Obsessed With Covers #36: Wayfarer, As Old As Time, Frost Blood

Y'all know how much I love a pretty cover. I think about...40% of the books that end up on my shelves (be they physical or digital) do so because of the covers. Call me shallow but you have to admit that a pretty, shiny cover will catch your eye faster than a dull, boring one. Two, simple rules that I'll follow:

• 1, 2 or 3 (no more than 3, though) covers per week;
• books should be new-ish; no more than 2 years old.

Oh, before I share the covers that made me drool or want to stare at them for hours and hours, I have to say something. This is a semi-original idea. Why semi? Because almost every book blogger has something similar. The only thing I came up with was the title. If by any chance there's another blogger with a similar feature with the same title, I assure you I'm not stealing your idea. I'm just THAT bad with titles. Believe me, I'd love to be smarter and have a witty name for this feature, but I don't. So, no copyright infringement/theft/steal or anything of the sort was desired. All I can say is sorry :P

So, here are the prettiest covers I've seen this week.

If I loved the cover for the first book in the series, I completely adore the art for the second one. I love that the cover artist made the background a little bit darker, making it seem as if the characters will go through something really dramatic in this book. I also like the change in the art itself. If the cover for Passenger featured the image of a "captive" town, this time it seems as if the town, as well as its inhabitants, are free, while the people living in what looks like a rural, old setting, are being hold prisoners by something. I love that birds broke the glass, making it seem that there is some silver lining, but the image makes me think the road is long, and full of battles. I definitely need to read the first book, because just the cover arts are making me insanely curious about the story.


Wayfarer - Alexandra Bracken

I'm going to be completely honest with you and say I have a love-hate relationship with this cover. I love it, because makes me think that this is going to be a heartbreaking story. The fact that the rose looks so frail and that the Beast is barely just a shadow, while his castle looks like it's about to catch on fire, makes me think that him and Belle will barely make it out of their "twisted tale". At the same time though, I hate that the editor/publisher/the-powers-that-be decided to change the cover art style. Remember how the first two books featured the princesses' profiles? I understand that in this book Beast is probably the main focus, but they could have made the same style of cover art, showing his profile. I did notice there's an alternate cover art for the first book in the series, in the same style as this one, so maybe they gave up to the first art style. Meh. I'm still curious about this book though.

As Old As Time - Liz Braswell

While much simpler than the covers I usually like, this last cover is just gorgeous. I like the difference between the ice and the blood, I like how it makes it seem as if it takes a lot for red blood to flow, like it has to be a super powerful weapon to make a person with "regular" blood to bleed out. It makes me wonder what's so special about that icicle, and what it actually represents in the story. I also love the icy background. It's as if the ice is way more powerful than normal blood, which makes me even more curious about the book. I hope the letters from the title are embossed in some way, or that there's some sort of special effects for the final cover, because that would be so awesome.




Frost Blood - Elly Blake

Book Review: These Shallow Graves by Jennifer Donnelly

Author: Jennifer Donnelly
Series: N/A
Publisher: Random House Delacorte
Release Date: October 27th 2015
My Rating: 4 cups
Source: Netgalley
Blurb (from Goodreads):

A wealthy family. A deadly secret. A young woman with more to lose than she knows.

Josephine Montfort is from one of New York's oldest, most respected, and wealthiest families. Like most well-off girls of the Gilded Age, her future looks set - after a finishing school education, she will be favourably married off to a handsome gentleman, after which she'll want for nothing. But Jo has other dreams and desires that make her long for a very different kind of future. She wants a more meaningful and exciting life: she wants to be an investigative journalist like her heroine Nellie Bly.

But when Jo's father is found dead in his study after an alleged accident, her life becomes far more exciting than even Jo would wish. Unable to accept that her father could have been so careless, she begins to investigate his death with the help of a young reporter, Eddie Gallagher. It quickly becomes clear he was murdered, and in their race against time to discover the culprit and his motive, Jo and Eddie find themselves not only battling dark characters on the violent and gritty streets of New York, but also their growing feelings for each other.

*Disclaimer: I received an e-copy of this book from Netgalley and Bonnier Publishing in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my opinion or my review of this book.

I've been meaning to read this book ever since I heard about it last year, during BEA. I was in love with the original cover, but I was also very intrigued by the premise of the book. It's also been a while since I last read a historical novel, and I've been meaning to find some historical novels to read.

