Thank you all for entering this giveaway and to NAL for providing 2  copies of BITE CLUB by Rachel Caine

There were 74 entrants. The winners (chosen by Random.org) are…

Amy

Would love to read this! I've been following the Morganville Vampires series for some time now.

Tore

I love reading above vampires. Please enter me in contest. I would love to read this book.

Congratulations! I’ll be emailing you soon.  Please respond with your address within 48 hours or a new winner will be drawn.

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Didn’t win?  Buy your own copy of BITE CLUB

with free shipping from The Book Depository:

*This title will be released on May 3, 2011*

Title: Divergent Author: Veronica Roth Series: Divergent Trilogy #1 Cover Art: N/A Genre: Dystopian YA Excerpt: Yes Source: Amazon Vine Reviewed by: Abigail Reading level: Young Adult Hardcover: 496 pages Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books (May 3, 2011) ISBN-10: 0062024027 ISBN-13: 978-0062024022 Sexual Content: Kissing. A non graphic sexual assault Rating: Near Perfect - Buy two copies: one for you and one for a friend.

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Description

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

Debut author Veronica Roth bursts onto the literary scene with the first book in the Divergent series—dystopian thrillers filled with electrifying decisions, heartbreaking betrayals, stunning consequences, and unexpected romance.

Review

(This is a Genre Swap review, which means it’s not a paranormal book, but should still appeal to paranormal fans)

Everybody and their dog is jumping on the dystopian bandwagon these days, some more successfully than others.  No one has managed to dethrone THE HUNGER GAMES in my opinion, but books like DELIRIUM, WITHER, and ENCLAVE have all made strong contributions to the genre.  DIVERGENT, the first in a planned trilogy, is yet another to add to that list of thoughtful, occasionally horrifying, but always exhilarating, dystopian debuts that I kept in a white-knuckled grip way into the wee hours of the night.

The dystopian world of DIVERGENT is basically like an expanded Sorting Ceremony from Harry Potter.  All of society is divided up into five factions, each of whom prize a trait over all others.  Upon turning sixteen, everyone is tested to determine aptitude and then must choose a faction for life.  Those who value Bravery choose Dauntless, Selflessness choose Abnegation, Knowledge choose Erudite, Honesty choose Candor, and Peace choose Amity.  Once you choose, you essentially shun the traits and members of the other factions, some more aggressively antagonist towards certain factions than others.  Each faction controls a specific area of society best suited to that trait. 

I found myself thinking about ENDER’S GAME by Orson Scott Card a lot while reading DIVERGENT.  They both feature kids/teenagers plucked from their homes and forced to compete against one another in brutal training exorcises, both physical and emotional, designed to weed out the weak and prepare the fit for a life of fighting.  The initiates, as they are called, quickly turn on each other in hopes of eliminating threats to their own success, because choosing a faction doesn’t necessarily mean that the faction will choose you.  And being factionless is a fate worse than death.

Beatris, or Tris as she calls herself in her new faction, undergoes a magnificent transformation during her trials. She doesn’t have the physical prowess of most of the other initiates, and she is plagued by a secret that would mean her death if exposed.  But she is smart, observant and determined.  She struggles with her own conflicting emotions knowing that what she wants to do is often very different from what she’s supposed to do, what she must do in order to keep her secret.  For me, Tris ends up displaying equal parts Katniss, Harry, and Ender in this action packed dystopian thriller that will enrage and delight readers in turn, like every good dystopian should. 

Previous Books in Series	Also Reviewed By:
N/A	The Lovely Reader SciFiChick.com YA Book Queen

We’re always thrilled to have urban fantasy author Jennifer Estep stop by ATUF, especially when she has a new book out. TANGLED THREADS, the 4th book in her Elemental Assassin series just came out on April 26th, and, according to Julia, it “contain[s] the best of the action sequences, bad-assery and romance from previous books.”  Today Jennifer is sharing her Top 10 reasons why she loves writing & reading urban fantasy and giving away a copy of TANGLED THREADS.  See details below.

