Review + Giveaway: The Lost Prince

Title: The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa

Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Pages: 378 pages
Release Date: Oct. 23, 2012
Genre: Fantasy
Links: Website, Facebook

Summary: Don't look at Them. Never let Them know you can see Them. That is Ethan Chase's unbreakable rule. Until the fey he avoids at all costs—including his reputation—begin to disappear, and Ethan is attacked. Now he must change the rules to protect his family. To save a girl he never thought he'd dare to fall for.

Ethan thought he had protected himself from his older sister's world—the land of Faery. His previous time in the Iron Realm left him with nothing but fear and disgust for the world Meghan Chase has made her home, a land of myth and talking cats, of magic and seductive enemies. But when destiny comes for Ethan, there is no escape from a danger long, long forgotten.

I was so sad when The Iron Fey series ended. Julie Kagawa is a brilliant world builder and after I read the last book in the series, I felt like I was saying goodbye to well loved characters. Oh how I love Ms. Kagawa for bringing them back!!!

The Lost Prince picks up several years after the last Iron Fey novel and we meet Ethan Chase as a teenage boy with a lot of issues, all stemming from the fact that he has ‘the Sight,’ the ability to see the fey. Ethan is a really great character and despite his tough exterior, I liked him right away. While The Lost Prince is solidly Ethan’s story, we do run into our favorites from the Iron Fey series and the familiar characters make the story so much better! It is really cool to see Ethan all grown up and taking on the fey that almost killed him and who make his life miserable. New characters such as Kenzie and Keirran are also very well written and well developed. I look forward to reading more about them in upcoming books in this series.

Even though I’m a character driven reader, it’s Kagawa’s world building that always impresses me and it is fantastic in The Lost Prince! I really enjoyed going back to the twisted world of the Nevernever and I can’t wait to get back there again.

If you read the Iron Fey series, you will slip right into the story of The Lost Prince but even if this is your first novel by Julie Kagawa, it will be very easy to understand Ethan’s back story and enjoy this book. The Lost Prince is very well written, has a great plot, tons of action and a sweet romance. This is definitely a new series for me to love and I highly recommend it. The second book in the Call of the Forgotten trilogy will be released in Nov. 2013 and I cannot wait!

My Rating: Really Good!

Content: Kissing, violence and mild profanity

Giveaway!

Want to win a finished copy of The Lost Prince? Simply fill out the Rafflecopter entry below. Two lucky winners will be chosen by Random.org so good luck! Special thanks to Big Honcho Media for providing the review copy and giveaways!

Waiting on Wednesday: Ashes on the Waves

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming novels we can't wait to read. This week’s choice is:

Title: Ashes on the Waves by Mary Lindsey
Publisher: Philomel/Penguin
Publish Date: June 27, 2013
Genre: Horror

Goodreads Summary: Liam MacGregor is cursed. Haunted by the wails of fantastical Bean Sidhes and labeled a demon by the villagers of Dòchas, Liam has accepted that things will never get better for him—until a wealthy heiress named Annabel Leighton arrives on the island and Liam’s fate is changed forever.

With Anna, Liam finally finds the happiness he has always been denied; but, the violent, mythical Otherworlders, who inhabit the island and the sea around it, have other plans. They make a wager on the couple’s love, testing its strength through a series of cruel obstacles. But the tragedies draw Liam and Anna even closer. Frustrated, the creatures put the couple through one last trial—and this time it’s not only their love that’s in danger of being destroyed.

Based on Edgar Allan Poe’s chilling poem Annabel Lee, Mary Lindsey creates a frighteningly beautiful gothic novel that glorifies the power of true love.

Why am I waiting on Ashes on the Waves? Lately, I’ve become a bit fascinated by YA books based on stories and poems by Edgar Allan Poe and this sounds like a good one. What books are you waiting on?

Spooktacular Giveaway Hop!

Welcome to the Spooktacular Giveaway Hop hosted by I Am A Reader Not A Writer and The Diary of a Bookworm. This hop runs from Oct. 24-31.

For this hop, I’m giving away an ARC of Cursed by Jennifer L. Armentrout. I’m a huge Armentrout fan and can’t think of a better Halloween giveaway than a story about a girl who has been brought back from the dead AND who kills everything she touches! Just fill out the Rafflecopter form below and good luck!

Winner!

Congrats to Marie Haney, the winner of the Happily Ever After Giveaway Hop! The winner was chosen by Random.org and has been contacted. Thank you to everyone who participated!

Waiting on Wednesday: Black City

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming novels we can't wait to read. This week’s choice is:

Title: Black City by Elizabeth Richards
Publisher: G.P. Putnam
Publish Date: Nov. 13, 2012
Genre: Dystopia, Paranormal

Goodreads Summary: A dark and tender post-apocalyptic love story set in the aftermath of a bloody war.

In a city where humans and Darklings are now separated by a high wall and tensions between the two races still simmer after a terrible war, sixteen-year-olds Ash Fisher, a half-blood Darkling, and Natalie Buchanan, a human and the daughter of the Emissary, meet and do the unthinkable—they fall in love.

Bonded by a mysterious connection that causes Ash’s long-dormant heart to beat, Ash and Natalie first deny and then struggle to fight their forbidden feelings for each other, knowing if they’re caught, they’ll be executed—but their feelings are too strong.

