Review & Giveaway Deep Blue (Waterfire Saga #1) by Jennifer Donnelly

Summary:

The first in a series of four epic tales set in the depths of the ocean, where six mermaids seek to protect and save their hidden world.

Deep in the ocean, in a world not so different from our own, live the merpeople. Their communities are spread throughout the oceans, seas, and freshwaters all over the globe.

When Serafina, a mermaid of the Mediterranean Sea, awakens on the morning of her betrothal, her biggest worry should be winning the love of handsome Prince Mahdi. And yet Sera finds herself haunted by strange dreams that foretell the return of an ancient evil. Her dark premonitions are confirmed when an assassin's arrow poisons Sera's mother. Now, Serafina must embark on a quest to find the assassin's master and prevent a war between the Mer nations. Led only by her shadowy dreams, Sera searches for five other mermaid heroines who are scattered across the six seas. Together, they will form an unbreakable bond of sisterhood and uncover a conspiracy that threatens their world's very existence.
Summary & Cover taken from Goodreads.com
Length: 320 pages (Hardcover)
Source: Review Copy
Available Formats: Print/E-book/Audio
Expected Publication Date: May 6th 2014 by Disney Press

I've been a big fan of Jennifer Donnelly ever since I read her YA Historical novel A Northern Light back in 2010 so I jumped at the opportunity to give Deep Blue the first book in her YA fantasy series a try when I got the review request.

I received the book last week and I finished it the day I got it. It was that good, I found myself being swept away in her story telling and the underwater world of the merfolk. Mermaid novels can be a bit hit or miss with me (mostly miss) I' was so glad that I found myself enjoying this one because I've loved mermaids since The Little Mermaid.

Right away when I started reading I knew I was in for the long haul. I really liked Serafina's character. I felt bad for her because she was suffering from the jitters as she had to jump through some royal hoops to be named heir to her mother's thrown as well as feeling like she wasn't important to her mother, the queen of Merrow. I thought she was a hoot and I liked seeing her go from a very unsure princess to an unsure princess who is willing to step up and be the leader her people desperately need after an attack on her city and I enjoyed the fact that she didn't suffer from SPS (Spoiled Princess Syndrome).

Neela, besides Serafina is the other character that we get to know the most. She's the cousin of Serafina's betrothed as well as being Serafina's best friend. Where Serafina is serious, Neela is the one who brings laughter and lightness to the circumstances the girls find them in. I liked her a lot and thought she was a hoot, she hides behind her humour though to help her deal with the prophecy but I like that she is so supportive of her friends.

Serafina, and Neela may have been the characters that Deep Blue really focused on but I thought the whole cast was rather good. I especially loved the other mermaids that were introduced in the latter half of the novel like the "witches" for lack of a better term that act as the mystical spiritual keepers for the merfolk who really set the whole story in motion with the prophecy which is what the main plot line is about. 

What surprised me about the book though was that romance was not a big part of the story. I've become so used to romance being the driving force in so many YA novels no matter the subgenre that I felt as though Deep Blue was a breath of fresh air in the sense that it focused more on the prophecy, and the girls coming into their own as young merfolk and the adventure it takes them on which I loved. The idea of the merfolk living hidden from humanity was great and I enjoyed learning about the songspells that keep our worlds separate and I'm very curious about the enemies that are trying to destroy Serafina's world.I also liked that Jennifer Donnelly wove the myth of Atlantis into the origin story for the merfolk. As a lover of all things Atlantis, I thought that was a nice tough and I'm curious to see how that is going to play out in the series as a whole.

I only have one complaint about the novel and that is that the dialogue was a little confusing at times. There were often references to things in the mermaid world that I wish had had some explanations and sometimes I felt the writing was a little to simplistic in terms of the dialogue in the beginning but as the book went on things started to meld better.

Overall, I thought Deep Blue was a good start to a brand new series. It was a fun and captivating read that I couldn't put down and I cannot wait until the second book comes out since I'm anxious to see what the fates have in store for the girls. I would recommend Deep Blue to all fans who love mermaids, YA fantasy and don't mind a book that I think would be geared more towards a younger YA audience 13-16 years of age. Jennifer Donnelly puts a new and inventive spin on mermaids in fiction that I think is a wonderful.

