Waiting on Wednesday: Spell Bound (Hex Hall #3) by Rachel Hawkins

Waiting on Wednesday recognizes that we as bookies pine for books. This post is about what I am impatiently waiting for right now. It was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

As always on Wednesday, I'm featuring a lovely book that I am simply drooling over the ability to read...soon. This one is the third (and most likely final) installment in the Hex Hall series by Rachel Hawkins, so be aware of the spoilers in the summary below. Check out my thoughts on the first two books Hex Hall & Demonglass. That's right ladies & gents I'm talking about Spell Bound due on a bookshelf near you March 13th. I hate to see a good thing end, but Rachel has said that she'd love to continue writing in the universe, so maybe it won't be goodbye after all. Anywhoodle, on to the goodness!

Just as Sophie Mercer has come to accept her extraordinary magical powers as a demon, the Prodigium Council strips them away. Now Sophie is defenseless, alone, and at the mercy of her sworn enemies—the Brannicks, a family of warrior women who hunt down the Prodigium. Or at least that’s what Sophie thinks, until she makes a surprising discovery. The Brannicks know an epic war is coming, and they believe Sophie is the only one powerful enough to stop the world from ending. But without her magic, Sophie isn’t as confident.

Sophie’s bound for one hell of a ride—can she get her powers back before it’s too late?

From Goodreads

How amazing does that sound for a finale? I really have enjoyed the characters & universe that Rachel Hawkins has created. Sophie is a fun gal & her sidekicks are pretty awesome too. Here's hoping she can bring it to a thrilling close.

What are you waiting on this week?

Waiting on Wednesday: Spell Bound (Hex Hall #3) by Rachel Hawkins

This World We Live In by Susan Beth Pfeffer review

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't read the first 2 books in this series, this summary & review will contain spoilers. My reviews of Life as We Knew It & The Dead and the Gone are live, so be sure to check them out first if you want to read about the 3rd installment.

It's been a year since a meteor collided with the moon, catastrophically altering the earth’s climate. For Miranda Evans life as she knew it no longer exists. Her friends and neighbors are dead, the landscape is frozen, and food is increasingly scarce.

The struggle to survive intensifies when Miranda’s father and stepmother arrive with a baby and three strangers in tow. One of the newcomers is Alex Morales, and as Miranda’s complicated feelings for him turn to love, his plans for his future thwart their relationship. Then a devastating tornado hits the town of Howell, and Miranda makes a decision that will change their lives forever.

From Goodreads

Again, we don't pick up where we left off in the last novel, but the terrain is still familiar enough for the reader to be comfortable with what's going on. This time we find ourselves back in Pennsylvania with Miranda & her family. Things are going as well as can be expected given the circumstances until it all changes when her father & stepmother suddenly appear not only with their baby, but 3 more unknown individuals. While Miranda's family is thrilled to be reunited, things become tighter & resources become more scarce.

The best part about the new arrivals though is that there is someone else Miranda's age. Enter Alex Morales (from The Dead and the Gone) & his little sister Julie. While Julie spends her time with Miranda's little brother, she & Alex are free to get to know one another. Love seems to be in the air, but the moon isn't through with them yet. Something big is coming & everyone seems to know it. The other they can do is prepare as best they can & hope that it's good enough.

Miranda & Alex continue to develop strong personalities & really assert their independence from those around them. While they still cling to parental figures for guidance, they are always thinking outside the box & on their own. Stubborn Alex helps Miranda to explore outside her comfort zone while scavenging while she tries to help him see through this picture-perfect image he's got of how his future will unfold.

Pfeffer brings us right back into the chaos & doesn't let up until it's over. There is non-stop movement, but not necessarily action. There is a lot of timeline development & filling in of the background by the new arrivals giving the reader a more complete sense of the nation-wide devastation. The new characters also bring a new dynamic to the interactions. As a society, we have preconceived notions of how typical social interactions will unfold & these folks turn that on its head providing us with a key piece to comprehend just how life-altering this has all been. Naturally we can fathom the emotional & physical toll this experience has taken, but the shift in societal norms & mores might catch you off guard.

