Sensual and Mysterious: THE HUMMINGBIRD HEART by A.G. Howard

Title: The Hummingbird Heart
Author: A.G. Howard
Series: Haunted Hearts Legacy, book #2
Publisher: self-published
Publication Date: August 15, 2017
Source: ARC received from author
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

Set 19 years after The Architect of Song.

Shortly after escaping a circus tragedy, young Italian orphan, Willow Antoniette, seeks refuge at The Manor of Diversions—a holiday resort in England born of a ghost story. For eleven years, she’s raised alongside the children of the resort’s owners: Julian, his twin brother, Nick, and their younger sister Emilia. Now that Willow is of marriable age, she's determined to escape finishing school along with everyone's efforts to make her a proper lady. The only man she wants to spend her life with is Julian, after all. Yet how can she tell him, when he thinks of her as nothing but a friend?

As a machinist and engineer, Julian Thornton prefers a governable life. He can't allow his ever-deepening attraction for Willow to distract from his amusement park plans to lure a younger, wealthier clientele to their family's resort. In hopes to escape Willow and find investors, Julian sets off on a transatlantic ocean liner headed for the St. Louis World’s Fair, unaware Willow has secretly stowed away on the same ship.

A tiny, mute orphan named Newton and a pair of haunted Italian shoes bring Willow and Julian face to face on deck. Forced to work together to solve the mystery of Newton and his vindictive, ghostly companion, Julian and Willow can no longer fight their untapped passions. However, time to admit their true feelings is running out, for the ghost and her murderer have enlisted them as unsuspecting pawns in a karmic game of cat-and-mouse that could cost all of them their lives.

This novel was, simply put, gorgeous. I loved Howard's Splintered series, but there's no doubt in my mind that I love this series best. I think it's just how sensual and mysterious each ghost story is -- or has been thus far -- coupled with the historical setting. I can't get enough of her atmospheric words.

Howard's characters are always so multi-faceted, and Willow and Julian are no exception. By all appearances, Willow is a tough, no-guts-no-glory kind of tomboy, but as the story progresses, you get to see her more vulnerable side, the one she doesn't want anyone to see. And Julian is the straight-laced, analytical type, but he comes out of his shell more than a little throughout the story. But when they come together...they are completely different people with each other. Their chemistry would blow up a lab if left unchecked. But they are also very caring, attentive, loyal and protective with each other, and I loved reading as they learned how to love each other together.

But it's not just the main characters I found so appealing because Anita's characters all have these layers and dimensions to them that you discover as you're reading. I love how the author weaves such diverse characters and situations and how seamlessly she does so. She doesn't just mention them and then brush them aside; that diversity is essential to the story. These characters facing adversity and trying to right the wrongs of the past gives me life. Howard doesn't gloss over Newt's muteness or the rumors of a fellow passenger being part of the Italian mafia simply because he is rich and has a harem of gorgeous women in his entourage. It was the same in the last book and I am on board for more of this.

My only real complaint with The Architect of Song, the previous book in this series, was that I wanted more from the ending. And I got that with this sequel. More from the previous couple AND more from the featured couple and their story, and it was everything I'd hoped for them. I adore how these stories are already connected and what that might mean for future books in this series, and I can't wait to read more!

GIF it to me straight:

About the author:

A.G. Howard is the #1 NYT & International Bestselling author of several young adult retellings and spinoff novels, including her gothic Alice in Wonderland Splintered series, and RoseBlood, a Phantom of the Opera inspired adaptation.

When writing, A.G. is most at home weaving the melancholy, magical, and macabre into her settings and scenes. In her downtime, she enjoys rollerblading, gardening, and visiting 18th century graveyards or abandoned buildings to appease her muse’s darker side.

Find Anita:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest | Tumblr

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Labels: a.g. howard, beautiful covers, favorite authors, favorites, ghosts, gothic romance, haunted hearts legacy, historical fiction, indies, reviews

A Deaf Girl, a Ghost, and a Liar Walk Into a Bar...

