Concealed (Beholder #2) by Christina Bauer

                Hello happy readers.  I am working my way back up to being caught up in reading and real life.  I’m still a bit behind but I’m getting much closer and wanted to dive back in.  Though for the current time I think I will adjust my posting schedule leaving off Friday posts until I’m caught back up.  If you’re wondering still in the chaos of trying to purchase said house but it’s out of my hands for the moment.  So back into the real reason we do this, books!

                Today I wanted to discuss Concealed, the second book in the Beholder series by Christina Bauer.  I reviewed the first book Cursed here. She is also the author of another series I adore Angelbound, but now her books have a new home at Monster House Books.  I’m excited for the new Angelbound book as well but right now I want to discuss my thoughts on Concealed.  I was lucky enough to get an ARC from the publisher/author.  You know the drill: sequel = spoilers from book one. 

Rating: 5 Totem Rings

                Elea, Grand Mistress Necromancer, and her Caster ally Rowan banished the Tsar in the last book but the Vicomte was able to escape and take many of her necromancer sisters with him.  Now Elea is on a quest to find her sisters and put an end to this evil man, who may be even more vicious and dangerous than the Tsar.  It’s a rescue mission that could turn deadly easily and while she may have Rowan’s help that may cause its own set of dangers as they are opposites.  Plus it’s always dangerous to have your heart on the line.

                First I read this in one sitting.  I flew through it and couldn’t put it down.  It’s so easy to fall back into the story and into the magic of it all.  Things are not looking good.  Elea is confident in her strength but not so much in her feelings, after being trained to never show emotion and to stem all her feelings, a lesson he was never good with, after becoming close to Rowan in the last book it’s hard to block him out.  Especially when he keeps popping up to offer his help.  On her own Elea is a force to be reckoned with and I adore her dedication to finding her sisters no matter the cost.  It’s not just about saving her people, her race, but also finding her friend and little Ada which only warms you up to her that much more!  She isn’t cold and heartless, she actually has a much bigger heart than most. 

                Rowan.  Okay so I was totally in love with him in the first book.  I adore him in this as well, minus the secrets for his people, while I understand but don’t like.  He is the same sexy and sweet Castor we got to know in the first book.  He wants to protect Elea and tries to convince her to go home but he also respects that she isn’t the type to sit on the side lines and instead offers her whatever help he can.  He treats her as an equal which is a huge positive!  Plus the interaction between them is electric!

                We also get to know a couple new characters, Amelia and Philippe.  I enjoyed getting to know these different characters as they brought a sense of levity to some rather darker type of mood.  This is especially true of Philippe.  He was rather charming in his own way, such a scandalous flirt in a very outrageous and fun way only some can pull off.  Amelia on the other hand brings a different level to the story with her upbringing and with her skill in mechanics.  She isn’t just about magic but machines and the way the two types can combine is rather inventive.  

               The story really keeps you going and guessing from page one until the end.  I have lots of questions and some serious need to hear more after some revelations that we uncovered.  Seriously I am so not okay with certain things they made my eyes get all watery and I need them fixed ASAP!  Plus there is a whole new kind of magic happening that is just aching to be explored further and I can’t wait to see how it plays into the next story.  I already have the next book three Cherished on pre-order!  So I highly recommend getting caught up in this story that is fast paced and filled to the brim with all the good things you want in a story from interesting and unique characters and plot to magic battles, romance, and world building including a masked ball! Yes I love masked balls!  

                Until next time…

~Waiting on Wednesday~ Cursed (Beholder #1)

                “Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.  Basically books that are not yet out that we are dying to get our hands on.  This week’s pick is:

Cursed (Beholder #1) by Christina Bauer

Out: 3/29

From Goodreads:

                Most days, Elea couldn’t care less about having Necromancer magick.  Who needs to conjure skeletons and spirits when you’re a farm girl?  Elea only uses her powers to speed up chores and scare off suitors. 

                Everything changes when the evil Necromancer Tsar curses Elea.  Now, Elea has five years left before she burns as a ghost, tortured for all eternity.  They say there’s nothing she can do, but Elea disagrees.  She decides to embrace her Necromancer powers, train as a magickal assassin, and kill the Tsar…All before his curse kills her.  Impossible as it may sound, Elea thinks she has it in the bag, but then everything goes horribly wrong.

                That’s when a handsome mage named Rowan steps up to help.  Elea wants an ally, but she doesn’t need all the mixed-up feelings that come along with Rowan’s crooked smile.

                An assassination mission is no time to fall in love, but Elea’s heart may have other ideas…

Why I’m Waiting:

                Okay this is an Ink Monster book and we all know how I LOVE their other books!  I have read all of them so far and been blown away by them so I’m all for this new series!  So aside from my automatic need for this book, the plot sounds super interesting.  Cursed to have five years before you turn into a ghost and are tortured for all of eternity!  Necromancy, which I’m developing a bit of a fascination with in books as I’ve stumbled into it more and more and I’m liking it.  Oh and magickal assassinations and ill-timed romance.  Yep I need this in my life ASAP!

