Cover Reveal ~ Daughter of Smoke and Bone ~ Laini Taylor



 
Daughter of Smoke and Bone

Laini Taylor

September 2011

Hodder & Stoughton

Here it is, the final cover of Laini Taylor's book! I even love the back of the jacket, and the colours are beautiful! And I was told 'the actual physical jacket will come complete with foiling effects for extra fabulousness'. And even though I have a proof I am going to have to get this finish product when it's released :) Do you like the cover as much as I do?

In My Mailbox #21









In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted every Sunday over at The Story Siren. A great meme which allows bloggers to share what they receive/buy/borrow each week.







First of all this week I have to tell you all how I met author Tom Clempson and his lovely wife Laura who you know as the creator of Cupcakes for Clara. They are such lovely people and I'm so happy I finally got to meet them :)

Tom and I with a copy of his book One Seriously Messed-Up Week :)

OK so this week I have been very good and not spent any money on books. I need to get through the ones I have. But I did get:

From netgalley



Title: The Iron Knight
Author: Julie Kagawa
Published: October 2011
By: Harlequin

Ash, former prince of the Winter Court, gave up everything. His title, his home, even his vow of loyalty. All for a girl… and all for nothing.

Unless he can earn a soul.


To cold, emotionless faery prince Ash, love was a weakness for mortals and fools. His own love had died a horrible death, killing any gentler feelings the Winter prince might have had. Or so he thought.

Then Meghan Chase—a half human, half fey slip of a girl— smashed through his barricades, binding him to her irrevocably with his oath to be her knight. And when all of Faery nearly fell to the Iron fey, she severed their bond to save his life. Meghan is now the Iron Queen, ruler of a realm where no Winter or Summer fey can survive.

With the (unwelcome) company of his archrival, Summer Court prankster Puck, and the infuriating cait sith Grimalkin, Ash begins a journey he is bound to see through to its end— a quest to find a way to honor his solemn vow to stand by Meghan’s side.

To survive in the Iron realm, Ash must have a soul and a mortal body. But the tests he must face to earn these things are impossible. At least, no one has ever passed to tell the tale.

And then Ash learns something that changes everything. A truth that turns reality upside down, challenges his darkest beliefs and shows him that, sometimes, it takes more than courage to make the ultimate sacrifice.


For review



Title: Catalyst
Author: Marc Johnson
Published: March 2011

For centuries, the kingdom of Alexandria has protected Northern Shala from the monstrous creatures lurking in the Wastelands. Now, a dark force threatens that fragile peace.

Far from home, Alexandria's princess is abducted. When a young villager named Hellsfire stumbles upon her and her captors, he rushes in to rescue her, alone and unarmed. His fear and fury unleash an uncontrollable magical force that grants him the power to save the princess-and change the world.

Hellsfire has never craved nor dreamed of power. But such magic as he now possesses has not been seen in Northern Shala for a thousand years, since the devastation of the War of the Wizards and the creation of the Wastelands.

Now Hellsfire must leave all he's ever known, and make a dangerous journey to learn to master this wild, ferocious power-power he knows he is not ready to wield. More difficult still, he needs to master his emotions. If he can't, the power will consume him, Alexandria will fall, and darkness will eclipse the land, destroying everyone he loves.

In the dead of cold, the spark shall burn...

And I also got this amazing Harry Potter bag:

So that's what I got this week. What did you get?

Happy reading :)

Review ~ Cinder & Ella ~ Melissa Lemon



2.5 stars


Title: Cinder and Ella
Author: Melissa Lemon
Published: November 2011
By: Bonneville Books
Source: netgalley

Opening line: If you drink water and breath air, then you have heard the story of Cinderella. And, if you drink water and breath air, you have heard it...wrong.

Closing line: And there, out of he stump of the tree that had once been cut down by her eager knight, Ella would find ... a willow sprout.

After their father’s disappearance, and their mother's heart is broken Cinder is forced to look after her family. She leaves home for a servant job at the castle to help bring money into the family home. While she is away her sister Ella runs away from home because her own mother doesn't even recognise her anymore and she can't cope with the demands of her other two sisters. But soon enough there is a mission to find Ella to return her to the kingdom and to the Prince who is dark and dangerous.

I thought, like many others, this book would be a retelling of the classic Cinderella, but other than the name there is not much else in common with the original fairytale. The story became an original tale within itself. There was no fairy godmother or glass slipper or pumpkins, instead we have knights, an evil dark Prince and soul trees. I found the first half of the book a little slow and the other two sisters, Katrina, Beatrice really annoyed me however, Beatrice did grow on me in the end. There wasn't much character development as the story really became about Ella and her fight to save herself and the kingdom.

I did like the relationship between Ella and her knight, Tanner, and the scene where he stays awake for hours clearing her soul tree of the prince's weeds really does pull at the heart strings. I love how they grow as characters but I wish others would have been given the same chance.

I just wish the first half of the book had been more like the first half and I would have loved for the soul trees to be part of the story more and explored further. I would recommend this book if you are looking for something completely different, just be prepared for a slow start.