Armchair BEA 2014 ~ Middle Grade/ Young Adult

Today's prompt: YA/MG: If you do not normally talk about this genre on your site, maybe you want to feature books that you remember impacting you during this stage in your life. If this is where you tend to gravitate, maybe you want to list your favorites, make recommendations based on genres, or feature some titles that you are excited to read coming later this year.

**This was probably my hardest one to think of something for. I read both YA and MG but would not call them my preferred genres. I find if I read a book in either of these I then need to read an adult book next. That being said some of my favorite reads over the years have been either YA or MG.
I originally started reading YA when I was looking for more books by some of my favorite Adult authors. I read Rachel Caine's Weather Warden series and came across her Morganville series when I was looking for more. Myrnin is one of my favorite vampires in any book and I enjoyed the world and characters as a whole. It was the same with Richelle Mead. I read her Georgina Kincaid series and eventually ended up loving her Vampire Academy books.

Some other favorites are: Cinda Williams Chima's Seven Realms and The Heir Chronicles (Goodreads)

Cassandra Clare's The Mortal Instruments (first 3 books) and The Infernal Devises. (Goodreads)

Victoria Schwab's The Archived and The Near Witch (Goodreads)

Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson, The Kane Chronicles, and Heroes of Olympus (Goodreads) 

Maria V Snyder's Glass series, Insiders series, and Healers series (Goodreads)

Brandon Sanderson's The Rithmatist (Goodreads)

J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series (Goodreads)

I'm sure I could keep going so just going to stop now. Hope everyone had a Great Armchair BEA week!

Armchair BEA 2014 ~ Beyond the Borders

*Find out more about Armchair BEA here

Today's prompt: Tell us about the books that transported you to a different world, taught you about a different culture, and/or helped you step into the shoes of someone different from you. What impacted you the most about this book? What books would you recommend to others who are ready or not ready to step over the line? In essence, let’s start the conversation about diversity and keep it going!

For me the first books that jumped into thought when I read this were The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. Even though I usually don't venture into contemporary for my reading time, I really enjoyed these books. There was just something about them that grabbed my attention and even when I found them uncomfortable I had to continue reading.

On the lighter side, I've always enjoyed reading books set in Ireland. From many Nora Roberts books (romance or PNR) to Karen Marie Moning's Fever and Highlander series, I love the settings almost as much as the stories themselves.
Another set I enjoyed was Eon and Eona by Alison Goodman. They are fantasy but based on and in Asian astrology.

I know there are others I'm forgetting and will probably see them as I'm visiting other blogs today but here are just a few of the ones I've read.

Armchair BEA 2014 ~ Novellas/ Short Stories

*Find out more about Armchair BEA here.

Today's prompt: What is a short story or novella that doesn't get the attention that it deserves? Recommend to readers what shorts you would recommend they start with. How about listing some short story anthologies based upon genres or authors?

~ I've got to admit I'm a sucker for a good anthology, especially if it has some names attached that are already my favorites to read. For me, writing style has a lot to do with my enjoyment of a book and reading a short story or novella gives me an idea of their particular style and if it is something that I would like in a longer book format.
As you can see over to the side, I'm currently reading Dark Bites. It is a collection of almost all Sherrilyn Kenyon's shorts connected to her Dark Hunter world. I have most of the anthologies that they were originally published in but I'm finding several I haven't gotten around to reading yet.
Jim Butcher (Side Jobs features shorts from Dresden Files series) and J.D. Robb (In Death series)are two others that I often will pick up any anthology that they have a story in.
I'm not sure of other genres but Urban Fantasy and Paranormal has an abundance of anthologies many of which are part of larger series.

Armchair BEA 2014 ~ More Than Just Words

*You can find out more about Armchair BEA here.

During this week of Armchair BEA there will be a couple of writing prompts. Today's prompt is More Than Just Words. On this day, we will be talking about those books and formats that move beyond just the words and use other ways to experience a story. Which books stand out to you in these different formats?

