On My Wishlist #3

Welcome to On My Wishlist! 

On My Wishlist is a meme that was originally created by Book Chick City and is now hosted by Cosy Books where we can showcase (and squee about) books that are on our individual wish lists whether already or still awaiting publication.

For more information or to get involved yourself, head over to Cosy Books and check it out!

Lastly, don't forget to comment and let me know what books are on your Wishlist this week.



Magic Kngdom For Sale/Sold by Terry Brooks
Publication Date: April 1986

Synopsis: Landover was a genuine magic kingdom, complete with fairy folk and wizardry, just as the advertisement had promised. But after he purchased it for a million dollars, Ben Holiday discovered that there were a few details the ad had failed to mention. Such as the fact that the kingdom was falling into ruin. The barons refused to recognize a king and taxes hadn't been collected for years. The dragon, Strabo, was laying waste to the countryside, while the evil witch, Nightshade, was plotting to destroy no less than everything. And if that weren't enough for a prospective king to deal with, Ben soon learned that the Iron Mark, terrible lord of the demons, challenged all pretenders to the throne of Landover to a duel to the death - a duel no mere mortal could hope to win. But Ben Holiday had one human trait that even magic couldn't overcome. Ben Holiday was stubborn.

Comment: I first read this series years ago and enjoyed it but then lost track of it. Since then, there have been some new books published but its been so long, I need to go back and start at the beginning.  Alas, however my library does not have the first couple of books of the series. So I have put this on my wishlist as I would very much like to read this series again.



Red Glove by Holly Black
Publication Date: 5 April 2011

Synopsis: Curses and cons. Magic and the mob. In Cassel Sharpe's world, they go together. Cassel always thought he was an ordinary guy, until he realized his memories were being manipulated by his brothers. Now he knows the truth—he’s the most powerful curse worker around. A touch of his hand can transform anything—or anyone—into something else.

That was how Lila, the girl he loved, became a white cat. Cassel was tricked into thinking he killed her, when actually he tried to save her. Now that she’s human again, he should be overjoyed. Trouble is, Lila’s been cursed to love him, a little gift from his emotion worker mom. And if Lila’s love is as phony as Cassel’s made-up memories, then he can’t believe anything she says or does.

When Cassel’s oldest brother is murdered, the Feds recruit Cassel to help make sense of the only clue—crime-scene images of a woman in red gloves. But the mob is after Cassel too—they know how valuable he could be to them. Cassel is going to have to stay one step ahead of both sides just to survive. But where can he turn when he can’t trust anyone—least of all, himself?

Love is a curse and the con is the only answer in a game too dangerous to lose.

Comment: I read the first book in this series (and loved it) a few weeks ago  Now I need to read this so I can read the third book which came out in April :)



Haunting Violet by Alyxandra Harvey
Publication Date: 9 July 2011

Synopsis: Violet Willoughby doesn't believe in ghosts. But they believe in her. After spending years participating in her mother's elaborate ruse as a fraudulent medium, Violet is about as skeptical as they come in all matters supernatural. Now that she is being visited by a very persistent ghost, one who suffered a violent death, Violet can no longer ignore her unique ability. She must figure out what this ghost is trying to communicate, and quickly because the killer is still on the loose.

Afraid of ruining her chance to escape her mother's scheming through an advantageous marriage, Violet must keep her ability secret. The only person who can help her is Colin, a friend she's known since childhood, and whom she has grown to love. He understands the true Violet, but helping her on this path means they might never be together. Can Violet find a way to help this ghost without ruining her own chance at a future free of lies?

Comment: The first thing that drew me to this book was the title.  I am a sucker for any kind of ghost type story and stories with characters that can talk to ghosts are right up my alley.  This has actually been on my wishlist for a while and I will have to actually get it eventually.



Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini
Publication Date: 1 April 2011

Synopsis: Set on the island of Nantucket, STARCROSSED tells the tale of Helen Hamilton, a young woman whose destiny is forever altered when she meets Lucas Delos and tries to kill him in front of her entire high school. Which is terribly inconvenient, not only because Lucas is the most beautiful boy on the island, but also because Helen is so achingly shy she suffers physical pain whenever she is given too much attention. 

