Teaser Tuesday #115: The Storyteller's Muse by Traci Harding #teasertuesday

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 much away! 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 Storyteller's Muse by Traci Harding and my two lines are from page 124 of 372

You avoided this story all through your career! You had to wait for the very last moment, didn't you?

The Storyteller's Muse by Traci Harding

Bestselling author Traci Harding moves into commercial fiction with a story of intrigue and deception. A bitter writer, an enthusiastic protege and a story that must be told.

Peter is a young nurse and aspiring author whose professional dreams have come true - a patient in his care, Penelope, needs someone to transcribe her final story. Revolving around four friends sharing an apartment where they hone their artistic and musical skills, Peter soon realises there is more to the story - another presence is lurking in the building, an intriguing, creative, temperamental force that goes by the name Em Jewel. When tragedy strikes, Peter and his charming co-worker Gabrielle must finish Penelope's story before it ruins both their lives. With the help of a motley group of authors, Peter and Gabrielle are swept up into a world of art, intrigue and deception. They must choose whether to follow their heads or their hearts - with life-altering consequences.

Purchase: Angus & Robertson Bookworld  | Order A Signed Copy! | Harper Collins Australia | Amazon

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: Lady Helen and the Dark Days Club by Alison Goodman

Title: Lady Helen and the Dark Days Club

Author: Alison Goodman

Published: 14 December 2015
Publisher: Harper Collins Australia
Source: Harper Collins Australia in return for an honest Review
Reviewed: Sapphired Dragon
Rating: ****

My Review:

One of the first things I heard about this book after opting to read and review it was hearing it described as in the vein of  Buffy the Vampire slayer in the Regency era. This description excited me and I was quick to add it to the top of my reading list anxious to get started on reading it. 

When I sat down to read it, it didn't disappoint! Whilst I could see the Buffy comparison, I also enjoyed it for many other reasons. 

Right from the beginning I was intrigued by Lady Helen and her life such as it was and I was eager to find out all about her special abilities.  Right away I was able to connect with Lady Helen as she set out to find out more about her mother, Lord Carlsten and why she was different which drew me further into the story. I felt her frustration when answers were slow to come initially and felt like this may have been drawn out just a little too much. But what kept me going was characters I couldn't get enough of and writing that made me feel like I was being given my own little window to peek in on the higher society of Regency life. . 

I loved the twists and turns in the plot line,  which kept me on my toes trying to guess who lady Helen could trust, what she was going to do and how it would all turn out. I liked that nothing was as black and white as it might seem at first and that the more Lady helen and the reader discovered, the more questions were also raised.  In this way,  the story was well layered though as mentioned sometimes the pace of the layers being peeled away had me just a little impatient as i was desperate to know right away.

Ms Goodman's gentle writing style flowed well, which helped translate the feel of the era and her world building gave to book an authentic feel. This gentle seeming flow of words worked incredibly well  as a counter point to the vivid imagery and action in the story and added to that feel of authenticity.

As all good books do, this left me wanting more. More of Lady Helen and Lord Carlsten, more about the dark Days Club and more paranormal Regency London. I am eagerly awaiting the next instalment. 

So whilst in some ways Lady Helen could described as a Regency Buffy the Vampire,  don't let appearances deceive you. This book is perfect for anyone that loves their paranormal sublimely balanced with a great story line and a regency feel

I  give this book 4 stars

Sapphired Dragon xx

About The Book:

Lady Helen and the Dark Days Club (Lady Helen #1)  by Alison Goodman

London, April 1812. Lady Helen Wrexhall is set to make her debut at the court of Queen Charlotte and officially step into polite Regency society and the marriage mart. Little does Helen know that step will take her from the opulent drawing rooms of Mayfair and the bright lights of Vauxhall Gardens into a shadowy world of missing housemaids and demonic conspiracies.

Standing between those two worlds is Lord Carlston, a man of ruined reputation and brusque manners. He believes Helen has a destiny beyond the ballroom; a sacred and secret duty. Helen is not so sure, especially when she discovers that nothing around her is quite as it seems, including the enigmatic Lord Carlston.

Against a backdrop of whispered secrets in St James's Palace, soirees with Lord Byron and morning calls from Beau Brummell, Lady Helen and the Dark Days Club is a delightfully dangerous adventure of self-discovery and dark choices that must be made ... whatever the consequences.

Publication Date: 14 December, 2015

Pre-Order:Booktopia  | Book Depository | Amazon

Review: Ten Thousand Skies Above You by Claudia Gray

Title: Ten Thousand Skies Above You

Author: Claudia Gray

Published: 3 November 2015
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: Harper Collins Australia in return for an honest Review
Reviewed: Sapphired Dragon
Rating: *****

My Review:

Oh my goodness!  This book was so worth the wait! I do believe that this is even better that book 1.

