SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first two books in the series Nightshade and Wolfsbane, Stop! I don’t want to ruin one of my favorite series for you!
“Calla has always welcomes war.”
With Monroe’s death and the realization of the truth behind Ren’s motives, Calla’s world is turned upside down. All she knows is that she must rescue Ren from the Keepers in Vial and bring him to the Searchers, even if it incurs Shay’s wrath. In the midst of gearing up for the war, Calla must also deal with Shay and Ren fighting to become her alpha mate. Her own feelings for both boys confuse her as well. In order to succeed in getting all the pieces of the Elemental Cross and going to war, Calla stands alone as the lone alpha wolf of her pack. But in the end, “is love worth the ultimate sacrifice?” How the war end and what will become of Calla when it’s over?
A two book sequence that’s a prequel to the Nightshade trilogy that details why the Keepers and Searchers went to war will begin with Rift on August 7, 2012 and will be followed by Rise in 2013.
Visit Andrea Cremer's website.
Visit the Nightshade website.
“Blood doesn’t lie …”
SPOILER ALERT! Does contain some information from the final Vampire Academy series book, Last Sacrifice. Beware!
It has been approximately one month since the concluding events of Last Sacrifice. Moroi Queen Vasilisa Dragomir’s hold on the crown is tenuous at best with her new found illegitimate sister Jillian Mastrano Dragomir as her only living family member. If Jill dies, Lissa would no longer be queen under the ancient Moroi laws. When an attack is made on Jill’s life, the decision to place her in hiding is made.
Eighteen-year-old Alchemist Sydney Sage is still feeling the fallout over her involvement with Rose Hathaway’s daring escape from the Moroi Court. Initially blackmailed by Rose’s father, Abe Mazur, Sydney eventually sets aside her distaste for the vampire races and comes to respect Rose for the strong person she is. When Queen Lissa turns to the Alchemists for help in hiding and protecting Jill, Sydney’s younger sister Zoe is their father’s first choice for the assignment. Knowing what kind of life an Alchemist leads, Sydney doesn’t want that for Zoe, who has yet to have cheek tattooed with the Alchemist lily. She talks her way into the assignment and hopefully back into everyone’s good graces again by saying she has experience living among the vampires they all distaste. The Alchemist higher ups agree and Sydney is relieved but Zoe is angry with the outcome. Only when the territory post agent arrives and is furious Sydney is going. She begins to doubt her decision.
Twenty-three-year-old Keith Darnell is in charge of the Palm Springs post where Sydney will be assigned. Keith lived with the Sage family for awhile where Sydney’s father took him under his wing and treated him as the son he never had. But something occurred during that time that Sydney could hold over Keith’s head. Eventually, he relents to allow Sydney on the mission due to pressure from the higher ups but neither is excited to be working together.
Just what is the assignment? Sydney and Jill will be posing as sisters at Amberwood Prep, a human boarding school. Joining them on campus as Sydney’s twin brother will be disgraced guardian, Eddie Castile. Keith will pose as their older brother/pseudo guardian as their “parents” live in South Dakota. One of Sydney’s responsibilities will be to take Jill to see a feeder who is being provided by a Moroi recluse by the name of Clarence Donahue. A loner, Clarence distrusts the Moroi government over the death of his niece by the hands of what he calls vampire hunters. Jill’s identity will be unknown to him. Adrian Ivashkov is also making the journey to be Jill’s moral support and will be living with Clarence. Upon their arrival, Sydney and Keith are surprised to learn Clarence’s college-aged son will be around part of the time.
For Sydney, this assignment is her chance to get back into the good graces of the Alchemists and get the opportunity to experience a formal education, even if she must live with a vampire. But very quickly, things do not go as planned. Just why is Lee suddenly at home with his father? What is the connection Sydney notices between Adrian and Jill? Why is Adrian in Palm Springs? What is going on with Jill that she doesn’t make it through the first day of class? What secret does Sydney know about Keith? And when it comes down to it, can Jill be kept safe?
This book is a definite read for those Vampire Academy and Team Adrian fans. Needless to say, the last four words of Bloodlines will leave you hanging for book two, The Golden Lily due out on June 19, 2012.
Visit Richelle Mead’s website.
“Love and loyalty run deeper than blood.”
“Only a true best friend can protect you from your immortal enemies …”
After being on the run for the past two years, Vasilisa Dragomir, aka Lissa, a Moroi princess and her best friend and guardian-in-training Rosemarie Hathaway, aka Rose, are captured by Dimitri Belikov and returned to St. Vladimir’s Academy. Located in remote Montana, Rose quickly realizes that there is no chance of escape. They are paraded before the entire school before arriving at Headmistress Kirova’s office. Before the lecture can begin, Lissa is reunited with her “whole” prince Victor Dashkov, who is gravely ill. Even though Lissa takes the blame for the girls leaving school, Kirova punishes Rose by kicking her out of school. Lissa protests that her parents wanted rose to be her guardian before their deaths but Kirova stuns the girls when she announces that Guardian Belikov is now the princess’ sanctioned guardian. In a twist of fate, Dimitri takes up for Rose by saying he immediately realized she had a bond to Lissa and it is a gift to be nurtured. The best guardians have a bond. He eventually gets Kirova to relent but only if he tutors Rose with extra training sessions. Rose is also banned from all social activities.
