For Who Could Ever Learn to Love a Beast? - HUNTED by Meagan Spooner

Title: Hunted
Author: Meagan Spooner
Series: n/a
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: March 14, 2017
Source: galley received from publisher
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

Beauty knows the Beast’s forest in her bones—and in her blood. Though she grew up with the city’s highest aristocrats, far from her father’s old lodge, she knows that the forest holds secrets and that her father is the only hunter who’s ever come close to discovering them.

So when her father loses his fortune and moves Yeva and her sisters back to the outskirts of town, Yeva is secretly relieved. Out in the wilderness, there’s no pressure to make idle chatter with vapid baronessas…or to submit to marrying a wealthy gentleman. But Yeva’s father’s misfortune may have cost him his mind, and when he goes missing in the woods, Yeva sets her sights on one prey: the creature he’d been obsessively tracking just before his disappearance.

Deaf to her sisters’ protests, Yeva hunts this strange Beast back into his own territory—a cursed valley, a ruined castle, and a world of creatures that Yeva’s only heard about in fairy tales. A world that can bring her ruin or salvation. Who will survive: the Beauty, or the Beast?

So many Beauty and the Beast retellings, so little time. But I made time for this one. Just like I'll make time to take Katie to see the movie on Friday. Because Beauty and the Beast has been my absolute favorite story since childhood...and because Meagan Spooner has already proven her writing chops to me by way of the Starbound series she co-authored with Amie Kaufman.

I loved the chapters from the Beast's perspective, showing his gradual return to humanity the longer Yeva was in his presence. It was kind of like those thrillers where you get to read from the serial killer's point-of-view and get in his head a little. Except not quite as creepy. And it helps to garner compassion for his plight rather than just seeing him as the Beast holding Yeva captive.

Hunted definitely has that fairy tale feel to it: lush imagery, snowy woods, hidden castle. Spooner's writing really transports you there to the middle of those woods, slowly but surely. I was tracking alongside Yeva, captivated and wary, in turns. There is nothing overtly scary or different about this telling, but it is so atmospheric that I couldn't help but be pulled into the story. Not only has Spooner borrowed from the tale of Beauty and the Beast, but she's also woven into the story the tale of The Golden Bird and how the two stories collide is rather magnificent.

There's also this underlying subtext of be careful what you wish for, a definite theme of wanting and yearning and not knowing what you're yearning for. The story felt like heartbreak upon heartbreak but it's also so unforgiving and romantic. And I mean that in the truest sense of the word. This world is so idyllic but also so lovely and so full of love, familial and otherwise.

I've read a lot of Beauty and the Beast retellings over the years, and I definitely have my favorites. And I would have to include Hunted among them. It's a slow build to an increasingly beautiful story, one that I know I'll be reading again.

GIF it to me straight:

About the author:

New York Times bestselling author Meagan Spooner grew up reading and writing every spare moment of the day, while dreaming about life as an archaeologist, a marine biologist, an astronaut. She graduated from Hamilton College in New York with a degree in playwriting, and has spent several years since then living in Australia. She's traveled with her family all over the world to places like Egypt, South Africa, the Arctic, Greece, Antarctica, and the Galapagos, and there's a bit of every trip in every story she writes.

She currently lives and writes in Asheville, North Carolina, but the siren call of travel is hard to resist, and there's no telling how long she'll stay there. She's the author of the award-winning Starbound trilogy (These Broken Stars, This Shattered World, Their Fractured Light) and the Skylark Trilogy (Skylark, Shadowlark, Lark Ascending) as well as the upcoming Beauty and the Beast retelling Hunted.

In her spare time she plays guitar, plays video games, plays with her cat, and reads.

Find Meagan:

Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Tumblr | Facebook | Pinterest

Read More

Labels: beautiful covers, beauty and the beast, fantasy, harper-collins, hunted, meagan spooner, retellings, reviews

{WOW} HUNTED by Meagan Spooner

"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...








's Pick:



Title: Hunted
Author: Meagan Spooner
Series: Hunted, book #1
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication Date: March 14, 2017

Beauty knows the Beast’s forest in her bones—and in her blood. Though she grew up with the city’s highest aristocrats, far from her father’s old lodge, she knows that the forest holds secrets and that her father is the only hunter who’s ever come close to discovering them.