 

You can read all the previous Top 10 Lists HERE

Why I Love Writing & Reading Urban Fantasy
by
Jennifer Estep

Greetings and salutations! I want to say thanks to Abigail for having me on the blog today. Thanks, Abigail!

So today, Abigail suggested that I do some sort of top 10 list, since those are always fun to come up with. I decided to list why I love writing and reading urban fantasy (both adult and young adult books) so much. Here goes:

1) I get to put a little bit of everything into my books: The great thing about urban fantasy is that it has something for everyone – action, danger, drama, romance, steamy sex scenes, kick- butt heroines, dangerous heroes. I love reading books that feature all of those elements, and that’s what I love writing too.

2) I get to write dark, light, and everything in between: My Elemental Assassin books are dark, violent, bloody, and gritty, while my Mythos Academy young adult series is a little less so. I like being able to mix it up and go between dark and not-so dark, an adult voice and a younger voice. I think it help keeps my writing fresh.

3) The young adult fantasy book covers: Have you seen the covers on the young adult books lately? They are freaking gorgeous. Seriously, I think the young adult fantasy genre has some of the most beautiful and eye-catching covers these days. Some of my favorites are the covers on Julie Kagawa’s Iron Fey series. I think those are really well-done, and the colors are just lovely.

4) All the great stories: There are so many great books out there in the urban fantasy genre right now, both for adults and young adults. Every time I go to the bookstore, I always see at least a half-dozen books that I’d like to bring home with me, if only my book budget would let me. Maybe when I win the lottery. LOL.

5) All the cool characters: One of the things I love most about urban fantasy is the sheer variety in the genre. No matter what type of creature feature you like to read about – vampires, werewolves, witches, wizards, fairies, dwarves, elves – you can find it in urban fantasy. It really is a genre that has a little something for everyone.

6) All the cool magic and world building: Along with all the different types of characters are the many forms of magic that go along with them. Telepathy, telekinesis, controlling the weather, healing, regeneration, seduction, charm, elemental magic. You can find all those powers and more in urban fantasy, along with settings that range from modern-day New York to elven castles to fairy lands full of dangerous creatures.

7) I get to pretend that I’m a tough girl: In my Elemental Assassin series, I write about Gin Blanco, an assassin known as the Spider. In my Mythos Academy books, I focus on Gwen Frost, a Gypsy girl with more power and magic than she realizes. Writing about such strong, take-charge characters lets me pretend that I’m just as strong, smart, and tough as they are – at least for a little while. LOL.

8) I get to write a lot of fight scenes: You can’t write about an assassin character without her getting into some serious trouble and taking on loads of bad guys along the way. Both Gin and Gwen get into lots of battles, which means that I get to write tons of fight scenes. There’s nothing I like better than writing a fight scene and showing how my heroine uses her skills, smarts, and magic to defeat the bad guys.

9) Getting away from it all: Whether I’m reading or writing, urban fantasy (and books in general) take me away from all my worries, troubles, and concerns at least for a few hours. It’s a nice and much-needed escape. Reading about someone who makes the ultimate sacrifice to save the world helps me get some perspective and realize that I’m pretty darn lucky.

10) The people: Readers, bloggers, authors, and everyone in between. There are so many nice folks in the urban fantasy and romance worlds and beyond. It’s a great, supportive community to be a part of, and I’m grateful for all the help that various folks have given me over the years.

What about you guys? What do you like about urban fantasy or young adult books? What are some of your favorite books and characters?

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Jennifer writes the Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series for Pocket Books. The books focus on Gin Blanco, an assassin codenamed the Spider who can control the elements of Ice and Stone. When she’s not busy killing people and righting wrongs, Gin runs a barbecue restaurant called the Pork Pit in the fictional Southern metropolis of Ashland. The city is also home to giants, dwarves, vampires, and elementals – Air, Fire, Ice, and Stone. Jennifer also writes the Mythos Academy young adult urban fantasy series for Kensington. The books focus on Gwen Frost, a 17-year-old Gypsy girl who has the gift of psychometry, or the ability to know an object’s history just by touching it. After a serious freak-out with her magic, Gwen is shipped off to Mythos Academy, a school for the descendants of ancient warriors like Spartans, Valkyries, Amazons, and more. Visit www.jenniferestep.com for excerpts and more.

