Teaser Tuesday #81: Horde by Ann Aguirre

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Here's what I'm teasing this week:

Title: Horde
Author: Ann Aguirre
Series: Razorland, book #3
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Publication Date: October 29, 2013
Source: ARC from publisher via Christina Reads YA
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The epic conclusion to the USA Today bestselling trilogy.

The horde is coming.

Salvation is surrounded, monsters at the gates, and this time, they're not going away. When Deuce, Fade, Stalker and Tegan set out, the odds are against them. But the odds have been stacked against Deuce from the moment she was born. She might not be a Huntress anymore, but she doesn't run. With her knives in hand and her companions at her side, she will not falter, whether fighting for her life or Fade's love.

Ahead, the battle of a lifetime awaits. Freaks are everywhere, attacking settlements, setting up scouts, perimeters, and patrols. There hasn't been a war like this in centuries, and humans have forgotten how to stand and fight. Unless Deuce can lead them.

This time, however, more than the fate of a single enclave or outpost hangs in the balance. This time, Deuce carries the banner for the survival of all humanity.

My teaser:

Fade braced and reached for me then.  It seemed to me that it got easier each time he did it, more natural.  I hoped the day would come when he could do it without needing that mental pause, where touching me was the easiest and best thing in the world.  "Try not to worry.  For the moment, we're safe and we're together.  Let that be enough."

- p. 256 of ARC

Ah, I adore this couple.  They've suffered through so much, and I just know they'll come out on top in the end.  They just have to!  Oh, and if you're worried about a triangle after that kiss from Stalker in the last book, check out what the author has to say on that.  It was enlightening, and I have to say, I totally agree.  =)

What are you teasing this week?  Share it in the comments or leave a link so I can visit!

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Labels: ann aguirre, favorites, macmillan, must-read, post-apocalyptic, razorland trilogy, zombies

Review: Fractured by Sarah Fine

Title: Fractured
Author: Sarah Fine
Series: Guards of the Shadowlands, book #2
Publisher: Skyscape/Amazon Children's Books
Publication Date: October 29, 2013
Source: ARC received from publisher, also received via Netgalley
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

In the week since Lela returned to Rhode Island as Captain of the Guard with Malachi as her second in command, local news has been dominated by chilling sightings of human-like creatures running on all fours. Lela knows there’s only one explanation: the Mazikin have arrived in the land of the living.

Needing to maintain the appearance of a normal life for her foster mother, her probation officer, and her classmates, Lela returns to Warwick High along with Malachi. At night they secretly hunt for the Mazikin nest. To assist, two new Guards from very different parts of the Shadowlands are assigned to Lela’s unit, including the bad boy Jim, who repeatedly challenges Lela's authority. Lela struggles to keep all her Guards on the right side of the law, but their mistakes come at a terrible cost.

As one painful revelation follows another and the Mazikin start targeting those closest to her, Lela finds herself more vulnerable than she’s ever been, wanting a future more than she ever has. With an enemy determined to separate soul from body, one question remains: how much is she willing to sacrifice to protect those she loves?

Holy evil cliffhanger, Batman!  Why you make my heart hurt so much, Sarah?  Whhhhhhhyyyyyy???

I was late to the Sanctum party last year, but once I did discover the book, I was head-over-heels for the story...and Malachi.  Not only is the romance in this series swoon-worthy, but the world-building is absolutely phenomenal.  It is so easy to immerse myself in this world and let reality fade away, and that's really saying something considering the awful things waiting for me in these books.  But this world and the characters...there's just something addicting about them.

This sequel started off exactly where I was hoping it would:  with Malachi and Lela deeply entrenched in their love for each other, preparing to seek out the Mazakin who had escaped the Shadowlands.  And then things get complicated.  To say that the romance took a frustrating turn is putting it mildly.  Malachi, being the capable, duty-bound guy that he is, decides that his job must come first and thus begins pushing Lela away. I'm usually not a fan of this approach, as it's usually for the protagonist's "own good".  But in this case, Malachi is making the decision to turn off his feelings for Lela for the good of humanity and the safety of the other guards on this mission.

