Sunday, June 15, 2014

Moving

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So, if you follow me on Twitter you know that I have been toying with the idea of moving the blog over to a Wordpress format. Well after much consideration I have decided that is the best course of action for the blog.

I'm not a huge fan of the blogger platform and have a histroy with Wordpress, so it just made sense for me. I'd love for all of you who follow the blog to head over to Wordpress and see the new site!

 https://thegoldenmantle.wordpress.com/

Monday, June 9, 2014

City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare Plus Giveaway!

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Book Six: City of Heavenly Fire

So if you have been in the YA space for the last couple of years you have probably heard of Cassandra Clare and her Shadownhunters series. I started the series back in High School many moons ago and was anxiously awaiting the end of Clary and the gang's saga. I find that people are of two opinions when it comes to the books, either they wish Clare had finished with the Valentine plot, or they love the books and continuously want more. Usually, I am of the second camp. Why knock a good thing? Harry Potter seven books right? But I've got to say, when it comes to this story line, it seems to have become a bit stale for me. I love the world Clare has created and her other series was amazing, but I think this story had a very clear ending and by dragging it out into six books it's staled a little for me. 

Here's what I liked: Clare's ability to create the Shadowhunter world is insane. The way that all of her characters so closely interweave is continuously impressive, and I love trying to but the families and the legacies together. I also love Jace and Clary. One thing I never tire of is their relationship. It's come a long way since the first book, and even Simon notices how it's evolved. If you haven't read that part yet, you'll know what I'm talking about when you do. I love Simon too. He really does bring a lightness and a humanity, even six books in, and I completely love him for that. Basically, Clare's ability to write remains, as my friend put it "off the chain," 

Here's what made me cringe: The subplots. There were like three. Some made sense, some were marketing tools. Good on you for making use of your built in audience to make way for the next books, really, but adding it so heavily into the story made it drag at times. It felt like I was sloshing through to get to the good stuff. Girl, I love you already--I don't need you to force feed me the next chapter, I'll buy it. I wanted to enjoy the ending of Clary's chapter, but most of the time I was slogging through the set up to the next series, and the back story of the other series and I became uninterested. That's another thing. Honestly, if you haven't read her other works "The Infernal Devices," and "The Bane Chronicles," you are going to spend 75% of the book confused. There are a lot of references to those books made Finally, I was not a fan of the ending. Talk about wrapping it all up in a bow. I'm of the strong belief if you make a massive decision the way Clare did, you should stick with it. Don't try and please everyone. If you do something awful to a main character or in this case characters I think it's a more poignant message, especially in the world she created, to stick to your choices. 

Overall, I say if you are a fan of the books, you'll enjoy the finale--for the most part I did. But if it's not something you love/haven't read them all and Clare's other works, maybe pick up something else. You'll spend a lot of time scratching your head. 7/10 



Now onto the giveaway!! I am giving away a copy of City of Heavenly Fire. I really do love Clare's writing and am a true fan of her work. I think this is a great book to complete your Mortal Instruments collection. Please note that this giveaway is only open to those in the U.S.


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Saturday, May 31, 2014

Blog Tour: Branded Review

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Fifty years ago the Commander came into power and murdered all who opposed him. In his warped mind, the seven deadly sins were the downfall of society. He created the Hole where sinners are branded according to their sins and might survive a few years. At best. 
Now LUST wraps around my neck like blue fingers strangling me. I’ve been accused of a crime I didn’t commit and now the Hole is my new home. 
Darkness. Death. Violence. Pain. 

Branded A Sinners Series novel by Abi Ketner and Missy Kalicicki is set in a dystopian world where those who have been accused of crimes are branded with one of the seven deadly sins and set into what is essentially an internment camp called The Hole. The novel follows main character Lexi, who has been branded with the blue mark of lust and sent to live out the remainder of her days in The Hole. It is there that she meets guard Cole and makes some shocking discovers about the world she has found herself. 

Let me preface this by saying that I read Branded twice. I really, really wanted to like it more than I did. Let me start by focusing on the positives, because I really thought there were many of them. Ketner and Kalicicki have created a really intriguing world. Their setting is unlike any other that I have read before. When I heard dystopian I was expecting something along the lines of Hunger Games or Divergent, but this world is a bit more brutal than those. I enjoyed the reality of it and found that the authors really didn't shy away from depicting the harshness of the world they created. 

