Review: Perfect Lies (Mind Games, #2)

Author: Kiersten White
Series: Mind Games, #2
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release: Feb 18th 2014
Source: Borrowed
Pages: 230 (hardcover)
( Amazon | Goodreads )

Annie and Fia are ready to fight back.

The sisters have been manipulated and controlled by the Keane Foundation for years, trapped in a never ending battle for survival. Now they have found allies who can help them truly escape. After faking her own death, Annie has joined a group that is plotting to destroy the Foundation. And Fia is working with James Keane to bring his father down from the inside.

But Annie's visions of the future can't show her who to trust in the present. And though James is Fia's first love, Fia knows he's hiding something. The sisters can rely only on each other - but that may not be enough to save them.

The first thing you should know is that I absolutely loved MIND GAMES. And then here comes the second thing, I hated PERFECT LIES. Ha.

Never has a sequel disappointed me as much as PERFECT LIES did. When I read MIND GAMES, I was thoroughly intrigued by White's slightly peculiar writing style and the premise of evil organizations controlling teenage girls who have psychic abilities. Most of all, I adored the dual sister protagonists - Fia and Annie. The only issue I had then was that the worldbuilding was rather weak. But hey, that's what a sequel is for right? More in-depth plot/character developments, more dramatic confrontations, and more mind-boggling conspiracies. The answer is NO! 

Review: Sisters Red (Fairytale Retellings, #1)

Author: Jackson Pearce
Series: Fairytale Retellings, #1
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Release: June 7th 2010
Source: Borrowed
Pages: 324 (hardcover)
( Amazon | Goodreads )

Scarlett March lives to hunt the Fenris--the werewolves that took her eye when she was defending her sister Rosie from a brutal attack. Armed with a razor-sharp hatchet and blood-red cloak, Scarlett is an expert at luring and slaying the wolves. She's determined to protect other young girls from a grisly death, and her raging heart will not rest until every single wolf is dead.

Rosie March once felt her bond with her sister was unbreakable. Owing Scarlett her life, Rosie hunts ferociously alongside her. But even as more girls' bodies pile up in the city and the Fenris seem to be gaining power, Rosie dreams of a life beyond the wolves. She finds herself drawn to Silas, a young woodsman who is deadly with an ax and Scarlett's only friend--but does loving him mean betraying her sister and all that they've worked for?

Fairy tale retellings are without any doubt my number one soft spot when it comes to reading. Regardless of how well I know about the original fairy tale, I'm always easily entranced by the creativity and imagination that shined through each and every one of the newly-reinvented/reimagined stories. Except, perhaps, when such things do not exist at all in a book. I really wish I can leave some better parting words to SISTERS RED, but in the end, this is a fairy tale retelling that lacks everything.

Review: This Song Will Save Your Life

Author: Leila Sales
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Release: Sep 17th 2013
Source: Borrowed
Pages: 279 (hardcover)
( Amazon | Goodreads )

Making friends has never been Elise Dembowski’s strong suit. All throughout her life, she’s been the butt of every joke and the outsider in every conversation. When a final attempt at popularity fails, Elise nearly gives up. Then she stumbles upon a warehouse party where she meets Vicky, a girl in a band who accepts her; Char, a cute, yet mysterious disc jockey; Pippa, a carefree spirit from England; and most importantly, a love for DJing.

Told in a refreshingly genuine and laugh-out-loud funny voice, THIS SONG WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE is an exuberant novel about identity, friendship, and the power of music to bring people together.

This Song Will Save Your Life is an incredibly personal read in the sense that no other books or characters have ever reflected so much of myself in them like this one. It is a book about being an outcast who desperately tries to belong and the inexplicable process of finding one's true self. If you have ever struggled with these hurdles growing up, you will for sure see a hint of yourself in Leila Sales' breathtakingly realistic and relatable protagonist - Elise Dembowski.

Review: Splintered (Splintered, #1)

Author: A. G. Howard
Series: Splintered, #1
Publisher: Amulet Books
Release: Jan 1st 2013
Source: Borrowed
Pages: 371 (hardcover)
( Amazon | Goodreads )

This stunning debut captures the grotesque madness of a mystical under-land, as well as a girl’s pangs of first love and independence. Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers—precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now.

