Thank you all for entering the giveaway and to Jack from Orbit Books for providing the five (5) copies of DEATH MOST DEFINITE by Trent Jamieson.
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I am a beast.
A beast. Not quite wolf or bear, gorilla or dog but a horrible new creature who walks upright—a creature with fangs and claws and hair springing from every pore. I am a monster.
You think I'm talking fairy tales? No way. The place is New York City. The time is now. It's no deformity, no disease. And I'll stay this way forever—ruined—unless I can break the spell.
Yes, the spell, the one the witch in my English class cast on me. Why did she turn me into a beast who hides by day and prowls by night? I'll tell you. I'll tell you how I used to be Kyle Kingsbury, the guy you wished you were, with money, perfect looks, and the perfect life. And then, I'll tell you how I became perfectly . . . beastly.
BEASTLY is a modern retelling of the classic Beauty and The Beast fairy tale, but told from the perspective of the Beast. It was the trailer for the upcoming movie adaptation hitting theaters on July 30, 2010(see trailer below) that sparked my interest in this story.
Unfortunately, the inevitable HEA for the couple was almost totally bereft of romance. They share several sweet moments together, but Kyle has this raging insecurity about his appearance (FYI Kyle looks like a wookie in the book compared to the much cooler scarred look in the movie) coupled with his desperation to break the curse that he is always painfully tentative with his prospective Beauty. Beauty, on the other hand, displays some admirable feistiness when she is first sent to the Beast (but the whole concept of her captivity didn't work in this modern setting), but she acclimates way too quickly and settles into a one note personality that Stepford would approve of.
Kyle's blind tutor Will (played by Neil Patrick Harris in the movie) who was funny and observant, and the cook/housekeeper Magda who was endearing and unassuming were great supporting characters, especially before Beauty arrives. In fact, I actually liked BEASTLY much better before the romance started (never thought I'd say that).
BEASTLY is an extremely faithful modernization of the fairy tale, almost too faithful. As it is, if you've ever seen the Disney version, you already know nearly every plot point in BEASTLY. I still really want to see the movie version. I'm hopeful that they will be able to inject some much needed romance into the story and take the overall plot risks that could have elevated the book into something special.
Sexual Content: References to sex. References to Rape. Kissing.
My Rating (out of 5):Okay – Somewhat disappointing with significant flaws. Library/swap/borrow if you want.
Click HERE to read an excerpt of BEASTLY
Movie Trailer – In theaters on July 30, 2011
Reading level: Young Adult Disagree with my review? Contact me with your review for this or any other book I’ve reviewed and I might use it for 2nd Opinion Review.
*Covers may not be final*
Source: Jennifer Estep
Title: Tangled Threads (Elemental Assassin #4)
Author: Jennifer Estep
Release Date: April 26, 2011
Artist: Tony Mauro?
Author Comments: N/A
My Thoughts:
Flat out gorgeous. These have to be one of the best series covers in the genre today. The red is killer too. 
Book Description:
I’d rather face a dozen lethal assassins any night than deal with something as tricky, convoluted, and fragile as my feelings. But here I am. Gin Blanco, the semi-retired assassin known as the Spider. Hovering outside sexy businessman Owen Grayson’s front door like a nervous teenage girl. One thing I like about Owen: he doesn’t shy away from my past—or my present. And right now I have a bull’s-eye on my forehead.
Cold-blooded Fire elemental Mab Monroe has hired one of the smartest assassins in the business to trap me. Elektra LaFleur is skilled and efficient, with deadly electrical elemental magic as potent as my own Ice and Stone powers. Which means there’s a fifty-fifty chance one of us won’t survive this battle. I intend to kill LaFleur—or die trying—because Mab wants the assassin to take out my baby sister, Detective Bria Coolidge, too. The only problem is, Bria has no idea I’m her long-lost sibling … or that I’m the murderer she’s been chasing through Ashland for weeks. And what Bria doesn’t know just might get us both dead …
Previous Books in Series:
Source: Julie Kagawa
Title: The Iron Queen (The Iron Fey #3)
Author: Julie Kagawa
Release Date: February 2011
Artist: N/A
Author Comments:
“I love love love this cover! Its so pretty, so gorgeous, so...PINK. Even though I'm usually allergic to pink, I love it a lot!”
My Thoughts:
Green, blue, and now pretty in pink. These covers are all about the scroll work and font for me. A nice addition to the series.
Book Description:
N/A
Previous Books in Series:
Source: Maria V. Snyder’s Newsletter
Title: Outside In (Inside Out #2)
Author: Maria V. Snyder
Release Date: March 2011
Artist: N/A
Author Comments:
“Here's the cover art. IMO - another fabulous cover by the art department.”
My Thoughts:
Much better than the previous cover. I love the title design.
