In My Mailbox #37

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.

Huge week this week.  Still not requesting anything new tjat i have not already committed to earlier in the year (if that makes sense) but have bought a few, had a pre-order arrive and gone a little wild at the library so once again there are many many more books to read and oh so little time but i will have fun trying to make more reading time and hopefully post a few more reviews this week :)

For Review (Courtesy of HarlequinTeen Australia)

ARC of The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa

Don't look at Them. Never let Them know you can see Them.That is Ethan Chase's unbreakable rule. Until the fey he avoids at all costs—including his reputation—begin to disappear, and Ethan is attacked. Now he must change the rules to protect his family. To save a girl he never thought he'd dare to fall for.

Ethan thought he had protected himself from his older sister's world—the land of Faery. His previous time in the Iron Realm left him with nothing but fear and disgust for the world Meghan Chase has made her home, a land of myth and talking cats, of magic and seductive enemies. But when destiny comes for Ethan, there is no escape from a danger long, long forgotten.

Pre-Order: Book Depository

Covet by Melissa Darnell

Savannah Colbert knows she broke up with Tristan Coleman for the right reasons. Most of all, to keep from killing him with her new vampire abilities. But try telling her heart that…

Now, lost in a sea of hostile Clann faces, Sav tries to come to terms with what she's becoming and what that means for her future. And that someone is doing their best to bully her into making a terrible mistake.

Tristan can't believe Sav won't even talk to him. If being apart is her decision, fine. Just don't expect him to honour it. But even as he prepares to fight for the girl he loves, forces beyond their control take them in directions neither could have foreseen, prepared for...or possibly withstand.

A reckoning is coming...and not everyone will survive.

Pre-Order: Book Depository

Purchased:

You would not be mistaken in thinking you saw a couple of the next titles in the library portion of last week's In My Mailbox.  How ever the library only has the first three of each series and my local bookstore had them for $2.50 each plus i also found book 5.  Perfect excuse to collect my own copy of the remainder of each series :)

The Lost Queen (Faerie Path #2) by Allan Frewin Jones

Tania is a princess of Faerie.

And now she must return to the Mortal World.

Once upon a time, Tania was an ordinary girl. But then she was swept into another world, where she was the long-lost princess of the elegant and magical court of Faerie, and only she could save the court from great peril.

Now Tania--and her true love, Edric--will go back to the Mortal Realm to seek Queen Titania, lost hundreds of years ago while searching for Tania.

Their return leads to struggles with Tania's much-loved mortal parents and friends as she and Edric try to conceal their secret. But much more serious dangers lurk: The sinister Lord Drake is not yet defeated, they are pursued by dark supernatural forces, and Tania's two worlds are about to collide in amazing and frightening ways she never could have anticipated.

Purchase: Book Depository

The Enchanted Quest (Faerie Path #5) by Allan Frewin Jones

Far from the Realm of Faerie, a quest to save immortality . . .

A deadly plague is sweeping through Faerie, and no one is immune to its bite. Now, with the guidance of the Dream Weaver, Tania, Rathina, and a mortal ally, Connor, must head off to find the Divine Harper--the only one who can help Tania renew the Faerie Covenant of Immortality. Their quest will soon take them outside the borders of Faerie, to hostile and unwelcoming lands beyond.

On their travels, Tania and her companions encounter danger at every turn as they battle pirates, contend with mysterious and mystical beings, and try to outwit those under the sinister grip of the Dark Arts. But when Tania's beloved Edric appears, it looks as if they have help at last. Or do they? As tensions and dangers rise, Tania is forced to question everything and everyone around her in order to decide if she is prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice to save her loved ones.

Purchase: Book Depository

Destiny's Path (Warrior Princess #2) by Allan Frewin Jones

Her destiny must be fulfilled . . .

Branwen refuses to take orders from anyone--even the Shining Ones, the ancient gods whose power is feared throughout the land. They want her as their Chosen One, destined to save her country from the Saxons. But Branwen doubts she's truly ready to be a leader.

Then a messenger from the skies shows her a vision of a bleak and violent future--a future in which Branwen has abandoned her destiny, and those most dear to her suffer unspeakable horrors. There's a blurry line between good and evil, and those Branwen trusts the most are capable of the greatest betrayal. The Shining Ones have spoken. Will Branwen answer their call?

Purchase: Book Depository

The following title was pre-ordered in June or July, whenever I finished reading Sweet Venom. It finally came out at the beginning of the month and arrived in my mailbox this week :)

Sweet Shadows by Tera Lynn Childs

Gretchen may have known she was a descendant of Medusa long before her sisters--after all, she's spent her life fighting the monsters that escape the abyss--but that doesn't mean it will be easy to teach the other girls the ropes.

Greer has pressing social commitments on her plate and precious little time to train in her newfound powers. But that wretched second sight won't leave her alone, and her fabled heritage seems to be creeping into her fashionable life.

Grace has worries closer to home--like why her brother, Thane, has disappeared. He's hiding something. Could it possibly be related to the secret heritage the triplets share?

Purchase: Book Depository

Library:

I have heard good things about the next series so finally borrowed it to have a read :)

Embrace (The Violet Eden Chapters #1) by Jessica Shirvington

It starts with a whisper: “It’s time for you to know who you are…”

Violet Eden dreads her seventeenth birthday. After all, it’s hard to get too excited about the day that marks the anniversary of your mother’s death. As if that wasn’t enough, disturbing dreams haunt her sleep and leave her with very real injuries. There’s a dark tattoo weaving its way up her arms that wasn’t there before.

