Blog Tour Review + Giveaway: Shadow Scale (Seraphina #1) by Rachel Hartman

Shadow Scale (Seraphina #1)

Rachel Hartman

Published: March 10, 2015

Publisher: Random House Books FYR

Age Demographic: YA Dystopia Fantasy

Pages: 608

Seraphina took the literary world by storm with 8 starred reviews and numerous “Best of” lists. At last, her eagerly awaited sequel has arrived—and with it comes an epic battle between humans and dragons.

The kingdom of Goredd: a world where humans and dragons share life with an uneasy balance, and those few who are both human and dragon must hide the truth. Seraphina is one of these, part girl, part dragon, who is reluctantly drawn into the politics of her world. When war breaks out between the dragons and humans, she must travel the lands to find those like herself—for she has an inexplicable connection to all of them, and together they will be able to fight the dragons in powerful, magical ways. 

As Seraphina gathers this motley crew, she is pursued by humans who want to stop her. But the most terrifying is another half dragon, who can creep into people’s minds and take them over. Until now, Seraphina has kept her mind safe from intruders, but that also means she’s held back her own gift. It is time to make a choice: Cling to the safety of her old life, or embrace a powerful new destiny?

To Order Shadow Scale (Seraphina #1) by Rachel Hartman please visit: Amazon & Barnes&Noble

(Note: I received a review copy of this book via the publisher, in exchange for an honest review which I have posted here on the blog and on Goodreads)

Shadow Scale, is the intriguing and captivating sequel to Serephina. Rachel Hartman explores Seraphina's world and the relationship between humans and dragons, revealing twists and turns that you won't see coming. It's beautifully written and stunningly imaginative. I really enjoyed reading this one a little bit more than the first one, because I found it a lot easier for me to sink into the world and just get lost in the characters and the conflict between the humans and the dragons. For anyone who is a fan of fantasy worlds, interesting character build up, and dragons this is the book that you'll fall in love with.

Original and brilliantly written, this is a book and a world full of imagination that will absolutely wow you from beginning until end. The characters are multi-layered and the plot is equal parts entertaining and compelling. Seriously, I don't even know how to begin to tell you how EPIC this book was in every single way, how it affected ALL THE FEELS I had! I feel like I'm at a loss for words here, because while I enjoyed the first book (Seraphina) I found it a little hard to follow along with. With Shadow Scale, I had no problems at all. In fact, from the moment I started reading this book, I didn't want to put it down until I was finished with it.

It's exciting, full of heart, and has so much emotional depth that you can't help but fall deeper in love with all of these characters. The unexpected twists and turns will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat and leave you wanting more. The broad expanse of the various cultures explored within this amazing novel alone, is enough to wet any fantasy lover's pallet. If you are looking for a story that is built on layers of mythology, emotion, and various cultures then this is the book that I would recommend to you.

Full review to come soon!

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Rachel Hartman lives and writes in Vancouver, BC.

Her first YA fantasy novel, Seraphina, was published by Random House on July 10th, 2012. 

She is set to currently release the second book, Shadow Scale, in her YA Dystopia Fantasy series, Seraphina. It will be releasing March of 2015.

Make sure you fan her on her Goodreads page!

Blog Tour Review + Giveaway: Seraphina (Seraphina #1) by Rachel Hartman

Seraphina (Seraphina #1)

Rachel Hartman

Published: July 10, 2012

Publisher: Random House Books FYR

Age Demographic: YA Dystopia Fantasy

Pages: 512

In her New York Times bestselling and Morris Award-winning debut, Rachel Hartman introduces mathematical dragons in an alternative-medieval world to fantasy and science-fiction readers of all ages. Eragon-author Christopher Paolini calls them, "Some of the most interesting dragons I've read in fantasy."

Four decades of peace have done little to ease the mistrust between humans and dragons in the kingdom of Goredd. Folding themselves into human shape, dragons attend court as ambassadors, and lend their rational, mathematical minds to universities as scholars and teachers. As the treaty's anniversary draws near, however, tensions are high.

