Review: Into The Still Blue

Into the Still Blue (Under the Never Sky #3)

by Veronica Rossi

BLURB: The earth-shattering conclusion to Veronica Rossi's "masterpiece" Under the Never Sky trilogy and sequel to the New York Timesbestselling Through the Ever Night (Examiner.com).

Their love and their leadership have been tested. Now it's time for Perry and Aria to unite the Dwellers and the Outsiders in one last desperate attempt to bring balance to their world.

The race to the Still Blue has reached a stalemate. Aria and Perry are determined to find this last safe-haven from the Aether storms before Sable and Hess do-and they are just as determined to stay together.

Meanwhile, time is running out to rescue Cinder, who was abducted by Hess and Sable for his unique abilities. And when Roar returns to camp, he is so furious with Perry that he won't even look at him, and Perry begins to feel like they have already lost.

Out of options, Perry and Aria assemble a team to mount an impossible rescue mission-because Cinder isn't just the key to unlocking the Still Blue and their only hope for survival, he's also their friend. And in a dying world, the bonds between people are what matter most.

In this final book in her stunning Under the Never Sky trilogy, Veronica Rossi raises the stakes to their absolute limit and brings her epic love story to an unforgettable close.

Source: Edelweiss (Thanks HarperCollins!)

My Thoughts:

I've been waiting for this book for a long time. I ADORED the previous book in the series Through The Ever Night (TTEN). The last book in the series are tough to read and usually do not live upto expectations.

Into The Still Blue was an interesting and good book but it didn't wow me like TTEN. Through The Ever Night in my opinion took this series to another level and even though this is a fantastic book it doesn't sweep me off my feet.I guess the book didn't live upto my expectations.

I loved Perry and Aria in this book.Aria has changed so much and Perry is as great as ever but he still hasn't learnt to trust people close to him.Both characters have shown such incredible growth over this series . Roar in this book broke my heart.

The plot is interesting and manages to keep you engrossed and there are a lot of unexpected twists but the pacing was a little problematic in this novel. This is definitely the darkest story in this series and there is a sense of foreboding throughout the novel. For some reason I just didn't get lost in the atmosphere or felt the anticipation, I have no idea why.I was surprised by the twists but I knew what would happen somehow.

Overall, this is a great series and I would recommend it to people . I wasn't wowed by the ending but I enjoyed it.

My Rating:

Toss up between 3.5 and 4 

bending more towards the 4. 

2014 Review Pile Challenge

Welcome to the 2014 Review Pile Reading Challenge, hosted by Rachel @ Fiktshun and Reanna @ Phantasmic Reads!

details (Reposted from Fiktshun ) 

• The 2014 Review Pile Reading Challenge runs from January 1st until December 31st, 2014
• Sign-ups will remain open until December 31st, 2014 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific
• Grab one of the buttons to show off your participation! Parajunkee did a great job with them!
• You DO NOT have to have a blog to join this challenge. You just need to have some books received for review and a place online to review them
• Create a sign-up post announcing your intention to participate and link up below. If you do not have a blog, you can link up to your Goodreads profile that shows your 2014 Review Pile Reading Challenge shelf
• Please link back to the hosts in your sign-up posts
• This challenge is to help clear up books you’ve received for review. Any format, or any length, as long as you received the book specifically for review, is allowed
• There will be a kick-off post on January 1, 2014 at both Fiktshun and Phantasmic Reads where you’ll be able to leave your links for any January reviews. (No 2013 reviews.) At the beginning of every month, starting in February, these posts will alternate between both blogs. (See schedule below)
• If you forgot to leave your review link in the challenge month in which you reviewed the book or the linky list closed before you had a chance to leave it, you can leave it in a future month. (No duplicates.)
• There will also be monthly giveaways – make sure you check in each month!
• Use the hashtag #RPRC2014 to share your progress and connect with other participants on Twitter

I'm signing up for the Journeyman Level for now which is 11-20 books .  THIS challenge looks awesome Please join in :) 

Review + GIVEAWAY: With All My Soul by Rachel Vincent

With All My Soul (Soul Screamers #7)

by Rachel Vincent

blurb
After spending the last year undead, Kaylee Cavanaugh has had enough of the paranormal creatures who have plagued her ever since she came into her banshee powers. Now she's ready to take her school back from the evil hellions, once and forever.