In A Thousand pieces of you, we were introduced to Marguerite Caine, her parents and inventors of the Firebird technology and their grad students Paul and Theo looking for a man she believed to be her father's killer and uncovering inter dimensional conspiracy.

In Ten Thousand skies Above you, we see the affects that that conspiracy has had on them all with Theo sick from his exposure to NightThief and Paul splintered and scattered through a number of different dimensions.  Once again it is up to Marguerite, the perfect traveller, to travel to the different dimensions to save her world's version of Paul and Theo

This story flows seamlessly.  Whether it is from one dimension to another or one idea or scene to another, each world we visit and each version of the characters we see brings us further into the story and as Marguerite gets closer and closer to her goal, she ( and the reader uncover more and more questions.

I loved reading and seeing the different worlds that Marguerite visits.  Each of them were completely distinct and the world building so complete that I couldn't help but be completely immersed in the story from beginning to end.  Even better we got to revisit some of the worlds from book which, revisit some previous characters and see the impact Marguerite's original visit had had.

All in all this book ahad everything I could want in it;  Romance, action, interdimensional travel.  I was completely entranced from beginning to end and could not get enough.

I need book 3 now!

I give this book a definite 5 stars! :-)

 

Sapphired Dragon xx

About The Book:

Ten Thousand Skies Above You (Firebird #2) by Claudia Gray

Ever since she used the Firebird, her parents' invention, to cross into alternate dimensions, Marguerite has caught the attention of enemies who will do anything to force her into helping them dominate the multiverse—even hurting the people she loves. She resists until her boyfriend, Paul, is attacked and his consciousness scattered across multiple dimensions.

Marguerite has no choice but to search for each splinter of Paul’s soul. The hunt sends her racing through a war-torn San Francisco, the criminal underworld of New York City, and a glittering Paris where another Marguerite hides a shocking secret. Each world brings Marguerite one step closer to rescuing Paul. But with each trial she faces, she begins to question the destiny she thought they shared.

The second book in the Firebird trilogy, Ten Thousand Skies Above You features Claudia Gray’s lush, romantic language and smart, exciting action, and will have readers clamoring for the next book.

Publication Date: 3 November, 2015

Pre-Order:Booktopia  | Book Depository | Amazon

Review: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

Title: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

Author: Jesse Andrews

Published: Movie Tie-in copy published August 2015 - first published 2012
Publisher: Allen and Unwin
Source: Allen Unwin in return for an honest review
Reviewed: Sapphired Dragon
Rating: **** 

My Review:

I went in to this book not knowing too much about it but having heard good things nonetheless and was incredibly pleased with the result as I found this to be a very entertaining read.

Whilst quite different to a lot of what I have been reading lately, I loved the voice and the off beat perspective of the main character which injected humour into an already fun read.

Greg S Gaines describes himself as a slightly overweight pasty white Jewish boy and his philosophy on life is to be mildly friendly to all groups at his high school but not recognised as belonging to any one group and so to avoid being on any one's or group's radar ever and this is how he intends on spending his senior year.

However when his mother forces him to spend time with Rachel, a girl he maybe sorta pretended to date back in Hebrew school, who has just being diagnosed with Leukaemia, he finds his nicely carved niche as being unmemorable slowly slipping away.

What I like about this novel is that whilst it doesn't take itself too seriously, it still nicely balances with the somewhat serious topics of the book.

The characters are all richly drawn and I could easily picture them in my head and see them interacting at a high school and I especially loved the refreshingly unfiltered thought process we constantly see in Greg's head.

I also loved the writing in this novel. The story itself was well paced and I zoomed through it and I found the writing style both easy to get into and to move through as I got further into the story.

This novel is a humorous, entertaining and fun to read and I can't wait to see how it will all play out in the movie being released next month.

I am so glad I chose to read and review this novel and I give it 4 stars :-)

Sapphired Dragon xx

About The Book:

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews


Greg Gaines is the last master of high school espionage, able to disappear at will into any social environment. He has only one friend, Earl, and together they spend their time making movies, their own incomprehensible versions of Coppola and Herzog cult classics.

Until Greg’s mother forces him to rekindle his childhood friendship with Rachel.

Rachel has been diagnosed with leukemia—-cue extreme adolescent awkwardness—-but a parental mandate has been issued and must be obeyed. When Rachel stops treatment, Greg and Earl decide the thing to do is to make a film for her, which turns into the Worst Film Ever Made and becomes a turning point in each of their lives.