Seraphina Dombegh has reason to fear both sides. An unusually gifted musician, she joins the court just as a member of the royal family is murdered—in suspiciously draconian fashion. Seraphina is drawn into the investigation, partnering with the captain of the Queen's Guard, the dangerously perceptive Prince Lucian Kiggs. While they begin to uncover hints of a sinister plot to destroy the peace, Seraphina struggles to protect her own secret, the secret behind her musical gift, one so terrible that its discovery could mean her very life.

To Order Seraphina (Seraphina #1) by Rachel Hartman please visit: Amazon & Barnes&Noble

(Note: I received a review copy of this book via the publisher, in exchange for an honest review which I have posted here on the blog and on Goodreads)

Seraphina was an awkward book for me to read, because I have conflicted feelings towards it and it was hard for me to follow along with. In a way, I look at it as challenging and in another way I'm a little disappointed in the fact that I felt as if I had to constantly force myself to keep reading. This was a book that I was really excited to read, because it was fantasy and also involved dragons, which are two things that I absolutely love more than anything. I don't know if it was the book itself or the fact that I'm such a mood reader and maybe I just wasn't in the right mood for this one at the time. I think it was a bit of both, if I'm being honest.

There were things that I found myself liking about this book and then there were also things, that I found a little frustrating as well. The concept of this novel and the story itself, is brilliant. However, I think the writer may have bitten off a little more than she could chew. As I was reading, I found myself constantly being jarred out of certain parts of the story due to the rhythm and the pacing of it. Just getting through the first few chapters of the book felt like a chore in itself, but I continued to stick with it because I kept hoping that it would get better. In some small ways it did, because there were things that I did find likable about it, but then there were other's that I didn't.

It was hard for me to understand certain aspects of Seraphina, because at times it felt like the story was in various different places at the same time. I had to work to keep up with it and then I had to work even hard to stay involved with it. That's something that I find a little too tedious when reading a book that I really want to enjoy. I was looking to find a lot of action and a more compelling story, than the one that I felt was written. Maybe if I hadn't gone into this book with such high expectations, I wouldn't have ended up feeling like it let me down as much as it did. The way the mythology of the dragons and their history was written, made kind of hard for me to finally understand them and their role of importance to the storyline. I could have been a little more forgiving of the "less action" if I had been better able to understand the dragons.

Seraphina, on the other hand, I really enjoyed her character quite a bit. I love that Rachel Hartman gave us such a wonderfully endearing and awesomely complex character, such as her. Part dragon and musically gifted, she was a rare gem and a breath of fresh air for me in this story. I love the tough exterior that she presented to the world, while still being a bit vulnerable beneath the facade. Her and Lucian were probably the best part of the story for me, personally. Lucian is just made of so much awesome, that it's hard to put his character into words. I found him to be wildly enigmatic, entertaining, and definitely swoon-worthy in his own way. Glisselda, is just pure amazing. There's the only thing that can be said for her, except that I love her journey and optimistic nature. For someone who came across so carefree, she turned into one of the strongest characters the book had to offer and that definitely made reading it a lot more enjoyable.

This book has some wonderful potential, that it makes me look forward to reading Shadow Scale for sure to see what's going to happen with these brilliant characters I have come to love so much. Seraphina, is an interesting novel with an intriguing concept that I feel could be built and expanded upon better. If you are a reader who enjoys fantasy novels and you like dragons too, then I would go ahead and recommend this book. It is a pretty solid read, even though it hasn't been my favorite. I urge you to give it a chance and don't just take my word for it. There are many things about it that were enjoyable, even amidst some of the conflicting elements.

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About the Author

Website Twitter Facebook

Rachel Hartman lives and writes in Vancouver, BC.

Her first YA fantasy novel, Seraphina, was published by Random House on July 10th, 2012. 

She is set to currently release the second book, Shadow Scale, in her YA Dystopia Fantasy series, Seraphina. It will be releasing March of 2015.

Make sure you fan her on her Goodreads page!