To protect her friends, Kaylee will need to find a way to turn the living incarnations of Avarice, Envy and Vanity against one another.

Yet when one more person close to her is taken, Kaylee realises she can't save everyone she loves without making some powerful sacrifices...

ADD TO GOODREADS

SERIES Reviews: BOOK1,BOOK2,BOOK3,BOOK4,
BOOK5,BOOK6


Source: Publisher for an honest review ( I HEART you MiraInk!)

BUY: Amazon,Flipkart

My Thoughts:

This is the LAST book in this series.

from Google

I cannot believe that I won't be reading about these characters anymore!

from google

I have been avoiding this book like the plague and I probably wouldn't have finished reading it till next month if not for Fiktshun's reading challenge deadline. Thank you Rachel @ Fiktshun and Shelley @ Tsk Tsk What to Read for the push, I needed it!

It was time to say goodbye to the characters I've come to love and hate over the span of seven books and It was hard! SO HARD!

Tod , Kaylee, Sabine,Emma,Harmony,Nash,Sophie,Luca,Levi,Madeline,Ira,Ben and every single character part of this amazing world... I'M GOING TO MISS YOU!

source

It's hard to say goodbye and I tried very hard to avoid it but once I started reading I couldn't stop! I finished the entire book in one day i.e yesterday .

 Rachel Vincent pulls you into this amazing world and doesn't let you go till the very end.She leaves you wanting more!

Rachel is an amazing writer. Loads of times books loose their pace and allure as the series progresses and writing a story that goes on for seven books is not easy but she manages to pull it off. The last three books in the series have been AHMAZING and If someone asked me which is the best book in the series I think I'd have to think really hard. There were some(to be exact just two) books in the series that were a little disappointing (Especially Book 4 ) but this is one series I would recommend to almost everyone. The character building is great and the author does not hesitate in breaking the rules.

Character building is important and the characters in this series have depth and are more than just caricatures. The relationships are built beautifully and the emotions felt by the characters are experienced by the reader. I could easily connect and form a relationship with the characters even though I didn't have a lot in common with them.

Kaylee is a strong heroine who uses her brain. She may have come across as love struck and a naive girl in the beginning of the series but she's not one anymore. She's selfless and at times willing to go to any lengths to protect the ones that she loves. In a way she's become wise and has realized that the world works in certain ways. 

Nash is a character I've had a rocky relationship with. I never loved his character. He came across as too sweet and understanding at first and that made me suspicious. My suspicions were justified and there were a lot of things that he did that I hated but I understand his reasons.I don't hate him anymore.

Tod is a character I loved   love. I liked him from the very beginning! He had a minuscule part to play in the first book but this sarcastic and funny guy left his mark.Tod is my favorite character from this series and I think I'm gonna miss him the most.

Sabine is a character that at times I HATED with a vengeance but it's hard to hate someone who speaks the truth and calls out people when they're lying to themselves. I think this is one character that I have grown to like and even love as the series progresses. 

All the secondary characters (there are too many to name) are memorable and have a story to tell and Rachel tells that story beautifully.

I don't want to give away spoilers so I'm not going to write much about the story except for the fact that it was gripping but at times I found it to be predictable.I knew that a particular incident was going to happen and that is why I wasn't surprised when it did but that doesn't mean that the book was boring or didn't hold my interest. Sometimes it's the journey that is important and this is one journey that has had a lot of ups and downs.The final conclusion is one that nobody should miss out on.

