Review: Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes

Title: Falling Kingdoms

Author: Morgan Rhodes

Publisher:  Razorbill

Publication Date: 12.11.2012

Pages: 412

Genre: Fantasy

Series: Yes (Falling Kingdoms #1)

Source: ARC from BEA

Rating: A

Summary (from Goodreads):

In a land where magic has been forgotten but peace has reigned for centuries, a deadly unrest is simmering. Three kingdoms grapple for power--brutally transforming their subjects' lives in the process. Amidst betrayals, bargains, and battles, four young people find their fates forever intertwined:

Cleo: A princess raised in luxury must embark on a rough and treacherous journey into enemy territory in search of a magic long thought extinct.

Jonas: Enraged at injustice, a rebel lashes out against the forces of oppression that have kept his country impoverished--and finds himself the leader of a people's revolution centuries in the making.

Lucia: A girl adopted at birth into a royal family discovers the truth about her past--and the supernatural legacy she is destined to wield.

Magnus: Bred for aggression and trained to conquer, a firstborn son begins to realize that the heart can be more lethal than the sword...

The only outcome that's certain is that kingdoms will fall. Who will emerge triumphant when all they know has collapsed?

Review:

I felt like I had to mentally prepare myself before delving into the epic fantasy that is Falling Kingdoms. As you can clearly tell from the blurb, there are a lot of characters, each with their own agenda that at times intersect. I knew this wasn’t a book I could sit down and finish in an afternoon; I knew I would have to think when I read this. Falling Kingdoms isn’t a spectator book—you cannot sit idly by and enjoy the scenery. Morgan Rhodes crafts such an intricate tale that you must be prepared to fully surrender yourself to her world.

And I feel so much richer for doing just that.

This book is so grand and large, I’m sort of at a loss for where to start. Let’s begin with the writing:

Rhodes is a genius. Her world building skill are phenomenal. She created not only a fantasy world, full of magic and folklore, but also her own countries. She created back stories and histories for these countries, but never once did I feel like I was being preached at. She has perfected the art of revealing through storytelling. Her settings are lush and rich, making me feel like I was walking through the barren lands of Limeros or the meadows of Auranos.

But the characters are what drive this story. These complicated, emotional, and brilliant characters that bring the story to life. Usually when given several prominent characters who each get a turn telling “their” story by alternating chapters (but not alternating POV’s—this one is solely third person, thank God), I find myself attached more to one character than the others, so I will occasionally skip ahead to get to the parts I care about. Not true at all with this story. I loved Cleo’s spirit, Jonas’s determination, Lucia’s innocence, and Magnus’s brooding equally.

I’m not a girl who goes out of her way to read fantasy. I tried reading Game of Thrones when the show came out and found myself hopelessly lost by the third chapter. Same with Wizard’s First Rule by Terry Goodkind (again, loved the tv show Legend of the Seeker), but once more found myself confused and overwhelmed. But there is something magical about Falling Kingdoms that sucked me in. I could have spent another month immersed in this world and not tire of it.

If you’re a fan of fantasy, even in the smallest measure, this is your book. If you’re like me—somewhat intimidated by fantasy and the sweeping magnitude of it, this is also your book. Falling Kingdoms is a book that I can easily see wowing a variety of audiences and readers for years to come.

Buy: Amazon | The Book Depository

Blogger to Author: How to Query Your Book

Blogger to Author

As a blogger, nothing makes me more flattered than when someone takes the time to reach out to me to review a book they worked on.

As a blogger, nothing makes me more frustrated than when someone expects me to review a book they worked on.

Let me start off with why I’m making this post. Over the last few weeks, I have been inundated with review requests. And I’m not saying that to brag—quite the contrary. I'm just finding myself a bit overwhelmed and, frankly, somewhat insulted as it's obvious that the authors making the review requests really don't have the slightest idea what my blog is about. People are asking me to review books totally outside of the genre I read, other people telling me their book is the next big thing so I HAVE to read it, and authors asking me to review books that make me blush as soon as I see the cover. That’s just the start of it!