When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family. She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own.

Technically speaking, A.G. Howard's rendition of Wonderland bears more resemblance to Tim Burton's wild if not wicked imagination than to the original Lewis Caroll's tale. Though regardless of the origin of Howard's inspirations, Splintered can sure hold its own place among YA literatures. Its rich and exquisite scenery, puzzling yet absorbing plot, along with those superbly-done characters, altogether combined into this elaborate visual feast in front of us.

Review: Queen of Hearts (Queen of Hearts Saga, #1)

Author: Colleen Oaks
Series: Queen of Hearts Saga, #1
Publisher: SparkPress
Release: Feb 12th 2014
Source: Borrowed
Pages: 222 (ebook)
( Amazon | Goodreads )

A Father’s Betrayal. A Kingdom with a Black Secret. A Princess Slowly Unraveling.

As Princess of Wonderland Palace and the future Queen of Hearts, Dinah's days are an endless monotony of tea, tarts, and a stream of vicious humiliations at the hands of her father, the King of Hearts. The only highlight of her days is visiting Wardley, her childhood best friend, the future Knave of Hearts--and the love of her life.

When an enchanting stranger arrives at the Palace, Dinah watches as everything she's ever wanted threatens to crumble. As her coronation date approaches, a series of suspicious and bloody events suggests that something sinister stirs in the whimsical halls of Wonderland. It's up to Dinah to unravel the mysteries that lurk both inside and under the Palace before she loses her own head to a clever and faceless foe.

Part epic fantasy, part twisted fairy tale, this dazzling saga will have readers shivering as Dinah's furious nature sweeps Wonderland up in the maelstrom of her wrath. Familiar characters such as Cheshire, the White Rabbit, and the Mad Hatter make their appearance, enchanting readers with this new, dark take on Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. But be warned...not every fairytale has a happy ending. This is the story of a princess who became a villain.

I have recently gotten myself into a Wonderland frenzy, all thanks to the fabulously written retelling Splintered by A.G. Howard, which left me desperately in need of more mystical adventures. I was so overwhelmed by the urge to return to Wonderland that I hunted high and low for something else to quench my thirst. Queen of Hearts came to me then, with promises of epicness and gloomy twists, and easily captured my attention.

Review + Giveaway: Mind Games (Mind Games, #1)

Author: Kiersten White
Series: Mind Games, #1
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release: Dec 3rd 2013
Source: Borrowed
Pages: 237 (hardcover)
( Amazon | Goodreads )

Fia was born with flawless instincts. Her first impulse, her gut feeling, is always exactly right. Her sister, Annie, is blind to the world around her—except when her mind is gripped by strange visions of the future.

Trapped in a school that uses girls with extraordinary powers as tools for corporate espionage, Annie and Fia are forced to choose over and over between using their abilities in twisted, unthinkable ways…or risking each other’s lives by refusing to obey.

In a stunning departure from her New York Times bestselling Paranormalcy trilogy, Kiersten White delivers a slick, edgy, heartstoppingly intense psychological thriller about two sisters determined to protect each other—no matter the cost.

Before Mind Games, I have never read anything by Kiersten White, despite her reputation and success from the bestselling Paranormalcy series. You see my friends, paranormal fantasy and I have never set well with each other, so much so that I would go out of my way to avoid it sometimes. But now, Mind Games has really shaken me to the core. It's thrilling. It's gripping. And most of all, it's different. I may have thrown out the word "unique" way more often than its weight deems, but if I were to pick one book to recognize for such quality, Mind Games would be my choice.

Blog Tour Review + Giveaway: The Wolf's Cry (The Semei Trilogy, #1)

Thanks for stopping by my tour stop for The Wolf's Cry by Natalie Crown. This is a YA Fantasy book that released in January 2014. This is the first book in the The Semei Trilogy.

This tour will run March 10th-21st and consist of reviews, author interviews, guest posts, top tens and a giveaway.  Stop by the tour page for the full list of tour stops.