                What are you waiting on?  Tell me below what you think of this title and leave a link to your WoW as well so I can check it out!

A Darkness Strange & Lovely

                Hello everyone!  So first order of business today is to announce the winner of the giveaway. That was super fun thank you all for participating and making it a success!  Congrats: Megan S.,you won the Signed Copy of The Rose Society by Marie Lu!

                Now on to the days review.  The other week I reviewed the first in a trilogy I was finally reading and finishing this year, Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard, here.  Today I have my thoughts and feels on the sequel, A Darkness Strange and Lovely.  The review will contain spoilers for the previous book as it takes up in the aftermath of where we left off with Eleanor and the Hunters so be warned. 

Rating:  4 Stars

                When we left Eleanor in book one things were hell.  Nicest way to put it, she had lost her brother, whose body was taken over by an evil necromancer, her friends rushed out of town being called murders despite all they did to help, her society standing, her families money, and her HAND!  Seriously her hand.  Plus she is haunted by the dead and spirits and heartbroken the boy she thought loved her but clearly advised he did not before leaving her.  Yeah I was totally loving Daniel until the end there, then he took a bit of a dive in my book and had some redeeming to do to win me back.  Back to Eleanor still home, most things sold to pay for her mother's stay in the hospital, she had lost her mind when Eleanor tried to explain things.  A bit much to take for sure.  Eleanor is getting used to her missing hand and her life but then one day everything changes.  She feels someone watching her, someone after her, and she knows she must run.  She must go to the only people who can help her, her Spirit Hunters in Paris. 

                Book two we get to experience a whole new world and a whole new way of life.  Where in Philadelphia the Hunters were treated badly and sneered at despite the help they provided in Paris they are treated to the best of everything and everyone loves them.  Such a vast change it was nice to see Joseph back in his element.  It was interesting to see Daniel in a more proper setting, acting a gentlemen when it was his rough and tumble attitude we loved in the first one as it called to something inside of Eleanor.  While the fame does have its pros and cons it was nice to see them being appreciated given what they went through.  The reunion is a bit rocky given some new changes in her after meeting Oliver on the trip over.  He claims to have known her brother and be on her side but his motives seem to be in question as he temps her into the darker side of her new found gift of necromancy. 

                My favorite part of this story was watching Eleanor grow.  She was on her own for the first time in a sense and she was making her own choices about her life.  She made mistakes and got herself into some trouble and disappointed some people with said choices but she made them herself.  She grew and really took charge.  I liked that aspect.  Even as we watch her start to be tempted into something that could be very dark, she takes in others opinions but she makes her own choices and many times they are thought out.  I also love when she and Daniel meet up again and her independence and new found attitude on life holds firm. 

                Along with the characters I enjoyed from book one and the new additions of Oliver and a few more we are uncovering more of the plot.  It thickens as it were.  There is a much larger mystery at hand for them to put the pieces together and try to solve while protecting the people.  There were some aspects I saw coming but others I was rather surprised by which thrilled me.  The world they are in of magic and a bit of steampunk with Daniel and his creations was just entrancing.  I was constantly left questioning the motives of others as the story progressed never sure who was friend or foe. 

                Overall, I really enjoyed the A Darkness Strange and Lovely as a sequel and I was eager to finish the series off with the ending.  Some things were brought to light/wrapped up in some way but there were still many other things are left to be accomplished.  As always I'd love to hear your thoughts and feels below in the comments! 

                Until next time…

Something Strange & Deadly

                Hello everyone!  I’m back, sorry for missing my Monday review but it wasn’t completely typed at that point and I spent my day running around dealing with doctors and insurance and such for my accident last Friday.  It could have been much worse, I’m still waiting to hear about my vehicle but it’s looking like a total loss but my chiropractor has adjusted my neck and shoulder so that is back to normal, the bruising in my wrist has gone down and I’m getting better at functioning with my broken finger.  Yes I broke my first bone ever and let me tell you it might be a minor thing to some but I have a very low pain tolerance and it hurts.  Hence typing is a tad bit more difficult now but I’m working through it just having to remember not to hit it.  Anywho I’d like to share with you the review I didn’t have finished Monday, Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard.  This is the first book in the series by the same name and it is complete.  I am currently reading the final book in the series with Perpetual YA Bookworms Goodreads Group as we decided to do the whole series this month as we prepared for Truthwitch! 

Rating:  4 Stars

                This story is about the walking dead.  Seriously the dead are rising in Philadelphia back when young ladies wore gowns and proper confining attire and required a chaperone and ones brightest hope was to catch the eye of a ma well off.  Eleanor has a lot to worry about.  Her family has fallen on hard times so her mother is determined to marry her off to a rich man to save the family but with the dead rising and her brother missing Eleanor has other priorities.  When a letter from her brother is delivered, from the dead no less, she knows she must help him.  Luckily her city has hired the Spirit Hunters to protect the city and the exhibit from the dead.  As she spends more time with the hunters she learns more about them and how the world really works in the trenches aside from tea parties and the like.  Things on all fronts become more dire and everything is put at risk.