Book Description:
N/A
Previous Books in Series:
Source: Reading the Best of the Best
Title: Entice (Need #3)
Author: Carrie Jones
Release Date: December7, 2010
Artist: N/A
Author Comments: N/A
My Thoughts:
I like that the face and gold dust is back in a slightly different way…I wonder who the jaw belongs to?
Book Description:
Zara and Nick are soul mates, meant to be together forever. But that’s not quite how things have worked out. For starters, well, Nick is dead. Supposedly, he’s been taken to a mythic place for warriors known as Valhalla, so Zara and her friends might be able to get him back. But it’s taking time, and meanwhile a group of evil pixies is devastating Bedford, with more teens going missing every day. An all-out war seems imminent, and the good guys need all the warriors they can find. But how to get to Valhalla? And even if Zara and her friends discover the way, there’s that other small problem: Zara’s been pixie kissed. When she finds Nick, will he even want to go with her? Especially since she hasn’t just turned… She’s Astley’s queen.
Previous Books in Series:
Source: SciFiGuy.ca
Title: Pale Demon (The Hollows #9)
Author: Kim Harrison
Release Date: February 22, 2011
Artist: N/A
Author Comments: N/A
My Thoughts:
This series has some of my favorite in the genre. I love the lightning.
Book Description:
Condemned to death for black magic and shunned, Rachel Morgan has three days to somehow get to the annual witches convention in San Francisco and clear her name. If she fails, the only way she can escape death is to live in the demonic ever after . . . for ever after.
Banned from the flight lists, Rachel teams up with elven tycoon Trent Kalamack, headed for the West Coast for her own mysterious business. But Rachel isn’t the only passenger along for the ride. Can a witch, an elf, a living vampire, and a pixy in one car survive for over 2,300 miles? And that’s not counting the assassin on their tail.
A fearsome demon walks the sunlight, freed after centuries of torment to slay the innocent and devour souls. But his ultimate prey is Rachel Morgan. While the powerful witch with nerves of steel will do whatever it takes to stay alive, even embracing her own demonic nature may not be enough to save her.
Previous Books in Series:
Source: Wicked Scribes
Title: Hungry For You (Argeneau Vampires #14)
Author: Lynsay Sands
Release Date: November 30, 2010
Artist: N/A
Author Comments: N/A
My Thoughts:
The color palette reminds me of Jeanine Frost’s Eternal Kiss of Darkness.
Book Description:
As a chef and restauranteur, Alex Willan had enjoyed so much success she allowed herself to be talked into opening a second restaurant. It’s a decision she’s come to regret. Calamity after calamity have slowed the opening and driven her to the edge of bankruptcy. But things go from bad to worse when a competitor lures away the chef at her original restaurant leaving her torn between the choice to keep the original restaurant running, or getting the second restaurant going. With so much happening, Alex simply doesn’t have time for her sister Sam’s attempts at matchmaking, so when Sam calls with yet another man she “just has to meet” Alex tells her that if the man doesn’t cook, don’t even bother. Imagine her surprise when Sam says he’s a chef from Europe. He appears to be the answer to her prayers.
Cale Argeneau was finding himself somewhat world weary and bored so when his Aunt Marguerite suggested a visit to Canada to spend some time with his cousins, he thought “why not?” What he didn’t realize was that the intrepid Marguerite Argeneau thought she might have a match for him. Once he finds out, he’s less than excited. He’s waited centuries for a life mate and finds it hard to believe this Alex woman his Aunt keeps going on about could be the one. It was the shock of his life when he met Alex and found she was indeed a possible life mate. But that wasn’t nearly as shocking as the realization that the only way he was going to get anywhere near the woman was if he claimed to be a world class chef. Cale couldn’t even boil water, but he was about to take a crash course in cooking. He was also going to have to find out who was behind the calamities that were plaguing this new restaurant endeavor before someone got hurt. He’d do that and more to be near the woman who had reawakened his appetites, because it wasn’t just food he now found himself hungry for, but also Alex herself and the life he could have with her.
Previous Books in Series:
Source: Karen Mahoney
Title: Frostfire (Kyndred #3)
Author: Lynn Viehl
Release Date: January 4, 2011
Artist: N/A
Author Comments: N/A
My Thoughts:
A huge departure from the previous covers in this series, but I think its beautiful with the stow storm.
Book Description:
N/A
Previous Books in Series:
Source: Even Redheads Get the Blues
Title: Vampire Academy graphic novel
Author: Richelle Mead
Release Date: August 2011
Artist: N/A
Author Comments:
“Pretty awesome, huh? That's the cover, and the full book will be out August 2011. For now, I'm just really excited to be able to share this with you and can't wait to see other artwork come in. I've seen a few samples of other pages, and everything they've done is really amazing.”