Rose is a dhamper; half human, half vampire, who is in training to become a guardian, like her famous mother is. Moroi, or mortal vampires, are a dying breed being hunted by the Strigoi, who are immortal and evil vampires. Dimitri begins Rose’s additional training with conditioning exercises. Sore in the beginning, it doesn’t take Rose long to quickly gain strength, but Dimitri’s respect is another matter. After catching her making out with a Moroi male, Dimitri gives her a lecture on respecting herself and being dedicated to becoming Lissa’s guardian. Hurt and ashamed, Rose throws herself into her training.
Lissa on the other hand becomes withdrawn, especially when someone places a dead fox in her bed. Rose attempts to run interference but soon find Christian Ozera coming to her aid as well. A loner, Christian is osterized because his parents became Strigoi and were killed because of it. Rose is alarmed when she feels through her bond with Lissa that she is growing closer to him. Rose doesn’t trust Christian.
Rose does begin to find her feelings for Dimitri growing even though she knows she shouldn’t. She continually finds herself drawn to him. Despite constant troubles for both Rose and Lissa, Rose attempts to discover the mystery of Lissa’s powers and the bond between them. What really happened two years earlier at St. Vladimir’s that caused Rose and Lissa to run away? What is the extent of Lissa’s powers and is someone out to use her? Can Christian be trusted? Will Rose be able to fight her growing attraction to her mentor, Dimitri? And When Lissa finds her life in danger; will Rose be strong enough to protect her?
Book Two – Frostbite
“When love and jealously collide on the slopes, winter break turns deadly …”
Rose Hathaway is going to take her Qualifier; part exam, part interview, which all novice guardians take during their junior year at St. Vladimir’s Academy. Since she was on the run with Lissa, Rose missed hers so Dimitri is taking her to a guardian off campus to administer the test. Arthur Schoenberg is one of the greatest Strigoi slayers in guardian history and was the former head of the Guardian Council and he will be giving Rose her Qualifier. Arthur is now retired and protecting the Bodicas, a royal Moroi family. Rose and Dimitri realize something is wrong upon their arrival. Dimitri finds the door ajar and tells Rose to stay in the car. Disobeying, she soon finds a silver stake in the yard and broken glass from a rear door. They discover the bodies of Arthur and the Bodica family inside and Rose and Dimitri slowly realize that humans may be helping the Strigoi.
In the aftermath of the attack, the Vampire world is too afraid to travel for the Christmas holiday. So the day after Christmas, a huge Moroi family-owned ski lodge in Idaho is being opened to the Academy students, their families and any other Moroi who wish to go. With everyone in one place with lots of guardians, it figures to be a safe place. Rose is a little excited to get away until her rarely heard from guardian mother, Janine Hathaway arrives at St. Vladimir’s for the holiday. Christian’s aunt, Natasha Ozera also arrives and Rose cannot help but admire her. Rose is a bit rattled to realize Tasha and Dimitri know each other, seemingly well.
At the lodge, Rose attempts to make things work with Mason while trying to put thoughts of Dimitri out of her mind. That proves difficult when her mother lets it slip that Tasha Ozera has requested Dimitri be reassigned to her and become possibly more than Moroi and guardian. Depressed, Rose soon finds that trouble arrives in her life in the form of one Adrian Ivashkov, a wealthy Moroi royal whose reputation precedes him, just as her own does.
Who is behind all the attacks in the Moroi? Can everyone be safe at the ski lodge? Will Rose be able to have some sort of relationship with her mother? Can Rose put all thoughts of Dimitri out of her mind and seriously start dating Mason? What exactly is going on between Dimitri and Tasha? And is Rose playing with literal fire when it comes to Adrian Ivashkov?
Book Three – Shadow Kiss
“What if following her heart means Rose could lose her best friend forever?”
MAJOR SPOILER ALERTS from here on out. Beware!!!
It has been three weeks since the terrible tragedy in Spokane. Sure Rose not only made her first two Strigoi kills but Mason lost his life. Rose is feeling tremendous guilt not only in her perceived role in his death but the fact that she could not reciprocate his feelings. Everyone assumes they were romantically involved. Now it is time for the senior guardians to undergo their filed experience in order to graduate from St. Vladimir’s. Rose is incensed that she is assigned Christian to guard instead of Lissa. After a heated discussion, Rose slowly understands the reasons even though she is not happy. Unfortunately, Christian is the least of her worries. Rose begins to see Mason around campus as a ghostly apparition and it seems he is trying to tell her something. The icing on the cake is that Victor Dashkov’s trial is impending and neither Rose nor Lissa is called to testify.
