In My Mailbox (1)

In My Mailbox is a weekly book blog feature hosted by The Story Siren. This meme gives bloggers the opportunity to share what books they got in the mail. =)  I'll probably be posting my IMM every two weeks...

 This week I got...

Anna Dressed In Blood- Kendare Blake -  won from a giveaway

Onyx- Jennifer L. Armentrout - bought

Spark- Brigid Kemmerer - bought 

So excited to get these books! Can't wait to start them! What did you get this week?

Awesome Giveaway From The Midnight Garden

The Midnight Garden is doing a give away of Crown of Embers ARC prize pack!

They are giving you the chance to win a hardback of the first book as well as an ARC of the highly anticipated sequel Crown of Embers! The sequel won't even be out until September 18, 2012, but here's your opportunity to get your hands on a copy before it's available for sale.

There is only 5 days left in the giveaway so go enter now for your chance to win! =)

Waiting On Wednesday: Never Seduce a Scot (The Montgomerys and Armstrongs #1) by Maya Banks

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 WoW selection is...Never Seduce a Scot (The Montgomerys and Armstrongs #1) by Maya Banks
  
Expected publication: September 25th 2012 by Ballantine Books

This sinfully sexy new romance from Maya Banks features a remarkable woman whose rare gift teaches a gruff Scottish warrior how to listen with his heart.
 
Eveline Armstrong is fiercely loved and protected by her powerful clan, but outsiders consider her “touched.” Beautiful, fey, with a level, intent gaze, she doesn’t speak. No one, not even her family, knows that she cannot hear. Content with her life of seclusion, Eveline has taught herself to read lips and allows the outside world to view her as daft. But when an arranged marriage into a rival clan makes Graeme Montgomery her husband, Eveline accepts her duty—unprepared for the delights to come. Graeme is a rugged warrior with a voice so deep and powerful that his new bride can hear it, and hands and kisses so tender and skilled that he stirs her deepest passions.

Graeme is intrigued by the mysterious Eveline, whose silent lips are ripe with temptation and whose bright, intelligent eyes can see into his soul. As intimacy deepens, he learns her secret. But when clan rivalries and dark deeds threaten the wife he has only begun to cherish, the Scottish warrior will move heaven and earth to save the woman who has awakened his heart to the beautiful song of a rare and magical love. (From Goodreads)


I love Maya Banks McCabe Trilogy, so when I found out she was coming out with another historical romance series I was so excited for it! This author is so amazing and creative with her words that it will just take your breath away. Super excited for this book!  Plus, don't you just love the covers for her books???  =D

Definitely check out her McCabe Trilogy...

 

In Bed With A Highlander (McCabe Trilogy #1)

Seduction Of A Highland Lass (McCabe Trilogy #2)

Never Love A Highlander (McCabe Trilogy #3)

Review: Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass#1) by Sarah J Maas

Throne of Glass
(Throne of Glass #1)
Author: Sarah J Maas

Hardcover, 416 pages

Published August 7th 2012 by Bloomsbury USA Children's 

 After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin. Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king's council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she'll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom. Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she's bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it's the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best. Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined. (From Goodreads)

When I first read the blurb for this book I was so excited for it! I was lucky enough to win an ARC from the Throne of Glass Facebook page (Thank you Throne of Glass Facebook!!!) and within a few days it arrived in the mail. Gosh, I cannot say how much I loved this book even the cover looks amazing. Like really, its that good! Sarah is so creative with her words that it just makes you want to be a part of that world. And c'mon! A glass castle? How awesome is that??? This book is one of the best books I've read this summer. There's action, romance, mystery, and humor all within one book. The action was good enough that it just makes you wish you were as kick-ass like Celaena. The romance was adorable and sweet that it slowly creeps up on you. The mystery was so intense that it keeps you on your toes, wondering who's the bad guy. The humor in this book literally had me laughing out loud at certain parts and with that, I received weird looks from my sisters. I just gave them the *No I'm not crazy look* 