** I really just started reading graphic novels in the past year. I started with the ones associated with series that I already read. I've found the problem with that (as in movies made) is that the characters don't always look as I've got them in my head and it leaves me feeling disconnected.
Some GN I've read from series are Jim Butcher's Dresden Files and Patricia Briggs' Alpha and Omega, Mercy Thompson.

I'm really enjoying the Fables series by Bill Willingham. It's a re-telling/ re-imagining of favorite fairy-tale characters in modern setting.

I'm always looking for new great graphic novels to check out. I look through the shelves at my local library and pick up ones that catch my eye. Pleased to say more of them work than don't.

Armchair BEA 2014 ~ Introductions

*You can find out more about Armchair BEA here.

1)Please tell us a little bit about yourself: Who are you? How long have you been blogging? Why did you get into blogging? Where in the world are you blogging from?
 a: Hello, I'm Kristina from MI, USA. I've been blogging for a few years now and mostly do it as a hobby. I originally started to vent about a book I had just finished that I just wanted to get out of my system.

2)Describe your blog in just one sentence. Then, list your social details -- Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc. -- so we can connect more online.
 a: Multi-Genre blog about all the different types of books I read.
     Twitter: https://twitter.com/KristinaD77
     Tumblr:  http://newborrowedused.tumblr.com/
     Bloglovin: http://www.bloglovin.com/kristinad

3)What genre do you read the most? I love to read because ___________________ .
 a: It depends on my mood. I read a lot of paranormal whether it's PNR or UF. I also enjoy mysteries, historicals, etc. Only thing I don't really read is contemporary.

4)What was your favorite book read last year? What’s your favorite book so far this year?
 a: 2013-Styxx by Sherrilyn Kenyon (review), The Rook by Daniel O'Malley     2014- Stolen Songbird by Danielle L. Jensen (review)

5)What does your favorite/ideal reading space look like? (Pinterest encouraged!)
 a: I love the look of window nooks but prefer a big comfy chair to stretch out in.

6)What is your favorite blogging resource?
 a: probably Goodreads. I use it for summaries, covers, etc. I also use FictFact and NetGalley a lot as well.

7)Share your favorite book or reading related quote.
 a: there are so many but I'm going to share 2 today.
     “Some people are like Slinkies.They aren't really good for anything, but they still bring a smile to my face when I push them down a flight of stairs.”
― Patricia Briggs, Iron Kissed
    “Follow me,” Myrnin said. “And do stay together. And by the way, this is the last time I go anywhere with you people. You are all insane.”
― Rachel Caine, Bite Club

9)What book would you love to see as a movie?
 a: This is another I'm not sure on. I tend to read a lot of paranormal and they either do really well (LOTR, Harry Potter) or really bad (Percy Jackson, plus many more). I'm interested in seeing what they do with Sherrilyn Kenyon's books but at the same time worried they are going to ruin one of my favorite series.

Book Review ~ Circle of Desire

Circle of Desire (Damask Circle #3)

by Keri Arthur
published by Dell
genre: Adult, PNR, Urban Fantasy, 

**Received e-arc from netGalley/publisher in exchange for honest review

Summary (Goodreads): A TEMPTING FATE
 Two children have been found dead, their souls torn from their bodies. Two more are missing, and Ethan Morgan’s niece is one of them. A dedicated cop, Ethan has every intention not only of bringing her back alive but of catching the monster behind these kidnappings. And he will use anyone and everyone to achieve those aims—even a crazy woman who claims to be a witch. But time is ticking. The victims rarely stay alive for more than seven days. Four of those days have already passed.

In ten years of working for the Damask Circle, shapeshifter Katherine Tanner has never come across anything that goes after kids the way this monster does. The last thing Kat needs is interference from a cop who has no idea what he’s up against. But the greatest threat to Kat may come not from the forces of darkness, but from the man she is beginning to love. Because Ethan is a werewolf... and the full moon is rising.

