Book Review: Midnight Thief by Livia Blackburne

Name: Midnight Thief (Midnight Thief #1)
Author: Livia Blackburne
Number of Pages: 376 pages in Hardcover
Published: July 8th 2014 by Disney-Hyperion
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Paranormal, Romance, Urban Fantasy

Growing up on Forge’s streets has taught Kyra how to stretch a coin. And when that’s not enough, her uncanny ability to scale walls and bypass guards helps her take what she needs. But when the leader of the Assassins Guild offers Kyra a lucrative job, she hesitates. She knows how to get by on her own, and she’s not sure she wants to play by his rules. But he’s persistent—and darkly attractive—and Kyra can’t quite resist his pull. Tristam of Brancel is a young Palace knight on a mission. After his best friend is brutally murdered by Demon Riders, a clan of vicious warriors who ride bloodthirsty wildcats, Tristam vows to take them down. But as his investigation deepens, he finds his efforts thwarted by a talented thief, one who sneaks past Palace defenses with uncanny ease.When a fateful raid throws Kyra and Tristam together, the two enemies realize that their best chance at survival—and vengeance—might be to join forces. And as their loyalties are tested to the breaking point, they learn a startling secret about Kyra’s past that threatens to reshape both their lives.

This is my December feature for the meme Random Reads. I’m getting great in keeping up with this meme. Hihi! So I got this book because the book cover is amazingly mysterious. Yeah. Call it judging the book by its cover. You got me there. I forgot all about this though. Given that I’ve acquired tons of books for the past weeks. This meme helped me a lot so far in reading books I’ve already forgotten. Though I’ve read awesome reviews, I’ve also stumbled upon not so good reviews about the book and I must admit I’ve got of issues myself which is sad since I want to like this at the very least.

This is an easy read. The writing is pretty much straightforward. Nothing out of the ordinary which is somehow, for me, not good. Though it’s an easy read, I can’t connect with the first couple of chapters or let’s say four to five chapters, that is. I kept on reading since the premise of the book has a lot of potential. In the middle of the book, I’ve come to realized that the ending could somehow be good or trash. The world building is no great shakes. It’s in an archaic town on a monarchy type of government with corruption and poverty as main issues. BTW, the King and Queen were never mentioned. Just the councilmen, knights and Red Shields aka soldiers. As you can see, everything is quite stereotyped so far. Nothing really remarkable. I have a lot of unanswered questions from how the plot goes. Not even a conclusion on why things were like this and that. So the main protagonist is a thief that cannot defend herself. Go figure.

Teaser Tuesday #22

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 this is how you do it:
1. Grab your current read.
2. Randomly open a page.
3. Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page.
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 if they like your teasers!

This is for this week’s Teaser Tuesday

Midnight Thief
by Livia Blackburne

“It had been tracks and droppings the entire trip and nothing else. No sign of human habitations, no campsites. They’d followed the trail through the forest for two days, but the dogs just led them in circles.”

“Tristan suppressed a bitter chuckle. So even though a group of unknown men had snuck into the supposedly impenetrable compound, past the best trained guard force in the region, and carried off a fortune in medical supplies, they could at least comfort in the fact that the thieves had felt the need to hurry while doing so.”

As you can see, I’m still reading this since I can’t seem to find time for reading this days. Anyway, what are your thoughts about my teasers? 🙂 Anyway, you could share some teasers on your current read too. Comment the link of your own Teaser Tuesday so I can check it out and have an idea of amazing books that I would want to read.