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my free and honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed herein are 100% my own.

Really Enjoyed It!
★★★★

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Two (2) winners each receive: custom Deep Blue nail polish set and copy of the book

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*[Book Spotlight & Giveaway] Shadow Fire (The Light Chronicles #1) by Kimber Leigh Wheaton

 

 

Title: Shadow Fire

Author: Kimber Leigh Wheaton

Series: The Light Chronicles Book #1

Genre: YA Fantasy/Romance

Publication: February 24, 2014 by Astraea Press

Ashlyn – a free-spirited teenager whose peaceful life is shattered when the village elders honor her with a perilous quest to recover a stolen relic.

Zane – a jaded mercenary, torn by his undeniable desire for Ashlyn and the dark secret that could make her hate him forever.

Delistaire – a malevolent sorcerer driven by an insatiable lust for power.

All three are bound together by an ancient relic supposedly infused with the power of a Goddess.

Shadow Fire – adventure, passion, secrets, and betrayal

As Ashlyn and Zane race to stay one step ahead of the evil lurking in the shadows, their passions are ignited and their bond strengthens. But will they find the relic before Delistaire? Or has their entire quest been orchestrated from the very beginning by a madman in pursuit of ultimate power?

Each installment of The Light Chronicles is a standalone story.

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We walk in silence for what seems like several hours. The sun is at midday, yet we still haven't stopped to rest. Zane isn't holding my hand like he was in the forest. Of course, there's nothing for me to trip over on this wide clear road, with the exception of the ruts from the wagon wheels. I miss feeling his strong hand gripping mine. Perhaps I should just be bold like Celeste and take his hand if I want to hold it. The thought leads to a tiny giggle escaping my mouth. I'm mortified when Zane glances back at me, his right eyebrow arched.

"Are you okay?" he asks as he stops walking. My face must be crimson. When I don't answer, he places his hand on my forehead. "You're quite warm. Maybe we should rest for a little bit."

I nod my agreement and sit down in the tall grass on the side of the road. Hopefully the grass will conceal my red face from view. Zane does one last survey of our surroundings before lowering himself to the ground next to me.

"Here," he says, handing his canteen to me, "Have some water. It'll help you feel better. Be sure to tell me in the future when you need to rest."

Nodding, I take a slow drink while trying to calm my racing heart. Then another unbidden thought enters my mind, and I picture his lips on the same flask. I choke on the drink I'm taking. Zane pats my back as I sputter and cough. So embarrassing. I wonder what other evils my mind has planned for me.

"I'm okay," I say, handing the flask back, "but I think I'll hold off on water for a while."

Settling on my back in the thick grass, I hide my red face beneath my arm. Just a couple of minutes and the flush will fade. If I don't stop blushing around him, he'll start to think red is my natural skin color. I feel movement in the grass beside me. His fingertips trace a feather light caress along the arm slung over my face. Lowering my arm, I breathe out a tiny gasp. Zane's face is within inches of mine. I watch his lips curl into a slight smile as his hand moves from my arm to caress my cheek. His garnet eyes are mesmerizing, trapping me within the twin pools of fire.

He leans closer, his lips so close yet still too far away. My heart pounds in my chest, my eyes still ensnared by his gaze. His lips meet mine, softly at first, then more demanding. A soft moan escapes my throat, and my eyes flutter closed.

"Is this okay?" he asks in a breathless whisper, his lips brushing mine when he speaks.

Instead of answering, I wind my arms around his neck, pulling his body closer. My mouth opens under the soft pressure of his tongue, granting him entrance. He explores my mouth with excruciating slowness. My body feels like it's on fire as tiny shivers of pleasure race up and down my extremities. I bury my fingers into his auburn hair trapping him against me. He groans, pulling me against him, tightening his arms around my upper body, and I feel a delicious warmth pool deep within my body.

When his lips leave mine I'm still lost to the sensations, all so raw and new. Opening my eyes, I gaze up at him, my limbs not quite ready to function yet. His eyes are darkened with passion, which sends another wave of desire coursing through my body.

