characters. Fans of authors Katie MacAlister and Lynsay Sands will love this series.

View all my reviews

{Blog Tour} Review + Giveaway for Terra by Gretchen Powell

Seeing Night Reviews is the next stop in the Terra Blog Tour for Gretchen Powell.

Terra by Gretchen Powell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

GENRE: YA Dystopian
THEME: Science Fiction, Romance
RECEIVED: Blog Tour
AUTHORS BLOG: Gretchen Powells' Site

BLURB:

A broken and desolate Earth. A young girl struggling to survive. A lost boy with a powerful secret.

A discovery that will change everything.
In the distant wake of a plague that has decimated the Earth's population, humanity is split in two: The rich and powerful live in skycities that float overhead, while those who remain on the ground have gathered in settlements strewn across a dying planet. Eighteen-year-old Terra Rhodon is a terrestrial--a denizen of the barren groundworld--who makes her living as a scav. Long abandoned by her father, her caregivers gone, Terra supports herself and her younger brother, Mica, by scouring the earth for discarded scraps and metals to recycle for profit. One day, while on a routine scavenging run, she discovers something that shocks her home settlement of Genesis X-16. When the value of her discovery is revealed, Terra's world is turned upside down.
Terra suddenly finds herself asking questions no one will answer. Her search for the truth leads her to Adam--a beguiling skydweller unlike any she has ever met. But Adam has secrets and a quest of his own, and with him by her side, the world Terra thought she knew begins to unravel. Soon her discoveries unearth a terrifying conspiracy that has the potential to shatter everything--a revelation that will test the bonds of loyalty, family, and love.

REVIEW:
Even with the heavy amount of dystopian novels that have come out recently I was excited to read Terra because it focuses on science fiction. The characters are easy to connect too, the plot has many surprises and the romance is sure to hook the readers.

Terra follows a young terrestrial girl named Terra; she is the sole provider for her and her brother Mica. Meaning she must put herself in danger each day to scavenge for anything that she collect to trade for money. But on one scavenge she discovers an unusual object that changes everything. Being apart of the poor people that live on earth she never seen much money until she trades in the object. With that she begins to ask questions, until she meets someone who has all the answers.

Terra fits the bill to most dystopian female protagonist, with her tough exterior and survival instincts. She is the main caretaker and will do anything to keep her brother safe. Taking on a role as the provider, it was interesting to see how she and her brother Mica interact. Their relationship is strong, even though he gives her a hard time at some moments. He’s only thirteen but extremely smart and knows that his sister is taking in a lot on her shoulders. She is someone who wants answers to everything, especially when collections day comes and she’s given more money than she could ever dream of for some scrap she found. Her questions lead her to danger and that where she meets Adam.

Adam is one big mystery; he’s also the most fascinating character and my favorite. He clashes with Terra a bit in the beginning, she slowly begins to trust him after he helps her a couple of times. I do have a pet peeve about characters relationships going from banter to insta-love; I wish it was paced a little more evenly to evolve. But nonetheless I loved their interactions and how Adams secret give her one heck of a wake up call. In the end the readers will find out how important Adam is and that Terra might be in a little over her head now that she’s met him.

Overall get ready for a science fiction thrill ride, the plot may have that dystopian aspect that sounds familiar, but the science fiction twist adds a punch to excite any reader. With mystery, romance, conspiracy, family love and great character development this is a story that I was glad to read. What I found interesting was how the rich and poor were divided by sky and land; it was original along with the plot that kept me reading in one sitting. The ending isn’t so much a cliffhanger as it’s a beginning to something big and exiting. I can’t wait to see what’s next for Terra, Mica and Adam.

RECOMMENDATION:
This is a young adult science fiction novel with some minor violence and kissing but overall a book for everyone. Fans of The Host by Stephenie Meyers and Taken by Erin Bowman will enjoy Terra by Gretchen Powell.

