Book Shelf: These Ruthless Deeds by Tarun Shanker & Kelly Zekas

England, 1883. Still recovering from a devastating loss, Evelyn is determined to use her powers to save other gifted people from those who would harm them. But when her rescue of a young telekinetic girl goes terribly wrong, Evelyn finds herself indebted to a secret society devoted to recruiting and protecting people like Evelyn and her friends.

As she follows the Society’s orders, healing the sick and embarking on perilous recruitment missions, Evelyn sees her problems disappear. Her reputation is repaired, her friends are provided for, and her parents are newly wealthy. She reunites with the dashing Mr. Kent and recovers the reclusive Mr. Braddock (who has much less to brood over now that the Society can help him to control his dangerous power). But Evelyn can’t help fearing the Society is more sinister than it appears...

More info on Goodreads....


Review:

These Ruthless Deeds is the exhilarating second novel in the These Vicious Masks series by Kelly Zekas and Tarun Shanker and continues on where the first novel left off in this whimsical and adventure riddled tale of intrigue, powerful abilities and forbidden romance. 

Evelyn Wyndham is still recovering from the devastating loss of her sister Rose and is determined to use her newfound abilities to stop others from suffering the same fate. Juggling her night-time escapades with her unwanted society life things, take a turn for the worse when Evelyn’s attempted rescue of a young woman with telekinetic powers turns bad. Faced with accepting help from a secret society that recruit and train people with extra abilities, Evelyn can’t help but feel the society is too good to be true. When missions blur the line between good and evil, Evelyn begins to question the society’s motives and soon protecting those she loves becomes a bigger feat than ever!

Set in 1883, These Ruthless Deeds once again draws readers into an intriguing Victorian world with a magical, almost paranormal twist. In a very League of Extraordinary Gentleman fashion, These Ruthless Deeds allows readers to get to know the Society of Aberrations and their hold on those with extraordinary powers in this fast paced and exciting instalment with plenty of twists. 

Personally I really enjoy this series and feel Kelly Zekas and Tarun Shanker work really well together. Managing to create a vivid and enticing world, Zekas and Shanker keep me entertained with the wit and banter displayed between their characters, mystery surrounding the storyline and romantic tension that simmers between my favourite characters Evelyn and Sebastian—it’s all very enjoyable to read about!

I still very much find Evelyn a great heroine to follow and found her equally strong and kind in These Ruthless Deeds. Evelyn wants to use her abilities to heal people, but she also doesn’t want to be taken advantage of and quickly sets out to determine the truth about the Society of Aberrations. You’ve got to love a girl ready to stage daring prison breaks and to sneak into places she knows she has no place to be, especially considering this is Victorian London where woman are expected to be good, dutiful wives and daughters. 

Exciting and adventurous, These Ruthless Deeds races to a heartbreaking and shocking ending. Evelyn and her friends find themselves making grievous choices that will see lives lost and characters left broken. With These Ruthless Deeds ending on such a potent and powerful ending, I for one cannot wait to see what happens in the third instalment! 

Rating:
Source: Sent for review by Xpresso Book Tours and the authors (Thank you guys!)
Publisher: St Martin's Press      
Format: Kindle ebook
Release Date: March 14th 2017
Purchase: The Book Depository | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iBooks
Final Thoughts: Almost as good as the first book, I can't wait to Tarun Shanker & Kelly Zekas plan after the heartbreaking ending of These Ruthless Deeds!

Blog Tour: Traveler by L.E. DeLano- Excerpt & Giveaway

Welcome to the Blog Tour for Traveler by L.E. DeLano thanks to Xpresso Book Tours. Yesterday I shared my review of Traveler and today I have an excerpt and the tour wide giveaway to share. Enjoy :)

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Jessa has spent her life dreaming of other worlds and writing down stories more interesting than her own, until the day her favorite character, Finn, suddenly shows up and invites her out for coffee. After the requisite nervous breakdown, Jessa learns that she and Finn are Travelers, born with the ability to slide through reflections and dreams into alternate realities.

But it’s not all steampunk pirates and fantasy lifestyles—Jessa is dying over and over again, in every reality, and Finn is determined that this time, he’s going to stop it…This Jessa is going to live.

Add on Goodreads or check out my review!

Purchase:

The Book Depository | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iBooks

From Traveler....

In this scene, Jessa is in the hospital after an attempt on her life. She wakes to find Finn holding vigil at her side.

