Thanks to all of you how entered this giveaway, and a big thank you to Sonya Bateman for offering a copy of MASTER OF NONE. Did you miss Sonya’s Guest Blog about her ’The Question’? You can read it HERE.
The winner of a copy of MASTER OF NONE (chosen by Random.org)is…
My most dreaded question is what my hubby asks me every day.---What's for dinner?
Congratulations Julie! Please Contact Me with your address within 48 hours or a new winner will be drawn.
When Kaylee Cavanaugh screams, someone dies.
So when teen pop star Eden croaks onstage and Kaylee doesn't wail, she knows something is dead wrong. She can't cry for someone who has no soul.
The last thing Kaylee needs right now is to be skipping school, breaking her dad's ironclad curfew and putting her too-hot-to-be-real boyfriend's loyalty to the test. But starry-eyed teens are trading their souls: a flickering lifetime of fame and fortune in exchange for eternity in the Netherworld—a consequence they can't possibly understand.
Kaylee can't let that happen, even if trying to save their souls means putting her own at risk….
Review:
I think its safe to reveal some of the details about Rachel Vincent’s Soul Screamer’s universe for this review, but if you haven’t read My Soul to Take yet, then beware of spoilers from this point on.
As she discovered in My Soul to Take, Kaylee Cavanaugh is a banshee or bean sidhe. A soul screamer straight out of Irish folklore. In MY SOUL TO SAVE, Kaylee has been reunited with her long absent father (also a bean sidhe) and is struggling to adapt to the sudden parental authority in her life and all that goes with it: curfews, family dinners, and most notably no more alone time with her smoking hot boyfriend Nash (yep, he’s a bean sidhe too).
We get a lot more information about the Soul Screamers universe in MY SOUL TO SAVE, including visiting the Netherworld, bargaining with soul stealing demons, fending off junkie gremlins, and dealing with all levels of Grim Reapers. Best of all, some of Tod’s history is revealed.
But overall, MY SOUL TO SAVE felt very superficial. The plot about Disney-esque pop princess Addy who sold her soul for fame and fortune fell completely flat for me. Rachel Vincent did her best to paint Addy as a pathetic character worthy of sympathy, but I didn’t feel it. And Tod’s feelings for her actually made me like him less. I’m still hoping he’ll make a play for Kaylee and give us an interesting love triangle for My Soul to Keep.
I still like this series as a whole. Kaylee and Nash are the real draw for me, and the reason I’ll be reading My Soul to Keep when is releases on June 1, 2010. But I’ll also be hoping for a more mature plotline too, not to mention likeable supporting characters.
Sexual Content: (YA titles receive a more thorough breakdown) References to sex, a scene of mild sensuality, kissing.
My Rating (out of 5):
Good - A fun read with minor flaws. Maybe read an excerpt before buying.
Click HERE to read an excerpt of MY SOUL TO SAVE
Reading level: Young Adult 
Book Description:
Something is wrong with Kaylee Cavanaugh. She doesn't see dead people, but...
In My Soul to Take, she senses when someone near her is about to die. And when that happens, a force beyond her control compels her to scream bloody murder. Literally.
Kaylee just wants to be a normal girl, basking in the joy of having caught the attention of Nash, the hottest guy in school. But getting through a first date isn't easy when he seems to know more about Kaylee's need to scream than she does. And when classmates start dropping dead for no apparent reason, only she knows who'll be next...
Book 1 of The Soul Screamers series
Review:
I have been wanting to read this series after getting a tantalizing glimpse into Rachel Vincent’s popular Soul Screamers universe with her short story Binge (from the anthology Immortal: Love Stories With Bite). And after finishing MY SOUL TO TAKE, the acclaim is well deserved.
Kaylee and Nash are relatable, likeable characters. The other teenagers in this book are fairly stereotypical. Kaylee’s cousin, Sophie is the obligatory mean/beautiful cheerleader with the equally predictable jerk jock boyfriend. I did like that the adults in this book were actually involved in their kids lives, and came across as real characters rather than the props they are often relegated to in other YA fiction.