Teaser Tuesdays (TT) is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Currently Reading│Book Beginning : Midnight Thief by Livia Blackburne

Currently Reading #34

Name: Midnight Thief (Midnight Thief #1)
Author: Livia Blackburne
Number of Pages: 376 pages in Hardcover
Published: July 8th 2014 by Disney-Hyperion
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Paranormal, Romance, Urban Fantasy

Growing up on Forge’s streets has taught Kyra how to stretch a coin. And when that’s not enough, her uncanny ability to scale walls and bypass guards helps her take what she needs. But when the leader of the Assassins Guild offers Kyra a lucrative job, she hesitates. She knows how to get by on her own, and she’s not sure she wants to play by his rules. But he’s persistent—and darkly attractive—and Kyra can’t quite resist his pull. Tristam of Brancel is a young Palace knight on a mission. After his best friend is brutally murdered by Demon Riders, a clan of vicious warriors who ride bloodthirsty wildcats, Tristam vows to take them down. But as his investigation deepens, he finds his efforts thwarted by a talented thief, one who sneaks past Palace defenses with uncanny ease.When a fateful raid throws Kyra and Tristam together, the two enemies realize that their best chance at survival—and vengeance—might be to join forces. And as their loyalties are tested to the breaking point, they learn a startling secret about Kyra’s past that threatens to reshape both their lives.

This is my feature for my December Random Reads and I’m quite proud of myself for consistently keeping up with the meme. It’s hard to squeeze books when you had them scheduled, but I’m so keeping up with this. I can’t remember when I’ve received this book so I’m excited. Here’s a five star, three star and one star review respectively. Got them from book lovers on Goodreads.

There are several reasons why I am in such a tizzy over this book and why others should be too. I rarely encounter two strong main characters, a fleshed-out world, a true threat, and a surprising plot in one book. Yet Blackburne managed all of them, and from the semi-cliff-hanger ending, I predict at least two more books. Now that she’s put all that good foundation work in, the rest of her series is her playground. And if Amazon’s labeling of Midnight Thief as “Grades 7 and up” gives you doubts about its maturity, ignore it. Pierce’s books are also tagged as “Grades 7 and up,” and I just reread it last week.
— Andrea of The Jukebox Muse

Waiting on Wednesday #27

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

Name: Hellhole
Author: Gina Damico
Number of Pages: 352 pages in Kindle
Published: January 6th 2015
by HMH Books for Young Readers
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy

A devil is a bad influence . . .
There was a time when geeky, squeaky-clean Max Kilgore would never lie or steal or even think about murder.
Then he accidentally unearths a devil, and Max’s choices are no longer his own. The big red guy has a penchant for couch-surfing and junk food—and you should never underestimate evil on a sugar high. With the help of Lore, a former goth girl who knows a thing or two about the dark side, Max is racing against the clock to get rid of the houseguest from hell before time—and all the Flamin’ Hot Cheetos this side of the fiery abyss—run out.

I’ve been eying this for quite sometime now. When I’ve read the blurb of the book, I immediately concluded that this would be a fun read. A breather for all those heavy high fantasy or paranormal stuff that I’ve been reading lately. This book spells awesomeness just by the blurb itself. So I tried requesting for an eARC from NetGalley and YES.. You’ve guessed it right. They have declined my request so I’ll just wait until January next year to read the book. It’s not a long wait anymore since it’s already December. Sure I’m not hurt at all. Everything is quite okay. Really. I’m good. Sniff sniff. BOO!

Moving on.. All the giveaway I’ve found on the blogosphere were done aside from this very easy giveaway from  Eden of Blogging Between the Lines.

↓ Click this link to learn how and win an ARC ↓

December Random Reads

This is where we pick a random book from our shelf to read within the month. Feel free to do more than one, but since a lot of people have a lot of books to read, only one is “required” for the meme.

How to join on Random Reads?

You can either use Random.org, eeny, meeny, miny, moe or you can simply close your eyes and point randomly at a book in your shelf. Easy Peasy 😀

Since new books are still adding up on my shelf every week, I’ve left a lot of books untouched for a long time now. Lack of reading time really. I have been wanting to read more to be honest, but I am really having a hard time squeezing it on my busy schedule. That’s reason why I love Random Reads ’cause I got to pick from my pile without favoring those I’m really craving for and reading books randomly (As the meme would require). Am I making sense? 😀 Anyway too lazy again to use Random.org so I closed my eyes and blindly point at a book from my shelf and this is what I got:

Name: Midnight Thief (Midnight Thief #1)
Author: Livia Blackburne
Number of Pages: 376 pages in Hardcover
Published: July 8th 2014 by Disney-Hyperion
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Paranormal, Romance, Urban Fantasy