Overall, this is one series I think everyone should read. It starts off slowly but keep in mind that character building cannot be rushed.The final conclusion did not disappoint me and that in itself is an achievement. I cannot wait to read another series by Rachel Vincent.Anathema release soon PLEASE!

My Rating:

5/5 

*This review is part of the Don't Let It End Challenge and  WAMS  mini-reading challenge hosted by Fiktshun.

GIVEAWAY

You guys might have guessed already but I'm a huge FAN of this series and I wanted to giveaway this book as part of my blog's second birthday!

This giveaway is INTERNATIONAL!

Don't forget to enter the previous giveaways that are still going on.....

Ink by Amanda Sun [NORTH AMERICA only]

The Eternity Cure [INTERNATIONAL]

Up for grabs: One copy of With All My Soul offered up by the AHMAZING peeps at MiraInk!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

My Thoughts on Perfect Scoundrels

Perfect Scoundrels (Heist Society #3)

by Ally Carter

Katarina Bishop and W.W. Hale the fifth were born to lead completely different lives: Kat comes from a long, proud line of loveable criminal masterminds, while Hale is the scion of one of the most seemingly perfect dynasties in the world. If their families have one thing in common, it’s that they both know how to stay under the radar while getting—or stealing—whatever they want.

No matter the risk, the Bishops can always be counted on, but in Hale’s family, all bets are off when money is on the line. When Hale unexpectedly inherits his grandmother’s billion dollar corporation, he quickly learns that there’s no place for Kat and their old heists in his new role. But Kat won’t let him go that easily, especially after she gets tipped off that his grandmother’s will might have been altered in an elaborate con to steal the company’s fortune. So instead of being the heir—this time, Hale might be the mark. 

Forced to keep a level head as she and her crew fight for one of their own, Kat comes up with an ambitious and far-reaching plan that only the Bishop family would dare attempt. To pull it off, Kat is prepared to do the impossible, but first, she has to decide if she’s willing to save her boyfriend’s company if it means losing the boy.

Source: Publisher for an honest review ( Thanks Hachette!!)

My Thoughts:

I usually give a star rating to books but sometimes it's just to hard to classify a book under a specific rating. I couldn't decide with Divergent and I can't decide with this book as well so I'm not going to give this book a star rating,I'm just going to write my thoughts.


Perfect Scoundrels keeps you hooked till the end but unlike the previous book it doesn't leave you befuddled. I had VERY high expectations from this novel.

Kat and Hale are two characters who have been tip toeing across one another for two books now . I would have liked to have read about them being a normal(or as normal as they can be) happy couple for some time but their relationship(?) is put to the test almost from the start of this novel. 

Bones(TV series) Comparison/RANT here :
Spoilers for TV series 
The development of Kat and Hale's relationship was almost as disappointing as the relationship of Booth and Brennan. I was so disappointed when they(Bones creators/writers) skipped the entire OH-MY-GOSH-WE'RE-OFFICIALLY-A-COUPLE-NOW.They JUST fast forwarded to OH-MY-GOSH-WE'RE-HAVING-A-BABY-NOW! Atleast Bones and Booth had A LOT of happy and cute couple like moments . I DEMAND HAPPY and couple like moments for Kat and Hale before they're all 'This isn't working out '

RANT ENDS

One thing that was a little irritating was the emotional drama. At first it was nice but by the end of the book I just wanted it to be over.

The best thing about this novel is the fact that at first things seem very simple. All I could think at the beginning was "pfft.. this is too simple"

BUT then things get VERY COMPLICATED and if you miss a sentence you won't realize what just happened.

The pacing of this novel is great and I loved getting to know more about Hale's family.Some parts of the book were hilarious (Well, I found them to be so ) and I just loved the whole family dynamic and the NUMEROUS twists and turns.

The most disappointing thing about this book is the fact that it MAY be the last book in the series. Ally Carter is not contracted currently to write any more Heist Society novels.I really hope there are more Heist Society novels. I really enjoy this series. It's also got universal appeal. Children aged 12 and above can read it.