My Thoughts: For some reason this felt more like a part of a series rather than a stand alone.  It may be because Kat works as team with her Grandmother so it was not just the HEA couple vs the bad guys.
Ethan is my new book pet peeve. He is a werewolf but is completely surprised that there are vampires, psychics, demons, etc that exist in the world. I just don't get this character trait and find I want to bang my head on something when they just deny, deny, deny. Even after he had seen Kat's grandmother do a seeing to try and find out more about the missing children he didn't believe. When Kat shifted into her other form right in front of him you could tell he still wanted to deny it.
I liked Kat, thought she was probably the strongest female lead from this series. At least on most things. She was very sure of herself when it came to going after bad guys and being Ethan's partner for rising moon. The only thing I didn't like about her was the I'm going to change him attitude, she knew best and it didn't matter Ethan's reasons, things were going to end up how she wanted. There was another part to this that really took it to another level and even though it wasn't done on purpose I didn't like that part of the story/relationship.
Overall, I've enjoyed reading Keri Arthur's books and while not my favorites of hers, I don't feel like I wasted my time. As of now this is the last book in this re-released series. I would not mind more of them if they had more of a series feel with carry over characters in each book.

Rating: 4

New Releases ~ week of 5/19/2014

A Dance of Shadows by David Dalglish (#4 Shadowdance)

Bad Girls Don't Marry Marines by Codi Gary (#3 Rock Canyon Romance)
Behind His Eyes - Convicted by Aleatha Romig (#6 Consequences)
Biggest Flirts by Jennifer Echols (#1 Superlatives)
Booty Bones by Carolyn Haines (#14 Sarah Booth Delaney)
Call of the Kiwi by Sarah Lark (#3 In the Land of the Long White Cloud)
Cold Shot by Mark Henshaw (#2 Kyra Stryker & Jonathan Burke)
Cyador's Heirs by L E Modesitt Jr (#17 Recluce)
Dangerous Creatures by Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl (#1 Dangerous Creatures)
Dark Harmony by Michele Scott (#2 Into the Ring)
Destiny's Last Bachelor? by Christyne Butler (#5 Welcome to Destiny)
End Times by Anna Schumacher (#1 End Times)

Hannah's Courtship by Emma Miller (#8 Hannah's Daughters)
The Heiresses by Sara Shepard (#1 Heiresses)
Playboy's Lesson by Melanie Milburne (#2 Chatsfield)
Point of No Return by Tiffany A. Snow (#5 Kathleen Turner)
Reborn by C C Hunter (#1 Shadow Falls: After Dark)
Riding High by Vicki Lewis Thompson (#16 Sons of Chance)
Rogue Code by Mark Russinovich (#3 Jeff Aiken)
Shattered by Tracy Wolff (#2 Extreme Risk)
Single Dad Cowboy by Brenda Minton (#8 Cooper Creek)
Sixth Grave On the Edge by Darynda Jones (#6 Charley Davidson)
Sniper's Honor by Stephen Hunter (#9 Bob Lee Swagger)
Someone You Know by Brian McGilloway (#3 D. S. Lucy Black)

The Chronicle of Secret Riven by Ronlyn Domingue (#2 A Legend)
The Devil's Workshop by Alex Grecian (#3 Scotland Yard's Murder Squad)
The Lincoln Myth by Steve Berry (#9 Cotton Malone)
The One and Only by Emily Giffin (#7 Something)
The Rules for Breaking by Ashley Elston (#2 The Rules for Disappearing)
The Severed Streets by Paul Cornell (#2 London Falling)
The Wedding Secret by Jeannie Moon (#3 Forever Love Story)
Thief's Magic by Trudi Canavan (#1 Millennium's Rule)
Thunderstruck by Shannon Delany (#3 Weather Witch)
What the Greek Can't Resist by Maya Blake (#2 Untameable Greeks Trilogy)
When Da Silva Breaks the Rules by Abby Green (#3 Blood Brothers)
Whisper to Me by Christina Lee (#3 Between Breaths)

Review ~ Werewolves of the Heartland

Werewolves of the Heartland (Fables OGN)

by Bill Willingham
Illustrated by Jim Fern, Craig Hamilton
published by Vertigo
genre: Graphic Novel, Fairy-tales, Retellings, Adult

Summary (Goodreads): Bigby Wolf embarks on a quest through the American Heartland to find a new location for Fabletown, a secret society of exiled fairy tale characters living among the "mundys." In his wanderings, Bigby stumbles across Story City, a small town that seems to be occupied solely by werewolves. Oddly enough, they seem to already know and revere Bigby, but at the same time they've captured and caged him.

