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Aria hasn't spoken to her mother in more than a week, totally strange in Reverie where distance is easy to overcome in the realms. Worried and desperate for information, Aria follows Soren into Ag 6. She never expected to meet an Outsider or that the trip would get her exiled from Reverie and her mother. Thrown into the death shop that is the world outside the pods, Aria expects to die amongst the aether storms. But when that stranger she saw in Ag 6 finds her an uneasy alliance is formed. He needs her as much as she needs him but the quiet Perry is a salvage. Can she really trust him? Does she even have a choice?
My Thoughts:
5 stars - a must read
Damn, are you sure this is a debut novel? Talk about fabulous world building, an intricate plot, unexpected twists, kick-butt characters and some awesome romance.
The world was fresh and so dystopian. I was so impressed with the genetics that changed the outsiders into some pretty incredible characters. Scires and auds that make everything just a little more interesting. Can't hide your emotions from a scrie or any sound from an aud. It's one of my favorite types of paranormal - when the vulnerability of characters can't be hidden. Loved that about this book.
Then there was the plot. Little details that were carefully scattered in the pages became very important as the story develops. Skilled authors sometimes struggle with this ability but to have a debut author do it so masterfully is incredible. I would compare Veronica's attention to details as good as Cassandra Clare - and that's one hell of a compliment.
Another amazing aspect of this book is the twists and turns the story takes. The reader is traveling down a road believing one thing and then wham - everything you thought you knew about what's happening changes. This happened at least twice in this book for me. Most authors can't catch me off guard twice in one book but Veronica did it.
I absolutely LOVE Perry - Peregrine. He's an scire and a seer, twice gifted and very strong. Of course he's also a hot guy. He's quiet and brooding but with good reasons. Trying to fix the wrongs he believes are his fault, he barrels into situations shooting arrows and throwing punches. Angry at Aria, he nonetheless needs her. So he helps her. She's terrified of him who she sees as a savage. Weak and ignorant of his world, she shows her own inner strength as she helps him in return. They go from hating each other to sort of being friends to hating each other again. No love at first sight problems here. But when the feeling come, they are strong and true. The romance between them is satisfying in a way that left me aching for more time with them.
So the ending left me wanting just one more little scene. No worries, I just imaged it for myself. No cliffhanger, thank goodness, but plenty of room for book two.
If you read YA, then this one is a MUST read. Pick it up and don't put it off a day. You won't regret it.
Today on StuckInBooks, I am happy to have Jackie Gamber with us. Her new book Sela, the sequel to Redheart, is releasing soon.
So I've always been curious about where the characters come from in a book. I mean do they walk into your head fully made or are they developed over time? Here's Jackie's answer.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Through the Kaleidoscope – Where Characters Come From
By Jackie Gamber, author of REDHEART and SELA, The Leland Dragon Series
Kaleidoscope: [kuh-lahy-duh-skohp] an optical instrument in which bits of glass, in a rotating tube, are shown in continually changing symmetrical forms by reflection in mirrors set at angles to each other.
There’s a line of thinking that claims in our dreams, all the characters are different aspects of our self. I can only speak to that by saying, I hope not! If dreams are stories, I don’t want to keep meeting only me over and over again.
There’s also been talk among authors that our writing contains characters that are all different aspects of our self. To this, I can speak with my own authority. Nope.
That’s not to say bits of me don’t slip in here and there. I’m sure that’s the case. Art is too personal an experience for the creator to escape altogether.
But I know where my characters come from, and I’d guess that for most writers, it’s similar. They come from The Kaleidoscope.
The Kaleidoscope tends to be hard-wired into writers’ brains. I know it is in mine. The tube is attached at one end to an observation deck, somewhere around the middle of the forehead. All of life (in particular, people) filters through this observation deck, clatters through the tube, and settles at the other end as little shards of colored glass. Mirrors reflect these shards back and forth against each other, showing shapes and undersides, dark and light spots.
All a writer has to do, then, is twist that tube, and life and its people jumble together into all kinds of fodder for characters.
For me, twisting that tube is both a voluntary and involuntary response, much like breathing. I can decide to take a deep, cleansing breath, and I can also rely on my lungs to keep purring along, awake or asleep, grabbing on to oxygen and shoveling it into my blood even when I don’t remember to think about it.
In the same way, my Kaleidoscope is always spinning, turning, exploring. All those observations flip back and forth, mirrored against each other. Sometimes, all that internal work creates a character that spontaneously forms and introduces itself to me, demanding its own life story. Other times, I have a story idea and I need to go rummaging through the colored glass for characters that need a little more motivation.
Either way, writing is really only one part of the process of storytelling. Much of the work begins ahead of time, maybe even years ahead. Experiencing. Observing. Collecting. Saving up bits of colored memories.