Title: The Architect of Song
Author: A.G. Howard
Series: Haunted Hearts Legacy, book #1
Publisher: Golden Orb Press
Publication Date: August 15, 2016
Source: ARC received from author
Purchase: Amazon

A lady imprisoned by deafness, an architect imprisoned by his past, and a ghost imprisoned within the petals of a flower - intertwine in this love story that transcends life and death.

For most of her life, nineteen-year-old Juliet Emerline has subsisted – isolated by deafness – making hats in the solitude of her home. Now, she’s at risk to lose her sanctuary to Lord Nicolas Thornton, a twenty-seven-year-old mysterious and eccentric architect with designs on her humble estate. When she secretly witnesses him raging beside a grave, Juliet investigates, finding the name “Hawk” on the headstone and an unusual flower at the base. The moment Juliet touches the petals, a young English nobleman appears in ghostly form, singing a song only her deaf ears can hear. The ghost remembers nothing of his identity or death, other than the one name that haunts his afterlife: Thornton.

To avenge her ghostly companion and save her estate, Juliet pushes aside her fear of society and travels to Lord Thornton’s secluded holiday resort, posing as a hat maker in one of his boutiques. There, she finds herself questioning who to trust: the architect of flesh and bones who can relate to her through romantic gestures, heartfelt notes, and sensual touches … or the specter who serenades her with beautiful songs and ardent words, touching her mind and soul like no other man ever can. As sinister truths behind Lord Thornton’s interest in her estate and his tie to Hawk come to light, Juliet is lured into a web of secrets. But it’s too late for escape, and the tragic love taking seed in her heart will alter her silent world forever.

International and NYT bestselling author, A.G. Howard, brings her darkly magical and visual/visceral storytelling to Victorian England. The Architect of Song is the first installment in her lush and romantic Haunted Hearts Legacy series, a four book gothic saga following the generations of one family as - haunted by both literal and figurative ghosts - they search for self-acceptance, love, and happiness.

New Adult: Recommended for ages 16+.

I was offered a review copy of The Architect of Song and being a hard-core fan of A.G. Howard's Splintered series, I couldn't say yes fast enough. This is her first "new adult" novel and it's historical fiction with ghosts and baronets and an orphaned protagonist and it's very reminiscent of Crimson Peak, which I just recently watched this week, and I'm kind of in love with it.

I finished reading this novel with the biggest sense of satisfaction I've had from completing a novel in awhile. It is most definitely my new favorite novel from A.G. Howard because it feels more like her own writing than even the Splintered series did, and I've enjoyed following the tour and reading why she decided to self-publish this novel.

The Architect of Song wasn't perfect, but it was pretty damn close for my tastes. I adored the ending but I could have used more exposition, namely a conversation between the MC and the Lord of the manor so I could see all of the awkward as they finally, FINALLY came completely clean about everything. I don't like that this reconciliation of sorts happened mostly off the page. But I always want more at the end, especially more time with the characters, so I don't even really know if that can be considered a complaint. But if it is, it's really my only one.

I loved how Juliet's affliction was handled. Because in the time period this story was based, she would have been abhorred for her lack of hearing, and yet the author found a way to make her deafness a strength...and for Juliet to keep the fact of her deafness a relative secret. I felt that this ailment was presented in a manner that was accurate for the time period, even if that level of lip reading is a bit implausible.

At the heart of this story is grief and loss and yes, love. I expected this novel to be like all of the "new adult" novels that have come before it, but it's mostly just sensual in nature. But I still found it hot and very swoony. Being historical fiction, too, meant that the protagonist's virtue and reputation were at stake, and I liked how that aspect was handled, as well, especially as there was a love triangle involved. (I'm kind of gaga for Howard's love triangles.) I can see why publishers might have had a hard time classifying this novel. The age of the heroine leans more heavily toward new adult, but the romance is not overtly sexual, as most new adult novels are. And it's not strictly a romance either because there is a serious mystery to be solved and a ghost not at rest and gender roles to preserve and well, just loads more than a simple romance.

