2016 Wrap Up!

Wow, can you believe it? We're at the end of 2016! No way!

Review: Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare

Book: Lady Midnight
Author: Cassandra Clare
Series: The Dark Artifices #1
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderly Books
Pages: 698
Release: March 8th 2016

In a kingdom by the sea…

In a secret world where half-angel warriors are sworn to fight demons, parabatai is a sacred word.

A parabatai is your partner in battle. A parabatai is your best friend. Parabatai can be everything to each other—but they can never fall in love.

Emma Carstairs is a warrior, a Shadowhunter, and the best in her generation. She lives for battle. Shoulder to shoulder with her parabatai, Julian Blackthorn, she patrols the streets of Los Angeles, where vampires party on the Sunset Strip, and faeries—the most powerful of supernatural creatures—teeter on the edge of open war with Shadowhunters. When the bodies of humans and faeries turn up murdered in the same way Emma’s parents were when she was a child, an uneasy alliance is formed. This is Emma’s chance for revenge—and Julian’s chance to get back his brother Mark, who is being held prisoner by the faerie Courts. All Emma, Mark, and Julian have to do is solve the murders within two weeks…and before the murderer targets them.

Their search takes Emma from sea caves full of sorcery to a dark lottery where death is dispensed. And each clue she unravels uncovers more secrets. What has Julian been hiding from her all these years? Why does Shadowhunter Law forbid parabatai to fall in love? Who really killed her parents—and can she bear to know the truth?

The darkly magical world of Shadowhunters has captured the imaginations of millions of readers across the globe. Join the adventure in Lady Midnight, the long-awaited first volume of a new trilogy from Cassandra Clare.

Goodreads / Amazon / iBooks / Audible

Happy Holidays!

Just a super quick post here, but I want to wish each and every one of you a wonderful holiday! I know I haven't really been active too much, but that will change in the New Year, I swear. 

May you spend this holiday season with family and friends, indoors or outdoors, with a book or without a book. Whether you're celebrating Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanza, or anything else I'm missing, may you have a very joyful day!

~Happy holidays, everyone!~

Erika

Blog Tour & Author Q&A: TOUCHED: A Caress of Fate by Elisa S. Amore

Hi guys! Welcome to my stop of the blog tour for Elisa S. Amore's book Touched: A Caress of Fate!

Based on a Norwegian legend
A Sealed Fate
An Angel of Death 
A Forbidden Love 

What are you willing to sacrifice when the only person who#fff8c6can save you is the same one who has to kill you?

After vampires and werewolves, after wizards and fallen angels, a new breed of Angels is here to usher you into their dark world. An ancient, deadly, inescapable race. 
No one can see them. They’re shadows of destiny. They’re knights of death. They’re the Subterraneans and they’re here to claim our lives. 
Commanded by a mysterious congregation called the Màsala, the Angels of Death ensure that each man’s destiny takes its due course on Earth.
But what happens when love intervenes?
Can an Angel of Death deny his own nature and challenge destiny?
Can love rebel against fate?

When Gemma’s eyes first meet the dark, piercing gaze of Evan James, an ominous shadow creeps into her life, ultimately leading her to face her destiny. She doesn't realize Evan is one of Death's soldiers and that Death is summoning her. 
Her time is up: Gemma must die . . . and Evan has been sent to kill her.
But what if she’s the only one who can truly see him? 

Against every rule. Against fate itself. Against everything and everyone. A story of forbidden love and star-crossed destinies.

Dark. Romantic. Dangerous.

Touched combines devastating passion and unconfessable secrets, heartrending decisions and deep emotions, giving life to a love story as intense as the feelings that unite Evan and Gemma, as inescapable as the destiny that looms over them...

Goodreads / Amazon US / Amazon CA

For my stop, I have a Q&A for you all with the author. Enjoy!

(Super Late) December TBR!

Did Erika mysteriously vanish for the past month or so, you ask? Why yes, she did. Was she kidnapped? No. Was she recruited to be a super spy agent? Also no. Was she dragged into the depths of the Underworld, where she infiltrated a treasury, obtained a sword of light, and fought her way back into the realm of the living? Very close, but no.

So what happened?

One word: ACADEMICS.