And all at once Greg must abandon invisibility and stand in the spotlight


Purchase: Amazon | Allen andUnwin  | Book Depository

 

Review: Nowhere But Here (Thunder Road #1) by Katie McGarry

Title: Nowhere But Here (Thunder Road #1)

Author: Katie McGarry

Published: 1 June 2015
Publisher: Harlequin Teen Australia
Source: HarlequinTeen Australia in return for an honest review
Reviewed: Sapphired Dragon
Rating: **** 

My Review:

I went into this novel expecting to love it as its Katie McGarry and I love all her novels so I was extremely excited about this new series.  I am so glad I was right. 

This novel has everything you expect from a Katie McGarry novel, real, authentic teenagers dealing with complex situations and/or feelings and a story that always leaves you wanting more.

Main characters Oz and Emily have grown up in totally different worlds but are very similar in their desire to not to venture outside their little piece of the world. Happy to stay with what is comfortable and safe. Then Oz is given the task of protecting Emily whilst she is staying with her father and her father's motorcycle club and all of a sudden both find their blinkered views being challenged in more ways than one as they get to know and to feel more about each other.

I love Ms McGarry's characters, be they main or peripheral as they always seem to have their own distinct voice. Emily, Oz, Eli, Violet, Chevy and Olivia to name a few, all had their own charm that made you want to get to know them and their stories better and the way Ms McGarry wrote the relationships between them be they good or bad really helped you to feel all the emotions that were brewing under the surface of these characters.

At the end of the day, what really drove this story was indeed the story itself. Following Emily's journey as she struggles to reconcile what she has always been told about her family and her past,, with the truths that lie before her that say otherwise and what that means for her future. I also loved the story of Oz and Emily and felt like I could have continued reading more about their story for ever.

I enjoyed this story immensely. As always, with Ms McGarry's books, I finished the story eager to know what comes next and immediately looked the series up on Goodreads to find out what I could about book number 2.

An awesome new series from Katie McGarry, I give this novel 4 stars

Sapphired Dragon xx

About The Book:

Nowhere But Here (Thunder Road #1) by Katie McGarry

Goodreads | Book Depository | Amazon | Booktopia | Harlequin

An unforgettable new series from acclaimed author Katie McGarry about taking risks, opening your heart and ending up in a place you never imagined possible.

Seventeen-year-old Emily likes her life the way it is: doting parents, good friends, good school in a safe neighborhood. Sure, she's curious about her biological father—the one who chose life in a motorcycle club, the Reign of Terror, over being a parent—but that doesn't mean she wants to be a part of his world. But when a reluctant visit turns to an extended summer vacation among relatives she never knew she had, one thing becomes clear: nothing is what it seems. Not the club, not her secret-keeping father and not Oz, a guy with suck-me-in blue eyes who can help her understand them both.

Oz wants one thing: to join the Reign of Terror. They're the good guys. They protect people. They're…family. And while Emily—the gorgeous and sheltered daughter of the club's most respected member—is in town, he's gonna prove it to her. So when her father asks him to keep her safe from a rival club with a score to settle, Oz knows it's his shot at his dream. What he doesn't count on is that Emily just might turn that dream upside down.

No one wants them to be together. But sometimes the right person is the one you least expect, and the road you fear the most is the one that leads you home.

Teaser Tuesday: Nowhere But Here (Thunder Road #1) By Katie McGarry

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 Nowhere But Here (Thunder Road #1) by Katie McGarry and my two lines are from page 262

"All joking aside, if you get scared, rest your head on my back, close your eyes and wrap your arms around me.  I promise I won't let anything happen to you."

Nowhere But Her (Thunder Road #1) by Katie McGarry

Goodreads | Book Depository | Amazon | Booktopia

An unforgettable new series from acclaimed author Katie McGarry about taking risks, opening your heart and ending up in a place you never imagined possible.

Seventeen-year-old Emily likes her life the way it is: doting parents, good friends, good school in a safe neighborhood. Sure, she's curious about her biological father—the one who chose life in a motorcycle club, the Reign of Terror, over being a parent—but that doesn't mean she wants to be a part of his world. But when a reluctant visit turns to an extended summer vacation among relatives she never knew she had, one thing becomes clear: nothing is what it seems. Not the club, not her secret-keeping father and not Oz, a guy with suck-me-in blue eyes who can help her understand them both.

Oz wants one thing: to join the Reign of Terror. They're the good guys. They protect people. They're…family. And while Emily—the gorgeous and sheltered daughter of the club's most respected member—is in town, he's gonna prove it to her. So when her father asks him to keep her safe from a rival club with a score to settle, Oz knows it's his shot at his dream. What he doesn't count on is that Emily just might turn that dream upside down.

No one wants them to be together. But sometimes the right person is the one you least expect, and the road you fear the most is the one that leads you home.

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!