View all my reviews

About the Author
Half-Chinese and the daughter of a US diplomat, Gretchen Powell spent her childhood growing up in far-off places. She made it all the way to her mid-twenties whilst maintaining her deep-seated love for young adult novels, so she decided to write one of her own.

Her creative process involves copious amounts of Sour Patch Kids and sleeping fitfully. Her many interests include anything with polka dots, Harry Potter, and playing the ukulele.

When she isn't crafting devastated futuristic worlds and fiery heroines, Gretchen also writes a healthy living blog, entitled "Honey, I Shrunk the Gretchen!"

She lives in Northern Virginia with her two adorable miniature schnauzers. They wear many sweaters.

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK| GOODREADS |

WEBSITE/BLOG | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | GOODREADS

GOODREADS | AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE

Chapters 1 & 2 are available to read online

A signed copy of the book and three signed bookmarks to ONE WINNER.

The giveaway is US ONLY.

{Blog Tour} Review of The Watcher by Lisa Voisin

Seeing Night Reviews is the next stop in The Watcher blog tour for Lisa Voisin.

The Watcher by Lisa Voisin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

GENRE: YA Paranormal
THEME: Angels, Demons, Romance
RECEIVED: Author
AUTHORS BLOG: Lisa Voisins' Site

BLURB:

Millennia ago, he fell from heaven for her.
Can he face her without falling again?

Fascinated with ancient civilizations, seventeen-year-old Mia Crawford dreams of becoming an archaeologist. She also dreams of wings—soft and silent like snow—and somebody trying to steal them.

When a horrible creature appears out of thin air and attacks her, she knows Michael Fontaine is involved, though he claims to know nothing about it. Secretive and aloof, Michael evokes feelings in Mia that she doesn’t understand. Images of another time and place haunt her. She recognizes them—but not from any textbook.

In search of the truth, Mia discovers a past life of forbidden love, jealousy and revenge that tore an angel from Heaven and sent her to an early grave. Now that her soul has returned, does she have a chance at loving that angel again? Or will an age-old nemesis destroy them both?
Ancient history is only the beginning.

REVIEW:
I was thrilled to be asked to be apart of The Watcher tour; I’m always looking for new and exciting series in the paranormal genre, especially with some romance mixed in. The Watcher is filled with mystery, romance, and paranormal tidbits with angels and demons that will make the reader fly through the pages.

The Watcher follows Mia a young girl who is always on edge after a frightening incident and shadowy figures chased her in the woods. After seeing a mysterious boy in the woods after everything that happened, it surprised her even more to find out he attends her school. Mia can’t seem to get it out of her head that she’s met Michael before and the closer she gets to him the more dangerous her life becomes.

Mia was a little hard for me to connect too; these days I feel all the lead female characters are starting to sounds repetitive. She does get a bit whiney at times and unfortunately that’s one of my pet peeves. Mia faces many challenges and is trying to put the pieces together of how she knows Michael and why she’s drawn to him. I really enjoyed unfolding Mia’s past; there is so much about her character that will surprise the reader. I also liked that even though the story focused highly on her relationship with Michael she stayed a true friend to Heather and Fiona. Mia’s relationship with Michael is complicated but has so many sweet and insanely hot moments that the readers will be rooting for these two all the way through.

Michael I felt was the more complex character and the readers will definitely enjoy the history and unfolding mystery behind his presence. He’s the broody type at the beginning but slowly Mia peels back the wall and finds her way to get him to open up to her. I loved every scene with them together, even though it frustrated me with Michael pushing her away and sometimes I felt he really needed to explain more to her.

Voisin creates a well thought out angel and demon history, that ties both Mia and Michael together. Where Michael is a fallen who is trying to recover from his past mistakes, Mia is the one piece of the puzzle Michael can’t let go. It’s a story of forbidden love between and angel and human and a darkness that doesn’t want them to be happy.

