Moving to The Sirenic Codex

Hi everyone!

It's been a while and I apologize. As it is, I'm bidding this blog goodbye and moving on to bigger and better things. My friends P.E., who used to run Tantalizing Illusions and I have decided to start a blog together.

With P.E.'s talent for writing and experience with blogging, we hope to come up with great content on our new blog, The Sirenic Codex. We hope you will all come and join us on our new endeavour and we hope that we keep on producing great work that you guys will enjoy.

I am so thankful for the work I've accomplished on this blog. It's been running for almost 3 years now and every comment and follow has been so special to me. I was very naive when I started this blog but I've learned a lot from this experience and I wish to use it on The Sirenic Codex. I am keeping the blog up but I will stop posting.

Thank you so much for the support and I hope to see you guys on The Sirenic Codex!

-Mari

IMM/Stacking the Shelves #6

Welcome to this weeks IMM/Stacking the Shelves!
In My Mailbox and Stacking the Shelves are weekly memes held by Tynga's Reviews and The Story Siren. Here we share all the new and amazing books we acquired over the past week!

Double Crossed - Ally Carter
This one is a e-novella that I recieved from NetGalley. I've already read it and my review is up (CLICK HERE). I really enjoyed it, it was a quick and fun read! I'm looking forward to reading more Ally Carters books.

The Madness Underneath - Maureen Johnson

I've been looking forward to this one for a while, I remember enjoying the first book in the series The Name of the Star and getting into Jack the Ripper. Can't wait to see what Maureen does with this series!

Recents Posts

Reviews:
Don't Breathe a Word - Holly Cupala
Dark Triumph - Ally Carter
Double Crossed - Ally Carter
Something Like Normal - Trish Dollar

Memes/ Other:
Spotlight : Touch of Power - Maria V. Snyder
Cover Reveal/Spotlight: Wild Cards - Simone Elkeles

So, What's New On Your Shelves This Week?

Book Review - Don't Breathe A Word

Don't Breathe a Word - Holly Cupala
Release Date: January 2, 2012

Publisher: Harper Teen

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages: 299

Buy the Book: Amazon

Joy delamere is suffocating.

From asthma, from her parents, and from her boyfriend, Asher, who is smothering her from the inside out. She can take his cruel words, his tender words . . . until the night they go too far.

To escape, Joy sacrifices her suburban life to find the one who offered his help, a homeless boy called Creed. He introduces her to a world of fierce loyalty, to its rules of survival, and to love--a world she won't easily let go.

Set against the backdrop of the streets of Seattle, Holly Cupala's power-ful new novel explores the subtleties of abuse, the secrets we keep, and the ways to redemption. But above all, it is an unflinching story about the extraordinary lengths one girl will go to discover her own strength.

Synopsis and cover taken from Goodreads.   

My Review:

To be honest, I had no idea what this book was about when I picked it up and if I had known I'm not sure if I would have picked it up, simply due to the fact that I don't read a lot of dark YA. But sometimes you stumble onto a treasure and don't know what you have found until you open it. That was the case for me with this book.

The story surrounds Joy. From the outside you would think that she is perfect. She has a great family, a loving and dedicated boyfriend, Asher, but from the inside Joy is dying. She's slowly being smothered by her families overprotectiveness, Asher's unpredictably and her growing desperation. Not knowing who to turn to, she turns to the only person who has seen through her charade and offered to help, Creed, the homeless boy with music that is capable of stealing her deepest and darkest secrets. But, Joy can't just get up and leave, and expect everyone to forget about her. How long will her hard won solace last before he comes back for her? Asher.

Don't Breathe a Word was one of those book that sends chills down your spine but you still read on, not just because you want to know what happens next but because of Holly Cupala's incredible writing. She is capable of hooking you from page one and sending you on a serious emotional roller coaster. She had me biting my nails in fear and anticipation, laughing and smiling with the character and crying when something bad happened to them. By the end of the book I was emotionally drained but basking in its magnificence.

 My first reaction after finishing the book was my love for the characters. Cupala managed to create the most realistic bunch of characters. None of them were perfect, and I didn't agree with a lot of their decisions but I understood them. By the end of the book I was in love with some and the others I just wanted to wrap my fingers around their neck and squeeze, hard! 

Joy was a great protagonist, she was scared and confused, but brave and wonderful when the opportunity presented itself. She had me rooting for her and dying to find out what had happened to her to cause her to leave. As for Creed, I loved him just as much, he was such a wonderful person. But this isn't because he was a one diminutional male hero who was just awesome and thats it. Creed had his own story, we saw him grow as a character as his and Joy's relationship grew. 

