Metamorphosis Blog Tour: Review & Giveaway

Metamorphosis (The Immortal Archives #2) by Devon Ashley

Published: November 15, 2011

 

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

 

Change is not always a good thing...

Some survived the battle – but not without a price. As one heart starts up again, another dies down. The pure vampires learn their immortality isn't as strong as they'd thought – the status of their hearts determines their vulnerability. And when the truth gets out, a betrayal by one of their own will cost more lives.

 

Review

 

With the way Ordained ended, I couldn't wait to sink my teeth into Metamorphosis. And I have to say, it didn't disappoint! It was non-stop action from the start. Quit a few times this book had me gasping loudly or holding my breath. I may have even yelled at it once or twice because Devon threw in a curve ball I wasn't expecting but it was a perfect play on her part. Everything was planned out so well and tied in nicely to the overall plot of the story. With how this one ended, I'm anxiously awaiting Catacombs!

 

Giveaway

 

Below is a picture of what Devon is graciously giving away followed by a Rafflecopter. The winners receive: GRAND PRIZE-a signed paperback and a $25 gift card to LUSH. 4 RUNNER-UP PRIZES-an ebook. Good luck to everyone!

 

 

 

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Dust Blog Tour: Review

Dust by Devon Ashley
Released today (9/18/2012)

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

4. The number of times my delicate wings have been broken and clamped behind my back.
68. The number inked upon my skin, marking me the sixty-eighth pixie to be stolen.
87. The number of days I’ve been wrongfully imprisoned.
88. The first day the faeries will regret stealing me.
Healthy. Cheery. Vivacious. All traits Rosalie has before becoming enslaved by the faeries to make an endless supply of pixie dust. Now that Rosalie has been traumatized by slave labor, extreme desolate conditions and multiple deaths, this hardened pixie is anything but. When this rebellious teenager attempts an escape, she’s isolated in cramped quarters until she learns her place. Just as she begins to let go of all that hope, she finds an unlikely friend in Jack, the faerie assigned to guard her. Interspecies dating is forbidden in the fae world, so their growing attraction is unacceptable. And even if Jack can find a way to free her, they know the prison is the only place they can truly be together.
Clean YA Fantasy.

Review
So this should have been posted sooner but (1) I'm not a morning person so I refused to wake myself up to post it and (2) RL called me into work.
So what did I think about Dust? FANTASTIC! I felt Rosalie's pain everytime they broke her wings. Felt her longing to go home. Felt her love for Jack. I'm a sap for romance, I really am, and Devon sure knows how to write it well. Dust was absolutely amazing that I seriously read it in about 24 hours. I couldn't even put it down. It was so very descriptive I could picture Rosalie's world and let me tell you, I want to live there in the Hollow. Rosalie is an amazingly badass character and extremely determined to get back home she doesn't let her cockiness shy away from her captors. I loved watching Jack and Rosalie's relationship grow each day she was imprisoned. I won't give away the ending but just know I smiled sooo big but still got heartbroken. I can't wait for the sequel to come out! I want to give Dust like a twenty star rating but since that's not a valid rating, it gets five stars from me!

Ordained Blog Tour: Book Review

Ordained (The Immortal Archives #1) by Devon Ashley

Type: eBook
Published: March 25th 2012 by Self (first published April 15th 2012)
ISBN: 0012190446 (ISBN13: 2940012190444)
Website: http://devonashleywrites.blogspot.com/
Summary:
Normally, the school creates the hunters - not the monsters.
Abby Sorrensten likes to play rough. Ripping the horns off the foreheads of demons, manipulating lightning and setting things on fire with the flick of your wrist can give you a serious rush. So she probably wasn't the best choice for the Order's experimental training program. Thirteen years of isolation, lack of affection and a bruised and broken body from horrendous training sessions creates more than just an exceptional fighter. It creates an evil within - an evil responsible for several deaths the night she left.
Two hundred years later Abby resurfaces as the very thing the Order trained her to kill: a vampire. A mythical demon has set his sights on the school and only the ordained hunter has the powers to face it. Unbeknownst to the Order, Abby's their precious ordained one and their only chance for survival. As much as she would love to leave them hanging, she's not willing to risk the life of Emily, a fellow friend and hunter also fed up with the organization.
But for Abby, locking herself away in a fortress with angry descendents of those she killed causes suspicions and tensions to run high. Abby must learn the demon's weaknesses for battle before the Order learns hers.
Review:
The beginning of Ordained starts out with a bang that has you thirsting for more.
Ordained was a new twist on vampires and not to mention the vampire hunters (haven’t read about them at all). I’m not going to lie when I say I really hated the idea of the hunters living in their academy. To me, it was more like a prison without the bars. The story really started to get interesting when Noel and Abby arrived. That’s when we got to know the characters on a deeper level and find out exactly how Abby and Noel survived for two hundred years. There’s also a twist with Emily that I really wasn’t expecting. I was kind of thrown for a loop there. Okay, not really. But I did think I had it figured out and turns out I was completely wrong.
I think my favorite character was Valerie. She was so misunderstood and left out. She was like the white crayon in the box. It’s placed in a box with all these other colorful crayons yet it’s isolated because it’s usually never used. So Valerie is a white crayon. I wish I could think of something better to compare her to but it’s kind of late as I type this and my funny side is really not in its full effect right now.
Oh and Abby, yeah she does some major ass kicking in this book. When you find out everything that happened to her while she was undergoing her training, you can’t help but root for her to come out on top. And she does.
There’s also crazy-ass demons rearing their ugly heads in Ordained. I blame the Order for all the fallen hunters.
If you enjoyed Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Angel you’ll definitely love this series! 5 STARS

DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT DEVON'S WEBSITE TO SEE WHERE THE GIVEAWAYS WILL BE DURING THE BLOG TOUR. CLICK THE BANNER BELOW TO BE DIRECTED TO THE PAGE AND ENJOY THE REST OF THE TOUR!

Review: Falling In Between (Falling #1) by Devon Ashley

This review was supposed to be posted on February 15 but due to my BFF's father passing away it slipped my mind. Then I was going to have it scheduled to post for 6am EST on February 17 but after working a 12.5 hour shift at work I was beat and couldn't even process what I was writing. So, without further adieu (Devon I apologize for the lateness), my review.

Falling In Between (Falling #1) by Devon Ashley

Website: http://www.devonashleywrites.blogspot.com

Paperback ARC, 284 pages

Published February 14, 2012 by Self

Age range: 17+

ISBN13: 9781466388901

Rating: 5 stars

(Goodreads)Summary

Finally! A private conversation. And all I had to do was throw myself off a cliff, drown in a pond in my undies and let him put his hands on my breasts to bring me back to life. Yay me…(yeah, that’s sarcasm)

Yep, that pretty much sums up the most craptastic night of Jenna Baker’s life. She drowns after jumping off a cliff, meets a hotty named Chance in the pearlescent in-between and is brought back to life by her soon-to-be boyfriend Robert.

Just when things start to move forward with Robert, the guy she'd been crushing on for a year now, in walks the man of her dreams – literally. Chance suddenly appears in her dream every time she closes her eyes. So it's Robert by day and Chance by night. One in the real world and one in the dream world. What could possibly go wrong?

Absolutely nothing – until she comes face to face with the guy she met in the in-between, and realizes her romantic rendezvous with Chance may be more than just her imagination.

Note: Jenna's coming of age story is a little edgy. There is mild language and some sexual content.

Review

I’d like to thank Devon Ashley for giving me the opportunity to take part in her blog tour. So THANK YOU!

I’ll admit I didn’t get into this book until the second time we met Chance. You know the one I’m talking about? When he’s playing soccer and Jenna gets hit in the head with the soccer ball? Yeah, that one. Chance was very frisky and flirty. The perfect dream boy and I literally mean dream because that’s the only time he saw him. Everyone needs some lovin’ right? Even dream boys.

Then we have Robert. Jenna’s real life crush-turned-boyfriend. He’s pretty amazing. Definitely swoon-worthy too. He treats Jenna great and isn’t pushy with the intimate side of their relationship which gave him brownie points in my book.

My heart ached for Jenna when she came face-to-face with Chance in real life. Why you ask? Because a part of her loved both Chance and Robert. How do you choose between two real life guys who both have a piece of your heart? I couldn’t even tell you who I wanted Jenna to be with because I like both guys for very different reasons.

I thought Falling In Between had a great ending that set us up for the second book. I’m dying to know how it’ll play out. Even though in the end of this book she did choose who she wanted to be with, I’m curious as to who her heart will truly belong to.

Review: The Book of Wonders by Jasmine Richards

The Book of Wonders by Jasmine Richards

Website: http://www.jasminerichards.com

Twitter: jrichardsauthor

Paperback ARC, 400 pages (Source: Once Upon A Twilight Book Tours)

Published: January 17, 2012 by HarperCollins Publisher

Age group: 8-12 years

ISBN: 0062010077 (ISBN13: 9780062010070)

Rating: 5 stars


(Goodreads)Summary
Magic, Djinn, Ogres, and Sorcerers. Thirteen-year-old Zardi loves to hear stories about fantastical beings, long banned from the kingdom of Arribitha. But anyone caught whispering of their powers will feel the rage of the sultan—a terrifying usurper who, even with his eyes closed, can see all.

