Review: Ice Like Fire (Snow Like Ashes #2) by Sara Raasch

Title: Ice Like Fire (Snow Like Ashes #1)

Author: Sara Raasch

Published: 13 October 2015
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Source: Balzer + Bray via edelweiss in exchange for an honest review
Reviewed: Sapphired Dragon
Rating: ****

My Review:

After the events at the end of Ice Like Fire, I couldn't wait to revisit the world of Primoria and see what happened next to Meira and her Winterians and I was not disappointed.

It's a few months after the events of Abril and the return the Jannuari but things are not as rosy as Meira would like. Noam and Cordell have strengthened their hold over Winter and Mather isn't speaking to Meira, dealing with his own issues, and Meira finds that despite having freed her people from Angra and Spring, they are still not truly free nor can she find any conclusive proof that Angra is truly gone.

In this book, Ms Raasch starts to flesh out the world of Primoria more and we start to learn more about the other countries and the people.  I think this world building definitely helps with the story as we start to get a feel of the challenges that Meira is facing in saving her people and bringing about peace.

Ms Raasch does not give Meira an easy time of it and much of the story we see her struggling to find her identity and reconcile the wild soldier girl with the queen she feels she needs to be. We also see Mather struggling with all the issues that have come out of the revelation that he is not in fact the King of Winter and reconciling himself and his relationships, in particular with Alyson and William in light of finding out they were his parents all along.

I really like the way Ms Raasch shows us the inner struggles of these characters and explores what is below the surface, the idea that not everything is automatically okay just because they are now free from Spring

This story moved along well and I was in the story from beginning to end though like Snow like Ashes, this is a bit of a slow burn at the beginning with second bringing about the bulk of the action and twists. That being said however their is tension all the way through be it between the characters or as  Ms Raasch builds on the intrigue as the story progresses and we meet the rulers of the other countries and visit the cities they rule.

I really enjoyed this next instalment feeling that it really advances the story and builds on the world  and I cannot wait to see what will happen in book 3.

I give this story 4 stars

Sapphired Dragon xx

About The Book:

Ice Like Fire (Snow Like Ashes #2)  by Sara Raasch

Goodreads | Book Depository | Amazon | Booktopia

 

It’s been three months since the Winterians were freed and Spring’s king, Angra, disappeared—thanks largely to the help of Cordell.

Meira just wants her people to be safe. When Cordellan debt forces the Winterians to dig their mines for payment, they unearth something powerful and possibly dangerous: Primoria’s lost chasm of magic. Theron sees this find as an opportunity—with this much magic, the world can finally stand against threats like Angra. But Meira fears the danger the chasm poses—the last time the world had access to so much magic, it spawned the Decay. So when the king of Cordell orders the two on a mission across the kingdoms of Primoria to discover the chasm’s secrets, Meira plans to use the trip to garner support to keep the chasm shut and Winter safe—even if it means clashing with Theron. But can she do so without endangering the people she loves?

Mather just wants to be free. The horrors inflicted on the Winterians hang fresh and raw in Januari—leaving Winter vulnerable to Cordell’s growing oppression. When Meira leaves to search for allies, he decides to take Winter’s security into his own hands. Can he rebuild his broken kingdom and protect them from new threats?

As the web of power and deception weaves tighter, Theron fights for magic, Mather fights for freedom—and Meira starts to wonder if she should be fighting not just for Winter, but for the world.

     

Mid Event Survey - Deweys 24 hourReadathon #readathon #deweys24hourreadathon

So its halfway through the readathon and I am currently on Book 2.  True it started at 11pm for me and there has been sleep and a toddler involved so here my questions and answers about my progress so far"

1. What are you reading right now?

Spark by Rachael Kraw

2. How many books have you read so far?

I have read one book so far and am on my second

3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon?

Ten Thousand Skies above You

4. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those?

I have a way too cute three and a half year old who is currently bugging me for a mid morning snack.  I have managed to read a few chapters in between colouring, painting, playing Go Fish and reading to her - Wait can I count the books I read to her? If so, I am much farther along :-P


Also the readathon started 11 pm my time, so there has also been some sleep involved

All I can really do is go with the flow and read as I can :-)  I can't lie - the interruptions have been kinda fun :-p








5. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far?