One of the most endearing qualities of this book was the actual idea. I don't know about anyone else, but I haven't read many books about a similar topic. Homeless people is a truth all around the world, even in first world countries like Canada and the U.S. But I haven't seen many books about them. I'm grateful of Holly Cupala for getting up to the task and writing a book about a sad reality that some people face and managing to derive such a thought provoking story out of it. 

Holly Cupala's, Don't Breathe a Word is a master piece. One that should be shared so more readers can enjoy it. It's an original story of the reality that some people face and horrors that drive them to desperate measures, running away being one of them.

Teaser Tuesday - The Princess Bride

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

My Teasers:

"'Dearest Westley- I've never called you that before, have I?- Westley, Westley, Westley, Westley, Westley,- darling Westley, adored Westley,sweet perfect Westley, whisper that I have a chance to win you love.' And with that, she dared the bravest thing she'd ever done: She looked right into his eyes." 

"He closed the door in her face."

Page 59
Princess Bride - William Goldman

Book Review: Dark Triumph

Dark Triumph - Robin LaFevers

Release Date: April 2, 2013

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages: 385

Buy the Book: Amazon

Sybella's duty as Death's assassin in 15th-century France forces her return home to the personal hell that she had finally escaped. Love and romance, history and magic, vengeance and salvation converge in this thrilling sequel to Grave Mercy.

Sybella arrives at the convent’s doorstep half mad with grief and despair. Those that serve Death are only too happy to offer her refuge—but at a price. The convent views Sybella, naturally skilled in the arts of both death and seduction, as one of their most dangerous weapons. But those assassin's skills are little comfort when the convent returns her to a life that nearly drove her mad. And while Sybella is a weapon of justice wrought by the god of Death himself, He must give her a reason to live. When she discovers an unexpected ally imprisoned in the dungeons, will a daughter of Death find something other than vengeance to live for?

Synopsis and cover taken from Goodreads.   

My Review:

In Grave Mercy, we met Sybella, Ismae's mysterious and a little unhinged friend and fellow Handmaiden of Death. In Dark Triumph we get to see Sybella's story as she fights with both her inner demons and others she thought she would never have to face again.

The Convenants orders sent Sybella to the place of her nightmares and only the promise of redemption is keeping her there. Living under d"Albert's roof once more, Sybella is dancing with Death as she tries to get close enough to see his mark. It's conspicuous absence the only thing keeping her from delivering the killing blow, until a new order is received. Sybella is to help a prisoner, non other than the mighty Beast of Waroch, escape from the dungeon. 

As a die hard fan of Grave Mercy, I simply could not wait to read this one and for good reason. Dark Triumph not only did Grave Mercy the justice it deserved but took the story and made it more personal, dark and dangerous. While Grave Mercy included these themes it was more about the political intrigue while Dark Triumph went deep into the characters hearts and pasts.

Sybella was a wonderful protagonist she was strong and courageous. I was hooked onto the book trying to find out what it was that shaped her into the person she had become. At the same time I saw the events of the book shape her once more into a new woman. Robin LaFevers is very talented in this way as she is in all the other aspects of her writing. 

Beast was fantastic as always, I'm so glad that we got more of him in this book! I love how for once the male interest isn't handsome and swoon worthy, instead Beast is blatantly ugly and he acknowledges it.  A fact that made him even more endearing to me and Sybella, if I do say so myself. His brave and caring nature was a perfect match for Sybella.

The plot and writing were gripping and interesting. I was sucked into the story instantly and the action sequences only helped keep me even more engrossed. Also, I loved how Ismae continued to be present in the plot as an important side character, if no longer the main character.

Overall, it was a fantastic read. I'm really loving the female assassins and the historical fiction / fantasy books. So if your are into those kind of books make sure to check this series out! Can't wait for the next instalment in this series.

Mini Review: Double Crossed

Double Crossed - Ally Carter
Release Date: January 2, 2012

Publisher: Harper Teen

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages: 299
Source: NetGalley 

Buy the Book: Amazon FREE!

Macey McHenry—Glamorous society girl or spy-in-training?

W.W. Hale V—Heir to an American dynasty or master thief?

There are two sides to every coin. Whether these two can work together is a tossup.

Born into privilege, Macey and Hale are experts at mingling with the upper class. But even if they’ve never raised an eyebrow at the glitz, neither teenager has ever felt at home with the glamour.

When Macey and Hale meet at a society gala, the party takes a dangerous turn. Suddenly they’re at the center of a hostage situation, and it’s up to them to stop the thugs from becoming hostile. Will Macey’s spy skills and Hale’s con-man ways be enough to outsmart a ruthless gang? Or will they have to seek out the ultimate inside girl to help?