About the Book

Title: The Wolf's Cry

Author: Natalie Crown

Series: The Semei Trilogy, #1

Publisher: Natalie Crown (self published work)

Release: Dec 15th 2013

Source: Blog Tour Copy

Pages: 359 (ebook)

( Amazon| Goodreads )

She is his weakness.

And she will ruin everything.

Kammy Helseth's idea of adventure never amounted to more than getting a boat across to the mainland and finally escaping to London. That was until she stumbled through the mouth of the forest into a world beneath our own, the world of the Semei.

Her only wish is to find her way home but when Jamie, her best friend, is taken into this new world of shapeshifters and Crystals she has no choice but to stand up to her fear and to remain beneath the surface. Hunted by Bagor, King of Alashdial, and those that are loyal to him, Kammy finds herself in the company of a group of outlaws led by Jad, a Prince with a bitter past and a similarly bitter demeanour.

They overcome age-old prejudice to find a way to work together. But Bagor knows a secret about the Crystals that threatens to change everything. Kammy and Jad must find a way to thwart the king and to save Jamie, but that is just the beginning. For Kammy is in possession of a Key and the fate of countless lives, both human and Semei, may rest in her hands.

The Wolf's Cry is the debut novel by indie author Natalie Crown. It is a truly unique adventure that draws us all into the wonders of the underworld. To be honest, I was initially expecting a paranormal fantasy about the good ol' werewolves due to the title and cover, but in reality, The Wolf's Cry offers something much more exotic and compelling than the somewhat overused setup. Don't get me wrong, werewolves are great, but shapeshifters? Well, those are creatures of real fascinations. 

Review: The Lost Boys (The Lost Boys, #1)

Author: Lilian Carmine
Series: The Lost Boys, #1
Publisher: Ebury Press (Random House UK)
Release: Oct 24th 2013
Source: Netgalley
Pages: 512 (ebook)
( Amazon | Goodreads )

An intensely addictive romance novel about girls, ghosts, and forbidden love, ideal for fans of Stephenie Meyer

Fate has brought them together. But will it also keep them apart? Having moved to a strange town, 17-year-old Joey Gray is feeling a little lost, until she meets a cute, mysterious boy near her new home. But there’s a very good reason why Tristan Halloway is always to be found roaming in the local graveyard. Perfect for fans of Stephenie Meyer and Lauren Kate, The Lost Boys is a magical, romantic tale of girl meets ghost.

I was never a fan of Stephenie Meyer despite her overwhelming fame brought on by the Twilight series. Thus, the tagline in the blurb did more damage than good when it comes to drawing my attention. But one can hardly ever walk away from a ghost story that easy, even though now I wish I had done just that.

Review: World After (Penryn & the End of Days, #2)

Author: Susan Ee
Series: Penryn & the End of Days, #2
Publisher: Skyscape (self published work)
Release: Nov 19th 2013
Source: Purchased
Pages: 320 (ebook)
( Amazon | Goodreads )

In this sequel to the bestselling fantasy thriller, Angelfall, the survivors of the angel apocalypse begin to scrape back together what's left of the modern world.

When a group of people capture Penryn's sister Paige, thinking she's a monster, the situation ends in a massacre. Paige disappears. Humans are terrified. Mom is heartbroken.

Penryn drives through the streets of San Francisco looking for Paige. Why are the streets so empty? Where is everybody? Her search leads her into the heart of the angels' secret plans where she catches a glimpse of their motivations, and learns the horrifying extent to which the angels are willing to go.

Meanwhile, Raffe hunts for his wings. Without them, he can't rejoin the angels, can't take his rightful place as one of their leaders. When faced with recapturing his wings or helping Penryn survive, which will he choose?

It wasn't too long ago when I was left completely awestruck by Susan Ee's stunning debut Angelfall - an apocalyptic fantasy so flawlessly mixed with paranormal elements. It is a work of utter excellence and superiority when compared with many others. Hence, as soon as I got my hands on its sequel World After, I devoured it as fast as I could with eager anticipations. And believe me when I say it, Susan Ee does not disappoint. World After is yet another YA masterpiece you all ought to appreciate.