Book Review: Red Queen (Red Queen #1) by Victoria Aveyard

Red Queen (Red Queen #1)

Victoria Aveyard

Published: February 10, 2015

Publisher: HarperTeen

Age Demographic: YA Dystopia Fantasy

Pages: 320

The poverty stricken Reds are commoners, living under the rule of the Silvers, elite warriors with god-like powers.

To Mare Barrow, a 17-year-old Red girl from The Stilts, it looks like nothing will ever change.

Mare finds herself working in the Silver Palace, at the centre of those she hates the most. She quickly discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy Silver control.

But power is a dangerous game. And in this world divided by blood, who will win?

To PreOrder Red Queen (Read Queen #1) by Victoria Aveyard please visit: Amazon & Barnes&Noble

(Note: I received an eGalley of this book via the publisher through Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review which I have posted here on the blog and on Goodreads.)

Red Queen was an incredibly fantastic and entertaining read, that definitely kept me enthralled with the story, the twist of plot, and the characters all the way through. THAT ENDING! I can say that I'm absolutely pleased that I never truly saw it coming, because it made it that much more amazing. And yet, I had this constant little niggling in the back of my brain the whole entire time reading this book, that maybe just maybe...but, spoilers. Victoria Aveyard has truly managed to blow me away with the first installment of the Red Queen trilogy and I can't wait to see what's going to happen in the next book to come. No, I NEED TO KNOW NOW! 

I don't even now how to describe it properly, it's like this really awesome mish-mash of Red Rising by the immensely talented Pierce Brown and the X-Men that's set in this castle where the Silver's train to do battle and fight in the war. The girls who have grown up in this environment and vying for their hand in marriage to one of these two Prince's, are just as catty as some of the girls in The Vampire Academy and Mean Girls are. It's just a brilliant concept all together and it's wonderfully written and equal parts intriguing. Tie all of that together and throw in a lowly Red girl who is so much more than she or anyone else expected her to be and you have one hell of an amazing book on your hands. Mare Barrows has this amazing ability, that is most assuredly a mistake, but in her case it could turn out to be the thing that promises hope for her people. It could possibly be the thing that saves her life and so many more from perishing or being held down, slaves to the Silver's for the rest of their natural born years.

Mare's world is filled with insufferable amounts of pain, terror, and hopelessness. Victoria Aveyard does a marvelous job at showcasing that, allowing you to feel what it's like to be so held down and kept under the thumb of the Silver's through Mare's eyes. It will make you thankful for the simple freedoms that you have, once you see everything they've had to endure from being conscripted into the war at an early age, from the loss of family and friends to the almost unbearable situations most Reds find themselves in. Mare isn't the type of girl who just falls in line and does what she's told like the good little girl. She is just as fiery and rebellious as she can be. She isn't afraid to stand up for her beliefs and she sacrifices so much of who she is for the people that she loves. Mare isn't without her faults though, she makes a lot of mistakes by trusting the wrong people, thinking that she can use them, without realizing that she's been used herself. Her self-pity wasn't something that I adored about her, but it was something that made her human and I can accept that much. 

For me, one of the best things about this book was the lack of a true love triangle, where she loses both her head and her heart to either one of the Prince's. That's not to say that Mare didn't somewhat show her heart or have these gut twisting feelings for one of them, because she did. She was just smart enough not to let it engulf her, she kept her wits about her and made sure that she did what she was there to do. For the most part, the romance and the actual plot of the story worked very well together and I was happy to see that what love story we were given didn't over step it's boundaries. It was simply enough to satisfy and that's all it needs to be for right now.

All of the characters in Red Queen, were fascinating as well as entertaining in my opinion. They all contributed wonderful things to the story in their own ways. Some of them a little more memorable than other's, but each one uniquely interesting and crackling to life with their own flaws and abilities to either win you over or not. I love Cal, he's such an amazing character in such an impossible situation. He knows that change needs to come about, yet he's bound by his duties as the Prince and heir to his father's crown one day, that he has to carry out orders as his father would. Yet, he's the one who saw to it that Mare wasn't conscripted, that she was given a job in the Castle. He liked her, was drawn to her because she saw something different in him, didn't recognize him as the King's son. The sparks and the tension that ignited between both Cal and Mare was enough to put me on their team for a while. 

