Book Review: The Burning Sky (The Elemental Trilogy #1) by Sherry Thomas

Name: The Burning Sky
(The Elemental Trilogy #1)
Author: Sherry Thomas
Number of Pages: 376 pages in Hardcover
Published: September 17th 2013
by Balzer + Bray
Genre: High Fantasy, Young Adult,
Romance, Adventure

It all began with a ruined elixir and a bolt of lightning.
Iolanthe Seaborne is the greatest elemental mage of her generation—or so she’s been told. The one prophesied for years to be the savior of The Realm. It is her duty and destiny to face and defeat the Bane, the most powerful tyrant and mage the world has ever known. This would be a suicide task for anyone, let alone a reluctant sixteen-year-old girl with no training.
Guided by his mother’s visions and committed to avenging his family, Prince Titus has sworn to protect Iolanthe even as he prepares her for their battle with the Bane. But he makes the terrifying mistake of falling in love with the girl who should have been only a means to an end. Now, with the servants of the tyrant closing in, Titus must choose between his mission—and her life.

This is my feature for the month of January for the meme Random Reads. I’ve had this in my shelf for quite a while now and got to read it because of the meme. Excellent right? 🙂 Anyway, apart from blogger friends who rated it awesome, I also got recommendations from random people so I was excited to read the book. Some of them even told me that this is the adventure book that I would really love. Most especially because it’s a magical world. Hmm. Honestly, not quite.

The writing was rather confusing in most parts or let’s should say, a lot was confusing about the book. I guess this series needs to have a prequel before the first book or something. I must say that the transition between two POVs was not written smoothly that I need to pay attention to the “He” and “She”. I don’t know. Is it just me? I also nearly asked friends “What in the hell is VAULTING?”.

Only to find out (by myself) that it means TELEPORTING. Duh? I felt stupid. Don’t worry. I’ve moved on easily. The world building though disliked by many (as per reviews I’ve read), seemed fascinating to me. However, I must admit that the world building is also puzzling in some parts since a lot of odd things were being thrown here and there. I didn’t grasp what Atlantis is and so as the Domain, but I love the idea of the Crucible. Let me tell you why. The Crucible is a book where you can enter fairy tales as part of the book. The characters would be alive for you to talk to, but of course, so as the dragons and any creature that lives in the fairy tale. Yes. The dragons and wyverns would be so alive. You can fight them and also die inside the book. The good thing about it though is you can change or add things on it. Let’s say you want to have Chris Hemsworth as the Prince Charming, you could certainly do so. Thrilling right? 😀 I would love to have a Crucible of my own since I love fairy tales. Lol!

Currently Reading│Book Beginning : Tear You Apart (Beau Rivage) by Sarah Cross

Currently Reading #42

Name: Tear You Apart (Beau Rivage)
Author: Sarah Cross
Number of Pages: 384 in Hardcover
Published: January 27th 2015 by EgmontUSA
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Retellings, Romance

An edgy fairy tale retelling of “Snow White” set in the world of Kill Me Softly for fans of Once Upon a Time and Grimm.
If you want to live happily ever after, first you have to stay alive. Viv knows there’s no escaping her fairy-tale curse. One day her beautiful stepmother will feed her a poison apple or convince her on-again-off-again boyfriend, Henley, to hunt her down and cut out her heart before she breaks his. In the city of Beau Rivage, some princesses are destined to be prey. But then Viv receives an invitation to the exclusive club where the Twelve Dancing Princesses twirl away their nights. There she meets Jasper, an underworld prince who seems to have everything—but what he really wants is her. He vows to save her from her dark fate if she’ll join him and be his queen. All Viv has to do is tear herself away from the huntsman boy who still holds her heart. Then she might live to see if happily ever after is a promise the prince can keep. But is life as an underworld queen worth sacrificing the true love that might kill her? Faced with a possible loophole to her “Snow White” curse, Viv goes underground, literally, to find the prince who’s fated to rescue her. But is life safe in the Underworld worth the price of sacrficing the love that might kill her?

Thanks to Egmont for giving me an ARC through NetGalley! I’m really excited to read the book since this is a promising retelling. I even featured this on a Waiting on Wednesday post so I’m so happy when they approved my request. I’ve heard a lot of good stuff. Anyway, here’s a five star, three star and one star review respectively. Got them from book lovers on Goodreads. 😉

This is my first Sarah Cross book. I had no idea what to expect, but I’ve seen some great reviews of her work in the past, so I was super excited to read TEAR YOU APART. From what I’ve read on other reviews, this is sort of a “companion” novel to KILL ME SOFTLY. I hadn’t read KILL ME SOFTLY, so I was a little worried that I wouldn’t be able to connect to the characters in this one–but that didn’t happen at all! I loved this book, I loved (and hated) the characters, and I am SO excited for this one to hit shelves.
— Lindsay of LindsayCummingsBooks

Book Blogger Hop: January 30th – February 5th

This is from Billy of Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer

Do you ever get comments from authors
when you have posted or tweeted your review?