Celaena is SO AWESOME! She never backs down from any challenge and that's what I admire about her. I like how she's a tough chick, but yet we also get to see the girly side of her. Oh and she loves to read! =) She's very sassy, kick-ass, arrogant, adventurous, and confident, and has the right to be because she really is that good at everything. Dorian, the prince, I thought he was an interesting character but I feel like he's not stepping up to the plate. His character is the funny and flirty type but also immature. He chose Celaena as his champion only because he knows his father doesn't like her. To me it seems like he never really speak up for himself and defends for what he wants. I hope that in the next coming book, we will get a chance to see Dorian change and take control of his life. Now Chaol, Ahhh! I just love him! This guy is honest, loyal, and reserved but can be romantically awkward at times.*which is so adorable!!!* I feel like his relationship with Celaena is more of an understanding, slow attraction. Where as Celaena and Dorian was more of lust, you look handsome and I just want to kiss you. It can pretty much go either way, but I'm rooting for Chaol!!! 

I really really love this book! This is a definitely must read for everyone.This high fantasy book is amazing! One thing I recommend first is reading the 4 e-novellas first. That was one mistake I did, not reading those e-novellas. I was a bit confused at the beginning until I realized a lot of the answers can be found in those. So yes, definitely read those before reading the main book. It will make more sense. =) Can't wait for the next book in the series!

Review: Shatter Me (Shatter Me #1)by Tahereh Mafi

Shatter Me
(Shatter Me #1)
Author: Tahereh Mafi

Hardcover, 338 pages

Published November 15th 2011 by Harper/HarperCollins 

 Juliette hasn’t touched anyone in exactly 264 days.

The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette’s touch is fatal. As long as she doesn’t hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don’t fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war– and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she’s exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior. (From Goodreads)

Tahereh Mafi is a gifted writer! I was hooked on this book from the very beginning. The world she created is not the pretty and perfect world. It literally sucks! Everything is falling apart and Juliette gets thrown into it. She has been in isolation for 264 days, don't know what is going on, on the outside world. People are starving, rivals are fighting for control. History is being erased so a new world can be built.

I really liked the characters in this book. I love how Tahereh brought Juliette to life using her words. Her writing made me feel for Juliette. I felt for her when she was taken away from her parents, and they didn't even try to help her. I cared for her when she spent 264 days in isolation with no one to talk to. I worried for her when she screams from her nightmares and wishes that she never has to sleep. I liked how she gave so much to others and never asked for anything in return. All she wanted was to be accepted and not seen as a monster. She is a fighter and never gave up when Warner tempted her with luxury. She's gifted and I hope we get to see more of it in the next book.  

Adam, the love interest, just seems too good to be true! Why can't all guys be like him? =P  At first I was kind of hesitant about him, until I later found out that they new each other since third grade, although they never talked to each other. Their relationship in the book is SO intense! There are quite a few parts in this book that were hot!! =) Adam is so loyal and determined that he was willing to sacrifice himself to help Juliette get out of the horrible institution. In walks Warner, the villain. He's an interesting character. I want to know more about him. You just can't help but like him even when he's mean. Yeah he's the bad ass in the story who wants nothing but control and power, but I just feel like there's a lot more to him. When Juliette joked about "Your poor mother" he was so alarmed and had this unguarded look on his face, it just makes you wonder about his relationship with his mother, was is a good one or bad one? Did he love her? What happened to her? I hope we get the chance to see his side of the story.

Overall, this book is a five star! I love where Tahereh is going with the story, everything opens up in the end makes you wondering what will happen next. I was so engrossed in this book that the next thing I know, I was reading the last page of the book. I couldn't believe I finished it within a few hours. That's how good it was. This book is a definitely must read! I look forward to reading the next book in this series. Unravel Me (Shatter Me #2) expected publication date is February 5th 2013.

