Early Review: The Prophet by Amanda Stevens

The Prophet (Graveyard Queen #3)
by Amanda Stevens

Expected publication: April 24th 2012 by Mira

My name is Amelia Gray.I am the Graveyard Queen, a cemetery restorer who sees ghosts. My father passed down four rules to keep me safe and I've broken every last one. A door has opened and evil wants me back.In order to protect myself, I've vowed to return to those rules. But the ghost of a murdered cop needs my help to find his killer. The clues lead me to the dark side of Charleston—where witchcraft, root doctors and black magic still flourish—and back to John Devlin, a haunted police detective I should only love from afar.Now I'm faced with a terrible choice: follow the rules or follow my heart.

Genre: Adult, Paranormal

Publication Date: April 24th 2012

Publisher: Mira

Format: eARC, 352 pages 

Series: yes

Source: Netgalley

_________________________________

My Review

In this exciting new stallment of the thrilling paranormal series, our Graveyard Queen, Amelia Gray, returns to Charleston, home of her love, John Devlin and all of his ghosts. 

The ghost of Shani, Devlin's daughter continues to follow Amelia around, like she started in the last book, but this time more insistently, begging to be found and to be helped.... but every time Amelia comes even a bit close to finding answers, Mariama's ghost pushes her away. And now Darius, a master of the dark arts and Mariama's cousin, is also in the picture, ready to terrorize  and confuse Amelia.

But his time the ghost Prophet needs her help as well. Robert Fremont, a murdered cop and an old friend of Devlin's, wants Amelia to find his killer. Except that with his memory loss and erratic prophetic powers in the way, the investigation promises to be not only difficult, but very dangerous.

Amelia has broken all of her father's rules. Rules she's been raised with, created to keep her safe from the darkness and evil creatures that walk between worlds. Now she's being followed by something. Something very strong and very dark. And this murder investigation involves much more than she first thought it would. Dark magic, blackmail, betrayal and even more murders threaten to be unveiled...

Surrounded and bothered by ghosts most of the time, Amelia sometimes forget that the living can be just as frightening as the dead... and she's just about to discover that when they work together, things can get very, very ugly.

I can't believe I forgot how mysterious and exciting Amanda Stevens' writing can be! She drives us crazy with curiosity over every small detail that is slowly unearthed throughout the story, tempting us to join in the investigating process, making us writhe with the urge to discover everything that is going on as quickly as possible. Nothing is as simple as we first thought, nobody is completely innocent and everything is somehow interconnected. Really, this author has the gift of writing the best thrillers! With such a thick cloud of mystery over every case, it should become a tiring, even repetitive read, but it's not! It's always powerful, provoking and stimulating tales! She surprises us at every page. With this one you can be sure you'll NEVER guess the ending before you should. And that is such a relief, let me tell you.

It probably sounds a bit like over-gushing, but this series deserve every praise. As soon as we finish one volume we start to think that there's no way the next one will be as good... but then the author comes and hits us over the head with the awesomeness that is her new story. Every single one turns out even better than the next. I have no idea how she does it, but I'm glad her already fantastic writing always manages to improve!

Amelia is such a smart, gifted, independent character. I just love her. And her feelings for Devlin? Gods, they are almost palpable! Their awareness is so strong, their physical link so intense that you almost expect them to slip off the pages. It's almost unsettling, stirring and compelling, all at the same time. I especially like this romance because it didn't just spring up from nowhere. It slowly built up. It was violently ended. It built up again, was denied, tried to be ignored... but they still can't stay away from each other! Even when everything and everyone seems to be against them. Pretty much themselves included, most of the time. That is real, powerful love. Not the instant, fleeting, weak thing that wants to be called real that we get from most books these days.