Elaboration: November is pure chaos for me. Too many final papers.

Long story short: I'm back!

Which also means I FINALLY had time to sit down and write down my (super late) December TBR post. Did I meet my November TBR? No. Am I going to meet my December TBR? Heck yes, and more. Get ready for an onslaught of book reviews coming your way, courtesy of yours truly!

Two Year Blogging Anniversary!

Here's a funny story: I nearly forgot about this! But alas, even with my absent-mindedness, when I saw the date change on my calendar, I remembered, hooray!

Review: The Midnight Star by Marie Lu

Book: The Midnight Star
Author: Marie Lu
Series: The Young Elites #3 (final)
Genre: YA fantasy
Publisher: G.P. Putman's Sons Books
Pages: 316
Release: October 11th 2016

The thrilling finale to the New York Times bestselling Young Elites series from “hit factory” Marie Lu.

There was once a time when darkness shrouded the world, and the darkness had a queen.

Adelina Amouteru is done suffering. She’s turned her back on those who have betrayed her and achieved the ultimate revenge: victory. Her reign as the White Wolf has been a triumphant one, but with each conquest her cruelty only grows. The darkness within her has begun to spiral out of control, threatening to destroy all that she’s achieved.

Adelina’s forced to revisit old wounds when a new danger appears, putting not only Adelina at risk, but every Elite and the very world they live in. In order to save herself and preserve her empire, Adelina and her Roses must join the Daggers on a perilous quest—though this uneasy alliance may prove to be the real danger.

Bestselling author Marie Lu concludes Adelina's story with this haunting and hypnotizing final installment to the Young Elites series. 

Goodreads / Amazon / Audible / iBooks

Blog Tour, Giveaway & Review: RIMRIDER by L.A. Kelley

Hi, everyone!

I am beyond thrilled to take part in the blog tour for L.A. Kelley's novel Rimrider! My stop will feature a giveaway from the author and a review from yours truly. Hope you all enjoy! :)

Book: Rimrider
Author: L.A. Kelley
Series: Rimrider Adventures (#1)
Genre: YA sci-fi
Source: author (physical copy--thank you, L.A.!)
Pages: 305
Release: July 30th 2016

Teenager Jane Benedict is awakened by her father and ordered to memorize a mysterious code. Hours later, Mathias Benedict is dead and Jane and her brother, Will, are wards of United Earth Corporation. To evade the company's murderous clutches and uncover the meaning of her father’s last message, Jane leads Will on a desperate escape across the galaxy aboard the Freetrader smuggler ship, Solar Vortex. Tangled in the crew’s fight against UEC, Jane saves the life of young smuggler Maclan Sawyer and learns her father’s code identifies a secret cargo shipment that may spell doom for the entire Freetrader cause and the extinction of an alien race. 
Piracy, intrigue, romance, and a daring rebellion from Earth wait on the planet Rimrock. Will Jane answer the call to adventure and find new purpose on the galactic rim or will death for high treason be her fate? 

Goodreads / Amazon

Title Reveal for ACOTAR 3!!!

Oh my god guys, the title for ACOTAR 3 came out and it is PERFECT. I can't even right now.

If you haven't heard of the A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas, you probably have been living Under the Mountain. In which I pity you, and hope your own Feyre will come save you and lead you out. Now, I know this isn't a cover reveal or anything, but this is the title, and the title is a big deal. Because it means we don't have to call it ACOTAR 3. Because it means this book is one step closer to being in my hands. And because it means I am one step closer to being reunited with Feyre.

Not to be mean, but let's super quickly go over the titles and covers of the previous two books before revealing the title of the third:

The book that started it all and introduced the world to Feyre: A Court of Thorns and Roses 

The second book that literally destroyed everything I know about everything and most likely be my top book of 2016: A Court of Mist and Fury

And now, we have the TITLE of the next book! Get ready for it...

Musings and Ponderings: Bookmarks

Welcome to a new instalment of posts! I'm calling these my Bookish Musings and Ponderings, where I pick a topic related to books and talk about them. I welcome any and all discussions, so please leave comments!