I loved the romantic aspects but I might have loved the mystery of the ghost more. There were so many things playing into it: that strange flower, Lord Thornton, the gypsy woman. I had heaps of theories and couldn't wait for the identity of Hawk to come to light. The way it all unraveled was just perfect...and not just because that had been my initial theory. ;0) Howard really knows how to keep you guessing while also using the most gorgeous prose to get you the answers you seek.

Here's the thing I don't get, though: this story very much gave me Rosamund Hodge vibes. It was dark and mysterious and clever, and I loved it every bit as much as I love Hodge's novels. It's very similar in tone and writing style, which leaves me wondering why this story was so hard for publishers to classify when that doesn't appear to be the case for Hodge's books. I understand that the publishing industry is a fickle one, but it's enough to make an author give up entirely. But I'm so glad this author decided to self-publish so that legions of her fans will still get a chance to read it. I don't care if it's hard to classify; this is the type of story I most love to read: convoluted and twisty and not falling into any one niche.

I really did love this one:

GIF it to me straight:

About the author:

A.G. Howard is the International and NYT bestselling author of the Splintered Series, with a slew of other classical spinoffs and original stories in the works that she hopes will one day find a place on the shelves.

She was inspired to write her tribute to Carroll's Wonderland while working at a school library. Her pastimes are reading, rollerblading, gardening, and family vacations which often include impromptu side trips to 18th century graveyards or condemned schoolhouses to appease her overactive muse.

SPLINTERED, UNHINGED, ENSNARED, and UNTAMED, the first four books in her urbanized /gothic Alice in Wonderland series, are now available from Amulet Books. Also soon to be available from Amulet is her Phantom of the Opera spinoff, ROSEBLOOD -- slated to launch January 2017.

THE ARCHITECT OF SONG, the first book in her New Adult historical literary romance saga, will be available in August 2016.

Find Anita:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest | Tumblr

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Labels: a.g. howard, beautiful covers, favorite authors, favorites, ghosts, gothic romance, haunted hearts legacy, historical fiction, indies, reviews

THE RAVEN CYCLE Comes to a Close - My Spoiler-free Lamentations

Title: The Raven King
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Narrator(s): Will Patton
Series: The Raven Cycle, book #4
Length: 11 hrs 51 mins
Publisher: Scholastic Audio
Publication Date: April 26, 2016
Source: purchased audiobook & signed HC
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

The fourth and final installment in the spellbinding series from the irrepressible, #1 New York Times bestselling author Maggie Stiefvater.

All her life, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love's death. She doesn't believe in true love and never thought this would be a problem, but as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she's not so sure anymore.

In a starred review for Blue Lily, Lily Blue, Kirkus Reviews declared: "Expect this truly one-of-a-kind series to come to a thundering close."

I don’t think there was ever any chance that I was going to be disappointed by this final book, but I am so far away from that on the spectrum that I may have just accidentally looped back around and hit it by mistake, but that’s only because I’m disappointed that it’s over and I have no more Raven Boys to look forward to. I mean, I was seriously afflicted with TEABS when I finished last night, and even my husband commented on it. And he usually doesn't notice anything about my reading except that I'm doing it and that he should steer clear until I'm not. ;0)

I loved the mix of jovial moments with the altogether creepy, that this book wasn't all doom and gloom, even though the author maintained on numerous occasions that she was going to kill off our beloved Gansey. I can't tell you how many times I laughed out loud at my desk yesterday while listening or how many times I was nearly brought to tears...or even how many times I was thoroughly creeped out and ready to hide under my desk. I ran the full gamut of emotions with this book, but that should surprise no one, since every previous book caused the same reaction...at least from me.