"As much as I'd like to stay like this all day," he murmurs, nipping at my lower lip. Clearing his throat he continues, "We need to get moving."

Leigh Wheaton is a YA/NA author with a soft spot for sweet romance and is a member of Romance Writers of America.

She is married to her soul mate, has a teenage son, and shares her home with three dogs and four cats. No, she doesn’t live on a farm, she just loves animals. Her house is filled with dragons, though she does lament that they are the porcelain, non-flying variety.

Kimber Leigh is addicted to romance, videogames, superheroes, villains, and chocolate—not necessarily in that order. (If she has to choose, she’ll take a chocolate covered superhero!)

Her debut novel, Shadow Fire, is the first book in The Light Chronicles series. Watch for book two, Stolen Moon, a standalone sequel, coming soon.

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*[Blog Tour Review] Fire And Ice {Faerie Song Trilogy #1) by Michele Barrow-Belisle

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Summary:

 

Adventure wasn’t something Lorelei Alundra was interested in. Gifted with two otherworldly talents for singing and healing, she’s always shied away from her gifts and the spotlight, preferring quiet anonymity, over attention and fame. But when she meets the enigmatic Adrius, with his dark and dangerous mystique and eyes that peer into her soul, her uneventful life becomes irrevocably altered.

Adrius turns up in every one of her classes and knows more about her than any newcomer should. Including the condition of her mother who is suffering from a mysterious illness. Accepting his offer to help leads her into a terrifying and thrilling world, where Elves are even hotter than Legolas, and Faeries.... are nothing like Tinkerbell. Lose the butterfly wings and add a tattoo. The two magical beings are fire and ice opposites. One Lorelei can’t help falling for, and the other she's compelled to be with.

Now she’s trapped in their world, expected to prevent a war between witches and faeries, or forfeit her mother’s life. Nothing is what it seems. Not her family. Not the Fey. Not even Adrius, whose feelings for her balance precariously between danger and desire.

As secrets unravel and unsettling truths are revealed, Lorelei must fight to save much more than her mother’s life. One mistake could put the fate of his world— and her soul, in jeopardy.

But hey, no pressure… right.

Summary & Cover taken from Goodreads.com

Length: 467 pages (Kindle)

Source: Review Copy

Available Formats: Print/E-book

Publication Date: July 4th 2013 by Astraea Press

 

Fire and Ice was one of those books where I saw the cover and went "Sign up NOW" when I got the tour invitation (I didn't even bother to read what it was about) I just saw the cover and HAD to read it. Which let's be honest here, happens a lot. Sometimes the book matched the epic cover, other times it doesn't. This time however, the gorgeous cover totally matched the wonderful story. Plus the author is a fellow Ontarion so I had to sign up for the tour for that reason too!

 

While the book was exceptionally well written and addictive. I have to admit that I thought that the first 30 pages were a bit slow for my liking, but it wasn't anything that troubled me over much because in a way it made me want to read more just to get to the real heart of the story.

 

I enjoyed the way the book was written a lot. There was quite a bit of character and world building going on and the author's attention to detail was amazing. I know sometimes too much detail can be annoying but that was so not the case in this one. I thought she did a really good job in detailing the things that needed to be detailed without going overboard.

 

The story was an interesting one. I haven't read a book about a healer in some time and I really like the whole healer thing in novels and I wish a few more author's would have characters like Lorelie. I thought that Lorelie was a very realistic character. I enjoyed the fact that like a real person, she had quirks, such as being a healer with a low tolerance for the sight of blood. I thought she was really relatable and I was rooting for her throughout the whole book because she was just plain awesome. I liked the way the author mixed some magic, mystery a wee bit of romance and a whole lot of other stuff going on that I was unsure of at first but came to enjoy.

 

Overall, I thought that the writing was really good, but the story did sputter a bit at the beginning and in the middle. I enjoyed how the author set the world up for the next book in the series and I'm looking forward to reading book two in the trilogy when it is release. I thought this was a really well rounded YA novel apart from a few small issues.