Review: Red Winter by Annette Marie

Book: Red Winter
Author: Annette Marie
Series: Red Winter Trilogy #1
Source: Netgallery (ARC copy)
Pages: 367
Publisher: Dark Owl Fantasy Inc.
Release: October 21st 2016

In a few short months, Emi's mortal life will end when she becomes the human host of an immortal goddess. Carefully hidden from those who would destroy her, she has prepared her mind, body, and soul to unite with the goddess—and not once has she doubted her chosen fate.

Shiro is a spirit of the earth and an enemy of the goddess Emi will soon host. Mystery shrouds his every move and his ruby eyes shine with cunning she can’t match and dares not trust. But she saved his life, and until his debt is paid, he is hers to command—whether she wants him or not.

On the day they meet, everything Emi believes comes undone, swept away like snow upon the winter wind. For the first time, she wants to change her fate—but how can she erase a destiny already wrought in stone? Against the power of the gods, Shiro is her only hope … and hope is all she has left.

RED WINTER includes 10 full-page illustrations by artist Brittany Jackson.

Goodreads / Amazon US / Amazon CA / Amazon UK / Amazon AU

Blog Tour, Giveaway & Excerpt: RED WINTER by Annette Marie

Hi guys! I have the absolute pleasure of being part of the blog tour for Annette Marie's newest book, Red Winter! I loved her Steel and Stone series, plus I love Japanese mythology, so it goes without saying this book is definitely a great one.

A New Series from Amazon Best-Selling Author Annette Marie, RED WINTER is coming…

“Soon all her human fears would become meaningless. Her future had been written by the kami, and her destiny awaited her.”

In the enchanting new fantasy RED WINTER by Annette Marie, Emi Kimura has been preparing her entire life to become the mortal host of a goddess. When she discovers the lies surrounding her true fate, she makes a dangerous bargain with a fox spirit to seek out the truth. As her final days as a mortal approach, she must choose whether to bow to duty ... or fight for her life.

November TBR!

Hi everyone! How are you?

I'm terribly sorry for not being overly present in the blogging world. Unfortunately, it's about to get worse, just because November is always a super crazy busy month for me, so we'll see how many books I'll be able to get through this month... But I'll be participating in 2 blog tours this month, so hopefully that will keep things exciting!

Without further ado, here's my TBR for this month! :)

Happy Halloween!

Hi everyone!

Just wanted to wish you all a Happy Halloween. May you stuff yourselves with candy or binge-watch horror movies or just curl up at home with a good book (that will be me).

I'm lame, so I'm "dressing up" as a detective (basically, I'm just wearing a collared shirt and a fedora. That's it. Pretty low-maintance, but I'm a low-maintance kind of person.) Let me know if you guys are doing anything special, or if you have a neat costume!

Have a great day, and stay safe! (Because you never know what's lurking in the shadows on All Hallow's Eve, when the veil between humans and other creatures is at its thinnest...)

Autumn Bookhaul!

From my October TBR post, I explained why I love October so much. Autumn in general is my favourite time of the year, for various reasons (SO MANY NEW RELEASES, leaves change colour, I can break out some stylish jackets and hats, etc.). One of them also happens to be my birthday, which (unsurprisingly) I always use as an excuse to buy myself some more books!

I will admit I got a bit carried away taking pictures of my new books. But I couldn't help it, and decided to do another one of my book haul guessing sessions. Can any of you guess what I got strictly off what the pages look like? Go on, give it your best shot!

Review: Moonlight War-Act 1 by William Collins

Book: Moonlight War-Act 1
Author: William Collins
Series: The Realmers #2
Genre: YA sci-fi, paranormal
Pages: 383
Release: August 29th 2016
Source: author ecopy (thank you, Will)

After the catastrophic events of book 1, Evan and Brooke are trying to come to terms with recent revelations. However, it isn’t long before their duties as Venators throw them back into action. 

Whilst Evan faces a deathly trial to advance further in his training, Brooke embarks on her very first mission, which sees her embroiled in a war between the vampires and werewolves of London. If the werewolves and shifters baying for her blood wasn’t enough, Brooke also has to face a starkly changed Arantay. 

Meanwhile the Dark-Venator forces are rising, whilst Evan and his friends contend with the mysterious disappearances of several Venators. Could they have been kidnapped? Evan also faces backlash from many of his fellow trainees, who hate or fear him. Evan thinks their reactions are bad now, but it would be nothing if they discovered his secret. His peers may even try to kill him if they learned the truth. 