Growing up on Forge’s streets has taught Kyra how to stretch a coin. And when that’s not enough, her uncanny ability to scale walls and bypass guards helps her take what she needs. But when the leader of the Assassins Guild offers Kyra a lucrative job, she hesitates. She knows how to get by on her own, and she’s not sure she wants to play by his rules. But he’s persistent—and darkly attractive—and Kyra can’t quite resist his pull. Tristam of Brancel is a young Palace knight on a mission. After his best friend is brutally murdered by Demon Riders, a clan of vicious warriors who ride bloodthirsty wildcats, Tristam vows to take them down. But as his investigation deepens, he finds his efforts thwarted by a talented thief, one who sneaks past Palace defenses with uncanny ease.When a fateful raid throws Kyra and Tristam together, the two enemies realize that their best chance at survival—and vengeance—might be to join forces. And as their loyalties are tested to the breaking point, they learn a startling secret about Kyra’s past that threatens to reshape both their lives.

See the published date? JULY. So that’s how long (most probably) that this book is sitting on my shelf I believe. Today is what? December. I know you have already figured that out. I love Random Reads ♥

I’ll try my best to squeeze the book this month for the sake of this meme. Wish me luck! Hey if you do have a Random Reads post, comment your link. I’ll try to check it out. 😀

Waiting on Wednesday #25

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

Name: Winter Falls (Twin Willows Trilogy #1)
Author: Nicole Maggi
Number of Pages: I don’t know 😦
Published: December 22nd 2014
by Medallion Press
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy

Alessia Jacobs is a typical sixteen-year-old, dying to get out of her small town of Twin Willows, Maine. Things look up when a new family comes to town, but when she falls for the hot, mysterious son, Jonah, her life turns upside down. Weird visions of transforming into an otherworldly falcon are just the beginning. Soon she learns she’s part of the Benandanti, an ancient cult of warriors with the unique power to separate their souls from their bodies and take on the forms of magnificent animals. Alessia never would’ve suspected it, but her boring town is the site of an epic struggle between the Benandanti and the Malandanti to control powerful magic in the surrounding forest. As Alessia is drawn into the Benandanti’s mission, her relationship with Jonah intensifies. When her two worlds collide, Alessia’s forced to weigh choices a sixteen-year-old should never have to make.

It’s coincidence I think, but I noticed that most of the books I featured were related to Snow. Have you noticed that too? 🙂 Not really obsessed, then again I wish we have snow from my part of the world. Anyway, I’ve seen this book a couple of months ago and I think its premise is interesting. Plus Melissa Landers, author of the series Alienated, did enjoy it and said that the book was so much fun. I like the fact that they’re shape shifters, that could come in handy. 🙂

Book Review: The Beautiful Ashes (Broken Destiny #1)

Name: The Beautiful Ashes (Broken Destiny #1)
Author: Jeaniene Frost
Number of Pages: 384 pages in eBook
Published: August 26th, 2014 by Harlequin
Genre: Fantasy, New Adult, Paranormal, Romance, Urban Fantasy

In a world of shadows, anything is possible. Except escaping your fate.
Ever since she was a child, Ivy has been gripped by visions of strange realms just beyond her own. But when her sister goes missing, Ivy discovers the truth is far worse—her hallucinations are real, and her sister is trapped in a parallel realm. And the one person who believes her is the dangerously attractive guy who’s bound by an ancient legacy to betray her.
Adrian might have turned his back on those who raised him, but that doesn’t mean he can change his fate…no matter how strong a pull he feels toward Ivy. Together they search for the powerful relic that can save her sister, but Adrian knows what Ivy doesn’t: that every step brings Ivy closer to the truth about her own destiny, and a war that could doom the world. Sooner or later, it will be Ivy on one side and Adrian on the other. And nothing but ashes in between…

I’m confused that this is from the Young Adult genre, but this falls under New Adult instead. My bad. Though after reading it, I can say that the feel of the book still inclines on the YA side. Anyway, I’ve seen this a lot lately and this has been on my shelf since August, I think. As a goody good book blogger, I’ve been religiously reading books my Random Reads (Proud of myself 🙂 ) and I’ve featured this book for my November Random Read.