Overall, This is a great addition to the Heist Society series .It's not as good as Uncommon Criminals and it's definitely not the BEST end to the series but it keeps you hooked till the end and wanting more.

This review is part of 

And In this case I REALLY HOPE this IS NOT the end because if it is...

WAMS challenge!

I'VE BEEN DYING to read this book...

and Fiktshun decided to host this challenge. How could I resist?

I cannot believe this is the LAST book :(

CHECK OUT THE DETAILS HERE: http://www.fiktshun.com/fiktshun/2013/02/19/with-all-my-soul-mini-reading-challenge-sign-ups/?utm_source=rss

CHALLENGE : Don't Let It End

I love Fiktshun and she's holding this reading challenge. I JUST HAD to participate

The details….

(pasted from Fiktshun's blog!)

+ It is open to EVERYONE with a place to post their thoughts online.

+ It is for books from ANY genre

+ It is for books from ANY year, including 2013.

+ It is ONLY for the final book in the series. (Full-length books only, no after-the-fact novellas.)

+ There is NO minimum or maximum commitment. There is NO requirement to read each month.

+ You can join in at any time 

+ Books you read for other challenges CAN count toward this one. It just has to be the LAST book in the series. And they have to be read during the months of this challenge.

+ Every month there will be a GIVEAWAY and one winner will be chosen from that month’s participants for ONE series-ending Book of Their Choice.

SOUNDS GOOD NO??

Interested? You can sign up here: http://www.fiktshun.com/fiktshun/2013/01/11/dont-let-it-end-reading-challenge/

There are a lot of FINAL books coming out this year... and I thought it would be a good idea to join this 

JLA Reading Challenge

Deity Island  is holding a Jennifer Armentrout Reading Challenge from August to December....

In their own words...

Jen has got FIVE, count 'em FIVE books (plus a novella) coming out in the latter half of the year and wouldn't you just love the challenge of reading all her books and talking about them with other fans?! In case you didn't know, her upcoming releases for the year will be Onyx (Lux Series #2), Cursed, Unchained, Deity (Covenant Series #3), Elixir (Covenant Series - Aiden's novella), and Opal (Lux Series #3).

THE OBJECTIVE

I CHALLENGE YOU... to (re)read all of JLA's books and post a NEW review/post about it from August 1st-December 31st, 2012. Each month, a new post will go up explaining which book(s) to read and a Linky List will be provided for you to add your review/post. At the end of each month, we will be giving away one of Jen's books to one lucky person who links up their review/post.

There will also be a giveaway every month!! SO if you're a JLA fan you need to sign up now!!!

INTERESTED? GO SIGN UP!!!! 

Soul Screamers Reading Challenge

Fiktshun is holding a Soul Screamers Reading Challenge at her blog...

I've already posted all my reviews under this challenge and this CHALLENGE IS AWESOME! I thought I had already posted about this challenge but I have not (How could I have forgotten!) Anyways there's still time to participate. SO HEAD OVER to Fiktshun's blog and participate in this awesome challenge.

FYI: Soul Screamers is a series by Rachel Vincent.

Books in the series

1. My Soul To Take
2. My Soul to Save
3. My Soul To Keep
4. My Soul to Steal
5. If I Die
6. Before I Wake (To Be Released )
7. With All My Soul (To Be Released)

THIS SERIES IS REALLY GOOD! 

Once Upon a Readathon Books

I am taking part in Once Upon a Readathon hosted by Reading Angel, Pure Imagination and  Candace's Book Blog. It runs from 12:01 AM on July 11 to 11:59 PM on July 13th.

I'm planning to read 

Airel

Scorpia Rising
OR

The Beginning of After
Unfortunately,I have a LOT of work to do during the readathon days,otherwise I would have aimed to read more books!
But If I do finish reading these,I will read.
This List is not final of course,I might find interesting titles from Netgalley but I will read at least two books!




Heads up: I will be having an international giveaway on my blog on 18th July of an indie steampunk novel.