Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Waiting On Wednesday #14!

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted at Breaking The Spine  that spotlights those can't-wait-to-get-my-hands-on-them books that we are eagerly awaiting!

The book I'm anticipating this week is Revelations by J.A. Souders!




Goodreads summary:

"The follow-up to J. A. Souders’s riveting SF psychological thriller for teens, Renegade

Six weeks ago, Evelyn Winters was locked away in Elysium, a city hidden miles beneath the sea, brainwashed into submission. With the help of Gavin, she fought free of her captors and the fog in her own mind. He took her back with him to the Surface, a world she's never known. Now she will begin a new life.

But her past is closer than she thinks..."



Why am I eagerly awaiting Revelations? I read the first book in this series, Renegade, and really liked the twist on the dystopian and sci-fi genre that it had, being much more than what it seemed at first. And after how it ended, I just can't wait to see how Evelyn deals with the new world she finds herself in!

What are you all (im)patiently awaiting this week?


Friday, October 25, 2013

Friday Reads: ARC Review of Parasite by Mira Grant!

This week's next ARC review for Friday Reads is one book that held me captive as soon as I started it and I highly recommend to everyone who isn't of the squeamish variety!


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I got an ARC from Parasite via NetGalley quite a while back, but hadn't got to it till now and wow, what a book I had been missing on!

Parasite is not an easy book to define, since from the start you are not exactly sure what you are reading: is it a science thriller? is it a zombie book? or maybe is a dystopian? I have to say it does have a bit of everything since it is set up in the future, there is quite a lot of science in it but never in a overwhelming way, and despite there not being any zombies in it, at least not proper zombies, it does have the disquieting and creepy factor of a zombie book.

The way the story is told is mostly from Sal's POV and with some extracts from scientific reports, interviews, books and news at the start of every chapter, which serve as a reminder all along that despite the book starting from the very personal, following Sal's story, it will have a wider scope in the end, and all that information we've been getting will add up in ways we might have not realized at first. I will be trying my best to make sure I keep this review as spoiler free as possible, but some minor spoilers could slip off, so sorry in advance for that!

Sal used to go by Sally till 6 years ago when she had an car accident that left her in a coma so deep she was considered brain-dead and was about to get disconnected when she unexpectedly woke up with her mind a complete blank state, not knowing who she was, no memory of her family or her past, not even of basic motor abilities or even speak or read English. Her "miracle" recovery was thought to be caused by her SymboGen parasite implant and since then she's been under the care of SymboGen and submitted to many tests to figure out how that happened.

Sally's family treat Sal like a child, even if her sister and father seem to be happy to get a second chance to connect with her. Nathan and the people she works with at the rescue do treat her as her own person, and the people at SymboGen treat her mostly as a lab rat or as an experiment.

The story moves from being very personal following Sal's life and struggles to the more broad of the rest of the population when strange happenings are happening in front of her and Nathan. They discover it's something that's being happening all over and when it happens again at SymboGen when Sal is there for her tests. That's when it's clear that the owner of the company and the company itself do have many secrets that could be endangering the general population well being.

There are plenty of creepy moments involving the "Sleepers" and all the science involved it's so plausible that it's disturbing to think how something like this could be in our future! Also, with such a big focus on the parasitic implants and science talk, this is so not a book for the squeamish!

The ending is not exactly a cliffhanger per se, cause if you've been quite focused on all the clues spread out in the book you're quite likely to have guessed the final reveal, but still, you have to wonder what is going to happen in the next book!

A very unique premise, great pacing with plenty of action, creepy moments and a few twists here and there, this book is very much worthy of 4.5 stars!


Friday Reads: ARC Review of Unbreathable by Hafsah Laziaf!

We're gonna be starting  this week's Friday Reads with the review of an ARC of a new science fiction YA book, that hopefully will be the start of a series!


UnbreathableUnbreathable by Hafsah Laziaf

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I was lucky enough to win a copy of Unbreathable in a Twitter contest done by the author but that  didn't influence my opinion on this book.

As soon as I read the blurb for Unbreathable I knew I wanted to read it! I've always been a huge science fiction fan and there's not enough Sci-fi in YA for my taste (though that seems to be changing!) and when I saw that cover... goodness, instant cover lust!

Since I want to make sure I don't spoil your enjoyment of the book, I'll try to keep myself away from spoilers as much as humanly possible.

Unbreathable is the story of Lissa, a human girl living in Jutaire, a planet where the humans fled to when Earth was destroyed. Jutaire is not exactly perfect for humans since the atmosphere is different and oxygen has to be manufactured and they owe the Jute, the native inhabitants of the planet for the technology they have to survive. The rules are that Jute and humans have to be apart, and both races have a xenophobic distaste of each other.

Lissa's father discovers that Earth wasn't destroyed and he is killed for that. After than double shock Lissa discovers she can breathe the toxic air of Jutaire, and that's only the beginning of Lissa's ground-shaking revelations and surprises. After a lifetime of it being just she and her dad and her books about Earth, now she's thrown into the frey of a conflict bigger than she could have imagine and she will discover that almost everything she thought she knew is a lie!

Lissa is a quite girl that has been a recluse for most of her life, with a father that was big on lectures and lessons and not so much on emotional support and get he dies, she finds herself attempting something risky trying to spread the truth he discovered, but she's captured and then she's pushed from the back to the limelight and gets her world shaken in all possible ways! There's a lot of growing up for her to do, she needs to learn to fight, she needs to learn to navigate politics and she has to deal with probably the biggest maze of all for her, the emotional mess that is dumped on her and how she has to discover for herself how love really feels.

The plot has a few twists here and there, not entirely unexpected but it managed to surprise me with the characters more than the plot. There are a lot of questions unexplained about Earth, the Jute, Jutaire itself, but I'm hoping all be covered in a sequel (and a prequel).

Fair warning, there is a love triangle in this book, and despite my dislike of them, I wasn't irritated by it. Lissa is an emotional mess that isn't even sure how to negotiate all the revelations that have been thrown at her and now she has to deal with the interest of Rowan and Julian, who look similar enough to be twins and are a bit like the Yin and Yang of the spectrum. At certain points I would have liked to tell Lissa to get a grip and not to get herself into even deeper crap, but most of the time she manages to deal with the very tough cards she's been dealt in a good way.