FABLES: WEREWOLVES OF THE HEARTLAND tells an epic tale that began well before Bigby Wolf set foot in the bucolic plains of the Midwest. It began long ago when he served in World War II and became mired in a Nazi experiment that would change nations. It's soon evident that murder in Story City is the least of their sins, and unraveling the town's many mysteries may cost Bigby, the seventh son of the North Wind, much more than his own life.

This new hardcover is a must-have for any longtime FABLES fan, as well as a great entry point for new readers.

My Thoughts: So I read this completely out of order. Meant to grab Wolves (#8) and grabbed this instead. It seems to be inclusive and didn't really ruin anything for me in the volumes between where I am and when this one came out.
As I've come to expect, I really liked the graphics of this. They were more muted and had an almost pastel dream quality at times. The characters were easy to distinguish from each other.
Overall, I enjoyed this trek to Story City. How the residents came to be tied in with previous stories and flowed into this one. I liked seeing Bigby be who he is without any apologies. Didn't matter if one was a close friend/ally. He did what needed to be done. Now to get back on track with the series in the correct order.

Rating: 4

Book Review ~Warrior

Warrior (Doppelganger #1)

by Marie Brennan
published by Orbit
genre: Adult, Fantasy, Supernatural, 

Summary (Goodreads): When a witch is born, a doppelganger is created. For the witch to master her powers, the twin must be killed. But what happens when the doppelganger survives?


Mirage, a bounty hunter, lives by her wits and lethal fighting skills. She always gets her mark. But her new mission will take her into the shadowy world of witches, where her strength may not be a match against powerful magic.


Miryo is a witch who has just failed her initiation test. She now knows that there is someone in the world who looks like her, who is her: Mirage. To control her powers and become a full witch, Miryo has only one choice: to hunt the hunter and destroy her.

My Thoughts: By the end I was really glad that I stuck with this book. There were times (especially during some of Miryo's chapters) that it lagged a bit. Once Miryo and Mirage were together and trying to figure things out I was hooked and had to now the end results.
Both women were interesting in their own ways. Miryo was book smart and strong in her magic and studies. In contrast Mirage was very good on her feet. Started as a dancer and then became a warrior.
The author created an interesting world with the competing warrior schools that I wish had been more of a focus. Since we only know a little about them, it was difficult to feel the hatred that Mirage felt for certain warriors from other schools.
Overall, I found the ending satisfying. I liked how the conflict between the witch and doppelganger was resolved and intrigued with how the resolution turned everything in the witches world on its ear. I'm looking forward to reading book 2 Witch.

Rating: 4

New Releases ~ week of 5/12/2014

All Lined Up by Cora Carmack (#1 Rusk University)

Any Other Name by Craig Johnson (#10 Walt Longmire Mysteries)
Avoiding Alpha by Aileen Erin (#2 Alpha Girl)
Bloodwitch by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes (#1 Maeveara Trilogy)
Broken Hearts, Fences, and Other Things to Mend by Katie Finn (#1 Broken Hearts & Revenge)
Dungeon Games by Lexi Blake (#6.5 Masters and Mercenaries #5 1001 Dark Nights)
Edge of the Enforcer by Cherise Sinclair (#4 Masters of the Mountain)
Enigma by Moira Rogers (#6 Southern Arcana)
Fatal Enquiry by Will Thomas (#6 Barker and Llewelyn)
Full Assault Mode by Dalton Fury (#3 Delta Force)
Hangman by Stephan Talty (#2 Absalom Kearney)