Maven, on the other, he is a Prince of a different kind. He is a character that I found myself liking, despite the fact that everything inside of me was screaming that I shouldn't trust me as I was reading. I suppose I really shouldn't have been all that surprised with the ending of it, but I think there's still a part of me that wants to believe that he's not quite as evil as he's turned out to be. I want to believe that deep down inside of him, is the Prince that Mare believed there was good in. And yet, with that ending, I just don't even know. 

Kilorn. He's so much akin to Jacob in the Twilight series, that I don't even know how to feel about him. I feel incredibly conflicted, because I felt all of these feelings for him all through out the book and yet, there at the end there was even more. It's almost maddening to me in a way, because as anyone can tell you I'm pretty much not the biggest Jacob fan in the world. I loved him as Bella's best friend, but anything beyond was big fat NO for me. With Kilorn, there's just so much passion, incredible strength, and an immense streak of stubbornness that it's almost insane. He gives me ALL THESE FEELINGS, more so than Cal and I can't decide what or who I want for Mare at the moment.

What I think I want, overall, is for Mare to choose herself and her people. I want her to choose the path that she finds herself taking and I want to see the hope come alive for her people. I want to see her remain strong in her beliefs and do anything for that change she wants to see in her world, even if it means going to her grave for the cause. 

The wonderful element of betrayal and the misplaced trust in people that shouldn't have been necessarily trusted, was a big thing showcased throughout Red Queen and it brought about interesting surprises and revealed more lies and manipulation than I could have ever imagined. I was very pleasantly surprised as I sat reading the pages of this incredibly captivating book. There may have been a little bit of foreshadowing, but it wasn't enough that it bothered when I finally figured out one particular thing that's revealed at the end of the novel. For this to have been Victoria Aveyard's debut YA novel, I have to say that I'm definitely impressed with her writing style, the imaginings of her world, and such a vast array of entertaining and interesting characters. The action and suspense of this novel, left me clinging to the edge of my seat wanting so much more.

I'm operating on feels here guys and this book has ALL OF THEM!

Victoria Aveyard

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Victoria Aveyard is a screenwriter/YA author who likes books and lists. This site is the nexus of her universe.

Her YA debut novel RED QUEEN will be published Winter 2015 from HarperTeen at HarperCollins. She's repped by the incomparable Suzie Townsend at New Leaf Literary & Media, Inc. 

The genres she's into include YA, Fantasy, Historical, Adventure, Apocalyptic - if people are dying, she's buying.

Blog Tour & Review for Circus Summer by Kailin Gow

Circus Summer
by Kailin Gow
Publisher: theEDGEbooks.com
Expected Publication: July 2, 2012
Pages: 272
Age Demographic: YA Dystopian Fantasy
amazon | b&n

In post-apocalypse America, every season, the Circus of Curiosities visits the city, bringing with it the most fantastic circus acts that are beautiful, majestic, curious, and death-defying. Every season performers for these acts are chosen from the young men and women in each town, trained, and sent to perform in a live grand performance, performed literally to the death. Two performers from Sea Cliff, a beach town at the outskirts of The Center find themselves chosen to be in this Summer's Circus Act. Both must win at any cost, but could they ignore their feelings for each other?

Leela Sinclair needs to win in order to get to The Center where she can get medical help from the best physicians for her ailing mother, plague with a condition no one have heard of. For Zachary Nile, his reasons for becoming a performer at the Circus is more mysterious.  Only the ringmaster and the Circus of Curiosities owner Dex Hightower (Dr. Dex) knows what the touring Circus is really about amidst the magic and splendor.  Despite the Great War and the poverty surrounding the land except for the towns fortunate enough to be near the Center, Dr. Dex and the Circus performers all know, "The show must go on."