When her own beloved sister is captured by the evil ruler, Zardi knows that she must go to any lengths to rescue her. Along with her best friend, Ridhan—a silver-haired, violet-eyed boy of mysterious origins—and an unlikely crew of sailors led by the infamous Captain Sinbad, Zardi ventures forth into strange and wondrous territory with a seemingly impossible mission: to bring magic back to Arribitha and defeat the sultan once and for all.

Review

I’d like to thank Once Upon a Twilight for giving me the opportunity to be on this book review tour.

Now, on with the show . . . er . . . review!

I have to admit that I was a little leery about reading this book because of the age range but I trudged along and slowly got swept away in Zardi’s adventures. I have to say, she was very brave for only being thirteen and I admired her for that. She was a little firecracker and when she set her mind to doing something, she followed through until it was finished. I think back to when I was thirteen and though my life was nothing like Zardi’s, I don’t think I would have followed through with anything. At that age, I was all talk and a big pile of—excuse my French—chicken shit. Another thing I really like about Zardi is that family and friends were her main priority. She’d make sure they were protected instead of worrying about herself.

Next, we have Ridhan. He was a very mysterious boy and I loved how his mysteriousness grew when they boarded Sinbad’s ship. (Side note: I failed to mention Sinbad was in this story. Surprise! We’re introduced to him in the beginning of the story in Arribitha where Zardi and Ridhan and listening to his stories as he tells them to the crowds. When Zardi and Ridhan speak to him after the crowd begins to scatter, Sinbad mentions a land where Ridhan’s people are said to live. This piques his interest and he’s determined to get aboard Sinbad’s ship so they can sail to his home land.)

I could go on and on about this story but then you'd never want to read it because I'd probably end of ruining the whole thing for you so I'm going to leave it at that. If you have children in that age range at home or you want to jump into a different genre for a day, I suggest picking up The Book of Wonders because of the wonderful mysteries written on its pages.

Review: Nightshade (The Poison Diaries #2)

Nightshade (Poison Diaries #2) by Maryrose Wood, The Duchess of Northumberland

Website: http://www.maryrosewood.com/

Hardcover, 288 pages

Published: October 25^th 2011 by HarperCollins (first published September 1st 2011)

ISBN: 0061802425 (ISBN13: 9780061802423)

Summary:

A dark, gothic tale of romance… and murder.
The latest book in the grippingly dark series, The Poison Diaries.

Our heroine, Jessamine, has lost her faith in the men she loved, and her innocence as well. She turns to the dark side and plots to kill her father, using his own poisons, before becoming an assassin, a poisoner for hire. Can she recover from her heartache and reunite with her true love, Weed? Find out in this thrilling story where poisons, darkness and horror are a part of everyday life, and love is the only cure. 

Review:

I was lucky enough to receive a copy of Nightshade in return for a review. What more can I say about this book than BRILLIANT! Everything Jessamine had to put up with in this book was heartbreaking. She lost all faith in herself and was willing to do anything to be with Weed again. And I mean anything! With Oleander’s guidance, she became an assassin and went by the name Belladonna—a beautiful but deadly flower—because that’s how she felt. 

I enjoyed hearing from Weed throughout the story too. He went through so much to save Jessamine. His main goal was to get her back and away from Oleander. It was a great goal. Save the one you love. So Weed did what he does best—talked to the plants. He also traveled to Spain to learn more about plants and to see if they had heard the whereabouts of Jessamine but the plants feared Oleander so they were afraid to speak. When Weed finally found Jessamine, she was a mess and not the same girl he fell in love with but he still wanted her with him. 

We heard more from Oleander too because he was Jessamine’s guide to finding Weed. Oh Oleander, Prince of Poisons. He is sweetly evil and a master manipulator and I hated how Jessamine believed every word that fell from his mouth.

The ending was the worst. No, I'm not saying it was an awful ending. I'm saying it was sad. I yelled at my book because I couldn't believe what was happening. I'd tell you what happened but I don't want to ruin it for you. Five stars to Nightshade for holding the suspense over my head the entire way.