This was a great first book from the author and a good addition to the YA sci-fi genre, well deserved 4 stars. Really looking forward to read more about the story!



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Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Waiting On Wednesday #13!!

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted at Breaking The Spine  that spotlights those can't-wait-to-get-my-hands-on-them books that we are eagerly awaiting!

The book I'm absolutely going crazy waiting for this week is Sentinel by Jennifer L Armentrout, the fifth and final book on the Covenant series!



Goodreads summary:

"It's a beautiful day for a war.

As the mortal world slowly slips into chaos of the godly kind, Alexandria Andros must overcome a stunning defeat that has left her shaken and in doubt of their ability to end this war once and for all.

And with all the obstacles between Alex and her happily-ever-after with the swoonworthy Aiden St. Delphi, they must now trust a deadly foe as they travel deep into the Underworld to release one of the most dangerous gods of all time.

In the stunning, action-packed climax to the bestselling Covenant series, Alex must face a terrible choice: the destruction of everything and everyone she holds dear… or the end of herself."



Why am I eagerly awaiting Sentinel? Are you kidding me? Aiden St Delphi? Alex vs Ares? That evil evil cliffhanger at the end of Apollyon? How can I not be bitting my nails in anticipation of the final book for this series? I can't wait to see how Alex and Aiden get through everything that will be thrown at them in this book!

What are you all (im)patiently awaiting this week?

Monday, October 21, 2013

Mark This Book Monday: Perfect Ruin by Lauren DeStefano!!

For the next entry of this week's Mark This Book Monday, one of my highly awaited reads of the year and fortunately one that didn't disappoint!


Perfect Ruin (Internment Chronicles, #1)Perfect Ruin by Lauren DeStefano

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Perfect Ruin has been one of my highly awaited books of the year. I really liked Lauren DeStefano's Chemical Garden trilogy and the blurb and snippets of the book I saw online were really intriguing. As usual, I'll keep my review as spoiler-free as possible!

Perfect Ruin is the story of Morgan, a girl living in the floating city of Internment. It is a slow building story where we're summerged into Morgan's life and her head. We discover Internment from her eyes, with the way she loves it and the way she wants more than just her floating city. With how she deals with her everyday life, her damaged family and her "jumper" brother. We learn the edge of Internment is dangerous and anyone that tries to look over it or even try to jump is returned to the surface damaged or dead.

Everything is controlled in Internment, from the time you are born to who you'll spend your life with, since you are paired with your intended since even before birth. You can only have a child if and when you're approved for it, you will live till the alloted time and then be disposed of to make space for new members of the society. The lack of space in a floating island surely will mean a tight control of the populace, but all the restrictions can get stiffling to some of the less conformist and indoctrinated of the population.

In that controlled and apparently idillic society happens something unheard of, a murder. And that murder shakes the usual if fragile peace of Internment, give even more fuel to the small lingering doubts that Morgan's life experience had created so far.

Morgan is an odd mix herself. She's always trying to stay low given her brother "jumper" status and how that puts her family in the spotlight for suspicion and mistrust from regular citizens and the guys in charge alike. She knows she is an odd one, wondering about the ground and questioning things but at the same time she keeps on trying to conform. She's unsure most of the time, feeling inadecuate and fears revealing who she really is to Basil, her intended and even from Pen, her best friend, since she thinks they wouldn't understand her discontent and would reject and denounce her.

Perfect Ruin is a slow read, you keep on learning little tidbits here and there, the story keeps a slow but forward progression as we get more information about what's going on and also some information about the past. Characters are well built up, even those secondary ones that keep on surprising us with their depth. Romance is present with Basil and Morgan, but it's more sweet and understated, more supporting than driving.

The first three quarters of the book are mostly world building and reading it in the gorgeous prose and style of Lauren DeStefano is a treat in itself. Then in the last quarter of the book all the action comes up and you are left as if a tornado had spinned you around! It's not that the ending is a horrible cliffhanger or entirely unexpected, but you're left wondering where the heck does the author plan to take things from here?

A very well deserved 4 stars for this one.



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Mark This Book Monday: Katya's World by Jonathan L. Howard!

Welcome to the first installment of this week's Mark This Book Monday! Since I'm leaving in a pair of hours to spend time with the bf on vacation, the blog will continue with scheduled reviews, but I won't have as much online time (I'm leaving my lappy behind) to answer comments and the like.
 


Katya's WorldKatya's World by Jonathan L. Howard

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I got Katya's World quite a while back cause I was very intrigued with the premise for it, but then it got lost in my ever growing TBR pile but then I requested Katya's War in NetGalley and remembered I hadn't read this one yet! As always, I'll try to keep this review as spoiler free as possible!

Katya's World is set up in the future, in a colony world called Russalka, quite different from Earth since it's a world with barely any land mass, all oceans but rich in minerals. It was colonized by humans of Russian origin, so that's the origin of the name of the planet and many other names of cities and ships and the like.

We're given an introduction to the planet, the world and the wars with Earth in a sort of prologue, I guess some might think about it as info-dumping, but since I love to know things about the how's and why's and what happened's, it was a very welcomed way to put you in place.

Then we jump into Katya's story, we aren't given a lot of background story on her family or her past, we just meet her as a 15 year old girl, a bit of a prodigy, on her first official voyage as her uncle's submarine navigator. But it all starts going stray since the first moment when a federal official commands their ship to transport a dangerous prisoner. After that it all becomes a matter of unknown dangers, wreckages, unexpected recues, pirates, conspiracies and shock after shock.

Katya is a rather mature character for a 15 year old but in a hard enviroment and society like post-war's Russalka that's the norm, and despite some teenage angst & silliness sprouting here and there, she was extremely likeable for me. She wants to be good at her job, she wants to be part of what's going on and help if she can. She starts with a rather black or white vision of the past and prejudiced against Earth because of the war and what she's been taught, but she learns about the need to learn from history to not repeat the mistakes and to not to take the official propaganda as the truth. Even if the action takes place over not too long a period of time, she does have to learn a few tough lessons that make her grow even faster.