Hot Lead, Cold Iron by Ari Marmell (#1 Mick Oberon)
Hunt the Jackal by Don Mann (#4 SEAL Team Six)
Inked Armor by Helena Hunting (#2 Clipped Wings)
Is a Flower Girl by Wanda Coven (#11 Heidi Heckelbeck)
Long For Me by Shiloh Walker (#0.7 Secrets & Shadows)
Obsidian Curse by Barbra Annino (#5 Stacy Justice Mysteries)
Odin's Ravens by Kelley Armstrong (#2 Blackwell Pages)
Of Neptune by Anna Banks (#3 Of Poseidon)
On Scope by Jack Coughlin (#7 Sniper)
Part of Me by A C Arthur (#2 Shadow Shifters: Damaged Hearts)
Raging Star by Moira Young (#3 Dustlands)
Rebel by Amy Tintera (#2 Reboot)
Rebellion by Adam Jay Epstein, Andrew Jacobson (#2 Starbounders)

Renegade by Debra Driza (#3 MILA 2.0)
Scala by Christina Bauer (#2 Angelbound)
The A-Word by Joy Preble (#2 Sweet Dead Life)
The Corsican Caper by Peter Mayle (#3 Sam Levitt)
The Dead Disco Raccoon by Michael Rex (#3 Icky Ricky)
The Dominion Key by Lee Bacon (#3 Joshua Dread)
The Hydra Protocol by David Wellington (#2 Jim Chapel Mission)
The Kraken Project by Douglas Preston (#4 Wyman Ford)
The Lovely and the Lost by Page Morgan (#2 Dispossessed)
The Philly Fake by David A Kelly (#9 Ballpark Mysteries)

The Prodigal Son by Kimberla Lawson Roby (#11 Reverend Curtis Black)
The Skin Collector by Jeffery Deaver (#11 Lincoln Rhyme)
What a Girl Wants by Maya Rodale (#3 Bad Boy Billionaire's)
Wild Storm by Richard Castle (#5 Derrick Storm)
Wild Ways by Tina Wainscott (#3 Justiss Alliance
)

Review ~ Athena Grey-Eyed Goddess

Athena: Grey-Eyed Goddess (Olympians #2)

by George O'Connor
published by First Second
genre: Graphic Novel, Mythology

Summary (Goodreads): Boom! Pow! Crash!

Greek Gods as you’ve never seen them before!

The strong, larger-than-life heroes of the Olympians can summon lightning, control the sea, turn invisible, or transform themselves into any animal they choose. Superheroes? No! Greek gods. The ancient pantheon comes to explosive life in this new series where myth meets comic books. Epic battles, daring quests, and terrible monsters await readers within the pages of these books.

Volume 2, Athena: Grey-Eyed Goddess, is the tale of the goddess of wisdom and war, recounting her many adventures.

My Thoughts: I liked how the story together told how Athena's aegis came to be, in all it's different parts.
While Athena is not my favorite, there are plenty of stories to pull from. Some stories are well known other maybe not as much. I've heard the stories or her battles, etc but was not familiar with the stories telling how she got the name Pallas.
Again, I like the Greek notes and glimpses into future volumes. The next is about Hera, who I have never liked in stories, so it should be an interesting read.

Rating: 4

Some Thursday Randomness

These are a few things I've seen around lately and decided to share.

*I sometimes like the villains in the Disney movies better than the Princesses. This was my favorite fairy tale growing up and I am really looking forward to this movie based on the trailers I've seen.



*I am not only a book junkie I am also a tv junkie. I always worry that the clips you see for new shows are the only good parts of the show. The trailer for the Gotham series on Fox looks really good and I'm hoping the show lives up to it.



*Lastly, some true randomness (from Jimmy Fallon) that just made me smile.

Waiting on Wednesday ~ The Fifth Season

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill over at Breaking The Spine. It's a weekly event that spotlights upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating.

The Fifth Season (The Broken Earth #1)

by N.K. Jemisin
published by Orbit
expected release date: 2015
genre: Fantasy

Summary (Goodreads): The Fifth Season is set in a world which has suffered frequent, repeated Extinction Level Events for millions of years, and all life (and magic) in this world has adapted to it. Hundreds of years might pass between these events—easy, plentiful years in which great cities rise, and people have the leisure for art and science and rapid advancement—but then, again and again, the cities fall. The world is littered with the detritus of these times of plenty, and this cover hints at them: past ages of decadence, now decaying; stone that endures beneath flaking gilt.