ARC Review: The Summer I Found You

Author: Jolene Perry 

Series: Standalone

Publisher: Albert Whitman Teen

Release: Mar 1st 2014

Source: Netgalley

Pages: 256 (ebook)

( Amazon | Goodreads )

All they have in common is that they're less than perfect. And all they're looking for is the perfect distraction.

Kate's dream boyfriend has just broken up with her and she's still reeling from her diagnosis of type 1 diabetes. Aidan planned on being a lifer in the army and went to Afghanistan straight out of high school. Now he's a disabled young veteran struggling to embrace his new life. When Kate and Aidan find each other neither one wants to get attached. But could they be right for each other after all?

I'm surprised at how much I enjoyed reading The Summer I Found You, even though my analytical left brain is yelling furiously at my silly emotional right brain the whole time. It is so contradictory that I find myself bewildered about how I can possibly like it when I see its problems as plain as day. Nevertheless, it is, without a doubt, one of the more delightful reading experiences I have undergone lately and I appreciate this lightening of mood if just for its entertainment value.

Review: Across the Universe (Across the Universe, #1)

Author: Beth Revis
Series: Across the Universe, #1
Publisher: Razorbill
Release: Jan 11th 2011
Source: Purchased
Pages: 416 (ebook)
( Amazon | Goodreads )

A love out of time. A spaceship built of secrets and murder....

Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, 300 years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end 50 years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.

Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone - one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship - tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn't do something soon, her parents will be next.

Now Amy must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there's only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.

Set against the backdrop of space with a tinge of mystery, Across the Universe is the first book in Beth Revis' bestselling sci-fi dystopian trilogy and undoubtedly has one of the most intriguing premises among YA novels. I mean, seriously, who wouldn't love a story using a spaceship as its center stage? Though despite the inspiring originality, Across the Universe failed miserably to capture my attention. Not impressed. That is all I have to say about this book.

Epic Recs Review: Graceling (Graceling Realm, #1)

Feature created by Amber & Judith

Recently I signed up for Epic Recs, a book pushing book club where you get to recommend books for each other to read every month. I was fortunate enough to be paired with Bec @ Ransom Reads which is pretty cool since I have been following her reviews on Readers In Wonderland for quite awhile now. For February, I recommended Bec The Winter Witch by Paula Brackston knowing her passion for historical fictions and high fantasy novels. In turn, she suggested me Graceling by Kristin Cashore since I too am a high fantasy addict. Is it truly an epic rec, you ask? Yes, of course! Read along and you will know exactly what I mean :) 

Author: Kristin Cashore
Series: Graceling Realm, #1
Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books
Release: Sep 7th 2009 (first published in 2008)
Source: Purchased
Pages: 481 (ebook)
( Amazon | Goodreads )

Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight—she’s a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king’s thug.

When she first meets Prince Po, Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change. She never expects to become Po’s friend. She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace—or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away . . . a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone.

With elegant, evocative prose and a cast of unforgettable characters, debut author Kristin Cashore creates a mesmerizing world, a death-defying adventure, and a heart-racing romance that will consume you, hold you captive, and leave you wanting more.

I'm happy to say that I have been making some real progress with my TBR pile lately. *clap*clap* Graceling has been on my radar for quite a long time due to its widespread popularity, though it is only now that I finally stepped into Kristin Cashore's intriguing Medieval world - the realm of the Seven Kingdoms - and got to know these Gracelings who bear different colors in their eyes. With high expectations in mind, I started it off anticipating great things from Ms. Cashore and I'm glad that not one of them was left unfulfilled.

Review: Angelfall (Penryn & the End of Days, #1)

Author: Susan Ee
Series: Penryn & the End of Days, #1
Publisher: Skyscape (self published work)
Release: Aug 28th 2012
Source: Purchased
Pages: 288 (ebook)
( Amazon | Goodreads )

It's been six weeks since angels of the apocalypse descended to demolish the modern world. Street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. When warrior angels fly away with a helpless little girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back.

Anything, including making a deal with an enemy angel.

