The Truth About Truthwitch? It's Worth the Hype.

Title: Truthwitch
Author: Susan Dennard
Narrator(s): Cassandra Campbell
Series: The Witchlands, book #1
Length: 14 hrs 41 mins
Publisher: Listening Library
Publication Date: January 5, 2016
Source: ARC received from publisher, purchased audio
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

On a continent ruled by three empires, some are born with a “witchery,” a magical skill that sets them apart from others.

In the Witchlands, there are almost as many types of magic as there are ways to get in trouble—as two desperate young women know all too well. Safiya is a Truthwitch, able to discern truth from lie. It’s a powerful magic that many would kill to have on their side, especially amongst the nobility to which Safi was born. So Safi must keep her gift hidden, lest she be used as a pawn in the struggle between empires.

Iseult, a Threadwitch, can see the invisible ties that bind and entangle the lives around her—but she cannot see the bonds that touch her own heart. Her unlikely friendship with Safi has taken her from life as an outcast into one of of reckless adventure, where she is a cool, wary balance to Safi’s hotheaded impulsiveness.

Safi and Iseult just want to be free to live their own lives, but war is coming to the Witchlands. With the help of the cunning Prince Merik (a Windwitch and ship’s captain) and the hindrance of a Bloodwitch bent on revenge, the friends must fight emperors, princes, and mercenaries alike, who will stop at nothing to get their hands on a Truthwitch.

I know, I know. What took me so long, right? The hype. It scared me. No way could it be that good. Of course, I said the same about Six of Crows. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ But, sometimes I find that the audio version is even better, makes for an even more enjoyable reading experience. And in this case, I think it was the better choice because no way would I have read it with Cassandra Campbell's accents and emotions. It was really quite good.

I've only read the first book in Dennard's other series, and to be honest, it was kind of fun but not very impressive. So, I lowered my expectations for this novel initially. But then the hype. Hype can go either way for a novel, but in this case, I think it's pretty well deserved.

That cover is so fiercely awesome, guys...I can't even. And then to read Susan talk about the fierce friendship in this book and what it means to her....YAAAAASSSS! The friendships in this book are what I think make the book so special. There just aren't enough books that focus on friendship over romance, but this one so does.

The magic system presented in this novel is equally awesome, though. So many individual powers, so many ways to use them. I just read another book -- though, for the life of me, I cannot remember which one -- where one of the characters was able to discern whether someone was telling the truth, and I loved how that ability was employed. In this novel, the power is explained in a more realistic way, showing that the ability is not infallible but that it does have its uses.

And that unseen villain! There are tons of enemies in the story, but just the mentions of the big baddie leave me with a sense of foreboding and loss. I'm actually hoping that one of these guys turns into more of a frienemy...or dare I say, maybe even a love interest? It wouldn't be beyond the realm of possibility, and I just love a great redeemable villain. ;P

It's kind of weird because I feel like the middle of this book was the strongest portion for me. Usually, that's the area that drags, but not in this story. In fact, the whole story had me captivated from beginning to end. And after that ending, I'm very much interested in picking up the next book. This is one of those times where a series' potential definitely lives up to the hype.

GIF it to me straight:

About the author:

Susan Dennard has come a long way from small-town Georgia. With a masters degree in marine biology, she got to travel the world—six out of seven continents, to be exact (she’ll get to Asia one of these days!)—before she settled down as a full-time novelist and writing instructor.

She is the author of the Something Strange and Deadly series (from HarperTeen) as well as the forthcoming Witchlands series (Tor, 2015). When not writing, she can be found hiking with her dogs, exploring tidal pools, or earning bruises at the dojo.

Find Susan:

Website | Twitter | Goodreads | Tumblr | Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest

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Labels: audiobooks, book trailers, fantasy, magic, reviews, susan dennard, the witchlands, tor teen

{Review} PASSENGER Will Take You on an UNFORGETTABLE Voyage Through Time

Title: Passenger
Author: Alexandra Bracken
Series: Passenger, book #1
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Publication Date: January 5, 2016
Source: ARC received from publisher/Big Honcho Media
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

passage, n.
i. A brief section of music composed of a series of notes and flourishes.
ii. A journey by water; a voyage.
iii. The transition from one place to another, across space and time.