Violet is determined to get some answers, but nothing could have prepared her for the truth. The guy she thought she could fall in love with has been keeping his identity a secret: he’s only half-human—oh, and same goes for her.

A centuries-old battle between fallen angels and the protectors of humanity has chosen its new warrior. It’s a fight Violet doesn’t want, but she lives her life by two rules: don’t run and don’t quit. When angels seek vengeance and humans are the warriors, you could do a lot worse than betting on Violet Eden…

Purchase: Book Depository

Enticed (The Violet Eden Chapters #2) by Jessica Shirvington

Violet Eden is Grigori - part angel, part human. Her destiny is to protect humans from the vengence of exiled angels.
Knowing who to trust is key but, when Grigori reinforcements arrive, it becomes clear everyone is hiding something. Even Lincoln. The only thing Violet does know: Phoenix's hold over her is more dangerous than ever.
The race to find the one thing that could tilt the balance of power brings them all to the sacred mountains of Jordan, where Violet's power will be pushed to the extreme. And the ultimate betrayal exposed.

Enticed (now retitled ENTICE) is the second compelling book in The Violet Eden Chapters.

Purchase: Book Depository

Emblaze (The Violet Eden Chapters #3) by Jessica Shirvington

Once again Violet Eden faces an impossible choice ... and the consequences are unimaginable.

Violet has come to terms with the fact that being part angel, part human, means her life will never be as it was.

Now Violet has something Phoenix - the exiled angel who betrayed her - will do anything for, and she has no intention of letting it fall into his hands. The only problem is that he has something she needs too.

Not afraid to raise the stakes, Phoenix seemingly holds all the power, always one step ahead. And when he puts the final pieces of the prophecy together, it doesn't take him long to realise exactly who he needs in order to open the gates of Hell.

With the help of surprising new allies, ancient prophecies are deciphered, a destination set and, after a shattering confrontation with her father, Violet leaves for the islands of Greece without knowing if she will have a home to return to...

Purchase: Book Depository

Infinity (Chronicles of Nick #1) by Sherrilyn Kenyon

At fourteen, Nick Gautier thinks he knows everything about the world around him. Streetwise, tough and savvy, his quick sarcasm is the stuff of legends. . .until the night when his best friends try to kill him. Saved by a mysterious warrior who has more fighting skills than Chuck Norris, Nick is sucked into the realm of the Dark-Hunters: immortal vampire slayers who risk everything to save humanity.

Nick quickly learns that the human world is only a veil for a much larger and more dangerous one: a world where the captain of the football team is a werewolf and the girl he has a crush on goes out at night to stake the undead.

But before he can even learn the rules of this new world, his fellow students are turning into flesh eating zombies. And he's next on the menu.

As if starting high school isn't hard enough. . .now Nick has to hide his new friends from his mom, his chainsaw from the principal, and keep the zombies and the demon Simi from eating his brains, all without getting grounded or suspended. How in the world is he supposed to do that?

Purchase: Book Depository

Faery Tales & Nightmares by Melissa Marr

Dangerous promises and beguiling threats swirl together in a dozen stories of enchantments dark and light by New York Times bestselling author Melissa Marr. Uncanny and unexpected creatures appear from behind bushes, rise from beneath the seas, or manifest from seasonal storms to pursue the objects of their attention—with amorous or sinister intent—relentlessly.

From the gentle tones of a storyteller’s cadences to the terror of a blood sacrifice, tales of favorite characters from Marr’s Wicked Lovely novels mix with accounts of new characters for readers to fall in love with...or to fear.

Lush, seductive, and chilling, Melissa Marr’s stories revel in the unseen magic that infuses the world as we know it.

Table of Contents:
"Where Nightmares Walk"
"Winter's Kiss" (Fairy Tales)
"Transition" (Vampires)
"Love Struck" (Selchies)
"Old Habits" (WL World)
"Stopping Time" (WL World)
"The Art of Waiting"
"Flesh for Comfort"
"The Sleeping Girl and the Summer King" (WL World-ish, the short story that started the series)
"Cotton Candy Skies" (WL World)
"Unexpected Family" (WL World)
"Merely Mortal" (WL World)

Purchase: Book Depository

So what was in your mailbox this week?

Review: Sweet Venom by Tera Lynn Childs

Title: Sweet Venom
Author: Tera Lynn Childs
Published: 6 September 2011
Source: Purchased Book Depository
Reviewed: Sapphireddragon
SapphiredDragon Rating: ****

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.

Review: As a fan of stories based on Greek mythology and brought into the present, I was very much anticipating this read and I am pleased to say I was not disappointed. Sweet Venom is a fast fun read that gets you in and involved with the characters almost immediately. 

Gretchen, Grace and Greer are triplets, descended from Medusa and separated at birth. Their destiny? To hunt Monsters.

Told from the point of view of all three main characters, you really start to get a view of the different worlds all three come from.

Whilst this first book is mostly an introduction of three three main characters and of the story as a whole, it really is a nice blend of Greek mythology and urban fantasy with a story that flows along smoothly and hinting at further layers to the story to look forward to in the next book.. The writing style is simple and straightforward so the reader is in amongst the action at all times and carried along quickly to the end of the novel in surprisingly quick period of time.

I really enjoyed Sweet Venom and can't wait to read the next installment.

A definite 4 stars.

Sapphired Dragon xx

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?