Raffe is a warrior who lies broken and wingless on the street. After eons of fighting his own battles, he finds himself being rescued from a desperate situation by a half-starved teenage girl.

Traveling through a dark and twisted Northern California, they have only each other to rely on for survival. Together, they journey toward the angels' stronghold in San Francisco where she'll risk everything to rescue her sister and he'll put himself at the mercy of his greatest enemies for the chance to be made whole again.

I can’t believe how long it took me to uncover Angelfall from my pile of TBR reads, 250 days to be exact. If not for Aneta’s recent review, it would still be buried among my kindle books with a slim chance of being rediscovered on its own. It is hard to imagine now what it would be like to miss this book for real, though I doubt it would be anything other than regretful.

Blog Tour Review + Giveaway: Butterman (Time) Travel, Inc. (Butterman (Time) Travel, Inc., #1)

Welcome to my stop on the tour for Butterman (Time) Travel, Inc by PK Hrezo. This is a NA Time Travel Adventure Romance.

This tour runs Feb. 10-21st with reviews, author interviews, and a few guest posts and top tens. It also includes a great giveaway. Be sure to check out our tour page with additional info and list of tour stops.

About the Book

Title: Butterman (Time) Travel, Inc

Author: PK Hrezo

Series: Butterman (Time) Travel, Inc, #1

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (self published work) 

Release: Nov 5th 2013

Source: Blog Tour Copy

Pages: 310 (ebook)

( Amazon | Goodreads | B&N )

It’s the year 2069 and even though eighteen-year-old Bianca Butterman is heir to the family biz, she may never see the day her time-craft license becomes official. When a government agent starts nosing around the operation, Butterman Travel, Inc. gets stuck with a full audit—part of a government take-over scheme to shut down all private time travel agencies. Enter former boy band superstar, Tristan Helms, desperate to retrieve a lost item from his past and willing to pay triple fare for a time-trip to get there, and Bianca has to find a way to complete the job and return home before the government gets wind and shuts down the family biz for good.

Welcome to Butterman Travel, Incorporated, a full service agency designed to meet all your exclusive time travel needs. We’re a family owned and operated business with one hundred years of experience. A place where you can rest assured, safety and reliability always come first.

Anxious to attend some special event from the past? Or for a glimpse of what the future holds?

You've come to the right place. We’re a fully accredited operation, offering an array of services; including, but not limited to: customized travel plans, professionally piloted operations, and personal trip guides. *Terms and conditions do apply

Use our Web conferencing to contact our front line reservation specialist, Bianca Butterman, who will handle all your inquiries in a professional and efficient manner, offering a tentative itinerary and free fare quote, so you can make the most of your time trip.

We look forward to serving you at Butterman Travel, Inc., where time is always in your hands.

Have you ever considered the things you would do if one day you could travel in time? Past, future, wherever and whenever your heart desires, with a simple gesture of hand and BOOM!! you are there, mingling between what was already done and what has yet to come. If you are as fascinated and intrigued as I am, Butterman (Time) Travel, Inc will surely be a treat for you.

ARC Review: Fates (Fates, #1)

Author: Lanie Bross
Series: Fates, #1
Publisher: Delacorte Press (Random House)
Release: Feb 11th 2014
Source: Netgalley
Pages: 336 (ebook)
( Amazon | Goodreads )

Perfect for fans of Jennifer Armentrout, Julie Kagawa, Rachel Vincent, and Sarah J. Maas, and for girls who love all things pretty, romantic and inspirational.

One moment. One foolish desire. One mistake. And Corinthe lost everything.

She fell from her tranquil life in Pyralis Terra and found herself exiled to the human world. Her punishment? To make sure people's fates unfold according to plan. Now, years later, Corinthe has one last assignment: kill Lucas Kaller. His death will be her ticket home.

But for the first time, Corinthe feels a tingle of doubt. It begins as a lump in her throat, then grows toward her heart, and suddenly she feels like she is falling all over again--this time for a boy she knows she can never have. Because it is written: one of them must live, and one of them must die. In a universe where every moment, every second, every fate has already been decided, where does love fit in?