But, obviously, the book is not all about romance. It is just a part of it, a very important part, sure, but the story is so much more complex than just that. You get horrified over the haunting ghosts and creepy entities and their actions, you get intrigued over the clues and old secrets that are slowly discovered, you get suspicious over new odd characters we are introduced to and very surprised over the actions of old characters you thought you knew. There is never a boring moment with Amelia, that's for sure. That ending was supposed to make us readers feel better, to have some sort of completion... but it only managed to make us even more distressed and desperate to read the next volume! LOL. Way to go, Miss Stevens.

If you like surprises, a romantic and mysterious thriller with a fast pace and very creepy moments, then you'll go insane over this series. I know I did.


* I was lucky enough to receive an eARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

#FF - Feature and Follow #16

Feature and Follow is hosted by Alison Can Read and Parajunkee's View.

Q: Do you read one book at a time or do you switch back and forth between two or more?

I usually switch back and forth between a few, but when I have a 'free' day I like to grab a book I'm really looking forward to and finish it in one sitting (if it turns out to be just as good as I hoped, that is).

What about you?
If you're a new follower, please let me know. :)

Dirty Little Secret #12

Dirty Little Secret is a weekly meme hosted by us at Under the Covers. Every Thursday we get to know other bloggers and our readers more intimately by asking them a question hoping to reveal their dirty little secrets. We hope that you will all join us!


This week's question: 

What book has been sitting in your TBR pile the longest and why haven't you picked it up yet? Or more importantly, will you ever read it now that its been sitting there for forever?

There were quite a few books that had been sitting on my shelves for over a year, just waiting to be read... but I forced myself to read them as soon as this year started, so now the book that has been there the longest is Dark Lover. I got it last August. :) But I intend to read it this year. At least that's the plan.

Now, the books on my Kindle are another story entirely... I have titles there that are over 2 years old. LOL. But I'll get to them. Eventually. I think. :P

What was your answer?

"Waiting On" Wednesday #17

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating.


Right now what I really want to read is:


 

The Immortal Rules (Blood of Eden #1)
by Julie Kagawa

Expected publication: April 24th 2012 by Harlequin Teen

IN A FUTURE WORLD, VAMPIRES REIGN. HUMANS ARE BLOOD CATTLE. AND ONE GIRL WILL SEARCH FOR THE KEY TO SAVE HUMANITY.

___________________


Wow, right? 
I've seen a movie that had a similar blurb and really liked it (though I can't remember the title at all), so, to me, this one has great promise. :)


What are you waiting on this week?

Teaser Tuesday #17

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along, just do as following:

• Grab your current read

       • Open to a random page
      • Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
      • Be careful not to include any spoilers so as not to ruin the book for others.

Make sure to share the title and the author so other TT participants can add the book to their TBR piles.

"My heart tripped at the implication of his words. I thought of my stalker, the elusive watcher who had been dogging me for days. Now I understood my lethargy and insomnia."

"Hmphf. Bloggers. I didn’t get why everyone and their brother thought the world wanted to read their thoughts on…well, nothing. If I wanted to be subjected to meaningless blather, I’d watchreality television."

Ouch. LOL. I'd rather think that opinion does not apply to book reviewers. :P 

Oh, and I'm loving The Prophet!!! Amanda Stevens' writing is incredible! (as usual.) 

What's your teaser this week?  

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #15

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Book Journey. 

Welcome to It’s Monday!  What Are You Reading?  This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from!

I'm Currently Reading:

Finished: 

Reviews posted:

Viral by James Lilliefors

Tomorrow Land by Mari Mancusi

Next Reads:
 

What are you reading this week?

In My Mailbox #17

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


From a swap I got:

Huntress

For review, from Netgalley I got:


 

The Prophet


Free from Amazon:
 

In His Eyes


What did you get this week? 

Review: Tomorrow Land by Mari Mancusi

 

Tomorrow Land
by Mari Mancusi

Published March 8th 2012 by NLA Digital

Can true love survive the end of the world?