The amount of socialising that goes along with it.  We are reading more than normal but still making friends see what everyone else is reading :-)


Excuse me, I am off to play some more GO Fish before getting back to my reading :-)

M9B Friday Reveal: Author Spotlight – Michael Gibney with Giveaway #M9BFridayReveals

Welcome to this week’s M9B Friday Reveal!

This week, we are spotlighting

Michael Gibney

author of

The Three Thorns (The Brotherhood and the Shield #1)

a Middle Grade title from Tantrum Books!

Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!

Physical books or eBooks?

Both.

Coke or Pepsi?

Coke (I’m a sucker for the original)

Twitter or Facebook?

Facebook.

Song you can’t get out of your head right now?

The Flamingos – I Only Have Eyes For You. (It’s such a cinematic song.)

Sweet or salty?

Salty.

Coffee or tea?

Tea.

Write on computer or notebook paper?

Computer. I’m left handed, so my handwriting is at a disadvantage, I’ve always felt.

Michael Gibney began working in restaurants at the age of sixteen and assumed his first sous chef position at twenty-two. He ascended to executive sous chef at Tavern on the Green, where he managed an eighty-person staff. He has worked in the kitchens of Morgans Hotel Group, 10 Downing in Manhattan, and Governor in Brooklyn’s DUMBO, among many others. Over the course of his career, he has had the opportunity to work alongside cooks and chefs from many of the nation’s best restaurants, including Alinea, Per Se, Eleven Madison Park, Daniel, Jean Georges, Le Bernardin, Bouley, Ducasse, Corton, wd~50, and Momofuku.

In addition to his experience in the food service industry, Gibney also holds a BFA in painting from Pratt Institute and an MFA in nonfiction writing from Columbia University. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Connect with the Author:  Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Three brothers born to a once powerful King were abandoned at birth and cast out into the old world as orphans - alone and unaware of the other's existence or their royal heritage.

In the new world, by order of the false King, three of the most lethal assassins are sent to kill the children before they come of age and avenge their father’s throne.

But when the brothers find one another, Benjamin, Tommy and Sebastian must resist the temptation of magic and power if they are to defeat the unspeakable evil that has threatened them since birth.

The Three Thorns is book one in an exciting children’s fantasy series called The Brotherhood and the Shield from debut author Michael Gibney.

Chapters Indigo | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | TBD | Indiebound | Google Play | BAM | iBooks

Complete the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win!

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Blog Tour Stop & Giveaway: The Ghost Host by Delsheree Gladden

Blog Tour Schedule

Welcome today's stop on the The Ghost Host by DelSheree Gladden Blog Tour  hosted by  I am a Reader Today's stop is a review as well as a chance to enter the great giveaway that is being run throughout this tour.

The Review:

This was a really fun read that I am hoping is the beginning of an ongoing series.

I loved the idea behind this story and am pleased the potential of the premise was borne out in the novel. The story itself flowed from beginning to end and I finished the entire novel in a matter of hours and when I did finally surface I was left wanting more.

I liked the characters in this story.  I liked Echo.  I liked her strength in the face of all the had been through and what she had to face with her over protective and unbelieving parents.  I liked that in this novel we get to see her really take control of her life as she struggles to find out the reason for her mysterious stalker ghost. I also liked Malachi and the fact that the story was told from the alternating points of view of Echo and Malachi as they manoeuvred their own mysteries which the wove around each other creating the layers that made the story complete.

I also liked their interaction and their relationship and the strength they were able to pull, from each other.

The story itself was a fun read with enough twists and turns to keep the reader guessing until the end. As mentioned before I liked the way the two different mysteries twisted and turned around each other, intersecting in parts as the layers of the mystery are slowly unravelled.  The pace worked well pulling the reader along to each new revelation and more and more into the story.

I really enjoyed this story and the characters and am really hoping that I will get to read more about Echo and Malachi, their friends and their adventures.

I give this story 3 3/4 stars

Sapphired Dragon XX

The Book

The Ghost Host By Del Sheree Gladden
 
 

  Everyone thinks Echo Simmons is crazy, but being The Ghost Host isn’t just a YouTube hoax like people think. It’s the only way to control the ghosts haunting her…at least until the FBI shows up asking questions.