Overall I enjoy The Watcher, each character is well developed with a detailed history that will shock the reader but creates an interesting twist in the plot. The villain is both intriguing and dangerous, actually one of my favorite characters in the book. He adds some fun and complications that will keep the readers guessing on just how bad he is. My only issue was that a lot happens in the last half of the book, where the first half was a bit slow; I wished it were a more even pace. But nonetheless I enjoyed the romance; plot twist, angel lore and a great start to a new series.

RECOMMENDATION:
This is a young adult paranormal novel that brings to life a unique angel love story. Fans of The Collector by Victoria Scott and the Hush Hush series by Becca Fitzpatrick will enjoy The Watcher by Lisa Voisin.

View all my reviews

Find it: Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon.CA | B&N | Indie Bound | Inkspell | Kobo | Chapters / Indigo

AUTHOR BIO:
A Canadian-born author, Lisa Voisin spent her childhood daydreaming and making up stories, but it was her love of reading and writing in her teens that drew her to Young Adult fiction.

A self-proclaimed coffee lover, Lisa can usually be found writing in a local café. When she's not writing, you'll find her meditating or hiking in the mountains to counteract the side effects of drinking too much caffeine!

Though she’s lived in several cities across Canada, she currently lives in Vancouver, B.C. with her fiancé and their two cats.

Find her: Twitter | Facebook | Website | Blog

Lisa Voisin and Inkspell Publishing are giving away print (US/Canada/UK) and eBook (INT) copies of The Watcher as well as this lovely angel wing necklace.

{Spotlight of the Week} Q&A + Giveaway of Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness

This weeks spotlight of the week is Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness to celebrate the release of the paperback on may 28th. Check out the must read Q&A plus enter the giveaway!

A CONVERSATION WITH DEBORAH HARKNESS

Q: A Discovery of Witches debuted at # 2 on the New York Times bestseller list with publications following in 37 countries. What has been your reaction to the outpouring of love for A Discovery of Witches? Was it surprising how taken fans were with Diana and Matthew’s story?

A. It has been amazing—and a bit overwhelming. I was surprised by how quickly readers embraced two central characters who challenge our typical notion of what a heroine or hero should be. And I continue to be amazed whenever a new reader pops up, whether one in the US or somewhere like Finland or Japan—to tell me how much they enjoyed being caught up in Diana’s world.

Q: Last summer, Warner Brothers acquired screen rights to the trilogy, and David Auburn, the Pulitzer-Prize-winning writer of Proof, has been tapped to pen the screenplay. Are you looking forward to your novels being portrayed on the big screen? What are your favorite casting ideas that you’ve heard from friends and readers?

A. I was thrilled when Warner Brothers wanted to translate the All Souls trilogy from book to screen. At first I was reluctant about the whole idea of a movie, and it actually took me nearly two years to agree to let someone try. The team at Warner Brothers impressed me with their seriousness about the project and their commitment to the characters and story I was trying to tell. Their decision to go with David Auburn confirmed that my faith in them was not misplaced. As for the casting, I deliberately don’t say anything about that! I would hate for any actor or actress to be cast in one of these roles and feel that they didn’t have my total support. I will say, however, that many of my readers’ ideas involve actors who have already played a vampire and I would be very surprised if one of them were asked to be Matthew!

Q: SHADOW OF NIGHT opens on a scene in 1590s Elizabethan England featuring the famous School of Night, a group of historical figures believed to be friends, including Sir Walter Raleigh and playwright Christopher Marlowe. Why did you choose to feature these individuals, and can we expect Diana and Matthew to meet other famous figures from the past?