Oh, the immaculate pain this book caused me. It's one thing to know you're reading the end of a series...it's a completely different thing to know that you're reading the final book in your favorite series. That you can never read it again for the first time. That you can't unknow what you're about to know. That you're about to see how all of those complicated threads are about to be woven together to produce the most magical of AHA moments.

Whereas the previous books introduced us to new characters who would be integral to certain aspects of the story, The Raven King was really focused on Blue and her Raven Boys. Sure, a friendly face becomes more than the bit player we supposed him to be in the last book and many of our previous acquaintances are there, but this book is the most Raven Boys book of the bunch. And just so we're clear, there is just as much death in this book as any of the books that came before it...I'm just not telling you who dies. But since we've lost some characters we've loved and some we've loathed, you should know by now that Maggie is not afraid to kill off any of our darlings.

She's also not afraid to explore what makes her characters who they are, what drives them. Some are so focused on the something more aspect, while others just want to be known. And sometimes I just wanted to hold their hands and help them through this dark time, but I also recognized that they didn't really need that because together, they were stronger than any of them knew. They were each separate characters that could hold their own, but together as a unit, they were a character in their own right, brave and strong and true.

And their complicated relationships have only grown more complicated...but also less so. You can currently find me sailing around the moon, so happy am I with my ships. But that's not to say it didn't take a lot of work for them to get where they're at. I love that this book is all about the honesty, letting go of all the secrets and seeking out the truth, regardless of the outcome. It was a hard road, but at least the previous books paved the way.

I'll probably end up listening to all four books back-to-back very soon - even though I just did a re-listen a few weeks ago - just because I'm not ready to say goodbye yet. These characters earned a spot in my heart from day one, and it won't be easy letting go. I love everything Maggie writes, but these characters and this story - this quest - have become very dear to me. And I couldn't have asked for a more perfect conclusion for Blue and her Raven Boys.

GIF it to me straight:

And for your viewing pleasure, my #feelsplosion from Goodreads:

Previous The Raven Cycle reviews:

The Raven Boys
The Dream Thieves
Blue Lily, Lily Blue

And all Maggie-related posts here on the blog can be found here.

About the author:

All of Maggie Stiefvater's life decisions have been based around her inability to be gainfully employed. Talking to yourself, staring into space, and coming to work in your pajamas are frowned upon when you're a waitress, calligraphy instructor, or technical editor (all of which she's tried), but are highly prized traits in novelists and artists. She's made her living as one or the other since she was 22. She now lives an eccentric life in the middle of nowhere, Virginia with her charmingly straight-laced husband, two kids, two neurotic dogs, and a 1973 Camaro named Loki.

Find Maggie:

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

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Labels: audiobooks, beautiful covers, fantasy, favorite authors, favorites, ghosts, maggie stiefvater, magic, magical realism, paranormal, reviews, scholastic, the raven cycle

Top Ten Tuesday: They See Dead People

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the awesome ladies at The Broke and the Bookish. Apparently, they are overly fond of list-making and love to share their bookish lists with the rest of us book nerds.  =) We're game.

This week's topic is the Top Ten Books Which Feature Characters Who _____ (are musically inclined, have lost someone, have depression, who grow up poor, etc.). We went with Characters Who See Dead People/Ghosts:

April's Picks:

I realize while doing this, I haven't read too many books with ghosts. This was a hard one. There was actually 2 that I wanted to add, but by adding them on here.. it spoiled the book. So I stuck with these 5. Anna Dressed in Blood may be my favorite ghost related book. I really need to read the second book. Harry Potter, well who doesn't love moaning Mertle! lol. The Summoning and Dark House has lots of Ghosty activity. And If I Stay, well that's kind of a stretch, but its a fabulous book so I'm using it.


Jen's Picks:

Hehe, April and I had a little fun with this TTT since we got to pick it for ourselves. =) Of course, The Raven Cycle and The Archived books are among my favorites ever, but I love the less serious vibe of the Hex Hall and Soul Screamers series, too. And the Shade series is a little bit funny, a little bit dangerous, and a whole lot romantic.