In one devastating night, violin prodigy Etta Spencer loses everything she knows and loves. Thrust into an unfamiliar world by a stranger with a dangerous agenda, Etta is certain of only one thing: she has traveled not just miles but years from home. And she’s inherited a legacy she knows nothing about from a family whose existence she’s never heard of. Until now.

Nicholas Carter is content with his life at sea, free from the Ironwoods—a powerful family in the colonies—and the servitude he’s known at their hands. But with the arrival of an unusual passenger on his ship comes the insistent pull of the past that he can’t escape and the family that won’t let him go so easily. Now the Ironwoods are searching for a stolen object of untold value, one they believe only Etta, Nicholas’ passenger, can find. In order to protect her, he must ensure she brings it back to them— whether she wants to or not.

Together, Etta and Nicholas embark on a perilous journey across centuries and continents, piecing together clues left behind by the traveler who will do anything to keep the object out of the Ironwoods’ grasp. But as they get closer to the truth of their search, and the deadly game the Ironwoods are play­ing, treacherous forces threaten to sep­arate Etta not only from Nicholas but from her path home . . . forever.

Passenger is everything I'm looking for in a time travel book. For one, there's actually quite a bit of travelling going on...not just one jump but several from one time to another and from one locale to another. This is only the first book, so the origin of the particular method of time travel in this story is still relatively unclear, but it's not confusing either.

There's an evil madman, hell-bent on making time travel his bitch, with total world domination likely on the agenda. There are chase scenes and gun fights and pirates and all manner of action sequences. Plus, there's a bit of romance. And it's a multi-racial one that breaks ALL THE RULES. In other words, I don't think there's anyone who won't like this book to some degree.

Etta's life has been one big deception. She doesn't even know she can travel through time until she's being dragged through a passage into Nassau in 1776. But this girl is tough as nails and not to be underestimated. Though she doesn't know it yet, her mother has given her everything she needs to surmount every obstacle she encounters.

The fiercely protective Nicholas has his own plans, but he'll die before he sees any harm come to Etta. Theirs is not a love-at-first-sight type of romance, but it is one of immediate mutual respect. And it only grew from there. I didn't feel any deep connection to these characters until nearly halfway through the story, but once that connection was made, there was no turning back. But that probably stems from the fact that the main characters themselves are so guarded up until that point that they weren't even sure they were connected.

All of the characters in this story are so full of surprises. At every turn, I'd think I knew what to expect, and then my theories would be completely turned upside down with their antics. I love a story that can constantly keep me guessing, and that's exactly what I got with Passenger. Even the ending was shocking in a way I hadn't expected. I know from experience that Bracken can create an intricate world and make me believe in it completely, but she's really outdone herself with this book. I've only read this first book and I'm already completely invested in Etta and Nicholas's future.

And I love that Bracken didn't skimp on the racial injustices or the societal expectations when representing previous centuries. Nicholas, having been born in the 18th century, knows about limits and expectations better than anyone, but for Etta, it all comes as a bit of culture shock. It was honestly hard to read the gritty depictions of how Nicholas was treated and viewed at times, but it also fired up my inner feminist when it came to how Etta was expected to behave. It also intensely fueled my hope that both would end up in the 21st century where things aren't exactly perfect but are still better.

I've already added Wayfarer to my TBR, and I'm ardently waiting for its release. Like, if I had a magic book genie, that book would be the first I'd ask for. If you're a fan of time travel, pirates, and have a healthy sense of adventure, this series should definitely be in your future.

GIF it to me straight:

About the author:

I’m Alex. I write about telekinetic teens and floppy-haired wizards. I love Star Wars, classic rock, and 18th century gentlemen. When I’m not up at 4 AM writing, you can find me running around the DC area, where I now live and write full time..

Find Alex:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest | Instagram | Tumblr

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Labels: alexandra bracken, book trailers, disney hyperion, favorite authors, favorites, must-read, passenger, reviews, time travel

{Review in a GIFfy} OMGITSOVERWHATISLIFEEVEN?!? - WINTER by Marissa Meyer

Title: Winter
Author: Marissa Meyer
Narrator(s): Rebecca Soler
Series: The Lunar Chronicles, book #4
Length: 23 hrs 30 mins
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Publication Date: November 10, 2015
Source: purchased hardcover for shelf and audiobook for immediate immersion =)
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

Princess Winter is admired by the Lunar people for her grace and kindness, and despite the scars that mar her face, her beauty is said to be even more breathtaking than that of her stepmother, Queen Levana.