What I struggled with was the overall plot. I found myself struggling through a lot of the plot points. It seemed to me that the authors tried to fit too much into the plot. Instead of laying bread crumbs they dumped in all the ingredients at once, and it caused a lot of inconsistencies. I struggled with Lexi's character. I mean I get--sucks to be her--but she was extremely whiny. All the time. Even when she was trying to show strength I found her lacking in backbone. Cole also wasn't the studly hero you usually see in YA novels. His dog Zeus seemed to be the only character with much personality. 

Overall I found Branded to be perfectly fine. It seemed to me to be a manuscript that needs some finishing. I think the authors have some really amazing pieces but some of the connections are a bit off. With a little polish I think they could have something truly extraordinary. 6/10


Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Branded Review Coming May 31st!

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Hey everyone! It's been a few weeks since I have had a review and honestly I've just been crazy busy starting a new job! I'm back at it and plugging away through some new reads that I can't wait to share with everyone. My come back post will be part of the Branded Blog Tour!

I'll be writing a review next week on May 31st so definitely be on the lookout!! Can't wait to get back at it. Have fun at BEA :)

Sunday, May 11, 2014

The One by Kiera Cass

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May appears to be the month of endings. First the end of the Sweet Trilogy and now the end of the Selection Series by Kiera  Cass. Anyone who knows anything about me knows I LOVE anything to do with royalty. Seriously, I should have, had a tiara from birth. So obviously, the Selection Series was right up my alley. I was so excited to read "The One," that I bought Amazon Prime simply so that I could be sure to have the book by it's release. 

"The One," pretty much picks right up from "The Elite," following America, Maxon, and the other girls left in the Selection. What I always found really intriguing about the series was that you never really knew what was going to happen at the end. I liked not being sure if America was going to chose Maxon and vice-versa. That uncertainty continues in "The One," especially with only 4 girls left, and Maxon catching feelings for one of them. 

Overall, I really did enjoy the ending of the series. America is one of my favorite female YA characters, because she is so normal in the way she thinks. For someone who is in line to be a possible Princess, she is actually pretty normal. She's caught between her childhood and the possibility of a new life with Maxon. The series deals with this as she faces some very real struggles. 

This wasn't my favorite book in the series, I will say that. I felt like Cass glossed over America's relationship with Aspen really quickly, and left out some fantastic opportunities with his character. She also added some really crazy, gratuitous violence. There was a larger focus on the rebel forces that to me felt really forced. 

Review- 7/10



Sunday, May 4, 2014

My First Giveaway!

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Hey guys,

Double post here but my review was getting out of control. I have some exciting news. Remember how I was lucky enough to go see Wendy Higgins at her launch for Sweet Reckoning?!? Well, she was lovely enough to sign a copy of her final installment in the Sweet Trilogy, "Sweet Reckoning," which also happens to have come out on my birthday. Because I am awesome, I am giving away the signed copy of, "Sweet Reckoning," as well as a copy of , " Sweet Evil." Unfortunately, "Sweet Evil," is not signed, but it's still a great extra copy if you already have one, or for those of you who haven't read it, a great way to begin your love.  All you have to do is follow the directions below to win :)


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The Sweet Trilogy Review

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Hey everyone! Happy Sunday. Today, I am going to be reviewing "The Sweet Trilogy" by Wendy Higgins. I was lucky enough this past week to meet Wendy in person at the launch of the final book in the trilogy, "Sweet Reckoning." It was my first ever author event and it was incredible! Wendy was lovely in person and went out of her way to answer questions and take photos. Before I start, I want to say I'm going to treat this review a little differently, mostly I'm going to be super vague about the plot. I want everyone to go and discover the Sweet Triology's awesomeness without any possible spoilers, and I loved them so much that if I start focusing on the plot to heavily I know I'll give stuff away. So, Imma be vague.

Let me start this review by saying that I am ashamed it took me this long to read the books. I've been reading YA since I can remember starting with "Harry Potter," so it's not like a skipped some time here and just missed "Sweet Evil." It's been on my radar for--well forever-- but for one reason or another I never picked it up. Now, I feel like someone should smack me in the face with it! How I could have missed something so amazing is beyond me. I'm notoriously picky about books. I'll read anything at least once but I dissect the crap out of them--both the writing mechanics part and the actual story telling. I majored in English and History in college and I get shady about certain things like grammar and continuity.

 I'm a big believer that there are two kinds of writers out there, ones who are fantastic story tellers and ones who have some magic powers with words--Wendy Higgins is one of the few that embodies both. (And I'm not just saying that because I met her.)

The Sweet Trilogy is beautifully written. Every page holds so much description that you feel as though you are right there with the characters. Her story and plot requires so much emotion and investment and she is talented enough to create that on the page. You really feel what her characters feel--the good and the bad.