Here’s a few tips for people looking for someone to review a title they are working on (be it an author, agent, publicist, publisher, etc.):

1. Know thy blogger:

                I understand that you are a very busy person, and sending out queries is long, tiring work, but avoid generic emails. I cannot stress this enough. Bloggers put a lot of work into their blog. If you want your query to be taken seriously, take the time to get the blogger’s name you’re emailing. Don’t address it, “Dear Blogger/Reviewer/Important Person/Person Lucky Enough to Get This Request.” And while I’m at it? Take the time to learn how to spell their name—even if you copy and paste it from the website.

2. Know your target demographic:

                If you have written a sweeping, steamy, romantic story about people who like to be tied up, down, and around for fun it probably isn’t the best idea to ask someone who reviews children’s novels to give your title a go.

                ‘Blogger’ is not a one-size-fits-all category. Some bloggers will review a myriad of genres, others only a specific type. Personally, I only review young adult (YA) with the occasional middle grade (MG). When someone asks me to review a non-fiction title about how Lincoln reunited the union while wearing a large hat, I’m not going to say yes. It’s clearly posted in my info section what types of reviews I will read. Which brings me to—

3. Use the “ABOUT ME/INFO” section:

                A lot of blogs have an informative section about the blogger. A short missive that says our likes and dislikes, types of books we enjoy, and a bunch of other helpful tidbits that would help you figure out if your book is a good fit for this reviewer. Some of us even say if we are currently accepting review copies.

                For example, my blog currently says I am not accepting titles for review, with the exception of authors, publicists, agents, and publishers I have previously worked with. The why is a blogger’s own personal reason which they may or may not choose to disclose. This is not an invitation to pitch your book even harder.

 

4. No one likes a spammer:

                Offering your novel for review is not a case of “if first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” If we decline, don’t send us another query a few weeks later. There is no reason to keep sending emails … especially if they are totally identical to the first one you sent.

5. Give some options:

                As previously stated, I simply don’t have the time to take on additional titles of review right now. However, that doesn’t mean I won’t help promote your book. I have no problem putting up a guest post or a trailer that someone provides me. Want to offer a giveaway? I’m happy to host it for you.

                Bloggers love books and authors. We want your novel to succeed. Just because I don’t have 5 hours to devote to reading your book and writing a review doesn’t mean I don’t have 5 minutes to upload a guest post.

6. For the bloggers:

                If someone offers you a query, don’t be rude. And I don’t mean, firing back an email that says, “Can’t you read? I only review (insert genre) books.” or “I don’t want to read your book. It doesn’t sounds very good.”

                Someone took the time to reach out to you and offer up their heart. That’s what a book is—a piece of a writer’s very soul. Don’t tarnish that because you’re in a bad mood or irritated. A simple, one-line email declining the title is sufficient. Be as polite as you would want someone to be to you.

The idea of this post truly was not to offend anybody. It was simply something I thought might be helpful after talking to a few other bloggers who seemed to be having the same issues I am. If I upset you or offended you, I apologize profusely. The idea was to help, not hurt.

MidWinter's Eve Giveaway Hop

This giveaway hop is hosted by the amazing Kathy @ I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and Oasis for YAIt will run from December 21-27, 2012. I'll choose the winner on Dec. 28, 2012.

This one is INTERNATIONAL! So best of luck and start thinking of which book you'd like to get! 

The Prize:

You can win any book of your choice, up to $15 USD from:

if you live in the US,
OR

if you live outside the US! That means this giveaway is international as long as The Book Depository ships free to you. Not sure? Check this list HERE.

The Rules:

Must be a public GFC follower - I will be checking! 

*Bonus entries:
+2 - Follow me on TWITTER
+2 - Like The Irish Banana Review on FACEBOOK
+5 - Reply to any of my reviews

I will contact the winner via email and they will have 48 hours to reply to my email before another winner is chosen! Winner must be over 13.