There's no romance in this book, I kept expecting it to pop up at some point but it didn't and I'm glad to say the book didn't suffer at all because of it. There's plenty of political maneouvers and action all over the book to compensate. I think there are some hints here and there for it to maybe be addressed in the next book, but I might be wrong, so I'll have to wait and see.

The book ends quite wrapped up, with no cliffhanger as such (thankfully) but also with enough action unresolved to await the next book and see where things are taken there!

A well deserved 4 stars for Katya's World.



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Sunday, October 20, 2013

Showcase Sunday #15!!



Showcase Sunday is a weekly feature hosted by Vicky of Books, Biscuits, and Tea where all book lovers can share with others what bookish goodness we got this week, be it purchased (physical or eBook), won, gifted or for review!

Since I'm leaving for vacation to India tomorrow, this is gonna be my last Showcase Sunday for a pair of weeks, I'll still have reviews up on Mondays and Fridays and the Waiting On Wednesday posts, but I'm just gonna take a teeny bit of a break from the blogosphere  since I'm gonna be leaving my laptop behind and I'll have to borrow the bf's!


Purchased (via Kindle app)



A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle


Outside by Shalini Boland


The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa


Across A Star-Swept Sea by Diana Peterfreund


What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang



Finding Cinderella by Colleen Hoover


Purchased (via The Book Depository)



Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson

Purchased (via Amazon.es)



ParaWars: Uprising by Caitlin Greer


For Review (via NetGalley)



The Iron Traitor by Julie Kagawa


Crystal Fire by Jordan Dane


Well, this week I did go a little crazy with the book shopping, but also my paperback copy of Steelheart arrived, after being lost in the postal limbo for THREE weeks!!

Also, I'm super grateful to Harlequin Teen for always approving my requests on NetGalley!

What all did you guys get this week?

Friday, October 18, 2013

ParaWars: Uprising BLOG TOUR: Friday Reads Review!



Hello everyone and welcome to a special edition of Friday Reads! I'm very happy to be part of the Blog Tour for ParaWars: Uprising by Caitlin Greer!

ParaWars: Uprising is Caitlin's NA take on the Urban Fantasy/Paranormal genre that came out on October 15th. I'm quite a fan of UF/Paranormal and when I read the blurb and heard that there were gargoyles here, I knew I wanted to read this one and when I got the chance to be part of the tour I jumped at it!



The Paranormal Uprising brought myth and legend out of the shadows and into real life. The war that followed tore the world apart. Two years after the Uprising, twenty-year-old Kendry is learning the hard way that the battle lines aren’t as clear-cut as human versus para. And the hard way means being hunted down by both human militants and para separatists. Trouble is, she has no idea why. 


On the run with only her mysterious gargoyle guardian, Kendry knows that finding out why she’s on everyone’s most-wanted list will be no easy task. It means charging headlong into a war she’d hoped to avoid, and is woefully unprepared for. So when she realizes that everyone in her life has been lying to her, discovering that she’s somehow the key to ending the war is the last thing she needs. With both sides tearing up the world to find her, it’s decision time for Kendry—keep running, or stand up and fight.


 Author Bio:
Cait writes YA and NA stories that range from sci-fi and fantasy (because she loves making worlds and things up), to contemporary (because she kind of sort of fell into it and discovered she’s not half bad). Her best friends growing up were the combined works of Robin McKinley, Madeline L'Engle, Anne McCaffrey, Andre Norton, and too many others to mention.

She drives a Jeep, loves the outdoors, takes pictures of everything she can, and writes obsessively. A martial artist and a former teacher, Cait is owned by two cats who started out incredibly small, and are now incredibly huge.

She currently live in Utah, but Virginia will always be home.

 Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7020757.Cait_Greer
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Cait_Greer
ParaWars: Uprising Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18283667-parawars


My Review:

 I was lucky enough to receive an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Just by the name of the book you'll probably be guessing that ParaWars: Uprising is part of the urban fantasy/paranormal genre, and you'd be right. I have read quite a bit of UF/paranormal books and although I can't claim to be an expert, I can tell you that ParaWars is a fresh take on the genre.

You would also be wondering what paranormal creatures are the ones we can find in here? Well, all! All? Yep, think of any paranormal creature and it's quite likely that it'll be here! From Gods from any and all mythologies, to minotaurs, to your usual weres, ghosts to even the Jabberwocky (or maybe a Jaberwocky?).

The ParaWars were world-wide wars that started when the paranormals all over the world decided to reveal their existence to humankind and when the humans didn't take that very well and decided that they didn't want to share their world with the paras, even if they had been living together for centuries (unknowingly).

Two years after the start of the Uprising of the ParaWars Kendry, our main character, lives in a small town where paras and humans have found a way to coexist peacefully, hoping that the raging war will not come to their doors. But their luck doesn't hold and an army of human soldiers comes and takes most of the population, paras and humans alike, prisoners. Kendry escapes capture at first cause she had been out running, but in her trying to rescue her mum she's captured again. But Axel, her friend and a gargoyle, does rescue her and a few other prisoners, but the majority of them including Kendry's mum are moved away somewhere else. Kendry wants to try and rescue her mom and after a bit of a debate with some of the humans and paras a rescue party is formed. It's clear from here that there are quite a few things that Kendry doesn't know about what's going on and possibly about herself.

On the beginning ParaWars showed a lot of potential with giving us a fresh perspective on the UF world but also seemed to be close to falling in some of the topics of the genre, but luckily the author managed to avoid the possible pitfalls and we have plenty of interesting characters, a lot of secrets and revelations, a steamy romance that starts as a friendship with a spark (a big one) but with no sign of insta-love.

Kendry is a 20 year old that has given up on the usual dreams since the ParaWars have wrecked how life used to be, but she tries to make the best of her situation, she's headstrong and brave and a bit reckless on occasion. She's got some spunk and she can hold her own since both her mum and dad taught her how to survive in the wild.

Axel is a gargoyle, and that in itself was part of the reason why I wanted to read this book, none of the books in UF I've read so far have had gargoyles! He befriends Kendry and once all the shit starts to hit the fan, he's there trying to protect her and help her as much as he can, which when it comes to revealing information is not enough for Kendry's taste.