Review: Havoc (Deviants #2)

Havoc (Deviants #2) by Jeff Sampson
Website: http://www.jeffsampsonbooks.com
Paperback ARC, 352 pages (Source: Once Upon a Twilight Book Tours)
Expected publication: January 24th 2012 by Balzer + Bray
ISBN: 006199278X (ISBN13: 9780061992780)

Summary:

Emily Webb thought life would return to normal after the death of the man who attacked her and her fellow “Deviants.” Or as normal as it could be, after discovering that she has nighttime superpowers . . . and she’s a werewolf. But when Emily awakes one night to find an otherworldy Shadowman watching her, she knows the danger has only just begun.

So Emily and her pack-mates set out to find the people who made them what they are, and why. But as they get closer to the truth, they realize they aren’t the only ones in town with special powers: The most popular girls in school might just have a secret of their own–and they might just have it out for Emily.
With shadowy beings stalking them, a mysterious company doing all it can to keep the truth hidden, and the secrecy of her new identity in jeopardy, life threatens to spiral out of control for Emily. Soon these dangers will come together in one terrifying confrontation that may force her to make the toughest choice of her life . . . so far.

Review:

First, I’d like to thank Once Upon a Twilight for choosing me to be a part of the Havoc book review tour. I have to admit, I was nervous when I received the email stating I was accepted for the tour because I never read Vesper (Deviants #1) and I wasn’t sure how confused I was going to be. Luckily, I wasn’t that confused. There were a few names here or there that I didn’t know but that was mainly it.

I really enjoyed Jeff’s writing and surprisingly for not reading the first book, I couldn’t put it down. There was a new twist at every turn. When Emily and her pack went to the company that created them to find out what they were, I was literally holding my breath as they rounded every corner and walked through every door. The Shadowmen scared the crap out of me! I probably shouldn’t have read the book at night, right before I went to bed because I think I saw one lurking in the corner.  And I really wasn’t expecting *******, *********, and ******** ***** to become one. The cheerleaders were a pain in the butt! Of course they’d be the ones who were ***********.

The ending was crazy! I just couldn’t believe that happened. I’m not sure I’m going to be able to wait for the third book to come out. I’m giving Havoc 5 stars and will definitely be getting myself a copy of Vesper  to see how it all started.

Review: The Poison Diaries (The Poison Diaries #1)

The Poison Diaries (The Poison Diaries #1) by Maryrose Wood, The Duchess of Northumberland

Website: http://www.maryrosewood.com/

Paperback, 304 pages

Published April 8th 2011 by HarperCollins Canada / Other (first published May 27th 2010)

ISBN: 0061802387 (ISBN13: 9780061802386)

Summary:

In the right dose, everything is a poison. Even love . . .

Jessamine Luxton has lived all her sixteen years in an isolated cottage near Alnwick Castle, with little company apart from the plants in her garden. Her father, Thomas, a feared and respected apothecary, has taught her much about the incredible powers of plants: that even the most innocent-looking weed can cure — or kill.

When Jessamine begins to fall in love with a mysterious boy who claims to communicate with plants, she is drawn into the dangerous world of the poison garden in a way she never could have imagined . . .

Review:

The Poison Diaries was a different read than I’m used to. Yes, it’s YA but I normally read modern or Dystopian YA. I was a bit weary when I started reading because I had to accustom myself to the writing style and even the character speech. Once that ball started rolling, it didn’t stop. 

Jessamine Luxton is the 16-year-old daughter of the well-known apothecary, Thomas Luxton. Right off the bat, Thomas was my least favorite character. He seemed rude and very unfather-like. It’s a surprise Jessamine grew up as well as she did, all things considering (You’ll have to read to find out. No spoilers here). When the story first begins, Jessamine informs us that her father is out of town for a medical emergency. This got me thinking about what he did when she was too young to care for herself. Did he take her with him? Maybe he did and I just forgot about reading that. Anyway, when talks of her father’s poison garden started, my interest was piqued, especially with its synopsis.

Jessamine wasn’t a very strong character in the beginning. Always doing what her father told her. Being a good girl. That is until Weed enters the picture. He was a very unusual character and I was dying to know what his secret was (It’s a good one!). Jessamine takes a strong liking to Weed and vice versa. Closer to the end of the story Jessamine grows ill and we meet Oleander, Prince of Poisons. This is when the story begins to jump back and forth between Jessamine’s dreaming state with Oleander and Weed’s thoughts throughout Jessamine’s illness. The ending was set up perfectly for a second installment!

I give The Poison Diaries (The Poison Diaries #1) 5 stars. Be sure to check back for my review of Nightshade (The Poison Diaries #2) coming soon.

 

Review: Everblue (Mer Tales #1) by Brenda Pandos

Website: http://www.brendapandos.blogspot.com
Unedited ARC, 307 pages
Published July 30^th 2011 by Obsidian Mountain Publishing
ISBN13: 9780982903391

(Goodreads)Summary:

She wanted her life to change... he wanted his to stay the same.

