Review of Daughters of Earth and Sky by Kaitlin Bevis and International Giveaway

Goodreads Book Description: Some vows can never be broken.

Persephone thought she could go back to her normal life after returning from the Underworld. She was wrong. The goddess Aphrodite is born among the waves with more charm than she can control. Zeus is stalking Persephone and her loved ones, and Thanatos is no longer content with Persephone’s silence.

He wants her soul.

Persephone can’t tell anyone about Thanatos’ betrayal, and it drives a wedge between her and Hades. Her mother is still keeping secrets, and Melissa’s jealousy of Aphrodite threatens to tear their friendship apart.
 
Alone, Persephone turns to a human boy for comfort. But will their relationship put him in danger?
Sacrifices must be made, and Persephone must choose between her human life and her responsibilities as a goddess. If she doesn’t, she could lose them both.
But will either life be worth choosing once Zeus is through with her?
  
My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

My Review:  I was given this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

I was thrilled to be given the second installment in the Persephone trilogy, as I absolutely loved the first book for the terrific, quirky characters, plays on mythology, and wonderful plots twists. I wasn't let down by the sequel. We start back off where we left off in Persephone, with a really big reveal (which I won't talk about to not spoil people). We get more of smoky, sexy, Hades (can always get more of him!) and a slinky, evil mastermind (again, which I will not name). But Persephone is bound by a promise, and she cannot reveal this evil to her husband. Not to mention, she's still a teenaged girl and has to navigate mortal things such as high school and jealous friends, and whoa, Aphrodite! Persephone's also personally under attack for unknown reasons, and we figure out a lot more of why in this installment.

All the strengths of the first novel remain. I don't have fictional crushes often, but I have to say, Hades is one sexy man. I do like that Bevis talks about the issues of him being WAY older and having more relationships (you may have more than one squick moment as I did reading about some of this) than Persephone ever has. I love that Persephone would actually communicate with her husband if she COULD, which is always my big beef when two young people could have staved off very tragic consequences if they just sat in the same room for half an hour and talked to each other.

As usual, I have one issue with this book. And that is, I still don't get the combination of people knowing about the Greek myths, but not really knowing about the Greek myths. I mean, Persephone seems to understand the allusions to Orpheus, Demeter, Hades, and her own name, so why was the creation of Aphrodite such a surprise?

Overall, a terrific addition to the series, and I can't wait to see the final chapter of this great trilogy!

Now enter to win the first book in the trilogy, Persephone!
 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Paranormal YA Giveaway Hop, Featuring Kat Zhang, author of What's Left of Me and International Giveaway

Young Adult Paranormal Giveaway Hop

February 21st - 27th

Co - hosted by YA Between the Lines

Featuring Young Adult Books with Paranormal elements.

Goodreads Book Description: Eva and Addie started out the same way as everyone else—two souls woven together in one body, taking turns controlling their movements as they learned how to walk, how to sing, how to dance. But as they grew, so did the worried whispers. Why aren’t they settling? Why isn’t one of them fading? The doctors ran tests, the neighbors shied away, and their parents begged for more time. Finally Addie was pronounced healthy and Eva was declared gone. Except, she wasn’t . . .

For the past three years, Eva has clung to the remnants of her life. Only Addie knows she’s still there, trapped inside their body. Then one day, they discover there may be a way for Eva to move again. The risks are unimaginable-hybrids are considered a threat to society, so if they are caught, Addie and Eva will be locked away with the others. And yet . . . for a chance to smile, to twirl, to speak, Eva will do anything.

Author Blurb: Kat Zhang is an avid traveler, and after a childhood spent living in one book after another, she now builds stories for other people to visit. An English major at Vanderbilt University, she spends her free time performing Spoken Word poetry, raiding local bookstores, and plotting where to travel next. What’s Left of Me–about a girl with two souls–is her first novel and was released by HarperCollins on 9/18/2012. She is represented by Emmanuelle Morgen of Stonesong. You can read about her travels, literary and otherwise, on her website or check her out on Twitter. 

Author Interview

1. It's so unusual to see someone so young to be such a successful author already! Please tell us a little about your journey and what it's like to still be in college and have to deal with the fallout of your success.

Sure thing :) I started writing when I was really young--mostly poetry at first, then quickly segueing into short stories. I began my first novel when I was twelve, and I  started writing WHAT'S LEFT OF ME the winter of my senior year of high school. The first draft took me a little more than a year. Then I revised for a few months and, after querying about 2 months, signed with my agent, Emmanuelle Morgen. I revised with her for a few more months, and then we went on submission to publishers and announced the deal with HarperCollins about a month after that.