Winter despises her stepmother, and knows Levana won't approve of her feelings for her childhood friend--the handsome palace guard, Jacin. But Winter isn't as weak as Levana believes her to be and she's been undermining her stepmother's wishes for years. Together with the cyborg mechanic, Cinder, and her allies, Winter might even have the power to launch a revolution and win a war that's been raging for far too long.

Can Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Winter defeat Levana and find their happily ever afters?

So, yeah, that was me on Tuesday, upon waking and realizing it was Winter release day. I had pre-ordered a hardcover, but I'm an impatient person -- I mean, really impatient -- and I wanted to avoid anyone spoiling it for me, so I immediately downloaded the audiobook. I had no idea how long this book was expected to be, so when I saw that the audio was 23 1/2 hours long, I did a double-take. But it makes sense with all the loose ends and character arcs the author had left to tie up.

I'm not going to go into the story because if you've made it to this point, you know what's at stake. You know Levana is batshit. You know what sacrifices Cinder and company are willing to make to bring her reign of terror to an end. And you know who you ship and where your OTPs stand. I pretty much stand by what I said in my review of the Cress audio and so I'll just put this here:

Sooo worth it to hear Rebecca Soler bring these characters to life again. I don't think I'd like these books half as much if it weren't for her narration. That's a lie. I'd still love them, but it just wouldn't be as much fun because I wouldn't make Cinder sound as feisty in my head, Kai wouldn't seem nearly as regal, Scarlet wouldn't have that slight French accent, and Thorne, well, okay, Captain Carswell Thorne will always be that swoonworthy rogue. But you get the picture. Some audiobooks are just books that are being read to you via some unknown narrator, but the Lunar Chronicles on audio is like having a movie going inside your head. It's impossible not to put yourself in the story, to imagine everything as it's happening and hope for the best right along with the rest of the crew. Rebecca Soler's narration of this series is pure magic, and even if I were to get an advance copy of Winter -- assuming they will exist -- I'd still probably opt for the audio version because it's just. So. Much. Fun.

No matter how much I started off enjoying this series, I'm constantly surprised by it. Each book just gets progressively better, introducing new characters and new villains and new romances. And somehow, no one ever gets left out or sidelined in order to concentrate on a different story arc. No matter who the leading lady is in each book, the others are not forgotten. I follow the author's blog and Twitter and I know how crazy-organized she is and has to be in order to keep all of these storylines in check, so I can imagine how easy it might be to let a character fall by the wayside. But Meyer never does, and you seriously have to applaud what a masterful storyteller she is.

And I love seeing how everyone's story is coming together, how everyone fits into this giant picture Meyer undoubtedly has in her head. Her reimagining of some of my favorite childhood fairy tales is beautifully done, and I love how the author has woven bits of science and fantasy into her stories to create something fresh and vibrant and completely her own.

In this installment, it's Snow White's turn in the spotlight, with Winter as the damsel in distress, living with her deranged stepmother on Luna, within her own hero's grasp and yet so far out of his reach. It is so funny to me that while reading, I get so caught up in the story that I don't remember it's a retelling until one of the elements in the original story comes to pass, and then I'm like OMG YAAASSS!!!

I loved Meyer's take on Snow White, but I don't know that I could say I loved it more than any of the other heroines' arcs...because I love them all equally, obsessively, and completely. Don't ask me to pick a favorite because I absolutely CANNOT and WILL NOT and SHOULD NEVER be forced to do such a thing.

I will say that I appreciate the author's efforts to make her characters so dynamic and diverse, most obviously in Winter. You've got mental instability, bi-racial coupling, interplanetary-coupling...there's something for everyone and everyone for someone. Those ships...MY GAWD.

The swoons and kissing scenes in this book are pretty epic. I liked to pretend that I didn't hear it the first time and go back and listen again. And again. To the point that someone would see me blushing and ask what I was listening to and I'd finally have to move on. =)

• Winter and Jacin are adorable. But they let that whole class thing get in their way for far too long. Winter is whimsical and Jacin is resolute, and they're kind of perfect for each other.
• Cress and Thorne are yin and yang. She's innocent to the world and he's taken advantage of all it has to offer. I'd ship Thorne with just about anyone, though, as long as I got to hear his quips. I shipped him with Cinder at first because their banter was ah-mazing.
• Scarlet and Wolf are my OTP. They just...the bond, the love, the strength there...THAT IS LIFE. Even after everything they've been through and suffered, they still have the strongest relationship of all.
• Cinder and Kai are...they're the bones of the story. Without them, everything else falls apart. And together, they are a rock.