Plus, her main character Anna is a great heroine. My favorite part about her and a majority of the characters is that she is not solely good. I feel like a lot of times, especially in YA, the heroine is this beacon of perfection and not someone who girls can actually strive to be like. The great thing about Anna is that she struggles and not just because she has to get her love interest to get his head out of his butt. The entire series is about her struggle with her faith, her love, and her family.

The plot that these three books are based around is fantastically different. Higgins, uses biblical lore to create a great foundation but really goes beyond and creates an imaginative and different story. The former English major in me loves how she handles the dichotomy between good and evil and relates that to moving from childhood to adulthood (that could  also be the English major in me inferring a lot of crap that's not there too). I mentioned the characters above but I can't stress enough how much I adored them. They reminded me of my friends (granted my friends aren't half demon--that I know of). Their struggles with sin (greed, lust, envy, wrath, substance abuse) are something everyone struggles with, especially in those early years when parental control starts to drift off and you have to figure it out for yourself. Higgins, really goes far and beyond in expressing the turmoils of what it's like to grow up and struggle with the good and the bad. And she's not one to judge you for giving into the bad. Her story centers around redemption and isn't a long lecture of how evil infects the good in you completely. Everyone's got a little of both and that's okay.

Seriously, someone get this woman on the NYT Best-Seller list and her books in English class!

Now, that I fangirled out. I do want to point out a few things I didn't like, because I have to be that person. There was a death in the last novel I kind of thought was unnecessary. There, I said it. I won't go further than that because I genuinely want people to read these books and fall in love and be DEVASTATED. I also felt that an unexpected...let's say surprise...one of our characters gets felt rushed. I liked the idea of rebirth and redemption in that way, but I got to say I had a WTF moment there.

Overall, buy these books! Drop everything right now and go get "Sweet Evil." If you don't like it you can complain in the comments section below and tell me I'm stupid...you won't.

Sunday, April 27, 2014

Exciting News!!

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Hey everyone!

Just wanted to give ya'll a heads up for some exciting things that will be happening this week. First off, it's my birthday. Yay, one year older. On the same day, the final installment in the Sweet Trilogy is hitting shelves (or you have already gotten it...and I hate you).

In celebration of all this, my good friend Alley from http://imabibliophobic.blogspot.com/ and I are heading over to author Wendy Higgins launch party. We are lucky enough to be local to where she will be hosting and are both very excited to go.

I can't wait to share pictures, reviews, and a special giveaway! Stay tuned for next Sunday's review and recap post.

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea

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I really hate giving bad reviews. I'm a writer myself and have deep respect for people who are able to put pen to paper and actually have a finished project. But, I have to be honest about my thought and I just did not find this book to be very good. 

The novel follows former rich girl Violet White as she rents a piece of her families estate over to mysterious new-comer River. Violet is a bit of a weird chick. She's obsessed with her grandmother who passed away several years before the book starts. I generally like characters who are off the beaten path, but I couldn't really relate to Violet. Not only does she constantly harp on how she was previously rich, but her obsession with her dead grandmother was strange. 

The plot itself was engaging. I will say that I read the entire book in about a day, but I felt completely unsatisfied at the end. Nothing was really going on for a majority of the book. Sure people are dying. Sure River has a secret. But they all of those parts where kind of blah. Up until the end, which literally comes out of nowhere, nothing really compelling happens. The plot is just a bunch of random moments squashed together. 

Overall, I'd say, skip it. It's marketed as a Gothic horror story, but its not very horrific. 

Review: 2/10

Sunday, April 20, 2014

Review: The Maze Runner

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I'm not going to lie. I originally started reading this because I have a secret love affair with Teen Wolf and Dylan O'Brien and saw the preview for the movie. As in most things in life, I was skeptical. I'm generally not a fan of reading something from a male point-of-view, so I wasn't sure where this was going to go. 

It's hard to describe this book without giving it away. It's a pretty straight forward first novel that sets up for some very interesting plot twists to occur in the sequel (at least that's what I'm hoping). I have been marketing it to my fellow readers as Lord of Files, meets Hunger Games. It very much so follows the vain of the ever growing dystopian genre, but with a little more focus on the idea of social hierarchy and Darwinism. There was a definite scientific aspect happening. 

Overall, I really enjoyed the book. I found the plot to be a tad predictable, but it was a quick and exciting read and I'm looking forward to exploring the sequel and seeing the movie. 

