Blog Tour Review & Giveaway: From the Earth to the Shadows by Amanda Hocking!

Title: From the Earth to the Shadows

Series: Valkyrie #2

Author: Amanda Hocking

Pub. Date: April 24th 2018

About the Book:

The epic conclusion to the thrilling Valkyrie duology by New York Times bestselling YA author Amanda Hocking, From the Earth to the Shadows.

While dealing with dark revelations about her life and her world, Malin finds herself with new allies--and new enemies. Her quest for the truth leads her to places she never thought possible, and she's never been one to shy away from a fight. But for all her strength and determination, will it be enough to save the world before it's too late?

Get It Here:

BAM | Powells | IndieBound | Amazon | B&N

About the Author:

Amanda Hocking is the author of over twenty young adult novels, including the New York Times bestselling Trylle Trilogy and Kanin Chronicles. Her love of pop culture and all things paranormal influence her writing. She spends her time in Minnesota, taking care of her menagerie of pets and working on her next book.

Blog | Website | Twitter | Facebook

Review:

★★★ ★

I was very excited to get a chance to read this book. It's no secret that I'm a fan of Amanda Hocking's work. Plus, I had read book one in this series - Between the Blade and the Heart - earlier on in the year and I enjoyed it very much.

From the Earth to the Shadows contains the same lovable cast that were in book one. I appreciated the characters in this book as well, since even the ones that I didn't care for, I understood why I didn't care for them. Not all people in life are likable, so why would fictional people? I feel like I liked Malin a bit more this time around, she seemed more approachable. Maybe I'd just gotten used to her. Either way, it worked.

There is a lot of action packed into this book, as is true with the first one. There's a lot to take in, and a lot to follow. On the one hand, this is great because it feels like it could be an action movie. It keeps the pace quick, and it feels like you're flying through the story. I appreciate that- one of my least favorite feelings is when a book d r a a a a a a g s on forever.

But on the other hand, it is a lot to take in. There's a lot of characters to remember, and background/plot information to keep straight. Some times it felt a bit rushed, like it moved along too quickly, or like some plot steps were a bit too convenient.

Ultimately though, I enjoyed this book. It felt very similar to the first in tone and pace, and I loved a chance to go into the world that Hocking created. I definitely recommend reading book one before you read this one, though. If you've read book one and enjoyed it, then I'll think you'll like the second part of the duology as well. It mixes romance, mythology, and a kick butt heroine into one fast paced adventure through the underworld.

Giveaway:

- One (1) winner will receive a finished paperback copy of FROM THE EARTH TO THE SHADOWS, U.S. entries only.

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Blog Tour Review & Giveaway: Between the Blade and the Heart by Amanda Hocking!

Title: Between the Blade and the Heart

Series: Valkyrie #1

Author: Amanda Hocking

Pub. Date: January 2, 2018

About the Book:

When the fate of the world is at stake
Loyalties will be tested

Game of Thrones meets Blade Runner in this commanding new YA fantasy inspired by Norse Mythology from New York Times bestselling author Amanda Hocking.

As one of Odin's Valkyries, Malin's greatest responsibility is to slay immortals and return them to the underworld. But when she unearths a secret that could unravel the balance of all she knows, Malin along with her best friend and her ex-girlfriend must decide where their loyalties lie. And if helping the blue-eyed boy Asher enact his revenge is worth the risk—to the world and her heart.

Get It Here:

BAM | Powells | IndieBound | Amazon | B&N

About the Author:

Amanda Hocking is the author of over twenty young adult novels, including the New York Times bestselling Trylle Trilogy and Kanin Chronicles. Her love of pop culture and all things paranormal influence her writing. She spends her time in Minnesota, taking care of her menagerie of pets and working on her next book.

Blog | Website | Twitter | Facebook

Review:

★★★★

I was beyond excited to get the chance to read this book. Amanda Hocking's book, Switched, was one of the very first books that I ever reviewed. It's cool to me that I still get to read her work, some five-ish years later. In addition to liking Hocking's work previously, I was also drawn in by the promise of Norse mythology. I wasn't left disappointed.