Obvs, I could have used more kissing. ALWAYS MORE KISSING. And I would really have liked to see a bromance develop between Kai and Thorne. I saw something there at one point, and I didn't want it to end. Maybe we'll see more of it in Stars Above? Maybe more kissing, too, yes?

I don't know if it was because I was listening or the pacing just really picked up in the second half, but it flew by. Like, I may need a re-listen very soon so I can parse some things out. (Or, I guess, I could just revert to my hardcover.) It was just so jam-packed with ALL THE THINGS HAPPENING and the mind-melds and manipulations and it was like who's doing WHAT? And NO, DON'T DO THAT...STAAAAAAHPPP!!! For a minute there, I thought I might never recover.

And then I went to my happy place and this is basically all I remember:

Worth it, though. SO. WORTH. IT. This is one of my absolute favorite series, and I've listened to all of the books on audio and I REGRET NOTHING. Every character, every story line, every single minute spent with these books has been amazing. Marissa Meyer is on my auto-buy list, and if she's not on yours yet, then you probably haven't read one of her books because if you had, you'd be hooked. I just loved these books so much. I could re-read them again right now. And I just might because I seriously don't know what to do with all these feels!

About the author:

Marissa Meyer lives in Tacoma, Washington, with her husband and three cats. She’s a fan of most things geeky (Sailor Moon, Firefly, color-coordinating her bookshelf . . .), and has been in love with fairy tales since she was given a small book of them when she was a child. She may or may not be a cyborg. Cinder is her first novel.

Find Marissa:

Website | 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
A Court of Thorns and Roses
The Heart of Betrayal
Of Dreams and Rust

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Labels: audiobooks, beautiful covers, book trailers, fairy tales, fantasy, favorites, lunar chronicles, macmillan, marissa meyer, must-read, retellings, review in a giffy, reviews, sci-fi

{Audiobook} Review: Exquisite Captive by Heather Demetrios

Title: Exquisite Captive
Author: Heather Demetrios
Narrator(s): Erin Mallon
Series:  Dark Caravan Cycle, book #1
Length:  13 hrs 44 mins
Publisher: Harper Audio
Publication Date: October 7, 2014
Source: audiobook received from publisher, galley from publisher via Edelweiss
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

Forced to obey her master.
Compelled to help her enemy.
Determined to free herself.

Nalia is a jinni of tremendous ancient power, the only survivor of a coup that killed nearly everyone she loved. Stuffed into a bottle and sold by a slave trader, she’s now in hiding on the dark caravan, the lucrative jinni slave trade between Arjinna and Earth, where jinn are forced to grant wishes and obey their human masters’ every command. She’d give almost anything to be free of the golden shackles that bind her to Malek, her handsome, cruel master, and his lavish Hollywood lifestyle.

Enter Raif, the enigmatic leader of Arjinna’s revolution and Nalia’s sworn enemy. He promises to free Nalia from her master so that she can return to her ravaged homeland and free her imprisoned brother—all for an unbearably high price. Nalia’s not sure she can trust him, but Raif’s her only hope of escape. With her enemies on the hunt, Earth has become more perilous than ever for Nalia. There’s just one catch: for Raif’s unbinding magic to work, Nalia must gain possession of her bottle…and convince the dangerously persuasive Malek that she truly loves him. Battling a dark past and harboring a terrible secret, Nalia soon realizes her freedom may come at a price too terrible to pay: but how far is she willing to go for it?

Inspired by Arabian Nights, EXQUISITE CAPTIVE brings to life a deliciously seductive world where a wish can be a curse and shadows are sometimes safer than the light.

Exquisite Captive began very slowly, methodically building the world of Arjinna and portraying life as jinni slave here on Earth. There wasn't a chance that I was going to put the book aside, though, simply because of slow-pacing early on. Even a less-than-favorable narrator couldn't make me leave this story for later. I've only read one other jinni novel that I can recall, but it's clear to me that this new trend, this revival of an old favorite mythological being, is going to be to my liking.