                Something Strange and Deadly was a fast paced action book.  There was constantly something happening and things going on.  It was a roller coaster ride.  Now it may be centered around the walking dead but it focuses on other aspects as well with the dead being here and there.  There are two types of dead, the slow moving type that are controlled by a necromancer and the fast and vicious hungry ones who are not.  Yes we have necromancy.  I was very interested when I learned this because…umm hello it sounds super interesting.  I was thinking walking dead like zombies which is more what the Hungry are the ones outside of the necromancers power but the others are just animated corpses under someone’s dark control.    Still this book while there is lots of action it has a lot to do with the story unraveling and mysteries being unearthed while we get to know our characters.

                Our MC Eleanor is a bit of a modern girl in the past.  She is out of time as it were in that she doesn’t understand many of the rules society live by and she is out of place with her thoughts and actions.  She slides back and forth sometimes with her attitude with what is acceptable and what is proper and that was just who she is.  She tries to do the right thing by her family and be a proper lady but that is what she normally has issues with snapping back when she realizes her misstep.  Then we have the Spirit Hunters, and the lead is Joseph.  Oh I do love Joseph he is so sweet and proper the perfect gentlemen even in difficult times.  Then Jie, the girl who shows Eleanor there is more to life than dresses and that how others see you can be turned against them.  She is just so fun and quirky I love her oh and she’s pretty kick ass!  Then there is Daniel or rogue inventor.  He’s a bit rough around the edges but I like him he’s such a fun character and I love the way he challenges Eleanor.  Her dynamic with all of the hunters is entertaining and a clear difference from her interactions with the proper meetings with the Wilcox siblings or other members of their society.  The play between the two was nice, seeing her interact with both and how each interaction added to her forming her own views.

                The plot of the story was fast moving and while some items were predictable others were a complete twist.  I really enjoyed the story and pacing overall and was excited to move onto the next story.  I was invested in the characters and that is what matters most when fighting dead. I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below, what did you think of this book/series?  What did you think of the characters, the romance, the walking dead and the steampunk like world?  Also don’t forget only 8 days left in the giveaway for a SIGNED copy of The Rose Society all details here.  That's it for today!

                Until next time…

Cursed Book One of the Beholder Series ~ Cover Reveal

                Hello happy readers!  Today I am working with Xpresso Book Tours and Ink Monster to spread the word about a new series they are putting out by Christina Bauer and share the cover release.  The book is Cursed and it is book one in the Beholder series. Cursed is set to release on March 29th 2016 and is listed as a Fantasy, Romance, YA.  I am beyond excited for the new series, I have such high hopes because thus far I LOVE all three series they currently put out.  They all have amazing kick ass female characters that you love from the start.  First things first let's show you that beautiful cover, this is a cover reveal after all:

Goodreads / Amazon / B&N / iBooks / Kobo

                Beautiful cover aside.  To wet your whistle further here is the synopsis of Cursed:

Although Elea's the most powerful necromancer in history, she's spent most of her nineteen years imprisoned in the Midnight Cloisters.  Enchanted manacles keep her unique brand of soul magick in check.  While the guards and initiates seem contented to torment her, the Cloister's Mother Superior is obsessed with finding a safe way to destroy Elea, both body and soul.

Escape seems impossible until a handsome hunter named Asher offers to help.  Elea takes a chance and soon develops feelings for the mysterious stranger.  However, Asher may not be who he claims.  Then again Elea may not be, either…

Goodreads / Ink Monster / Twitter / Facebook

                That sounds pretty amazing don't you think?  I do.  If I haven't said it enough I'm ready for this book.  Christina Bauer has written another series from Ink Monster that you may have seen me gushing over before, Angelbound, and that is only the first in the series with another set to come out in October.  Christina also graduated from Syracuse University's Newhouse School with a BA's in English as well as Televisions, Radio, and Film Production.  Her day job is in marketing for companies like Microsoft, Cisco, and Brainshark.  She even founded her own software start-up Mindful Technologies back in the go-go 90's.  Christina believes that, upon close examination of Tolkien's text, it's entirely possible that the Balrog was wearing fuzzy bunny slippers. 

                I want to thank Ink Monster and Xpresso Book Tours for letting me take part in this exciting announcement.  I'm ready for this book.  If you are interested in any of the other books they have out, I just so happen to have reviewed each and every one of them!  I was serious when I said I LOVED them.  I'll like them with their titles. 

Angelbound Series: Angelbound, Scala, Armageddon, Maxon

Alpha Girl Series: Becoming Alpha, Avoiding Alpha, Alpha Divided, Bruja
The Shadow Ravens Series: Cipher