The worlds of Heist Society and the Gallagher Girls collide in Ally Carter’s fast-paced, high-stakes and tantalizing new story. Get a behind the scenes glimpse as Ally delivers an irresistible thriller that is full of her signature style and savvy twists.

Synopsis and cover taken from Goodreads.   

My Review:
Teenage spies, con-artists and a hostage situation, Double Crossed is anything if not a fun and quick read for fans of the Gallagher Girls Series and or Heist Society by Ally Carter.

Personally, I haven't read the Gallagher Girl Series so when I started reading the novella, I was a little worried that I wouldn't get the story and that it would contain spoilers in case I ever read the series. But as expected Ally Carter managed to weave the story so that even those who are unfamiliar with both series' can enjoy the novella.

Despite it short length, I felt it was a fun read. I loved the setting of the story, there is nothing better than a hostage situation to add some spice to a spy/thief novella.

W.W. Hale was as perfect as ever. I really enjoyed his interactions with Macey and Kat, as they never failed to crack me up. Katarina Bishop was also brilliant and entertaining for the amount of pages that she appeared in the story. As for Macey, I really enjoyed reading about her 'school'.

Overall, Double Crossed is a great quick read for those looking for one. It fun fresh and puts you in the mood for some spy/thief action.

Cover Reveal/Spotlight - Wild Cards

Wild Cards - Simone Elkeles

(Wild Cards #1)

Published: October 1st, 2013

Publisher: Walker Books for Young Readers

(Goodreads) 

After getting kicked out of boarding school, bad boy Derek Fitzpatrick has no choice but to live with his ditzy stepmother while his military dad is deployed. Things quickly go from bad to worse when he finds out she plans to move them back to her childhood home in Illinois. Derek’s counting the days before he can be on his own, and the last thing he needs is to get involved with someone else’s family drama.
Ashtyn Parker knows one thing for certain--people you care about leave without a backward glance. A football scholarship would finally give her the chance to leave. So she pours everything into winning a state championship, until her boyfriend and star quarterback betrays them all by joining their rival team. Ashtyn needs a new game plan, but it requires trusting Derek—someone she barely knows, someone born to break the rules. Is she willing to put her heart on the line to try and win it all?

Synopsis: Awesome! It reminds me a lot of Catching Jordan by Miranada Kenneally, which is also about a girl who plays football. I really adored that book and have since then been dying to find something similar. Also, I could always do with more of Simone's sexy cast of bad boys!

Cover:  I wouldn't get caught reading it in a public setting or around my parents but I like how we see the football figure in the bottom half. If I were to look at it at a bookstore I would immediately know that football is present in this book, which is a great thing as covers should tell you something about a book. 

Excitement: SUPER EXCITED! I need this book in my life, yesterday. I absolutely adore Simone and her books! Perfect Chemistry was and still is my top 5 favourite books of all time and I read it at least once a year. Very high expectations so I can't wait.

What Do You Guy Think?

Spotlight - Touch of Power

Touch of Power - Maria V. Snyder (Healer #1)

Release Date: December 20, 2011

Publisher: Mira

Age Group: Young Adult 

Pages: 390

Buy the Book: Amazon

Laying hands upon the injured and dying, Avry of Kazan assumes their wounds and diseases into herself. But rather than being honored for her skills, she is hunted. Healers like Avry are accused of spreading the plague that has decimated the Territories, leaving the survivors in a state of chaos.

Stressed and tired from hiding, Avry is abducted by a band of rogues who, shockingly, value her gift above the golden bounty offered for her capture. Their leader, an enigmatic captor-protector with powers of his own, is unequivocal in his demands: Avry must heal a plague-stricken prince—leader of a campaign against her people. As they traverse the daunting Nine Mountains, beset by mercenaries and magical dangers, Avry must decide who is worth healing and what is worth dying for. Because the price of peace may well be her life....

Synopsis and cover taken from Goodreads.  

Why It's Awesome:

- It's by Maria V. Snyder the amazing author of the Poison Study Series and many more!

- It's a fantasy adventure involving magic, and an awesome band of epic characters!

- Political intrigue, kidnapping and high adventure.

- Strong protagonist who fights for what she believes in and an awesome love interest!