Naturally, this is hard on Lela, who cannot understand his decision.  She's been rejected and felt unloved her entire life, and for the one person who'd admitted he loves her to push her away, too....it's almost more than she can handle.  But the more desperate the situation gets with the Mazakin, the more Lela realizes that maybe their relationship was distracting them.  It's almost painful to read, but she and Malachi each seek comfort elsewhere, though the dreaded love quadrangle doesn't really feel solid.  Although we don't know Malachi's heart, it's easy to see in his actions and mannerisms that he very much still cares about Lela, and we know Lela is having a hard time overcoming her feelings for Malachi.

But they have responsibilities.  Both guards have a duty here on Earth, and with Lela as Captain, they seek to destroy the Mazakin who are running amuck.  Even if Lela wasn't sure she deserved the title of Captain, she really proved herself worthy.  She is even more lethal, more dangerous, more fierce in this second book than she ever endeavored to be in Sanctum.  But that's probably because there's even more riding on the line this time around.  She's not fighting for the future of just one friend but all the new friends she's made, plus the whole of humanity.  Besides the formidable Malachi, she's got backup from Jim and Henry, both of whom are from different sectors of the afterlife.  It was easy to empathize with each of the guards and their backstories, and it made it that much more difficult to watch the hard decisions Lela was forced to make on their behalf.

In addition to her guards, there are others who help Lela...maybe not in the same way, but they give her a little dose of normalcy in her otherwise chaotic life, and she soaks it up.  I appreciated that this novel highlighted some of the social stigmas that Lela was facing and focused on her overcoming some of them.  It was also nice to see Lela reflecting on her typecasting of Nadia's old group and coming to realize that not everything or everyone is black-and-white.

All of the story in this sequel occurs in our world, away from the dark and terrifying Hell we witnessed in the first book. But that doesn't mean this book is any less intense.  This story was fraught with danger and high emotions, and those were reflected in every aspect of the setting and characters, from the would-be crack den Lela finds herself trailing a Mazakin to, to the homeless ex-nun swinging a baseball bat at Lela in the midst of a Mazakin attack.  The situation seems hopeless, but I guess that's one of the reasons I find myself so invested in this series:  no matter how dire everything seems, these characters never stop trying.

That being said, even *I* wanted to give up hope when I got to that ending.  There are cliffhangers and then there are "just toss me over the cliff because there's no way we're ever coming back from this" cliffhangers. The ending in Fractured was the latter.  I want to remain hopeful, but in the face of all of this devastation, I'm not sure that's possible.

A sequel should leave you balancing on a precipice, begging for more while fearing the worst.  And that's exactly what Fractured did.  This book is full of twists and turns, some you see coming and some that completely blindside you.  It's raw and exhilarating and everything I hoped it would be after such an impressive start to this series.  I wish the next book wasn't another year or so away, but I have no doubt it'll be well worth the wait.  This sequel definitely was.

About the author:

I’m the author of the Guards of the Shadowlands urban fantasy series (Skyscape/Amazon Children’s Publishing), including Sanctum (October 2012) and Fractured (October 2013). My gothic young adult novel Of Metal and Wishes will be published by McElderry/Simon & Schuster in August 2014. In May 2014, Putnam/Penguin will publish Scan, the first of two thrillers I co-authored with Walter Jury under the name S. E. Fine. When I’m not writing, I’m psychologizing. Sometimes I do both at the same time. The results are unpredictable.

Find Sarah:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Tumblr

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Labels: afterlife, amazon children's publishing, favorites, guards of the shadowlands, must-read, reviews, sarah fine, souls

In My Mailbox #105

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.  It's a weekly meme where we all get to brag about the books and swag we got in the mail, for review, won in contests, etc.

I used to love Halloween so much, but I haven't really felt up to it this year.  I usually love dressing up and scaring the bejeezus out of people, but I haven't even really contemplated a costume, other than a book fairy, for obvious reasons.  Katie didn't even realize Halloween was here, until she saw the commercial for It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.  That's how un-Halloweey-y I've been this year.  But we'll be carving pumpkins this weekend, baking pumpkin seeds, and I'll be reading some monster-themed books.  I feel better already, just thinking about it.  =)



Here's what I scored this week:


For Review:

Thank you, Random House & Netgalley, Macmillan, Tor/Forge, Simon Pulse & Edelweiss, and SOHO Teen/Blackstone Audio & Audiobook Jukebox, for the review copies!!!