The real selling point of MY SOUL TO TAKE is the fresh source of paranormal mythology that it utilizes. Teen vamp books are a dime a dozen these days; some are good, some are The Vampire Diaries (though the TV adaptation is frothy fun). Irish mythology was ripe for the picking, and the Soul Screamers universe takes full advantage of these underused creatures, populating this story with Bean Sidhes (Banshees), Grim Reapers, Sirens, Hellions…I loved reading Rachel Vincent’s take on Irish folklore. She manages to humanized these very nonhuman beings in a very real way that even had me tearing up at one point.
Teen readers will love MY SOUL TO TAKE (the romance between Kaylee and Nash manages to be pretty steamy and yet chaste all at the same time), and for those of us who are no longer teenagers, there are still a fun couple hours to spend here. I started My Soul to Save as soon as I finished and I already know I’ll be looking forward to the third Soul Screamers book, My Soul to Keep which is due out June 1, 2010.
Sexual Content: (YA titles receive a more thorough breakdown) Kissing, references to sex, some sexual dialogue.
My Rating (out of 5):
Click HERE to read an excerpt of MY SOUL TO TAKE
Get the first Harlequin Teen story, My Soul to Lose, a FREE eBook exclusive prequel to Rachel Vincent's SOUL SCREAMERS series!
Reading level: Young Adult Disagree with my review? Email me your review for this or any other book I’ve reviewed and I might use it for 2nd Opinion Review
I always keep a running list of urban fantasy giveaways on my left sidebar (updated daily), but here is my weekly Win on Wednesday post to help you find all the current contests and giveaways to enter. All the giveaways are listed in order of the Enter by Date.
NEW indicates that the giveaway was added this week.
I’ve decided to start highlighting a few contests each week since the list is getting longer and longer and…
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Please join me in welcoming Carolyn Crane to ATUF today. Carolyn is the author of of the new urban fantasy MIND GAMES (which I loved. Check out my review HERE). We’re not doing your typical guest blog today (which is fitting since MIND GAMES isn’t your typical urban fantasy). Instead, Carolyn and I are going to tackle our very dissimilar TBR piles (her’s makes me want to cry a little) and with help from their creators, dig up some paranormal characters who read.
Carolyn Crane & Me on TBR Piles and Urban Fantasy Characters Who Read
1. State of TBR pile: okay, fess up. What does your TBR pile look like?
CAROLYN: Okay, I have this sort of pathetic small pine table from Ikea by the bed where I put books. It has a cubby for books waiting, and then a few are put on top of it, and those are “on deck.” And then, sometimes the waiting ones spill under the bed. It’s really terrible, because if I forget about them, they collect dust. It’s terrible to open a dusty book!
ABIGAIL: I'm the complete opposite: total neat freak. I get itchy just thinking about books stacked haphazardly. I used to have this very sturdy yard sale find that held my books, but wasn't much to look at even after I sanded and painted it. But eventually, I ran out of room. Fortunately for me, I have a wonderful carpenter friend who worked with me on building some custom bookcases. They are stunning sold cherry beauties that I just love. I have my books organized by genre on each shelf. Although I'm getting itchy at the moment because I have several stacked sideways on top. I guess its time to build a new bookcase :)
(My camera hates me at the moment. I’ll post my TBR pic soon)
CAROLYN: Oh, funny! I dream of someday being like that. Do you use an eReader at all? Do you ever miss not being able to see the books that you have on eReader? I love reading on my reader, but sometimes it’s weird not having all my books together.
ABIGAIL: No, I’m a luddite in that area. I like the sensory experience of holding a physical book too much. Plus I’m seriously cheap. $250 for an eReader is more than I can justify right now. I’m starting come around to the idea of eReaders though as my bookcases fill up and I start getting itchy :) I might have to ask for one for Christmas.