I really liked the characters in this book. Even the ones that I wasn't cheering for, I appreciated their development and had opinions on them. In particular, I really liked the relationship between Malin and her mother. It was complicated and frustrating, loving and hateful. In my opinion, there's not a lot of books that (successfully) portray how you can resent a parent but still feel love and warmth from them. I felt it was well done here. I liked her best friend, Oona, who is a crafty (pun absolutely intended) sorceress. And, I liked Quinn, the Valkyrie ex-girlfriend.

Which brings me to something else that I really liked: Malin's bisexuality is represented without it being the point of the plot/book. She just is and it has almost nothing to do with the book's outcome, save for a tiny bit of a love triangle type dilemma. It's not a big deal. It's never explained or explicitly stated. And in that same vein, I appreciated that neither love interest was a "first". There's no moony-eyed dilemma of having feelings for a girl for the first time. She point blank says hey, I've dated boys and girls before. And to me that's almost as bad ass as the whole sword-wielding contracted immortal killer thing.

Which, I also loved about her. I loved that there was never a moment where she's thinking poor me, I'm so average, whatever will I do? She is talented, albeit flawed, and confident and I appreciated it.

The world building was cool, but a bit confusing at times. The beings and gods and whatnot are timeless, so it has an old vibe to it. But then they're talking about technologies like eye scanners that are contemporary. But then there are some devices that certainly don't exist in our day and age, so it's also kind of futuristic. It's cool, but I wish it was flushed out a little more.

Similarly, I absolutely adore the fact that there are so many types of creatures and myths at play here; it's far more than just Norse. There's Lamia and demi-gods, and beings I had never even heard of. On the one hand, learning about all these creatures was super cool... But on the other hand, it's overwhelming because not all of them are explained. A lot of these words/beings are from mythos I know nothing about. I had to look up quite a few, because only some of them are explained or elaborated upon. It was a bit frustrating.

I think this book is like a Percy Jackson if it grew up and got a little more intense and steamy. There's profanity. There's sex. There's drinking. There's decapitating spider-women. But it's all balanced and not there for the sake of being there.

If you're a fan of young adult mythology or strong female characters, I'd recommend checking this book out. There's a mild cliff hanger and a slight love triangle situation, but neither really bothered me in this case. I read this book in one sitting despite my few grievances, and I'll definitely want to read the next book in the series.

Giveaway:

- One (1) winner will receive a finished paperback copy of BETWEEN THE BLADE AND THE HEART, U.S. entries only.

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HALLOWEEN COUNTDOWN REVIEW: Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke

Title: Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
Series: Between #1
Author: April Genevieve Tucholke
Format: Hardcover, 360 pages
Pub. Date: August 15th 2013
Source: Purchased, HPB


Book Description:

You stop fearing the devil when you’re holding his hand…

Nothing much exciting rolls through Violet White’s sleepy, seaside town… until River West comes along. River rents the guest house behind Violet’s crumbling estate, and as eerie, grim things start to happen, Violet begins to wonder about the boy living in her backyard.

Is River just a crooked-smiling liar with pretty eyes and a mysterious past? Or could he be something more?

Violet’s grandmother always warned her about the Devil, but she never said he could be a dark-haired boy who takes naps in the sun, who likes coffee, who kisses you in a cemetery... who makes you want to kiss back.

Violet’s already so knee-deep in love, she can’t see straight. And that’s just how River likes it.

Blending faded decadence and the thrilling dread of gothic horror, April Genevieve Tucholke weaves a dreamy, twisting contemporary romance, as gorgeously told as it is terrifying—a debut to watch.

Review:

★★

Oh goodness. What did I just read?

I was super excited to finally get this book. I remember when it first came out and people were losing their minds for it. I was drawn in by the hype, not to mention the super intriguing title and the pretty cover. I shouldn't have judged it by that.

I could rant about this book for hours, but instead I'm opting to take the short, sweet high road version.

I'll start with the positives first, because there are some positives. The writing is absolutely beautiful. The author does a fantastic job in describing the setting and the characters. The writing is slow at times, in a style reminiscent of southern gothic novels. It's lyrical and haunting, and more than once I found myself internally complimenting a passage.

But that's all I've got.

Some of the reasons why I didn't enjoy this book include: instalove, adults that don't seem to know/care what's going on ever, terrible side characters (the awful brother, the "slutty" neighbor), and lots of questionable decisions by everyone involved.