* Summary taken from Goodreads.

❝My Thoughts❞

Kailin Gow's Circus Summer is a chilling world steeped in haunting darkness and curiosities unbidden. She writes with such fervor and passion, that the world reaches out and ensnares reader's in its tangled web of confusion and wonder. The imagery is stunning from the onset and pops to life so vividly, that the rich darkness is tempered wonderfully against the light of the Circus. This book is such a grand majestic fantastic world of death defying acts sure to mystify readers keeping them fully engaged and captivated. The romance and intrigue is breath takingly beautiful and exsquisite, set against the backdrop of the traveling Big Top Circus.

There's a gorgeous air of mystery and suspense that haunts the pages, beckoning reader's to continue the story. The danger-filled action and the brave souls that set out to excite and entertain the crowds (some for their own personal reason's) are enough to make this book such a delectable read. Leela and Zachary are wonderfully rich developed characters that reader's will absolutely fall in love with. They are incredibly likable, have secrets of their own, and are written in such a way that it's easy to connect with them. Their romance blossoms to life and pops and crackles with sizzling chemistry, as they try and push it aside both knowing what the cost would be if they give into the temptation.

If reader's are looking for a dark enchanting rich world full of wild twists and turns, dangerous violence, and beautiful shining romance temepered against scary outcomes then this amazing dark gothic dystopian fantasy is a must read.

Excitement & Buzz for Circus Summer

Guys! This fabulous dark beguiling world of fantasy and curiosity is definitely a MUST READ for anyone who enjoys dystopian fantasy and captivating death-defying acts!!!

Seriously, I'm totally encouraging you all to pick up/order a copy. And if you have a snazzy E-Reader then you can order a digital copy on Amazon and have a chance to be a winner in an awesome giveaway (Kindle Edition only, sorry) for $100 Amazon Gift Card that can be found actually inside the pages of an e-copy of Circus Summer.

Also, you totally have a chance to HELP ME OUT, whenever you purchase a copy of Circus Summer by Kailin Gow. All you have to is email your receipt to info@theEDGEbooks.com with a comment in the body that says who you are and which blog you heard about this awesomely fabulous book from. The host with the most buzz created for this book will be eligible to win a $75 Amazon Gift Card, as well. ;P

Sounds awesome for both you and me, huh?! So, let's get crackin' and create TONS OF BUZZ for this amazing book!!!

Want to purchase a copy of Circus Summer?

You can do so by visiting my Amazon Store and adding them to your shopping cart. While you're there, feel free to look around a bit. You might find something else you'd like to read. I hope you enjoyed my review for Circus Summer. I recommend picking up a copy for yourself or even for someone else, if you think they'll like it.

ABOUT KAILIN GOW Blog || Twitter || Facebook || Goodreads Kailin Gow has won multiple awards from the International Book Awards and the Green Book Festival. Selling over half a million books, Kailin Gow has been a bestselling author of over 100 distinct books which includes the Desire Series, PULSE, Wicked Woods, and the Frost Series. She has been professionally published since 2001. She was one of the first authors for young readers to write books for girls with supernatural elements. Her first book series about extraordinary girls guided by an angel in 2001, was a success, selling thousands of print copies in days, and inspiring girl book clubs around the U.S. In 2003, she came out with more series, including The Fairy Rose Chronicles, about fairies in Feyland. Her Bitter Frost Series, PULSE Series, and other book series are being developed into MMO Games by SEE GLOBAL ENTERTAINMENT, one of the foremost entertainment developers in the world, known for developing world-reknown blockbuster films into games. The Frost Series and PULSE MMO Games are set to release late 2013 or early 2014. Author information taken from her .

{ This ARC was provided by Kailin Gow, in exchange for an honest review which I have provided here. No money exchanged hands, as I review books for fun simply because I love to read them and share my thoughts on them with other's. I am not interested in monetary gain. Any piece of this ARC that was or wasn't quoted, is not part of the finished product and should not be perceived as such. Instead, you should compare and check it against a finished copy once it is released.}