 

I would recommend this novel to fans of YA novels especially those with a magical element, romance and mystery all mixed into one, with a likable heroine that's really endearing.

 

 

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my free and honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed herein are 100% my own.

 

I read this book for the following reading challenges:

 

2013 150+ Reading Challenge

Really Liked It!
★★★★1/2

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The Island by Jen Minkman

 

Summary:

 

‘I walk toward the sea. The endless surface of the water extends to the horizon, whichever way I look.

Our world is small. We are on our own, and we only have ourselves to depend on. We rely on the Force deep within us, as taught to us by our forefathers.

If I were to walk westward from here, I would come across a barrier – the Wall. Behind it, there are Fools. At least, that’s what everyone says.

I have never seen one.’

Leia lives on the Island, a world in which children leave their parents to take care of themselves when they are ten years old. Across this Island runs a wall that no one has ever crossed. The Fools living behind it are not amenable to reason – they believe in illusions. That’s what The Book says, the only thing left to the Eastern Islanders by their ancestors.
But when a strange man washes ashore and Leia meets a Fool face to face, her life will never be the same. Is what she and her friends believe about the Island really true?

Or is everyone in their world, in fact, a Fool?

(Please note: this novella contains a few references to the famous sci-fi movie Star Wars which are pivotal to the plot. None of the characters in The Island are in any way related to the characters in the movie. Leia is named after one of the ancient heroes of her culture/religion.)

Summary & Cover taken from Goodreads.com

Length: 138 pages (E-book)

Source: NetGalley ARC

Available Formats: Print/E-book

Publication Date: May 28th 2013 by Patchwork Press

 

The Island was my second read by author Jen Minkman and though I absolutely loved her novel Shadow of Time and haven't stopped raving about it (I think I almost have Mr. Turning the Pages convinced enough to give it a try) I was still nervous about reading this one. I'm not a fan of novellas except for the rare one that I read and those occur maybe once or twice a year but I really should have known better because just like Shadow of Time  I loved The Island.

 

Since this was such a short read I'm not going to mention any spoilers in the novel since I don't want to ruin the book for anyone but I will talk about the parts I enjoyed about The Island and what I didn't like so much.

 

The Island was a very unique dystopian read that was intriguing and thought provoking which I didn't expect from it at all. I went in hoping for a fun read (which it was) but didn't expected to find myself thinking about it so much but that seems to be a pattern with Jen's writing as I had the same reaction to Shadow of Time when I read it.

 

I thought the plot was very well thought out. Jen managed to entertain as well as make me thing about what she was writing about. The societies of the people especially Leia's people's beliefs was interesting and definitely unexpected and utterly surprising. I loved the uniqueness of the plot because it was so refreshing and complex despite the book's short length.

 

The characters were realistic despite their odd circumstances and the societies they were born into they were still very normal though I did sense a bit of a Lord of the Flies mentality so perhaps my definition of normal is off. Leia was likeable and I really enjoyed her as a main character. Even though she had been born into such a strange way of life she still questioned things and I liked her refusal to except certain things that she learned as well as how strong of a character she became.

 

The other characters were good too though I did wish that there had been a wee bit more character development with the side characters. I wanted to see a little more emotion from some of the side characters and that is the one thing that was a drawback for me though it is one that I think can be looked past due to the quality of the plot and it wasn't as though they were one dimensional. It's more of a personal preference of mine to have a little more substance to characters I read about though I do understand that due to the length of the novella that things had to be pared down.

 

Overall, The Island was a very good read. It was fast paced, had a distinct air of adventure and discovery and I thought it was the perfect quick read that went by fast but still had quite a bit of substance. The writing was very good, characters were interesting and the plot was unique. I can honestly say that Jen Minkman is one of my favourite YA authors and I hope she continues writing because as longs as she does I'll be reading and buying her books.

 

I would highly recommend The Island to people who enjoy YA Dystopian novels that are looking for a quicker read that still packs a certain amount of punch and think this is the perfect story to immerse yourself in for the afternoon.

 

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my free and honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed herein are 100% my own.

Really Liked It!
★★★★

 

 

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