Book Review: Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin

I think I saw this book for the first time on Goodreads when Kelly Creagh recommended it, and since I loved Creagh's Nevermore, I decided to check this one out. And I'm really glad I did! When I read the blurb, I knew I needed to get this one as soon as it was published. Now check out the blurb from Goodreads:

Everything is in ruins.
A devastating plague has decimated the population. And those who are left live in fear of catching it as the city crumbles to pieces around them.
So what does Araby Worth have to live for?
Nights in the Debauchery Club, beautiful dresses, glittery make-up . . . and tantalizing ways to forget it all.
But in the depths of the club—in the depths of her own despair—Araby will find more than oblivion. She will find Will, the terribly handsome proprietor of the club. And Elliott, the wickedly smart aristocrat. Neither boy is what he seems. Both have secrets. Everyone does.
And Araby may find something not just to live for, but to fight for—no matter what it costs her.



So this book was based on Edgar Allan Poe's story of the same title, which I didn't read. *hides* (I will, because now I'm curious.) And I really didn't expect it would be this good. No, I really, really loved the book and once I started reading, I just couldn't stop for anything in the world. I'm still thinking about it because I want to read more and the next book will be out in 2013. *cries* I don't think I can wait that long. So, what did I like so much about this book? Well, almost everything. It's a bit hard to explain, but this is exactly the type of book for me. There are two really hot guys... yeah, two. I know there are always two hot guys in a love triangle, but I usually pick one and that's it. XD Here it's really hard to choose, because both boys have exactly what I like, even though I think I'm closer to choose one over the other. I also like that we're not sure in which city this is going on (unless I missed it somewhere) because that sounds like something I would write. You know, that evil might be in your city. *big grin* I also like that it wasn't too long. I mean, I want to read more of it, but I don't like it when authors add unnecessary descriptions and things to have more pages. This one has a perfect pace and you can't get bored for a second. Araby is an interesting, flawed character and that's why I enjoyed her story. She might not have anything in common with me, has a suicidal tendencies and is a bit naive, but that's not surprising since the world she grew up in is the way it is. Actually, this book reminded me a bit of Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi, but without the....err...cheesy romance part. Anyway, if you haven't read this, what the hell are you waiting for? :D Oh, and I would really like to see this as a movie.

Now some of my thoughts that contain spoilers, so don't click this cut if you haven't read the book!!!

Book Review: The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

I finally found some time to read, so I immediately picked up The Immortal Rules, mostly because I absolutely loved Iron Fey series also written by Julie. Besides, I love vampires and I love dystopian setting (no, still didn't get tired of it all ahaha). Anyway, despite minor flaws, I really loved this book and can't wait for the next. Now take a look at this gorgeous cover and the blurb from Goodreads:

In a future world, Vampires reign. Humans are blood cattle. And one girl will search for the key to save humanity.
Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten.
Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them. The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked—and given the ultimate choice. Die… or become one of the monsters.
Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad.
Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend—a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike.
But it isn't easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what—and who—is worth dying for.

I really enjoyed this book and it was a fun and easy read. I love it that vampires still burn in the sun and need to drink human blood. Allie is a really strong character and does anything she needs to in order to survive, even if it means she has to become what she hates; a vampire. And while I liked the whole premise, I must admit there was a part at the beginning when I thought I wasn't going to like the book. It was the part when Allie becomes a vampire and her sire teaches her what to do. I thought the rest of the book was going to be the same, Allie learning things and fighting off enemies or sth, but I was pleasantly surprised. When Zeke was introduced first, I was a bit unsure would I like him or not, but I got to really like him. There were times when I wanted to scream at him for blindly following orders, but later on I understood why he did what he did. The only thing that bothered me a bit is that Allie sometimes seems almost too perfect, like she can fight off tons of rabids, and those who dislike her usually don't end up well, and things like that. I felt that was a bit too much like the usual. But despite that, Julie Kagawa does a great job and draws you into the world she created and you just can't stop reading. I don't want to reveal too much, but I highly recommend this book! :D

Giveaway: Win a Copy of Human and Dangerous!

Just wanted to inform you that there are two giveaways going on where you can win a copy of my books, Human and Dangerous (Element Preservers, #1).

  If you would like to win an e-copy of Dangerous, visit the Facebook page of Paranormal Book Club here: http://www.facebook.com/ParanormalBookClub?sk=app_204684816209053 and enter the Rafflecopter giveaway where you can also win books from other authors.

 For an e-copy of Human, go to the blog Black Words-White Pages http://blackwords-whitepages.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/rafflecopter-giveaway.html

Good luck to everyone who entered! And thanks for your interest!

Runaway (Element Preservers, Book 2) - Cover and Blurb!!!