Do you enjoy books featuring the undead? :P What subject did you pick for today's open-ended topic? Be sure to share a link to your TTT post so we can visit!

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Labels: ghosts, top ten tuesday

{Audiobook} Review: Sublime by Christina Lauren

Title: Sublime
Author: Christina Lauren
Narrator(s): Elizabeth Louise, Cal Wembly
Series:  n/a
Length: 8 hrs 2 mins
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Publication Date: October 14, 2014
Source: audiobook received from publisher
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

True love may mean certain death in a ghostly affair of risk and passion from New York Times bestselling duo Christina Lauren, authors of Beautiful Bastard. Tahereh Mafi, New York Times bestselling author of Shatter Me calls Sublime “a beautiful, haunting read".

When Lucy walks out of a frozen forest, wearing only a silk dress and sandals, she isn’t sure how she got there. But when she sees Colin, she knows for sure that she’s here for him.

Colin has never been captivated by a girl the way he is by Lucy. With each passing day their lives intertwine, and even as Lucy begins to remember more of her life—and her death—neither of them is willing to give up what they have, no matter how impossible it is. And when Colin finds a way to physically be with Lucy, taking himself to the brink of death where his reality and Lucy’s overlap, the joy of being together for those brief stolen moments drowns out everything in the outside world. But some lines weren’t meant to be crossed…

A ranty, snarky, SPOILERY review follows. Read at your own peril.

I wasn't interested in reading this writing duo's Beautiful Bastard series because erotica really isn't my thing, so I don't honestly know what made me think I'd like their foray into young adult. Well, besides the fact that I do have a lot of Goodreads friends who seem to like this pair's work, so I thought, Maybe this will be more my speed, and I can still see what all the fuss is about without venturing into that territory.

And it starts off fine, with a character that doesn't know who or what she is, only that once she sees Colin, she knows she's here for him. Their romance went from 0-to-90 in no time, and that's with Lucy revealing that she's a ghost and Colin discovering that he couldn't physically touch her without causing her some discomfort. Insta-love: boo. Romantic complications: intriguing.

Here's where things get interesting weird. Completely by accident, they discover that putting Colin at the brink of death lets him hover between this world and...well, whatever lies after. While he's in the in-between, he and Lucy can make physical contact. The places there "relationship" couldn't go before are suddenly possible and they're ready to explore them. Even though they've known each other mere weeks and she's a freaking ghost. Whatever, teenagers have done crazier things, right? /sarcasm

So, the pair calls on Colin's best bud to help them continually test the limits and leave Colin in this in-between state for as long as possible before true death sets in. They do so by recreating the same circumstances under which they discovered this miracle that very first time: dropping Colin into a frozen-over lake -- the very lake Lucy actually haunts -- and inducing hypothermia. Oh, they take precautions to make sure Colin always returns, but really, this is just about the dumbest idea I've ever heard. I get that both Colin and Jay are adrenaline junkies, but realistically, who would go to such lengths just to be able to touch his girlfriend? Move on, buddy.

With all the attention on these two gettin' it on -- and the fact that the authors write erotica for a living -- you'd have thought that when it finally does happen, it'd be more than just a fade-to-black sex scene. I don't have a problem with sex in YA, as long as it's not gratuitous and it's portrayed realistically. Nothing about this story was realistic, though, so I guess I should have expected this.

Going into this story, I knew it was unlikely I'd get a HEA. A ghost and a real, live boy, falling in love? Yeah, that's never going to work out. Not in any good way, anyway. Since everything else in this book was so utterly wrong, it shouldn't have surprised me that Colin made one final, stupid last-ditch attempt to be with his ghost girl by throwing himself back into that frozen lake. Without anyone knowing. And without any aide. This boy's survival instincts are seriously on the fritz. But the "walkers" like Lucy were known to take people with them, so maybe it was more Lucy's influence than the fault of Colin and all his risk-taking. It was clear to me that Lucy was draining a bit of Colin's life force each time they met in that overlap between their worlds, and so maybe some of his sanity left with it. I don't think it went to Lucy, though, because I'm pretty sure she was convinced that she was becoming less of a ghost because of Colin's presence in her afterlife, not because of anything she might be doing to him, whether intentional or not.