The dinamics between these two are fun, even if the hot and cold can border a bit on the "oh kiss already dammit!!" but well, the wait is quite worth it, what a first kiss those two share!

There's plenty of action, some characters you'll fall in love, some unexpected revelations, some despicable villains and plenty of character growth for Kendry.

I'm also very happy to report that the book doesn't end with a cliffhanger, the story is wrapped up but we are left with an opening for the next book and the realization that the game is deeper than we thought!

Great new addition to the UF/Paranormal genre and very well deserved 4 stars!

Friday Reads: Eyre House by Caitlin Greer!

Seems that this week's Friday Reads are all gonna be about Caitlin Greer books! Her first published book was this NA contemporary retelling of a classic, Jane Eyre.


Eyre HouseEyre House by Cait Greer

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Eyre House is the second book by Caitlin Greer that I've read, and I have to say this was a very interesting NA retting of Jane Eyre!

We have a Jane Eyre by name and a Mr Rochester, and we have a disparity of social status, and there's strange happenings and family secrets and talks of ghosts, but Cait takes all this and crafts her own story twisting things differently and offering a very entertaining story that stands on its own even without the references to the original story.

Evan Richardson is an 18 year old orphan that has been living in the system, going from foster home to foster home, but since he's now a legal adult he can try to make his own path. He finds a job working in Eyre House during the summer and what he expects will be a good job to stay out trouble and save some money to figure what to do with his future turns into a very complicated summer.

He has to deal with a house full of ghost stories, the daughter of the owner Ginny Eyre that won't take no for an answer, her father, her ex-boyfriend and all the issues that a difference on social status can bring.

Evan sounds like a very realistic male POV, and the way he deals with the issues he faces given his past is quite realistic. Ginny is not as unbearble and you would have expected given her social status, but her way of dealing with what she doesn't like and how good she is at denial, well it grated a bit on my nerves, but it gave a very good excuse to some well done steamy scenes!

Eyre House a bit of everything, ghost stories, romance of the steamy variety, swoony moments and enough intrigue to have a bit of a thriller to it. There's betrayal, murder, unexpected good fortune and some trepidant action towards the end.

All in all, a very entertaining read, well deserving of 3.5 stars.



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Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Waiting On Wednesday #12!

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted at Breaking The Spine  that spotlights those can't-wait-to-get-my-hands-on-them books that we are eagerly awaiting!

This week my I-can't-wait-to-get-my-hands-on-it book is Altered by Gennifer Albin!



Goodreads summary:

"Life. Possibility. Choice.
All taken from Adelice by the Guild—until she took them back.

But amid the splendid ruins of Earth, Adelice discovers how dangerous freedom can be. Hunted by soulless Remnants sent by Cormac Patton and the Guild, Adelice finds a world that’s far from deserted. Although allies are easy to find on Earth, knowing who to trust isn’t. Because everyone has secrets, especially those Adelice loves most. Secrets they would kill to protect. Secrets that will redefine each of them. Torn between two brothers and two worlds, Adelice must choose what to fight for.

In this thrilling sequel to Crewel, Adelice is about to learn how tangled up her past and future really are. Her parents ran to protect her, but nothing can save her from her destiny, and once she uncovers the truth, it will change everything."



Why am I eagerly awaiting Altered? I loved Crewel, the first book in this series. It had such a fresh voice, with a very enganging narrative and a very unique concept and left me completely flabbergasted with that twist at the end! So I really can't wait to see what will happen now to Adelice!

What are you all (im)patiently waiting to read?

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

New Cover & New Title: Only You aka The Mephisto Mark by Stephanie Feagan!

Hello everyone! Today I want to share with you all the new cover and new title of a book from I series I love and that I reviewed recently!

The Mephisto Mark, the 3rd book of the Mephisto Covenant series has been renamed and has got a new cover to make it easier to find to its intended target audience: all the romance readers out there!

You wanna see the new pretty?


Here it is! Only You by Stephanie Feagan!




Nothing in the inside of the book has changed, it only has made it easier to find it, cover wise, to those who look for romance novels, cause this is a romance, no doubt about it!

You can check out my review for it, with its old title HERE.

Monday, October 14, 2013

Mark This Book Monday:ARC Review of The Darkness of Shadows by Chris Little!

For the last review of this week's Mark This Book Monday, I have an ARC review of a book requested via NetGalley that was a very pleasant surprise, and that I'm sad to say it hasn't got much word out there.


The Darkness of ShadowsThe Darkness of Shadows by Chris  Little

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I got an ARC of this book on NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.

I wasn't very sure what the book was about, if it was paranormal, urban fantasy and I got a little bit more confused with the beginning of the book. I'd recommend experiencing the book without much knowledge about it too, cause I think it's better to discover things at the same time the main characters does, so in a way my review can have a few spoilers.

Natalie is a woman that had an awful and traumatic childhood, with parents that abused her and threatened her constantly. She was taken in by another family and has worked to try to live with the emotional and physical scars that she has. She built a life and a great baking business, but all is at risk when her father returns to her life, with demands she can't understand but the usual threats to those she care about, the family that took her in. She prepares to run away to protect the Guerreros and, if possible, hide from her father. But her father finds her and after a disturbing and strange demostration leaves her severly injured.

After that beginning you start getting all the paranormal hints popping up here and there. The story is very well built, with a big focus on their personal relationships and deals with abuse and its victims, in the midst of a setting of a paranormal and hidden world. Natalie has to find a way to either get rid of her dad or hide away, and she's trying to protect Mrs Rita Guerrero, the woman that took her in and showed her what a family should be, and Valerie Guerrero, her best friend since childhood. There's so much more to Nat's past than what either she or Val know, and while they try to figure out a plan to get rid of Nat's dad, they end up finding out about the past and the present and a whole hidden world out there that they had no idea about, and also find out they are right in the middle of it!

The paranormal of this world has a few twists on the usual topics of the genre, there are references to vampires, weres, sprites... but everything is slightly different from the usual, the author managing to introduce her own twist to well known creatures, while also building her own different kind of mythology. I don't want to give any details so I won't spoil the discoveries any more!

Despite all the paranormal facets of the book, it really is a story of recovery from abuse, of learning how to trust and accept help from others and how to face the hard truths we sometimes refuse to see.