The only one that I could remember was when Sara Raasch replied when I tweeted about my Snow Like Ashes book review on Twitter and I was so ecstatic. I’m not pretty sure if she’d actually read it though. Still! She replied and that’s so awesome. PS: You could follow me on Twitter and I’ll follow you back. Username shown below. LOL! 😀

Waiting on Wednesday #35

was started by Breaking the Spine and serves to showcase those books
that aren’t released yet, but that we’re eagerly awaiting.

Name: The Return (Titan #1)
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Number of Pages: 335 in Paperback
Published: February 17th 2015
by Spencer Hill Press
Genre: Fantasy, New Adult, Romance, Mythology

The Fates are cackling their bony asses off…
It’s been a year since Seth made the deal with the gods that pledged his life to them. And so far, the jobs they’ve given him have been violent and bloody–which is kind of all right with him. But now Apollo has something else in mind for Seth. He’s got to play protector while keeping his hands and fingers off, and for someone who really has a problem with restraint, this new assignment might be the most challenging yet. Josie has no idea what this crazy hot guy’s deal might be, but it’s a good bet that his arrival means the new life she started after leaving home is about to be thrown into an Olympian-sized blender turned up to puree. Either Josie is going insane or a nightmare straight out of ancient myth is gunning for her.
But it might be the unlikely attraction simmering between her and the golden-eyed, secret-keeping Seth that may prove to be the most dangerous thing of all.
Because history has once again been flipped to repeat.

And who would not?? The cover. OMG. Lol! If you’re a regular reader of my blog, you must have seen that I posted a blog about an interview with model Drew Leighty, the face of Seth on this book’s cover and he’s exactly how I pictured Seth on my mind while I was reading the Covenant series. Oh wait! Don’t go looking for my book reviews for that series. I haven’t posted them. Those were the days when I’m still thinking over if I really want to turn my blog into a book blog. Anyway, I love the Covenant so when I learned that this book is somehow a spin-off, I’m so excited to have it.

I also included a giveaway on the blog that I have posted along with the interview in November and luckily there are new giveaways that we could join. One for international and one for US book lovers. The international giveaway is from Jennifer Armentrout’s blog and it includes a lot of awesome swags and signed books. Contest ends 2/1/15 at 11:59pm EST and here’s what up for grabs:

Signed Books from Jennifer. Click here!

Teaser Tuesday #29

I’ve decided to join this ’cause I think it’s pretty fun and easy. Plus I really want to quote smart retorts, full blown bullying, words of wisdom, swoon worthy lines and the like without giving much to readers about the entire book. A quote or two won’t hurt I guess.

So here’s how it works:
1. Grab your current read.
2. Randomly open a page.
3. Share two (2) “teaser” sentences.
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
4. Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists.

Name: The Burning Sky
(The Elemental Trilogy #1)
Author: Sherry Thomas
Number of Pages: 376 pages in Hardcover
Published: September 17th 2013 by Balzer + Bray
Genre: High Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance, Adventure

It all began with a ruined elixir and a bolt of lightning. Iolanthe Seabourne is the greatest elemental mage of her generation—or so she’s been told. The one prophesied for years to be the savior of The Realm. […]

Here’s the Teasers 😀

My Week in a Wrapped #18

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.

The week has been ordinary until I received a notice from the Postal Office about the books I need to claim. I received the notice just yesterday when it was stamped the 6th of January and I need to claim it 30 days after that date. There wouldn’t be a problem since I still have two weeks before they throw it away right? Lol! By the way, those books are my prizes for Colleen Houck’s Book Club chat with Veronica Rossi in November. Since I’m from the other part of the world, yeah, the Post Office only received the parcel January. I’ve asked friends how to claim it since this is the first time I received a notice from them. My books are usually delivered right at my doorstep. To my surprise, a friend of mine confirmed that I need to pay certain taxes for it. I tried calling the Post Office, but no one’s answering, then I realized it was a Saturday so I’ve searched for blogs where I could check how much they usually charge for a parcel. I was so enraged by what I’ve found out. They would convert the value of the parcel in our own currency which is in Peso ($1 = P14.66) so it will cost way more, but wait there’s so much more. I also need to pay the postage/postal fee for the item (equivalent to the courier/shipping fee), Import Processing Fee of P250, plus Documentary Stamp Tax of P265. Then you need to pay 12% Value-Added Tax on the sum. OMG! OMG! (Insert my WTF face!) I. CAN’T. BELIEVE. IT. I nearly cried. I’ve read a lot of complains about it all over the net and I’ve found one article confirming that just recently the Import Processing Fee was scrapped and the Doc Stamp Tax was reduced to P15.00. Still! That’s too much, especially with books that I’ve waited for ages and didn’t even buy. For God’s sake, those are prizes! I need to pay them taxes much more that what the parcel is worth. Are you fudging kidding me? I don’t know what to do now. I WANT THOSE BOOKS! 😦