The first eighteen years of Echo Simmons’ life have been less than ideal. On more than one occasion her parents have considered committing her. They don’t believe she sees ghosts or that they harass her on a daily basis. So when a rogue ghost begins tormenting her, they’re the last people she’s going to tell. Her best friends Holden and Zara are doing their best to help, but ghost attacks are only the beginning of Echo’s problems.

Handling the ghosts by giving them a voice on YouTube through her webshow has been her saving grace—even if her parents think it’s all a hoax—but that gets a little complicated when the ghost of Madeline Crew reveals a little too much about her previous life and the FBI shows up at her door wanting to know how she gained access to long-buried government secrets.
It just keeps getting worse from there. Madeline’s message to her great grandson sparks a strange connection between Echo and Malachi, which leads to Georgia, secrets, mistakes, love, lies, and life changing revelations. .         Purchase: Amazon |  Book Depository | Barnes & Noble









Author DelSheree Gladden




DelSheree Gladden was one of those shy, quiet kids who spent more time reading than talking. Literally. She didn't speak a single word for the first three months of preschool, but she had already taught herself to read. Her fascination with reading led to many hours spent in the library and bookstores, and eventually to writing. She wrote her first novel when she was sixteen years old, but spent ten years rewriting and perfecting it before having it published.




Native to New Mexico, DelSheree and her husband spent several years in Colorado for college and work before moving back home to be near family again. Their two children love having their cousins close by. When not writing, you can find DelSheree reading, painting, sewing and trying not to get bitten by small children in her work as a dental hygienist. DelSheree has several bestselling young adult series, including "Invisible" which was part of the USA Today Bestselling box set, "Pandora." The Date Shark Series is her first contemporary romance series, and her first book in her upcoming new adult series, The Ghost Host, will be releasing 2015.

Website * Facebook * Twitter

Blog Tour Giveaway




$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash




Ends 10/29/15




Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.









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Teaser Tuesday #107 The Lake House by Kate Morton

Welcome to Teaser Tuesdays.

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of A Daily Rhythm. 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 The Lake House by Kate Morton and my two lines are from page 40 of 592

It was tempting to assume the house was empty, but Sadie had been sent on call to enough homes of the elderly to know that the appearance of abandonment often presaged a sorry story inside. A dull brass knocker shaped like a fox's head hung lopsided from the chipped wooden door and she lifted a hand towards it before lowering it again. What would she say if someone answered?

The Lake House by Kate Morton

Goodreads | Book Depository | Amazon | Booktopia | Allen and Unwin

A missing child.

June 1933, and the Edevane family's country house, Loeanneth, is polished and gleaming, ready for the much-anticipated Midsummer Eve party. Alice Edevane, sixteen years old and a budding writer, is especially excited. Not only has she worked out the perfect twist for her novel, she's also fallen helplessly in love with someone she shouldn't have. But by the time midnight strikes and fireworks light up the night skies, the Edevane family will have suffered a loss so great that they leave Loeanneth forever.

An abandoned house.

Seventy years later, after a particularly troubling case, Sadie Sparrow is sent on an enforced break from her job with the Metropolitan Police. She retreats to her beloved grandfather's cottage in Cornwall but soon finds herself at a loose end. Until one day, Sadie stumbles upon an abandoned house surrounded by overgrown gardens and dense woods, and learns the story of a baby boy who disappeared without a trace.

An unsolved mystery.

Meanwhile, in the attic writing room of her elegant Hampstead home, the formidable Alice Edevane, now an old lady, leads a life as neatly plotted as the bestselling detective novels she writes. Until a young police detective starts asking questions about her family's past, seeking to resurrect the complex tangle of secrets Alice has spent her life trying to escape.

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!

M9B Friday Reveal: Cover Reveal - Return of the Jed (DEAD JED 3) by Scott Craven with Giveaway #M9BFridayReveals

Welcome to this week’s M9B Friday Reveal!

This week, we are revealing the cover for

Return of the Jed (DEAD JED 3) by Scott Craven

presented by Month9Books!

Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!

With seventh grade behind him, Jed jumps at the opportunity to spend the summer in Mexico with his dad. But there's just one catch: Luke and Tread get to tag along.

In Mexico, fitting in might be easier than Jed imagined, with holidays such as Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). Here, a rising 8th grade zombie boy and his zombie dog won't draw that much attention.