A very well deserved 4 stars.



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Mark This Book Monday: This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales!!

I'm starting this week's Mark This Book Monday with what has to be one of my fave reads of the month so far! And saying that when the book is a contemporary, is quite saying something for me!


This Song Will Save Your LifeThis Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This book is the kind of book that I would recommend to everyone and anyone. It's the kind of book that kept me up till I finished it at 4 am and I finished reading it on my phone's Kindle app when my tablet run out of battery.

I'm not a big fan of contemporary books, but when the book is as good as this one, feels as real as this one, I completely forget about my reservations about the genre.

Elise is a girl that has never been popular, a girl that has always been different and has always been ostracized by her peers. She's tried to be herself and go on through school, middle school to high school but one summer she decides to try and change herself and be popular in the next year of HS. She watches shows, she reads teen magazines... she makes such an effort to try and learn how to fit it, how to change and be like others and not like she is... but it fails and she just doesn't know what else to do. Recovering from her choices that alienate her even more, she stumbles upon a world she didn't know it existed and finds herself making friends with some other very interesting characters like Char, Pippa, Vicky...

Elise is a wonderful character, so full of life, so real and so easy to relate with. You might not agree with some of her choices, but you just can't help but totally understand where she is coming from, and understand how she ends up making the choices that she does. She's intelligent, strong, funny and loves music.

It is such a raw book, all the interactions with the characters, the high school setting, it all feels so real, not just the usual cliches, but situations that feel real enough. The relationships between Elise and her peers, Elise and her two familes and Elise and her new friends and her first romance... it all feels real, it all feels relatable and all the characters have depth, flaws and great qualities. All contribute one way or another to Elise journey in this book, her journey to learn who she is, accept who she is, and find a way to be proud of who she is and accept that she can be loved and have friends and not boycott herself with her own doubts.

It is not a fluffy book, it is a tough book to read on occasions, even more if you, like me, connect with Elise and her journey, but it is a book that despite the hard bits will leave with you a smile, and not just a small smile, but the smile that comes from inside and warms you up. It's not just a song that saves a life, music is almost a character in itself in this book, whenever a song was mention I played it in my head if I knew it and if not, I made a note to look for it later in YouTube... There should be a playlist there with all the fantastic music from this book.

A very well deserved 5 stars!



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Sunday, October 13, 2013

Showcase Sunday #14!!



Showcase Sunday is a weekly feature hosted by Vicky of Books, Biscuits, and Tea where all book lovers can share with others what bookish goodness we got this week, be it purchased (physical or eBook), won, gifted or for review!


Purchased (via Amazon.es)



Two by Leigh Ann Kopans


Purchased (via Kindle app)






Night Witches by L.J. Adlington


For Review (via NetGalley)



Pawn by Aimée Carter



The Rising by Terra Harmony


Not too many books, which given the state of my TBR list is a good thing! But after 3 rejections on Edelweiss and 2 on NetGalley getting approved for Pawn and The Rising did cheer me up!

What all did you guys get this?

Friday, October 11, 2013

Friday Reads: The Distance Between Us by Kasie West!

For the last Friday Reads of the week I have a contemporary book! In case you might not know it, I really am not very keen on contemporaries so I only pick up those that come up very highly recommended from other bloggers and which blurbs don't strike me as "same old, same old". This one came highly recommended from Stacee at Adventures of a Book Junkie, thank you Stacee!


The Distance Between UsThe Distance Between Us by Kasie West

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


A fellow blogger recommended this book (thanks Stacee!) and Kristen from My Friends Are Fiction suggested we'd do a read along for it since neither of us had read the book nor are big contemporary fans.

The Distance Between Us is a quick, fun and very entertaining read! I found myself wanting to continue reading and not stopping at our designated chapters. It's a contemporary I enjoyed even though I didn't connect with it as deeply as with other books.

Caymen and Xander come from very different backgrounds and meet when Xander goes to pick up a porcelain doll from the doll shop that Caymen and her mum run as their only form of income. Caymen is used to make every penny count and has inherited a certain distrust from people with money from her mum. Xander is used to have everything and don't wonder about where or how it came to be. They both have an instant attraction and connect about their common refusal of taking the path their families have marked for them.

I loved how their relationship started from a spark but built up little by little with them hanging out together, trying to figure out what they'd really want to do with their lives and how despite the differences in their worlds they find a common place for themselves.

Caymen is a fun character to read, with her witty sarcastic humour and her loyalty to her mum and their shop despite not liking working there at all. Xander can be a lil cocky and arrogant at first sight, but he's trying to learn how to be his own person. He's got some really swoony moments and as any guy, some moments when you just want to smack him silly!

The ending was what seemed the most cliched bit of the whole book for me, not so much how their relationship progressed but whatever else happened. I'm not gonna say much more cause I want to keep the review spoiler free, but it just seemed too "movie for TV" kinda ending for me.

I really enjoyed the book but the ending left me a bit meh, that's why this book isn't getting a higher rate than 3.5 stars. But for someone that doesn't tend to like contemporaries per se, this was a fun read!



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Friday Reads: ARC Review of A Study In Silks by Emma Jane Holloway!!

This week's Friday Reads starts with the first book of a series that mix a number of genres and does so in a fantastic way!


A Study in Silks (The Baskerville Affair, #1)A Study in Silks by Emma Jane Holloway

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A Study in Silks is the first book in a trilogy (maybe series?) about Sherlock Holmes' niece Evelina. I was lucky enough to get an ARC for review on NetGalley of all the books so far in exchange for an honest opinion.

These books are a quite difficult to describe since they mix magic with murder mysteries, clockwork and steampunk, historical period and romance... but done so well! I'm still surprised how seamlessly all the different elements on this novel combine and work together, fitting perfectly like pieces of a puzzle!

Evelina is Sherlock Holmes niece, her mother was Sherlock's and Mycroft's sister but she married under her station so her family renounced her. Her father was one of the Coopers, famous part of a circus troupe and once the Holmes closed the door to them, the circus was their only option. Evelina grew there, with her mother's stories of another world till both her parents died and her Holmes grandmother decided to claim her and sent her to a school for ladies where she met Imogen Roth, daughter of a family well off and part of Society. Evelina is part of two very different worlds and doesn't feel entirely whole in either of them.