Making matters worse, Helen is beginning to suspect she’s going crazy. Whenever she’s near Lucas or any member of his family she sees the ghostly apparitions of three women weeping bloody tears, and suffers the burden of an intense and irrational hate. She soon learns that she and Lucas are destined to play the leading roles in a Greek tragedy that the Three Fates insist on repeating over and over again throughout history. Like her namesake, Helen of Troy, she’s destined to start a war by falling in love. But even though Lucas and Helen can see their own star-crossed destiny, they’re still powerfully attracted to each other. Will they give up their personal happiness for the greater good, or risk it all to be together?

Comment: I have heard many many things about this book but never gotten around to getting it or reading it.  Now with the second book in the series just having been published, it might be about time to get myself into gear.

So what has been put on your wishlist this week?

RAK Wrap Up May 2012

May 2012 saw me return to participating in RAK for the first time since late 2011 and what a great month it turned out to be. 

RAK or Random Acts of Kindness is a monthly event hosted by Book Soulmates in which bloggers and individuals give and receive books and bookish items. The way it works is that at the beginning of the month,you enter your details in that oaths formi.e. name, website, email along with a link to a Wishlist of books that you would like to receive ( both electronic and paper format) then you look at the list and choose one or more lucky people that you will send something from their Wishlist. 

This month I was lucky enough to be chosen by Jessica from Crossroad Reviews to receive the following:



Deadlocked by Charlaine Harris
The Selection by Keira Cass
Black Dawn by Rachel Caine
Above by Leah Bobet
Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin


In turn I chose Michelle from Beagle Book Space to receive:




Signed copy of Fallen by Lauren Kate (acquired when Lauren Kate visited Australia in 2011)
Torment by Lauren Kate 

For more information or to get involved in June's RAK, head over to Book Soulmates. 

So I have to ask the question,how big was your RAK in May?

Review: Dark Visions by L J Smith

Title: Dark Visions
Author: L J Smith
Publish Date: 3 September 2009 by Simon & Schuster
Source: Library
Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository | Galaxy Bookshop
Sapphired Dragon Rating: ***

Synopsis: Kaitlyn Fairchild has always felt like an outsider. Her haunting eyes and prophetic drawings have earned her a reputation as a witch. But Kait's not a witch: she's psychic. Tired of being shunned, Kait accepts an invitation to attend the Zetes Institute, where she can study with other psychic teens and have a fresh start.

As Kaitlyn learns to hone her abilities with four other gifted students, she starts to discover the intensity of her power - and the joy of having true friends. But those friendships quickly become complicated when Kait finds herself torn between two irresistible guys. 

Rob is a healer - kind and gentle, he's surrounded by good energy, while Gabriel is aggressive and mysterious - a telepath concealing his true nature.

Together, Rob and Gabriel's opposing forces start to threaten the group's stability, and when an experiment traps the five teens in a psychic link - a link that threatens their sanity and their lives - Kaitlyn must decide who to trust and who to love...

Review: This book is  a hard one to review. I mostly liked it, enough to give it 3 stars,  but there was nothing particularly memorable about it.  The plot line seemed unoriginal and I sure I have read similar plot lines before.  The characters, 2 dimensional and somewhat stereotypical. There was the 'golden boy', the 'bad boy', the girl trying to choose between them along with peripheral characters whom in some cases I cared so little about, I kept forgetting whether they were male or female. 

And yet I have given this book, which actually contains a trilogy: the strange power, the possessed and the passion, three stars so it must have some redeeming qualities right?

Let's see...

Firstly I managed to finish it so that's a start. The first story I flew through, the second and third took a wee bit of prodding but I persisted and got through them. The ending was a little bit predictable but I think still did enough to satisfy and complete the story. Even though the plot line has been done before, there were some things I liked. I liked the idea of psychic vampires as opposed to the run of the mill ones. I actually like the whole psychic angle and in general like stories about psychic powers so this definitely counted in its favour. 

So would I recommend it? If you are an L J Smith fan or a fan of this genre then it's probably worth a read. In terms of L J Smith's books, it probably sits about half way between the night world series and vampire diaries however the story line does lean more to the vampire diaries. 

Lastly, is it just me or does the girl on the front cover at first glance look like Elena from the vampire diaries tv series? Up close I think she actually has blond hair but when glancing quickly...

Anyhew I give this book 3 stars (just) on the Sapphired Dragon rating scale. 

