REVIEW: Bloodrose by Andrea Cremer

Book Description

Series: Nightshade | Publication Date: January 3, 2012

The third and final installment of the international bestselling Nightshade trilogy!

Calla has always welcomed war. But now that the final battle is upon her, there's more at stake than fighting. There's saving Ren, even if it incurs Shay's wrath. There's keeping Ansel safe, even if he's been branded a traitor. There's proving herself as the pack's alpha, facing unnamable horrors, and ridding the world of the Keepers' magic once and for all. And then there's deciding what to do when the war ends. If Calla makes it out alive, that is. In this remarkable final installment of the Nightshade trilogy, international bestselling author Andrea Cremer crafts a dynamic novel with twists and turns that will keep you breathless until its final pages.

About the Author

Andrea Cremer (www.andreacremer.com) lives in Minnesota, where she teaches at Macalester College and hangs out with her husband, pug, border collie and parakeet. 

 Details

• Reading level: Ages 14 and up
• Hardcover: 416 pages
• Publisher: Philomel (January 3, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399256121
• ISBN-13: 978-0399256127

SOURCE:  AROUND THE WORLD ARC TOURS

MY THOUGHTS
ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT

No way around it:  SPOILER ALERT

ARGHHHH -- NO MORE NIGHTSHADE. 

Ok, now that it is out of my system, I can try and write this review, but how to keep it spoiler free?
The conclusion of the Nightshade trilogy left me wanting more, but satisfied with the ending since I got what I wanted.  I know I don't hold the popular position with a lot of readers since I didn't care for Ren.  Calla drove me up the wall at times since she couldn't make up her darn mind about which one she wanted.  For one that is supposed to be a leader, she didn't seem able to decide one way or the other until the very end, when I guess when it was most important.  She did show some leader like skills when she force Ren and Shay to pretty much fight for her affections and keep them both from becoming liabilities.

The story starts out by setting the stage for an epic battle to be fought between the Keepers with the Guardians at their side and Calla right behind Anika.  Shay has come into his own powers both as a wolf and a mage as the Scion.  There are several trials the trio must go through in order to capture key components necessary for the group to succeed and the struggles and demons they each face will only make them stronger as a group.  There are some serious page turning moments and once you start, you won't be able to put this book down.

You could probably hear me yelling at Ren begging him to not be so annoying and for Shay to grab that golden ring that is Calla.  Yes, there, I have said it:  Team Shay.  I fell in love with Shay's humor and personality while thinking Ren was just a giant alpha wolf and nothing more.  There were some really interesting twists in the plot that were truly amazing.   I am still thinking about the worlds Cremer has created and can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

AND THE WINNER IS: Gift Card Giveaway Hop

Janine L

and she has chosen the $10 AMAZON GIFT CARD!


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AND THE WINNER IS: Eve by Anna Carey @YearofTiger86

 KRYSTA

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Waiting on Wednesday: Everneath by Brodi Ashton

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Book Description

Publication Date: January 24, 2012

Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath. Now she’s returned—to her old life, her family, her boyfriend—before she’s banished back to the underworld . . . this time forever. She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can’t find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.
Nikki longs to spend these precious months forgetting the Everneath and trying to reconnect with her boyfriend, Jack, the person most devastated by her disappearance—and the one person she loves more than anything. But there’s just one problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who enticed her to the Everneath in the first place, has followed Nikki home. Cole wants to take over the throne in the underworld and is convinced Nikki is the key to making it happen. And he’ll do whatever it takes to bring her back, this time as his queen.
As Nikki’s time on the Surface draws to a close and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she is forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole’s queen.
Everneath is a captivating story of love, loss, and immortality from debut author Brodi Ashton.

About the Author

Brodi Ashton received a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Utah and a master’s degree in international relations from the London School of Economics. Brodi has an active following on her blog, which can be found at www.brodiashton.blogspot.com. She lives in Utah with her family. Everneath is her debut novel.