Visit Jennifer Online: Website|Blog |Twitter |Facebook

Want to read more from Jennifer Estep?

Bigtime
1. Karma Girl
2. Hot Mama
3. Jinx

Elemental Assassin
1. Spider's Bite (read Review)
2. Web of Lies (read Review)
3. Venom (read Review)
4. Tangled Threads (read Review)
5. Spider’s Revenge (September 27, 2011)

Mythos Academy

0. First Frost (e-only prequel – July)
1. Touch of Frost (July 26, 2011)
2. Kiss of Frost (December 2011)

Giveaway provided by  Jennifer Estep

One copy of TANGLED THREADS by Jennifer Estep

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. . .

 

Click HERE to read an excerpt

 

Giveaway Guidelines

1. Open to US/CA only

2. Leave a comment that includes a way to contact you if you win & answer one of Jennifer’s questions: “What do you like about urban fantasy or young adult books? What are some of your favorite books and characters?”

3. Winner will be announced on May 7th

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Interested in doing a Top 10 List or offering a giveaway on All Things Urban Fantasy? CONTACT ME

Title: Abandon Author: Meg Cabot Series: Abandon Trilogy #1 Cover Art: Elizabeth B. Parisi Genre: Paranormal YA Excerpt: Yes Source: Publisher (via Big Honcho Media) Reviewed by: Abigail Reading level: Young Adult Hardcover: 320 pages Publisher: Point (April 26, 2011) ISBN-10: 0545284104 ISBN-13: 978-0545284103 Sexual Content: Kissing. References to statutory rape. Rating: Good - A fun read with minor flaws. Maybe read an excerpt before buying.

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Description

New from #1 New York Times bestselling author Meg Cabot, a dark, fantastical story about this world . . . and the underworld.

Though she tries returning to the life she knew before the accident, Pierce can't help but feel at once a part of this world, and apart from it. Yet she's never alone . . . because someone is always watching her. Escape from the realm of the dead is impossible when someone there wants you back.

But now she's moved to a new town. Maybe at her new school, she can start fresh. Maybe she can stop feeling so afraid.

Only she can't. Because even here, he finds her. That's how desperately he wants her back. She knows he's no guardian angel, and his dark world isn't exactly heaven, yet she can't stay away . . . especially since he always appears when she least expects it, but exactly when she needs him most.

But if she lets herself fall any further, she may just find herself back in the one place she most fears: the Underworld.

Review

Gimme more Greek Mythology!  I’m thrilled with the recent influx of paranormal titles that are using Greek mythology for source material, especially in the case of ABANDON, since it is a reimagined version of one of my all time favorite myths: Persephone and Hades in which the god of the Underworld kidnaps the daughter of a goddess, forces her to marry him and live half the year with him.  Meg Cabot’s version is one of the better myth retellings that I’ve read in that she realistically adapts the source story in a modern, paranormally plausible way.

Pierce is an odd protagonist.  There were moments when she acted like she had autism.  She had difficulty identifying the emotions of people around her, facial expressions, for example, confused her.  She had to tell herself to imitate the expressions directed towards her because she didn’t understand them.  I would have loved it to see her portrayed this way throughout the book (maybe like THE CURIOUS CASE OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHTIME, which I loved), but it was very inconsistent.  Other times she just seemed like a normal sullen teenager who had some serious secrets.  John, on the other hand, was completely consistent.  He was the epitome of a dark and dangerous romantic interest and I’m looking forward to him getting more page time in the next book.

Another thing that struck me odd about ABANDON was the chronology.  It’s all over the place.  There are lots and lots of references to a number of scary, dark incidents in Pierce’s past including the day she died.  We learn about these incidents in random segments that appear haphazardly throughout the story.   This type of story telling can be successful, but I don’t think it was here.  I was frustrated, rather than intrigued, with the bits and pieces that popped up and enjoyed the story much more once everything was revealed (about 2/3 in) and the story continued in real time.