Sapphired Dragon xx

Teaser Tuesday #26

Welcome to Teaser Tuesdays.


Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:


1. Grab your current read

2. Open to a random page

3. Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too muchaway! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

4. Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!


My current read is Dark Visions by L J Smith and my two lines are from page 115:

"You can do that?" Kait asked, looking at Lewis in surprise. "With your mind?"

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository | Galaxy Bookshop


PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT with either the link to your own Teaser Tuesdays post, or share your ‘teasers’ in a comment here (if you don’t have a blog). Thanks!

Review: Last Breath by Rachel Caine

Title: Last Breath
Author: Rachel Caine
Publish Date: 1 November 2011
Source: Library
Sapphired Dragon Rating : *****
Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository | Galaxy Bookshop

Synopsis: With her boss preoccupied researching the Founder Houses in Morganville, student Claire Danvers is left to her own devices when she learns that three vampires have vanished without a trace. She soon discovers that the last person seen with one of the missing vampires is someone new to town-a mysterious individual named Magnus. After an uneasy encounter with Morganville's latest resident, Claire is certain Magnus isn't merely human. But is he a vampire-or something else entirely?

Review: This series just gets better and better and Last Breath is easily the best so far and easily the mostly aptly titled. As far as breaths go, I think I was holding mine for the majority of the book. 

Right from the word go, the action starts and I was right back in Morganville and along for the ride. I didnt leave until the last page. Ms Caine has differed in the writing format of this, number eleven in the series, in that we get to read from the point of view of a number of the main characters other than just Claire and this works brilliantly with the plot line giving the reader a better understanding of what is going on but still leaving enough suspense for the reader to continue on to see what happens next. 

If you haven't gotten into this series already, I very much recommend it. It's made me laugh, it's made me cry and now I am off to read book twelve, Black Dawn. 

A very definite five star rating!

Sapphired Dragon xx

In My Mailbox #23

Welcome to  In My Mailbox, a meme run by The Story Siren where each week over 200 bloggers post on their blogs the books they have bought, received to review or won in the past week. 

To find out more information, get involved yourself or see what's in other bloggers mailboxes this week head over to The Story Siren or to find out what is in my mailbox this week, keep reading.

Don't forget to comment and post your IMM link or just let me know what's in your mail box this week.

Not a huge week this week but some great titles.

Purchased (For Kindle):



Elemental by Brigid Kemmerer

Purchased (Paperback):



Hourglass by Myra McEntire

Library:



Lover Eternal by J R Ward
Acheron by Sherrilyn Kenyon

So what did you get in your mailbox this week?

On My Wishlist #2

Welcome to On My Wishlist! 

On My Wishlist is a meme that was originally created by Book Chick City and is now hosted by Cosy Books where we can showcase (and squee about) books that are on our individual wish lists whether already or still awaiting publication.

For more information or to get involved yourself, head over to Cosy Books and check it out!

Lastly, don't forget to comment and let me know what books are on your Wishlist this week.




Witch Eyes by Scott Tracey
Publication Date: 8 September 2011

Synopsis: Braden was born with witch eyes: the ability to see the world as it truly is: a blinding explosion of memories, darkness, and magic. The power enables Braden to see through spells and lies, but at the cost of horrible pain.

After a terrifying vision reveals imminent danger for the uncle who raised and instructed him, Braden retreats to Belle Dam, an old city divided by two feuding witch dynasties. As rival family heads Catherine Lansing and Jason Thorpe desperately try to use Braden's powers to unlock Belle Dam's secrets, Braden vows never to become their sacrificial pawn. But everything changes when Braden learns that Jason is his father--and Trey, the enigmatic guy he's falling for, is Catherine's son.

To stop an insidious dark magic from consuming the town, Braden must master his gift—and risk losing the one he loves.

Comment: So I received Demon eyes, the second book in The Witch Eyes series to review and it occurred to me that I really should read the first book,  Witch Eyes. So it is on my Wishlist this week with the plan to get on to obtaining and reading it ASAP!  Besides this, both books sound really good. 




Embers and Echoes by Karsten Knight
Publication Date: 28 August 2012

Synopsis: Ashline Wilde is about to discover that when you’re the reincarnation of a Polynesian volcano goddess, “new beginnings” are just a myth.