A. I wrote my master’s thesis on the imagery surrounding Elizabeth I during the last two decades of her reign. One of my main sources was the poem The Shadow of Night by George Chapman—a member of this circle of fascinating men—and that work is dedicated to a mysterious poet named Matthew Roydon about whom we know very little. When I was first thinking about how vampires moved in the world (and this was way back in the autumn of 2008 when I was just beginning A Discovery of Witches) I remembered Roydon and thought “that is the kind of identity a vampire would have, surrounded by interesting people but not the center of the action.” From that moment on I knew the second part of Diana and Matthew’s story would take place among the School of Night. And from a character standpoint, Walter Raleigh, Christopher Marlowe, George Chapman, and the other men associated with the group are irresistible. They were such significant, colorful presences in Elizabethan England.

Q: In SHADOW OF NIGHT, we learn more about the alchemical bonds between Diana and Matthew. In your day job, you are a professor of history and science at the University of Southern California and have focused on alchemy in your research. What aspects of this intersection between science and magic do you hope readers will pick up on while reading SHADOW OF NIGHT?

A. Whereas A Discovery of Witches focused on the literature and symbolism of alchemy, in Shadow of Night I’m able to explore some of the hands-on aspects of this ancient tradition. There is still plenty of symbolism for Diana to think about, but in this volume we go from abstractions and ideals to real transformation and change—which was always my intention with the series. Just as we get to know more about how Elizabethan men and women undertook alchemical experiments, we also get to see Matthew and Diana’s relationship undergo the metamorphosis from new love to something more.


Q: SHADOW OF NIGHT spans the globe, with London, France, and Prague as some of the locales. Did you travel to these destinations for your research?

A. I did. My historical research has been based in London for some time now, so I’ve spent long stretches of time living in the City of London—the oldest part of the metropolis—but I had never been to the Auvergne or Prague. I visited both places while writing the book, and in both cases it was a bit like traveling in time to walk village lanes, old pilgrim roads, and twisting city streets while imagining Diana and Matthew at my side.

Q: Did you have an idea or an outline for SHADOW OF NIGHT when you were writing A Discovery of Witches? Did the direction change once you sat down to write it?

A. I didn’t outline either book in the traditional sense. In both cases I knew what some of the high points were and how the plot moved towards the conclusion, but there were some significant changes during the revision process. This was especially true for SHADOW OF NIGHT, although most of those changes involved moving specific pieces of the plot forward or back to improve the momentum and flow.

Q: A Discovery of Witches begins with Diana Bishop stumbling across a lost, enchanted manuscript called Ashmole 782 in Oxford’s Bodleian Library, whose secrets Diana and Matthew are still trying to uncover in SHADOW OF NIGHT. You had a similar experience while you were completing your dissertation. What was the story behind your discovery? And how did it inspire the creation of these novels?

A. I did discover a manuscript—not an enchanted one, alas—in the Bodleian Library. It was a manuscript owned by Queen Elizabeth’s astrologer, the mathematician and alchemist John Dee. In the 1570s and 1580s he became interested in using a crystal ball to talk to angels. The angels gave him all kinds of instructions on how to manage his life at home, his work—they even told him to pack up his family and belongings and go to far-away Poland and Prague. In the conversations, Dee asked the angels about a mysterious book in his library called “the Book of Soyga” or “Aldaraia.” No one had ever been able to find it, even though many of Dee’s other books survive in libraries throughout the world. In the summer of 1994 I was spending time in Oxford between finishing my doctorate and starting my first job. It was a wonderfully creative time, since I had no deadlines to worry about and my dissertation on Dee’s angel conversations was complete. As with most discoveries, this discovery of a “lost” manuscript was entirely accidental. I was looking for something else in the Bodleian’s catalogue and in the upper corner of the page was a reference to a book called “Aldaraia.” I knew it couldn’t be Dee’s book, but I called it up anyway. And it turned out it WAS the book (or at least a copy of it). With the help of the Bodleian’s Keeper of Rare Books, I located another copy in the British Library.

Q: Are there other lost books like this in the world?