I'm currently a senior at university, and writing the trilogy definitely takes up a significant chunk of my time, but I love it so much, and I feel incredibly lucky to have had the opportunity to share my stories with readers :) 

2. I absolutely loved your characters. You had the added difficulty of having multiple people in one body. What was the experience like having to be in two minds at one time? What were the easy parts and the hard parts?

Thanks! To be honest, for the most part, it wasn't actually that hard to write Eva and Addie in the same body. Dunno what that says about me ;) Characters are almost always my favorite part of a story, and often what makes or breaks a book/movie/television show for me. I love getting to know them, exploring their thoughts, memories, tics, etc. The hardest part, I'd say, was mostly the little details like figuring out pronoun use. For example, "John, Dave, and I ran home." sounds good. So does "We ran home." But if the "I" is really a hybrid--really two people in one body--and I still want to note that John and Dave were also running, then "John, Dave, and we ran home" sounds rather terrible. There was a lot of rephrasing/shuffling done on a case-by-case basis. 

Also, I had to pay attention to some of my metaphor use. Usually, saying something like "I felt so nervous I was sick to my stomach" is perfectly fine. But if it's the "recessive" soul of a hybrid pair who is feeling nervous, her body won't actually react at all, and she would not use this sort of phrasing.

3. Tell us a little about your setting and how you came up with this world. Are we going to learn more about how this dystopian setting came to be like it is?

WHAT'S LEFT OF ME is set in an alternative version of the 21st century--basically our own world with a few important changes. The most important, of course, is the fact that people in this world are born with two souls in one body, with one soul generally disappearing at around age 4 or 5. The other differences are hinted at in the first book, but explored more deeply in books 2 and 3. I can't really say much more without spoiling the series ;)

4. If you could meet any author, who would you meet and why?

Hmmm... I think I'd like to meet Philip Pullman. When I was little, THE GOLDEN COMPASS was my very favorite book, and in fact one of the books that really started me writing novels. He seems like an interesting guy--and I want to ask him when THE BOOK OF DUST is going to be released, and whether I could bribe a sneak peek, haha!

5. What is your favorite YA book of all time, and what was your favorite read in the past year?

Oh, man, I can't pick a favorite book! I'm terrible at these sort of questions. I'm horribly indecisive. Well, I already said that TGC was my favorite when I was a kid. I also love ENDER'S GAME and SABRIEL. Don't make me pick ;)

My favorite read in the last year? SHADOW AND BONE by Leigh Bardugo. I read the ARC and it gave me so many feelings!! Can't wait for book 2.

6. Who is your YA boyfriend?

Hahaha! Hmm, I dunno... I can come to really like and care about characters in a book, but I don't tend to crush on them, haha :P I know, I know. I'm lame.

TV characters are a different story. Does that make me shallow?? ;)

7. Tell us about what you have in store for your characters in the sequel of What's Left of Me and whatever else you have on the horizon.

I can't really talk too much about ONCE WE WERE (the sequel to WHAT'S LEFT OF ME) yet other than to say that things happen on a bigger scale. As for other writing projects, I'm tinkering away on a YA contemporary, high fantasy, and fantasy-of-some-other-sort/weird-ungenre-able-thing. Not necessarily in that order :)

Thanks for having me! 

Thanks to Kat for giving this terrific interview! Now sign up to win her book!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This is a giveaway hop! Win some other great prizes. 

Transcender: First-timer by Vicky Savage is FREE 2/20-2/22! Get your copy NOW, REVIEW, and ENTER the giveaways!

If you have followed me AT ALL this month, or for that matter, this YEAR, you know that I absolutely adore this trilogy by Vicky Savage. And now you can get the first book FOR FREE starting TOMORROW from 2/20-2/22. For my loyal readers, you are the only ones to get this info the night before so you can be the first one to get your free book tomorrow!

To top it ALL OFF, if you write a review for this book, you get +10 entries into our mega giveaway with TONS of prizes!!! So win-win! Get your copy now!

Just a note as well-- I added another +10 entry on the rafflecopter-- if you promote the MEGA GIVEAWAY on your blog, Goodreads, or Facebook, you get 10 more chances to win a great prize! Make sure to enter again!

Goodreads Book Description: Ripped away from her quiet Connecticut life with the force of a lightning bolt and glitched into a weird alternate universe, Jaden Beckett lands smack in the middle of a kidnapping--her own!

The powerful Inter-Universal Guidance Agency (IUGA) engineers her escape and is working overtime to return her home.

But now Jaden's not sure where she belongs. In this world, she has her mother back (a miracle she never imagined). She's known as Princess Jaden, a member of the royal family of one of the three surviving nations,and against her better judgment, she's fallen insanely in love with Ryder Blackthorn, the most wanted outlaw in the land.

Can the IUGA force her to go? Or is Jaden what others in the land believe she is--a Transcender with the ability to travel among alternate worlds at will?