Leaving the fiery ruins of her sophomore year behind her, Ash travels to the sizzling beaches of Miami, hot on the trail of the little sister she’s only seen in visions. But her happy family reunion isn’t all palm trees and paradise. A cult of evil gods-on-earth, known as the Four Seasons, has kidnapped her sister to use in its terrifying new religion. Soon, the streets of Miami erupt in chaos and violence…and Ash gets caught right in the tropical crossfire

Ash isn’t without help, however. Unexpected romance arrives in the form of Wes, an Aztec god of night with his own vendetta against the Four Seasons. As memories of Ash’s previous life begin to flicker into her dreams, the boundaries between ally and enemy, life and death, and love and hate all bleed together. And when a mysterious trickster from her past reappears to derail her new quest, Ash must choose between the echoes of a once-forgotten yesterday and the embers of an uncertain future.

Because when old flames return from the dead, even a volcano goddess can get burned.

Comment: I read the first book in this series, Wildefire, last year and really enjoyed it. This is the second book in the series and I cannot wait to see what happens next. 




The Witness by Nora Roberts
Publication Date: 17 April 2012

Synopsis: Elizabeth Fitch's short-lived teenage rebellion began with L'Oreal Pure Black, a pair of scissors, and a fake ID. It ended in blood... 


Daughter of a cold, controlling mother and an anonymous donor, studious, obedient Elizabeth finally let loose one night, drinking too much at a nightclub and allowing a strange man's seductive Russian accent to lure her to a house on Lake Shore Drive. The events that followed changed her life forever.

Twelve years later, the woman now known as Abigail Lowery lives alone on the outskirts of a small town in the Ozarks. A freelance programmer, she works at home designing sophisticated security systems. Her own security is supplemented by a fierce dog and an assortment of firearms. She keeps to herself, saying little, revealing nothing.

Unfortunately, that seems to be the quickest way to get attention in a tiny southern town.

The mystery of Abigail Lowery intrigues local police chief Brooks Gleason, on both a personal and professional level. Her sharp, logical mind, her secretive nature, her unromantic viewpoints leave him fascinated but frustrated. He suspects that Abigail needs protection from something, even if he doesn't know what - and that her elaborate defenses hide a story that must be revealed.

Accustomed to two-bit troublemakers, Gleason is about to walk into the sights of very powerful and dangerous men. And Abigail Lowery, who has built a life based on security and self-control, is at risk of losing both.

Comment: I saw this book on a number of In My Mailbox pots this week and as I am already a Nora Roberts fan, I added to my Wishlist.  I generally prefer Nora Roberts' paranormal  books but the synopsis (above) makes it definitely sound like a book I want to read. 




Insurgent by Veronica Roth
Publication Date : 1 May 2012

Synopsis: One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth's much-anticipated second book of the dystopian Divergent series is another intoxicating thrill ride of a story, rich with hallmark twists, heartbreaks, romance, and powerful insights about human nature.

Comment: Truthfully, I haven't yet read the first book, Divergent. *hides* Even though it has been sitting on my bookshelf for a year. However, given how good everyone says it is, I know I will want to read the sequel as soon as I finish it so it's on my Wishlist this week. 




Sweet venom by Tera Lynn Childs
Publication Date: 6 September 2011

Synopsis: Grace just moved to San Francisco and is excited to start over at a new school. The change is full of fresh possibilities, but it’s also a tiny bit scary. It gets scarier when a minotaur walks in the door. And even more shocking when a girl who looks just like her shows up to fight the monster.

Gretchen is tired of monsters pulling her out into the wee hours, especially on a school night, but what can she do? Sending the minotaur back to his bleak home is just another notch on her combat belt. She never expected to run into this girl who could be her double, though.

Greer has her life pretty well put together, thank you very much. But that all tilts sideways when two girls who look eerily like her appear on her doorstep and claim they're triplets, supernatural descendants of some hideous creature from Greek myth, destined to spend their lives hunting monsters.

These three teenage descendants of Medusa, the once-beautiful gorgon maligned by myth, must reunite and embrace their fates in this unique paranormal world where monsters lurk in plain sight.

Comment: I saw the sequel to this, Sweet Shadows, on The Storysiren's IMM this week and as a I am a huge fan of Greek Mythology with a modern twist, I decided this was definitely a series I wanted to look into. Sweet Venom is the first in the series. 

So what is on your Wishlist this week?