A. Absolutely! Entire books have been written about famous lost volumes—including works by Plato, Aristotle, and Shakespeare to name just a few. Libraries are full of such treasures, some of them unrecognized and others simply misfiled or mislabeled. And we find lost books outside of libraries, too. In January 2006, a completely unknown manuscript belonging to one of the 17th century’s most prominent scientists, Robert Hooke, was discovered when someone was having the contents of their house valued for auction. The manuscript included minutes of early Royal Society meetings that we presumed were lost forever.

Q: Unlike Twilight’s Bella and Edward—hormonal teenagers who meet in the halls of a high school—your leading characters Matthew and Diana are established academics who meet in the library of one of the most prestigious academic institutions in the world. This is a world where vampires and witches drink wine together, practice yoga and discuss philosophy. Are these characters based on something you found missing in the fantasy genre?

A. There are a lot of adults reading young adult books, and for good reason. Authors who specialize in the young adult market are writing original, compelling stories that can make even the most cynical grownups believe in magic. In writing A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES, I wanted to give adult readers a world no less magical, no less surprising and delightful, but one that included grown-up concerns and activities. These are not your children’s vampires and witches.

SHADOW OF NIGHT picks up exactly where A Discovery of Witches left off: Diana Bishop and Matthew Clairmont, a witch historian and vampire geneticist respectively, have timewalked to Elizabethan England on their hunt for a magical alchemical manuscript, Ashmole 782—its sudden appearance and sudden disappearance have upended the delicately ordered world of magical creatures (witches, vampires, and daemons), threatening to unleash unprecedented metaphysical chaos.

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Paperback copy of the Shadow of Night + Buttons

{Review} of Once by Dana Michelle Burnett

Once by Dana Michelle Burnett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

GENRE: Fantasy
THEME: Magic, Mystery
RECEIVED: Author
AUTHORS BLOG: Dana Michelle Burnetts' Site

BLURB:

Beautiful. Secretive. Magical. You envy their freedom, but you are distrustful of their ways. A strange carnival has come to Corydon, Indiana and the Irish Travellers have captured the small town's attention--but it's Harmony who's attracted theirs.

Harmony sees the Travellers everywhere and just like everyone else in town she's curious. But once she meets the mysterious and captivating Kieran, Harmony's life takes an exciting and chilling turn.

Up until now, Harmony never believed that fairy tales or myths were real, but Kieran and his family belong to an ancient tribe called the Tuatha de Dannan and someone else has discovered their secret.

An ancient battle is about to begin again, and now no one is safe, especially Harmony. Can Kieran resist the urge to be with her or will his feelings put her in the crossfire?

REVIEW:
Once is a quick read with a magical touch and romance that the readers will remember. This is the first book in the Gypsy Fairy Tale series, so there is no doubt that I can’t wait to read the next book after the ending left me wanting more.

Once follows Harmony a young woman who has just lost her grandmother and the only person left in her family. She takes over her grandmothers feed store in her small town and tries to move forward. But when the carnival comes to town, it not only brings light to her lonely life but Kieran the one man who changes her life forever.

Harmony has lost enough in her life and is easily intrigue by the carnival and the people apart of it. But she doesn’t know that she’s caught the eye of one of the performers. She is just a normal girl trying to keep her business, the only thing has left afloat. Harmony can’t help but fall for Kieran, the carnivals magician, who is keeping a big secret from her. I loved watching their romance grow and the mystery behind who Kieran is comes to light. Kieran is a character full of mystery and charm. The readers will easily be capitated by him and his fellow travelers. The town people themselves are great secondary characters, with the gossipers and stories they spread, add to Harmony’s intrigue.

This story I felt was more of a novella, with how quickly is moved through the plot. I wished it was a little bit longer, but the details and characters did get enough page time that I didn’t feel like it was rushed. Harmony’s character is put in a difficult situation and a war that is unknown to many, I feel this will be a great start to move into the next book. I don’t want to get into much more detail as I feel with the length of this book; I will give away too much. If you’re looking for romance, magic, mystery and characters that will grasp your interest right from the start, then this is the book for you.

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