Being Sloane Jacobs by Lauren Morrill - Sooooo excited for this after the adorableness that was Meant to Be
Cress by Marissa Meyer - I got an ARC!!!  EEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!
Copperhead by Tina Connelly - unsolicited finished copy, guess I need to finally finish Ironskin
Biggest Flirts by Jennifer Echols - I just adore me some Jennifer Echols!
Relic by Heather Terrell - Didn't think I'd get to my ARC, so I'm super happy to have gotten the audio!

Purchased:

Allegiant by Veronica Roth - audiobook & signed hardcover - already listened & reviewed


So, that's my haul.  How about you?  What did you get this week?

The Week in Review:

Reviews:

• Across a Star-Swept Sea
• Premeditated (audio)
• Allegiant (audio)

Current Giveaways:  Spooktacular Giveaway Hop & Finding It Release Day Launch & Giveaway

Promotional/Discussion Posts:  Flat Leo

Jen's Currently Reading/Listening To:





I'm getting into the Halloween spirit by reading two thrilling books this weekend:  one about the underworld/afterlife and one about zombies. Both are off to a great start, but I might be sleeping with the lights on while the husband's out at the deer lease this weekend.  :)  They're worth it, though.

The Week Ahead:

Reviews:  Endless Knight (audio), Fractured, Horde, World After & maybe another audiobook or two, depending on what catches my fancy or what I have time for

Like honest reviews & giveaways?  Be sure to follow us on Bloglovin' so you never miss out!

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!!!

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Labels: in my mailbox (imm)

Flat Leo

Okay, so this isn't going to be my usual post.  And it's not all that book-related, but it did start out as a bookish conversation, so I thought I'd share 'cause it still makes me laugh just thinking about it.

So, my sister Mendy, who sometimes/kinda-sorta/almost-never co-blogs with me, is turning 30 next month. We're taking a girls' trip down to Austin to visit our other sister and we're going to do a spa day, fancy dinner...all the stuff we never treat ourselves to because we're too busy.

At this point, I should probably mention her obsession with Leonardo DiCaprio because it plays a major role in this little episode in our lives.  And I mean, it's a hardcore Leo obsession, dating back to his Growing Pains days.  Yeah.  She thinks she's been in love with this guy since she was a child, that they're made for each other.  Granted, she's not a crazy stalker and everything she says on this topic is usually in jest, but she would have the biggest freak-out ever if she actually met him in person.

Anyway, she came into the office earlier this week and was asking what book it was that we read together that incorporated Flat Finn into the story.  (It's Flat-Out Love, by the way, which was really cute.)  She proceeds to tell me that she wants a cardboard cut-out of Leo to take with her everywhere we go for her birthday.  (And presumably, every day thereafter because that's the kind of character she is.)  I replied that this was a great idea, we could cut it up and put hinges on the pieces like they did in the story so she could even take him in her purse, and she loved the idea.  I was joking.  She was not.

So, I started searching online for cardboard cut-outs of Leo.  Fatheads doesn't offer what we wanted, and another place only ships within Australia.  Bummer.  But in my search, I discovered the Strutting Leo meme.  How did I not know this existed?!?  Cardboard cut-out search abandoned, we spent the rest of the day watching and re-watching this awesome video of Leo strutting around, doing his thing:

                  

Tell me that's not awesome!  I dare you!  =)

Also, to make this post more relevant to the book world, I should share that my sister and my husband don't always get along.  They have absolutely nothing in common.  Normally.  But my husband is a huge fan of Leo, too.  Not like my sister, but Leo's one of his favorite actors.  So, when Jerrod mentioned wanting to see The Great Gatsby remake/adaptation with Leo in it, Mendy got a little excited.  They bonded over their shared love of Leo and Gatsby.  Kind of a special moment for them.  :D

And that's how the idea of Flat Leo was born.  Sort of.  I'm still trying to find an actual cardboard cut-out.  If I manage, you know I'll be posting about our birthday adventures with Leo.  I hope we can hold off the paparazzi!  :)

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Labels: flat leo, flat-out love, funfunfun, happy birthday, rambling

{Audiobook} Review: Allegiant by Veronica Roth

Title: Allegiant
Author: Veronica Roth
Narrator:  Emma Galvin, Aaron Stanford
Series: Divergent, book #3
Length:  11 hrs 51 mins
Publisher: Harper Audio
Publication Date: October 22, 2013
Source: purchased
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

One choice will define you.

