Carnival of Souls by Melissa Marr

Year Published: 2012

Publisher: HarperCollins

Pages: 306

Rating: 

In a city of daimons, the Carnival of Souls hosts a deadly competition. Once in a generation, every citizen can fight to join the ruling elite. Without the competition, Aya and Kaleb would both face bleak futures—if for different reasons. For each of them, fighting to the death is the only way to try to live.

In our own world, Mallory knows that her father—and every other witch—fled the daimons’ city long ago. She trains to be lethal because it’s only a matter of time until the daimons catch up with them.While Mallory possesses little knowledge of The City, every inhabitant of The City knows of her. There are plans there for Mallory, and soon she, too, will be drawn into the decadence that is the Carnival of Souls.From Melissa Marr, bestselling author of the Wicked Lovely series, comes a brand-new tale of secrets, love, and the struggle to forge one’s own destiny.

This is a quite complex and intense story. I was actually quite surprised, there was a moment where I thought "meh.. not again.." but then suddenly it picked up again and I really really really like it, especially the development of the story plot and the characters.. Wow.. I just love surprises xp

So, The theme in this story might be a bit dystopia and a bit supernatural/paranormal. There is war between Witches and Daimons (a kind of human-monster) that has been going on for centuries that resulted in a agreement where The Daimons live in The City and The Witches live in the human world. I found that the rule of the Daimons in The City is actually quite simple but degrading esp towards women or even sometimes men from the low caste where they see them as materials for pleasure or other despicable things (and to women where they see them only for pleasures and breed). That is why I found this caste system in The City is really disturbing. In The City, the main important things to do there to stay alive is through fight or become pleasure commodities. Breeding issues in the Daimon world are quite abnormal and this is where everything is getting a bit complicated and interesting as the story goes (including the involvement of witches there).

There are several main characters in this story and all of them are kinda unique in their own way. To be honest, I have to say they are quite bad-ass and I like them very much.

The development of the plot, for me was actually full of surprises. The turned-out of some events were pretty shocking and left me with anticipations. Well, I have to say that I did not really expect it would be that engaging esp when I reached certain pages where I thought the romance would be kind of cheesy (but thank God, it is not, so it saved me from headache).

My general opinion about this book is that this is really entertaining, engaging, interesting, and developed well as the story goes which is pretty awesome. And I kinda can not wait to read the sequel. Because I think the real action stuffs and adventure will begin in the second book. So, really look forward to it :D

WISH by Kelly Hunter

Year Published: 2012
Publisher: Penguin Books Australia
Pages: 98
Rating: 

All single mother Billie Temple wants for Christmas is to trade her hectic Sydney lifestyle for simple country living and a place to call home.

All widowed cattleman Adam Kincaid wants is for Billie and her son to go away.

Someone's got a problem.

What a nice romantic story this is..

Thanks NetGalley and Penguin Australia for the opportunity to review this ;)

It's a heartfelt adult contemporary romance story really.. a bit short and not so much drama added. Just a quite amount of heartbreak and love story in it.. The girl is a single mother of a boy that just moved from Sidney to a small-town, Inverglen. She took a job as a Pub Manager in the small town where she would be staying at a cottage far-away from everything else. Then there this guy who actually owned the cottage where she will live. And the guy was actually having a painful past that had cost him his family in the past. So the story developed and there were more to small town people that what met the eyes. And love bloomed..
It was a sweet and simple story. But as I have mentioned earlier, this story has not contained enough drama. Although I really like the development of characters in the story, it felt natural and heartwarming.

:)

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

Year Published: 2011

Publisher: Scholastic

Pages: 482

Rating: 

Every year, the Scorpio Races are run on the beaches of Skarmouth. Every year, the sea washes blood from the sand. To race the savage water horses can mean death, but the danger is irresistible.

When Puck enters the races to save her family, she is drawn to the mysterious Sean, the only person on the island capable of taming the beasts.

Even if they stay together, can they stay alive?

A breathtaking ride that will make your heart race.

This book in my opinion is slightly different with other YA books. It feels reality-contemporary-slightly-supernatural in a way. I enjoyed it so much.