“Why do I feel so weird?” I murmur sleepily.

“They’ve got you pretty drugged up.” He moves his hand up to push my hair off my face, and I roll my cheek toward his hand.

“S’nice,” I say. “Your hand is warm.”

“You want to hear about the damage?”

“Sure. Lay it on me.” I smile, totally loopy.

“Well . . . you’ve got a dislocated shoulder. That’s why your arm hurts.”

“It’s not broken?”

“No. They reset it while you were under, but it’ll be sore for a while,” he explains. “Along with that, you’ve got assorted bumps, bruises, and scratches, and an IV pumping antibiotics into your arm because you got creek water in your lungs.”

“Awesome,” I say, closing my eyes again. “That’s just awesome. I have to write now.”

I can hear the smile in his voice. “No, Jessa. You have to rest. You can write later.”

“No, I need to write it while it’s fresh in my mind.” I open my eyes and smile at him. “While you’re fresh in my mind.”

“Oh,” he says, and I can tell he’s pleased. “You’re writing about me.”

“I always do,” I confess. “Well, almost always. Even before I knew you were you, I wrote about you.”

I try to get up, but the movement makes the room spin madly and I slump back down.

“Whoa. Spinning.”

“Would you like to sit up a little?” Finn asks. “I can raise the bed.”

“Mmmm,” I reply noncommittally. “Where’s my mom?”

“Danny was hungry, so she took him down to the cafeteria. They’ll be back soon.”

“Oh.” I close my eyes, and I think I may be dozing off again. I feel Finn straighten my covers, and then he kisses my forehead. I break into a loopy grin again.

“What?” he asks.

“You kissed me,” I say, and then I giggle. I never giggle.

“It was just on the forehead,” he protests. “I thought you were asleep again.”

“You kissed me right on the mouth,” I explain. I pull my IV’d arm up and put my fingers on my lips. “Right here.”

“I did?”

“Other you did. And you were a pirate.” I open my eyes, and he slowly comes into view. “You look good in black, you know.”

He looks at me carefully, and then glances around the room before lowering his voice. “Jessa, did you travel without me somewhere?”

“Mm-hmm. It was easy this time. Piece of cake.” I point at him with a crooked finger. “You didn’t think I’d be good at this, did you?”

“I never said that.”

“Well, other you seemed to think I was pretty awesome,” I tell him, giving him a smug smile.

“Is that so,” he answers drily.

“And boy, can he kiss,” I add. My eyes slide closed, and I drift away again into a dreamless sleep.

Want more? Get your copy of Traveler today!

 

L.E. DeLano is a YA novelist rep’d by Barry Goldblatt Literary agency, author of the upcoming “Traveler” (Swoon Reads/MacMillan 2017) and lifelong writer. Her work has been featured on various online outlets and she lives in Pennsylvania with two very adventurous kids and two very ridiculous cats. In her spare time, she writes (of course) and binge-watches way too much Netflix.

Visit L.E:

Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook

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Book Shelf: Traveler (Traveler #1) by L.E. DeLano

Jessa has spent her life dreaming of other worlds and writing down stories more interesting than her own, until the day her favorite character, Finn, suddenly shows up and invites her out for coffee. After the requisite nervous breakdown, Jessa learns that she and Finn are Travelers, born with the ability to slide through reflections and dreams into alternate realities.

But it’s not all steampunk pirates and fantasy lifestyles—Jessa is dying over and over again, in every reality, and Finn is determined that this time, he’s going to stop it…This Jessa is going to live.

More info on Goodreads.....


Review:

Traveler is L.E DeLano’s debut novel and is an easily entertaining tale of multidimensional travelling, romance and danger. 

Jessa has spent her whole life dreaming of faraway lands and vivid lives, writing down her tales and imagining stories of danger and romance and adventure. But Jessa knows that’s all they are; stories…..until the starring character in many of her imaginings, Finn, turns up in real life and gives Jessa the shock of her life. Finn is everything she envisioned, but he complicates things further when he explains to Jessa that she has an incredible ability that allows her to travel through dimensions. Being able to travel through multiple realities is a thrilling, and scary possibility, but with all the Jessa’s dying in their respective worlds, something sinister is happening and Finn and Jessa will need to work out what before Jessa herself becomes a casualty. 