Erin Mallon is not a terrible narrator. I listened to her narrate the entire Sweet trilogy by Wendy Higgins, and she only started to annoy me toward the end of the series. However, I feel that she was badly cast in Exquisite Captive. In fact, she may have been part of the reason I didn't love this novel quite as much as I expected to. I love a narrator who becomes the characters they're portraying, and Mallon just never seems to. She's not just reading the book, but it also seemed like she never connected with the story herself and it showed in her performance. Also, her male voices are kind of ridiculous, but at least she didn't have to affect a fake British accent this time around. I would have much preferred a narrator with a hint of ethnicity, especially considering the diversity of the characters in this story.

The cast of characters in Exquisite Captive is fairly complex, making it hard to truly connect with them or even discern their likability. Questionable motives. Political machinations. A sympathetic villain. I never knew exactly what to expect from any of these characters, and they surprised me more than once. I knew from my experience with Something Real that Heather Demetrios is gifted at creating a really well-drawn, vivid cast of characters, but I might be even more besotted with Nalia and Raif than I was with Patrick and Chloe. Which is saying a lot because I shipped that pairing SO hard.

Nalia is the last remaining member of her people, a powerful line of the jinn with unsurpassed powers. They were the leaders in Arjinna, and now that they are all gone, Nalia is the heir to the throne. Many things stand in her way -- not insignificant, the fact that she doesn't want to be princess and rule the other jinn -- including that she's enslaved here on Earth, complete with a bottle for a cage when she misbehaves. Nalia is not without her faults, and her sense of morality does come into question several times in this book. She's committed heinous acts and she wants no part of the rebellion...until it wants her, and even then, her thoughts are only of escaping her master and freeing her brother, the only family she has left.

But Raif changes her mind, or rather gives her more reasons to fight. Their initial interactions were of a political nature, but it soon became apparent that as much as these two seemed intent on hating each other, theirs was going to be a star-crossed love. First, I don't think I've ever met a character named Raif that I didn't like. They're usually the bad boy with an attitude type, but I'll take a powerful, chiseled, tingly-skin-making jinn any day. Raif is the leader of the rebellion, having taken over the duty when his father was killed. Nalia should be his enemy; she stands for everything he's fighting against. And yet, they cannot deny their attraction.

Malek is quite the enigma for much of the book. He is not the true villain in this story, but he is the immediate threat to Nalia's future. And yet, his feelings toward Nalia have grown into something other than what one would expect from a master/slave relationship. Malek has mistreated Nalia for most of the three years she has been in his service and she will always be beholden to him as her master, yet he's never taken advantage of her and is only now pressing her to explore her own feelings for him. I find Malek's character exceedingly intriguing and darkly sexy in that redeemable villain kind of way.

I thought the introduction of two leading men would result in the ubiquitous love triangle, but the romance here is more complicated than that. One of the men is her master and the other is her sworn enemy. There are obviously reasons why neither of these men should have a future with Nalia, and yet, by the end of the novel, it's clear to which man her heart belongs. I'm not writing off the resurgence of the love triangle in future books, but it would take some serious creative maneuvering to make that a viable arc, considering how quickly and neatly it was packed away in this installment.

Nalia is faced with choices she may not be able to come back from in this book. There's not simply the matter of a rebellion brewing in her homeland, but she must also now free the slaves on the Dark Caravan, in addition to saving her brother. And with the turn of events there at the end, I imagine things are only going to get more difficult for her. I'm anticipating exciting things for the sequel.

GIF it to me straight:

Nalia be like...

About the author:

When she's not traipsing around the world or spending time in imaginary places, Heather Demetrios lives with her husband in New York City. Originally from Los Angeles, she now calls the East Coast home. Heather is a recipient of the PEN New England Susan P. Bloom Discovery Award for her debut novel, Something Real, which Publisher's Weekly calls “[An] addictive yet thoughtful debut” about reality TV stardom. She is the author of EXQUISITE CAPTIVE, a smoldering fantasy about jinn in Los Angeles and what Kirkus called in its starred review "an intoxicating, richly realized realm of magic, politics, spirituality and history" (#1 in the DARK CARAVAN CYCLE). She is also the author of the upcoming I’ll Meet You There (Winter 2015). I’ll Meet You There is a love story about a young combat veteran and a girl trapped in their small town, both struggling to escape the war at home. Heather is the founder of Live Your What, an organization dedicated to fostering passion in people of all ages and creating writing opportunities for underserved youth. She is proud to have an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. You can always find her on Twitter (@HDemetrios), ogling the military dogs she wants to adopt (but can’t because her NYC apartment is way too small). Find out more about Heather and her other books at wwww.heatherdemetrios.com and www.darkcaravancycle.com.