A thrilling read with a jaw-dropping ending, This World We Live In hopefully is not the last we hear of Miranda, Alex & the other "Last Survivors". I'm not so sure as I haven't found anything indicating this as the end or just another step in the series. I guess we'll have to wait & find out.

This World We Live In by Susan Beth Pfeffer review

Waiting on Wednesday: Fair Game (Alpha & Omega #3) by Patricia Briggs

Waiting on Wednesday recognizes that we as bookies pine for books. This post is about what I am impatiently waiting for right now. It was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

If you've been reading my blog for any length of time, or have had the chance to scan my archives, you might have seen a fair bit of the name Patricia Briggs. I absolutely adore her work & she is the reason I began to branch out of my comfort zone in reading. Fair Game is the 3rd installment in the Alpha and Omega series that was born of her ever-popular Mercy Thompson series. This latest story will be released to the masses on March 6th. Be forewarned, there is a bit of spoilery type information, but nothing major in the summary. Enjoy!

Patricia Briggs' Alpha and Omega series-set in a world of shifting shapes, loyalty, and passion- brings werewolves out of the darkness and into a society where fear and prejudice could make the hunters prey...

They say opposites attract. And in the case of werewolves Anna Latham and
Charles Cornick, they mate. The son-and enforcer-of the leader of the North
American werewolves, Charles is a dominant alpha. While Anna, an omega, has the rare ability to calm others of her kind.

Now that the werewolves have revealed themselves to humans, they can't afford any bad publicity. Infractions that could have been overlooked in the past must now be punished, and the strain of doing his father's dirty work is taking a toll on Charles.

Nevertheless, Charles and Anna are sent to Boston, when the FBI requests the pack's help on a local serial killer case. They quickly realize that not only the last two victims were werewolves-all of them were. Someone is targeting their kind. And now Anna and Charles have put themselves right in the killer's sights...

From Goodreads

While I absolutely adore the Mercy Thompson series, this one has a richer dynamic between the main characters that I just can't resist. Charles & Anna are mesmerizing to watch no matter what they're doing. Not to mention the events that beleaguer them are always unique. I hope you're as excited for this one as I am & if you haven't started yet, now is the time!

What are you waiting on this week?

Waiting on Wednesday: Fair Game (Alpha & Omega #3) by Patricia Briggs

Waiting on Wednesday: Pandemonium (Delirium #2) by Lauren Oliver

Waiting on Wednesday recognizes that we as bookies pine for books. This post is about what I am impatiently waiting for right now. It was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

I'm rather stoked that the release date of the much-anticipated sequel to Lauren Oliver's Delirium, Pandemonium has been moved up to February 28th! If you haven't read this one yet, I'm not sure what you were doing in late 2010, early 2011. Seriously. It was fantastic! Don't believe me? Check out my non-spoilery review.

I’m pushing aside the memory of my nightmare,
pushing aside thoughts of Alex,
pushing aside thoughts of Hana and my
old school,
push,
push,
push,
like Raven taught me to do.
The old life is dead.
But the old Lena is dead too.
I buried her.
I left her beyond a fence,
behind a wall of smoke and flame.

Lauren Oliver delivers an electrifying follow-up to her acclaimed New
York Times bestseller, Delirium. This riveting, brilliant novel crackles
with the fire of fierce defiance, forbidden romance, and the sparks of a
revolution about to ignite.

From Goodreads

While I don't think this gives enough detail about what might take place in the next installment, I kind of think that's a good thing. After the roller coaster ride that was the first book, this one is sure to follow in the same footsteps. Giving too much in the summary might detract from its appeal. I'm too excited & over-analyzing, but I hope you are too. What are you waiting on this week?

Waiting on Wednesday: Pandemonium (Delirium #2) by Lauren Oliver

The Dead and the Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer review

Susan Beth Pfeffer’s Life as We Knew It enthralled and devastated readers with its brutal but hopeful look at an apocalyptic event--an asteroid hitting the moon, setting off a tailspin of horrific climate changes. Now this harrowing companion novel examines the same events as they unfold in New York City, revealed through the eyes of seventeen-year-old Puerto Rican Alex Morales. When Alex's parents disappear in the aftermath of tidal waves, he must care for his two younger sisters, even as Manhattan becomes a deadly wasteland, and food and aid dwindle.