"Different and imaginative."--Kirkus Reviews

It is never easy for me to turn down a pretty cover, despite the fact that this irrational urge has brought me more than a few disappointments. Well, that number may have to go up another notch today. To be fair, I don’t dislike Fates as much as some of the other ones, but that is hardly a compliment at all. While parts of the story remained quite entertaining to read, as a whole, there were way too many problems for me to fully enjoy it. 

Review: Tiger Lily

Author: Jodi Lynn Anderson
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Haper Teen (Harper Collins)
Release: July 3rd 2012
Source: Purchased
Pages: 304 (paperback)
( Amazon | Goodreads )

Before Peter Pan belonged to Wendy, he belonged to the girl with the crow feather in her hair. . . .

Fifteen-year-old Tiger Lily doesn't believe in love stories or happy endings. Then she meets the alluring teenage Peter Pan in the forbidden woods of Neverland and immediately falls under his spell.

Peter is unlike anyone she's ever known. Impetuous and brave, he both scares and enthralls her. As the leader of the Lost Boys, the most fearsome of Neverland's inhabitants, Peter is an unthinkable match for Tiger Lily. Soon, she is risking everything—her family, her future—to be with him. When she is faced with marriage to a terrible man in her own tribe, she must choose between the life she's always known and running away to an uncertain future with Peter.

With enemies threatening to tear them apart, the lovers seem doomed. But it's the arrival of Wendy Darling, an English girl who's everything Tiger Lily is not, that leads Tiger Lily to discover that the most dangerous enemies can live inside even the most loyal and loving heart.

Peter Pan was never a favorite of mine, nor was I at all familiar with the myths of Neverland. Although adored by many of my friends, it seemed that I never cared enough to read this particular fairy tale, which also explained my initial hesitation towards Tiger Lily. Let me tell you now, my friends, I was such a fool. Tiger Lily was nothing like the ridiculous and predictive story I had expected. Instead, it was a grand display of fascinations and wonderments. I loved exploring Neverland in Jodi Lynn Anderson’s imaginations and the tale of Tiger Lily and Peter Pan is downright heartwarming and tear jerking all at the same time.

Blog Tour Review + Giveaway: The Warrior & The Flower (3 Kingdoms, #1)

Welcome to my stop on the tour for The Warrior & The Flower by Camille Picott. This is an adult high fantasy.

To celebrate Chinese New Year the tour is running Jan. 27th-31st with mostly reviews and only a few interviews and spotlight posts. Be sure to check out our tour page with additional info and list of tour stops.

About the Book

Title: The Warrior & The Flower
Author: Camille Picott
Series: 3 Kingdoms, #1
Publisher: Pixiu Press (self published work)
Release: Mar 20th 2013
Source: Blog Tour Copy
Pages: 307 (ebook)
( Amazon | Goodreads | B&N | Smashwords )

Yi, a retired soldier, has lost everything he loves — his wife, his daughter, and his home. He seeks refuge from his heartache by plunging into a secret mission for the World Emperor. The assignment takes him to the doorstep of a brothel, where he witnesses the madam beating a young girl. Drawn by the child’s striking resemblance to his lost daughter, Yi rushes to her defense and negotiates for her purchase — after all, how hard can it be to care for one little girl? But between the child’s inquisitive nature and the dangerous secret she carries, he gets more than he bargained for.

The Warrior & The Flower is an Asian inspired adult high fantasy novel written by Camille Picott. Being a Chinese native myself, I jumped at the opportunity to review it. It is not often that I encounter books mixed with Asian elements. The few times when I do, the references are either incorrect or inaccurate. Thus, I was both thrilled and anxious (just a little) when I picked up this book. Fortunately to my surprise, The Warrior & The Flower proved to be quite a delightful read with realistic traces of Asian traditions and I owe many thanks to both Camille and Candace :)  

Mini ARC Review: Under the Wide and Starry Sky

Author: Nancy Horan
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Ballantine Books (Random House)
Release: Jan 21st 2014
Source: NetGalley
Pages: 496 (ebook)
( Amazon | Goodreads )

At the age of thirty-five, Fanny van de Grift Osbourne leaves her philandering husband in San Francisco and sets sail for Belgium to study art, with her three children and a nanny in tow. Not long after her arrival, however, tragedy strikes, and Fanny and her brood repair to a quiet artists' colony in France where she can recuperate. There she meets Robert Louis Stevenson, ten years her junior, who is instantly smitten with the earthy, independent and opinionated belle Americaine.