Find Heather:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest | YouTube

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Labels: audiobooks, book trailers, dark caravan cycle, fantasy, favorites, harper-collins, heather demetrios, jinn, reviews

Review: Compulsion by Martina Boone

Title: Compulsion
Author: Martina Boone
Series: The Heirs of Watson Island, book #1
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Publication Date: October 28, 2014
Source: received from publisher via Edelweiss
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Beautiful Creatures meets The Body Finder in this spellbinding new trilogy.

Three plantations. Two wishes. One ancient curse.

All her life, Barrie Watson had been a virtual prisoner in the house where she lived with her shut-in mother. When her mother dies, Barrie promises to put some mileage on her stiletto heels. But she finds a new kind of prison at her aunt’s South Carolina plantation instead--a prison guarded by an ancient spirit who long ago cursed one of the three founding families of Watson Island and gave the others magical gifts that became compulsions.

Stuck with the ghosts of a generations-old feud and hunted by forces she cannot see, Barrie must find a way to break free of the family legacy. With the help of sun-kissed Eight Beaufort, who knows what Barrie wants before she knows herself, the last Watson heir starts to unravel her family's twisted secrets. What she finds is dangerous: a love she never expected, a river that turns to fire at midnight, a gorgeous cousin who isn’t what she seems, and very real enemies who want both Eight and Barrie dead.

All it took for me to add Compulsion to my TBR was a look at that gorgeous cover and seeing a Southern gothic romance tag. I loved how this story started out, too...with Barrie who has a gift for finding lost things becoming a lost thing herself. What I didn't love was the fact that when I added this book to my must-read list, I was under the impression that it was a stand-alone. I should have known better, right? And maybe it's been a series since I first heard about it, I don't know, but I don't think Goodreads mentioned that at first or I wouldn't have been nearly as excited about the book. It's not that I didn't enjoy the novel -- I most definitely did -- but I'm trying to keep the number of new series I start to a minimum these days. Also, I read in the acknowledgements that the author had so-and-so to thank for helping her turn this into a trilogy. So, it wasn't a planned series to begin with. And I still don't think it needed to be. Anyway, that's more my issue than any fault of the story's.

Compulsion embodied everything I love about Southern gothic romances: the eerie setting, complete with old, decrepit mansions; restless spirits; peculiar townsfolk; and a romance that seemed destined in the stars. This book also includes a centuries old curse, warring founding families, and psychic abilities that have been passed down for generations. And yet, even with all of that, the story dragged its feet for the first half of the book or so. Not to the point that I was considering not finishing the book, just in the way that many a story from Southerners tends to require a lengthy build-up before getting to the good stuff.

That said, the romance took no time at all to develop between Barrie and Eight. But, I wouldn't exactly call it insta-love because their attraction is pretty much fated. While the Colesworths have always been feuding with the Watsons and the Beauforts, the latter two have always been drawn to each other. It's all curses and magic, but that doesn't make it any less real for these characters, despite how much Barrie fights her feelings for Eight. She's already lost so much before making it to Watson's Landing, and she doesn't want to add Eight to that list. Because of Eight's gift, Barrie can't be sure that what's going on between them is real, and she's just so afraid of being hurt, of being left behind. I did find Barrie's back-and-forth feelings -- her constant wavering and wondering if loving Eight would be worth it -- to be somewhat annoying in the beginning, but I forgave her that when it seemed like she was legitimately starting to trust him. Barrie just wouldn't allow herself to fall for Eight's Southern charm...at least not at first.

It impressed me how comfortable the author made these two with each other, despite their misgivings, even from their very first encounter. They just conversed so easily, had that easy banter of a couple who'd known each other all their lives. And I think that's part of the reason that this didn't seem like insta-love to me. The characters may have been initially attracted to each other, but they spent the entirety of the book getting to know one another. While I didn't immediately connect to these characters, I felt their connection.

I enjoyed all of the backstory for these families, even if it was slow-going getting to the bottom of the curse and how everything fit together. But it gave me time to get to know the side characters, as well, even the ones that weren't physically present. It was better that I was slowly introduced to them all because admittedly, the family histories were a tad confusing at times. Lots of brothers and sisters and betrayals and missing people to worry about. And after discovering all of the secrets and magic that had been hidden on Watson's Landing all those years, I thought the ending would be more suspenseful, but I guess that's where the beginning of a "spellbinding new trilogy" comes in.