She's not sure what to believe or who she can trust--except herself.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Click here to get your free copy, starting 2/20/13!
Transcender First Timer free e-book

Then write a review, come back and enter BOTH great giveaways!
1. Mega International Giveaway of Transcender Trilogy by Vicky Savage, including $50 Amazon GC and other great prizes! Ends 3/31
Transcender Giveaway

2.  Random Acts of Kindness Giveaway Hop, Featuring the Transcender trilogy by Vicky Savage-- enter to win a $30 Amazon GC or a prize pack with the first two books in this trilogy, 2/17-2/24, INT
Random Acts of Kindness Giveaway  

Review of Persephone by Kaitlin Bevis and International Giveaway

I'm very excited to introduce this book and a new, promising author-- Kaitlin Bevis! In the next few days, I'll be posting a review of Persephone's sequel AND an author interview, so stay posted!

Goodreads Book Description: There are worse things than death, worse people too.

The “talk” was bad enough, but how many teens get told that they’re a goddess? When her mom tells her, Persephone is sure her mother has lost her mind. It isn’t until Boreas, the god of winter, tries to abduct her that she realizes her mother was telling the truth. Hades rescues her, and in order to safely bring Persephone to the Underworld he marks her as his bride. But Boreas will stop at nothing to get Persephone. Despite her growing feelings for Hades, Persephone wants to return to the living realm. Persephone must find a way to defeat Boreas and reclaim her life.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

My Review: I was given this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Persephone by Kaitlin Bevis is one of the most refreshing indie books that I've read in a while. It stars Persephone, unsurprisingly, who believes that she is just any other 16 year old girl until she finds out that she is actually a goddess! If you have read Greek myths at all, you will recognize characters from Hades to Charon. My favorites include Thanathos, Cassandra, and Helen. Persephone gets attacked by a fellow with wintery powers, and gets rescued by Hades. She wakes up in the Underworld. What happens next is terrific with some great twists that I definitely didn't see coming.

I absolutely loved this gem of a book. What totally sealed the deal was Persephone herself. She is a terrific protagonist-- sweet but at the same time smart and witty. Bevis definitely has a turn of phrase. I laughed out loud at certain parts (especially at a particular exchange at dinner between Charon and Hades). Then near the end, when I was worried things would end up disappointing, Bevis makes some really great plot decisions, and cinched the elusive five stars from me.

Minor spoiler: The only part I was slightly dubious about was a scene where Persephone is imagining a new wardrobe (she thinks it, and it appears as she sees in her mind). While I love that idea, I just see so many pitfalls with it-- wouldn't you imagine yourself naked in some inopportune moment just because you were trying NOT to think it?

Overall, a witty, cleverly written ode to Greek myths with a terrific protagonist. I can't wait to see what Persephone has in store!

Now enter a giveaway to win an e-copy of this book OR a $10 Amazon GC!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Reader's Choice Winner: Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

This past month, you guys picked Beautiful Creatures as my next read. I agree I needed to read this book eventually with all the hype going on with the movie coming out. And I can also see why you guys liked it... but I'm going to have to say I wasn't a big fan, and I won't feel a need to pick up future installments or see the movie. But that's okay. I now know that, and didn't before, and now I can talk about it relatively intelligently :-)

Goodreads Book Description: Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power, and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

My Rating: 2 out of 5 stars 

My Review:
Because of the movie coming out and also its number one pick from last month’s Reader’s Choice poll, I knew I had to read this book next. I can see why people liked it, but I just didn’t have the same reaction to it.

Beautiful Creatures was co-written by Kami Garcia and Maragret Stohl. This book takes place in the deep South and is mostly from the perspective of a teenaged boy, Ethan, who falls in love with a strange new girl, Lena, who is the niece of strange Mason Ravenwood, the town recluse, whom no one has ever seen. Ethan falls hard and fast for this girl that he realizes represents everything other than Gatlin, the small Southern town that he lives in. Soon, he finds out there is a lot more to Lena and her family and that danger lurks everywhere.

I agree with other reviewers, that the mood and setting is very nicely done. You really get the feel of a sleepy, southern town where things seem to be moving backwards instead of towards the future. I felt the small mindedness of the townsfolk but at the same time saw how tightly they stuck together. That was probably the strongest aspect of this book.

But every book also needs movement, plot, and great twists with compelling characters. I felt that Lena and Ethan were like any other stereotypical teenage romance, and it felt like a Twilight with witches instead of vampires. I also felt myself waiting, waiting, and WAITING for something to happen. I was still waiting at 80% and even at the end, which I felt was predictable, I still felt like the book hadn’t really gone anywhere.

Overall, nicely written Southern setting, but lacks good plot twists, and characters that have depth.

What did you think about this book? (Don't lynch me!)