Because, although all stories contain characters, the best characters are the ones with their own stories. To find them, and use them to their potential, I, as a writer, only need to look as far as the end of my Kaleidoscope.
Jackie Gamber is the award-winning author of “Redheart” and “Sela”, Books One and Two of the Leland Dragon Series, now available! For more information, visit Jackie’s Amazon author page at http://amazon.com/author/jackiegamber
And meet Jackie and her mosaic mind elsewhere on the world wide web at:
I love the metaphor that she uses to explain the creation of characters. I have this beautiful handmadeKaleidoscope that was given to me a few years back and it immediately came to mind as I read her thoughts.
Isn't it beautiful! Wanta see inside?
Now you wanta see some images from inside Jackie's Kaleidoscope?
Seventeen-year-old Tate is about to make her parents’ dreams come true. Unfortunately for her, their dreams foretell her death.
Eager to explore more of the Estilorian plane and prove her abilities, Tate goes against her parents’ wishes and leaves the area of protection surrounding her home. Her choice puts her on a deadly path…one that leaves her alone, severely injured and battling for her life.
Her possible savior arrives in the form of Zachariah, a male who has removed himself from Estilorian society for more than fifty years. Fighting an unexpected connection to Tate, he must decide whether saving her life is worth destroying his.
As Tate struggles to find a way home, she ends up drawn into a dark Mercesti plot involving multiple murders and a powerful ancient artifact. With the unpredictable Zachariah as her only source for aid, she’ll soon find out if her abilities are strong enough to help her defy her Fate.
Okay, let me just say that I LOVE the name Zachariah. I would read this book just to read that name over and over. And she has feathers in her hair! (I am so biased here - I have feathers in my hair. Of course, my feathers are not so large. No just three thin PURPLE feathers for me.) So I love the cover and the name Zachariah so I'm down to read this one.
As
many of you know, I'm a 8th grade math teacher. My students know that I
love to read. They love having access to my books - especially when I
get books early. My students LOVE Jennifer L. Armentrout too and were
fighting over who got to read my ARC Pure first. The second one was Judy. Here is her review.
Student review - by Judy
One word for Pure – AMAZING! That doesn’t even cover it. Pure is so exciting and so thrilling! For me, it takes a bit to get into a book but
Pure had me absolutely hooked!
Until reading the first book in this
series, Half-Blood, I wasn’t really a reader.
But that changed with this series.
It had a way of hooking you in!
I have to say my favorite part was when
Alex finally became close to Seth. Aiden
had told Alex something that made her not like him as much. Now don’t get me wrong, I love Aiden to death
but Adien seems different in Pure. I’ve
started to like Seth more. In Pure he
shows a side I’ve never seen before and I’ve fallen in love with him. Pure is amazing. I love, love, love it and can’t wait for the
third book. =)
*** GIVEAWAY ***
This
giveaway is for eBooks of all three books out in this series: Daemon,
Half-Blood, & Pure. International as long as you can accept an
eBook. The giveaway will fun until the end of the tour, April 13th. Be
a follower of StuckInBooks and fill out the rafflecopter below. Leave a comment for Judy to earn another entry.
Source: Publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.
My Summary:
Vee's sister's best friend just killed herself, except that she didn't kill herself. Someone slit her wrists for her and wrote the note. How does Vee know? Well she saw it from behind the eyes of the killer. But who's gonna believe her? She doesn't even know who she slid into that night, doesn't know who the murder is. She has to find the murder herself because she tried to tell her dad once about the slides and he sent her to a shrink. No way is she gonna repeat that disaster. With no one to trust and her best friend Rollin acting weird, Vee turns to the new guy, Zane, for comfort.
My Thoughts:
3 stars - a good read
The idea of sliding into someone else and observe that person is a new idea that I haven't seen done before. I was excited to dig into this one because it seemed so different and I really enjoyed that aspect of the book.
Vee has tried to tell her father about what happens to her when she just passes out but he thought she needed to talk to someone about it. Not quite the reaction Vee was hoping for. This isolation at dealing with her "disability" forces Vee to grow up a lot. She is a very strong teen that has had to deal with her mother's death, a distant father and a younger sister that needs her a lot right now. I was very happy to see a strong female lead.
The book draged some for me. Vee spends a lot of time trying to figure out who really killed Sophie. It isn't until she decides to see her sliding ability as an asset that the book pickup and the pages flew by. The story itself was a mass of clues that through suspicion on everyone possible except for maybe one place. Yeah, I had it figured out ahead of time but I enjoyed the unfolding of the story anyway.
The characters were interesting. I wish we had learned more about Zane. He felt vague to me. Rollin was a fabulous character and I loved him. I am hoping the ending meant what I thought it did. Speaking of the ending, the story was nicely wrapped up but it could easily have a sequel.
This is a good read and if you enjoy YA it would be a good choice.