2. Stash sources: where do you get books?
ABIGAIL: Everywhere! Of course I buy way too many. But I also use lots of swap sites. Paperbackswap.com is my favorite, but SwapTree.com is great for getting newer titles. And books are what all my friends and family know are always on the top of my gift wish lists. Plus now that my blog has taken off I do receive some books for review which is fantastic.
CAROLYN: Ditto on the too many books. LOL. I visit area bookstores, independents, chains, and used, depending on what I’m searching for. Minneapolis has two fabulous sci fi/fantasy/pnr independents, so we’re spoiled. And this one has a mammoth selection of new and used, so it’s downright dangerous. I’ll also buy ebooks. If I have started a series on ebooks, I like to keep reading it on ebook.
ABIGAIL: Oh, I’m jealous about the sci fi/fantasy/pnr independents, but I have to be careful about going into bookstores. Like ‘here hold my wallet and don’t give it back to me no matter what I say’ careful. Amazon is much safer for me, though not by much.
3. Characters in MIND GAMES & their books
CAROLYN: When I was dating, it was always important to me to get a look at a guy’s book shelf and his music collection (that was before ipods, so you could see what a person had). I think a lot of people do that; it feels like a window into a person. That’s important to me with characters in books, too. I guess I don’t do too much with music in Mind Games, but everyone reads.
4. UF characters and books: Have we seen UF characters reading? Can we recall off the top of our heads characters who read, and what they read?
ABIGAIL: I remember Bella from Twilight reading Jane Austen and Betsy Taylor from the Undead series with her love of Gone With the Wind.
CAROLYN: I remember Anita Blake reading a book by Sharon Shinn on a plane. It actually made me pick up a Sharon Shinn book.
5. Twitter findings:
So, when fellow twitterers were asked about characters in books who read, we got all kinds of stuff: Here is the twitter research! it is in little bits, of course. Thanks to everyone who answered the query about characters and their books! And leave us comments if you think of more paranormal characters who read.
@GirrlitsBooks: I am sure I remember one or two spell books in Dresden files..
@heatherdearly: I remember the MC in SK's Bag of Bones commenting on books on the woman's shelves. I read one of them after because of it.
@jennablack: Sherrilyn Kenyon's heroines have been known to read Kinley MacGregor books. (I don't think she usually mentions the title.)
@RRRJes: Not sure if it counts but Sookie often says everything she learned is from genre fiction, expecially rom novels
@KINDLEVIXEN: for some reason i keep thinking the heroine in Broken by @shilohwalker was reading something but its hazy so i may be confused
@NicolePeeler: My Jane reads loads... And all genres. Katie McAllister's heroine's friend in her first vamp book reads PR......as does Wanda in @dakotacassidy's Accidental series.
Follow up to Dakota:
@dakotacassidy: Oh, yes! She devours romance novels. I forgot. LMAO. OMG--what does that say about me?????
@MarkHenry: I had Amanda reading Jen Lancaster's Bitter is the New Black in Happy Hour.
@LisaHendrix: A character in one of my books was reading one of my earlier books (which went unnamed, but fans could recognize) Hero found the book & read a hot scene aloud in an effort to embarrass her. Had slightly diff effect on both of them <g>
when asked what book:
It was in Runaway Bay, and they were reading the van scene from To Marry an Irish Rogue (tho' like I said, it went unnamed)
@LesliesPsyche: In Ilona Andrews' Magic Burns Kate finds Curran reading her fav pb The Princess Bride.
@Tamara_Allen: The character Niko in Rob Thurman's Nightlife series is an intellectual character/tough-as-nails fighter--reads all the time.
when asked what Niko reads:
@Rob_Thurman: stereotypical THE ART OF WAR by Sun Tzu, THE PRINCE by Machiavelli, various medical books, Basho for a good haiku
and any book available on mythology except the Necromicon which is oddly always checked out of the library
Goodfellow of course co wrote the kama sutra with Mallanaga Vatsyayana
and Cal reads. Sometimes. if Niko has canceled the porn channel. Don't underestimate the man.
Thanks Carolyn for stopping by. Come back anytime.
Interested in guest blogging on All Things Urban Fantasy? CONTACT ME
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