That's all you need! Oh, and fill out the form (sorry, Rafflecopter was giving me a fit):

Keep on hopping:

Review: Nobody But Us by Kristin Halbrook

Title: Nobody But Us

Author: Kristin Halbrook

Publisher: HarperTeen

Publication Date: 1.29.2013

Pages: 272

Genre: Contemporary

Series: No

Source: eARC from publisher

Rating: A+

Summary (from Goodreads):

Bonnie and Clyde meets IF I STAY in this addictively heart-wrenching story of two desperate teenagers on the run from their pasts.

They’re young. They’re in love. They’re on the run.

Zoe wants to save Will as much as Will wants to save Zoe. When Will turns eighteen, they decide to run away together. But they never expected their escape to be so fraught with danger....

When the whole world is after you, sometimes it seems like you can’t run fast enough.

Nobody But Us, told in alternating perspectives from Will and Zoe, is an unflinching novel, in turns heartbreaking and hopeful, about survival, choices, and love...and how having love doesn’t always mean that you get a happy ending.

Review:

It’s always hard starting a book that you know will smash your heart, and that’s exactly what happened when I started reading Nobody But Us by Kristin Halbrook. It’s one of those books that you just know can’t end well, but it’s written in such a clear, poetic way, that you can’t stop reading for anything.

Will and Zoe are broken people. There’s just no other word for it. Will has been failed by nearly every adult in his life. He’s been bounced from home to home, a product of just how all-too-frequently our society fails older kids in the foster system. He is volatile and unpredictable, but he has this love of Zoe that is overwhelming. The sheer sensitivity of Will astounded me, especially when it came to Zoe.

Zoe, who has been beaten down and abused for most of her life by her only living parent. I desperately wanted Zoe away from her dad—possibly as badly as Will did. The man was a monster, and I cheered when they ran away together … Until I realized Zoe is 15 and Will is 18 and their being together is a crime. But that is just the first in a long series of decisions and obstacles that threatened to undo them.

This book really raises the question: Can you love someone too much? Will and Zoe clung to each other and understood one another in a way few people ever do, but it was to the point of destruction. There were so many points in the journey where things could have gone a little different and ended beautifully, but bad luck and desperation-fueled choices put them on a collision course with reality.

I finished reading Nobody But Us yesterday on the bus coming home from NYC with friends. I still had another 2 hours to kill before we got home, but I couldn’t bring myself to start a new book. This book haunted me much more than I ever imagined. No, I did not get the ending I so desperately wanted, but I think that’s the point. This book made me think and feel long after I stopped reading. I selfishly wanted to hurl this book (well, metaphorically speaking as it was on my Nook and I didn’t feel like going through the financial hassle of replacing that) and pout that I didn’t get my fairy tale ending.

But this isn’t that book.

If you want a happily ever after, then sadly you probably will not enjoy this. However, I think you do yourself a huge disservice by not reading Nobody But Us. Holbrook created this masterpiece of a novel that left me wondering and troubled long after it was over. And really, can you ask for anything more spectacular in a novel?

Buy: Amazon | The Book Depository

Guest Post: Jade from The Real Mermaids

Real Mermaids Festive Treats

Hi everyone! Jade here from Real Mermaids.

One of my favourite things about the upcoming holidays is the great treats we get to make and share. I love food so much, in fact, that I included a recipe for some of my favourite snacks in each of the Real Mermaids books.

My friend Cori and I thought we’d experiment a bit and ‘holiday-ize’ each recipe for you!

In Real Mermaids Don’t Hold Their Breath, Cori and I were totally desperate for a sleepover snack so Cori whipped up a batch of chocolate covered popcorn with some popcorn kernels, chocolate chips, a brown paper bag and a microwave. I’m not kidding—that girl’s a genius! We added some candy cane sprinkles here to give it that festive touch.

Chocolate Popcorn with Candy Cane Sprinkles

Supplies:

- brown paper lunch bag

- stapler

- measuring cup

- microwave

Ingredients:

- 1/3 cup popcorn kernels

- 2 tbsp brown sugar

- 3 tbsp chocolate chips

- 3 tbsp butter or margarine

- pinch of salt

- 3 candy canes, crushed

Pour the popcorn kernels into a brown paper lunch bag then fold the top of the bag ¼ of an inch, twice. Secure with two staples (trust me, Cori Googled it!) at the folded part to seal the bag shut. Put the bag flat in the microwave and cook on HIGH for about two minutes. Each microwave is different, though, so you may need to adjust the time.