The story starts in a London in the 19th century that is not exactly historical but has quite a bit of Steampunk in it, with its clockwork machines and its Steam barons that have the monopoly of everything to do with technology in the Empire of Queen Victoria.Magic is forbidden in this world and those who have the Blood know better than to reveal their abilities.

Evelina is staying with Imogen's family in their London home when one of the maids is murdered in very suspicious circumstances, so Evelina decides to start investigating to try and solve the crime quickly to avoid too much attention from the police or her own uncle that could undermine the Roth family's reputation. But there's so much more at stake than just a maid's death.

This book is full of plots, politics, magic and even though it doesn't have any big twists you discover the clues and piece together the full picture more or less at the same time that Evelina does, so my interest was always enganged. It is told from different POVs, changing with the chapters and though sometimes it seemed a bit of an odd shift it's never difficult to follow the change cause the characters all have distinctive voices.

Evelina is a great character, she's headstrong and kind, aware of the rules she has to follow as part of the London Society but continues to bend them here and there to be who she thinks she must be. She doesn't only want to enjoy some dances and pretty dresses, but she also has a head for details and observation (rather like her uncle Sherlock) and wants to enroll in a college for ladies. She's also good at tinkering with clockwork and has magic in her blood. In more than one occasion she ends up biting more than she can chew, but one way or another she always tries to do what's right and it's very loyal to her friends and family.

There is a love triangle in this story and quite surprisingly for me, it does make sense, it does add to the story and it is done in a believable fashion. Each one of the guys is from one of the worlds that Evelina is part of: Tobias is Imogen's brother and an absolute rake, handsome but disolute. Nick is of unknown origin and parentage, has also Blood magic and was part of the circus troupe that Evelina grew in and both were inseparable as children and that grew into something more as they did. Both of them make Evelina lose her cool head at times, but she knows that neither of them can be part of her future. Nick because of a strange connection of their magics and Tobias because of family honour and Society proprietness.

It was a bit of a slow read sometimes at first, but once all characters are connected and all dots seem to be getting connected to form a picture I couldn't get through the pages fast enough! There is quite a bit of heartbreak for Evelina and I was very grateful that I had the ARC of the next book already in my Kindle app once I finished this one!

Very original take on Victorian steampunk historical fiction with a good dash of murder mystery Sherlock Holmes style. Well deserved 4 stars.



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Thursday, October 10, 2013

TWO Blog Tour: Review + Favourite Quote!



Hello everyone and welcome to my stop on the Blog Tour for TWO by Leigh Ann Kopans, organized by the ladies at Pen And Muse Press!

TWO is the awaited sequel to One and came out on October 8th. I was so very excited to read this one since I absolutely loved One and its unique premise and voice. I was also very much in love with the cover and with the fact that we'd be getting this story book from Elias' POV! I'll be sharing with you all both my review and my favourite quote.

I had trouble picking my favourite quote cause I loved so many, but then thinking about it, I just remembered something that really resonated with me, and I wanted to share this particular quote with all of you:

"I feel safer on the ground, but being safe is not what we're always meant to do. I know that now."

Curious already? Check out the stunning cover and the blurb!


 Elias and Merrin’s story continues in TWO, coming October, 2013...

Elias and Merrin are on the run.

After escaping the Biotech Hub, they thought they could breathe easy, or at least a little easier. But when bombs slam into the Social Welfare Hub only hours after their arrival, it becomes clear there's nowhere to hide - and no end to what Biotech will do to get them back.

Their last chance for safety and answers is the Clandestine Service Hub. CS has intel on the real, broader purpose behind Fisk’s experiments , and the newfound knowledge of the horrors hidden deep within Biotech’s walls sends Merrin back to recover a secret formula that could ruin the Supers’ world forever—and might just save the lives of the Biotech victims spiraling out of control.

Elias' sisters are counted among the victims of Fisk’s experiments, and if Elias can't find and help them, their powers will destroy them--sooner rather than later. Returning to the place it all began terrifies him, but with Fisk ready to make an example out of Merrin, and his sisters’ lives --and the lives of all Supers--hanging in the balance, he might not have a choice. If he can't find the courage to face his worst fears, Elias might lose more than his newfound powers.

He might lose everyone he loves.


Two on pre-order from author’s site: http://www.leighannkopans.com/index2.php#!/Order_TWO

Two on Amazon:
Paperback: http://www.amazon.com/Two-One-Universe-Volume-2/dp/1492176486
Ebook: http://www.amazon.com/Two-One-Universe-ebook/dp/B00FKLKQNU/ref=la_B00DAIZ3HY_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1381260053&sr=1-3

Two on Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/two-leigh-ann-kopans/1117016442?ean=9781492176480





About the author: Raised on comic books and classic novels, Leigh Ann developed an early love of science fiction and literature. As an adult, she rediscovered her love for not only reading, but also writing the types of fiction that enchanted her as a teen. Her debut novel, ONE, is about a girl with only half a superpower, the boy who makes her fly, and her struggle to make herself whole.








Leigh Ann on Goodreads:http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6439443.LeighAnn_Kopans

Leigh Ann on Twitter: https://twitter.com/LeighAnnKopans

Leigh Ann on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeighAnnKopansbooks

Leigh Ann on Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/leighannkopans/one-two/

Leigh Ann’s website: http://www.leighannkopans.com/index2.php#!/HOME

Leigh Ann’s blog: http://leighannkopans.blogspot.com/

My Review:

After finishing ONE, the debut for LeighAnn Kopans and finding out that there was gonna be a sequel (there had to, with that ending!), I was extremely impatient to get to read it and when the author gave me the chance to get an ARC I jumped at it! I got the ARC in exchange for an honest review and my opinion is my own.

TWO is the sequel that takes up right where ONE left us, and even though I'm gonna try my best to avoid spoilers for the book, I don't think I can avoid spoilers for ONE.

Where ONE was told from Merrin's perspective, TWO is told from Elias' and that took a little while for to get used to. His perspective is so different from Merrin's and I was quite used to being in Merrin's head, but seeing how the story progresses it had to be told from Elias' perspective.