I’ve had the pleasure of reading a few time travel novels lately that I’ve really loved, so I had high hopes for Traveler and while it didn’t blow me away as I had hoped it would, I still found it to be an easy, engaging tale. Traveler is an interesting read with L.E DeLano weaving together interdimensional travel, multiple realities, romance, action, danger and all kinds of mayhem in her debut. It was highly entertaining.

The characters were easy enough to follow, enough fleshed out to appeal whilst not being too over baring. Right now I like Jessa and Finn and even Jessa’s best friend Ben, although I’m not completely sold on the romance between Finn and Jessa. And yet I like them as a couple, so there is that complexity. 

I have to admit the final few chapters and the epilogue of Traveler were both saddening and shocking. I wasn’t expecting L.E DeLano to end the novel the way she did at all and am a bit perplexed by it if I’m honest. It complicates things and certainly opens up a lot of possibilities for future books, but it means so much more emotion is going to be involved and I don’t know if my heart can take any kind of love triangle-square-hexagon etc. 

Traveler is a tale you can’t help but plod along with and was cute. For me the best parts of the book came towards the end where DeLano ups the stakes and leaves her readers shocked up some unexpected developments. I’m intrigued by what L.E Delano has planned for the rest of the series and am looking forward to seeing what happens after the events of the startling ending! 

Rating:
Source: Sent for review by Xpresso Book Tours and the author (Thank you ladies!)
Publisher: Swoon Reads
Format: Kindle ebook
Release Date: February 7th 2017
Purchase: The Book Depository | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Kobo | iBooks
Final Thoughts: Overall a decent read that ended in an unexpected way and left me ready for more. Looking forward to seeing what happens in the sequel.

Owl Post #116

Inspired by The Story Siren's In My Mailbox, Owl Post allows us bloggers to showcase the books we've bought, won or received throughout the week and is hosted by Brodie over at Eleusinian Mysteries. We all know that the Owl Post is the fastest way to send and receive mail and they certainly make me happy every time they drop a book off.  

It's that time again...Owl Post time :) And this week seems to have a purple theme! All the books I received for review are purple LOL. See for yourself.....

  For Review:

From Bloomsbury Australia: - My Name is Victoria by Lucy Worsley I'm not sure about this book. It's not something I would normally head for, but I may get around to it.   - Stargazing For Beginners by Jenny McLachlan I hadn't heard of this book, nor was I expecting to receive a copy before this ARC landed on my door, but I've really enjoyed the books by Jenny McLachlan I've read in the past so I'm definitely planning to read this when I get the chance.   ....Thank you guys! ____________________________________   From Hot Key Books: - Defy the Stars by Claudia Gray I absolutely love Claudia Gray and Defy the Stars is one of my most anticipated books of 2017! Can't wait to read this. It sounds sooooo good.   ...Thank you guys!     And that's me :) What did the owls bring YOU this week?  

 

Book Shelf: The Flame Never Dies (Well of Souls #2) by Rachel Vincent

Nina Kane was born to be an exorcist. And since uncovering the horrifying truth-that the war against demons is far from over-seventeen-year-old Nina and her pregnant sister, Mellie, have been on the run, incinerating the remains of the demon horde as they go.

In the badlands, Nina, Mellie, and Finn, the fugitive and rogue exorcist who saved her life, find allies in a group of freedom fighters. They also face a new threat: Pandemonia, a city full of demons. But this fresh new hell is the least of Nina's worries. The well of souls ran dry more than a century ago, drained by the demons secretly living among humans, and without a donor soul, Mellie's child will die within hours of its birth. Nina isn't about to let that happen ...even if it means she has to make the ultimate sacrifice.

More info on Goodreads.....


Review:

The Flame Never Dies is the gripping second novel in Rachel Vincent’s Well of Souls series and follows on diligently where the last book left off, once more drawing readers into a dangerous demonic world.  

Nina Kane and her pregnant sister Mellie have been on the run since they discovered the shocking truth that the war against demons is far from over, and that the Unified Church members are all possessed by demons themselves. Alongside Finn and the other fugitive exorcists, Nina and her sister have been travelling the badlands as Nina learns about her abilities as an exorcist and plans the arrival of Mellie’s baby. The rogue exorcists have enough dangers to face without the added threat of Pandemonia; a city inhabited completely by demons whose leader will stop at nothing to locate Nina and her friends. With time running out to find a soul for Mellie’s baby and with the dangers growing, will Nina have to make the ultimate sacrifice to ensure the baby lives? 

