Witchstruck by Victoria Lamb

Genre:  YA Historical Fantasy

The Tudor Witch Trilogy, Book 1

Victoria Lamb's website

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Description (taken from Goodreads):

If she sink, she be no witch and shall be drowned.

If she float, she be a witch and must be hanged.

Meg Lytton has always known she is different—that she bears a dark and powerful gift. But in 1554 England, in service at Woodstock Palace to the banished Tudor princess Elizabeth, it has never been more dangerous to practise witchcraft. Meg knows she must guard her secret carefully from the many suspicious eyes watching over the princess and her companions. One wrong move could mean her life, and the life of Elizabeth, rightful heir to the English throne.

With witchfinder Marcus Dent determined to have Meg's hand in marriage, and Meg's own family conspiring against the English queen, there isn't a single person Meg can trust. Certainly not the enigmatic young Spanish priest Alejandro de Castillo, despite her undeniable feelings. But when all the world turns against her, Meg must open her heart to a dangerous choice.

Take the scene from the Tudor era and throw in a couple of witches.  Sounds like a good mix, right?  I have to admit that I don't read a whole lot of young adult fiction set in the Tudor era.  But I was super excited when I heard about this one.

Meg has been serving Princess Elizabeth ever since Elizabeth was exiled to Woodstock, a palace in the countryside.  Even though Queen Mary would like nothing better than to put Elizabeth's head on a pike, Elizabeth still sees a future on the English throne.  And she uses Meg, a witch, to see into the future to do everything to make this happens.  But Meg is just an apprentice of a witch, and there are others in her life who would gladly see her fail.

When all was said and done, I felt like the plot was a little small for the size of this book.  I loved seeing Meg and her aunt work magic together and seeing the tragedies that followed them.  However, the amount of magic I saw from Meg left me lacking.  I felt like I got the watered-down version of the Tudor witches.  There just wasn't enough excitement to keep me on the edge of my seat.  And the love interest, Alejandro?  I loved seeing him play a really good supporting character, but there wasn't a whole lot of romance (other than smoky eyes and thin lips - is this really sexy?).

I don't think I'm going to continue this series.  Because what I envisioned wasn't what I got.  And the opinion I'm left with is 'it was okay.'  Check out other reviews if you're considering this one.

Allegiant by Veronica Roth

Genre:  YA Dystopian

Divergent Series, Book 3

Veronica Roth's website

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Note:  Do not read this review if you haven't read the first two books.  In fact, while I might not come right out and spoil it, I'll easily put two and two together for you to figure it out on your own.  Read at your own risk.

Description (taken from Goodreads)

The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered—fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories.

But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature—and of herself—while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love.

I've been waiting to read this one based on my reaction to the second book's ending.  The shocking revelation in the second one made my opinion of this series plummet.  And I was guessing things that turned out to happen in the third book.  Divergent series, let me introduce you to the movie Gattaca; I think you two will get along well.

Tris and Four have had their ups and downs in the series, but they decide to start the third chapter of their saga with honesty.  And it works for a bit, at least until things get complicated.  Evelyn is still in control of the city and forbidding people from leaving it to explore the world beyond.  But Tris worked so hard to reveal the hidden world beyond that she's not going to stop until she's out there.  But what does this new world hold?  Will it make life easier and better?  Or will it make it worse?  The truth hurts...

Opening up this faction-filled world to the real-world beyond was pointless in my opinion.  It suddenly made everything they were fighting for pointless.  Instead of being courageous heroes, they've become ants: destroy a couple and it really doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things.  That's how I feel about the big reveal.  But the story's still good.  I had things figured out but in reverse (you might know what I'm talking about if you've read it already).  And the big thing I really want to gripe on right now would reveal too much of the story.  So suffice it to say that I didn't agree with how this story turned out.

This series is full of plot rides that keep you going and entertained.  And while I enjoyed the ride, I thought the twist of the story was kind of dumb.  Gah...

manda-rae's Haul

Stacking the Shelves consists of books we received in the last week, hosted by Tynga's reviews.

I'm back from my vacation in Utah!!  The weather was so nice there; it was in the upper 50s/lower 60s.  I wished I had packed some shorts.  And then I come back to ten degree weather here.  Ugh.  At least I had a fun birthday catching up with family.  While I did absolutely no reading in the last week, I'm picking it up again with a vengeance.

Bookish Mail:

• Book Release Announcement:  Only Gingers Can be Witches by JA Trevor
• A good friend of mine is releasing his first book this month, and I'm so happy for him.  I had the chance to beta read one of his other books, so I know his writing is awesome (although I stink as a beta reader).  You'll definitely be seeing more of this book in the coming weeks on my blog.  Thanks Trevor for the announcement!
• Birthday Card from Jeri Smith-Ready
• I got this little goodie in the mail today and was ecstatic to see an author tell me happy birthday.  Have you guys heard of her new book coming out: This Side of Salvation?  I'll be waiting for it.  Thanks Jeri for the birthday wishes!

For Review (e-edition): 

The Devil's Triangle by Toni De Palma

Amazon | Book Depository | Goodreads

I was invited to participate in the tour for the next book in this series.  I was kind of excited to get the opportunity to read this one.  Thanks goes to Toni De Palma for providing me a review copy.