A pet peeve (that's admittedly nitpicking) is that they refer to each other as brother and sister. Is this a regional thing? I've literally never called my sister "sister" in conversation.

The end was super disappointing too. The bad guy (maybe?) turns into a Batman/Scooby-Doo villain and reveals his whole origin story and plan. There's a lot of threads left untied at the end, and it ends in a cliffhanger. Unfortunately, I wasn't interested enough in the characters to pick up the second one any time soon.

There's a lot of people who really liked this book, so maybe it's just a case of "it's not you, it's me". If you like instant romance, paranormal powers, and gothic writing, maybe you'll have better luck with this than me.

Blog Tour Review, Guest Post, & Giveaway: Cover Him with Darkness by Janine Ashbless

Title: Cover Him with Darkness
Author: Janine Ashbless
Release date: 10/14/14
Publisher: Tempted Romance/Cleis Press
Purchase: Amazon | Cleis Press


Book Blurb:

If You Loved an Angel... How Far Would You Fall with Him?

What happens when the daughter of the village priest falls in love with an archangel banished from heaven? Milja’s heart is struck when she catches a glimpse of the preternaturally beautiful prisoner her father keeps captive beneath his church’s altar. Torn between tradition, loyalty and her growing obsession with the fallen angel, will Milja risk losing her family, and her eternal soul, for the love of this divine being? Janine Ashbless will transport you to a world where good and evil battle for true love.

Guest Post:

by Janine Ashbless

I’m not sure I should be saying this, but I never expected to write a novel – never mind a trilogy – about fallen angels. I thought all that was behind me. You see, Cover Him with Darkness started life as a short story in which it was never made entirely clear what the gorgeous male prisoner in the cell was – pagan god, titan, angel or demon. Then Cleis Press mailed me out of the blue with “What happened next? We need to know!” and suddenly, WHAM, I was up to my neck in the Old Testament, Orthodox iconography and the Apocalypse.

Not that this was unfamiliar territory – far from it. My family were (and are) Christians, and I’d been brought up in a Bible-believing/charismatic/evangelical circle, so angelic intervention was something categorized in an understated British way as ‘Not Impossible’. And we didn’t picture them as hunky guys with wings!

I was always, it must be said, one of those uncomfortable Christians that asked doubting, awkward questions about things in the Bible. Now of course there are (complex) answers to those awkward questions. Personally I ended up, in my twenties, cutting the Gordian knot and taking the simple solution, i.e. deciding that the Bible was fiction and God did not exist: “TA DA! The Problem of Evil dissolves into nothing! Hurray, now I can go worry about something else!”

But with writing Cover Him with Darkness, suddenly I’m back asking those questions. I’ve got angels who come to earth and have sex with human women (Genesis 6: 1-2). I’ve got a hot, messed-up anti-hero who’s standing up against God Almighty, and been punished horribly for it. And within my fictional universe there’s no room for doubt or atheism – given that several of the characters have actually met God. Eeeeek! How am I going to make sense of it all?

Well I promised myself from the start I wouldn’t dodge the issues, even though I was “only” (as some might see it) writing an erotic romance. I wouldn’t pretend that the questions of sexual sin, divine justice and free will were just invisible; I would face them down and try to come to some answers. Inevitably I’m going to upset people for whom my conclusions, in the fictional world, don’t fit their real-world view.

My mother has bought Cover Him with Darkness, by the way. Maybe I need to make my own plans for Christmas dinner...

Xxx
Janine Ashbless

About the Author:

Janine Ashbless is a writer of fantasy erotica and steamy romantic adventure – and that’s “fantasy” in the sense of swords ‘n’ sandals, contemporary paranormal, fairytale, and stories based on mythology and folklore. She likes to write about magic and mystery, dangerous power dynamics, borderline terror, and the not-quite-human.
Janine has been seeing her books in print ever since 2000, and her novels and single-author collections now run into double figures. She’s also had numerous short stories published by Black Lace, Nexus, Cleis Press, Ravenous Romance, Harlequin Spice, Storm Moon, Xcite, Mischief Books, and Ellora’s Cave among others. She is co-editor of the nerd erotica anthology Geek Love.
Her work has been described as: "hardcore and literate" (Madeline Moore) and "vivid and tempestuous and dangerous, and bursting with sacrifice, death and love." (Portia Da Costa)
Facebook | Blog | Amazon US | Goodreads | Amazon UK

Review:

★★★★★

I wasn't entirely sure what to expect with this book when I first agreed to read it. I admittedly haven't read too many books that deal with angels, fallen or otherwise. All that being said, Ashbless has set the bar for my expectations of angelic paranormal romance. I positively loved Cover Him with Darkness.