Waiting On Wednesday: The Cadet of Tildor by Alex Lidell

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 WoW selection is... The Cadet of Tildor by Alex Lidell

 Expected publication: January 10th 2013

Tamora Pierce meets George R. R. Martin in this smart, political, medieval fantasy-thriller.

There is a new king on the throne of Tildor. Currents of political unrest sweep the country as two warring crime families seek power, angling to exploit the young Crown's inexperience. At the Academy of Tildor, the training ground for elite soldiers, Cadet Renee de Winter struggles to keep up with her male peers. But when her mentor, a notorious commander recalled from active duty to teach at the Academy, is kidnapped to fight in illegal gladiator games, Renee and her best friend Alec find themselves thrust into a world rife with crime, sorting through a maze of political intrigue, and struggling to resolve what they want, what is legal, and what is right. (From Goodreads)

I am super excited for this book! Just the summary of it sounds awesome already. If you're just as excited as I am you should help spread the word by joining the Tildor Hearlds: Street Team and become a cadet! Here's the link for more info: http://cadet.alexlidell.com/heralds-2/

 

Review: Blazing the Trail (The Dragon Diaries #3) by Deborah Cooke

Blazing the Trail (The Dragon Diaries #3)
Author: Deborah Cooke

Paperback, 352 pages

Published June 5th 2012 by NAL Trade 

 From the author of the Dragonfire Novels comes a new series about the next generation of shape-shifting dragons—they’re ready to lead their pack. It’s almost Valentine’s Day, and Zoë Sorensson’s love life is heating up. Cute, loyal, and understanding, wolf shifter Derek is pretty much the perfect guy. He likes Zoë, and he knows what it’s like to have to keep a secret. Yet, Zoë can’t help but wish it was rebel rocker Jared asking her to the Valentine’s dance instead. But Jared’s too busy playing hot and cold with her heart, calling Zoë his dragon girl one minute and then taking special interest in her best friend the next. Zoë is just about ready to breathe fire, especially once she uncovers a new threat that targets her friends. Although Zoë thought the Mages were defeated, they’re back and have invoked an old spell to give them new power—they plan to eliminate all shape shifters on the night of the big dance. Now, Zoë must lead an alliance of young shifters to battle the Mages and figure out exactly what—and who—she wants, before it all goes up in smoke… (From Goodreads)

I've read the first two books in this series and loved it. So when I heard that Blazing the Trail will be the final installment in The Dragon Diaries Series, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. After a long waiting, I finally read it and was a bit disappointed. To me, it felt like from the beginning to the middle was a slow drag. There wasn't much going on. I was hoping for more action, and romance but didn't really get it till the end of the book. Zoe’s a strong character, but at times she can be really gullible and it gets annoying. Jared, the love interest, I really liked him since the first book, didn't show up until the end of the book. I was hoping he would show up more in this book since it was going to be the last one. Yeah, I mean, they mention him and stuff but he didn't have much of a presence until the end. The other love interest, Derek, the wolf shifter. I feel like the only reason Zoe liked him was because he was predictable and she knew she could rely on him. Her heart was never really there for him, because she was still pinning for Jared.

What I did like about this book is that Zoe has come a long way since the beginning of the series. I also like how the four wild cards were able to get together and destroy the Mages. The only way they could've have done this is if they can trust each other and keep up the alliance between the different shifters. I'm happy that Zoe's story as come to and end, but it wasn't really a satisfying ending I've been waiting for.

The first two books in The Dragon Diaries Series:

Flying Blind (Book 1)            Winging It (Book 2)

Review: Shadow and Bone (The Grisha Trilogy #1) by Leigh Bardugo

Shadow and Bone (The Grisha Trilogy #1)
Author: Leigh Bardugo

Hardcover, 358 pages

Published June 5th 2012 by Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) 

 

 Alina Starkov doesn’t expect much from life. Orphaned by the Border Wars, the one thing she could rely on was her best friend and fellow refugee, Mal. And lately not even that seems certain. Drafted into the army of their war-torn homeland, they’re sent on a dangerous mission into the Fold, a swath of unnatural darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh.