** Not much on this one yet, no date other than 2015. Still cannot wait to read this book, have read her other series and enjoyed them and ready for another.

New Releases ~ week of 5/5/2014

A Baby for the Doctor by Jacqueline Diamond (#13 Safe Harbor Medical)

A Dollhouse To Die For by Cate Price (#2 Deadly Notions Mystery)
A Merger by Marriage by Cat Schield (#2 Las Vegas Nights)
A Tiger's Tale by Laura Morrigan (#2 Call of the Wilde Mystery)
After the End by Amy Plum (#1 After The End)
Alien Collective by Gini Koch (#9 Katherine "Kitty" Katt)
Authority by Jeff VanderMeer (#2 Southern Reach Trilogy)
Blind Faith by Rebecca Zanetti (#3 Sins Brothers)
Bodyguard Reunion by Margaret Daley (#6 Guardians, Inc.)
Boiled Over by Barbara Ross (#2 Maine Clambake Mysteries)
Breakable by Tammara Webber (#2 Easy)
Catnapped! by Elaine Viets (#13 Dead-End Job)

Chantress Alchemy by Amy Butler Greenfield (#2 Chantress)
Cheap Shot by Ace Atkins (#44 Spenser)
Dante's Poison by Lynne Raimondo (#2 Mark Angelotti)
Deadly Shores by Taylor Anderson (#9 Destroyermen)
Death at the Door by Carolyn Hart (#24 Death On Demand)
Death of a Mad Hatter by Jenn McKinlay (#2 A Hat Shop Mystery)
Drake Makes a Splash! by Ray O'Ryan (#8 Galaxy Zack)
Empower by Jessica Shirvington (#5 Violet Eden Chapters)
Enlightened by Joanna Chambers (#3 Enlightenment)
Every Hidden Fear by Linda Rodriguez (#3 Skeet Bannion)
Falling for the Rancher Father by Linda Ford (#6 Cowboys of Eden Valley)
Fancy Nancy: Nancy Clancy, Secret of the Silver Key by Jane O'Connor (#4 Nancy Clancy)
Fatal Exchange by Lisa Harris (#2 Southern Crimes)

Field of Prey by John Sandford (#24 Lucas Davenport)
Fire Kin by M J Scott (#4 Half-Light City)
From Single Mom to Secret Heiress by Kristi Gold (#3 Dynasties the Lassiters)
Giving In by Maya Banks (#2 Surrender Trilogy)
Grendel's Curse by Alex Archer (#48 Rogue Angel)
Hell for Leather by Julie Ann Walker (#6 Black Knights Inc.)
How to Rope a Real Man by Melissa Cutler (#3 Catcher Creek)
It Happened One Wedding by Julie James (#5 FBI / US Attorney)
King of Ashes by Raymond E Feist (#1 War Of Five Crowns)
King of the Weeds by Max Allan Collins, Mickey Spillane (#19 Mike Hammer)
Last Licks by Claire Donally (#3 Sunny & Shadow)

Meant to Be Mine by Becky Wade (#2 Porter Family)
Midnight Crossroad by Charlaine Harris (#1 Midnight, Texas)
Mirror Sight by Kristen Britain (#5 Green Rider)
Murder Gone A-Rye by Nancy J Parra (#2 Baker's Treat Mystery)
Murder in Murray Hillby Victoria Thompson (#16 Gaslight Mysteries)
Nick and Tesla's Secret Agent Gadget Battle by Bob Pflugfelder (#3 Nick and Tesla)
Otomen, Vol. 18 by Aya Kanno (#18 Otomen)
Pure Heat by M. L. Buchman (#1 Firehawks)
Rush Too Far by Abbi Glines (#1.1 in Too Far #1.1 in Rosemary Beach)
Savage Drift by Emmy Laybourne (#3 Monument 14)