So when her father loses his fortune and moves Yeva and her sisters back to the outskirts of town, Yeva is secretly relieved. Out in the wilderness, there’s no pressure to make idle chatter with vapid baronessas…or to submit to marrying a wealthy gentleman. But Yeva’s father’s misfortune may have cost him his mind, and when he goes missing in the woods, Yeva sets her sights on one prey: the creature he’d been obsessively tracking just before his disappearance.

Deaf to her sisters’ protests, Yeva hunts this strange Beast back into his own territory—a cursed valley, a ruined castle, and a world of creatures that Yeva’s only heard about in fairy tales. A world that can bring her ruin or salvation. Who will survive: the Beauty, or the Beast?

I have been waiting for this cover since I discovered this book was a thing -- so...since January of last year -- and it does not disappoint! And the synopsis! Wow-wow-wow! I want this now!!! Beauty and the Beast retellings are my absolute favorite and this one just might be the most badass version yet...

What are you desperately waiting for this Wednesday? Let us know in the comments or share a link to your own WoW post!

Read More

Labels: beautiful covers, beauty and the beast, fantasy, grabby hands, harper-collins, hunted, meagan spooner, retellings, waiting on wednesday (wow)

Her Destiny Just Might Be the Death of Her

Title: The Star-Touched Queen
Author: Roshani Chokshi
Narrator(s): Priya Ayyar
Series: stand-alone
Length: 9 hrs 22 mins
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Publication Date: April 26, 2016
Source: received from publisher via Netgalley, won audio from author
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

Cursed with a horoscope that promises a marriage of Death and Destruction, sixteen-year-old Maya has only earned the scorn and fear of her father's kingdom. Content to follow more scholarly pursuits, her world is upheaved when her father, the Raja, arranges a wedding of political convenience to quell outside rebellions. But when her wedding takes a fatal turn, Maya becomes the queen of Akaran and wife of Amar. Yet neither roles are what she expected. As Akaran's queen, she finds her voice and power. As Amar's wife, she finds friendship and warmth.

But Akaran has its own secrets - thousands of locked doors, gardens of glass, and a tree that bears memories instead of fruit. Beneath Akaran's magic, Maya begins to suspect her life is in danger. When she ignores Amar's plea for patience, her discoveries put more than new love at risk - it threatens the balance of all realms, human and Otherworldly.

Now, Maya must confront a secret that spans reincarnated lives and fight her way through the dangerous underbelly of the Otherworld if she wants to protect the people she loves.

The Star-Touched Queen is a lush, beautifully written and vividly imagined fantasy inspired by Indian mythology.

The Star-Touched Queen is a story of many things: love, loss, redemption, revenge, learning and knowing oneself...and then some. The heart of the story finds its origin in the Greek myth of Hades and Persephone, but I also found myself captivated by reminders of other favorite tales, like that of Bluebeard and Beauty and the Beast and even The Neverending Story. Basically, this novel combines so many aspects from my favorite stories and yet somehow manages to remain unique and compelling.

And it's a stand-alone!! That, like, never happens anymore: a fantasy novel that comprises the pages of a single book and yet manages to convey the magic of three. The magic was all over the pages of this story, and what a lovely story it was. I'm actually kind of impressed with myself that I was able to savor it, rather than devouring it in one sitting. The first time I read it, anyway. ;-) I won a copy of the audiobook from the author and that I did devour immediately upon receiving. And if possible, the story is even more majestic, nay hypnotic, on audio.

The narrative is simply gorgeous and poetic, no matter which way you experience it. I could lose myself for days in a story of this caliber. It felt like a story of before and after, and yet it spans so much more than that: a love that will not be denied, a betrayal that unbalanced the worlds, and a need for vengeance so deep that it threatened to destroy the worlds completely. I cannot fathom how Chokshi could fit so much into such a tiny book and have it turn out so lovely. She must have a bit of Otherworldly magic of her own.

She so seamlessly weaves the Indian culture and the mythology in this story. It's a true work of art. And gorgeous to behold, from the descriptions of life in the palace of Bharata to the incandescent beauty of Akaran. (I'm actually super glad I listened to the audiobook because I was saying practically every proper noun incorrectly. And it sounds so much lovelier in Priya Ayyar's velvety voice.)

