Tiger lily - Review

Tiger lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson

Available 3rd October 2013

www.hachette.co.uk 

What's it about?

Before Peter Pan belonged to Wendy, he belonged to the girl with the crow feather in her hair. . . .

Fifteen-year-old Tiger Lily doesn't believe in love stories or happy endings. Then she meets the alluring teenage Peter Pan in the forbidden woods of Neverland and immediately falls under his spell.

Peter is unlike anyone she's ever known. Impetuous and brave, he both scares and enthralls her. As the leader of the Lost Boys, the most fearsome of Neverland's inhabitants, Peter is an unthinkable match for Tiger Lily. Soon, she is risking everything—her family, her future—to be with him. When she is faced with marriage to a terrible man in her own tribe, she must choose between the life she's always known and running away to an uncertain future with Peter.

With enemies threatening to tear them apart, the lovers seem doomed. But it's the arrival of Wendy Darling, an English girl who's everything Tiger Lily is not, that leads Tiger Lily to discover that the most dangerous enemies can live inside even the most loyal and loving heart.

My review

From the first time I heard about Tiger lily I knew I had to get my hands on it, it just sounded like such a new perspective on Peter Pan, especially since its not even really about Peter Pan, its about Tiger Lily and its more of a prequel to the much loved and very often recreated original tale, did I also mention its told from the view of Tinkerbell?
The book was every bit as magical and heart breaking as I was expecting, its a wonderful coming of age love story. I loved how the author took the character of Tiger Lily and made her her own, Tiger Lily is such a strong and wild girl, only a few people really know how to handle her or understand her, something that both endeared her to me and made me feel sad for her.
Her love story with Peter wasn't a simple one, just like she isn't a simple girl, she wanted to be strong and do everything the boys did, but Peter wanted a girl to look after and liked being needed, so sometimes their relationship worked and sometimes it didn't because they just clashed too much, it was really interesting to read.
Another thing I really liked about the book was how the author incorporated things from the story of Peter Pan as well and I could easily envision the scenery from the great writing.
In all, Tiger Lily was a lovely book and I'm looking forward to discovering more from this author.

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The mark of Athena - Review

The mark of Athena by Rick Riordan

Heroes of Olympus book three.

Available now

www.penguin.co.uk 

What's it about?

Annabeth is terrified. Just when she's about to be reunited with Percy - after six months of being apart, thanks to Hera - it looks like Camp Jupiter is preparing for war. As Annabeth and her friends Jason, Piper, and Leo fly in on the Argo II, she can't blame the Roman demigods for thinking the ship is a Greek weapon. With its steaming bronze dragon figurehead, Leo's fantastical creation doesn't appear friendly. Annabeth hopes that the sight of their praetor Jason on deck will reassure the Romans that the visitors from Camp Half-Blood are coming in peace.

And that's only one of her worries. In her pocket, Annabeth carries a gift from her mother that came with an unnerving command: Follow the Mark of Athena. Avenge me. Annabeth already feels weighed down by the prophecy that will send seven demigods on a quest to find - and close - the Doors of Death. What more does Athena want from her?

Annabeth's biggest fear, though, is that Percy might have changed. What if he's now attached to Roman ways? Does he still need his old friends? As the daughter of the goddess of war and wisdom, Annabeth knows she was born to be a leader - but never again does she want to be without Seaweed Brain by her side.

My review

The mark of Athena is yet another great adventure set in the world of Percy Jackson. Full of mystery, action and monsters.
What I like about the Heroes of Olympus series is that each book is told by different characters, and whilst they do involve everyone, we get to the heart of different characters with each book and find out what makes them tick, it's a really great way to get to know everyone when there are so many main players in the series, without being overwhelmed. It was also great to see Percy and Annabeth taking front row again and how their relationship together has grown since the original series.
The story itself is also, once again, great! Rick Riordan does a brilliant job of bringing ancient myths into the present and mixing the two to create something unique, making the book difficult to put down.
If you've liked the rest of the books, then this latest in the series will not disappoint you, its just as fast paced, and there's never a dull moment in sight as all our heroes take on another great quest.

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You don't know me - Review

You don't know me by Sophia Bennett

Available now

www.doublecluck.co.uk 

What's it about?

Sasha, Jodie, Nell and Rose never expected to be famous. They didn’t want to be. In fact, they wanted to keep their band a secret because it’s what they do when they’re being stupid together – dressing up and singing cheesy songs.

But someone has stolen a video they made. It’s online, and it’s been entered into a talent competition. And what’s more … it’s got 24 votes. In only a few hours it’s got 24 votes.

The girls are about to be faced with a big decision that could make them seriously famous.