The Biotech Hub was severly damaged once Merrin rescued Elias, his sisters and her own brothers with the help of her parents. Merrin and Elias are on the run, trying to find a safe place to hide and find some answers to all the questions the information they got at Biotech prompted. They know their best bets are the other Hubs cause Supers, not even Ones, aren't entirely welcome amongst the general population. Social Welfare Hub is their first pit stop but it's clear that they're not safe from Biotech there so they fly to their best option: the Clandestine Service Hub or CSH (or the Supers CIA equivalent).

Elias is more damaged and rattled from the experience in Biotech's lab and all the revelations they had to face there than he even wants to acknowledge and that is the major motivation of how he deals with their immediate present and future. He's so worried about everyone's safety, Merrin's and his sisters' most of all, and he seems to carry the world on his shoulders, always worrying about how to keep everyone safe while Merrin keeps on trying to find answers and solutions.

The relationship between Merrin and Elias does take a bit of a toll due to their different focus and Elias keeps on having some insecurities about what Merrin's feelings really are and what their different outlooks might mean for their relationship, which are very real concerns and a way to keep both their characters and the relationship itself growing and changing.

We get some old friends back, like Leni and Daniel, and they also make some new friends with different Supers that make Merrin want to learn and push more and that get Elias to worry even more.

There are plenty of twists and turns in the plot, with some quite unexpected surprises thrown for good measure. There's a fight against time and a daring rescue again, and despite his wish for staying safe, Elias has the key to save everyone if he decides that risks are worth taking.

A fantastic sequel that closes the series but that could leave some openings for spin off stories, that I do hope the author will take, cause I'd love to read more about the ONE & TWO universe!

Very well deserved 4 and a half stars!


Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Waiting On Wednesday #11!

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted at Breaking The Spine  that spotlights those can't-wait-to-get-my-hands-on-them books that we are eagerly awaiting!

My eagerly awaited book for this week is Across A Star-Swept Sea by Diana Peterfreund!



Goodreads summary:

"Centuries after wars nearly destroyed civilization, the two islands of New Pacifica stand alone, a terraformed paradise where even the Reduction—the devastating brain disorder that sparked the wars—is a distant memory. Yet on the isle of Galatea, an uprising against the ruling aristocrats has turned deadly. The revolutionaries’ weapon is a drug that damages their enemies’ brains, and the only hope is rescue by a mysterious spy known as the Wild Poppy.

On the neighboring island of Albion, no one suspects that the Wild Poppy is actually famously frivolous aristocrat Persis Blake. The teenager uses her shallow, socialite trappings to hide her true purpose: her gossipy flutternotes are encrypted plans, her pampered sea mink is genetically engineered for spying, and her well-publicized new romance with handsome Galatean medic Justen Helo… is her most dangerous mission ever.

Though Persis is falling for Justen, she can’t risk showing him her true self, especially once she learns he’s hiding far more than simply his disenchantment with his country’s revolution and his undeniable attraction to the silly socialite he’s pretending to love. His darkest secret could plunge both islands into a new dark age, and Persis realizes that when it comes to Justen Helo, she’s not only risking her heart, she’s risking the world she’s sworn to protect.

In this thrilling adventure inspired by The Scarlet Pimpernel, Diana Peterfreund creates an exquisitely rendered world where nothing is as it seems and two teens with very different pasts fight for a future only they dare to imagine."



Why am I eagerly awaiting Across A Star-Swept Sea? Well, for starters I adored the first novel this one is a companion to, For Darkness Shows The Stars and I can't wait to see the characters from that book have a few cameos in this one. But mainly cause I love the idea of a retelling of The Scarlet Pimpernel with a girl being a kickass spy and no one being the wiser!

What are you all (im)patiently waiting to read this week?

Monday, October 7, 2013

Mark This Book Monday: ARC Review of Resist by Sarah Crossan!

The last Mark This Book Monday of this week is an ARC of the final book of a dystopian duology about a world without trees.


ResistResist by Sarah Crossan

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Resist is the final book on the Breathe duology and I was lucky enough to get an ARC from NetGalley for review. As always, there might be some spoilers for Breathe but I'll try my best to make sure there are no spoilers for Resist in this review.

The books starts right where Breathe left us, with what's left of the inhabitants of The Grove trying to get to Sequoia, the last known bastion of the Resistance and with the situation inside the Pod being unstable and the government tightening up their rule.

Resist is told from different POV's again, and though it makes sense to keep on changing to show where everyone is and what is happening to all the characters, it felt a bit jumpy at times. The voices of each of the characters felt distinctive enough for me not to be confused while reading and I didn't feel like skipping any POV's since all held important information. Quinn and Bea have quite a bit of character growth, he's no longer acting like a pampered boy trying to play at changing things but is actually trying to be better and make a change, and Bea despite having to deal with many ugly things she becomes stronger and more capable as the book progresses, there won't be any more victimism from her and she'll deal with everything in her own terms.

Sequoia is not what the remnants of the Resistance expected and the leader of it has her own wacky ideas and demands no less obedience and control than at the Pod, and when Alina, Silas and the rest are faced with the ugly truth, they have to leave and try to make their own place and revolution, since no other options out there are the perfect solution for them.

Ronan is a character that I didn't care for much in Breathe, but he becomes a much more interesting guy in Resist, trying to come to terms with his past actions and making his own choices. In a way his journey is somewhat similar to Quinn's but without the loss of status that Quinn had, so he can be an insider help and a big instigator.

Most of the book is a build up to the final climax and battle for the Pod and for change, for a chance to turn what exists into something better but the final battle and resolution just felt a little too fast for me.

Resist was a quick read, enjoyable but it felt like it didn't completely grabbed me. A 3 star read for me.



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Mark This Book Monday: The Elite by Kiera Cass!!

Hello everyone! This week's Mark This Book Monday are gonna be up a little later than usual, but my weekend off and away did shake my schedule a bit!


The Elite (The Selection, #2)The Elite by Kiera Cass

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I got an ARC for review of this book via NetGalley and finished it right before release day. I thoroughly enjoyed it, but I wasn't sure what rating to give it so I decided to wait a bit and let it settle in, but then I thought I had already reviewed it and completely forgot to do so till now!