Picking up approximately five months after the last novel left off, The Flame Never Dies details the latest stage in Nina’s life as she and the other exorcists train and continue to exorcise demons as they travel across the badlands. Rachel Vincent continues to keep her readers entertained with this sequel and ups the ante as Nina and her friends face a new brand of demon and a new danger.

There’s a lot of emotion in this novel, with loss inevitable at times and Rachel Vincent keeps readers following along with action, danger and excitement always present. Personally, I’ve really enjoyed following Nina and the exorcists and think they’ve been really intriguing to get to know and follow. 

I have to say though, I found the ending a little anti-climatic for the final novel in this duology. Don’t get me wrong; a lot of things were left well, and very hopeful, but I didn’t feel the closure I was hoping for if The Flame Never Dies is the last book in this series. I want more. There’s so much I still want to witness and so many characters I still yearn to learn about. Vincent only allowed us a glimpse of so much within this world—I want more. 

I want to get to know Devi and Maddox, see what happens to Grayson now that she’s transitioned, discover how Finn adjusts to his new body, what happens to baby Adam, whether Eli and Ana become a couple, and what happens to the Lord’s Army. Whether Rachel Vincent plans a spin-off or any more tales in this world is unknown to me, but I think it will be a real shame if she doesn’t…..

Overall I enjoyed The Flame Never Dies. I’m not necessarily ready to bid this series goodbye, but I did think this was a solid read. Definitely perfect for those who love their dystopian tales with a hint of a demonic influence. 

Rating:
Source: Sent for review by publisher (Thank you Vanessa!)
Publisher: HarlequinTEEN Australia
Format: Paperback
Australian RRP: $19.99
Release Date: February 2017
Purchase: Bookworld | Booktopia | The Book Depository | Amazon
Final Thoughts: The duology doesn't seem complete. While I enjoyed this final book, I don't think it should BE the final book. Rachel Vincent could definitely write more and I don't know if I'm completely satisfied with this being the ending.....

Blog Tour: Rose Petal Graves by Olivia Wildenstein- Excerpt & Giveaway

Welcome to the blog tour for Rose Petal Graves by Olivia Wildenstein thanks to YA Bound Book Tours! A thrilling and mysterious read, yesterday I posted my 5 star review of Rose Petal Graves and today I have small but enticing excerpt and giveaway to share with you.

If you're a faerie lover looking for something just a little different, Rose Petal Graves is for you!

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ANCIENT SECRETS CANNOT REMAIN BURIED FOREVER.

Founded two centuries ago by a powerful tribe of Gottwa Indians, Rowan was a quiet town, so quiet that I fled after graduation. Staying away was the plan, but Mom died suddenly.

Dad said she suffered a stroke after she dug up one of the ancient graves in our backyard, which happens to be the town cemetery. Creepy, I know. Creepier still, there was no corpse inside the old coffin, only fresh rose petals.

As we made preparations for Mom’s burial, new people began arriving in Rowan, unnervingly handsome and odd people. I begged them to leave, but they stayed, because their enemies—my ancestors—were beginning to awaken.

Add on Goodreads or check out my 5 star review!

Purchase:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

From Rose Petal Graves.....

I trembled as I advanced toward the ring of rowan trees t hat protected the sacred piece of land in which my ancestors were buried. The cold wind and thick snowflakes stung my cheeks, but cooled the welt the faerie guards had exacted on my hand. I spun around to see if the faeries had remained, but no bodies lit up the cold night. They probably fled back to their island to inform their fellow faes that another hunter had risen.

 The wind blew Gwenelda's waist-long black hair against a long, broad, bare torso that ended in a face so chiseled it looked carved from stone. I trailed my eyes down the man's chest, over the inked arabesques tattooed on his skin, over the animal-hide loincloth that covered so little of him...

...Want more? And trust me; you do--get your copy of Rose Petal Graves today!

 

 

Olivia Wildenstein grew up in New York City, the daughter of a French father with a great sense of humor, and a Swedish mother whom she speaks to at least three times a day. She chose Brown University to complete her undergraduate studies and earned a bachelor's in comparative literature. After designing jewelry for a few years, Wildenstein traded in her tools for a laptop computer and a very comfortable chair. This line of work made more sense, considering her college degree.