With haunting themes of family, faith, personal change, and courage, this powerful new novel explores how a young man takes on unimaginable responsibilities.

From Goodreads

Alex Morales & his two younger sisters find themselves in the same alternate realtiy as Miranda from Life as We Know It when an asteroid throws the moon out of proper synchronization with the Earth. Unfortunately for the Morales family, they were not nearly as lucky to be spared direct devastation to their family unit. Just kids in the Big Apple, they manage to scrape by with luck, determination & faith.

Alex is an unwilling hero in this story. Charged with being the "man of the house" with his father in Puerto Rico & his older brother serving in the Marines, he finds himself the person his younger sisters are looking to when it becomes obvious that their family is not coming back for them. While he may be ill-tempered & sharp-tongued he is also resourceful & protective. He does what he believes to be best for his sisters, even if it's not the easiest task.

What really made this book stand out from the first is the fact that we were in a completely different part of the United States & so we get to see a whole new facet to the living nightmare that everyone is facing. Trapped in a large metropolitan area might seem like the ideal place during an apocalyptic event, but the Morales family soon discovers that the opposite is actually true.

While you don't have to read the first book to understand the second, it is best to read it before you move on to the third installment as there is some crossover that won't make any sense without having read the first book. If you're looking for something spine-tingling, well-written & filled with dynamic characters, then you've found your calling. Enjoy!

The Dead and the Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer review

Waiting on Wednesday: Fever (Chemical Garden #2) by Lauren DeStefano

Waiting on Wednesday recognizes that we as bookies pine for books. This post is about what I am impatiently waiting for right now. It was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

SPOILER ALERT!! If you have not yet read Wither, the first installment in this series, then this preview will definitely ruin it for you. Read the book first or read my review of it before proceeding. Go ahead... I'll wait.

Okay, so Fever is the highly anticipated sequel in the Chemical Garden series by Lauren DeStefano. It's February 12th release date has long been awaited by those of us who devoured the first book. I read it super fast & then passed it on to my sister who squeed right alongside me. Now we get to go through it all again.

Rhine and Gabriel have escaped the mansion, but danger is never far behind.

Running away brings Rhine and Gabriel right into a trap, in the form of a twisted carnival whose ringmistress keeps watch over a menagerie of girls. Just as Rhine uncovers what plans await her, her fortune turns again. With Gabriel at her side, Rhine travels through an environment as grim as the one she left a year ago - surroundings that mirror her own feelings of fear and hopelessness.

The two are determined to get to Manhattan, to relative safety with Rhine’s twin brother, Rowan. But the road there is long and perilous - and in a world where young women only live to age twenty and young men die at twenty-five, time is precious. Worse still, they can’t seem to elude Rhine’s father-in-law, Vaughn, who is determined to bring Rhine back to the mansion...by any means necessary.

In the sequel to Lauren DeStefano’s harrowing Wither, Rhine must decide if freedom is worth the price - now that she has more to lose than ever.

From Goodreads

How fabulous does that sound? I'm notorious for bashing book 2 of most series because I find that it ends up being a filler novel with no real meat to it. This one promises to defy that stereotype. I look forward to it.

What are you waiting on this week?

Waiting on Wednesday: Fever (Chemical Garden #2) by Lauren DeStefano

Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer review

Miranda’s disbelief turns to fear in a split second when a meteor knocks the moon closer to the earth. How should her family prepare for the future when worldwide tsunamis wipe out the coasts, earthquakes rock the continents, and volcanic ash blocks out the sun? As summer turns to Arctic winter, Miranda, her two brothers, and their mother retreat to the unexpected safe haven of their sunroom, where they subsist on stockpiled food and limited water in the warmth of a wood-burning stove.

Told in journal entries, this is the heart-pounding story of Miranda’s struggle to hold on to the most important resource of all--hope--in an increasingly desperate and unfamiliar world.

From Goodreads

Susan Beth Pfeffer weaves a terrifying tale of mayhem in this first installment in the series. We meet Miranda & are just beginning to get a grip on her family situation (2 brother, one older & one younger, divorced parents, remarried father announcing pregnancy with new, younger wife) when an asteroid collides with the moon disrupting everything. Thanks to her mom's quick thinking, they manage to stock up on enough food & personal supplies during the initial phase, but the toll the moon takes upon the Earth's seasons is just the beginning of their fight to survive.

