Review - Until I Die (Revenants, Book 2) by Amy Plum (4/5 stars)

Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Paranormal
Size: 368 pages
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: May 8, 2012
ISBN: 978-0062004048
Stand Alone or Series: 2nd book of Revenants series
Source: Borrowed through Library
Rating: 4/5 stars


This is the second book in Plum’s Revenants series. The third book in the series, If I Should Die, is scheduled for a May 2013 release. This book, like the first, moves a bit slow in the beginning but picks up towards the end. It is a very interesting story, with a down to earth heroine, and a beautifully exotic Parisian setting.

Vincent and Kate are struggling with Vincent's vow to resist dying as long as he can. Both Vincent and Kate are separately seeking ways to help Vincent resist the urge to die. Along the way they both uncover some ancient secrets and reveal some horrible conspiracy involving the evil numa.

Kate and Vincent continue to have the sweet romance that is developed in the first book, but there is some strain put on it as they both start keeping secrets. Vincent is looking for a solution to help him resist having to die, and he’s keeping it a secret from Kate even though it is resulting in him becoming horribly sick. Kate is looking for her own solution and sneaking around Vincent.

It is an interesting issue that Kate and Vincent are dealing with. Kate doesn’t want to watch Vincent constantly die but she also doesn’t want to prevent him from saving the lives of innocent humans.

Two new and ancient Revenants enter the story as well. They add an interesting dynamic to the story and result in some intriguing twist and turns.

This ended up being a fairly predictable read, but some of the new elements behind the history of the Revenants were fascinating. The story is somewhat slow in pace in the beginning but picks up towards the end. Pacing is much like the first book. This book does end on a horrible cliffhanger which kind of irritated me.

The book is well written and engaging, and of course it has a beautiful Paris setting. I continue to enjoy Kate’s exploration of the this wonderful and exotic Parisian setting.

Overall this was a fun and quick read and I enjoyed it. Kate and Vincent continue to be an almost overly sweet couple; but they do have their struggles in this book as well. I enjoyed learning more about Revenant history and enjoyed some of the new characters added to the story. This book does end on a horrible cliffhanger though which bothered me. Recommended to those who love YA paranormal romance reads. This really is something different from the typical YA paranormal books out there.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- Zombie Reading Challenge
- Horror and Urban Fantasy Challenge
- 150+ Books Reading Challenge

Waiting on Wednesday - 10/31/12

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine.

This week my Waiting on Wednesday book is Sever (Chemical Garden Trilogy, Book 3) by Lauren DeStefano.

Click on the image to go to Amazon and read more about this book.

Sever (Chemical Garden Trilogy, Book 3) by Lauren DeStefano
Release Date: February 12th, 2013

Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers
Length: 384 pages
ISBN: 978-1442409095

Synopsis from Amazon.com:

Time is running out for Rhine in this conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Chemical Garden Trilogy.With the clock ticking until the virus takes its toll, Rhine is desperate for answers. After enduring Vaughn’s worst, Rhine finds an unlikely ally in his brother, an eccentric inventor named Reed. She takes refuge in his dilapidated house, though the people she left behind refuse to stay in the past. While Gabriel haunts Rhine’s memories, Cecily is determined to be at Rhine’s side, even if Linden’s feelings are still caught between them.

Meanwhile, Rowan’s growing involvement in an underground resistance compels Rhine to reach him before he does something that cannot be undone. But what she discovers along the way has alarming implications for her future—and about the past her parents never had the chance to explain.

In this breathtaking conclusion to Lauren DeStefano’s Chemical Garden trilogy, everything Rhine knows to be true will be irrevocably shattered.

Early Review - Cursed Pirate Girl by Jeremy Bastion (5/5 stars)

Reading Level: Middle Grade/Children’s
Genre: Fantasy/Adventure/Graphic Novel
Size: 152 pages
Publisher: Archaia Entertainment, LLC
Release Date: December 25, 2012
ISBN: 978-1936393602
Stand Alone or Series: Volume one of the Cursed Pirate Girl series
Source: eGalley through NetGalley.com
Rating: 5/5 stars

I got a copy of this book to review through NetGalley(dot)com. I was drawn to the artwork on the cover of the book and after reading the synopsis was even more intrigued. The illustrations throughout echo times past and are incredibly and amazingly detailed. The story is fun, quirky, and engaging.