Imagine finding your first love, only to be ripped apart by the apocalypse. Peyton Anderson will never forget the day she was forced to make a choice--between her family--and Chris Parker, the boy she'd given her heart. Now, four years later, as she steps from the fallout shelter and into a dead and broken world, he's the only thing on her mind.

All Chris "Chase" Parker wanted was to take Peyton away and keep her safe from harm. But he waited for hours in the rain on judgment day and she never showed--breaking his heart without ever telling him why.

Now the two of them have been thrown together once again, reluctant chaperones to a group of orphan children in a post-apocalyptic world where the dead still walk...and feed. As they begin their pilgramage to the last human outpost on Earth, can they find a way to let go of old hurts and find the love they lost--all while attempting to save what's left of the human race?

Genre: Young Adult, Dystopia

Publication Date: March 8th 2012

Publisher: NLA Digital

Format: eARC, ? pages 

Series: no

Source: Netgalley

________________________________________________

My Review

It's the year of 2030, and fifteen-year-old Peyton Anderson wouldn't go out with Chris Parker if he was the last guy on Earth. She's also not very happy about her crackpot of a father, who will tell anyone who'll listen about how The End of Days is coming soon and how dangerous the government is. Oh, and he won't let her have any of the advanced  technology that everybody else has because he's so afraid the government might be monitoring them. And he most certainly won't allow her to get her LTF, a License to Fu--, well, you get the idea. Its real name is the Copulation Conditional and nobody can have sex without this license, and it's only given to those who have taken their AIDS vaccine. But, like with everything else, her father doesn't trust this vaccine... and this time his craziness just might be right.

All of a sudden people start falling sick. First it's just a few isolated cases, quickly covered by the government... but then the disease starts to quickly spread. The first sign of Super Flu is people coughing blood. After that they might die...or not. If they don't die, they become 'zombies'. At the beginning it only happens to those who have taken the AIDS vaccine, that is, all the adults and a handful of teens. But then the virus seems to evolve, becoming airborne. And that's when 'The End of Days' Dr.Anderson has been talking about all this time really makes an appearance.

Peyton is slowly starting to warm up to Chris, she might even be falling in love, but the evident Apocalypse threatens to separate them. Chris and a few other kids decided to run to the mountains to scape the disease and 'the Others' (zombies), and Peyton had every plan to go with them... but after being experienced on and cybernetically enhanced by her father, she is forced to enter an underground shelter, equipped with every necessary provisions, with her mother. Her father assures her it would open in four years, after which she would have one mission. To find her father and save the world.

It's 2034 and the world is a very different place. Peyton is a very different person. She doesn't know what has been happening these last four years, who has survived and who hasn't... the only thing she does know is that she must join her father in California. To be more exact, she needs to go to DisneyWorld. That's where he told her a group of his scientists friends would be, working on a cure. So that's where she's going... until she meets him again. Chris Parker, who might as well be the last guy on Earth.

I expected Tomorrow Land to have a completely different story... and to be much better. Honestly, Peyton sort of pissed me off AND confused me. One moment she's saying how much she can't stand Chris and how he has been stalking her since they were kids and all... and the next she just can't believe how great a guy he is and oh, she just might be falling for him. Seriously, it all changed radically in just a matter of a few days. Sorry, but I couldn't swallow that. 

And when they were finally reunited four years later, things still didn't go very smoothly with me.  Or with them. There was waaaaay too much drama. Oh, she stood me up four years ago, I can't just forgive her. Oh, I can't explain to him why I stood him up four years ago, so I'll just be cold. Oh, I need to be strong, so I'll ignore her and push her away. Oh, I need to save the world and be on my own, so I'll just ignore him and push him away. Oh, he's a lying junky, I can't trust him. Oh, she just won't trust me, so I'll give up on her. Oh, I've been bitten by a zombie, so I'll be cold and push her away yet again for no apparent reason. Jeez! Drama much?? O.o I was like: WAKE UP, you two losers! It's the freaking end of the world, you have half a dozen kids to take care of (kids that are not well explained or well utilized as they should), tons os zombies to kill and hundreds of miles to cover til Florida, and all they can think of is stupid reasons not to be together. Either just break up or not. It was like the zombies were getting smarter and the main characters were getting more stupid...