 Details

• Reading level: Ages 14 and up
• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Balzer + Bray (January 24, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0062071130
• ISBN-13: 978-0062071132

BOOK TRAILER TUESDAY: Everneath by Brodi Ashton

Love the music in this one!

GIVE@WAY & REVIEW The Daughter of Smoke and Bones by Laini Taylor @lbkids

Publication Date: September 27, 2011

Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages--not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.

When one of the strangers--beautiful, haunted Akiva--fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

About the Author

Laini Taylor is the author of the National Book Award finalist Lips Touch, as well as the novels Blackbringer, which Kirkus said "belongs at the top of everyone's fantasy must-read list," and Silksinger. She lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband, illustrator Jim Di Bartolo, and their daughter, Clementine.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 432 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (September 27, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316134023
• ISBN-13: 978-0316134026

SOURCE:  PUBLISHER

MY THOUGHTS
ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT

If you haven't noticed before, there is a quote from this book at the top of my blog:

You'd have to have, like, a lentil for a soul to hate wiener dogs. ~Zuzana from The Daughter of Smoke & Bones by Laini Taylor 

So if you are a follower of my blog, you know that I insist you adore wiener dogs and thus Zuzana stole my heart.  She is a supporting character in this book but, oh so important, to give comic relief and after attending an author appearance at my local Barnes and Noble, I equally fell in love with the author who explained her writing style and thoughts behind the characters.  I have to agree with her that the way the story unfolds in a circular timeline is the only way it could be told.  So, my thoughts on this book are not the normal format. That adorable feather mask above was a gift from the author at the signing.

Karou grows up believing she is an orphan and that the life she has become accustomed to is normal that she can open doors and find herself in a new location within seconds or that she helps out her foster father by collecting teeth, or that he is also a wishmonger who grants wished for these teeth.  Every birthday she is bestowed with a new language and her natural blue hair, well, that was the one wish she was granted unlike the others she might have thought about.  As the story unfolds, you easily believe this world in which Karou tries desperately to be normal, attending art school with her best friend Zuzana while drawing fantastical pictures of demons and creatures that should only exist in her imagination.  But those creatures are real. 

To say this book is exciting is an understatement.  There are breathtaking fights, a true romance that you will never see coming, bits of angels and demon lore, and characters that truly jump off the page and are suitable for an action movie.  The story starts out in the presents and then flashes back to Karou's past, while again going forward.  I know it sounds really strange, but it all comes together perfectly.  I wish I could put into words how much I enjoyed Taylor's writing but I am at  loss.  It is just such a magical place that she takes you to and the way it is written is completely fabulous! 

tattoos!

You will win this awesome mask as well!  Cute Dachshund model not included!

WANT TO WIN THIS *SIGNED* ARC BOOK, THE ABOVE MASK AND TWO TATTOOS? 

 Contest is open to anyone over 13 years old with a reliable mailing address (PO Boxes OK!)
This ends 12.24.11 midnight Pacific Time and the winner will be chosen by Random.org on 12.25.11.
Winner will have 48 hours to respond to email or a new winner will be chosen
This giveaway is sponsored by me and Little Brown Young Readers for ONE WINNER.

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Gift Card Giveaway Hop

Welcome to the Gift Card  Giveaway Hop! 

This hop is hosted by I Am a Reader, Not a Writer (HERE) and Attack of the Book (HERE)

There are hundreds of blogs participating and each has their own entry rules and geographic limits, so be sure to read the rules for each one.  This hop starts December 9th and and runs through December 13th,  midnight.

HERE IS WHAT I HAVE FOR ONE LUCKY WINNER:

Either 

US Only

$10 USD Credit

WANT TO WIN A $10 Gift Card or Credit?

 Contest is open to anyone over 13 years old and living within the delivery areas of Amazon or Book Depository
This ends 12.13.11 midnight Pacific Time and the winner will be chosen by Random.org on 12.14.11.
Winner will have 48 hours to respond to email or a new winner will be chosen
This giveaway is sponsored by me for ONE WINNER.

Complete the below form

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