Lords of the Underworld Reading Challenge 2011

Lords of the Underworld Reading Challenge

Books:

The Darkest Night
The Darkest Kiss
The Darkest Pleasure
The Darkest Whisper
The Darkest Passion
The Darkest Lie
The Darkest Secret (release date: March 29, 2011)

Rules:

• Challenge will run February 1, 2011 to January 31, 2012. Participants can join at any time throughout the challenge.
• Create an intro post, linking back to this post.
• Sign up using the Linky below. Make sure to add your post about this challenge, not your blog home page.
• All forms of books acceptable (audiobooks, eBooks, etc.), rereads are allowed and these books and be used for other challenges.
• You don't need a blog to participate. Just ignore the Linky and sign up in the comments. Leave any thoughts about the books on the challenge's review linky post.
• Reviews, while always appreciated, are not mandatory.

1. The Darkest Fire - 3/5/11 - reviewed here

A - Z Reading Challenge!

I am participating in The A - Z Reading Challenge! 

This challenge is being hosted at The Thoughts of a Book Junky 

Click here to get to the challenge page!

Here is my list: 

A - Alpha by Rachel Vincent - - 1/4/11 - - reviewed here

B - Betrayed by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast

C - Chosen by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast

D - Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton

E - Eternity Embraced by Larissa Ione - - 1/29/11 - - reviewed here

F - Fallen by Lauren Kate

G - Glass Houses by Rachel Caine

H - Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

I - Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa - - 1/25/11 - - reviewed here

J - Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling

K - Keeper by Kathi Appelt

L - Legacy by Kate Kaynak - - 1/28/11 - - reviewed here

M - Marked by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast - - 1/15/11 - - reviewed here

N - Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

O- Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

P- Pack Challenge: Magnus Pack Book 1 by Shelly Laurenston - - 1/29/11 - - reviewed here

Q- Quinn by Iris Johansen

R- Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry

S- Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan

T- Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan

U- Unearthly by Cynthia Hand - - 1/19/11 - - reviewed here

V- Vesper by Jeff Sampson

W- Water Wars by Cameron Stracher

X- XVI by Julia Karr

Y- You Don't Look Like Anyone I Know by Heather Sellers

Z- Zan-Gah by Allan Richard Shickman

Books I have purchased and Books I have been so luck to have won!!!

I won The Crimson Rooms by Katherine McMahon from Deb at Debbie's Book Bag!

Amazon Product Description:
In the spirit of Sarah Waters and Geraldine Brooks, a dramatic mystery about love, secrets, and discovery in post-World War I London. 

Still haunted by the death of her only brother, James, in the Great War, Evelyn Gifford is completely unprepared when a young nurse and her six-year-old son appear on the Giffords' doorstep one night. The child, the nurse claims, is James's, conceived in a battlefield hospital. The grief-stricken Giffords take them both in; but Evelyn, a struggling attorney, must now support her entire family-at a time when work for women lawyers is almost nonexistent. 

Suddenly a new case falls in Evelyn's lap: Seemingly hopeless, it's been abandoned by her male coworkers. The accused-a veteran charged with murdering his young wife- is almost certain to die on the gallows. . . . And yet, Evelyn believes he is truly innocent, just as she suspects there may be more to the story of her "nephew" than meets the eye. . . 

These I got for the Kindle!  

I got an ARC of The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa from Harlequin!  Thanks so much Donna!!!

   

For review from the author (free of charge in return for an honest review)

Kevin's Point of View by Del Shannon

No Cure for the Broken Hearted by Kenneth Rosenberg

WON!

Undead in the City by Lynda Hilburn - won from Roxanne at Fangtastic Books!  Thanks Roxanne!!!

Review: The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa

Iron Queen
by Julie Kagawa
Net Galley
Amazon Product Description:
My name is Meghan Chase.  I thought it was over. That my time with the fey, the impossible choices I had to make, the sacrifices of those I loved, was behind me. But a storm is approaching, an army of Iron fey that will drag me back, kicking and screaming. Drag me away from the banished prince who's sworn to stand by my side. Drag me into the core of conflict so powerful, I'm not sure anyone can survive it.  
This time, there will be no turning back.


I want to mention a quick thank you to Donna Hayes at Harlequin for the ARC of this book!  I was thrilled to get the paper ARC as I was reading (and totally loving) the kindle version from Net Galley.  So - big thanks to you Donna!  I am hoping that I am so fortunate as to get the ARC for Iron Knight - I don't know that I can wait for the print release!!!

My thoughts:  


First I want to say that I absolutely LOVE this series.  I could hardly put this one down and will be impatiently awaiting the next one - Iron Knight.