"Beside me, hunched over his desk, Icky Ferris stumbles over the words in Julius Caesar. We're supposed to be reading in partners-- but his monotonous tone, paired with the unintelligible Shakespearean language that gets English teachers all hot and bothered, makes me feel unbearably sleepy." Page 1
So I cracked up laughing at this. Not an English teacher, but a math teacher - still it's sooo funny to me. Guess my students think that quadratic equations get me all hot and bothered - heehee. So not telling if it's true.
Anyway, I've actually gotten farther than page one in this book and so far I'm liking it. Different. Never read a book were someone slides into someone else like this.
What do you think? What's your teaser this week? Leave me a comment to let me know.
My Summary:
Having passed the tests and won immortality, Kate is free for the summer. Not really wanting to leave her new husband, Henry, but forced by her mother to remember she is still a teen finding her way, Kate heads to Greece with James. What should be a pleasant summer trip is far from it when James decides to visit some very old friends. Too bad they don't want to be found especially by the likes of the Gods. Drawn into the struggle of Lux and Casey, Kate must decide where her loyalties really are. Does she do what she knows is right or what the wife of Hades would do? What about Henry, will his anger be kindled or will he see things as Kate does? And what is James up to here stirring things up between them? Gonna be an interesting summer.
My Thoughts:
4 stars - a great read
So I don't trust James - Hermes - at all. Known for being cunning and shrewd, this guy is so after Kate. Her being married to Henry - Hades - doesn't seem to phase him in the slightest. But I did enjoy how Kate is so oblivious to it.
I love the characters in this series. I especially love that they don't necessarily have all the character traits of the classic Greek Gods. Their names are modern. They have lost their smug Greek ways, thank the Gods for that. It's such a fresh look at an old world lore. This installment has more of that as Kate tries to figure out the story behind Casey and Lux - also known as Castor and Pollux. I didn't know their story so it was fun to learn it this way.
My favorite part of this book was reading from Henry's POV! Recently taken a huge liking to reading from the male POV but because it was the quiet and sometimes brooding Henry , I was all over it. I think seeing thing from his perspective really helped me get ready for The Goddess Interrupted too.
This is a fun fast read that will have you loving Henry even more andlonging for more. If you've read The Goddess Test, you need to read this one BEFORE The Goddess Interrupted. If you haven't started this series, then start soon. It's a great twist on the Greek Gods with loads of romance.
Next up is The Goddess Interrupted. This one releases tomorrow! Happy Book Birthday!
Source: From publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
My Summary:
Kate won her immortality but has she won the one thing she wants, Henry's heart? After spending the summer is Greece with James, she returns to Henry only to have him distant and preoccupied with a looming war. But at the moment of her coronation, Henry is kidnapped by the one being that can kill a God. Shocked that the other Gods don't seem to think there is any hope of helping, Kate is forced to seek out Henry's first wife and true love, Persephone. Even if they can save Henry, how will bringing Persephone back into his life affect his heart?
My Thoughts:
4 stars - a great read
What can I say here? I STILL love this world that Aimee built. Greek gods a little more modern, a little less full of themselves, and friends to a teenage girl. What could be better than that? I was taken back by the complex relationship between Kate and Henry in a totally good way. This is not your typical romance where the boy falls for the girl and maybe the girl has a few things to get through but in the end they love each other. No this one has the boy suffering from a broken heart that hasn't healed in hundreds of years. That's not gonna go away in a few days or one book. I was glad to see that Henry didn't just fall all over Kate upon her return to the underworld. I was so glad that I had read The Goddess Hunt and understood Henry for it. I absolutely love these characters - all of them.
The story was exciting and had me guessing wrong a few times. I knew to expect Persephone but she was such a surprise to me. I did guess a few things right not all. It was just the perfect blend of roller coaster ride and comfort read.
Now the ending.... well lets just say that I need the next book and soon! Seriously peeps - I want it like yesterday! Can you say cliffhanger? Well sort of but enough that I NEED the next book. I'm so excited that The Goddess Legacy (The Goddess Test 2.5) comes out the end of July but that may not be enough to hold me until October when The Goddess Inheritance (The Goddess Test 3) comes out.
From award-winning
author Eva Stachniak comes this passionate novel that illuminates, as
only fiction can, the early life of one of history’s boldest women. The Winter Palace
tells the epic story of Catherine the Great’s improbable rise to
power—as seen through the ever-watchful eyes of an all-but-invisible
servant close to the throne.
Her name is Barbara—in Russian,
Varvara. Nimble-witted and attentive, she’s allowed into the employ of
the Empress Elizabeth, amid the glitter and cruelty of the world’s most
eminent court. Under the tutelage of Count Bestuzhev, Chancellor and
spymaster, Varvara will be educated in skills from lock picking to
lovemaking, learning above all else to listen—and to wait for
opportunity. That opportunity arrives in a slender young princess from
Zerbst named Sophie, a playful teenager destined to become the
indomitable Catherine the Great. Sophie’s destiny at court is to marry
the Empress’s nephew, but she has other, loftier, more dangerous
ambitions, and she proves to be more guileful than she first appears.