The characters were all so full and bursting with vitality. Yet, I never imagined that a flesh-eating demon horse would become one of my favorite characters, maybe of ever. But somehow, Kamala wormed her vicious way into my heart. Honestly, this was the aspect of the story that reminded me most of The Neverending Story because I felt like Kamala was akin to Falkor, joking about eating the main character and becoming a source of companionship and encouragement throughout the story. I've always wanted my own luck dragon, but now I kind of want a demon horse, too.

Which is probably the best testament to how amazing and compelling this novel is. You're living and breathing the story right with the characters, and then you're wishing you were part of the story, too. Funny how that happens. I've read this book twice now and I still can't get enough of it...

GIF it to me straight:

First Falkor, now Kamala. 

I'm going to need a zoo for all of my favorite imaginary friends.

About the author:

Roshani Chokshi’s work has appeared in Strange Horizons, Shimmer and Book Smugglers Publishing. She was a finalist in the 2014 Daphne du Maurier contest hosted by Romance Writers of America, and a 2014 Katha fictions contest finalist hosted by India Currents and Khabar Magazine. Her writing draws on her Filipino and Indian heritage.

The Star-Touched Queen is her first novel.

Find Roshani:

Website | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest

Read More

Labels: beautiful covers, beauty and the beast, bluebeard, fantasy, favorites, hades-persephone, macmillan, Middle East, mythology, retellings, reviews, roshani chokshi, the neverending story, the star-touched queen

Review in a GIFfy: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

So, I've seen a few others doing early reviews for books pre-release by doing a less formal review and sorta just fangirling over the title prior to publication, which may be months away, depending on when they read the book. Jamie from The Perpetual Page-turner has a Save the Date feature, and Heather over at The Flyleaf Review showcases her pre-release thoughts in a Mark Your Calendars post. I have the same problem. I want to tell the world about some of the awesome books I read pre-publication, but I can't wait until just a few weeks before the release date to shout it from the rooftops. And sometimes there just aren't words for a book, ya know?

My dilemma led me to an awesome idea: Reviews in a GIFfy. I already (sometimes) post my reactions to a book via GIFs on Goodreads. (The one I did for World After was very well received.) But I wanted to make it a thing for those titles that I just can't wait until they appear on the ole reading schedule -- or for the ones that it's really hard to adequately express my feelings -- and I wanted to share my reactions via GIF with all of you. Essentially, these are going to be GIF-only reviews to tide you -- and me! -- over until I can expand on my thoughts in a legitimate review closer to the book's release date...if ever!

This week, I'm using this method to review the first book in Sarah J. Maas's A Court of Thorns and Roses series. And epic first book is epic.




Title: A Court of Thorns and Roses
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Series: A Court of Thorns and Roses, book #1
Publisher: Bloomsbury Children's
Publication Date: May 5, 2015
Source: ARC received from publisher
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

A thrilling, seductive new series from New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas, blending Beauty and the Beast with faerie lore.

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

Perfect for fans of Kristin Cashore and George R. R. Martin, this first book in a sexy and action-packed new series is impossible to put down!

First and foremost: You can read the first chapter here. Go ahead. I'll wait.

Reasons to read: It's Sarah J. Maas.

The story: It's a Beauty and the Beast, East of the Sun and West of the Moon, and Tam Lin retelling, plus the genius of Sarah J. Maas all mixed into one amazing fantasy series. Or, ya know, the beginning of one.

The characters: Fierce. Loyal. Capable. Secretive. Vengeful. Murderous. I loved them all. Even the over-protective best mate grew to be one of my favorites.

The villain: I just love to loathe the evil queen in stories like this. Even if they have some tragic backstory. Everyone has one. Get over it.

The romance(s): From enemies to lovers, my very favorite kind. And so devoted once they break down each others' walls! *sigh* Not gonna lie, there is the potential for a second love interest in the sequel, what with that ending, but I wouldn't hold my breath. Like I said, devoted.

The swoons: Things get swoony in her Throne of Glass series, that much is true. But this is Sarah writing upper YA or NA fantasy, however you classify it. And. It. Is. HAWT. Gird your loins, ladies, it's about to get all kinds of steamy up in here!