So, as I have promised, it's the time for me to share the cover and the blurb for the next book in Element Preservers series, Runaway, which will be out in August this year. :D I must say I'm really excited about this. Even more than I thought I would be. Oh, well. I had so much fun writing this book and the editing process right now is also very... interesting. It actually involved carrying some papers under a shirt to see whether they were visible or would they drop. XD Don't even ask. You'll get it once you read the book. I had to see if what I had written was possible. But let's go back to the topic. So yes, the cover. The cover is again a simple one because that's how I like it for this series. Just like the cover for Dangerous, this one is symbolic too. :D I know, I know, symbols aren't always easy to understand, but to me each part of the cover represents something in the story. I would tell you what, but that would be a loooot of spoilers for Runaway, and I'm not willing to share those. But let's get to that cover! Finally!

So, what do you think? Definitely the ugliest thing you've ever seen, right? :P Now let's get to the blurb. This one was impossibly hard to write. Why? Well, because I was trying not to tell you anything... spoilery. And yeah, I was playing with words a bit, so I could cover what happens but still keep everything a secret. I wonder if I actually succeeded. Here it is:

Surprised by Adrian's sudden disappearance, Ria is determined to find him, even if that means she has to trust her brother and go to her father's party. However, soon she realizes that her father, as the president of the newly founded Element Preservation Organization, plays a big role in the future of not only magic disease carriers, but also everyone with an element. As the secrets surrounding the magic disease and elements are revealed, Ria doesn't know who she can trust. But when an ex-lover turns into an enemy and a tragic accident changes everything, you can't just run away.

Any thoughts? :D I can tell you that this book will explore Ria's relationship with her parents a bit more. A lot of secrets will be revealed. Some characters will realize they were wrong about something. A bit more of magic will be used.... yeah, ok, more magic, romance, criticism of society (like I haven't done that enough already in Dangerous, but I can't help it)... You'll see what happens. I can't tell you more. :D

Oh, and if anyone is a Librarian on Goodreads, could you please add Runaway to Element Preservers series since I can't add the name of the series so it shows in my profile that Element Preservers has 2 books and not one. I'm not sure if I'm explaining it right. I just know that when you are on a page of a book, you can click the title of the series and see other books, and right now when you click on mine, it shows only Dangerous. Thanks! I can add the cover and the blurb later. Now I have to go. See you soon!

Another Update: Runaway (Element Preservers, #2)

It's time for another short update about the next book in Element Preservers series! Right now I'm editing Runaway and waiting for my betas to read it and tell me what they think. Then I'll do some changes if necessary and try my best to prepare the book for publishing. I'm still not sure when it will be ready since I don't know how long the editing process will take, but so far it looks like I will manage to finish everything by August. So yeah, you can expect Runaway in August! That's only a few months more! :D
But the real reason for writing this update is that I'm planning to reveal the cover and the blurb for Runaway on April 17!!! So, stop by my blog in two weeks and check it out! :D I'm really excited about it and I hope you will like it.

Book Rec: Infamous by Sherrilyn Kenyon

I finally found time to write this review, so here it goes. XD Do I even have to say how much I love everything Sherrilyn writes? She's like my favorite author ever and her books have everything I adore so much. Anyway, I liked the first two books in Chronicles of Nick, but they weren't as awesome as this one. It might have to do something with the fact that I've never really been a fan of Nick in Dark Hunter series, but I think I'm starting to like him a bit. Now before I write the rest of my thoughts, here is the overview from Goodreads:

The world has fallen in love with Nick Gautier and the Dark-Hunters. Now Nick’s saga continues in the next eagerly anticipated volume...

Go to school. Get good grades. Stay out of trouble. That’s the mandate for most kids. But Nick Gautier isn’t the average teenager. He’s a boy with a destiny not even he fully understands. And his first mandate is to stay alive while everyone, even his own father, tries to kill him.

He’s learned to annihilate zombies and raise the dead, divination and clairvoyance, so why is learning to drive such a difficulty? But that isn’t the primary skill he has to master. Survival is.

And in order to survive, his next lesson makes all the others pale in comparison. He is on the brink of becoming either the greatest hero mankind has ever known.

Or he’ll be the one who ends the world. With enemies new and old gathering forces, he will have to call on every part of himself to fight or he’ll lose everyone he cares about.

Even himself.

If you've seen my page on Goodreads, then you probably noticed I was reading 10 books at once. XD I really tried to just read a chapter of this and then go to another book, but I just couldn't. This was such an interesting and easy read, and I fell in love with the characters, especially Caleb. Not to mention some of my other favorite characters from Dark-Hunter world also appear, like Acheron and Thorn, so I was really in heaven. Another thing I found awesome were all the good messages in this book. Just check out this quote: “People aren't just ants rushing around over a crust of bread. Every life, no matter how isolated, touches hundreds of others. It's up to us to decide if those micro connections are positive or negative. But whichever we decide, it does impact the ones we deal with. One word can give someone the strength they needed at that moment or it can shred them down to nothing. A single smile can turn a bad moment good. And one wrong outburst or word could be the tiny push that causes someone to slip over the edge into destruction.” I really don't think I can explain enough how awesome this book is and how awesome the characters and their world are. If you love Dark-Hunter series, you're going to love Chronicles of Nick, even if you, like me, never really liked Nick as much. When I finished reading this one, I was basically like this:

And that's saying something, since I rarely find a book that leaves me speechless and wanting for more immediately. So... I really, really recommend this series. :D