Adrian Ivashkov is staying at St. Vladimir’s to work with the spirit magic he shares with Lissa and he is not letting up in his flirtations with Rose. Dimitri is determined to stand by and support Rose during her trying times. But as graduation looms, Rose is becoming conflicted about her future plans. All her life she was told the Moroi always come first, but Dimitri tells Rose that it doesn’t have to be that way. What happens when Rose has to choose between her best friend or following her heart?
Book Four – Blood Promise
“Dimitri’s heart has gone dark.”
Following Dimitri’s “death”, Rose drops out of St. Vladimir’s Academy and heads to Russia in an attempt to fulfill a promise. Once there, Rose goes on a quest of self-discovery that unveils an important piece of her past, tries to rectify the present and sets her future course. Also the minor character of Sydney Sage, the Alchemist, is introduced who becomes the main character in Richelle Mead’s new series, Bloodlines.
Book Five – Spirit Bound
“Rose’s life will never be her own.”
Rose has returned to St. Vladimir’s after her heart wrenching journey to Russia. It is not until her arrival back in the United States does she learn she wasn’t successful and Dimitri has promised to find her. Reenrolling in school, Rose sets out to graduate and become a promised guardian. Meanwhile Lissa dreams of college and reconciling with Christian. But once outside the confines of St. Vladimir’s, Rose and Lissa embark on a dangerous mission to provide that Dimitri’s soul isn’t lost. Can Rose and Lissa figure out how to turn Dimitri back to a dhamper before someone gets staked?
Book Six – Last Sacrifice
“It all comes down to now.”
Rose Hathaway has always been the strong one, the one to be loyal to her friends and would sacrifice her life for that of her best friend, Lissa Dragomir. Unfortunately the unthinkable has happened. Queen Tatiana id found murdered and someone has framed Rose. With an execution date looming, Rose will have to switch roles when her friends decide to protect her for a change and find the true culprit before she loses her life
Vampire Academy Graphic Novel
This is a graphic novel retelling of the first book in the popular Vampire Academy series. True to the novel version, this version is a delight for fans. Plans are underway to bring to manga form the remaining five books in the series.
Visit Richelle Mead’s website.
Visit the Official Book Series Website.
There are not too many books that I read that I do not thoughly enjoy. So for this posting, I am going to list the top 10 books I enjoyed the second half of 2011.
- Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare (Infernal Devices book 2)
- Stephanie Perkins. I adored both Anna and the French Kiss and Lola and the Boy Next Door. I cannot wait to see what she does with Isla in 2012!
- The Gray Wolf Throne by Cinda Williams Chima. Han and Raisa, enough said.
- Eve by Anna Carey. I really hope this one becomes a television show.
- The Pledge by Kimberly Derting. Excellent start to a new trilogy.
- Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendrae Blake. Horror at it's best and a BIG thanks to Shelburne for turning me on to it.
- Crave by Melissa Darnell. Love the Romeo and Juliet forbidden romance.
- The Dark Endeavor by Kenneth Oppel. Hope to see this one on the Big Screen.
- Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer. Desperately hanging on the cliff for Bloodrose in January. Team Ren all the way!
And watch for these in 2012 that I have already got a sneak peak at.
- Cinder by Marissa Meyer
- Everneath by Brodi Ashton
- Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
SPOLIER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first book in the Infernal Devices trilogy, Clockwork Angel, STOP! I don’t want to ruin one of my favorite series for you!
In Victorian England, Tessa Gray has found safety from the Magiater within the confinds of the Institute and the Shadowhunters who have become her friends. Her safety is in jeopardy when Benedict Lightwood goes before Counsel Wayland in an attempt to remove Charlotte Branwell as head of the London Institute. If Charlotte is replaced, Tessa will be out on the streets and easy prey for the Magister.
In an attempt to find out why the Magister’s war against the Shadowhunters is personal, Tessa travels to York with the fiercely loyal James Carstairs and the brooding William Herondale. There, a shocking discovery is made that sends one member of the trio into a tailspin. Back in London, the Shadowhunters realize that Mortmain’s web reaches further than they ever imagined and that one of their own has betrayed them.
As questions are answered, even more secrets come to light and the mystery surrounding not only Tessa and the Magister, but Will deepens. Tessa is soon caught up in not only finding out what she is but torn between two boys. Even though her rejected her at the end of Clockwork Angel, Tessa still finds herself longing for Will while at the same time discovering her burgeoning feelings for Jem, who is more than willing to reciprocate.
