Review: Prodigy by Marie Lu

Title: Prodigy (Legend book 2)
Author: Marie Lu
Age Group: Young Adult
Release Date: 30th January 2013
Publishers: Penguin Teen Australia
Available from: Amazon
The Book Depository

Source: Penguin TEEN Aus 

June and Day arrive in Vegas just as the unthinkable happens: the Elector Primo dies, and his son Anden takes his place. With the Republic edging closer to chaos, the two join a group of Patriot rebels eager to help Day rescue his brother and offer passage to the Colonies. They have only one request—June and Day must assassinate the new Elector.

It’s their chance to change the nation, to give voice to a people silenced for too long.

But as June realizes this Elector is nothing like his father, she’s haunted by the choice ahead. What if Anden is a new beginning? What if revolution must be more than loss and vengeance, anger and blood—what if the Patriots are wrong?

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It's not often that you read the second book in a series and have it be better than it's predecessor, but Prodigy is just that. I absolutely loved Legend and was so excited when Penguin Teen sent me Prodigy. It continues on from Legend, with Day and June on a train bound for Los Angeles to find the Patriots. While they are searching for the rebel group, the old Elector Primo dies and his young son Anden takes his place. The Partiots believe Anden to be exactly like his father and recruit Day and June to help assassinate him. 

June's job is to get close to him and inform him of the Patriots plan. Of course she is giving him false information, she has to make him believe that an assassination is planned in one place when it's actually going to occur in another. As June spends more and more time with Anden she begins to question the Patriots plan. She's discovering that he may not be like his father; Anden has big plans to reshape The Republic into something better, but he needs the support of the people and the only way he is going to be able to convince the people that he isn't a tyrant is to have June and more importantly Day, back him. June's loyalty is really put to the test; she discovers more about herself and what she truly believes in. She is loyal to The Republic and it's people but realises there has to be a way to save them from destruction.

Anden is a great addition to the story; you're lead to believe he's just like his father, but throughout the book we are given an insight into his character. I was never sure if how he was portraying himself to June was just a facade  or his actual personality. Lu keeps you guessing and it added a new dimension to the whole story line.

Meanwhile Day is helping The Patriots in anyway he can, and is determined for the Elector Primo to die, so they can pull down the corrupt government of The Republic and rebuild it.The Patriots monitor June all the time and while he is watching a feed from an interaction she has with Anden, he catches a glimpse of a signal they made up. He doesn't understand why she would send him the signal or what it means. Could she have discovered something or was she letting him know that she had returned to The Republic and wouldn't go a head with it? Day is always fighting for what he believes in and it was interesting to see him question whether or not destroying The Republic is what is needed for the people, or if Anden could be what they need to build it into something greater.

I really enjoyed seeing more of June and Day's characters in Legend. Sometimes in books like this, character development is only a small part of a novel with the action and story line taking center stage. Lu manages to combine all these elements to give us one incredible read. Her world building is outstanding, and it's so easy to get swept up into the story and the tale of deception, romance and intrigue. Prodigy is a heart-pounding, adrenaline fueled read. 

5/5 

Disarming Blog Tour - Guest Post by Alexia Purdy

Today I have Alexia Purdy on my blog telling us how she has meshed Vampires and Dystopia to create the epic Reign of Blood series! 

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Meshing the Vampires and Dystopian Genres

Guest Post by Alexia Purdy

When I began writing the Reign of Blood series, I didn't find it too difficult to combine vampires and a dystopian world. My love for both genres goes deep and it felt right for my story. The world I imagined required a catalyst of some sort, a protagonist in a sense. I had a dream that involved the opening scene in book 1 where the feral vampires are staring hungrily down at April and her family as they raced against the setting sun to get out of the city of Las Vegas til dark. If a world was to have such destruction, I needed these vampires to be a big part of the crumbling world. It was an easy fit and the story molded itself around this story structure.

Overall, writing dystopian is one of my favorite genres. It’s always amazing how to see how society will function in a different setting. Most times, like even how it functions presently, it has it’s downfalls in more ways than one. It’s never perfect, but if it was, then it would not be dystopian now would it? We’d be living the Utopian bliss, which I think is kinda boring. It’s always much more fun to mess it all up, no?

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Disarming (Reign of Blood #2)

By Alexia Purdy

Blurb:

The world has changed. One must adapt to survive or hold on to the crumbling shards of humanity.