As the synopsis said this book is about a Horse-race in an island which in mind, I pictured it to take place in an island around UK (somewhere like Guernsey <3). But it's not just an ordinary horse-race, the horses are supernatural creatures named Cappail Uisce (pronounce: Capple Ishka - singular).. it's a water-horse, horse that can live in two world (land and sea) and to add more drama in it, it's carnivores. So it makes them more dangerous. People/animal die because of it. But no one can really understand them other than Sean Kendrick. He's just like Cappail Uisce-whisperer. It's not YA book, if there is no heroine involved, named Puck (Kate) Connolly. She is just made everything more complicated by entering the race with an island-pony instead of Cappail Uisce. But then there is more to it than just about a horse-race or a small island where there is nothing in it other than the annual legendary horse race. There is so much more in this book..

Well, this book has a slow-paced story development. But it was really enjoyable. It was told from dual-perspective; Sean and Puck. So these two are the main-characters. Each of them has different story and background which are very interesting to read. I love the details that accompanied me through out the story. I love Sean and Puck characters. Other characters are also lovable or hatable ;p

For me, this book is one example of a very good slow-paced story. I am not bored or tired by it, it has beautiful writing and it makes everything so much enjoyable and exciting. Furthermore, what really excite me is that when I read this, it felt like I was reading a real-human-contemporary book instead of supernatural book. Yes, the horse is supernatural creature, but the drama, the interaction, and everything else feels so human. It gave a unique feeling. and I like it.

And I love the ending! It wasn't much thou, but it was just enough and perfect. So, maybe this would be a good read for you, especially when you need a refreshment from book-series. This one could be the one for you ;)

What's New #4

I probably should post "What's New" later, but I am so excited about this book..

I don't know what I will expect when I read this thou, it has got not-so-many-positive-reviews on GR.. but reviews can be subjective, aite.. I might end up loving this book (I do very much hope so..)

I am very much aware that this is NOT a Harry Potter book and I must say that, that is why I am most excited about this book, coz it's NOT a Harry Potter book and it's from the Author of Harry Potter.. I am really curious and thrilled about it..

I actually pre-ordered this book at one of bookstores in my country and just got the chance to go there and get this today..

So.. Happy Reading!!! <3

The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling

What's New #3

Hi!!!!

It has been a long time.. oh well, I was sick for about a week (or more) and am still recovering.. nothing too serious really, but being ill has put my mood on a bad-side.. So I experienced a very slow-reading week.. Therefore I took a chance to catch up watching TV series that I have been neglected to watch last season, such as Supernatural S7 (never got tired of this) and Once Upon a Time S1 (this is so good! fairy-tale comes real..) also some others ;p it's been good.. I enjoy them so much!

Alright.. Well, I got some goodies to read.. I am so happy and also confused on when I will have the time to read all of them.. I only have two eyes and one brain to process everything.. and sometimes my mood is getting in a way since I am not really 100% healthy yet.. :(

But anw........ here they are........

The Diviners by Libba Bray
Unwholly (Unwind #2) by Neal Shusterman
Immortal Beloved (Immortal Beloved #1) by Cate Tiernan
Darkness Falls (Immortal Beloved #2) by Cate Tiernan
Angelfall by Susan Ee
Enshadowed by Kelly Creagh

And I am sooooo excited for this one! I pre-ordered this awesome boxset collection of the Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa! Love Love Love!

Boxset Collection of the Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa
and it's getting better coz I got the original autographed Iron Fey poster by Julie Kagawa!!!
Joy! 

Then my friend lent me this awesome book to learn more about the life of a fangirl.. hehe.. am fangirl alrite.. It's part of being me, so I think it's great to have more understanding on the subject.. ;p

Geek, Girls, Unite by Leslie Simon
borrowed from Karissa Suprapto - Thanks hun..

Ah, I also got some stuffs to read from Publisher and NegGalley as well.. For Review:

What We Saw At Night by Jacquelyn Mitchard
sounds intriguing!

Crewel by Gennifer Albin
am really excited about this one!

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
of course this one too! <3

Walking the Moon by Elizabeth Hand
Supernatural creatures!!!

Wish by Kelly Hunter

Kiss of Death (Kiss Trilogy #2) by Debbie Viguie
Actually I don't know why I requested this since I haven't read the #1 book..