Rating 7.5/10


Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Wish List Wednesday

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Out of boredom one day I decided to troll around Amazon.com while at work. I have the attention span of a small child so I constantly need to be doing about 3 things at once in order to stay focused. While browsing I came across this cover and was automatically intrigued. I love anything set in a different time period; there is simply something amazingly romantic about lords, ladies, corsets, and gloves. If the cover alone didn't capture my attention, than the summary did. 

Welcome to the world of the fabulously wealthy in London, 1909, where dresses and houses are overwhelmingly opulent, social class means everything, and women are taught to be nothing more than wives and mothers. Into this world comes seventeen-year-old Victoria Darling, who wants only to be an artist—a nearly impossible dream for a girl.

After Vicky poses nude for her illicit art class, she is expelled from her French finishing school. Shamed and scandalized, her parents try to marry her off to the wealthy Edmund Carrick-Humphrey. But Vicky has other things on her mind: her clandestine application to the Royal College of Art; her participation in the suffragette movement; and her growing attraction to a working-class boy who may be her muse—or may be the love of her life. As the world of debutante balls, corsets, and high society obligations closes in around her, Vicky must figure out: just how much is she willing to sacrifice to pursue her dreams? 
I am super excited to begin reading this book. Only problem is, I currently have about 15 books in my que--damn my friends for loaning me things! So, I've added this to the new feature on the blog, Wish List Wednesdays. Books that I plan on reading and reviewing ! Feel free to leave comments about the books on your Wish List. I'm always looking for new suggestions. 

Sunday, March 23, 2014

Unbreakable (The Legion, #1)Beautiful By Kami Garcia

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I'm going to be honest. I was not a fan of Beautiful Creatures.  I liked the general idea of the book, but it just wasn't my cup of tea. Normally, when I haven't enjoyed a previous piece from an author I avoid them. It's really important to impress me early on in your career, cause boy am I a YA snob. With that all said, when I read the excerpt from Unbreakable,  Garcia's solo project and the first book in The Legion series, I figured I would check it out.

A book about demon hunters, featuring a girl hunter, hand it over! When I did get an opportunity to sit down and read the book I was extremely excited. The reviews were great, the summary was good, and it was time for something a little bit different. Honestly, I cannot remember reading any recent YA about demon hunters, but I'm a big Supernatural  fan. 

The book itself was a very quick read and had enough adventure to keep it interesting. It follows main character Kennedy, as she learns that she is part of a secret-demon hunting society called The Legion of the Black Dove. I don't like Kennedy. She annoyed me. Personally, I like a strong, female character--one who kicks butt and possibly has a bow and arrow. Kennedy is a little too much of a baby for my taste. She did develop as the novel progressed and I'm hoping that as the series continues she will grow. 

The overall story was great. I anticipated every chapter. But, I also have some issues with the lore. Writing is difficult and I have great respect for people with the ability to create totally new worlds, and that kind of happened here. I get that you can only talk so much about demons and demon hunting techniques, but Garcia seemed to borrow a lot from the show Supernatural and their creators. It's not that it hurt the book, it'll definitely draw similar fans, it's just hard to lose yourself in the world Garcia created when you are waiting for Sam and Dean to make a guest appearance. 

Overall I give this 6/10 I'm exciting to see what the rest of the series brings for Kennedy especially but I was not blown away.  

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Lauren Kate Splashes into the Tempid Tides

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Hey everyone! Sorry for the super long delay in posts- I've had some computer issues recently which resulted in a brand spanking new laptop. Wooohoo.

Now onto my latest review. So from speaking with my fellow YA readers and trolling through Goodreads, I have come to the conclusion that people have mixed feelings about Lauren Kate and the Fallen series. Personally, I really enjoyed the series--well the first book and the last one. I came at Teardrop with some hesitation. I was BEYOND excited to start reading this, but it ended up taking me months to actually pick it up; reason being that the summary sucked. Really, really blew.

Finally, I decided to go ahead and give it a whirl and I have to say that I genuinely found myself engaged. These days between my fulltime job and all of my boring adult responsibilities, finding time to read is precious and difficult. With that said, I finished Teardrop in two days.

As I write this, I honestly am having trouble figuring out what exactly I enjoyed. Kate's writing has always been truly engaging. I adore her ability to take ideologies that are already engrained in common culture and create her own story line and cast of characters. So, let's start with what I did enjoy.

I enjoyed the writing. I enjoyed the story. I found both totally engaging, which explains why I finished in such a short time.

Things I didn't like. The characters. Seriously. There was not a single character in this book that I could relate. The main female character, Eureka, was unlikeable and selfish. Two traits I normally do not find appealing in my heroines. Ander, the love interest, was barely a spec in the story despite the fact that it begins from his point-of-view.