Last Week On The Blog

• My Week in a Wrapped #17
• Teaser Tuesday #28: The Blackwell Family Secret: The Guardians of Sin
• Waiting on Wednesday #34: Gathering Frost (Once Upon A Curse #1)
• Currently Reading│Book Beginning :
  The Burning Sky (The Elemental Trilogy #1)
• Book Blogger Hop: January 23rd – 29th
• Make #timetoread on National Readathon Day!
• Weekly Photo Challenge: Express Yourself
• Book Review: The Blackwell Family Secret: The Guardians of Sin

Book Review: The Blackwell Family Secret: The Guardians of Sin

Name: The Blackwell Family Secret:
The Guardians of Sin
Author: Jonathan L. Ferrara
Number of Pages: 230 pages in Paperback
Published: December 5th 2014
by Dragonwell Publishing
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Paranormal

Nicholas Blackwell has no idea he is supposed to fulfill a destiny. All he knows is that he draws trouble like a magnet. Orphaned at seven when two demonic men killed his parents, he copes with the strict rules of his new home, St. Christopher’s academy, unaware that he has been the real target for the killers and that his guardian angel has saved him in the nick of time. And now, his problems are only beginning when a mysterious serpent lures him into the woods and tricks him into a demonic ritual that will unleash the Seven Deadly Sins to destroy the humankind. Nicholas has no choice but to correct his mistake–or die trying. Aided by Amy, a shy but determined girl who seems to know more about his task than she should, Nicholas’s quest is to travel into the City of Demonio and defeat the Seven Guardians of Sin. To succeed, he must confront demons, monsters, and lost souls, learn the mysteries of the Chapel of Dreams, discover the true meaning of friendship and love, and face the darkest secret of all: the Blackwell Family Secret.

I’ve squeezed this on my reading schedule since the publisher already sent me an email looking for my review. I felt so irresponsible for forgetting about the book. I just have a lot of books lined up to read and somewhere in my crazy book schedule, I wasn’t able to include this. Anyway, my friend Rachana forgot about this too so I felt better. Lol! Just kidding.. Anyway, I’ve had mixed feelings about the book that I had troubles rating it. Let’s get to the specifics then..

The writing is simple and appealing. An easy read really. A reader might find some parts overwhelming especially the part where how it all begun is being discussed, but still I find it easy to read. To be honest, it felt like Harry Potter all over again. Wait. I didn’t mean it in a bad way. I’ve missed Harry because of the book. Nicholas is like Harry in a sense that his parents were also murdered and he’s destined to greatness. Amy, in a way, is like Hermione or so I thought. His demon sidekick Pugdush is like Doby. The serpent is like Voldemort and St. Christopher’s Academy is a little like Hogwarts. Plus the thought that Nicholas needs to fight seven Guardians of Sins which pretty much like the seven adventures that Harry Potter had. I don’t know if it’s just me or readers actually noticed it too.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Express Yourself

Weekly Photo Challenge is hosted by The Daily Post,
where we publish a new post with a photo interpreting the weekly theme..

Color Me Rainbow

This week’s theme is:

EXPRESS YOURSELF

Today, we challenge you to show us what “express yourself” means to you. It could be the delightful, gummy grin of a baby grand-nephew, a message of love written with a biplane in the sky, the clenched fist of anger and frustration, or even a lunch with an attitude.

Express myself? A rainbow would truly express my personality. I could be a different color each minute. Not that I’m a moody type of a person though. My friends would always tell me that I have a colorful frame of mind and I’m never dull so I think this photo would really express who I am. Plus hubby always tell me that I’m usually sweet so that explains the chocolate. Hihi! 😀

“Be uniquely you. Stand out. Shine. Be colorful.
The world needs your prismatic soul!”
— Amy Leigh Mercree

Make #timetoread on National Readathon Day!

Let’s celebrate National Readathon Day with Goodreads and the National Book Foundation!

National Readathon Day is a nationwide (US) marathon reading session on Saturday, January 24th from noon until 4 PM (in respective time zones), and a fundraiser for The National Book Foundation’s literacy programs. This is to create, promote, and sustain a lifelong love of reading in America (and the whole world). Book lovers across the world can also join this. You just need to go to Goodreads and pledge for the book you want to read for four hours. It could be anything on your shelf. I’ll try to read the book I’ve pledged for since I’ll be at work on Saturday. Lol! You can check Popular Readathon Day 2015 Books so you can see everyone’s Readathon picks. By the way, there are currently 3,304 readers participating in the Readathon. Select the book you’ll be reading for the readathon and click the “Pledge to Read” button to share your selection with the rest of the Goodreads community. JOIN NOW AND SPREAD THE WORD! LET’S PLEDGE TO READ! 😀

This is what I pledged for. 😉

Book Blogger Hop: January 23rd – 29th

This is from Billy of Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer

How do you feel when someone continues to
put the EXACT same comment on your blog each week?

I’m not really bothered when my friends do that. I might have done it without me realizing it, I think. It makes me happy just to see they’re checking my posts. It’s the thought that counts right? Who knows? Perhaps they just feel EXACTLY the same feelings they felt with my previous posts. Lol! Here’s something for you guys to ponder.. 😀