Recommended for Fans of:

- Gracling, Fire, Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore
- Grave Mercy, Dark Triumph by Robin Lafevers
- Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Mass
- Eon, Eona by Alison Goodman

Book Trailer

Book Review - Something Like Normal

Something Like Normal - Trish Dollar
Release Date: June 19, 2012

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Age Group: Young Adult / New Adult

Pages: 224

Buy the Book: Amazon

When Travis returns home from a stint in Afghanistan, his parents are splitting up, his brother’s stolen his girlfriend and his car, and he’s haunted by nightmares of his best friend’s death. It’s not until Travis runs into Harper, a girl he’s had a rocky relationship with since middle school, that life actually starts looking up. And as he and Harper see more of each other, he begins to pick his way through the minefield of family problems and post-traumatic stress to the possibility of a life that might resemble normal again. Travis’s dry sense of humor, and incredible sense of honor, make him an irresistible and eminently lovable hero.

Synopsis and cover taken from Goodreads.   

My Review:

Something Like Normal is about Travis, a Marine returning home for a month after a tragic incident in Afghanistan that left him scarred. Within moments of stepping foot in his small hometown, he realizes his mistake. His dad hates him, his brother stole his girlfriend and his mother's overflowing love is bound to suffocate him. Everything is too much for Travis, and then he meets Harper, the girl he screwed over in Middle School. She has grown into a wonderful young lady and Travis can't get enough of her. But will their past get in the way of their future, more specifically Travis's recent experiences?

I'm so glad to have picked up this book as I don't read enough books with male protagonists. Travis's voice was great, I connected with him and understood the things he did. I loved how the PTSD was incorporated into the story, and the flash back to Afghanistan and Charlie were interesting to read about. 

I really like reading books about Marine's and their life, how they deal, and how their family's deal. Something Like Normal gave us a peak into that. I especially liked seeing Travis's growth from when he was a normal kid trying to get by high school to who he became when he joined the Military. 

Sadly, there were somethings that I had a problem with in this book, most of which are due to its short length. I found all the side-characters like Travis's dad, brother, and friends, all very one dimensional and flat. They didn't grow or change and we didn't see good enough proof to explain why they are the way they are. His dad and brother were straight up idiots, I hated them. His mother was the stereotypical soccer mom with no depth. At one point she actually flat out stated that Travis is her favourite son... I don't know, lets just say she isn't getting the most realistic literary mother award.

As for Harper and Travis's relationship, I think it was probably what made the book for me. That and Travis's marine friends! I liked how Travis acted around Harper, like she was good for him. Still, I felt Harper forgave him too quickly and their relationship jumped from 1 to 5 within 20 pages. 

Overall, it was a fun read, very interesting. Definitely more of a light read with some dark elements. It's a good introductory book to the New Adult genre with minimal sexual content compared to some of the other books. Still I would say for readers 16 and up!

IMM/ Stacking the Shelves #5

Welcome to this weeks IMM/Stacking the Shelves!
In My Mailbox and Stacking the Shelves are weekly memes held by Tynga's Reviews and The Story Siren. Here we share all the new and amazing books we acquired over the past week!

Unravel Me - Tahereh Mafi
Can't wait to check this one out. I really enjoyed Shatter Me. I love the idea of a girl with a lethal touch. Can't wait to read this!

Dark Triumph - Robin LeFevers
Oh goodness! Fangirl shriek! Guys this is my life. I love this series so much it is definitely next on the list for me. Can't wait to see more of this world and characters! Go team assasin NUNS!

Fire Study - Maria V. Snyder
Scent of Magic - Maria V. Snyder
I really love Maria V. Snyder so far I've loved everything that I've read by her. I hope these two sequels are just as good as the previous book in each of the respective series (Poison Study Series and Healers Series).

Sorry for the lack of posting as of late, life has been so hectic and it's only going to get worse from here. Summer can't come fast enough :( But hopefully I'll make sometime to read these amazing books and do some fun posts soon! Thanks for stopping by The Book Faerie, leave a comment with your links, I would love to see what you guys got!

So, What's New On Your Shelves This Week?

Book News - Divergent

And it's official the title of the third and final installment in the Divergent Trilogy was revealed today!

ALLEGIANT

10.22.13

Oh my goodness I cannot wait!

I love the title although I wouldn't have minded Detergent! After the ending of Insurgent, Allegiant is a very curious title. Are alliances changing? If so with what? So many question and so little answers. All I can say is I need this book.

Note: I love the little video, if it was meant to make me excited then it succeeded. 

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Book Trailer - Dark Triumph

Dark Triumph - Robin LaFevers

Release Date: April 2, 2013

(Goodreads/Amazon)

Trailer

This trailer's been out for a while and the book also came out this month, but I hadn't seen it till now and this makes me so much more excited to read the book!

For those of you who don't know about this series, it's an epic historical fantasy story about female assassins. It's filled with action, suspense and court intrigue. I've yet to read this one but the first book Grave Mercy was phenomenal! 

