Quick Picks ~ Warprize by Elizabeth Vaughan

Warprize (Chronicles of the Warlands #1) 
By Elizabeth Vaughan

Rating: 4.5

'"But he has claimed tribute."

(...) "What does he claim?" I took a step toward Xymund. Still, he did not turn. I looked around, but no one would meet my eyes.

At last, general Warren drew a breath. "You," he cleared his throat. "He claims you as tribute."

"Me?" My voice squeaked and sounded like it came from a distance.

Xymund did not turn. "As a slave."'

My thoughts on the book

Would you sacrifice your freedom for peace?

That question tends to be the one that lingers after you've read the final page and closed the book. Xylara's choice - to give up her freedom, her control over her own life - in order to save her people and work towards a lasting peace, is admirable to be sure.

This book's plot, filled with difficult choices and trials for its heroine, is centered around the strengths and limitations of females in antiquity, especially those that led lives among the ranks of the nobility.

I loved the gypsy feel of the Plains people. The rich culture, vocabulary, traditions...it came to life on the page! Xylara's relationship with them changes and strengthens as she begins to realise her own potential and what it really means to be free.

Freedom is a choice. It is not something that can be taken from you.

On a funny note, every time they referred to Xylara as the 'tribute' the Warlord was demanding, I kept having visions of Xylara emerging from a crowd of villagers and staring defiantly at the Warlord, saying: 

Although Xylara acts more like Prim/Peter than Katniss. She's a healer and - although badass - doesn't know how to fight, hunt or use a bow. 

So...she's basically Katniss' less moody twin sister who smiles more (no offense, Katniss!)

Have you read any books from the Chronicles of the Warlands series, or do you plan to? Let me know below! 

Book Blitz ~ Coral & Bone by Tiffany Daune

I'm so excited to be a part of the Coral & Bone by Tiffany Daune Book Blitz hosted by Xpresso Book Tours!

 

Book Details

Title: Coral & Bone

Author: Tiffany Daune

Publication date: July 7th 2014

Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult

Synopsis

'Halen knows the sparks igniting under her fingertips are dangerous. She has spent her entire life trying to quell the tingly feelings that make her destroy things, but now that she is back in Rockaway Beach, where she watched her father drown, the flames have become impossible to tame.

Halen is trying to hold on, but when she is thrust into a mysterious new world, the underwater realm of Elosia, she unravels the secrets of her past and can’t help but ignite. As she explores Elosia, she realizes her life has been a lie. 

And when those who have deceived her come to her for help, Halen must choose—walk away or unleash the magick that could destroy them all.'

Purchase FREE (November 18-22) from Amazon here

Book Blog Love ~ I Get Interviewed!

Many of you will know how much I love getting the chance to interview authors. It's always a wonderful opportunity for me - and other readers - to get to know them, and their books, better.

Well, recently, I was totally blown away when Tellulah Darling (author of The Blooming Goddess Trilogy) approached me regarding an interview. 

I had to re-read her request at least ten times to make sure it was real! 

It was such an honour to be a part of Tellulah's Book Blog Love November. It also features many other YA bloggers you may know of, and is a great way to get to know the ladies behind the blogs. 

Tellulah made the interview process fun and a bit of a mind-twisting exercise (some of those question were very hard to answer!). Doing this interview has to go down as one of my blogging career highlights! 

I fangirled many times during this process. Especially when Tellulah Tweeted about the interview:

It's Book Blog Love Nov! Come meet @Booknut101 and her fabulous blog 21st Century Once Upon a Times. http://t.co/X6w9AIEEUN
— Tellulah Darling (@tellulahdarling) November 16, 2014

If you'd like to check out the interview (we discuss book boyfriends, 3 things you didn't know about me, and more!) you can see it over on Tellulah's blog here. 

Before I finish, I'd like to give a big thank you to Tellulah for the opportunity. I had so much fun <3 

Swoon Worthy Saturday ~ C.L. Stone's Silas

Hosted by: Stay Bookish

It's Swoon Worthy Saturday! Saturday is a day for swooning. Swoon Worthy Saturday is a weekly meme where in we present a fictional boy who has swept us off our feet, given us butterflies, made our heart do acrobatics and driven us absolutely crazy!

This Saturday's pick is the swooooon-worthy Silas from author C.L. Stone's The Ghost Bird series. There are 10 books planned in the series, with 7 released so far. The latest book, House of Korba, was released last month, on October 27th. 

Thursday Quotables ~ Earth & Sky by Megan Crewe

Hosted by BookshelfFantasies

It's Thursday Quotables today! Thursday Quotables is all about sharing a favorite quote, line, or passage from your reading each week. You know it's a good read when you come across a bunch of memorable quotes!

Today's quote comes from Earth & Sky by Megan Crewe. Earth & Sky is a YA sci-fi fantasy novel centred on seventeen-year-old Skylar, who has been haunted for as long as she can remember by fleeting yet powerful sensations that something is horribly wrong.