The story features Cursed Pirate Girl. She is trying to hunt down her father who is an Omerta Seas Pirate. Along the way she encounters a number of other pirates and makes many great escapes.

This was a pretty darn fantastic read. It is a graphic novel done in very old school style; the artwork is incredibly detailed and absolutely breathtaking. I just cannot emphasis enough how amazing this illustration is. You can look at these pictures forever and constantly pick out new details that you missed at first glance.

Cursed Pirate Girl is a wonderful character, she fears nothing and laughs in the face of many fierce pirates. The story is filled with lots of humor, tons of adventure, and a plucky fearless heroine.

The narration is a bit broken up and scattered. We sometimes hear from different characters that don’t seem to have much impact on the story. Still for me this only added to the fun quirkiness of the story.

This book contains the first three issues of Curse Pirate Girl. At the end of this book there is still much of the story to be resolved. Hopefully the story will be continued in future installments.

There is a lot of action and fighting and sometimes Cursed Pirate Girl finds herself in sticky situations. Even given all of this this is a book that’s appropriate for all ages.

Overall I am so happy I found this graphic novel. The illustration style that this novel is done in is very old school, incredibly detailed, and just absolutely stunning. Cursed Pirate Girl is a witty, fearless, and just awesome heroine. I can see her becoming admired by many young girls and boys alike for her bravery and gumption. Highly recommended to fans of fantasy/adventure graphic novels. Appropriate for all ages, everyone should at least pick this book up just to get a glimpse of the amazing artwork!

This book goes towards the follownig reading challenges:
- Graphic Novel Challenge
- 150+ Books Reading Challenge
- Debut Author Reading Challenge

Early Review - Krampus by Brom (4/5 stars)

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Size: 368 pages
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Release Date: October 30, 2012
ISBN: 978-0062095657
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: eBook for review from Publisher
Rating: 4/5 stars


I got a copy of this book from the publisher for review. I have loved Brom’s previous books and was excited to see what he would come up with next. This was a very adult story about what happens when Krampus the Yule Lord faces off with Santa Claus. It was an interesting story and well written

Jesse is a loser whose wife has left him; he wants to make it big as a music star but can seem to play in front of crowds. His life changes when he sees Santa’s sleigh attacked by horned beasts. When something crashes into his house he finds something that both Santa and Krampus want dearly; Loki’s magical bag. Jesse reluctantly agrees to help Krampus in exchange for Krampus helping Jesse save his family from the criminal low-lifes in the small town Jesse lives in.

This was a very interesting re-imagining about Krampus the Yule Lord. Brom combines traditional folklore with Norse mythology to come up with a tale in which Santa Claus and Krampus throw down in a small town plagued by joblessness and meth.

You can’t help by feel some sympathy for Jesse, I mean sure he is a loser...but he is also really in the wrong place at the wrong time. I love the twisted path Jesse’s life takes as he joins Krampus and seeks to save his family.

Krampus and Santa are both fascinating characters. Krampus is a wonderful mix of hope, joviality, and naughtiness. Santa can kick some serious butt and is a complex character in his own right.

All the characters in this story are very human and complex, this is one of those books where no one is really good or right. It makes for an interesting read.

This was a well written tale that was entertaining and engaging. I received this as an eGalley and although some of Brom's artwork was present in the eGalley there wasn't a ton of it; I am curious to see what the final book looks like.

This is definitely an adult only book and (as with Brom's other books) doesn't shy away from the darkness of humanity. There is swearing, torture, beatings, and abuse aplenty. If you are a Brom fan you already know he likes to explore the dark parts of humanity.

Brom includes a very well done afterword on the work he did researching the legend of Saint Nicholas. He explains how he came up with the idea to tie Saint Nicholas to Krampus. It made for an interesting explanation and read.

Overall this was a good read; although I didn’t enjoy it as much as The Child Thief. Definitely for adults only. This was an interesting blend of folklore and Norse mythology. It was an engaging, fast-paced, and intriguing read. Recommended to those who are interested in Santa/Yule Lord folklore and to those who are big Brom fans. If you like dark and somewhat disturbing urban fantasy I think you will enjoy this book as well.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- Horror and Urban Fantasy Challenge
- 150+ Books Reading Challenge

News - Book Releases for Week 44 (Oct 28th - Nov 3rd)