The book felt like it was too long and it dragged quite a bit. It seems to me like there were lots of unnecessary things and pages and many issues that could have been better developed. The ending, by itself, wasn't surprising. But its abruptness was. The whole thing was very brusque. Too much description, not enough action. I believe the whole 'phantom city with zombie fights' could have been completely deleted to make room for a more decent ending.

But even with all those many things that bothered me, I still couldn't put the book down. I read the whole thing, because I really wanted to see what would happen. Strange, but true. I guess that's why there are so many 5 star reviews of it.

If you like apocalyptic YAs with lots of zombies and difficult romances, then you might enjoy Tomorrow Land. 

* I received an eARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.* 

#FF - Feature and Follow #15

Feature and Follow is hosted by Alison Can Read and Parajunkee's View.


Q: What is the longest book you’ve read? What are your favorite 600+ page reads?


According to Goodreads, it was It, by master Stephen King. :)
 
It had 1093 pages of pure horror. LOL. Stephen does like to make them long. But my favorite still is, as you might already know:


 
Acheron, in all of its 722 pages glory. *-*


What was your answer?
If you're a new follower, please let me know so I can return the favor!

Early Review: Viral by James Lilliefors

Viral

by James Lilliefors

Expected publication: April 10th 2012 by Random House Digital, Inc.

In remote pockets of the Third World, a deadly virus is quietly sweeping through impoverished farming villages and shanty towns with frightening speed and potency. Meanwhile, in Washington, a three-word message left in a safe-deposit box may be the key to stopping the crisis—if, that is, Charles Mallory, a private intelligence contractor and former CIA operative, can decipher the puzzle before time runs out. 

 What Mallory begins to discover are the traces of a secret war, with a bold objective—to create a new, technologically advanced society. With the help of his brother Jon, an investigative reporter, can he break the story to the world before it is too late—before a planned “humane depopulation” takes place? As the stakes and strategies of this secret war become more evident, the Mallory brothers find themselves in a complex game of wits with an enemy they can’t see: a new sort of superpower led by a brilliant, elusive tactician who believes that ends justify means.

Genre: Adult, Suspense

Publication Date: April 10th 2012

Publisher: Random House

Format: eARC, 336 pages 

Series: no

Source: Netgalley

_______________________

My Review

Charles Mallory is a private intelligence contractor, and he's been working on a project, a puzzle, left to him by his father after his death. He's in Africa, to meet with a man who just might give him the information he needs to figure things out (the details of a "high-stakes war")... but Paul Bahdru, an african journalist whose wife was raped and murdered because of his 'treasonous' published work, never makes it to their secret meeting place. But his severed head does, though. Afraid of what might happen to him next, he goes on the run.

Charles's brother, Jon Mallory is worried that he hasn't contacted him like it was planned, so Jon starts to look for people who may be able to help him find Charles. Everything leads to Africa. When he gets there, he meets Dr. Sandra Oku, Paul Bahdru's cousin, who was one of the few survivors of the 'trial' in her village, only because her cousin was able to 'foresee' the attack and give her the means to protect herself. They will have to act as witnesses to the attack, they are the only ones that can prove it happened and that it is planned to happen again, but in even bigger proportions.

They come in big crates. Some say 'Perishable Fruit' on the outside. But on the inside are spray canisters. Viral properties in aerosol form, stored in four hundred gallon tanks. It's all part of a government project, carried out by a "humanitarian group", under the heading 'Malarian eradication'. They call it a vaccine, the 'aerial vaccine'. It can eliminate more than hundreds of thousands of people in one single morning. And they've been testing it in small villages in the most hidden places in Africa, in order to gauge the potency of the virus. Having 'trials' in regions where it won't get attention (and even if it was reported, the government would just deny it.) from western countries. You contract it, fall into a fevered sleep and never again wake up.