When Ash and Natalie then find themselves at the center of a deadly conspiracy that threatens to pull the humans and Darklings back into war, they must make hard choices that could result in both their deaths.

Why am I waiting on Black City? 2012 seems to be the year for the dystopian/post apocalyptic vampire novel and I am loving it! Plus, the boy’s name is Ash and I cannot resist a YA novel with a boy named Ash :-). What books are you waiting on?

Waiting on Wednesday: Ink

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming novels we can't wait to read. This week’s choice is:

Title: Ink by Amanda Sun
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Publish Date: June 5, 2013
Genre: Mythology, Fantasy

Goodreads Summary: I looked down at the paper, still touching the tip of my shoe. I reached for it, flipping the page over to look.

Scrawls of ink outlined a drawing of girl lying on a bench.

A sick feeling started to twist in my stomach, like motion sickness.

And then the girl in the drawing turned her head, and her inky eyes glared straight into mine.

On the heels of a family tragedy, the last thing Katie Greene wants to do is move halfway across the world. Stuck with her aunt in Shizuoka, Japan, Katie feels lost. Alone. She doesn’t know the language, she can barely hold a pair of chopsticks, and she can’t seem to get the hang of taking her shoes off whenever she enters a building.

Then there’s gorgeous but aloof Tomohiro, star of the school’s kendo team. How did he really get the scar on his arm? Katie isn’t prepared for the answer. But when she sees the things he draws start moving, there’s no denying the truth: Tomo has a connection to the ancient gods of Japan, and being near Katie is causing his abilities to spiral out of control. If the wrong people notice, they'll both be targets.

Katie never wanted to move to Japan—now she may not make it out of the country alive.

Why am I waiting on Ink? You guys know that I love mythology and there isn’t nearly enough Japanese mythology in YA books these days. This book sounds awesome and I am VERY excited about it. What books are you waiting on?

Happily Ever After Giveaway Hop!

Welcome to the Happily Ever After Giveaway Hop hosted by I Am A Reader Not A Writer and Murphy’s Library. This hop runs from Oct. 9-14.

For this hop, I’m giving away a finished copy of Sound of the Heart by Genevieve Graham. This is a sweeping and epic love story and while it’s not a YA novel, it’s a historical romance that delivers on the happily ever after! Read my review here. Just fill out the Rafflecopter form below and good luck!

Winner!

Congrats to Erika Anderson Williams, the winner of the Stuck In A Good Book Giveaway Hop! The winner was chosen by Random.org and has been contacted. Thank you to everyone who participated!

Lately, I have been slow with reviews and mailing out giveaways. We are currently expecting baby #3 very soon and I have been working to get everything ready for our new addition so the post office has been getting neglected. However, I will be making a trip this week so all outstanding giveaways will be mailed!

Book Review: Short-Straw Bride

Title: Short-Straw Bride by Karen Witemeyer
Publisher: Bethany House
Pages: 365 pages
Release Date: June 1, 2012
Genre: Christian Fiction, Historical
Source: Publisher in exchange for an honest review

Goodreads Summary: No one steps on Archer land. Not if they value their life. But when Meredith Hayes overhears a lethal plot to burn the Archer brothers off their ranch, a twelve-year-old debt compels her to take the risk.

Fourteen years of constant vigilance hardens a man. Yet when Travis Archer confronts a female trespasser with the same vivid blue eyes as the courageous young girl he once aided, he can't bring himself to send her away. And when an act of sacrifice leaves her injured and her reputation in shreds, gratitude and guilt send him riding to her rescue once again.

Four brothers. Four straws. One bride. Despite the fact that Travis is no longer the gallant youth Meredith once dreamed about, she determines to stand by his side against the enemy that threatens them both. But will love ever be hers? Or will Travis always see her merely as a short-straw bride?

I loved the beautiful, fun cover of this book the instant I saw it and was hoping it would be good. I’m happy to say that Karen Witemeyer did not disappoint!

Meredith (Meri) Hayes has had a crush on the reclusive Travis Archer since he rescued her when she hurt herself on his land when she was 10 years old. Twelve years later, she gets the opportunity to repay him for his kindness and ends up with much more than she bargained for.  

I love historical romances where the main characters are thrown into a situation where they are compelled to get married and then get to know each other afterwards. This one is even more fun since Meri already has a major crush on Travis and he is extremely lacking in the dating and courtship department.

Meri is a great main character! She is smart, spunky, brave and very likable. I also love the relationship she has with her cousin Cassie and the high road she takes with people who treat her poorly because she limps from an old injury. The dynamics with Travis and his three younger brothers is also great.

I’m a huge fan or well developed relationships and love the way Meri and Travis slowly fall for each other. There is also a really great message throughout the book about loyalty to family, friends and completely relying on God even when the circumstances look dire. This book is not all romance, however. There is some action in it as well as you would expect from a historical novel set on a ranch in Texas.

If you are in the mood for a really sweet, clean and romantic read, Short-Straw Bride is definitely the book for you! It’s well written and thoroughly enjoyable. I’ll definitely be looking out for more books from this author.

Content: Kissing and some violence

My Rating: Really Good!