Pretty much, this book is only getting a star because I listened to the audio, and it features the voice of Elizabeth Louise for Lucy's chapters and Cal Wembley for Colin's. Louise has repeatedly lent her voice to one of my favorite new adult series, and considering what she had to work with, I thought she did a fair job on this audiobook. Cal Wembly sounded an awful lot like Kirby Heyborne, and when I did some research, I found both names listed as narrators for this book-- somewhere, but I can't find the link now that I'm trying to write up my review. Either way, I wouldn't be surprised if he were one and the same, as a lot of narrators have pseudonyms they record under based on the genre or type of book they're recording. When I first started listening to audiobooks, I couldn't stand Cal/Kirby, but his voice has really grown on me. But maybe it's those first stories that I initially disliked because I discovered that, as Colin, I found Cal's narration a bit annoying. That's a good sign that Cal becomes the character, but it doesn't bode well for the overall experience. Still, I probably wouldn't have even finished this book had I been reading a physical copy, so there's that.

I've read a story like this before, and I had a much better experience with that one than I did here. If you're curious, it's Hereafter by Tara Hudson. Mind you, that link takes you to my review, one of the very first ones I ever wrote here on the blog, and by my reviewing standards now, I'd probably only rate the book three stars. That's still much better than Sublime rates, though. And Hereafter's premise revolves around more than endangering one's life for sex -- like, saving a boy's life. Imagine that.

GIF it to me straight:

I don't even...what the...what the hell did I just read?!?

About the author:

Christina Lauren is the combined pen name of long-time writing partners/besties/soulmates/brain-twins Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings. The coauthor duo writes both Young Adult and Adult Fiction, and together has produced seven New York Times bestselling novels. Their books have been translated into 22 languages. (Some of these books have kissing. Some of these books have A LOT of kissing.)

Find Christina & Lauren:

Website | Christina Twitter | Lauren Twitter | Goodreads

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Labels: audiobooks, christina lauren, disappointments, ghosts, paranormal, reviews, simon schuster, sublime

Review in a GIFfy: Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater

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 -- if I do say so myself -- 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 third book in Maggie Stiefvater's The Raven Cycle. I just love this series SO much, and this is probably the most coherent review you'll get out of me without fear of spoilers. (Reviewing the third book in a series is really hard without actually spoiling something in it.)




Title: Blue Lily, Lily Blue
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Series: The Raven Cycle, book #3
Publisher: Scholastic
Publication Date: October 21, 2014
Source: from publisher via Netgalley
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

There is danger in dreaming. But there is even more danger in waking up.

Blue Sargent has found things. For the first time in her life, she has friends she can trust, a group to which she can belong. The Raven Boys have taken her in as one of their own. Their problems have become hers, and her problems have become theirs.

The trick with found things though, is how easily they can be lost.

Friends can betray.
Mothers can disappear.
Visions can mislead.
Certainties can unravel.

Reasons to read: You loved the previous two books, obvs. You love a good character-driven novel -- or series -- that's going to keep you guessing till the very end. You love Maggie Stiefvater so much that you even love reading a whole post about her goats.

Or, you just really love a book that makes you work for it, that doesn't give you any easy answers...one that's all of this:

The story: I feel like this is a mythical quest of Goonies proportions, only it keeps snowballing and growing in ways I never expected...and I am so okay with that. No matter what complications arise, no matter what they discover and where it leads them, these kids never give up. Their tenacity for finding Glendower -- and the other answers they seek -- is astounding.