What
Sophie needs is an insider at court, a loyal pair of eyes and ears who
knows the traps, the conspiracies, and the treacheries that surround
her. Varvara will become Sophie’s confidante—and together the two young
women will rise to the pinnacle of absolute power.
With dazzling
details and intense drama, Eva Stachniak depicts Varvara’s secret
alliance with Catherine as the princess grows into a legend—through an
enforced marriage, illicit seductions, and, at last, the shocking coup
to assume the throne of all of Russia.
International as long as you can accept an eBook. Just follow StuckInBooks.com and fill out the rafflecopter below. Extra entries for spreading the word, but PLEASE leave a link or I have to delete them.
As many of you know, I'm a 8th grade math teacher. My students know that I love to read. They love having access to my books - especially when I get books early. My students LOVE Jennifer L. Armentrout too and were fighting over who got to read my ARC Pure first. That student was Cora. Here is her review.
Student review - by Cora
Of all the books I’ve read, and there
have been quite a few lately, I would say that Pure is one of my
favorites. This book is right up there
with Half-Blood and Obsidian, both by Jennifer L. Armentrout.
She has fast become one of my favorite authors.
As I was reading Pure, I kept telling
myself that I was just going to read one more chapter then return to reality
but once I started it, I was sucked in. It’s impossible to put down. I read Pure straight through in about ten
hours. This book kept me
captivated. There just wasn’t a boring
page in the whole book.
I found Pure impossible to predict. Every time I tried to predict what would
happen next, everything turned around, leaving me breathless and yearning for
more. I love books that can do that.
There were many hot and heavy moments in
this book. One of my favorites was when
Alex and Aiden took a trip to the zoo. I really liked this scene because you
really get to know Aiden better.
Another scene I really liked was at the pool with Alex and Seth. I was surprised how much this scene totally flipped
my perspective on who I thought Alex should end up with. After getting to know
both boys a little better I have to say I don’t really care who gets the girl.
I could be happy either way. All in all,
Pure was an amazingly beautiful story with what has turned into a true love
triangle.
*** GIVEAWAY ***
This giveaway is for eBooks of all three books out in this series: Daemon, Half-Blood, & Pure. International as long as you can accept an eBook. The giveaway will run until the end of the tour, April 13th. Be a follower of StuckInBooks and fill out the rafflecopter below. Leave Cora a comment for another entry.
Source: Received eBook from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.
My Summary:
Blaming himself for his mother's death, Chase can't bare the idea of losing anyone else he cares about. But everywhere he turns he's putting those very people in danger as he tries to protect the ring given to him by the Goddess. Everyone is after it from his power crazed father to every demon this side of the underworld. Then there's the circle who seems to think it's rightfully theirs. All of this takes a backseat as Chase tries to find a way to keep Rayne from splitting into pieces as a beast tries to break free from inside her. And Tiki is out partying until all hours, not to mention the strange pack that Willy is hanging with. How is Chase supposed to keep everyone safe and stop his father at the same time? And don't forget he's supposed to be training to learn how to control his still new elemental powers. What is a gorgeous boy to do?
My Thoughts:
5 stars: A must read
Can I just say ---- damn this book is a whirlwind! If you love the action then bring this one on baby! Chase gets two breaths after one battle before all hell breaks loose again. What is so fabulous about this read is that along with the fast paced ride, the characters are doing some growing. Love that. Chase is crushed by his mothers death and as he finds out more details about the events that surround it, he struggles more and more to reel in his emotions. At the same time, his power is getting stronger. He could easily rip a few people apart for their role in her death. But he doesn't. Anger is a constant companion but through the non-stop action, he learns what's really important. He makes decisions that only he could make correctly and only after going through what he went through. I really liked Chase in Exiled. He was snarky and had just enough power to be kickass. But I fell in love with him in Shift. He grew into his role as leader of a rag tag group and managed to strengthen that group in the process. I'm proud of you, Chase.
As for Rayne, I really didn't feel the connection with her in Exiled but I discovered her jealous devotion to Chase in Shift. Thought she might claw some eyes out or something a few times - talk about almost cat fight. Of course I totally love her now. And Willy! Yay Willy - you rock you stuttering demon you! I think the characters are my favorite part of these books. They endure so much and I'm cheering for them through every battle. I can't wait to see what happens next and if Chase can save the day. I'm leaning towards yes but only after being drug through the underworld to do it. =)
If you love a more urban fantasy feel with a few trips to the underworld thrown in along the way and some kickass characters with non-stop action, then this book is a MUST READ. This one will have you up late to finish it. Pick it up - you won't regret it!