My Thoughts:
I’m not generally a graphic novel fan, but I did like the original book, so I might have to check this one out.
Book Description:
St. Vladimir’s Academy isn’t just any boarding school—it’s a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They’ve been on the run, but now they’re being dragged back to St. Vladimir’s—the very place where they’re most in danger. . . .
Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy’s ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi—the world’s fiercest and most dangerous vampires—make Lissa one of them forever.
Previous Books in Series:
N/A
Source: Kelly Gay
Title: Darkness Becomes Her
Author: Kelly Keaton (aka Kelly Gay)
Release Date: February 22, 2011
Artist: N/A
Author Comments:
“Love the mood and look of it so much! The tree will be a clear spot gloss design over the black cover. My publisher is discussing printing this on metallic stock to bring out the silver in the gate, and possibly embossing the gate, and maybe the title as well. Whatever they do, I'm sure it will look stunning!”
My Thoughts:
It reminds me of the cover for Beautiful Creatures. All the textures should be beautiful in person.
Book Description:
Ari can’t help feeling lost and alone. With teal eyes and freakish silver hair that can’t be changed or destroyed, Ari has always stood out. And after growing up in foster care, she longs for some understanding of where she came from and who she is.
Her search for answers uncovers just one message from her long dead mother: Run. Ari can sense that someone, or something, is getting closer than they should. But it’s impossible to protect herself when she doesn’t know what she’s running from or why she is being pursued.
She knows only one thing: she must return to her birthplace of New 2, the lush rebuilt city of New Orleans. Upon arriving, she discovers that New 2 is very...different. Here, Ari is seemingly normal. But every creature she encounters, no matter how deadly or horrifying, is afraid of her.
Ari won’t stop until she knows why. But some truths are too haunting, too terrifying, to ever be revealed.
Previous Books in Series:
N/A
Source: Wicked Scribes
Title: Demon Marked (Demon Bound #2)
Author: Anna J. Evans
Release Date: January 4, 2010
Artist: N/A
Author Comments: N/A
My Thoughts:
Not quite as strong as the previous book, but I like the flames in the background and the slight definition of the model.
Book Description:
Emma Quinn satisfies her demonic cravings by feeding on human life force, and keeps her conscience clean by preying only upon those who deserve it. But when Emma overindulges one night, she’s in trouble with her victim’s gang—or she will be…if they find his body.
She turns to mob lawyer Andre Conti, an arrogant womanizer—a man who doesn’t believe in her powers, but who will awaken sensual cravings Emma wasn’t sure she possessed…
Previous Books in Series:
For too long Maxine Kiss has felt an inexplicable darkness inside her-a force she channels into hunting the demons bent on destroying the human race. But when she finds herself covered in blood and crouched beside her grandfather’s dead body with no memory of what happened, Maxine begins to fear that the darkness has finally consumed her.
Book 3 in The Hunter Kiss Series
~Reviewed by Julia~
A WILD LIGHT opens with Maxine standing over the corpse of her grandfather with no recollection of what took place and no memories of Grant, the love of her life. While amnesia gambits are among my least favorite literary devices (Why not just tell the reader you want a “do over” on your back-story? ), in Liu’s hands this opening unfolds to become an integral part of the long overdue courtship between Maxine and Grant.
Maxine’s relationship with Grant Cooperon takes place largely “off camera.” I saw their beginnings in the short story Hunter Kiss, but their attraction up until this point in the series has a largely “trust me, we’re made for each other” flavor. In Liu’s hands amnesia is not just a device that retreads old ground and brings Maxine and Grant back to where they started, she gives them a true clean slate. First impressions, a first kiss, and all the uncertainty, poignancy and zest of falling in love.
My experience to date with the Hunter Kiss series overall has been hit or miss. While I greatly enjoyed Hunter Kiss and The Iron Hunt, I fought to finish Darkness Comes over a period of several weeks. Maxine herself is being thrust into a confusing swirl of multi-dimensional events and time periods, and Marjorie Liu manages to convey those emotions without losing the reader entirely. I did revisited Darkness Comes for this review and I'm glad I did, if only because it further heightened my enjoyment of the book that followed. While this most recent Hunter Kiss novel does shed some light on the nuts and bolts of the forces in Maxine’s life, it more powerfully illuminates a realistic world with no one right answer. A WILD LIGHT is one of my favorite books this year, and the entire Hunter Kiss series has been bumped up to my top ten list. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series
Sexual Content: An explicit sex scene.
My Rating (out of 5):
Click HERE to read an excerpt of A WILD LIGHT
Publisher: Ace Books *Disclosure: We received this book courtesy of Wunderkind PR
Disagree with this review? Contact me with your review for this or any other book reviewed on ATUF and I might use it for 2nd Opinion Review.
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