Yup, that'd be all for now! I know I will have a couple more.. I need to stop requesting and buying books for now.. I don't know when I will have all the time to read all of this.. But I guess it will be an overwhelmingly-joyful challenge for me! Yiihaaa!

Happy Reading!!! <3

The Mourning House by Ronald Malfi

Year Published: 2012
Publisher: DarkFuse/Delirium
Pages: 74
Rating: 

Devastated by tragedy, Dr. Sam Hatch is a shadow of his former self. He travels the byroads of America, running away from a past he cannot escape. There is no salvation for him.And then he sees the house. Like a siren, it calls to him. Yet the house is not what it appears to be. Is it a blessing, a gift...or a curse?

what a very good dark story this is!

Thanks to Netgalley and DarkFuse for giving me a chance to read this story..

It was short and for me personally it's a very good bed-time story!

So basically, it was a story about a man who seemed to have a happy small family. He had a wonderful and lovely wife and a newborn baby girl. But then a tragedy happened and suddenly he lost everything he loved the most. Then he started to lose himself and decided to leave. Somehow it ended on him buying a creepy old house in some place out of nowhere. And the house was a puzzle, even for me who read this story. I can't quite decide whether the house is haunted or just a puzzle that play a mind-trick to anyone that come to the house.There was a mystery and dark-twist to it. It was not a story of some sort of hero-action story. It was just a story of a man who unfortunate enough lose to the villain house. Somehow the ending felt unfinished as many of dark/horror stories ended. Not all of stories have it's happy endings. But please keep open-minded so you can understand where the writer wants this story goes and I think I can see why.

Oh I really like the details that the writer wrote in this story. Everything felt so vivid and emotional. It was great really, the writing considering of how short it is. But I think, no matter how many pages the book has, a writer can still write a great and haunted piece of work. and this one is one of them.

I really recommend you who read this post to read this story before you sleep. It's either giving you a chill or a rest-less sleep because you keep wandering and asking why. As for me, my question was still wandering about the house.

Enjoy <3

Seraphina (Seraphina #1) by Rachel Hartman

Publisher: Random House

Year Published: 2012

Pages: 451

Rating:

Four decades of peace have done little to ease the mistrust between humans and dragons in the kingdom of Goredd. Folding themselves into human shape, dragons attend court as ambassadors, and lend their rational, mathematical minds to universities as scholars and teachers. As the treaty's anniversary draws near, however, tensions are high.

Seraphina has reason to fear both sides. An unusually gifted musician, she joins the court just as a member of the royal family is murdered in suspiciously draconian fashion. Seraphina is drawn into the investigation, partnering with the captain of the Queen's Guard, the dangerously perceptive Prince Lucian Kiggs. While they begin to uncover hints of a sinister plot to destroy the peace, Seraphina struggles to protect her own secret, the secret behind her musical gift - one so terrible that its discovery could mean her very life.

I just wanna say that I really LOVE reading this book!

I love dragon story, and Rachel did a super-fantastic job on creating such a wonderful and complex dragon world.

On this first book, it felt like I was reading a crime story in the dragon world setting which is awesome! I love everything in this book, mainly the story-plot, the writing and the characters.

There are some elements that made me love this book, the mystery and the secrets. This two elements combine with a fantastic writing have created a great story which I adore so much. I love how everything feels so mysterious and as the reading goes, the secrets reveal, one by one.. and it gives surprises to the reader..

And the characters! Seraphina, this girl is so unique (in a very literal sense).. She has been through a very complexed life. Some parents issues and such. She is quite a realist and reasonable one. I really like that quality in a character. I also love other characters, they are also unique whether they are human or dragon, or half-dragon. There are some of them, but probably I can't write all of them, but one thing for sure is that their characters are well-built and very interesting!

The Romance... How I love UN-cheesy romantic story. I can detect a bit of angsty romantic story in this book. I think there are two main romance stories. One, between Seraphina's mother and father, and two, Seraphina and Prince Lucian Kiggs. And these two stories are quite similar in a way, but different. And these two have angsty quality that have caused me to pull my hair and almost knock my head on the wall.. As for Seraphina's parents romantic story was really sad, so much for forbidden love story.

Really can't wait for the sequel to come out ;), Dracomachia. There would be more adventure and action! for sure :D