Meanwhile, add the brown sugar, chocolate chips, butter/margarine and salt to a microwave-safe measuring cup. Cook on HIGH for about 15 seconds or until the gooey buttery-chocolaty mixture is melted. Mix well with a fork then pour it over the popcorn.

Toss like a salad, add the candy cane sprinkles on top and munch away!

Happy treats and have a great holiday, everyone!

Love,

Jade

BEA 2013: You Going?

In case you haven't heard, registration is currently open for BookExpo America, or BEA it's commonly referred to!

I already registered and booked my room! 

I already know a few people who are going (I cannot wait to meet them in person or see friends I made last year), but there's always room for more.

Last year we created a Goodreads group for people to join who are going. We have everything from a twitter lost of attendees to helpful blog posts and tips.

BEA Goodreads Group

The idea is to start connecting with other bloggers going to BEA. There's also a place to post a wanted ad for a roomie or driving buddy to help offset some of the costs. So if you wanted to get, but couldn't swing an NYC hotel room by yourself, this is your chance!

Are you going?!

Review: Touch of Death by Kelly Hashway

Title: Touch of Death

Author: Kelly Hashway

Publisher: Spencer Hill Press

Publication Date: 1.15.2013

Pages: 235

Genre: Mythology; Fantasy

Series: Yes (Touch of Death #1)

Source: ARC from publisher

Rating: B+

Summary (from Goodreads):

Jodi Marshall isn’t sure how she went from normal teenager to walking disaster. One minute she’s in her junior year of high school, spending time with her amazing boyfriend and her best friend. The next she’s being stalked by some guy no one seems to know.

After the stranger, Alex, reveals himself, Jodi learns he’s not a normal teenager and neither is she. With a kiss that kills and a touch that brings the dead back to life, Jodi discovers she’s part of a branch of necromancers born under the 13th sign of the zodiac, Ophiuchus. A branch of necromancers that are descendants of Medusa. A branch of necromancers with poisoned blood writhing in their veins.

Jodi’s deadly to the living and even more deadly to the deceased. She has to leave her old, normal life behind before she hurts the people she loves. As if that isn’t difficult enough, Jodi discovers she’s the chosen one who has to save the rest of her kind from perishing at the hands of Hades. If she can’t figure out how to control her power, history will repeat itself, and her race will become extinct.

Review:

Bravo to Kelly Hashway for writing a winner right out of the gate. Touch of Death is a romantic and thrilling spin on Greek mythology that left me pining for more. There are just too many months between me and the sequel!

Jodi is just a likeable character. She had her dramatic moments, her awesome moments, and even her “WTF is the thinking?” moments. She was a very real character in that she reacted to most situations the way I think a lot of people would. There was no overt posturing or eye roll inducing heroic/martyr moments.  I won’t say she’s a character I fell instantly in love with, but there’s this winning quality to her that will keep me coming back to read more about her. I’m excited to see how Hashway progresses and develops Jodi in the rest of the series.

The only small negative that still kind of grates on me is the insta-love between Jodi and Alex. It sort of made my head spin, but the romance is hot and written very well. Because I love these two, I was able to pretty much set aside my inner grumblings about how fast their relationship came to be for the most part.

While it may seem that Greek mythology has become a fast-rising trend in YA, I do enjoy the 13^th zodiac spin Hashway employs here and the zombie spin. I hadn’t encountered that yet in a novel, so  that part was refreshing. This is a great start to a new series.

Buy: Amazon | The Book Depository

Stacking the Shelves #6

Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews. This a new way to showcase all the books currently weighing down my shelves. This week is a compilation of books I've gotten over the last month or so since I haven't done one of these in a while.