Evan knows he has to pass his trial to gain his first mission as a Venator, but he may never make it that far if his hidden powers aren’t controlled. Across the realms, a terribly malignant force has learned of Evan and Brooke, and plans to strike.

Goodreads / Amazon US / Amazon UK

Cover Reveal: THE FALLEN KINGDOM by Elizabeth May

GUYS GUYS GUYS.

Do you all remember The Falconer series? The first two books have devastated me beyond repair because of their endings. And believe me, it's taken months to finally move on past the ending to The Vanishing Throne. 

And now...I am reliving all those feelings. Because the cover of the final book, The Fallen Kingdom. Has. Been. Released!!! (And released on supreme author Jennifer L. Armentrout's blog, none the less, so you KNOW it's good!)

Can we please just appreciate THAT POSE??? Because if it wasn't clear before, it's clear now that Aileana is a freaking warrior. A badass, noble, incredibly self-sacrificing warrior. Who will save the world. I mean, the fact that her sword is turned down and that knightly pose... It's such a hopeful but sad and final cover!!! With the sunlight filtering through the trees and basking her sword, but not quite fully reaching her face... Does that mean she's going to lose something in the war? Lose someone? But who am I kidding, this is the final book, so there's obviously going to be a causalities. My heart will most surely be one of them. I mean, THE ENDING OF THE VANISHING THRONE REDUCED ME TO NOTHING. 

Here's a compilation of the covers of the entire series:

I really love the progression on the covers. It gives the sense of how Aileana goes to fighting for herself, then for others, and finally being willing to lay down her sword (or life) for the sake of the world.

This book hopefully will come out June 15th, 2017 (it's hard to say, since the previous two book have had separate release dates--one in the UK, the other international-- and I don't know which one June 15th is). Until then, you can all find me sitting in a corner trying to wrangle my feels back under control...

And don't forget to add it to your Goodreads! There's a better/updated synopsis on author Jennifer L. Armentrout's blog, so check that one out too!

Who's excited? Have you read this series before? Let me know!

Review: The Shadow Queen by C.J. Redwine

Book: The Shadow Queen
Author: C.J. Redwine
Series: Ravenspire #1
Publisher: Balzer + Bay
Pages: 387
Release: February 16th 2016

Lorelai Diederich, crown princess and fugitive at large, has one mission: kill the wicked queen who took both the Ravenspire throne and the life of her father. To do that, Lorelai needs to use the one weapon she and Queen Irina have in common—magic. She’ll have to be stronger, faster, and more powerful than Irina, the most dangerous sorceress Ravenspire has ever seen.

In the neighboring kingdom of Eldr, when Prince Kol’s father and older brother are killed by an invading army of magic-wielding ogres, the second-born prince is suddenly given the responsibility of saving his kingdom. To do that, Kol needs magic—and the only way to get it is to make a deal with the queen of Ravenspire, promise to become her personal huntsman…and bring her Lorelai’s heart.

But Lorelai is nothing like Kol expected—beautiful, fierce, and unstoppable—and despite dark magic, Lorelai is drawn in by the passionate and troubled king. Fighting to stay one step ahead of the dragon huntsman—who she likes far more than she should—Lorelai does everything in her power to ruin the wicked queen. But Irina isn’t going down without a fight, and her final move may cost the princess the one thing she still has left to lose.

Goodreads / Amazon / iBooks / Audible

Review: In Restless Dreams by Wren Handman

Book: In Restless Dreams
Author: Wren Handman
Series: Standalone
Source: author (thank you, Wren!)
Publisher: Wandering Roots Press
Pages: 295
Release: September 7th 2016

Sylvia is just a normal girl with huge, normal problems – her mother’s attempted suicide; how to adjust to life on the Upper East Side; trying to make friends in a rich prep school where she doesn’t belong; whether or not to trust the cute boy with the dangerous eyes. She thinks that’s more than she can handle, but she tests the limits of her endurance when she learns that she is the long awaited Phantasmer, a human who can change the fabric of Fairy simply by believing in a new story. Sylvia’s life is thrown off course as two warring Courts, the Seelie and Unseelie, both attempt to co-opt her gift to fight the other Court, which she has to deal with while trying not to get kicked out of school for fighting. And it doesn’t help matters that the fairies begging for her help are both attractive young men – with their own agendas.