April continues to hold her fragile world together, but the ties that hold her family together are quickly unraveling. Rumors of a massive human underground settlement draw her to the shadows of the city once more in search of other survivors more like her, even with the hybrid vampires opposing her every move.

The darkness hides secrets along with the continued threat the Feral Vampires create, but a greater evil hides within the city. Something tells April that the humans will be less than welcoming of her, and that's if she can find them before the Vampires do. Joining sides with the enemy might be the only choice she has left.

Links to buy:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Disarming-Reign-Blood-2-ebook/dp/B00ATNB3UO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1356840887&sr=8-1&keywords=disarming+alexia

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/disarming-alexia-purdy/1114036960?ean=2940016162492

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/268874

Disarming (Reign of Blood #2) Teaser #1

Testing out my fingers, I slowly curled them into my palms, making sure it wasn't obvious enough for Miss Dictatorship to notice. If I could gain control of my body before getting thrown into the cell, maybe I’d have a chance against whatever was lurking in there. The sedative was strong and made me question what sort of heaping dose they had given me. I hoped I would get a separate cell and discover they had been joking all along. Come on body, wake up!

“No, not that one! Put her in the cell with him.” The woman’s voice hissed. She sounded upset but I was pretty sure it wasn't completely my fault. “I brought you a little snack.”

This was not going to be pleasant.

Bio:

Alexia currently lives in Las Vegas, Nevada–Sin City! She loves to spend every free moment writing or playing with her four rambunctious kids. Writing has always been her dream and she has been writing ever since she can remember. She loves writing paranormal fantasy and poetry and devours books daily. Alexia also enjoys watching movies, dancing, singing loudly in the car and Italian food.

Connect with Alexia Purdy

Alexia Purdy’s Blog

Alexia Purdy’s Website

Twitter

@AlexiaPurdy

Goodreads Author page

Alexia Purdy’s Facebook Fan Page

Ever Shade (A Dark Faerie Tale) Facebook Fan page

Reign of Blood Series Facebook Fan Page

Cover Reveal - Allure by Melissa Andrea

ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL COVER! I'm supposed to be saving money but how can I when I see books like this?

Title: Allure

Author: Melissa Andrea

Release Date: March 30th 2013

Genre: Young Adult

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Temptation. Desire. Deception.

Everything about her is enthralling, enticing… until everything about her becomes deadly.

Alluring you into the center of her world, she’ll deprive you of reason, breath… life. And because you can’t help it, you’ll let her, and death never felt so good.

There is only one rule where she is from: Don’t become attached to your Allure, and Ryleigh has already broken that rule.

The decision to stay was easy, but being ready to handle everything that comes with her choice, is more then she bargained for when something unexpected happens. Ryleigh is thrown into a world she knows nothing about, and a past she can’t remember. Time is not Ryleigh’s only enemy, but the lack of it, will be the end of her immortality if she doesn’t remember what she is or the life she needs to take.

When the cost of immortality means consuming the life of someone you love, could you do it?! 

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Melissa Andrea

I find it hard to sum up my life in a paragraph, but I’ll try.

                I am the author of Flutter, The Discover Series! Reading has always been a passion for me, and writing as instinctive as breathing. Every inhale is an idea; every exhale a creation.  The only thing I do better than writing you ask? Making beautiful girls. My daughter’s will always be my greatest accomplishment.

I was born in Denver, Colorado –but I will always think of sunny Arizona as my home. I don’t have a big family, but I’m close with my sister, brother & my mom. My mom is my hero, my inspiration, and I couldn’t have asked for a more amazing person to be raised by.

4 things you should know about me: I’m very girly, but I can get down and dirty with the best of them. I adore the color pink and things that sparkle (including vampires), I am a firm believer that chocolate cures ALL and I like even numbers (hence 4 things about me, not 5) Okay, maybe I cheated a little with my list, shhhh.

Like her on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/m.andrea.author

Follow her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/melissa_andreaa

Pin with her on Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/melandrea01/

Keep up to date on her blog: http://melissaandrea-justlikethat.blogspot.com/

Cover Reveal: Games of Fire by Airicka Phoenix

Title: Games of Fire

Author: Airicka Phoenix
Release date: February 14, 2013

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary Action, Suspense, Mystery, Romance

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Sophie has enough problems in her life without Spencer turning her blood to fire, without his eyes freezing and burning her, without his hatred of her. Since his migration into the house next to hers, Sophia Valdez isn’t sure whether she wants to toss him under a bus or kiss that smirking mouth of his. But even as the temperature rises around them; leaping flames of passion, want and desire. Everything either has ever known will be shattered by the lurking shadow hounding their every step, wanting revenge.