A large part of why I liked this book lies in the settings. It's set in a modern world, with the lead character Milja going to school in Boston. However, her home is a remote village in Montenegro that seems like it's set centuries ago. There's no running water or electricity, everyone knows everyone (and everyone's business), religion is still very close to the heart of the village, which is in the mountains. It's charming in a rustic kind of way, and if we're being completely honest, put me a little in mind of Belle's village in "Beauty and the Beast". I really liked this old-fashioned setting mixed with the modern world of cell phones, airplanes, and the internet.

The other main reason why I liked this book is simply Azazel, the fallen angel. He is deceptive and possessive and absolutely dreamy. What does that say about my own character? Eh. That's a discussion for a different day, I think. He's seduction and evil manifested into one body and much like Milja, I didn't want to be attracted to him but I found it to be impossible. Mmm.

If you are really devout or easily offended by blasphemy, let me tell you something, this is not the book for you. Fortunately, I am neither of those things and am a bit of a closeted heirophiliac myself. (If you don't know what that means.... Don't Google Image search it. I warned you.) This in short means adding an erotic, lusty love to a church setting is just my type of reading fun. But don't let that fool you. It's clear that there's a lot of study and familiarity with religious texts present in this book. I appreciated that I wasn't just expected to know passages or scripture quotes- I'm a little rusty these days.

There's a lot of lust in this book, yes, but there's also quite a bit of action and suspense that left me wanting to read more. I finished this book in a manner of hours simply because I didn't want to put it down. The pacing is excellent, and there's hardly a dull moment when it comes to fallen angels who have escaped from their prison.

Overall, this book is just really well written. I liked the characters. I liked the settings. I enjoyed the steamier romance scenes and all of the Biblical/holy knowledge that was sprinkled in throughout the text. It's good story telling, plain and simple. This isn't my first time reading a story by Janine Ashbless (I actually highlighted her short stories in my review of The Sexy Librarian's Big Book of Erotica & Anything for You), but I sincerely hope to read more full length books like this one from her. I will also, after I finish this review, go back and read the original short story of Cover Him with Darkness.

This is a good book for anyone who likes the combination of sin, angels, sex, romance, domination, religious ideals, and steam. Thanks so much to Tempted Romance/Cleis Press for my copy in exchange for my honest review.

Giveaway:

-This giveaway will run from October 29th to November 5th, 2014
-This giveaway is US & CAN ONLY
-This giveaway is open to those 18+
-It is open to anyone over that age who can legally enter, receive, and use their prize.
-One (1) winner will win a copy.
-This giveaway is sponsored wholly by the publisher. I am not responsible.
-This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity.
-Winner will have 48 hours to reply, or a new winner will be chosen. Winner will be chosen using random.org.
-Invalid entries will be removed, so please don't cheat.
-Void where prohibited. Odds will vary. No purchase necessary.
-My opinions are my own. Information will not be stored or sold, and will be used only to contact the winners.

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Review: Crimson Night by Marie Hall

Title: Crimson Night (Night #1)
Author: Marie Hall
Format: egalley
Pub. Date: September 5th 2013
Source: Netgalley

★★★★

Four stars.

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Crimson Night takes place at a dark, twisted kind of carnival, where one can easily be lured in by all the beautiful people... So lured in that they never quite leave. Pandora, half human, half demon of Lust, tries to be normal despite her setting, clinging for the humane half of her. She works doing what she does best- killing paranormal creatures lilke vampires and werewolves. But something dark is lurking in the shadows, and it chills even her- will she be able to take them once betrayed?

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This is my first Marie Hall book outside of the Kingdom Series, and I was definitely not disappointed.