Goodreads / Amazon CA / US / UK

Review: This Night Sucks by Elizabeth J.M. Walker

Book: This Night Sucks
Author: Elizabeth J.M. Walker
Series: Standalone
Source: author (thank you, Elizabeth!)
Publisher: Mirror World Publishing
Pages: 100
Release: June 17th 2016

Lana is a high school senior enrolled in Vampire Education - a class to teach students about the very real presence of vampires in the world. Lana and her classmates don't really expect to meet up with any undead bloodsuckers. Vampires are a lot like other scary things that supposedly exist but you hope you'll never come across: nudist colonies, mad cow disease, and your parents' sex life. 

What is part of Lana's everyday reality is navigating through one last year of high school while desperately trying to be less nerdy. She still loves spaceships, fantasy novels, and cat stickers, but she also recently got her braces removed, grew boobs, and is working on the makeup thing. She never expected her crush-of-a-lifetime Pete to even notice her - let alone ask her out on a date. 

The date is going great until Pete's ex-girlfriend Katy shows up, all bloody and pissed off. Lana quickly realizes that Katy is not just her ordinary bitchy self - she has been turned into a vampire which, in turn, takes Lana and Pete's date from a hot and steamy make-out session to an unexpected vampire-hunting expedition.

Goodreads / Amazon / Mirror World Publishing

ARC Review: Untitled Beauty by C.E. Wilson

Book: Untitled Beauty
Author: C.E. Wilson
Series: Somwhere-in-Between #1
Source: author (thank you, C.E.!)
Release: October 13th, 2016

Eleven. A name. A title. A sentence passed. If you aren’t a Beauty, you’re less than a person. You’re a commodity known as a Potential… and you only have so many chances to qualify as a human being.

In her seventeen years, Eleven has seen the best and worst in humanity. She’s been passed around and abused by the bad. She’s hoped and dreamed for the good. And she’s despaired for the hand she’s been dealt. Now she’s been purchased by a wealthy man who has the ability to improve her life and help her become a Beauty – if she can put up with his erratic and controlling personality for long enough, that is. Complicating things is the appearance of a stunningly beautiful young man with amethyst eyes who treats Eleven to the rarest form of attention for a Potential: kindness.

Does Eleven trust her powerful owner to help her escape this life of servitude and enslavement, or does she gamble everything on the enigmatic young man who seems to offer her more than she could ever imagine possible?

Goodreads / Amazon

October TBR!

Hi everyone!

Wow, can you believe it's October already? I feel like I barely read anything all month, and that time flew by. Oh wait, I barely read anything, so that's probably why. October is my favourite month for a variety of reasons (weather gets crisp, trees change colour, my birthday, stylish jackets/boots/hats, SO MANY BOOKS COMING OUT, warm drinks, etc.), so I'm very much looking forward to it!

So...last TBR I said I would read 6 books. I made it through 3, plus an additional one that wasn't on it, for a total of 4. Meaning...this TBR may feature repeats from the last TBR. BUT it will be much more realistic since I have a much better sense of how much time I have this month to read. See? Progress. Plus I'll add in some book musings posts too, just for fun! (By the way, any suggestions for posts on bookish things? I have a few in mind, but not nearly enough...)

So, without further ado, here are the books on my October TBR:

Review: Improbables by Jonathan Charles Bruce

Book: Improbables
Author: Jonathan Charles Bruce
Series: Standalone
Genre: NA paranormal
Publisher: Scarlet River Press
Pages: 336
Release: January 29th 2016

Abigail Wren's new life fresh out of college is dull, even with her (almost) dream job at the local newspaper. The only real excitement she can get is found between the pages of an endless stream of paranormal romance novels she can't help but love. Then, on a snowy night in December, Abigail catches a glimpse of what could only be described as a werewolf. Enamored with the possibility, her investigation leads her to discover a paranormal population-improbables-harmoniously living in the midst of humanity. Between making eyes at a perpetually grumpy werewolf and hanging out with a vampire with a lust for life (and liquor), Abigail's life takes a shaky step out of the ordinary and into the fantastic. Just outside of the sleepy town of Whitewater, however, a force of rage is building. Born of hate and delusion, a living cataclysm threatens to devour everyone in its path-human or improbable.