As for the trailer itself, I think it did a great job serving its purpose of making the audience interested and excited to read this book! I know I can't wait :) 

What Do You Think?

IMM/Stacking the Shelves #4

Welcome to this weeks IMM/Stacking the Shelves!
In My Mailbox and Stacking the Shelves are weekly memes held by Tynga's Reviews and The Story Siren. Here we share all the new and amazing books we acquired over the past week!

Clockwork Princess - Cassandra Clare

Squeals!! I love Cassandra Clare and her Shadowhunters in the Mortal Instruments but as a lover of historical fiction she really hit the nail on the head for me in this series. I adore Tessa, Jem and faint Will! Can't wait to see how their story ends although sadly I was spoiled but only a little. 

So, What's New On Your Shelves This Week?

Book Review - Altered

Altered - Jennifer Rush
Release Date: January 1, 2013

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages: 323

Buy the Book: Amazon

When you can’t trust yourself, who can you believe?

Everything about Anna’s life is a secret. Her father works for the Branch at the helm of its latest project: monitoring and administering treatments to the four genetically altered boys in the lab below their farmhouse. There’s Nick, Cas, Trev . . . and Sam, who’s stolen Anna’s heart. When the Branch decides it’s time to take the boys, Sam stages an escape, killing the agents sent to retrieve them. 

Anna is torn between following Sam or staying behind in the safety of her everyday life. But her father pushes her to flee, making Sam promise to keep her away from the Branch, at all costs. There’s just one problem. Sam and the boys don’t remember anything before living in the lab—not even their true identities.

Now on the run, Anna soon discovers that she and Sam are connected in more ways than either of them expected. And if they’re both going to survive, they must piece together the clues of their past before the Branch catches up to them and steals it all away.

Synopsis and cover taken from Goodreads.   

My Review:

What an action packed and gripping read! My reading Altered was a pure accident. I was scrolling down my goodreads feed when it peaked my interest and I clicked on it to see what it was about. And boy am I glad I did. Within moments my Kobo was the out and I knew what I was doing for the rest of the night, never mind homework!

Altered is about Anna who lives in a farm house with her scientist father. Sounds normal enough, except her father happens to work for a mysterious company called The Branch, and is participating in an experiment called OP Alpha. Cue four hot, genetically altered, superhuman, lab experiment boys with no recollection of their past. And to make things even more interesting they live in her basement! Through a series of explosive events, Anna is forced to go on the run with the boys as they try to remember their past, which becomes increasingly difficult with The Branch sending out muscle to stop them at every turn. At the same time Anna and Sam, the 'leader' of the boys, are inevitably falling for each other. But their journey takes them to discover life altering secrets, not just about the boys but Anna too.

At its very root this book is an action-thriller and I felt that all the components that made up a good action-thriller, at least in my opinion was met with some minor hitches here and there. I felt the plot was very well planned out. Everything fell into place at the proper time. I was excited and even more intrigued with every twist. The writing was clear, vivid and interesting. Altered was a definite plot/writing win for me.

As for the characters, sigh! Let's just say that Anna is one lucky girl. There is Sam the mysterious hero/prodigy and protective leader; Nick the brooding bad boy with a past; Cas the group clown and finally Trev the best friend with an eidetic memory for quotes. The four boys together kind of made the package for me, they were funny, charming and they had a real bond among each other that I enjoyed seeing and reading about.

Anna was a great protagonist, she was curious and head strong as she fought for herself when the boys tried to keep her 'safe' and out of the action. My only problems with the book that I can think of was sadly with Anna's character. I found her to be a bit clingy and childish at times. But thankfully she kind of came into her own as the story progressed and I enjoyed reading about the independent young woman that she was becoming. I can't wait to see how her character and the story progresses as the series continues.

Overall, I found Altered to be an amazing read. It was just what I needed, something different and even refreshing as we come off the dystopia/vampire/werewolf/angel craze. On that note, Altered really reminded me of The Darkest Powers Trilogy by Kelley Armstrong. Probably due to the common topic of human experimentation. So,  I recommend this book to fans of Kelly Armstrong's series and all lovers of action-thriller and an all around fun read.

Teaser Tuesday (18)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read 
• Open to a random page 
• 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!) 
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My Teasers:

"They say the Hood is part fey, a spirit of the trees. They'll never betray him." 

"Damn right," I muttered.

Scarlet - Marie Lu

I read this one last week and it blew my mind! I really recommend it, especially to lovers of fairy tale retelling, Robin Hood, historical fiction, action and basically anyone looking for a great read!!