Winner!

The winner of the A Vampire Christmas Carol is Darcus! The winner was chosen by Random.org and has been notified by email.

Thank you to everyone who participated in the giveaway. I have a few more giveaways coming up so make sure you enter.

Waiting on Wednesday – Insurgent

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

Title: Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Publisher: HarperCollins
Publish Date: May 28, 2012
Genre: Dystopia, Science Fiction

Summary: One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

I’m sure Insurgent will be a popular Waiting on Wednesday pick this week and it should be. Divergent is one of the best books I have read this year and one of my all time favorites, you can read my review here. Insurgent is one of my most anticipated books for 2012. The cover is amazing (I love gritty/artistic dystopian covers), it complements the Divergent cover and the summary has me dying to get my hands on this book. What books are you guys waiting on?

Book Review: Isle of Night

Title: Isle of Night by Veronica Wolff

Release Date: Sept. 6, 2011
Publisher: NAL Trade
Pages: 302 pages
Genre: Paranormal
Rating: 4 stars
Source: Library

Goodreads Summary: Is life offering fewer and fewer options? Then join the dead.

When Annelise meets dark and seductive Ronan, he promises her a new life-if she has the courage to chance the unknown. Now, she's whisked away to a mysterious island and pitted against other female recruits to become a Watcher - girls who are partnered with vampires and assist them in their missions. To survive and become a Watcher, Annelise has to beat out every other girl, but she's determined to do so, because to fail doesn't mean dishonor-it means death.

When I read this summary a few months ago, I thought it sounded a bit crazy but I was intrigued. Turns out I was right. Isle of Night is crazy, as in a crazy good, highly entertaining vampire novel!

Annelise Drew, or Drew, is a super smart girl who yearns to get out of her small town of Christmas, Florida and get away from her drunken and abusive father. She graduates from high school one semester early but when she goes to the University of Florida to enroll, she finds out that her papers are not in order and technically, she has no high school diploma. Broke and homeless, Drew is approached by Ronin, the extremely attractive guy with a sexy accent. He tells Drew that he can take her to an island that offers an education to special girls like her and she accepts, getting into his private jet and flying off into the unknown. Of course, he fails to tell her that she will be training to work for vampires and its either she succeeds during training or she dies.

Isle of Night starts of a bit slow and I was very annoyed with Drew for getting on the plane without knowing exactly what she was getting herself into. After about 60 pages, the pace of the story picks up dramatically and the action is almost non-stop after that. Drew’s character is very snarky, which I liked. Even though the books are very different, Drew’s character reminds me of Katniss from The Hunger Games and Tris from Divergent – girls that are not violent by nature but when backed into a corner, they will push themselves to be the best, to succeed in spite of other people’s expectations and know that sometimes you have to use brains, not brawn to get out of a bad situation.

The secondary characters were very well written. I love Ronin and really want to read more about him in the sequel. Lilac, Drew’ nemesis, is one of the meanest mean girls I have come across in a while and let’s not forget this is a vampire book. The vamps in Isle of Night are a sickly combination of creepy and sensual at the same time.

While the book focuses on Drew and her experience and personal growth, I am really looking forward to the sequel, Vampire’s Kiss. I hope it will tell us more about the vampire mythology, why they need Watchers and maybe a little more romance. Isle of Night seems to be flying a bit under the radar but it is really worth reading. Vampire’s Kiss will be released in March 2012.

Content: Heavy profanity and violence, may be more appropriate for older teens and adults.

Book Review: Sacrifice

Title: Sacrifice by Melinda Metz and Laura J. Burns

Release Date: Sept. 20, 2011
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing
Pages: 256 pages
Genre: Paranormal
Rating: 4 stars
Source: Publisher through S&S Galley Grab

SPOILER WARNING: The summary and review contain spoilers to the first book in the series, Crave.

Goodreads Summary: Gabriel and Shay are convinced that they can make their relationship work. Knowing that Shay is half-vampire, Gabriel thinks that his coven will embrace her as one of their own, but instead they view her as an abomination, a thing that doesn’t belong in either world. And they want her dead. Now Gabriel must make the ultimate decision - watch his love be killed by his coven or defy the people closest to him, the people he has spent centuries with to save her.

I had some issues with Crave, mostly the main character’s bratty behavior and the speed at which their relationship progressed into undying love. You can read my review here. Crave ended with a huge cliffhanger so when I saw Sacrifice on Galley Grab, I really wanted to know how the story ends. I’m happy I did because I like Sacrifice more than I liked Crave.

Sacrifice begins exactly where Crave ended with Gabriel taking Shay to his coven believing that they will help and protect her because she is half-vampire. Turns out Gabriel could not have been more wrong and his family hates her. The tables are turned in this book so instead of Gabriel being held captive by Shay’s family, Shay is now the prisoner.

Shay’s character is significantly matured in Sacrifice, it’s almost like she is a different, much more likable girl. If you can look past the idea that they have know each other for about two weeks, you will appreciate the level of commitment that Gabriel and Shay make to each other. To be together, the couple has to fight against the horrible prejudices and the intense level of anger and bitterness that their families feel toward each other. I really wanted these two to be together and that’s not something I thought I would say after reading Crave.

I enjoyed Sacrifice, it makes the series worth reading. It’s a quick read, fast paced and I think anyone who likes YA vampire romance will also enjoy this. 