For Review:

Salvation by Anne Osterlund

Pivot Point by Kasie West

Pulse by Patrick Carman

Impostor by Jill Hathaway

Bought:

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

The Savage Grace by Bree Despain

Dreamless by Josephine Angelini
Opal by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Trade:

The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

NetGalley/Edelweiss:
The Goddess Inheritance by Aimee Carter
Mila 2.0 by Debra Driza
Riptide by Lindsey Scheibe
Dualed by Elsie Chapman
Mind Games by Kiersten White
The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd
Wasteland by Susan Kim
Pretty Girl-13 by Liz Coley
Nobody But Us by Kristin Halbrook

**Thank you to HarperTeen, HarlequinTeen, Anne Osterlund, and Rose from Our Book Report**

Review: Ask the Passengers by A.S. King

Title: Ask the Passengers

Author: A.S. King

Publisher: Little, Brown BFYR

Publication Date: 10.23.2012

Pages: 296

Genre: Contemporary, LGBT

Series: No

Source: Finished copy from publisher

Rating: B

Summary (from Goodreads):

Astrid Jones desperately wants to confide in someone, but her mother's pushiness and her father's lack of interest tell her they're the last people she can trust. Instead, Astrid spends hours lying on the backyard picnic table watching airplanes fly overhead. She doesn't know the passengers inside, but they're the only people who won't judge her when she asks them her most personal questions . . . like what it means that she's falling in love with a girl.

As her secret relationship becomes more intense and her friends demand answers, Astrid has nowhere left to turn. She can't share the truth with anyone except the people at thirty thousand feet, and they don't even know she's there. But little does Astrid know just how much even the tiniest connection will affect these strangers' lives--and her own--for the better.

Review:

Ask the Passengers is exactly the type of book you think you’re getting when you read the summary: It’s a book about a teenage girl who is trying to sort out her life and figure out who she is and who she wants to be. And yes, it has the added twist of the main character coming to terms with her sexual orientation.

I was a little surprised at how ordinary Astrid felt. Not that I expected her to be some dramatic, overblown character, but I felt like there was nothing spectacular that set her apart from a lot of the other teenage girls I read about in contemporary novels. Her parents don’t get her—her mom is more concerned with her sister and her dad is fairly oblivious. That just felt formulaic to me. Aside from the lesbian angle to the story, Astrid felt like any other girl dealing with feelings for that special someone, but unsure of how to express them.

This book is all about emotion. I expected that going in, and A.S. King really does a nice job of expressing those emotions. She phrases things splendidly, and I truly enjoy her writing style. The story flowed nicely. It wasn’t overly long or excessively wordy, which could have been an easy pitfall to stumble into.

Overall, this book was exactly what I expected, but that’s what disappointed me. I was hoping for something that would wow me. Something I could get really excited about and sink into. The setting is a small town where everyone knows everyone’s business, but again, that just felt so done already. I feel like I’ve read variations of this novel before, but the way King wrote it kept me engaged to the end.

Buy: Amazon

Trailer: Prophecy by Ellen Oh

Coming January 2013: The greatest warrior in all of the Seven Kingdoms... is a girl with yellow eyes.

Kira’s the only female in the king’s army, and the prince’s bodyguard. She’s a demon slayer and an outcast, hated by nearly everyone in her home city of Hansong. And, she’s their only hope...

Murdered kings and discovered traitors point to a demon invasion, sending Kira on the run with the young prince. He may be the savior predicted in the Dragon King Prophecy, but the missing treasure of myth may be the true key. With only the guidance of the cryptic prophecy, Kira must battle demon soldiers, evil shaman, and the Demon Lord himself to find what was once lost and raise a prince into a king.

Ellen Oh will be at several events on the east coast during January:

January 6, 2013 (2:30PM) – The PROPHECY book launch will be held at the Bethesda library!

January 12, 2013 (3:30) – Author event with Jessica Spotswood and Alex Lidell at Hooray for Books, Alexandria, VA.

January 25, 2013 – Book signing event with Beth Revis (ACROSS THE UNIVERSE), Victoria Schwab (THE NEAR WITCH), and Jodi Meadows (INCARNATE) at Barnes and Noble, Charlottesville, VA.