Spencer Rowth moves to the sleepy town of River Port with his mother and twelve year old sister Suzy, to escape a deceitful father, an unfaithful girlfriend and a life crumbling much too fast for him to grapple onto, only to be smacked upside the head by the last thing he wanted again. Sophie was everything he refused to want. Her temper, her wit, her laugh, her smile; the way her entire body goes up in flames under his hands are things he would rather slam a lid on and forget. Instead, he finds himself falling for the smart-mouth next door. But how long will he have before the evil chasing them catches up? How long before the very thing he never wanted becomes his only thread to sanity? And who is after them? What do they want and why do they want Spencer and Sophie dead?

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Teaser:

“I hope that’s the last of our unlucky streak.”

Sophie couldn't agree more, but something in the air, a chill, coiled around her, sinking razor sharp talons into her flesh. It trickled venom through her veins, paralyzing all hopes that tomorrow would be better. Truthfully, how could it be when the person responsible was still out there? What if they came back? What if they tried again? What if they did it to someone else?

No. Sophie had no delusions that it would be better tomorrow. She wasn't fooled by the temporary calm. Two incidents simultaneously? Maybe the police didn't spot the link, but she wasn't so lucky nor could she rule out that possibility that Spencer was the center of it all.

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Airicka Phoenix is the author of TOUCHING SMOKE (Touch Book #1), TOUCHING ETERNITY (Touch 1.5), TORRID, a short story as part of the Whispered Beginnings: A Clever Fiction Anthology and WANTING & INTENTIONS, two stories as part of the Midnight Surrender Anthology. When she's not hammering away at the keyboard, she can be found banishing pirates or crawling through the attic looking for lost treasure with her kids. She loves baking, gardening and reading. She also likes to travel and take pictures of everything she comes across. When asked, Airicka describes herself as a sarcastic basket case that has an unhealthy addiction to chocolate, old movies and really bad jokes. She loves to laugh, make friends and write. If she could have one wish granted, it would be to spend one day as a fly-on-the-wall inside Stephen King's mind. If she could have two wishes granted, she would ask for a castle dedicated entirely to her overwhelming collection of books.

Another amazing author, releasing another amazing book with a smashing cover! I love Airicka's style of writing, it's always beautiful and I can't wait to get my hands on this book too.

Cover Reveal: Recalled by Cambria Hebert

Title: RECALLED - A Death Escorts Novel

Author: Cambria Hebert

Release Date: February 15^th 2013

Genre: YA Romance with paranormal, thriller and mystery elements

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Love or Death? A simple question really. The choice seems obvious. But. What if you never knew love, what if your life was spent just trying to survive? What if you knew your fate before you were fully grown?

And then you died.

And you were given another chance. A better chance.

This new life depended upon one thing: your job. And so you agreed. You thought it would be simple. You thought it would be cut and dry.

It never is.

And now you are left holding the fate of someone else in the palm of your hand and you have to make the ultimate choice.

Love or Death?

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Cambria Hebert is the author of the young adult paranormal Heven and Hell series and the upcoming Death Escorts series. She loves a caramel latte, hates math and is afraid of chickens (yes, chickens). She went to college for a bachelor’s degree, couldn’t pick a major and ended up with a degree in cosmetology. So rest assured her characters will always have good hair. She currently lives in Pennsylvania where she is plotting her next book. You can find out more about Cambria and her work by visiting http://www.cambriahebert.com

How pretty is the cover? Everything about this book has me intrigued. I want to know who the story is about, what the story is about. Sneaky Miss Cambria with that vague blurb, it tells me so much, yet so little! Maddening. So what does everyone think?

Cover Reveal: Raksha by Frankie Rose

LOOK IT! HOW FREAKING AWESOME IS THIS COVER?

Title: RAKSHA

Author: Frankie Rose

Release Date: March 1st 2013

Genre: YA Dystopia

Cover Design: Chelsea Starling

Goodreads

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She has no name.

She has her knives; her training; her halo.