A strong, but still flawed teenager Miranda is the perfect person to narrate this tale as she is not quite so young that she doesn't understand & appreciate the situation, but she's still immature enough to feel selfish & overwrought. The book is written loosely in journal-entry format. I can't imagine being as verbose as Miranda has a tendency to be, but when you're trying to convey to someone else what's going on I guess you might get carried away.

I was really fascinated by the interconnectivity that Pfeffer spun in relation to the asteroid. We really take for granted the delicate balance that must be maintained in order for our world to continue operating as it does. Pfeffer explores that balance & blows your mind with what occurs & how the characters manage to survive. These resourceful folks are just the kind that I would want as neighbors if something like this were ever to occur.

An even more intriguing part of the book was the focus on the US (and the world) as a whole going through this trying time together. The book takes place in Pennsylvania, but Miranda's family is all over the place & the reports on the radio come in from Yellowstone, the South & more. Everyone is suffering, just at different rates, allowing us a window into the severity of the situation & the fortunate circumstances of our characters.

If you're looking for something spine-tingling & sense-shocking, read this book. The characters are real & engaging, allowing the reader to fully grasp the direness of the circumstance & the story never lets up. I was guessing what would happen until the very end.

Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer review

Blood Bound by Rachel Vincent review

By blood, by word, by magic…

Most can't touch the power. But Liv Warren is special— a paranormal tracker who follows the scent of blood.

Liv makes her own rules, and the most important one is trust no one.

But when her friend's daughter goes missing, Liv has no choice but to find the girl. Thanks to a childhood oath, Liv can't rest until the child is home safe. But that means trusting Cam Caballero, the former lover forbidden to her.

Bound by oath and lost in desire for a man she cannot have, Liv is racing to save the child from a dark criminal underworld where secrets, lies, trauma and danger lurk around every corner…every touch…every kiss.

And more blood will be spilled before it's over…

From Goodreads

Liv Warren likes living by her own rules. Unfortunately the rest of the world doesn't like to play by her rules. That's how this blood tracker ended up using her powers for monetary gain. In a world where those with "special abilities" (like walking into shadows, name tracking & even blood tracking) aren't formally recognized by any government, but used by all, Liv finds herself in a pretty tight spot.

An accidental binding from childhood is coming calling in the form of one of her best friends trying to protect her daughter from the child's father's assassin. Sound complicated? It gets worse. This friend also happens to pull in the only other person on the planet that Liv can't stand to be around. Her former lover Cam Caballero is still just as smoldering as he was when Liv left him six years prior, to save both their lives. No time like the present to jump headlong into the fray with danger lurking around every corner from the local criminal families. Is there enough time to save the girl or will Liv just ending failing to keep every promise she's ever made?

Rachel Vincent is seriously my freaking hero! This woman is so diverse I can barely contain my excitement. Between the bean sidhe lore of the Soul Screamers series & the werecat drama of the Shifters series, I honestly wasn't sure how well she'd be able to pull off a whole new series. Let me assure you, Rachel is a remarkable craftswoman never to be doubted.

Blood Bound takes the meanings of "signed in blood" & "my word is my bond" to a whole new level & explores the murky waters of contractual bindings. It truly was fascinating reading about all the different types of bindings, means of tracking a person & situations that arise from such predicaments. Things can really start to get tricky when you're contractually obligated to more than one person & they're on opposing sides of a war in which you're an unwilling recruit.

Liz is a headstrong, complex character (Rachel seems to prefer these and I've got no complaints!) who is trying to do what she thinks is best in a bad situation. After running away from longtime boyfriend Cam (in order to save their lives) she finds herself the unwilling recipient of his assistance in her newest endeavor. Tension & sparks fly because while nothing about these two together has changed, more than enough has changed about them.

A promising start to a new series, Blood Bound is sure to delight. Keep a weather eye on the horizon for book 2 Shadow Bound, due May 22.

Blood Bound by Rachel Vincent review