Once again Julie Kagawa does a fantastic job of world building.  She shows us so many facets of her imagination with the Summer, Winter, and Iron Fey worlds.  They are each fantastic, wonderful, and terrifying in their own ways.  


She brings all the characters that we know and love back to us one more time is this fantastic story of love, discovery, responsibility, and friendship.  It is an action packed, drama, romance!  


She also introduces some new characters that truly add something to the story.  The watchmaker is one who I really enjoyed, he is very different and plays a seemingly small part in the whole but I think that he adds a great deal to the story.  I loved the gliders - they are great!  


Puck and Ash are my favorites in each of the books and they do not disappoint in this one either - they are the glue that binds.  I keep saying that I have had enough of love triangles, but this one is so different and they deal with it in such great ways that you would never want the story to be any other way.  I would love to go into these two more, but don't want to add any spoilers!  


I was thrilled that Mab shows us her mothering side when she gives aid to their quest to find and kill the false king.   I was excited to see the way Julie brings all the parental figures into the story in different ways, all to the benefit of Meaghan and her crew.  


So, to close  - If you haven't read the The Iron King, The Iron Daughter, Winter's Passage, or The Iron Queen - get to the store!  You will want to start this series from the beginning and have plenty of time to keep right on reading!  You will fall in love with the story and want to know more and more! 

2011 New Author Challenge

I am participating in the 2011 New Authors Reading Challenge hosting by Literary Escapism!

The goal I chose is to read books from 15 new to me authors!

This is the post where I will list the books I have read, 

the date I finished reading them, and the link to the review post!

1. Unearthly by Cynthia Hand - - 1/19/11 - - reviewed here

2. The Trouble with Chickens by Doreen Cronin - - 1/17/11 - - reviewed here

3. Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton - 1/29/11

4. Danann Frost Falls From Grace by Joanne Valiukas - 2/7/11

5. Lace and Leather by Leanore Elliott - 2/5/11 - reviewed here

6. Scourge by David H. Burton - 2/5/11

7. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - 2/13/11 - reviewed here

8. Serengeti Heat by Vivi Andrews - 2/14/11 - reviewed here

9. Foresight: The Gods of Fate Book 1 by Sherry Ficklin - - 2/22/11 - - reviewed here

10. The Arrival by Nicole MacDonald - 2/25/11 - reviewed here

11. The Vampire Voss by Colleen Gleason - 3/5/11 - reviewed here

12. Gunnar: Hurricane Horse by Judy Andrekson - 3/6/11 - reviewed here

13. The Adventures of Sir Gawain the True by Gerald Morris - 3/11/11 - review here

14. The Darkest Fire by Gena Showalter - 3/5/11 - reviewed here

15. The Trouble with Spells by Lacey Weatherford - 3/17/11 - reviewed here

16. The Mind Readers by Lori Brighton - 3/27/11 - reviewed here

Review: Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

UNEARTHLY by Cynthia Hand

I read this book on the Kindle - the ARC from Net Galley - - the pub date was 1/4/2011.


Amazon Product Description:

In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees . . . .

Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn't easy.
Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place—and out of place at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side.
As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make—between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?
Unearthly is a moving tale of love and fate, and the struggle between following the rules and following your heart.

My thoughts:

I enjoyed reading Unearthly.  The author builds a modern, believable world containing characters that are realistic, interesting, and easy to invest in.  

I thought Clara is a wonderful character throughout the book.  She is faced with choices, decisions, and responsibilities that are challenging and have dire consequences - difficult for anyone - almost nearly impossible for a teen.  She works through these issues throughout the book; always trying to do the right thing for everyone while still attempting to fulfill her purpose and stay true to herself at the same time.  

Christian is wonderfully mysterious, but a little on the "not the guy you want him to be" side.  I found myself wanting him to be so much less and so much more at the same time.  I think he is one of the most well created characters.  

Tucker - what can you say about Tucker...he is truly my favorite character from the book.  

The mother was harder, she is too closed up for much of the book for me at first.  I found myself wanting, like Clara, so much more from her mother.  She does, throughout the book, redeem herself in my eyes.  

The theme that I found throughout the book - the very noticeable missing parent or parents of the characters who were angelbloods - was well thought out and well played.  


A major plot point - THE PURPOSE - was somewhat under-represented I thought.  I am sure that this was the intention of the author as it was the main idea of the whole story, but I didn't really get the amount of information about the reason behind it for my comfort.  I didn't feel that Clara's mother gave her enough information about her purpose, but I didn't get the impression that any of the other angelbloods had any real idea of their purpose either.  I would have liked more on that...and I can't help but wonder - one specific incident is their whole life's purpose?  I am hoping for a sequel that answers many of these questions for me.


Well worth the read - be sure to check it out!