The quote I'm picking to share is one that describes this sensation Skylar experiences. I loved the sentence construction, the choice of words...everything! 

Waiting On Wednesday ~ Wicked by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Waiting On Wednesday is here! 

Hosted by Breaking the Spine, Waiting on Wednesday is a chance for me to showcase some of the books sitting on my overflowing to-read list...so you can add them to your steadily growing to-read lists! 

This week's pick is Wicked by Jennifer L. Armentrout. 

Wicked is the first book in Ms. Armentrout's upcoming NA paranormal series,The Wicked Saga. 

The book is to be released on December 8th 2014.

ARC Review ~ When by Victoria Laurie

When
By Victoria Laurie 

Rating: 4.6


'Why am I seemingly the only person on earth who can see these numbers? Why did fate choose me for such a cruel gift? 

It's a question I've asked myself a million times, and I'm still looking for the answer. I think there may not be one, because knowing when someone will die has never changed anything. I've never saved anybody or given them more time. 

I'm just the messenger.'

Small black gravestones against a pale white landscape...

Etched onto people's foreheads are little black numbers only Maddie Fynn can see. 

Far from being lucky in nature, these numbers are people's death-dates. Just by looking at someone - either in person, or through a photo - Maddie can tell how long they have left to live. Years, months, weeks...days. 

But not everyone wants to know what the future holds.

Knowing when people are going to die is horrible enough. But having to tell them is even worse. 

In order to make money to support her and her mother, Maddie takes on clients - selling her 'death readings' to the curious, the desperate, the hopeful. And it all goes relatively well...until the day her abilities get her into a whole world of trouble. 

Because a client's son has gone missing. 

And the date he was last seen? The exact date Maddie gave. 

She knows the when...but not the how or why.

The law enforcement are on the case, and there's no room for supernatural abilities in their law books. As more and more young people keep disappearing and turning up murdered, all roads seem to lead to Maddie.

Each of the victims is connected to her in some way. But who's pulling the strings?

And what - or who - do they want?

A tangle of mystery and layered emotions, When is a book to look out for.

If you love a good mystery - with a touch of the paranormal, and a romance that doesn't overpower the plot - then When is definitely for you. Be sure to grab your copy of When when it's released on January 13th 2015...and join Maddie on her race against the clock!

**A big thank you to Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book**

Teaser Tuesday ~ Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Hosted by: MizB at Should Be Reading

It's Teaser Tuesday! Teaser Tuesday is when I pick up one of my latest reads, choose a random page, and share two terrific teasers from it with all of you. So strap on your seat-belts & prepare yourself for teasers that are sure to blow you away!

This week's teasers come from Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard. Red Queen is the first book in the Red Queen Trilogy, a thrilling new fantasy series. Red Queen will be released on February 10th 2015 by Orion Publishing. 

Music Monday ~ The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay

Hosted by: Total Book Geek

It's Music Monday! Time to pick a book & pair it with some winning tunes...

This Monday's pick is Katja Millay's Sea of Tranquility. You can check out my full review of the book here.

Sea of Tranquility is a deeply emotional & intriguing YA novel about a lonely boy, an emotionally fragile girl, and the miracle of second chances. Today I will be sharing a few of the songs from the playlist I've put together for this fantastic book.

Mortal Heart by Robin LaFevers Review

Mortal Heart (His Fair Assassin #3) 
By Robin LaFevers

Rating: 5


'"Your love cannot change a man or a god. All it can do is open a door, create a new path for him to choose. One that has not been open to him before. That is what the power of your love can offer him - all of that, and no more. 

(...) Your love makes him happy. Whether it will give him the courage to step through that door remains to be seen."'


Without freedom, even the walls of a home can turn into those of a prison.

Annith has lived as a novitiate at the convent of St. Mortain for as long as she can remember. Many of her friends and fellow novitiates have come and gone, leaving the convent's confines to serve Death and fulfil their destinies. 

Everyone except for Annith.

Annith knows in her heart that she is destined to serve as Death's handmaiden, outside of the convent's walls. So when the abbess tells her that she is to be groomed to take on the role of Seeress, Annith is devastated. A life spent locked away inside the convent seems like the cruelest kind of punishment, after all of the years she's spent training to be the perfect assassin. 

Sometimes we need to take our fate into our own hands.

Praying that Mortain will guide her on the right path, Annith sets out - leaving the convent behind to find the answers to the burning questions surrounding her past and the mysterious workings of the convent.

A journey filled with hellequins, unexpected alliances, bitter truths, and difficult decisions lies ahead. Annith must find the strength to save those she loves...no matter the cost. 

The truth can be deadlier than any poison or blade. 

Mortal Heart is an emotional and thrilling finale to what has been a deeply captivating series. Robin LaFevers has worked her storytelling magic once again, to produce a book that you will not be able to put down.