Silenced by Dani Pettrey (#4 Alaskan Courage)
Since I Saw You by Beth Kery (#4 Because You Are Mine)
Skinny Bitch Gets Hitched by Kim Barnouin (#2 Skinny Bitch)
Slightly Spellbound by Kimberly Frost (#4 Southern Witch)
Sparrow Hill Road by Seanan McGuire (#1 Ghost Stories)
Steadfast by Jack Campbell (#4 The Lost Fleet : Beyond the Frontier)
Sworn in Steel by Douglas Hulick (#2 Tales of the Kin)
The Battle for WondLa by Tony DiTerlizzi (#3 WondLa)
The Bottom Line by Sandy James (#1 The Ladies Who Lunch)
The Bull Rider's Family by Leigh Duncan (#1 Glades County Cowboys)
The Eighth Guardian by Meredith McCardle (#1 Annum Guard)

The Falconer by Elizabeth May (#1 The Falconer)
The Goodbye Witch by Heather Blake (#4 Wishcraft Mystery)
The Keeper by John Lescroart (#16 Dismas Hardy)
The Last Cowboy Standing by Barbara Dunlop (#6 Colorado Cattle Barons)
The One by Kiera Cass (#3 The Selection)
The Pickled Piper by Mary Ellen Hughes (#1 Pickled and Preserved Mystery)
The Sarantos Baby Bargain by Olivia Gates (#40 Billionaires and Babies)
The Sea Without a Shore by David Drake (#10 RCN-Danial Leary)
The Singer by Elizabeth Hunter (#2 Irin Chronicles)
The Three Emperors by William Dietrich (#7 Ethan Gage)
The Unforgiven by Alyssa Day (#2 League of the Black Swan)
The Warrior by Victoria Scott (#3 Dante Walker)

The Wizard's Promise by Cassandra Rose Clarke (#1 The Hannah Duology)
Vampire Knight, Vol. 18 by Matsuri Hino (#18 Vampire Knight)
Vampire's Thirst by Cynthia Garner (#2 Awakening)
Walking on Water by Richard Paul Evans (#5 Walk)
When a Laird Takes a Lady by Rowan Keats (#2 Claimed by the Highlander)
Wolverine Bros. Freight and Storage by Steve Ulfelder (#4 Conway Sax)
Your Ranch...Or Mine? by Kathie DeNosky (#3 The Good, The Bad, and The Texan)

Book Review ~ Sea of Shadows

Sea of Shadows (Age of Legends #1)

by Kelley Armstrong
published by HarperTeen
genre: Fantasy, YA, 

Summary (Goodreads): Twin sisters Moria and Ashyn were marked at birth to become the Keeper and the Seeker of Edgewood, beginning with their sixteenth birthday. Trained in fighting and in the secret rites of the spirits, they lead an annual trip into the Forest of the Dead. There, the veil between the living world and the beyond is thinnest, and the girls pay respect to the spirits who have passed.

But this year, their trip goes dreadfully wrong.

With all the heart-stopping romance and action that have made her a #1 New York Times bestselling author, and set in an unforgettably rich and dangerous world, this first epic book in the Age of Legends trilogy will appeal to Kelley Armstrong's legions of fans around the world and win her many new ones.

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book as a whole. I've always been a fan of fantasy and I was really in the mood for a new fantasy series. Sea of Shadows was a promising first book filled with great characters in a fantastic fantasy world.
Of the twins, I think Ashyn was my favorite. I didn't dislike Moria, there was just something about how vulnerable Ashyn was while still being a strong character. It was obvious that Moria was the strong, athletic, can do everything after seeing it once type. Ashyn's strength to me was more subtle.
The only thing that really brought this down for me was how slow it read at times. There's a lot of traveling, whether it was into the forest (several times) or to the Imperial City. When there were things happening it kept my interest but then we would be back on the road traveling somewhere.
Overall, the ending sold this book the most. I was worried when I knew I had less than 1/3 to go and nothing had been resolved. A lot happened in that last half, if you stop before then you miss a lot. I'm intrigued by the supposed betrayal and how much Gavril is involved in the whole thing. Looking forward to finding out more about the coming war and what happens going forward.

Rating: 4