Despite those two issues, I found that the Persephone myth lent itself amazingly well to a modern retelling.  Meg Cabot knew exactly how much to change the original myth while still keeping the timeless structure.  The real Isla Huesos, with it’s macabre history, was the perfect setting for this dark and eerie reimagining of perhaps the most forbidden love story ever told.  All in all, I’m already looking forward to the second book in the Abandon trilogy, which is titled UNDERWORLD and will be released in 2012.

Previous Books in Series	Also Reviewed By:
N/A	The Discriminating Fangirl My Overstuffed Bookshelf Reading Teen

 

Giveaway provided by Point (via Big Honcho Media)

One winner will receive a copy of ABANDON and a bracelet featuring a quote from the book!

Learn more:

Scholastic has launched a new online community called This Is Teen to connect readers with their favorite YA authors and books. Visit their page on Facebook for all the latest news on Meg Cabot and her new book ABANDON www.facebook.com/thisisteen.

www.megcabot.com/abandon

www.facebook.com/abandonbooks

www.twitter.com/megcabot

 

Giveaway Guidelines

1. Open to US only

2. Leave a comment that includes a way to contact you if you win

3. Winner will be announced on May 4th

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Interested in offering a giveaway on All Things Urban Fantasy? CONTACT ME

*This title will be released on April 26, 2011*

Title: Uncertain Allies Author: Mark Del Franco Series: Connor Grey #5 Cover Art: Jamie DeJesus Genre: Urban Fantasy Excerpt: Yes Source: Publisher Reviewed by: Abigail Paperback: 304 pages Publisher: Ace (April 26, 2011) ISBN-10: 0441020402 ISBN-13: 978-0441020409 Sexual Content: Kissing. References to homosexuality. Rating Good - A fun read with minor flaws. Maybe read an excerpt before buying.

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Description

After a night of riots and fires, the Boston neighborhood known as the Weird is in ruins. And when a body is found drained of its essence, ex- Guild investigator Connor Grey is drawn into the case against his will. And he has reason to be wary. Because the case will lead to an explosive secret that threatens to tear apart the city-and the world.

Review

Boston’s Weird is the setting for the latest Connor Grey urban fantasy featuring the former Guild investigator who lost his Druid powers and now ‘does favors’, as he puts it.  It was instant love for me when I read about the magic wreaked city populated with shunned Fey including trolls, elves, and all types of Irish and German fairies.  All of whom are fully integrated into the human world since the Convergence more than a century ago.   It’s the kind of rich and dense world that urban fantasy junkies live for, and in this case, it softened the blow of a few shortcomings. 

One of the bigger shortcomings was the action scenes, or lack there of.  Even the showdown at the ending of UNCERTAIN ALLIES is about as action free as I’ve ever read in an urban fantasy.  That’s really indicative of the type of character Connor Grey is.  He’s not a fighter.  He’d be willing to take up arms if the situation called for it, but he prefers to think his way out of tough situations.  And not a lot ruffles him.  He doesn’t have any real high or low emotional swings.  He’s the definition of an even-keeled, easy going guy.  In reality, you need those kind of people, in fiction, they can be a bit boring. 

In addition to steady-as-a-rock Connor, the supporting cast is huge.  So much so that I had a hard time keeping track of who was who.  That confusion wasn’t helped by the fact that apart from Connor’s semi girlfriend Meryl, they didn’t really distinguish themselves. That could be due to the fact that I haven’t read the previous books, but even still.

Del Franco does do an amazing job of bringing new readers up to speed on the previous installments of the Connor Grey series in a nice concise opening and then continues to drop little reminders throughout UNCERTAIN ALLIES as to the significance or history whenever new characters popped up.  Given the density of the worldbuilding, which again was excellent, I can see both old and new readers appreciating this. 

Overall all, Connor Grey is a laid back guy with a lot of guilt who accepts the knocks he’s taken in life as his due and doesn’t complain.  And that’s basically how UNCERTAIN ALLIES feels as a book.  It’s a steady, solid read set in a very intriguing world with plenty of mystery in lieu of the usual urban fantasy adrenaline.

Previous Books in Series	Also Reviewed By:
N/A	N/A