In My Mailbox (26): Crewel

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted at The Story Siren.

In My Mailbox I have:

Enter a tangled world of secrets and intrigue where a girl is in charge of other’s destinies, but not her own.

Sixteen-year-old Adelice Lewys has always been special. When her parents discover her gift—the ability to weave the very fabric of reality—they train her to hide it. For good reason, they don’t want her to become a Spinster — one of the elite, beautiful, and deadly women who determine what people eat, where they live, how many children they have, and even when they die.

Thrust into the opulent Western Coventry, Adelice will be tried, tested and tempted as she navigates the deadly politics at play behind its walls. Now caught in a web of lies and forbidden romance, she must unravel the sinister truth behind her own unspeakable power. Her world is hanging by a thread, and Adelice, alone, can decide to save it — or destroy it.

Thank you to BookHounds for the giveaway!

Starflower by Anne Elisabeth Stengl

When a cursed dragon-witch kidnaps the lovely Lady Gleamdren, Eanrin sets boldly forth on a rescue mission...and a race against his rival for Gleamdren's favor. Intent upon his quest, the last thing the immortal Faerie needs is to become mixed up with the troubles of an insignificant mortal.
But when he stumbles upon a maiden trapped in an enchanted sleep, he cannot leave her alone in the dangerous Wood Between. One waking kiss later, Eanrin suddenly finds his story entangled with that of young Starflower. A strange link exists between this mortal girl and the dragon-witch. Will Starflower prove the key to Lady Gleamdren's rescue? Or will the dark power from which she flees destroy both her and her rescuer

I have to say, I can't decide what part of this book I like the best.  It's a three-way tie between the plot, the characters, or the character development!  But whichever of the three does eventually win, this book was an amazing read I'd definitely recommend to any lover of fantasy.

The book starts off meeting Eanrin, the conceited and imminently dislike able fae.  Through a series of events - caused by Eanrin's ego -  Lady Gleamdren, off whom Eanrin and Glomar the Guard are both pining after, is (intentionally) kidnapped by a dewinged dragon-witch, Hri Sora.  Eanrin and Glomar set out to rescue the Lady Gleamdren, but cashing personalities lead them to split ways.  Along his journey, Eanrin finds a woman, whom he calls Imraldera, but whose name is truly Starflower, asleep and being dragged into the river, causing his first truly empathetic act of the book:  saving her.

Surprisingly, the plot on the back actually takes a lesser role in the actual book.  Half-way through, the perspective of the book is switched and you start to learn of Starflower's mysterious past.  The amazingly written story makes the book many times better.

Eanrin was an amazing character, prior to my first impression.  His character growth was one of the main enjoyments of this book for myself.  Looking at him on the first chapter of the book compared to the last, the character development is astounding.  However, when reading the book, his change is gradual.  plus, his moments with Starflower were to cute.

And then there was Starflower, the mute girl with a mysterious past, and whose back story was tear worthy.  This amazing character captured my heart even before she had a chance to speak.  And her amazing choices and sacrifices had me crying.  Hard.

The other amazing characters in this book, including Lady Gleamdren, Glomar, and most importantly, Hri Sora, were all also so amazing, from the bitter Dragon-witch, to the goodhearted guard, and finally to the vain Lady.

I do not know how this author is in continuity in her books, seeing as I have not had the chance to read her other books, but I very much hope that Eanrin and Imraldera's story is revisited in her future books.  The ending of Starflower left me wanting to know so much more!

All in all, this was an amazing book, full of action, romance, and amazing character growth.  I would recommend this to any fantasy lover looking for a good read.

Rating: 5/5

Market: YA
Language:  None
Sensuality:  None
Violence: Mild.

I recieved a copy to review from the amazing author and her publisher.

 

In My Mailbox (25): Sapphire Blue

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted at The Story Siren.

In My Mailbox I have:

Gwen’s life has been a rollercoaster since she discovered she was the Ruby, the final member of the secret time-traveling Circle of Twelve. In between searching through history for the other time-travelers and asking for a bit of their blood (gross!), she’s been trying to figure out what all the mysteries and prophecies surrounding the Circle really mean.

 

At least Gwen has plenty of help. Her best friend Lesley follows every lead diligently on the Internet. James the ghost teaches Gwen how to fit in at an eighteenth century party. And Xemerius, the gargoyle demon who has been following Gwen since he caught her kissing Gideon in a church, offers advice on everything. Oh, yes. And of course there is Gideon, the Diamond. One minute he’s very warm indeed; the next he’s freezing cold. Gwen’s not sure what’s going on there, but she’s pretty much destined to find out.

Follow Friday (30)

Feature and Follow Friday is hosted by Alison Can Read and Parajunkee

Q:What is a deal breaker for you in a book? For example, do you abhor love triangles? Or can’t deal with bad editing?

I'd say that the biggest deal-breaker for me is if the book is, besides of course just general dislike of a book, language or sensuality.  If their is too much of either I won't read the book.  Also, bad editing does come into affect on the rare chance I pick up a book with bad editing.

What about you?  leave links!

Amber House by Kelly Moore, Tucker Reed, and Larkin Reed

"I was sixteen the first time my grandmother died . . ."

Sarah Parsons has never seen Amber House, the grand Maryland estate that's been in her family for three centuries. She's never walked its hedge maze nor found its secret chambers; she's never glimpsed the shades that haunt it, nor hunted for lost diamonds in its walls.

But all of that is about to change. After her grandmother passes away, Sarah and her friend Jackson decide to search for the diamonds--and the house comes alive. She discovers that she can see visions of the house's past, like the eighteenth-century sea captain who hid the jewels, or the glamorous great-grandmother driven mad by grief. She grows closer to both Jackson and a young man named Richard Hathaway, whose family histories are each deeply entwined with her own. But when the visions start to threaten the person she holds most dear, Sarah must do everything she can to get to the bottom of the house's secrets, and stop the course of history before it is cemented forever.

This book officially marks my 200 book goal in the Goodreads challenge. And what a great book for that! Dark and lyrical, Amber House is a book I'll remember for a long time. The main character of this story is Sarah, a girl who is visiting her family's home for the first time, because of her Grandmothers sudden death, along with her is her mother, a cold woman who doesn't seem to ever open up, and her younger brother, Sam, and autistic kid who sees things as they should be, not as they are. At Am...moreThis book officially marks my 200 book goal in the Goodreads challenge. And what a great book for that! Dark and lyrical, Amber House is a book I'll remember for a long time. The main character of this story is Sarah, a girl who is visiting her family's home for the first time, because of her Grandmothers sudden death, along with her is her mother, a cold woman who doesn't seem to ever open up, and her younger brother, Sam, and autistic kid who sees things as they should be, not as they are. At Amber house she meets Jackson, a boy who seems to know to much about her to be possible, and who tells her of a treasure supposedly buried in the grounds of the house by her Great-something Grandfather, an evil man. As the story progresses it becomes less about the treasure and more about Sarah's mysterious new powers that lead her into unraveling some dark mysteries the house holds. The characters are amazing, and the writing style pulls you in. The twists and turns of this book will leave you wanting more, and the ending is heart-wrenchingly sad, leaving you feeling good for the characters brighter future, but still longing for their past adventures. I will certainly be picking up the next book, Neverwas, when it comes out, and would recomend this haunting tale to anyone who loves a good mystery. Rating: 5/5 Market:  YA Language:  So little I can't even remember if there was any. Sensuality:  Kissing, mentions of (past) rape. Violence:  Mild.