The first thing that comes to mind as I'm writing this review is how multifaceted Jo Montfort, the heroine, is. She's really brave and witty in some situations, and then she's shy and innocent, bordering on naive. This was actually one of the most interesting things to read about, but also one of the aspects I struggled with the most. I think this is because I myself don't have to face a lot of the social rigors that she had to struggle with, as well as with the various ways in which women from a higher social class were, basically, uneducated. I had to wrap my head around that aspect of the story. At the same time though, it was a very interesting piece of history to read about, to try to understand how women were educated and how society dictated they should act like, how they should dress, walk, talk, even dance or study. So from that point of view it was very interesting.

As I said, Jo was a really interesting character. I have to point out that at times I struggled a bit to accept how she did things, but in the end I think she proved to be much braver and smarter than I initially thought. I also admired her a lot, especially since she really did go against everything society told her polite young women should be like.

Eddie was a character that, for some reason, I felt wasn't as explored as I wanted him to be. Granted, the book was told from Jo's perspective, but I also wanted to know more about Eddie. I feel like there's a story there, one that deserves to be told. I'm mostly interested about his childhood more than anything.

There's another character that I feel the need to talk about, that I can't however talk about as much as I wanted, because of spoilers. The only thing I can say is that I was a bit disappointed with how his story concluded. I felt like someone who went through what this character had to face, for 20 years, could have had a different epilogue.

All in all, this was a really entertaining story, one that I feel manages to educate readers a little bit more about pioneer women, like the journalist Nellie Bly. I can only hope there's going to be a story from Eddie's POV, because honestly, he is a character I really want to see get more page time.

Book Review: Head Above Water by Hailey Edwards

Author: Hailey Edwards
Series: Gemini #2
Publisher: CrushStar Multimedia LLC
Release Date: April 30th 2016
My Rating: 5 cups
Source: Netgalley
Blurb (from Goodreads):

Camille Ellis has tracked many killers during her career,but this time it's personal. Cut off from conclave resources, she won't let a small thing like a suspension keep her from accepting Cord Graeson's offer of help.

Pretending to be mated to him is one way to secure allies, but the best that can be said of the Chandler Pack is they haven't killed or eaten her. Yet. Between the alpha's displeasure and the pack's distrust of fae, she's working overtime to keep her head above water.

Just when the fur starts to fly, a tip cracks her case--and her life--wide open.

*Disclaimer: I received an e-copy of this book from Netgalley and CrushStar Multimedia LLC for free, in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my opinion or my review of the book.

Picking up right where Dead in the Water ended, this book was amazeballs. I love it when authors manage to make it seem like no time has passed between books, which is what I felt now.

More and more is revealed about Cam's backstory, which I love. She's still heartbroken by her twin sister's death, years ago, but I got the feeling she is mending. She's on the road to becoming the woman she should've been all along, had her sister lived, which makes me equally sad and happy. Happy, because Cam deserves it. Sad, because poor Lori. I love the risks Cam is taking in this book, I love how fiercely protective she gets of the people she cares about, and I love how she manages to let people in, to make friends.

Graeson is still hot. Infuriating too, which is something I'll admit I forgot about him. It was interesting to see the dynamic between the two of them, just as it was interesting to see Graeson become stronger and go towards a more dominant role in the werewolf pack.

Speaking of werewolves, I'd love to see the dynamics within the pack, the bonds, the mental connection, from Graeson's point of view. I saw how Cam experienced it, but I can only imagine that Graeson has a stronger, more defined experience with all of those aspects.

I'm curious if certain characters will get together, just as I'm curious to see if they'll have their own series. Just as I'm curious to finally find out who the killer is. I'm suspecting a certain someone, which would be mindblowing if that person is the killer, but I'm not yet 100% sure.

As with the previous book, this installment ended with a biiiig cliffhanger, and I cannot wait to see what happens next. I am keeping my fingers crossed that there are more spin-offs in the work, because this is a world I am not yet ready to say goodbye to.

Comic Book Tuesday #9: White Sand by Brandon Sanderson

Author: Brandon Sanderson
Series: White Sand
Publisher: Dynamic Forces
Release Date: June 21st 2016
My Rating: 3.5 cups
Source: Netgalley
Blurb (from Goodreads):

A brand new saga of magic and adventure by #1 New York Times best-selling author Brandon Sanderson. On the planet of Taldain, the legendary Sand Masters harness arcane powers to manipulate sand in spectacular ways. But when they are slaughtered in a sinister conspiracy, the weakest of their number, Kenton, believes himself to be the only survivor. With enemies closing in on all sides, Kenton forges an unlikely partnership with Khriss -- a mysterious Darksider who hides secrets of her own. White Sand brings to life a crucial, unpublished part of Brandon Sanderson's sprawling Cosmere universe. The story has been adapted by Rik Hoskin (Mercy Thompson), with art by Julius Gopez and colors by Ross Campbell. Employing powerful imagery and Sanderson's celebrated approach to magical systems, White Sand is a spectacular new saga for lovers of fantasy and adventure.

*Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book from Netgalley and Dynamite Entertainment in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my opinion or rating of the book

As a lover of all things fantasy, I've heard a lot of great things about Brandon Sanderson. I have been interested in trying out his work, so when I saw this comic book on Netgalley, I was ecstatic.

The story itself is pretty good. The book starts with Kenton having pretty much a fight with his dad, the ruler of a group called Sand Masters. At first, Kenton came off as a spoiled boy who just wanted attention, but as the story progressed, it turned out he was way smarter than it seemed at first, much more loyal and not as spoiled. I also loved that at a certain point of the story, more characters, from different countries and societies, are introduced. I really enjoyed learning more about them, their backstories.

I do hope that the second volume, if there is going to be one, will explore how the Sand Masters were formed, why they were so hated by other people, as well as the other societies that have a connection with the Sand Masters.

Since this is a comic book, I have to talk about the art. I don't know if this was an issue with the file uploaded on the website, or just something with the copy I received, but the pictures looked very, very pixelated. Not in an intentional way, but in a distorted, grainy, blurry way. A lot of times that managed to pull me out of the story a little bit, because it was quite distracting. If you manage to ignore the imperfections, the art is quite beautiful. I also had some issues with how the panels themselves were distributed on page. It felt a bit confusing, having to figure out for some pages which panel comes next and where I should read. A few times the artist indicated the order of the panels, other times the reader is left to figure it out for himself/herself.

I would love to read the next volume, because I did enjoy the story, overall. And, like I said, I'd like to see a finished physical copy of this book, to enjoy the art a little bit more, as well as the story itself.

Obsessed With Covers #35: The Kingdom of Little Wounds, Carve The Mark, The Many Lives of John Stone

Y'all know how much I love a pretty cover. I think about...40% of the books that end up on my shelves (be they physical or digital) do so because of the covers. Call me shallow but you have to admit that a pretty, shiny cover will catch your eye faster than a dull, boring one. Two, simple rules that I'll follow:

• 1, 2 or 3 (no more than 3, though) covers per week;
• books should be new-ish; no more than 2 years old.

Oh, before I share the covers that made me drool or want to stare at them for hours and hours, I have to say something. This is a semi-original idea. Why semi? Because almost every book blogger has something similar. The only thing I came up with was the title. If by any chance there's another blogger with a similar feature with the same title, I assure you I'm not stealing your idea. I'm just THAT bad with titles. Believe me, I'd love to be smarter and have a witty name for this feature, but I don't. So, no copyright infringement/theft/steal or anything of the sort was desired. All I can say is sorry :P

So, here are the prettiest covers I've seen this week.

This cover looks like a photo inside a photo. It's easy to notice the castle and the beautifully colored sky first, or at least it was for me. But then I looked at the frame and OMG so many things to see there, so many creatures, so many hidden details that make me wonder if those aren't part of those "Little Wounds". Also, I had the chance to see this book IRL and let me tell you, it is just as stunning, if not more.








The Kingdom of Little Wounds - Susann Cokal

I have to say, this cover is absolutely gorgeous. I would love to have this book in my shelves, it's so pretty. I'm actually expecting the finished copy to have some nice effect, like maybe the gold liquid that bleeds through those cuts to shimmer or something similar. I can't help but wonder what the title and cover have to do with the actual story though. Because the cover does not lead me to think "Dystopia", and yet that's how the book is shelved as on Goodreads. All of that said, I kinda see some stars in there, so maybe that's a wall that's carved into? I am now very curious about the book.

Carve The Mark - Veronica Roth

There are so many things going on in this cover, I don't even know where to start. I love how the mirror is broken and how it shows different portraits of what seems to be different people. I also love how there seem to be shards missing, which makes me wonder what happened to them? The fact that the background is black though makes me think that maybe that's not a mirror. The camera that the girl is holding makes me wonder if that's not actually a broken lens? There are some strange symbols reflected in one of the shards and that also make me wonder about the story, and also there's an incomplete image there, with the shard that's nearest to the colored reflection of the guy. I could go on and on, but basically I am obsessed with this cover. A lot!