Pandora was a really likable character. For one, being a slayer made her pretty bad ass, and it's a nice change from the recent onslaught of damsel in distress novels. A big part of why I liked her was because she was always trying to find her humanity. It added depth to her, and it was needed.

One thing I know from reading the Kingdom Series is that Marie Hall has great skill in creating a world that entrances and intrigues the reader. Crimson Night follows in this tradition. The carnival was a really cool place to read about, and I was immediately drawn in to the story.

Another thing about this book that I enjoyed was the steamy aspect. I appreciated that it wasn't a sticky sweet romance, and catered to Pandora's demon of lust half. I also liked that it wasn't a focal point of the story- it's not a book about only a relationship, it's a book that contains a relationship.

I was engrossed in the story from cover to cover, and I definitely wasn't expecting it to end as it did. I will definitely need to pick up the next book in the series once it becomes available. My enjoyment of this book shows that Marie Hall is the real, and she's become one of my auto-read authors.

Thanks to Marie Hall and Netgalley for my chance to read this.

Review: Call of the Jersey Devil

Title: Call of the Jersey Devil
Author: Aurelio Voltaire
Format: Paperback, 331 pages
Pub. Date: May 28th 2013
Source: Gifted by The Little Pink Book Boutique

★★★★

Four stars.

There are far worse things lurking in New Jersey than The Situation. Like for instance, the gateway into Hell. A witch who has taken to resealing this gateway when needed finds herself in the woods with a motley crew of assistance: five misfit teenagers and one bitter has-been Gothic singer. It will take all the strength they have to get rid of the worst thing to come out of New Jersey since the Real Housewives- the infamous Jersey Devil- and not everyone will make it back alive.

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This book is exactly the kind of writing that I expected of Voltaire, who is one of my favorite (if not favorite) musical artists. This books caters to the goth kids that grew up reading things like Goosebumps and watching Lovecraft films but never outgrew the need for creepness. Creepdom? Ah well. This book turns the goth kids into the heros instead of just the side freaks or the venomous, judgemental bad guys that they're normally portrayed as. This alone makes the book stands out and gains my favor.

This book is an equal mixture of urban legend, horror, comedy, and what the fuckery. The descriptions, while very well written and graphic, are disgusting in the best possible way. The creatures that emerge from the pit of hell are putrid, and Voltaire makes sure that you know it. I often found myself making a facial expression not unlike a first grader talking about cooties- tongue out and nose turned. But, these horror elements are well broken up with bursts of dark comedy that people with strange senses of humor, like myself, will find hilarious. I also really enjoyed a lot of the song and movie references that this book contained. (I also secretly got really excited when I read the title of the book in the prose. It doesn't take much.)

For me, the characters are what make this book one that I'd read again. AJ is a black kid who plays it smart and gets the hell out of there (no pun intended) when demons and devils start rearing their ugly horned heads. Prudence is a very pretty gothic girl who struggles with self image. Stuey is the pudgy type who worships an obscure goth musician. Ari is a girl who never speaks. Villy is the aforementioned obscure goth musician. And Alistair is a loud mouthed, foul, hilarious Satanist who tries to open Hell in the back of a Spencer's Gifts. Villy was probably my favorite character, since I felt he had the most history and the most character development throughout the story, but Alistair wasn't far behind. I admit, he made me laugh (sometimes at him, sometimes with him) for different reasons entirely than Voltaire had planned. I had a boyfriend who was a loudmouthed not-very-educated-about-Satanism-Satanist who was also an asshole. So when Alistair loses his head, I couldn't help but to applaud.

This book contains a few illustrations as well, helping to show off more of Voltaire's well-rounded artistry. My personal favorite is of Alistair (page 171).

My only real negative point about this view is that the ending left me wanting a bit more. I'm not really sure what I would have changed or ended, but I was left with a bit of disappointment when I saw that the story was over.

All in all, I think that this is a book that horror comedy fans will eat up. Be warned that this book contains graphic descriptions of monsters and anatomy, and contains adult language. If sex, gore, or Goth kids bother you, than it's probably not for you. This debut book from Aurelio Voltaire definitely delivered, and I look forward, as always, to his next project. If you haven't checked out his music, I sincerely hope that you do so.

Thank you to The Little Pink Book Boutique who gifted me a copy of this book.