Best friends share everything with each other. Or do they? Seventeen-year-old Ashlyn Frances Lanski is tired of her boring, single life. Spending time with her best friend Tatiana, dreaming about kissing Tatiana's twin brother Fin, and swimming competitively are her only sanctuary. The girls plan to leave their drab lakeside town far behind for college. But when Tatchi fails to return home after a family emergency, and no one knows where the family has gone, Ash chooses to do something drastic to find them.

Ashlyn is about to discover what she'd thought to be true her whole life, wasn't, and the truth, too fantastical to imagine. Secrets lurk beneath the deep blue waters of Lake Tahoe, secrets that will change Ashlyn's life forever. 

Review:

This is the first mermaid book I’ve ever read. When I first saw this book added to Brenda’s books on Goodreads, my gut told me I needed this book. I’m glad I listened to it. 

The very first thing I loved about Everblue was the cover. I mean, look at it! It’s stunning! Ashlyn reminds me of Ariel (The Little Mermaid) except with bountiful red curls. The second thing I loved about Everblue was the two POVs: Ashlyn’s and Fin’s. I enjoyed reading both sides of their story, especially Fin’s. We get to dive—literally—into the depths of his actual life. (Fun little fact for everyone: When I was little, I used to pretend I was a mermaid while swimming in my pool. I mean how AWESOME would that be?!) Anyway, I found myself scowling at my book when Ash’s and Fin’s new love interest come along. Uh, NO, that can’t happen because Ash and Fin totally need to be together! I just wasn’t in love with the idea of them with someone else. No thanks. 

Some intense things go on, which I’m not going to mention because I’m leaving this review spoiler-free, and they’ll leave you gasping for the next page. I couldn’t put the book down and read well into the night and most definitely strained my eyes trying to read under the dim little reading light I have yet to replace.

The ending is a huge WHOA ending. My heart already aches for the next book, Evergreen. It can’t come out soon enough. 5 stars all around! 

 

Book review

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


First off I have to say that when I first started reading this book I stopped at page 52 because I got extremely bored. I could only literally read one page in a sitting and even then I had to force myself to finish it. So the after a year of it sitting in my ever-growing "currently reading" pile, I picked it back up and had to force myself to put it down. I even stayed up until 4:30am to finish it. It was a great read. I can't wait to dive into Catching Fire.



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Babe in Boyland by Jody Gehrman

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This book was soo cute. I've read some reviews on it saying how it reminded some of the movie She's The Man so I'm really happy I've never seen that movie so I could enjoy the book for what it's worth. After reading this, I realized that there are two sides to me too. Maybe even more. But I'm definitely different while flirting with guys than I am when just hanging out with my friends. Never knew that. Great read!



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Colin Preston Rocked and Rolled by Bert Murray

My rating: 1 of 5 stars


I tried so hard to finish this book. I couldn't do it. It's not a genre I typically read either. Some of the grammar was bad but to the author's defense, he might have wanted it that way. I hated Jasmine. I knew she was a cheater the minute she was introduced into the story. Karl was a douche and it made me angry Colin couldn't see that sooner. Colin got on my nerves . . . a lot. The way he acted reminded me of a girl. I truly wish I would have enjoyed this book more but I'm not even sure what the plot was . . .



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If I Stay by Gayle Forman

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This was such an amazing story. Sad, heart-wrenching, amazing! I read the last few pages aloud to get the full affect of Gayle's writing. Reading aloud brought Mia's struggle out. Tears treatened to spill down my cheeks (I'm not one to cry during a sad book or movie so you know this one was good). I cannot wait to start reading Where She Went.



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The Compound by S.A. Bodeen

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


INSANE. A good insane though. I thought I had it figured out but I was wrong.



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My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This was seriously the BEST series I've ever read! Words cannot describe how much I loved it. The descriptions alone had me shuddering because I could picture everything so vividly. How amazing would it be if this series became a movie? I'd be fangirling it left and right. There is not one thing I disliked about this book. I even loved the ending because it has you coming up with your own future for everyone, and let me tell you the future I see for them is a bright one. I can't wait to dive right into The Gathering now!



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A Trail of Books Left Behind: Elemental Reality by Cesya Cuono

A Trail of Books Left Behind: Elemental Reality by Cesya Cuono: Elemental Reality Elemental 1 Author: Cesya MaRae Cuono Pages: 251 pgs Genre: YA, Fantasy Release Date: August 21st 2011 Review Sour...