The Elite starts right were The Selection left us, with America as part of the Elite six girls left for Maxon to choose his bride from. She still needs to figure out if she can give up Aspen completely and if she's ready to take on all the responsabilities the being the future queen would entail.

This book is one of the rare instances when a clear love triangle has a certain purpose and doesn't irritate the heck out of me. America has Aspen in her life now and even though they have very limited interactions, he is determined not to give up on her, and Maxon is also trying to become a better prince because of America and the fresh perspective on many things she is giving him.

We learn more about the Royal family, and we get a very good look at the past of Illea and how it came to be how it is. America gets quite a shock since things are not as she was taught (are they ever?) and she finds herself making some rash choices that might have not been very bright ones in hindsight but that are quite right for who she is. America has her heart in the right place, and is quite against injustice so some of the events show her a side of Maxon and the Royal family that she can't agree with, bringing up some more doubts to her choice. At the same time, what happened with Marley (not gonna give more details, no spoilers) also showed us a different side of Maxon, and add a bit more contrast between his public persona that agrees with his father, and his real self that wants to be different and be different from his father.

There are quite a few unexpected revelations, the threat of the rebels is present and a bit mdore ire, though I keep on wondering what their real purpose is, and how it is so easy for them to infiltrate the palace and escape capture. I'm hoping we'll get a bit more information about their real purpose and how they came to be in the final book!

At the end of the book America is equally confused and unable to decide, Maxon is trying harder to be his own person and we get a good look at who the King really is and what America will have to deal with if she were to become Queen.

I'm quite interested to see how this love triangle will be resolved, cause I am not sure who I'd choose myself either!

The Elite was quite a fun read with some emotional moments I connected with, so I give it 3 and a half stars!





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Showcase Sunday #13!!



Showcase Sunday is a weekly feature hosted by Vicky of Books, Biscuits, and Tea where all book lovers can share with others what bookish goodness we got this week, be it purchased (physical or eBook), won, gifted or for review!

This week my SS is a bit later than usual (it's no longer Sunday in Spain!) cause I left on Friday morning for a weekend away to attend a co-worker's wedding and arrived home past midnight! But still, here it is!


Purchased (via Kindle app)



Perfect Ruin by Lauren DeStefano



Through The Zombie Glass by Gena Showalter


For Review (via NetGalley)



Pendulum by Ciara Knight


This week I didn't get too many books, which is good since my TBR list is way too long already! I'm also still waiting for a pair of books in the mail, hurry up Royal Mail & Correos!

What all did you guys get this week?

Friday, October 4, 2013

Friday Reads: Not A Drop To Drink by Mindy McGinnis!!!

For starters in this week's Friday Reads I have one of my most anticipated books of this year and quite a brilliant debut!


Not a Drop to DrinkNot a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Not A Drop To Drink has been one of my most anticipated books of this year and I'm extremely pleased to say that it has not only not dissapointed me but has exceeded my expectations!

This not a dystopian or postapocalytpic book per se, maybe a bit postapocalytpic, but not the big-crash-happened sort, mostly is a very disturbingly-probable-scenario-in-the-future.

I'm gonna be trying my best to not spoil the story in any way, even if I'd love to discuss and dissect the book and share all its wonders, but I still think this is a book better enjoyed with just enough information.

Water is scarce, a very precious resource that must be protected at all costs, that is what Lynn's mother always taught her and that's the only reality that Lynn ever had. Life is harsh, surviving is not easy even less for two women living alone, not even if they are alert, aware and armed.

The world the author builds in here feels so realistic, so possible that it's actually scary. It's a world were people are trying to survive and that doesn't always bring out the best in humanity and Mindy doesn't pull any punches on her story, so be ready to deal with very ugly sides of humanity and very emotional scenes.

The main character, Lynn, has always learnt hard lessons from her mother and she taught her how to survive, how to keep her pond safe and how not to trust anyone coming to the pond. She raised Lynn has a hard character, with very little empathy for other people hardships or situations, focused only on her tasks and the lessons from her mother. After her mother is gone she learns many other lessons, not less hard but that make her character grow and change without changing who she is really. She learns to look further than her pond and her world, learns that there is more to life than just surviving and that other people can help her to learn to live. It is quite a journey and one you totally ride with Lynn, even if you can see what she might be missing even if she isn't.

There's a bit of romance in this book, very understated, very important, very believable and very heartbreaking. I said it before, this is not an easy or fluffy book and they way the story progresses continues to show that.

Harsh but beautiful, this is a book I'd highly recommend to anyone. Highly deserved 5 stars!



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Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Waiting On Wednesday #10!!

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted at Breaking The Spine  that spotlights those can't-wait-to-get-my-hands-on-them books that we are eagerly awaiting!

The book I'm super excited about that releases soon (next week!) is Two by LeighAnn Kopans!



Goodreads summary: 

"Elias and Merrin’s story continues in TWO, coming October, 2013...

Elias and Merrin are on the run.

After escaping the Biotech Hub, they thought they could breathe easy, or at least a little easier. But when bombs slam into the Social Welfare Hub only hours after their arrival, it becomes clear there's nowhere to hide - and no end to what Biotech will do to get them back.

Their last chance for safety and answers is the Clandestine Service Hub. CS has intel on the real, broader purpose behind Fisk’s experiments , and the newfound knowledge of the horrors hidden deep within Biotech’s walls sends Merrin back to recover a secret formula that could ruin the Supers’ world forever—and might just save the lives of the Biotech victims spiraling out of control.

Elias' sisters are counted among the victims of Fisk’s experiments, and if Elias can't find and help them, their powers will destroy them--sooner rather than later. Returning to the place it all began terrifies him, but with Fisk ready to make an example out of Merrin, and his sisters’ lives --and the lives of all Supers--hanging in the balance, he might not have a choice. If he can't find the courage to face his worst fears, Elias might lose more than his newfound powers."




Why am I eagerly awaiting Two? I read and loved One, and this is the second and final book in the One Universe duology, so I can't wait to see how the story continues and even more since Two is told from Elias perspective! Also, that cover? A-mazing!

What are you all (im)patiently waiting to read?