The Many Lives of John Stone - Linda Buckley-Archer

ARC Book Review: And I Darken by Kiersten White

Author: Kiersten White
Series: The Conquerors Saga #1
Publisher: Corgi Childrens
Release Date: June 28th 2016
My Rating: 5 cups
Source: Netgalley
Blurb (from Goodreads):

No one expects a princess to be brutal. And Lada Dragwyla likes it that way.

Ever since she and her brother were abandoned by their father to be raised in the Ottoman sultan’s courts, Lada has known that ruthlessness is the key to survival. For the lineage that makes her and her brother special also makes them targets.

Lada hones her skills as a warrior as she nurtures plans to wreak revenge on the empire that holds her captive. Then she and Radu meet the sultan’s son, Mehmed, and everything changes. Now Mehmed unwittingly stands between Lada and Radu as they transform from siblings to rivals, and the ties of love and loyalty that bind them together are stretched to breaking point.

The first of an epic new trilogy starring the ultimate anti-princess who does not have a gentle heart. Lada knows how to wield a sword, and she'll stop at nothing to keep herself and her brother alive.

*Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book from Netgalley and Penguin Random House UK Children’s in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my review or my opinion of the book.

There are books that I love and then there are the books that blow my mind in such a way that it goes beyond me merely enjoying them. It's been a while since I've read a book that I thought deserved the "Recommended Read" badge/rating, but And I Darken is definitely one of those. But I'll get to the why of this later on. Let me first talk about the characters, because they were simply amazing.

Lada is one of those characters that at times I wanted to hate, but I just couldn't. Being a girl, born to the most powerful man in a medieval country, has to be tough. I liked how the author explores that aspect a little bit in the beginning of the book, how Lada struggles to make her father see her as worthy and as just as good as her brothers. Then, she and her younger brother, Radu, are given to the Ottomans as tribute. It was a very interesting theme throughout the book, how the siblings coped with their situation, how they adapted to a new culture, new environment, new rules, new language. I can't help but admire Lada's wits. She's a natural at leading, she is a leader, and I was really hoping she'd succeed. She's the antihero, and I fell in love with her because she was not the typical female character in a historical novel.

Radu was an interesting character. He is the complete opposite of Lada: he's not a leader, he's not a fighter, he's definitely not as strong as Lada, especially when they were kids. There's also a really interesting development towards the end of the book that, considering the time period, it is such a great thing to explore. I hope that the next book explores that more in depth and show how Radu deals with certain aspects of his life more. At times I felt he was a bit too sensitive, too weak, but then I realized that his ability to get near people, to talk to them, to make them talk to him, is what make him a great figure, from a historical perspective.

Mehmed is also a really interesting character. He's very different than Lada and Radu. At times I thought that he has no idea what he wants. He might have a good heart, he might want the throne of the Ottoman Empire, but I feel that if he hadn't have Lada by his side, he wouldn't have had it.

I said earlier that I was going to explain my "Recommended Read" rating. I don't know if you know this, but I am Romanian. So for me, as for many other Romanians, the figure of Vlad the Impaler is a really important one for our history. He's basically a national hero. That's what we're told in school, in books, in movies, everywhere. So because of that I usually stay away from books and foreign movies that portray him as anything but a hero, simply because I don't see him as the bloodthirsty tyrant or as the old-as-dirt vampire that these movies and books show him to be. The idea of a female version of him was really intriguing. I still wasn't sure I wanted to read the book, until I saw the cover that I put in the beginning of this post, on Netgalley, and I knew that I had to read it. I'll be honest and say that at a certain point I wanted to just put the book down, outraged. Because some of the things shown in this book are nothing like what I knew them to be. However, to say I know my country's history would be a big fat lie. I only know a small portion of it, mainly what is taught in school, and let's face it, the important things, like, for instance, how Radu gained his "the Beautiful" nickname, will never be discussed in school. But after that initial thought, I decided to keep reading. And the reason that I think everyone should read this book is that it serves as a discussion starter. In school, I never got to explore the consequences of Vlad and Radu going to Edirne and live with the Ottomans for a good portion of their formative years. History books usually talk about how much Vlad hated the Ottomans and how much he hated his time in the Empire, but we also know that history is not always objective and that it can be interpreted in many ways. So the great thing that And I Darken does is to explore the ways in which what we know today may not be as black-and-white as it seems. Of course, this is an alternate history, so it must be taken accordingly, but I think that, as I said before, it can be used to start a conversation.

With all of that said, I desperately need the sequel, because I need to know what happens next with Lada, Radu and Mehmed, as well as all the other minor characters that I simply adored.