When their convoy is attacked, all seems lost until Alina reveals a dormant power that not even she knew existed. Ripped from everything she knows, she is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling. He believes she is the answer the people have been waiting for: the one person with the power to destroy the Fold.

Swept up in a world of luxury and illusion, envied as the Darkling’s favorite, Alina struggles to fit into her new life without Mal by her side. But as the threat to the kingdom mounts, Alina uncovers a secret that sets her on a collision course with the most powerful forces in the kingdom. Now only her past can save her . . . and only she can save the future.   (From Goodreads)

*contains some spoiler, read at your own risk*  =)

Wow!!! Words cannot describe how much I loved this book. After seeing so much hype about Shadow and Bone, I finally got my hands on a copy and it just blew me away. Leigh Bardugo! You are AWESOME! =)  I was sucked into this story from the beginning to the very end, gripping the covers of the book in anticipation, wondering what would happen next. The Grisha world, and characters were beautifully written with such creativity and imagination. I really like how descriptive Bardugo was when describing the land of Ravka, the Vy, and the Fold. The Fold straight up sounds creepy and scary ass hell! 

I love the three main characters in this book, Alina, Mal, and the Darkling. Alina is the type of heroine who never backs down. That is something I admire about her. Her character grows throughout the book and even though shes strong-willed, you get to see the softer and vulnerable side to her as well. 

Mal, in the beginning I didn't really like him. But as the story progressed, my heart soften for him. He's the best friend anyone would want. He is a strong, brave, and extremely loyal person to those he care about. He never gave up on Alina even when he was pissed off at her. There is definitely more to him and meets the eye. 

The Darkling, gosh, I can go on and on about him. I LOVE him!!!! He is charming, sexy, mysterious, strong, scary...etc... His character is so well written and I couldn't believe what happened in the story!!!  Seriously! I rooted for him since the beginning of the book and even after finding out that he was the villain and just wanted to use Alina and her powers, I still couldn't help but continue to root for  him. The more he was turning into the villain, the more excuses I would try to come up with for his behavior. I really do believe he still has true feelings for Alina. I hope that in the next book we can see more of the Darkling and hopefully *cross fingers* he will redeem himself in Alina's eyes.

This book is definitely one of my favorite reads of 2012. Would recommend it to everyone. The next book to this amazing Grisha Trilogy,  Siege and Storm is expected to come out some time in 2013!   =)

Dystopian Domination 3 with Melissa West, author of Gravity!!!

Fragments of Life is hosting this awesome giveaway! One winner will win a pre-order of the highly anticipated book Gravity and bookmarks! So what are you waiting for??? Head on over here http://shusky20.blogspot.com/2012/07/meet-ancients-giveaway-pre-order-of.html and sign up for the giveaway!!!

In the future, only one rule will matter: Don’t. Ever. Peek.

Seventeen-year-old Ari Alexander just broke that rule and saw the last person she expected hovering above her bed--arrogant Jackson Locke, the most popular boy in her school. She expects instant execution or some kind of freak alien punishment, but instead, Jackson issues a challenge: help him, or everyone on Earth will die.

Ari knows she should report him, but everything about Jackson makes her question what she’s been taught about his kind. And against her instincts, she’s falling for him. But Ari isn’t just any girl, and Jackson wants more than her attention. She’s a military legacy who’s been trained by her father and exposed to war strategies and societal information no one can know--especially an alien spy, like Jackson. Giving Jackson the information he needs will betray her father and her country, but keeping silent will start a war.     
From goodreads. 

New/used books I've received in the mail this past month...

Yeah I know, I haven't blogged for awhile. =(  But here I am!!!  In this past month, I received quite a few new/used books in the mail and just thought I'd share them with you guys! Some of these I've finished reading them already and some I haven't read yet.