Just not necessarily the way they hoped …

My review

After reading, and really enjoying, Sophia Bennett's debut novel, The look, last year, I've been looking forward to picking something else up by her so I was super happy when I received a copy of her latest book, You don't know me. It's another great novel that I enjoyed a lot.
I really liked the whole basis of the story and the author did a great job of getting peoples emotions across, I connected well with Sasha and thought she was a lovely girl.
There's a great feeling of friendship throughout the book, even when the girls fall out, you can feel the bond and I think its a great message to young girls who might pick up the book, whether its intentional or not.
It did have its funny moments too, times that made me laugh or smile. And then there were other moments that really had me feeling for the girls, the hard time Sasha had to go through really made me feel for her and I was on her side throughout.
You don't know me was a wonderful book, it touches the surface of issues with the media and how it can manipulate how the public perceive a person, uses great characters, represents friendship and is beautifully written.

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Power of the Ninja: Fire - Review

Power of the Ninja: Fire by T.J. Perkins

Shadow legacy book two

Available now 

What's it about?

Choices. All Shinobi will have to come to terms with death and for Duncan, his time to figure it all out comes entirely too early in his young life. Shinobi turn against each other, friends turn against friends, and death has a new meaning.

The enemy has realized Duncan's inner power and they want to extract it for their own uses. Even a legendary assassin has been set on his trail, bent on the ultimate battle and final glory.

Even when captured, tortured, and on the verge of death, with the Shadow Master on his trail, Duncan still has choices and the one he makes sets him on a path that will determine the fate of the world.

Other books in the series

Art of the Ninja: Earth - Book one

Heart of the Ninja: Water - Book three

My review

Power of the Ninja; Fire was another action packed book from T.J. Perkins, it has a lot of mystery to it and I enjoyed it as much as I have enjoyed her other books.

I really like how she's bought Ninja into YA and kind of meshed them into a genre of its own, it makes the book stand out and something new and different and her writing is great.

I still like Duncan and how his character is developing is very interesting, he's a very curious boy which sometimes, okay most of the time, leads him into trouble, but those lead to the best scenes in the book and are usually the times Duncan discovers the most about himself.

There's also a touch of the fantasy to these books, which gives them an extra angle and makes them less predictive, I couldn't guess what would happen from one moment to the next and have no clue what's in store for Duncan and his friends in the next instalments.

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Blog tour: Werewolf love - Character profile

All About Eye Of The Storm

Writing About Werewolves – Character Profiles: Lawrence

Name: Lawrence Gunvald

Age: thirty-seven

Flaxen-blond hair.

Ice-blue eyes

6 ft and 3”

Build: damn fine.

Lawrence … oh, where do I start? My heart sort of skips a beat when I think about Lawrence and all that he is. He is the “unknown element” throughout book one and most of book two. You’ve gotta have a mysterious tortured guy in a paranormal erotic / romance type book, right? Lawrence is it. Writing him was surprisingly not that difficult, and I think it’s because I always knew where I was going with him in my mind. It’s hard to write someone who is remote and icy and aloof and make it different to how anyone else writes this kind of Alpha male. To be honest, there’s no difference … until book two. You have to read book two to understand Lawrence. Then you’ll see what’s different. I can’t really talk about the connection between him and Lydia, or even him and all the other males. It’s there and it’s deep – not least because of who he really is – and it’s impossible to explain. It’s something you have to read to truly get the essence of.

We meet Lawrence in book one, Releasing The Wolf, and get to know much more about him in book two, Cry Of The Wolf.

More about Lawrence:

(May contain SPOILERS for books one and two.)

Icy and aloof, with a tortured past he doesn't talk about, Lawrence, at thirty-seven, bears the emotional and physical scars of a pain he wishes he could bury. Hailing from a revered and respected line of wolves, he has sacrificed everything including his Alpha status because he has nothing to offer any pack or mate. Instead, he relinquished his title to Ryan. But when Lydia hurtles into their lives, his world is rocked and his past is brought to the forefront of his life.

The Eye Of The Storm series is an erotic, paranormal fantasy about werewolves, and when animal urges battle with the human higher mind. It’s about lust and control, and sorrow and change, but also with a hefty plot that takes all of these themes through two or three mythological structures.

All info can be found at: http://www.diannahardy.com/eye-of-the-storm.html

About the author

Dianna combines a titillating mix of paranormal romance and urban fantasy into her writing, to bring you stories that are action-packed, fast-paced and not short of heat, with the focus on both character development and the plot. She writes both full-length novels and short fiction.

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The Witching Pen website

Terminus - Review

Terminus by Adam Baker

Outpost book two.

Available now

www.hodder.co.uk 

What's it about?

The world has been overrun by a lethal infection, ravaged by a pathogen that leaves its victims locked half-way between life and death. New York, bombed to prevent the spread of the disease, has been reduced to radioactive rubble. A rescue squad enters the subway tunnels beneath Manhattan, searching for the one man who can create an antidote. The squad battle floodwaters, lethal radiation and infected, irradiated survivors as they race against the disease that threatens to extinguish the human race.

My review

Terminus was another gripping read from Adam Baker, its the conclusion to his brilliant Outpost trilogy and I feel like I've been waiting forever to get my hands on it, in truth it was just a few months but I was THAT excited.