Goodreads / Amazon

Review: A Darker Shade of Sorcery by William Collins

Book: A Darker Shade of Sorcery
Author: William Collins
Series: The Realmers #1
Genre: YA fantasy
Source: author (thank you so very much!)
Pages: 350
Release: January 3rd, 2016

The lonely and grieving Evan Umbra is the newest Venator to enter Veneseron, the school for demon hunters. 

A Venator is a wizard, a spy and a demon hunter rolled into one. They’re taught how to wield their sorcery and enchanted weaponry by orcs, elfpires and aliens alike. 
Their missions range from battling monsters and saving countless lives in the multiple worlds, to the more peculiar, like wrangling killer unicorns and calming down drunken yetis. 
In their free time Venators enjoy goblin soap-opera’s and underwater bubble travel, but they also understand that every new mission they’re given could be their last. 
Whilst learning how to manipulate the elements, summon magical creatures and shoot Spellzookas, Evan meets a girl who makes him feel nauseous; but in a good way. 

He makes the first friends he’s ever had in the carefree Jed and the reckless Brooke. Whilst Jed gets on the wrong side of a rival Venator, Brooke finds herself falling for the enigmatic demon hunter who brought her to Veneseron, not knowing he isn't quite human. But it soon becomes apparent that Evan is more than just a Venator. Everyone wants to kill or capture him, from demons to Dark-Venators and even people he’s supposed to be able to trust. 

Evan reckons he probably won’t survive his first year at Veneseron.

Goodreads / Amazon

Greek Mythology Tag!

Thanks to Tasya from The Literary Huntress for tagging me! Ever since I read Percy Jackson and the Olympians, I've become a huge Greek mythology fan! 

Let's get started :)

Review: THE IMMORTAL HEIGHTS by Sherry Thomas

Book: The Immortal Heights
Author: Sherry Thomas
Series: The Elemental Trilogy #3 (final)
Genre: YA fantasy
Publisher: Balzar + Bay
Pages: 432
Release: October 13th 2015 

In a pursuit that has spanned continents, Iolanthe, Titus, and their friends have always managed to remain one step ahead of the forces of Atlantis. But now the Bane, the monstrous tyrant who bestrides the entire mage world, has issued his ultimatum: Titus must hand over Iolanthe, or watch as his entire realm is destroyed in a deadly rampage. Running out of time and options, Iolanthe and Titus must act decisively to deliver a final blow to the Bane, ending his reign of terror for good.

However, getting to the Bane means accomplishing the impossible—finding a way to infiltrate his crypt in the deepest recesses of the most ferociously guarded fortress in Atlantis. And everything is only made more difficult when new prophecies come to light, foretelling a doomed effort…

Iolanthe and Titus will put their love and their lives on the line. But will it be enough?

With The Immortal Heights, Sherry Thomas brings the acclaimed Elemental Trilogy to its breathtaking conclusion.

Goodreads / Amazon / iBooks / Audible

My Hogwarts Story Tag!

Thanks to Caroline from Just Another Bookish Blog for tagging me!

After finishing Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, I've had a strong urge to re-watch all the movies. I've only gotten through The Goblet of Fire, Deathly Hallows Part 1 and Deathly Hallow Part 2 though. Oh well. But at least this tag lets me get back into the Hogwarts feel :)

September TBR!

Hi guys! September is rolling in, which probably means it'll start to get cold over here sometime soon. Truth be told, I'm actually hoping it will get colder faster. I don't really enjoy the heat (thank you, heat stroke, for permanently scarring me for life) and I'm always afraid my books will become musty from the humidity. I'm weird, I know. But the health of my books always comes first :)

I did one monthly TBR last year. And...then I stopped  I'm hoping that this time around, I'll actually be able to stick to it! After all, I even made a photo for it, so it would be a shame to not use them.

What's on my September TBR? Basically all the books I didn't finish in August (I admit I might have been a bit ambitious with my August TBR):