For some reason I expected this book to be more graphic and action-filled, a bit more like The Hot Zone. But it wasn't so focused on the virus and its victims itself, but more on the politicians and their plans to control the world. There's a lot of mystery and secrecy, and it was nice to see the tension building, but the first part of the book was very slow. Too slow. I almost gave it up. Thankfully, things got much better as I continued to read.

It was a brilliant idea for a book (if not a bit creepy and possible to picture in real life). A biological weapon to create a new, technologically advanced society by eliminating the empoverished, sick, and less usefull population? Wow. (I mean, let's be honest here, most of us have imagined something of the sort at some point in our lives, but to actually consider it...)  After all, biological weapons have low costs, are easy to access and hard to detect, even after use. You only notice it when the disease has already spread. And then it can be too late.

If you like mystery books with a lot of governmental conspiracies, secret war themes, suspense and spies, this is your book.

* I received an eARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

"Waiting On" Wednesday #16

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating.


Right now what I really want to read is:
 

The Lost Girl 
by Sangu Mandanna


Expected publication: August 28th 2012 by Balzer + Bray (HarperCollins Children's Books)

Eva's life is not her own. She is a creation, an abomination - an echo. Made by the Weavers as a copy of someone else, she is expected to replace a girl named Amarra, her 'other', if she ever died. Eva studies what Amarra does, what she eats, what it's like to kiss her boyfriend, Ray. So when Amarra is killed in a car crash, Eva should be ready.

But fifteen years of studying never prepared her for this.

______________________________


Doesn't it sound fantastic? I can't wait to read it! What would it be like to have a replacement? O.o


What are you waiting on this week? 

Teaser Tuesday #16

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along, just do as following:

• Grab your current read

       • Open to a random page
      • Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
      • Be careful not to include any spoilers so as not to ruin the book for others.

Make sure to share the title and the author so other TT participants can add the book to their TBR piles.

 

"Someone has to do the cooking with the women out in battle." His grin was wide, but tired.

 What's your teaser this week? 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #14

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Book Journey. 

Welcome to It’s Monday!  What Are You Reading?  This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from!

I'm Currently Reading:

Finished: 

Reviews posted:

The Kingdom by Amanda Stevens 

Amongst the Ruins by Saewod Tice 

Next Reads:
 

What are you reading this week?

Review: Amongst the Ruins by Saewod Tice / Reading Romances March Challenge

Reading Romances March Challenge

- Reading Romance’s Blogiversary: – read a book that has been reviewed or featured at the blog!

or:
-  read a book that you have previously started and meant to continue, but keep failing to do so.


__________________________________

 

Amongst the Ruins (The Chronicles of 2020, #1)
by Saewod Tice

Published September 12th 2011 by Noble Young Adult

In the year 2220, only about 15% of Earth's population have survived and thrived after the Nuclear Disaster of 2020.

With the collapse of modern society, the population has regressed into eight clans.

Amongst these clans, an unusual girl grows from child to adult.

Raised on the run and in hiding, Shilo wants to be free of the expectations of women. But in a ruined world where anyone could be an enemy, only the radiation-twisted mutants are clearly identifiable. A fertile female is a precious treasure, and any lapse in caution can mean a loss of the freedom she longs for.

Training as hard as a soldier would, in order to free herself from social constraints, she finds herself faced with an offer from a new clan--an offer that provides her with what she desires. But her recently found independence brings discovery, and discovery brings two very different men from her past—and each of them is determined to claim her.

One is obsessed with owning her, the other desires her as the only person who can make him love again.

Genre: Young Adult, Dystopia

Publication Date: September 12th 2011

Publisher: Noble Young Adult

Format: e-book, 321 pages 

Series: ?