The Impaler Legacy Ominbus by Ioana Visan

Amazon | Goodreads

A book involving vampires and political intrigue.  Sign me up please.  Thanks goes to Ioana Visan for providing me a review copy.

manda-rae's Past Three Weeks

As you can see, I kind of slacked during February.  And it didn't help that I dropped out of the internet world for a week and a half.  It's okay; I'm slowly working my way back to reality...

Reviews:

• Prophecy by Ellen Oh
• Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge
• Infinite by Jodi Meadows
• The Trap by Andrew Fukuda
• Tandem by Anna Jarzab
• Some Girls Bite by Chloe Neill

Cover Reveal:

• Dead Girl Walking by Ruth Silver

Some Girls Bite by Chloe Neill

Genre:  Adult Urban Fantasy

Chicagoland Vampires Series, Book 1

Chloe Neill's website

Amazon | Book Depository | Goodreads

Description (taken from Chloe Neill's website):

They killed me. They healed me. They changed me.

Sure, the life of a graduate student wasn’t exactly glamorous, but it was mine. I was doing fine until Chicago’s vampires announced their existence to the world-and then a rogue vampire attacked me. But he only got a sip before he was scared away by another bloodsucker… and this one decided the best way to save my life was to make me the walking undead.

Turns out my savior was the master vampire of Cadogan House. Now I’ve traded sweating over my thesis for learning to fit in at a Hyde Park mansion full of vamps loyal to Ethan “Lord o’ the Manor” Sullivan. Of course, as a tall, green-eyed, four hundred year old vampire, he has centuries’ worth of charm, but unfortunately he expects my gratitude-and servitude. Right…

But my burgeoning powers (all of a sudden, I’m surprisingly handy with some serious weaponry), an inconvenient sunlight allergy, and Ethan’s attitude are the least of my concerns. Someone’s still out to get me. Is it the rogue vampire who bit me? A vamp from a rival House? An angry mob bearing torches?

My initiation into Chicago’s nightlife may be the first skirmish in a war-and there will be blood…

The beginning of another vampire series for me.  One involving a strong female protagonist and a couple of eye-candy-worthy guys.  I think I'm set for a fun ride.

Merit has just been returned to her home by a vampire who's stuck explaining to her the ropes of her new vampire life.  Along with her roommate, Mallory, they decide to rebel against the whole vampire rules and behaviors.  Even though Merit is a brand new vampire, she doesn't have to blindly follow the rules of old in a vampire society.  As she works her way through understanding her new reality and finding her place in this feudal world, she meets a few characters that help her through it.  Plus, she's suddenly good with a sword and willing to protect what's hers.

If I were to judge this book solely on the plot, the main plot, I'd say it was kind of bland.  But there are so many side plots that pop up.  Merit has a stubborn and snarky personality that helps her quickly determine friend from foe.  And the various side characters that crop up make this a fun world to read about.

The first book is usually the hardest in a series for me to get into.  So, yes I do plan on reading the next one because I see a lot of potential in this new world.  I'll let you know my thoughts on the series next time...

Tandem by Anna Jarzab

Genre:  YA Science Fiction Romance

Many-Worlds Series, Book 1

Anna Jarzab's website

Amazon | Book Depository | Goodreads

Description (taken from Anna Jarzab's website):

Everything repeats.
You. Your best friend. Every person you know.
Many worlds. Many lives–infinite possibilities.
Welcome to the multiverse.

Sixteen-year-old Sasha Lawson has only ever known one small, ordinary life. When she was young, she loved her grandfather’s stories of parallel worlds inhabited by girls who looked like her but led totally different lives. Sasha never believed such worlds were real–until now, when she finds herself thrust into one against her will.

To prevent imminent war, Sasha must slip into the life of an alternate version of herself, a princess who has vanished on the eve of her arranged marriage. If Sasha succeeds in fooling everyone, she will be returned home; if she fails, she’ll be trapped in another girl’s life forever. As time runs out, Sasha finds herself torn between two worlds, two lives, and two young men vying for her love–one who knows her secret, and one who thinks she’s someone she’s not.

Imagine there being a lot of you's or look-alikes living very different lives in different universes.  Now imagine one of those you's being a princess in another universe.  And while she's disappeared and the military works on finding her, they kidnap you to take her place for a bit.  That's pretty much what happens in a nutshell to Sasha.

Sasha is the daughter of physicists.  So, she's grown up with bedtime stories involving physics and alternate realities.  Little does she know they're more than just bedtime stories.  A simple night at prom with Grant turns into a week with Thomas.  And while Thomas is doing right by his country by using Sasha as a Princess-Julianna-double, he doesn't realize whose opinion's going to matter more by the end of the week: the General's or Sasha's.  As Sasha tries to navigate Julianna's life, she gets tossed and turned in so many directions that she doesn't know who to trust.

This was a good book with an original plot.  Really, my only complaint was the length of the novel.  I felt like it flowed well, I was captivated by the story; it was just long.  I liked following Sasha's double life and meeting Callum.  But there wasn't an absolutely love, cannot-put-down feeling while reading this one.  However I did scratch my brow at a couple of spots and think 'huh, that's weird' or 'cool.'

Do I plan on reading the second one?  Why yes, yes I do.  While the characters didn't form complete bonds with me, the multiple worlds aspect did.  And I do want to know what happens with these worlds.