Join Tessa and the London Shadowhunters as they race against the clock to uncover the Magister’s evil plan.
The Infernal Devices trilogy will conclude with the publication of Clockwork Princess in the fall of 2012.
Visit Cassandra Clare's website.
Visit the Infernal Devices website.
“I don’t believe in fashion. I believe in costume. Life is too short to be the same person every day.”
Seventeen-year-old Lola Nolan has three simple wishes in life. She wants to dress as Marie Antoinette for her winter formal, complete with the extra wide dress and elaborate wig. Beneath the dress will be platform combat boots “so everyone can see underneath the frills,” she is punk-rock tough. Lola wishes her parents would approve of her boyfriend. Twenty-two-year-old Max is in a band and has no aspirations of college. Lastly, she never wants to see her former neighbors, The Bell twins, ever again.
For Lola, life is good. She has a part-time job at a movie theater and she knows her boyfriend Max is the one. Life could be better. Her parents could accept Max instead of continuing their weekly Sunday brunch plans that involve an interrogation session. But things go quickly from good to bad when Lola’s birth mother comes back into her life. Just when she thinks things couldn’t get any worse, they do. The Bells move back into their house and the twins, Calliope and Cricket come with them. Calliope, a hopeful Olympic ice skater returns to her old coach and Cricket starts college at Berkeley. Lola still carries a grudge about the time Cricket, whom she had a huge crush on, rejects her and then moves away.
Running into the Bell twins is inevitable, especially since Lola’s bedroom window looks out at Cricket’s. Still hurt from his rejection two years earlier, Lola is shocked when Cricket asks her out for a date every night for the rest of their lives. It doesn’t help when Max overhears and becomes jealous. Lola soon finds her heart and mind pulled in two different directions; the boy she thinks is the one and the boy who was her first love. Join Lola on her heart wrenching journey of self-discovery as she learns just what it truly means to be in love.
Lola is a companion book to Anna and the French Kiss. Anna and Etienne make several appearances as Lola and Anna are coworkers at the movie theater and Etienne and Cricket live in the same dorm at Berkeley. Etienne imparts some of his relationship wisdom to a struggling Lola. Perkins gives a little insight into Anna and Etienne’s relationship for those readers who fell in love with these two characters as I did.
Isla and the Happily Ever After will be published in the Fall of 2012.
Visit Stephanie Perkins' website.
At recess in the fourth grade, Savannah Colbert pretended to marry Tristan Coleman in a mock ceremony on the school playground. The next day, Tristan and all of the other Clann kids turn their backs on her and refuse to have anything to do with her. For the past five years, Savannah has tried to ignore the bullying by the Clann kids and make new friends. Even though Savannah’s mother and grandmother warn Savannah to stay away from Tristan, she finds herself inexplicitly drawn to him.
Tristan, the son of the ruling head of the Clann, is strictly forbidden to even speak to Savannah. When she becomes ill in their Algebra class, Tristan fights to stay away from her. Savannah’s absence from school for the week nearly drives him insane with worry. When Savannah is well enough to return to school, Tristan finds that he is not the only person to notice the physical changes in her. Boys begin to swarm around her whether she wants them to or not and Tristan cannot help but be near and protect her.
Sick for the first time in her life, Savannah is shocked to awaken after five days of being unconscious to find not only her mother and grandmother standing over her but her father who has been out of the picture most of her life. Even more unsettling to Savannah is when her parents fill her in on her true heritage and why it has been kept a secret from her until now. Her father is a vampire who wasn’t supposed to be able to father children and her mother a witch who use to be a member of the Clann. Savannah realizes she really is a freak and both the Vampire Council and the Clann fear that she will join the opposite side. She will not be trained in magic and must watch for any blood lust she might have.
Nervous about returning to school, Savannah’s physical changes immediately cause problems. When she unwittingly meets the eyes of three boys from her Algebra class, they are struck by her “gaze daze” and become enamored with her. Unfortunately they literally become stalkers. Savannah is no longer able to trust the feelings of any boy she encounters. When Tristan can no longer fight his attraction to her, despite the Clann’s ruling of no contact with Savannah. She is not sure whether or not to trust his feelings. Is he under her “gaze daze” spell like the others or are his feelings genuine?
Which side will win out in Savannah; vampire or witch? Will she be able to trust Tristan’s feelings and finally be able to reciprocate? What is the connection between Savannah and Tristan? What happens when the Clann and Vampire Council discover Savannah and Tristan’s true feelings for one another? And what will happen when Tristan discovers the truth about Savannah?
Told in alternating viewpoints between Savannah and Tristan, readers are not kept in the dark about the true feelings simmering between this Romeo and Juliet pairing. Darnell leaves quite a cliffhanger at the end to set up the next book, Covet, in the trilogy that will wrap up in 2013 with Consume.