Source: Giveaway

___________________________________________________

My Review

It's the year of 2220 and Earth is trying to repopulate. Ever since she was very young, Shilo has seen for herself what happens to women in this new world, and she promises herself she will never be used as breeding stock or as a man's tool for pleasure. In this new society, anything that takes to repopulate the world is acceptable. Men taking women against their wishes, polygamous marriages, murder if a woman tries to escape... and Shilo is the best example of it. Her mother was raped by a man after she was unable to save his wife and son after childbirth. He raped her so she could give him the son she supposedly 'killed'. But she managed to escape with Shilo.

After a lot of wandering her family reaches the Magnus' clan, where Shilo and her brother start to receive guard training. And that's when her life starts to change. Gone is fearful, hidden and sheltered girl. She is now stronger, braver and able to defend herself as best she can, if need be. But sometimes even that isn't enough, as she soons find out. When the Nigredo, radiation-twisted mutants, attack her guard party during patrol duty, breeders take advantage of the chance and kidnap her. As a virgin pale-skinned, blue-eyed and blond-haired young woman, Shilo makes a great prize. And her unexpected 'savior' promises to make her future even worse than the breeders...

Shilo soons discovers that not all clans are like the ones she's used to. Some are matriarchal, with very powerful female guards. Unfortunately, just as Shilo believes to have found her place in life, her past comes back to haunt her. But is marriage such a terrible thing? Can love make things better? Or is freedom and independance more important than everything? She needs to make her choice... and whatever she chooses may decide the future of all clans.

This was such a crazy book! To think that things would regress like that, that a woman would return to be worth almost nothing, to be seen as nothing more than a womb after so much hard work by the feminists only a couple hundred years before... O.o Jeez. Shiloh was fantastic. I could really see myself in her. Strong, rebellious, independent, always wanting her freedom, always wanting/needing to prove her worth. She was a really great character. Kain pissed me off quite a bit, but there were moments I really came to like him. But not for too long. LOL. He was just too demanding, too bossy. And good-looks only go so far.

The story had such a nice, pleasing pace, never a boring moment! The writing was fluid and just delightful. I actually enjoyed the fighting scenes (and I usually skip all of those), the sexual tension (it takes forever for her to finally be 'ravished', but it was written in such a graceful, tasteful and romantic way it was very worth waiting for) and just loved to see how she resisted and just wouldn't accept being degraded or treated as an object like all the men seemed to want to treat her. I really didn't like the ending, but I guess that's what had to happen for her to have her freedom.

If you like your YA dystopia with very strong, kick-ass heroines, lots of action, adventure and 'unexpected' romance, you'll really enjoy Amongst the Ruins.


*I got this book from a giveaway made for the particiants of the Reading Romances Challenge.*

In My Mailbox #16

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


For review, from Netgalley I got:



Tomorrow Land

From a giveaway for the particiants of the Reading Romances Challenge I got an e-copy of:

Amongst the Ruins

What did you get this week?

On My Wishlist #6

On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted by Book Chick City and runs every Saturday. It's where we list all the books we desperately want but haven't actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming.


 


This Is Not a Test
by Courtney Summers


Expected publication: June 19th 2012 by St. Martin's Griffin

It’s the end of the world. Six students have taken cover in Cortege High but shelter is little comfort when the dead outside won’t stop pounding on the doors. One bite is all it takes to kill a person and bring them back as a monstrous version of their former self. To Sloane Price, that doesn’t sound so bad. Six months ago, her world collapsed and since then, she’s failed to find a reason to keep going. Now seems like the perfect time to give up. 

__________________________

It looks like it's got it all! Zombies, dystopia, apocalypse, horror and fantasy. Wow. I'm just dying to read it. And will you just look at that cover!!?? Beautiful. The title is also very creative and seems to be fitting. :) Oh, I don't thinkI can wait until June. LOL.


What's on your wishlist this week?