Overall, readers I would say that the story and the writing warrants a read, but if you aren't someone who generally enjoys Kate's work than you probably won't like this book either.

5.5/10

Monday, February 24, 2014

Falling Under The Spell, or Spelled Asleep?

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Lately, I have not been in the mood to read anything that was a teenage romance unless it had a huge supernatural element to it. Anyone who knows me knows I am slightly obsessed with the paranormal--yea, I believe in ghosts, witches, vampires, etc. So after reading a few heavily supernatural books I found myself in the mood for something a bit on the lighter side of things, and that was when I decided to start Spellbound by Cara Lynn Shultz. And naturally because I am a little OCD I decided to pick up the sequel Spellcaster. 

Let me start by saying that I genuinely enjoyed Spellbound; it was one of those quick, engaging reads that I finished in about a day. Both novels, follow the ancient, doomed love story of it's main characters Brendan and Emma. As is pretty typical in these types of books, Brendan is the super-hot  and rich James Dean type and Emma is the slightly damaged heroine.

What I loved about Spellbound was that it played on all of latent teen girl fantasies. Hot dude (check); rich (check); badass (check); ready to swoop in at a moments notice and save the girl he loves (check and check). Basically, if I could make a man it would be Brendan.

Spellbound, kept it moving, at no point in the story did I feel bogged down or bored by the plot. It was a fun mixture of serious and ridiculous. Obviously, there were moments when I needed to suspend belief, but they were not that vast.

I'd say Spellbound  was a 7/10.




Let's move on to Spellcaster. First, it took me over a week to complete the book and despite the fact that I work fulltime and do a slew of other things I'm usually averaging 2-3 books a week. Usually, I am especially fast when it comes to reading sequel. Spellcaster, just did not do it for me. The plot felt contrived and forced--all  the sudden Emma is a badass witch and Brendan's player past comes back to haunt them both.

I'll break it down for you guys--there was a very poignant sequel that needed to be written following the events of Spellbound and this really was not it. Not only was the plot of this novel incredibly boring, it very much so moved away from the momentum and the general ideology created by it predecessor.

4/10

Basically, read Spellbound but go ahead and skip Spellcaster.

Thursday, February 20, 2014

"Old Magic" An Oldie but a Goodie

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Old Magic, by Marianne Curley is not super well-known among avid YA readers. I think one of the largest reasons for that is it's age. The book was originally published in 2009, back before YA become a genre to be rivaled in popular culture. I read it several years back and was absolutely in love; this book is really what sparked a deep love of the YA genre. Recently, I decided to reread to see if it held up to my 24 year old sensibilities the same way it did to the 12 year old version of myself. I'm glad to announce that a 10th (this is an estimate but not an exaggeration) read really cemented this as my favorite book.

Jarrod Thornton is mesmerizing,
but Kate Warren doesn't know why.
 
The moment the new guy walks into the room, Kate senses something strange and intense about him. Something supernatural. Her instincts are proven correct a few minutes later when, bullied by his classmates, Jarrod unknowingly conjures up a freak thunderstorm inside their classroom. 
Jarrod doesn't believe in the paranormal. When Kate tries to convince him that he has extraordinary powers that need to be harnessed, he only puts up with her "hocus pocus" notions because he finds her captivating. However, the dangerous, uncontrolled strengthening of his gift finally convinces Jarrod that he must take Kate's theories seriously. Together, they embark on a remarkable journey -- one which will unravel the mystery that has haunted Jarrod's family for generations and pit the teens against imrmense forces in a battle to undo the past and reshape the future.

The book follows, Kate Warren and Jarrod Thornton as they attempt to break a curse wrought upon Jarrod's family. Old Magic, contains everything I absolutely adore in my YA--magic, romance, and history. Kate and Jarrod's attempts to break the curse on his family lead the two back in time to a confrontation with Jarrod's noble relatives--obviously there are some issues. Curley's writing is incredible and the way she gradually builds the romance between Jarrod and Kate is what creates the timeless quality that keeps me coming back year after year. Old Magic, truly stands the test of time and the only part I don't like is that Curley has not brought more of her magic to the shelves.

9/10

The Beginning

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 Hey everyone and welcome! I wanted to start off by just sharing a little about myself and what this blog is about.

First off, I'm an avid book reader and have been for years! After speaking with my friend and fellow book lover-- Alley over at http://imabibliophobic.blogspot.com/. I decided it was time to start blogging on my own. I love reading and love discussing books even more. Problem is, I completely lose track of what I'm reading; meaning I often read books I don't like twice and loose track of series that I really enjoy.

So here it goes!
 

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