Everything's coming full circle: Yep, just like in the original B&tB tale, everything has to remain a secret, but all will be revealed in due time. Although this is the first in a trilogy, it felt complete enough. Not that I'd ever stop at just this novel. I'm already planning a re-read. And not just for the steamy bits.

The quotability: Um, I read through this one so quickly that I neglected to flag much. So, I had to go back and find some. Which meant I pretty much just re-read the novel and yet I still want to read it again. But here's a sampling:

     "What would happen if I were to drink the water?"
     Tamlin straightened a bit -- then relaxed, as if glad to release that old sadness. "Legend claims you'd be happy until your last breath." He added, "Perhaps we both need a glass."
     "I don't think that entire pool would be enough for me," I said, and he laughed.
     "Two jokes in one day -- a miracle sent from the Cauldron," he said.

*****

     "I was as unburdened as a piece of dandelion fluff, and he was the wind that stirred me about the world."

*****

     "This was such a lovely dream. I'd never slept so wonderfully before. So warm, nestled beside him. Calm. Faintly, echoing into my world of slumber, he spoke again. "You're exactly as I dreamed you'd be, too," he whispered, his breath caressing my ear, and then darkness swallowed everything."

*****

     He knew what I meant, and shrugged. "Because when the legends get written, I didn't want to be remembered for standing on the sidelines. I want my future offspring to know that I was there, and that I fought against her at the end, even if I couldn't do anything useful."

In summation: There just aren't enough words for how much I loved this novel! Hands down my favorite B&tB retelling, and that's saying A LOT because Cruel Beauty was one of my favorite reads last year, and I've read it three times already. I can only imagine how many re-reads I'll go through of ACOTAR. And it's also now my favorite SJM book. All the feels. All the swoons. All the needs for the next book, pronto.

Full review closer to release date!

About the author:

Sarah J. Maas lives in Southern California, and over the years, she has developed an unhealthy appreciation for Disney movies and bad pop music. She adores fairy tales and ballet, drinks too much coffee, and watches absolutely rubbish TV shows. When she's not busy writing YA fantasy novels, she can be found exploring the California coastline.

Find Sarah:

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest

Previous posts in this feature:

Of Metal and Wishes
The Kiss of Deception
Between the Spark and the Burn
Blue Lily, Lily Blue
This Shattered World

Read More

Labels: all the feels, all the swoons, beautiful covers, beauty and the beast, bloomsbury, fantasy, favorite authors, favorites, new adult, retellings, review in a giffy, sarah j. maas

Waiting on Wednesday: Never Never & A Court of Thorns and Roses

"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 selections are...








's Pick:

Title: Never Never
Author: Colleen Hoover, Tarryn Fisher
Series: n/a
Publisher: Hoover Ink
Publication Date: January 31st, 2015

Best friends since they could walk. In love by the age of fourteen. Dating for over four years. She’ll do everything she can to never forget. He’ll do everything he can to never remember. Too bad it’s not up to them.

Coming January, 2015.

I'm curious about this one. I trust Colleen Hoover. This Tarryn Fisher Character, not sure. lol. I have heard good things about one of  her books, so I'm thinking this one will be good. :)





's Pick:





Title: A Court of Thorns and Roses
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Series: A Court of Thorns and Roses, book #1
Publisher: Bloomsbury Children's
Publication Date: May 5, 2015

Beauty and the Beast blends with faerie lore in this steamy new offering from New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas.

When nineteen-year-old Feyre plucks a forbidden rose from the ground, a wolfish creature arrives to punish her for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from stories, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin, a High Lord of the faeries. And as she learns more about him, her feelings for Tamlin transform from hostility to a fiery passion. But the threats against the faerie lands are growing, and Feyre must fight to break an ancient curse . . . or lose Tamlin forever.

This first book in a new series from the New York Times bestselling author of the Throne of Glass series is salacious, action-packed, and impossible to put down!

I am a Sarah J. Maas fangirl. Seeing her at Texas Teen Book Festival was as awesome as it sounds, but having another book from her less than a year since the last ToG book is maybe even more awesome. And it's a Beauty & the Beast retelling, among other things. Is this real life?

What are you desperately waiting for this Wednesday? Let us know in the comments or share a link to your own WoW post!

Read More

Labels: a court of thorns and roses, beautiful covers, beauty and the beast, bloomsbury, retellings, sarah j. maas, waiting on wednesday (wow)