When she's not writing, she's psychoanalyzing everyone she meets (Yes. Everyone), eavesdropping on conversations to gather material for her next book, baking up a storm (that she actually eats), going to the gym (because she eats), and attempting not to be late at her children's school (like she is 4 out of 5 mornings, on good weeks).

Wildenstein lives with her husband and three children in Geneva, Switzerland, where she's an active member of the writing community.

Visit Olivia:

Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook

 

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Book Shelf: Rose Petal Graves (The Lost Clan #1) by Olivia Wildenstein

ANCIENT SECRETS CANNOT REMAIN BURIED FOREVER.

Founded two centuries ago by a powerful tribe of Gottwa Indians, Rowan was a quiet town, so quiet that I fled after graduation. Staying away was the plan, but Mom died suddenly.

Dad said she suffered a stroke after she dug up one of the ancient graves in our backyard, which happens to be the town cemetery. Creepy, I know. Creepier still, there was no corpse inside the old coffin, only fresh rose petals.

As we made preparations for Mom’s burial, new people began arriving in Rowan, unnervingly handsome and odd people. I begged them to leave, but they stayed, because their enemies—my ancestors—were beginning to awaken.

More info on Goodreads......


Review:

Rose Petal Graves by Olivia Wildenstein is a thoroughly entertaining and a delightfully unique blend of Native American folklore and fae mythology. A sharp, well written and at times emotional read guaranteed to entrance from beginning to tend.

Founded centuries before by a powerful Native American tribe, the small town of Rowan is where college student Catori “Cat” Price grew up, the daughter of the town’s undertaker and funeral director. Studying medicine in Boston, Cat finds herself returning hom after the heartbreaking death of her mother. Cat’s family are struggling to deal with their unexpected loss, while Cat is determined to prove her mother’s death wasn’t of natural causes. When the young medical examiner arrives to examine her mother, Cat’s senses start telling her the handsome young man isn’t who he appears and as Cat begins to delve into her family’s Native Gottwa roots in an effort to learn the truth about her mother’s death, she’ll discover some shocking truths about the town of Rowan and the creatures whose history is as tied to Rowan as they are her own…..

I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by Rose Petal Graves. Heading into the novel, I wasn’t sure what to expect as the description doesn’t give too much away but I have to say, I really loved the story I discovered within its pages. I’m a big faerie lover and Rose Petal Graves was a fresh and exciting take on them in my mind. Olivia Wildenstein weaves together some unique faerie abilities with Native American folklore and imagined history in this story—it made for some really interesting reading.

Cat is a strong and likable main character to follow who is understandably grief stricken from her recent loss, but also very fiery as she navigates this new supernatural world she’s discovering and the dangers that come with it.

Weaving a lot of mystery into the story as Cat uncovers the truth about her mother’s death and Rowan’s history, Wildenstein introduces a whole cast of different characters from all walks of life. Something I really loved about this novel, is the way Olivia Wildenstein really made me care about all the characters in the novel as Cat finds herself questioning who are the good and who are the bad guys.

With the ancient hunters and fae at war with one another, Cat interacts with both sides of the divide and Wildenstein writes them all very complex and complicated where you as the reader find yourself liking, emphasing and understanding everyone involved. Cruz won me over very quickly, but then so did Ace who continues to be the “bad” boy and appears untrustworthy while continuing to do things that surprise you as the reader. And then there’s Kajika whose very existence cost Cat someone she loved and yet whose story is so very heart breaking.

There’s moments of romance between Cat and two of the three men who are becoming focal points in her life, although I couldn’t help but detect chemistry between her, Cruz, Kijika and Ace. Normally some kind of love triangle is my worst nightmare, but in Rose Petal Graves, I loved all three of the guys so I’m finding it really hard to pick someone I would prefer Cat to choose. That being said, at this point it could go either way and it’s too soon to really pinpoint where Cat’s heart is leaning……I’m eager to see what happens down the track as my heart already hurts for all those involved.

Mysterious and intriguing, Rose Petal Graves is a highly entertaining read that will impress you with its unique fae mythology and leave you ready for more. A great read—I can’t wait to see what Olivia Wildenstein has in store in the sequel!

Rating:
Source: Sent for review by YA Bound Book Tours and the author (Thank you ladies!)
Format: Kindle ebook
Release Date: March 29th 2017
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo
Final Thoughts: I freaking loved this book and can't wait for more! Highly recommend.