The world building is not what I’ve expected. This is different from all the Angel and Demon books I’ve read before. There are gruesome scenes and terrifying creatures that one would not want to even imagine or want to dream about. To be honest, I even want to compare it with Tartarus when Demon Realms were mentioned, but then I’m surprised that this is way different. In a good way and I like it. I love it when books are unpredictable. The concept of the Demon Realms are surprisingly sinister. I even had goosebumps while it was being depicted. The plot is also amazing.

My Week in a Wrapped #6

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.

Nothing share worthy this past week. It has been dull. I have been on a routine (my daily routine really) like wake up, eat breakfast, go to work, come home from work, read a couple of chapters (current read), check notifications on my blog (and/or social networking accounts), do little house chores/mommy duties, try to read again and then finally go to sleep. Geez. That sucks right? LOL. No Halloween parties for me since I (still) need to work during the holidays. I only wish that I could have Christmas and New Year off from work (fingers crossed). How have you been this past week? 😀

Last Week On The Blog

• My Week in a Wrapped #5
• Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award!
• The Beauty of Books Tag!
• Last Hour for the SCT Journal Giveaway: Stone Cold Touch by Jennifer Armentrout
• Teaser Tuesday #16: The Iron Trial (Magisterium #1)
• Waiting on Wednesday #22: Anomaly (Schrodinger’s Consortium #1)
• Book Review: The Iron Trial (Magisterium #1)
• Book Beginning #4: Crown of Ice
• Book Blogger Hop: Halloween Edition

Book Review: The Iron Trial (Magisterium #1)

Name: The Iron Trial
Author: Holly Black and Cassandra Claire
Number of Pages: 304 in Hardcover
Published: September 9th 2014
by Scholastic Press
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Urban Fantasy, Adventure, Supernatural

“Most kids would do anything to pass the Iron Trial.
Not Callum Hunt. He wants to fail.
All his life, Call has been warned by his father to stay away from magic. If he succeeds at the Iron Trial and is admitted into the Magisterium, he is sure it can only mean bad things for him. So he tries his best to do his worst – and fails at failing. Now the Magisterium awaits him. It’s a place that’s both sensational and sinister, with dark ties to his past and a twisty path to his future.
The Iron Trial is just the beginning, for the biggest test is still to come . . .”

Before reading this, I’ve heard a lot of discussions from fellow bloggers that this is somehow a rip-off of the Harry Potter series. I know it is so damaging to compare. Either with books, movies and the like so I’ve decided I won’t compare it in any way. The mere fact that this is from Black and Clare really convinced me that this is something I would love.

The book didn’t disappoint. The writing is good. An easy read really though there are things that so complicated when you think of it, but eventually getting the points the authors want the readers to enjoy. This is totally not inspired with Harry Potter. Don’t be deceive by the rundown or the book cover perhaps. The world is entirely and amazingly different. As well as the characters, but we’ll discuss that later. The world building is something I haven’t read about.

Teaser Tuesday #16

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 this is how you do it:

1. Grab your current read.
2. Randomly open a page.
3. Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page.
4. 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!)
5. Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This is for this week’s Teaser Tuesday:

The Iron Trial (Magisterium #1)

by Cassandra Clare + Holly Black

“Could he really learn how to fly? If you could fly, whispered a small treacherous part of his brain, it wouldn’t matter so much that you can’t run.”

“It flew straight and true, farther than a dagger should be able to go. Cal couldn’t take his eyes off it as it whirled at him, blade first. He knew he should do something. He knew he had to get out of the way. But somehow he couldn’t. His feet felt rooted to the spot.”

What are your thoughts about my teasers? 🙂 Anyway, you could share some teasers on your current read too. Comment the link of your own Teaser Tuesday so I can check it out and have an idea of amazing books that I would want to read.

Teaser Tuesdays (TT) is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.