I think that as far as meeting my expectations goes, this book succeeded. Based on my initial reasons for wanting to read Compulsion, I got exactly what I was hoping for. I really enjoyed this story, but I was hoping for a really compelling resolution in this book. Honestly, my biggest complaint is that I don't think a series is warranted here. I would have much rather gotten my ending here in this book and then moved on to read the next awesome story from Martina Boone.

GIF it to me straight:

Yep, that's what I'll be doing for the sequel since this is not the stand-alone I was hoping for. :(

About the author:

Martina Boone was born in Prague and spoke several languages before learning English. Her first teacher in the U.S. made fun of her for not pronouncing the "wh" sound right, so she set out to master "all the words”—she's still working on that! In the meantime she’s writing contemporary fantasy set in the kinds of magical places she'd love to visit.

If you like romance steeped in mystery, mayhem, Spanish moss, and a bit of magic, she hopes you'll look forward to meeting Barrie, Eight, Cassie, Pru, Seven and the other characters of Watson Island.

Find Martina:

Website | Twitter | Goodreads | Facebook | Tumblr | Pinterest

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Labels: beautiful covers, book trailers, gothic mystery, magic, martina boone, reviews, simon schuster, southern gothic romance, the heirs of watson island

{Blog Tour} The Twixt Guided Tour Stop #3: Joy's Condo with Ink

Hello, there! Welcome to my stop on The Twixt Guided Tour! Joy's condo is right over here, if you’ll just follow me. Our guide for today's tour is the quiet and reserved Ink, who's going to show us around Joy's flat. Joy's condominium is pretty standard for this area of Glendale, but I think Ink can unlock a few of its mysteries for us. ;0)

Ah, here we are. And that lean guy with the spiky hair over there is Ink! He's got a very boyish face, but the slightly menacing look in his strange, all-black eyes makes me think we shouldn't keep him waiting. See that chain dangling from his back pocket? I’ve heard interesting things about the wallet at the end of it, I do hope we’ll get see— Oh..he's waving us over...let's hurry!

Photo Credit

Hello. Are you here for the tour? Then you should follow me. I am Indelible Ink. The building behind me is the condominium complex where Joy lives. You will first need to open the gate. Yes, I know it is locked. Ah. Unfortunately, I do not know how to unlock it. I do not have much experience with gates, but I have an idea.

There. I will ask Joy to have someone repair it later. This way.

I remember standing at that gate when I walked Joy home after our return from Connemara Gaeltacht. I watched her cross this courtyard and knew in that moment that something had happened, but I could not comprehend what. My sister, Inq, warned me about how I might feel different after I claimed a human as my lehman, my chosen mortal, but this was even more different than what she had described. I did not have a name for that feeling then. I do now.

Why are you smiling?

Now then, we are going to the second floor. I believe there is an elevator, but Joy always takes the stairs, so we will also take the stairs. Two flights up, two doors over, and this is her home. Yes, I do have a key, of sorts. It is in my wallet. Hmm? You are right—it does look like an arrowhead. How interesting. Come in, please.

That beeping? One moment. There. It stopped. What am I looking for? Nothing, which is as it should be.

Here is the kitchen. That is a new window over the sink. That is their refrigerator, which dispenses cold water, ice and food. The family eats at this table, which is significant to me for personal reasons. The den is where Joy and her friends watch television and eat pizza, which is otherwise not allowed because tomato sauce can stain the carpet. Yet she does so. I have learned that human rules are often flexible. Such as “no boys allowed in the bedroom;” since I am a “Scribe” and not a “boy,” I am allowed. See? I suffer no ill effects crossing the threshold into Joy’s room. It is safe to enter. There is Joy’s bed, her computer, her desk and chair, her bookshelves, her closet and her wastepaper basket. She has quite a collection of souvenirs, gifts from the Cabana Boys, and owns a great variety of clothes, music and books, but not nearly enough potions, weapons and armor. But she is learning. I protect her while she adapts to my world, the Twixt, whose rules are absolute.

Stop. Do not touch the windowsill. Or the air vent. Or the door. They are warded against intrusion and the results may prove…unpleasant. There has been such unpleasantness in this room in the past, but also much pleasantness.