The characters: Blue Sargent. Richard Campbell Gansey III, otherwise known as Gansey. Adam Parrish. Ronan Lynch. Mr. Gray, aka The Gray Man. Calla. Persephone. Even Orla. They all leap off the page at you and make you care, even when they're persnickety or callous or have outright offended you. These characters take the wheel, become the driving force that keeps you reading until all the words are gone.

The villain: It's changed with every book and yet I haven't hated any of them. I don't particularly like any of them either, but I find them intriguing nonetheless.

The romance(s):  Oh, yes, that's romance in the plural sense. Because one we know is impossible. (Maybe? Hopefully not?) One is intriguing because it involves a hitman. And the other one caught us by complete surprise, though it shouldn't have. (I mean, such animosity can only be sexual tension, right?) My ship remains intact and I have a new one on the horizon. Sort of. Pretty please?

The swoons: Please stop don't ever stop doing this to my heart, Maggie. I can take it. I promise.

Everything's coming full circle: It's all coming together. Questions are being answered. There's only one book left and things are making sense but they're also not and maybe the search is almost over, but hopefully it's not?

OMG, that last page. OMFG, "where the F stands for fainting*". I feel faint still. Talk about a shocker.

*As in, Maggie's fainting goats. I borrowed this quote from the post of Maggie's I linked to earlier in this review.

The quotability: Mags is always quotable. She writes like she talks in real life -- sardonic, sarcastic, and humorous -- and it speaks to me like no other. Some favorites:

  "Go to hell," Calla burst out.
   He nodded. "That's what I thought. You expecting her any time soon? I'd love to have a chat with her in particular."
   "Hell," Persephone said. "I actually agree in this case. Insofar as going there is concerned."


   "Oh, no!" Persephone said with a little laugh. "I don't think that would -- no. As you said, she has the hots for Mr. Gray. Do young people really say that anymore?"
   "I just said it. I'm young."
   "Ish."
   "Are you asking me or not? Either you accept my authority on this point or we move on."
   "We move on."


   "They regarded each other. Adam fair and cautious, Ronan dark and incendiary. This was Ronan at his most truthful."


   "There was something unfamiliar about him when he arrived in the Pig. Something ferocious about his eyes, some sort of bite in his faint smile. Something altogether hectic and unsettled. She stood on the ledge of his smile and looked over the edge.
   This wasn't the Gansey she'd seen in the kitchen earlier; this was the Gansey she secretly called at night."


   "Jesus Christ," Gansey said, to hide the sound of every hair on his body standing up and both of his testicles retreating."


   "One of Calla's eyebrows momentarily considered punching the woman."


   "Don't Richard Gansey the Third at me," Orla replied.
   "Because if that's what she meant, then yes, I just stared at him. I didn't realize it was a conversation because penis."

Probably too many favorites, considering I highlighted half the novel on my Kindle, but...

In summation: What did I love best about this third installment?

Yeah. It was pretty effing amazing. Maybe my favorite one yet, though I really, really liked The Dream Thieves...a whole helluva lot. *shrugs* All I know is...it's going to be a long, anxious wait for that final book. Also...

About the author:

All of Maggie Stiefvater's life decisions have been based around her inability to be gainfully employed. Talking to yourself, staring into space, and coming to work in your pajamas are frowned upon when you're a waitress, calligraphy instructor, or technical editor (all of which she's tried), but are highly prized traits in novelists and artists. She's made her living as one or the other since she was 22. She now lives an eccentric life in the middle of nowhere, Virginia with her charmingly straight-laced husband, two kids, two neurotic dogs, and a 1973 Camaro named Loki.

Find Maggie:

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Previous posts in this feature:

Of Metal and Wishes
The Kiss of Deception
Between the Spark and the Burn

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Labels: beautiful covers, fantasy, favorite authors, favorites, ghosts, maggie stiefvater, magic, paranormal, review in a giffy, reviews, scholastic, the raven cycle