Content: Kissing, mild profanity and violence

Waiting on Wednesday – Stolen Away

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

Title: Stolen Away by Alyxandra Harvey

Publisher: Walker Childrens
Publish Date: Jan. 5, 2012
Genre: Paranormal, Fairies

Goodreads Summary: For seventeen years, Eloise Hart had no idea the world of Faery even existed. Now she has been abducted and trapped in the Rath of Lord Strahan, King of Faery. Strahan was only meant to rule for seven years, as Faery tradition dictates, and then give up his crown to another. But he won't comply, and now chaos threatens both worlds.

The only one who can break his stranglehold on the Faery court is his wife. . . Eloise's aunt Antonia. Using Eloise to lure Antonia, Strahan captures his wife, desperate to end the only threat to his reign. Now Eloise must become the rescuer. Together with her best friends Jo and Devin, she must forge alliances with other Fae, including a gorgeous protector named Lucas, and Strahan's mysterious son, Eldric-who may or may not betray them.

Without a doubt, Julie Kagawa has set a new standard for fairy stories and now that the Iron Fae series is coming to an end, I am looking for another great fae book to get into. Stolen Away sounds like it could be that book. Additionally, I have heard great things about Harvey’s other books so I’m sure this will be awesome! What are you waiting for?

Book Review: Juliet Immortal

Title: Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay

Release Date: August 9, 2011
Publisher: Delacort Books for Young Readers
Pages: 304 pages
Genre: Paranormal
Rating: 3.5 stars
Source: Library

Goodreads Summary: The most tragic love story in history . . . Juliet Capulet didn't take her own life. She was murdered by the person she trusted most, her new husband, Romeo Montague, a sacrifice made to ensure his own immortality. But what Romeo didn't anticipate was that Juliet would be granted eternity, as well, and would become an agent for the Ambassadors of Light. For 700 years, she's fought Romeo for the souls of true lovers, struggling to preserve romantic love and the lives of the innocent. Until the day she meets someone she's forbidden to love, and Romeo, oh Romeo, will do everything in his power to destroy that love.

Juliet Immortal has an interesting premise. It’s both a retelling and a continuation of a story that most of us know very well.

After Romeo betrays Juliet to gain immortality from the Mercenaries, or the agents of dark, she is recruited to work for the Ambassadors, the agents of light. As an immortal, Romeo is sent to couples who are destined to be soul mates and convince them to choose immortality over love by killing each other. Juliet is sent to the same couple but her job is to convince them to love, not kill, each other.

Juliet has a really tough job. Not only does she have to physically and emotionally fight Romeo (who is always trying to kill her, again), her mission is further complicated by the body of the girl she temporarily inhabits. Prior to Juliet’s soul moving in, Ariel is an emotionally damaged girl with low self esteem. I love that Juliet works to make Ariel’s life better, to improve the relationships with Ariel’s loved ones. I also love how this story is told from Juliet’s perspective and she is the hero, not the victim in the story. Not everything or everyone is as they seem initially, and there are some nice twists in the book that I was not expecting.

While I like many things about the story, I’m not crazy about the insta-love in the book and the speed at which the entire story takes place. I do understand that the story mirrors Romeo and Juliet which happens fairly quickly as well, but I just wasn’t feeling it. I love Ben’s character and I see why he and Juliet like each other, but again the all consuming love after a few days is wearing thin on me. Why do the events of so many YA novels take place in a week or less? I also thought the ending of Juliet Immortal was a bit contrived.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and Jay’s writing. I like the original take on a classic and think anyone who enjoys YA will like this more Juliet empowered version of Shakespeare’s tragedy.

Content: Kissing, sexual situations, mild profanity and violence

Crossover Christian Fiction

A couple of weeks ago, I reviewed the awesome Waterfall by Lisa T. Bergren (read my review here) where I commented that there were not enough YA Christian books on the market with the crossover appeal of Bergren’s River of Time series. While I enjoy Christian fiction, I know some people are turned off by the preachy quality of it. I want to highlight some upcoming novels that I can’t wait read and I think they will appeal to readers who normally would not be interested in Christian fiction. Not all these books are YA or would be considered paranormal, but they all look so good!

Title: Forbidden by Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee
Pub. Info: Sept. 13 by Center Street

An apocalyptic/dystopian story about the world being drained of all emotions except fear. While this definitely not YA, I love dystopia and am so excited about this book. Ted Dekker is a powerhouse writer and Tosca Lee is good too. We have a short wait for this one, it comes out tomorrow!

Title: Kiss of Night by Debbie Viguie
Pub. Info: Oct. 7 by FaithWords

About a girl who can sense things in the supernatural realm who is recruited by a vampire to wage war on his enemy in modern-day Prague. I have a copy of this book and am dying to start it! Plus, as other bloggers have pointed out, the guy on the cover looks a bit like Johnny Depp.

Title: There You’ll Find Me by Jenny B. Jones
Pub. Info: Oct. 4 by Thomas Nelson

American girl goes to Ireland as a foreign exchange student after her brother's death, meets the teen star of the hottest new vampire movie on the plane ride there and starts a friendship with him. I am not a huge fan of contemporary fiction by my bloggy friend KM at One Page At A Time recommended this and she has never steered me wrong!

Title: Halflings by Heather Burch
Pub. Info: Feb. 2012 by Zondervan

After she is attacked by demons, a girl is protected by three half-human/half-angel boys and she falls for two of them and they for her. I have yet to see any Christian YA book like this one. Not sure if I can stand waiting until February to read it.

Title: Angel Eyes by Shannon Dittemore
Pub. Info: 2012 by Thomas Nelson

After a tragedy, a girl finds out the angelic realm is real and the boy who lives next door is one of them. This book doesn’t have a cover or a release date yet and I want it already!

How do you feel about Christian fiction? Are you looking forward to any of these books? Are there other crossover Christian fiction novels that I left out?