Terminus has a similar theme to the other books, its a small group of people stuck in an impossible situation, trying to survive and not all are completely sane characters, making the task that much harder. In ways, it reminded me of the other books, I found the mix of characters to be similar and of course, its the same kind of situation. However, Mr Baker writes an incredible, heart pumping story, full of brutal action with no characters being 'safe.' So you really don't know what will happen next, and some of the things he came up with in this were beyond anything you'll have found in the previous books and will have you cringing back in your seat and your eyes glued to the page.

In all, Terminus is a great conclusion to the story and the author managed to scare the pants off me yet again, I really can't wait to see what he comes up with next.

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The disappeared - Review

The disappeared by C.J. Harper

Available now 

simonandschuster.co.uk 

What's it about?

n a future where children are segregated into institutions that range from comfortable “Learning Communities” to prison-like “Local Academies”, seventeen-year-old Jackson is an academic high flyer, living in a top Learning Community and destined for a position in the Leadership. But when he is sent with his best friend Wilson to deliver a package to a factory block, the two boys are attacked, leaving Jackson badly beaten and Wilson dead.

Confused and upset, Jackson returns to his Learning Community only to be dismissed by his teachers who claim not to know him. Sent to an Academy, an institute set up to train factory workers, Jackson finds himself immersed in a world that couldn’t be further removed than the comfortable life he’s used to; a harsh, violent, semi-articulate society where the students have created their own hierarchy based on fighting ability.

Using his wits to survive, Jackson starts to realise that his whole life has been based on half-truths. And in order to survive he needs to expose the lies that surround the Academy and find out the truth about who he really is. As he builds alliances and begins to educate those closest to him, a plan for rebellion and escape gradually comes into shape...

My review

The disappeared was a brilliant debut novel, full of action, mystery and suspense. I really enjoyed discovering the darker side to Jackson's world alongside him and was constantly intrigued to find out more, I wanted to get the bottom of things and make a change just as much as him. Harper has created a great future, dystopic, world where everyone is segregated and oppressed without even realising it. That is, until Jackson comes along, moved from one class to another he notices the differences and realises just how much he was controlled before when he thought he was happy. Rather than keep his head down, he picks at the foundations and is persistent in trying to figure out why things are, how they are, even though he knows it could lead him into trouble. I really like this about him and liked his curious nature. I enjoyed the friendships he made and all the characters in the book.
The plot was paced well and I felt the mystery was revealed with good timing, I didn't get bored of waiting to see what was happening or what would come next and I never got overloaded with info either, it all came out a bit at a time.
I thought this was a stand alone novel but I've just literally found there will be a sequel which I really can't wait for as I'm dying to see what happens next after the ending of the book!

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Showcase Sunday (49)

'Showcase Sunday' is hosted by Vicky over at Books, biscuits and tea.

17th - 23rd June '13

Hello all, sorry there's been nothing up this week! I've just been really busy and not had much time to get on the computer. But anyway...

It's my birthday this coming Friday and I've already been lucky enough to receive a few gifts!

First off, I got this lovely paperback of Double click, a few months back I got an ecopy for review and loved the book as much as the first, but I really wanted a copy of the pb because my review is quoted on the back cover! And also because I have the first in pb which is also signed, the author was nice enough to send me a copy herself and signed it which was so awesome of her!

Then I also got three books from a friend; Let the sky fall by Shannon Messenger, Middle ground by Katie Kacvinsky and Gravity by Melissa West. All have been on my wishlist for ages so I can't wait to get to them!

What did you get this week?

Showcase sunday (48)

'Showcase Sunday' is hosted by Vicky over at Books, biscuits and tea.

10th - 16th June '13

I've had another great week for books and got a couple I'm excited about :)

First off a good friend gifted me a copy For darkness shows the stars by Diana Peterfreund which has been on my wishlist for so long! And another friend gave me her copy of Aces up by Lauren Barnholdt which I'm looking forward to getting to.

I also picked myself up a copy of Walking disaster by Jamie McGuire this week, I've not read book one yet but it was only £2 so I figured why not?

And the other two books I got are for review, Anarchy by James Treadwell and Unbreakable by Elizabeth Norris which I'm excited about as I enjoyed book one.

I also got a couple of Kindle freebies, Crossing the line by Katie McGarry and Stitch by Samantha Durante and bought a couple of cheap ones, The great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald was 77p and Watch over me by Daniela Sacerdoti is only 30p!

What did you get this week?

Nail your books (13)

'Nail your books is a feature started by Cristina at The princess of storyland, where we share our book inspired manicures.

This weeks manicure is inspired by the cover for The disappeared by C.J. Harper.

Here's the cover

And here's my nails

I used, Rimmel 'Black pearl,' Rimmel 'Blue eyed girl,' The new black 'Blue shimmer,' and Barry M white and black nail art pens. Picture is also shown with a base coat, Barry M 'Matte white' as a base colour and a top coat.
Of course I didn't really fancy trying to draw loads of tiny little people so this is my take on the cover and I really like how it came out, I love all the colours mottled together underneath and the lines on top kind of give it a gingham feel.
What do you think?