You are smiling again. Was I being funny? I still have much to learn. I, too, am learning to adapt.

Down the hall is the bathroom, three bedrooms, a master bath, and hall closet, but I have been told that the remaining rooms are private so our tour must end here. You look disappointed. I assure you that this bedroom, this table, this kitchen, etcetera, is important to the Twixt because of Joy and the Edict, but it means far more to me. This place, this home, is where I first understood what it might be like to feel. This is where I first learned joy.

Why are you smiling again?

Ah, you are correct—it is time to go. No, we are not going to use the door. I have a more direct route in mind. Take my hand. Keep your eyes on mine. Let us slice our own door. Step through the breach and…now!

Well, that was an experience I'll never forget...how about you? I'm glad Ink warned us about those wards, too. All that talk about unpleasantness has me curious, but I was afraid to ask him anything else. He has quite the way about him, doesn't he?

So did you catch today’s code word? Don’t forget to enter it for your chance to win the grand prize! And be sure to collect all the code words because there will be a special prize at the end of the tour for those who've collected them all.

Well, this is where I leave you. Good luck and enjoy the rest of the tour! I'm sure you'll have many more experiences along the way. :D Before you head off, here's a little about each of the books in The Twixt series and the author's info:

INDELIBLE
The Twixt, book #1

By Dawn Metcalf

Release Date: July 30, 2013

Order Indelible: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound | The Book Depository
Here's the blurb:

Some things are permanent.

Indelible.

And they cannot be changed back.

Joy Malone learns this the night she sees a stranger with all-black eyes across a crowded room—right before the mystery boy tries to cut out her eye. Instead, the wound accidentally marks her as property of Indelible Ink, and this dangerous mistake thrusts Joy into an incomprehensible world—a world of monsters at the window, glowing girls on the doorstep, and a life that will never be the same.

Now, Joy must pretend to be Ink’s chosen one—his helper, his love, his something for the foreseeable future...and failure to be convincing means a painful death for them both. Swept into a world of monsters, illusion, immortal honor and revenge, Joy discovers that sometimes, there are no mistakes.

Somewhere between reality and myth lies…

THE TWIXT

INVISIBLE
The Twixt, book #2

By Dawn Metcalf

Release Date: September 30, 2014

Order Invisible: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound | The Book Depository
Here's the blurb:

Some things lie beneath the surface.

Invisible.

With the power to change everything.

Joy Malone wants it all—power, freedom and the boyfriend who loves her. Yet when an unstoppable assassin is hired to kill her, Joy learns that being the girl with the Sight comes with a price that might be too high to pay. Love will be tested, lives will be threatened, and everyone Joy knows and cares about will be affected by her decision to stand by Ink or to leave the Twixt forever.

Her choice is balanced on a scalpel's edge and the consequences will be more life-altering than anyone can guess.

About the author:

Dawn Metcalf has always lived on the edge between reality and magic, which explains her current profession and love of fantasy books and games. Her passions include karate, fairy tales, Victoriana and dark chocolate, often combining one or more of them in unexpected ways. Currently, she lives with her husband and family in northern Connecticut. If they had a sign, it would be: Confounding the Neighbor Children Since 1999. Dawn’s current Young Adult series with HarlequinTeen, The Twixt, has four titles: Indelible (July 2013), Invisible (September 2014), Inviolate (June 2015), and Invincible (May 2016). She also has a Young Adult standalone, Luminous (June 2011 from Dutton Juvenile).

Find Dawn:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Tumblr | Instagram

Enter this Tour's code word (underlined in the text) into the form below and collect all 6 code words to win the Grand Prize Pack!

Must be 13+ to enter
US/CAN only
Contest runs 10/7-10/30

For full giveaway details and rules, see the Tour Kick-Off post here.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Be sure to check out the rest of The Twixt Guided Tour:

Tues, 10/07: Libby Blog
Thurs, 10/09: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
Tues, 10/14: The Starry-Eyed Revue
Thurs, 10/16: Danasquare
Tues, 10/21: Skye’s Scribblings
Thurs, 10/23: Lili’s Reflections

Thanks for taking today's tour! I hope it's piqued your interest in this amazing series!

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Labels: blog tour, book trailers, dawn metcalf, faeries, giveaways, harlequin-teen, paranormal, the twixt