The first and second give her the tools and the skill to defeat the opponents she is pitted against each month. The third frees her from pain and fear. From any kind of emotion at all. Everything is as it should be. Everything is as it should be, until…

FearPainAngerHappinessDesireGuilt

Love.

When a newly-named Kit escapes the Sanctuary after killing her best friend, the last thing she needs is another knife in her hand. Or Ryka, the damaged, beautiful blonde boy, who she refuses to let save her. Still learning how to process the onslaught of her new feelings, the sights and sounds of Freetown are overwhelming and strange. There are a hundred differences between her old home and her new one, but one thing remains starkly similar: the matches. Yet where the blood in the Sanctuary landed only on the colosseum floor, Kit will quickly learn that a river of red runs through Freetown’s very streets.

Freed from the oppression of a society who stole her right to feel, the true horror of her old life leaves Kit wondering if she really has been freed at all. Would she be better off without the crippling horror of all the blood on her hands, or is the love of one boy worth living through all the pain?

Raksha is the call of the dead. It is the rumbling chant for fresh blood from the other side, the demand for sacrifice. The Colosseum is behind Kit. The fighting pits await.

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Frankie Rose was born in the United Kingdom, but now lives with her husband in sunny Australia.

She officially makes things up for a living, and when she's not doing that, she is generally making paper birds out of receipts and old lists or taking photographs that make her smile. 

Author Links:

Website

Goodreads

Facebook

Twitter

So what do you think? I think it looks badass, and I can't wait to read it since I am a huge Dystopian fan. Frankie is definitely one of my favourite authors of 2012 and I can't wait to see what 2013 holds for her!

The End - Finale & Beautiful Redemption

Title: Beautiful Redemption (Caster Chronicles #4)

Author: Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Release Date: 23rd October 2012

Publisher: Penguin 

Genre: YA

Ethan Wate has spent most of his life longing to escape the stiflingly small Southern town of Gatlin. He never thought he would meet the girl of his dreams, Lena Duchannes, who unveiled a secretive, powerful, and cursed side of Gatlin, hidden in plain sight. And he never could have expected that he would be forced to leave behind everyone and everything he cares about. So when Ethan awakes after the chilling events of the Eighteenth Moon, he has only one goal: to find a way to return to Lena and the ones he loves.

Back in Gatlin, Lena is making her own bargains for Ethan's return, vowing to do whatever it takes -- even if that means trusting old enemies or risking the lives of the family and friends Ethan left to protect.

Worlds apart, Ethan and Lena must once again work together to rewrite their fate, in this stunning finale to the Beautiful Creatures series.

Title: Finale (Hush, Hush #4)

Author: Becca Fitzpatrick

Release Date: 23rd October 2012

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Genre: YA

Will love conquer all?

Nora and Patch thought their troubles were behind them. Hank is gone and they should be able to put his ugly vendetta to rest. But in Hank's absence, Nora has become the unwitting head of the Nephilim and must finish what Hank began. Which ultimately means destroying the fallen angels - destroying Patch.

Nora will never let that happen, so she and Patch make a plan: lead everyone to believe they have broken up, and work the system from the inside. Nora will convince the Nephilim that they are making a mistake in fighting the fallen angels, and Patch will find out everything he can from the opposing side. They will end this war before it can even begin.

But the best-laid plans often go awry. Nora is put through the paces in her new role and finds herself drawn to an addictive power she never anticipated.

As the battle lines are drawn, Nora and Patch must confront the differences that have always been between them and either choose to ignore them or let them destroy the love they have always fought for.

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Two of my favourite series have come to an end. It was sad, but I think both were rounded out well. I was happy with how both of the stories were finished. Of course there is always the 'omg are they really going to end up happily ever after,' with both couples facing seemingly insurmountable odds, but they come out the other side. For them to live happily sometimes secondary characters we love seem to pay the price. 

Patch has to be my all time favourite YA lead male, there's just something about him that I love and no one else seems to come close. Patch is a 10 on the swoon scale. Ethan is definitely up there though. He's like the ultimate boy next door. I think Ethan is a slightly more 'real' character.

Nora and Lena are pretty awesome as the female leads. These girls are no simpering idiots, facing their fears and conquering their enemies, becoming stronger. These girls are YA role models. 

I gave both books 5/5.

Have you read Beautiful Redemption or Finale? Did you enjoy how the stories were finished or was there something more you wanted? Let me know what you thought.