What if your whole world was a lie?
What if a single revelation—like a single choice—changed everything?
What if love and loyalty made you do things you never expected?

The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered—fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories.

But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature—and of herself—while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love.

Told from a riveting dual perspective, Allegiant, by #1 New York Times best-selling author Veronica Roth, brings the Divergent series to a powerful conclusion while revealing the secrets of the dystopian world that has captivated millions of readers in Divergent and Insurgent.

At first, I thought my feelings toward this final installment were based solely on my disconnect with the audiobook, but I've discussed with others who've echoed my sentiments about this book feeling really slow. Like I was slogging through all of these details and all of this information, and I couldn't really even bring myself to care.  The thing is, it wasn't even a lack of action because STUFF happens, but as with Insurgent, I just never felt the same connection to the characters that I did in the first book, and I really missed that.

I will admit, a lot of my problem with this book did revolve around my lack of love for the narration.  Aaron Stanford as the voice of Four was great, and he should have been, considering the fans got to pick that voice to represent their beloved Tobias.  But I was in the middle of listening to Endless Knight which also features Emma Galvin as the narrator, and switching to this one with her as the voice of Tris left me disappointed. First, I kind of loathe her as the voice of Evie in Kresley Cole's YA series.  I didn't mind her as the voice of Tris when I listened to Divergent as a refresher to Insurgent last year, but this time around, I found it difficult to listen to her portray this character.  It's probably my fault for listening to her narrate a series that I'm not loving and then attempting to shrug that off and listen to her as Tris again, but I just didn't connect with her as Tris at all this time.  I actually found myself wishing Aaron Stanford could have narrated the entire book.

But, since this was a dual narrative, I understand why that wasn't possible.  Even so, this felt more like Four's book...like more emphasis was put on his story arc than ever before, which makes sense since he got his own point-of-view in this book, but I think his story ended up overshadowing Tris's.  Maybe that's why it was so easy for Veronica Roth to commit to the ending she wrote for these characters.  And, gawd, did she commit.  This was not the ending I was expecting, nor was it the ending I was hoping for, but it was real, and I can't fault the author for that.  This was a story about war and human nature and it's impossible to tell a story like that without the loss of lives, without the loss of favorite characters.

I know this book isn't being received as well as expected, and I know I'm rating it lower than I expected to, but it's not a bad book.  It forces the characters to look at some hard truths and face even harsher realities, but it's a dystopian novel, and I don't think readers could have realistically expected sunshine and rainbows for these characters at the end of the day.  I'm not usually a fan of epilogues because it feels like they're always used to soften the blow of the true ending of the story, and that's definitely the case with Allegiant, but I think it was warranted in this situation.  I, for one, really needed to see what became of the factions, the GDs and the GPs, if and how they worked things out.  I'm not sure I really ever understood which side we were supposed to be campaigning for, but I feel like they're all on the same path now...or at least headed in the same direction.

This final book was more than a little depressing, but it was a fitting end, I think, for our Abnegation, Amity, Candor, Erudite, and Dauntless friends.  I'm glad to be done with this world and all its political maneuvering, but I'm excited to see what Veronica Roth has in store for us next.

About the author:

Veronica Roth is from a Chicago suburb. She studied creative writing at Northwestern University, and wrote DIVERGENT (Katherine Tegen Books, May 2011) and INSURGENT (May 2012). The third and final book in The Divergent Trilogy, ALLEGIANT, will come out on October 22, 2013. In the meantime she will spend endless hours browsing Wikipedia in her pajamas as she eats corn flakes. (Or some other kind of bland breakfast cereal.)

Find Veronica:

Website | Twitter | Tumblr | Goodreads

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Labels: audiobooks, divergent trilogy, dystopian, harper-collins, post-apocalyptic, reviews, veronica roth