A woman ahead of her time, Fanny does not immediately take to the young lawyer who longs to devote his life to literature, and who would eventually write such classics as Treasure Island and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. In time, though, she succumbs to Stevenson's charms. The two begin a fierce love affair, marked by intense joy and harrowing darkness, which spans decades as they travel the world for the sake of his health. Eventually they settled in Samoa, where Robert Louis Stevenson is buried underneath the epitaph:

Under the wide and starry sky, 

Dig the grave and let me lie.

Glad did I live and gladly die,

And I laid me down with a will.

This be the verse you grave for me:

Here he lies where he longed to be;

Home is the sailor, home from sea,

And the hunter home from the hill. 

(Requiem, Robert Louis Stevenson)

Though most of the books I read are YA fantasies, occasionally I do try out some other genres as well, for the purpose of broadening my perspective. Under the Wide and Starry Sky is precisely the case of such experiment. While I appreciate the interesting story and Nancy Horan's excellent writing, this is simply not the kind of books for me. I struggled quite a bit trying to rate it and the 2 stars you see here reflect nothing except personal taste.

Review: Mistress of the Wind

Author: Michelle Diener
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Season Publishing (self published work)
Release: Dec 23rd 2013
Source: NetGalley
Pages: 350 (ebook)
( Amazon | Goodreads )

Bjorn needs to find a very special woman . . .

The fate of his people, and his own life, depends on it. But when he does find her, she is nothing like he imagined, and may just harbor more secrets than he does himself.

Astrid has never taken well to commands. No matter who issues them . . .

She's clashed her whole life with her father, and now her lover, the mysterious man who comes to her bedroom in darkness and disappears to guard his mountain by day as a bear, is finding it out the hard way. And when he's taken by his enemies, no one is prepared for Astrid's response.

It is never wise to anger the mistress of the wind . . .

This novel is a retelling of the fairy tale East of the Sun, West of the Moon.

If you are a frequent reader of this blog, you know I'm a huge fan of fairy tale retellings. I love the fresh voice and delightfulness that come with each new add-ons and spin-offs. So when I finally got my hands on Mistress of the Wind, I was nothing less than thrilled. Unfortunately, after a fairly promising start, Mistress of the Wind fell terribly short to all my expectations.

Review: Endless

Author: Amanda Gray
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Month9Books
Release: Sep 10th 2013
Source: NetGalley
Pages: 384 (ebook)
( Amazon | Goodreads )

Jenny Kramer knows she isn't normal. After all, not everybody can see the past lives of people around them.

When she befriends Ben Daulton, resident new boy, the pair stumble on an old music box with instructions for “mesmerization” and discover they may have more in common than they thought. Like a past life.

Using the instructions in the music box, Ben and Jenny share a dream that transports them to Romanov Russia and leads them to believe they have been there together before. But they weren't alone. Nikolai, the mysterious young man Jenny has been seeing in her own dreams was there, too. When Nikolai appears next door, Jenny is forced to acknowledge that he has travelled through time and space to find her. Doing so means he has defied the laws of time, and the Order, an ominous organization tasked with keeping people in the correct time, is determined to send him back.

While Ben, Jenny and Nikolai race against the clock - and the Order - Jenny and Nikolai discover a link that joins them in life - and beyond death.

It is hard to describe the feelings that are going through my head right now. It has been awhile since the last time I got this attached to a book. Endless left me completely speechless, and I still cannot quite articulate the emotions I'm experiencing. I loved and hated the moment I flipped through the last page. When I realized there was no more to Jenny's story and that I had finished it, I felt my heart aching. Amanda Gray's brilliantly composed plot and characters swallowed me as a whole and I am perfectly content to stay in this mesmerizing dream.