But then Tread unwittingly sets off Mexico’s Chupacabra Defense Network and Jed accidentally collides with a bus. So much for blending in. The unusual pair catch the eye of a professional wrestler, who challenges Jed to a fight!

Their antics manage to capture the attention of a doctor whose knowledge of the undead causes Jed to question his very existence. Is this the answer Jed's been hoping for since his parents sat him down for the "you're a zombie" talk? Jed may have finally found a way to be normal, but at what cost?

Dead Jed: Return of the Jed is book 3 in Scott Craven's humorous and heartwarming series about surviving middle school, fitting in, and embracing one's differences - even if you are a zombie.

Return of the Jed (Dead Jed 3) by Scott Craven
Publication Date: December 15, 2015
Publisher: Month9Books

Chapters | Kobo | TBD

Proud graduate of Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, have one son who will turn 18 in March 2013, now a features writer for The Arizona Republic.

Connect with the Author: Website | Twitter

Complete the Rafflecopter for a chance to win!

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Review: Sound (The Delta Girls #2) by Juliet Madison

Title: Sound (The Delta Girls #2)

Author: Juliet Madison

Published: 13 October 2015
Publisher: Diversion Books
Source: Diversion Books via netgalley in exchange for an honest review
Reviewed: Sapphired Dragon
Rating: ***1/2

My Review:

I really enjoyed this second book in the Delta Girls series. 

Starting about a month or so after the events of book 1, we see this story from  Serena's point of view focusing her aspect of the sisters joint psychic talent , hearing the future. 

When studious Serena is paired up with another set of twins for a Science Presentation, she seizes the opportunity to learn more about the Delta waves that she believes cause her and her sisters abilities as well as well as learning that her abilities separate from her sisters are developing as well.

When she starts hearing voices whilst working on the presentation at the twins house, she realises that they are voices that she has heard in one of her sisters' joint connections and that can not only help the twins with their problem but maybe also find love along the way.

Whilst I did enjoy book one, I felt like the story in this book flowed better.  In book one, I felt like I could almost see the hand of the author moving certain chess pieces around to direct the story in the right direction where as this one, it seemed a lot more subtle this time and the story seem to flow much better on its own.

I love the idea of this series and I love the connection between the sisters and while it felt a little manufactured at the beginning of the series, I feel like the author is now hitting her stride as she slowly fleshes out each sister out more an more each story and I looking forward to each individual story to learn more about each of the sisters.  I also feel like the premise of the joint connections was also developed more in this book and each sister starts to learn about their abilities both together and apart.

I liked the way and the pace that the relationship between Serena and Damon developed and felt they were really sweet together and I also really  liked the dynamics between Serena, Damon and Lara and the way they interacted.

There is also some development in the over all series arc n regards to this sisters father as we find out a little bit more of the mystery but also end up with more questions, I think this arc is shaping up nicely for the rest of the series.

Overall I found this a very sweet and fun read with its own  enjoyable story separate to the overall series arc and I am greatly looking forward to reading the rest of this series. 

 If you enjoy paranormal YA with touch of romance and mystery, then this is for you.

I give this book 3 1/2 stars

Sapphired Dragon xx

About The Book:

Sound (The Delta Girls #2) by Juliet Madison

Goodreads | Book Depository | Booktopia  | Amazon 

Five extraordinary sisters discover that they each have a unique talent, an extra-sensory perception that enables them to see what others can't. It makes them incredible, it puts them in danger, and it brings them closer to learning the secrets that have haunted them their entire lives. These are the Delta Girls.

Serena and her sisters read a private letter their father wrote to their mother, revealing a clue about his disappearance that they never knew about before. But as they struggle to gain further insight through their sensory visions, trying to solve the mystery continues to prove elusive.

The Delta Girls try to move on, balancing their supernatural abilities with the daily trials of being teenagers. Studious Serena teams with the classroom outcast, Lara, and her charming brother, Damon, for a school science project. They end up studying more than they bargained for, though, when strange noises come from rooms in Lara and Damon s house. There are voices, but only Serena, with her special powers, can hear them. This is until the trio experiment with Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVP) and are able to record and hear them on the computer.

Bringing in her extraordinary sisters to help, Serena must figure out who the voices belong to and what they want if she is to have a chance at stopping an impending tragedy before it s too late.