Review: Siege & Storm by Leigh Bardugo

Title: Siege & Storm

Author: Leigh Bardugo

Publisher: Henry Holt & Co.

Publication Date: June 2013

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Series or Stand Alone: Series, Book Two

Review: Shades of Milk and Honey by Mary Robinette Kowal

Title: Shades of Milk and Honey

Author: Mary Robinette Kowal

Publisher: Tor Books

Publication Date: August 2010

Genre: Adult Historical Fiction/Fantasy

Series or Stand Alone: Series, Book One

Review: The Loop by Shandy Lawson

Title: The Loop

Author: Shandy Lawson

Publisher: Hyperion

Publication Date: April 2013

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy/Science Fiction

Series or Stand Alone: Stand Alone

Giveaway, Author Interview & Review: The Taker by Alma Katsu

Title: The Taker

Author: Alma Katsu

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Publication Date: March 2012

Genre: Adult Fiction

Series or Stand Alone: Series, Book One

Review: Scent of Magic by Maria V. Snyder

Title: Scent of Magic

Author: Maria V. Snyder

Publisher: Harlequin Mira

Publication Date: December 2012

Genre: Young Adult Fiction/Fantasy

Series or Stand Alone: Series, Book Two

Book Review: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Title: The Night Circus

Author: Erin Morgenstern

Publisher: Doubleday

Publication Date: September 2011

Genre: Adult Fiction

Series or Stand Alone: Stand Alone

Book Review: Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter

Title: Goddess Interrupted

Author: Aimee Carter

Publisher: Harlequinn Teen

Publication Date: March 2012

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy/Myth

Series or Stand Alone: Series, Book Two

Book Review: The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter

Title: The Goddess Test

Author: Aimee Carter

Publisher: Harlequinn Teen

Publication Date: April 2011

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy/Myth

Series or Stand Alone: Series, Book One

Book Review: Legacy by Cayla Kluver

Title: Legacy

Author: Cayla Kluver

Publisher: Harlequinn Teen

Publication Date:

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Series or Stand Alone: Series, Book One

Book Review: Incarnate by Jodi Meadows

Title: Incarnate

Author: Jodi Meadows

Publisher: Harper Collins

Publication Date: January 2012

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Series or Stand Alone: Series, Book One

Book Review: A Touch of Power (Healer #1) by Maria V. Snyder

Title: A Touch of Power

Author: Maria V. Snyder

Publisher: Mira

Publication Date: December 2011

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Series or Stand Alone: Series, Book One

Author Interview & Book Review: The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton

Title: The Faerie Ring

Author: Kiki Hamilton

Publisher: Macmillan

Publication Date: September 2011

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy/Historical Fiction

Series or Stand Alone: Series, Book One


Synopsis can be found here.

Review:

In 1871 London, our world and the Otherworld blur. Queen Victoria's ring is lost, setting off a chain of events that may lead to an all out war with the Fey. The thief is a young girl named Tiki, an orphan who lives on the streets of London. Little did she know what she was going to start!

Trying to care for her family of orphans, Tiki is now being watched, and followed by humans and Fey alike. One of them is a fellow thief Rieker, but can he be trusted? And which side is he on, anyway?

The Faerie Ring blew me away. We start in the dirty, grimy streets of London where our heroine and her family are scraping by with what they can. Life is hard and while Tiki has a good heart, sometimes we all do things we can regret. (Like stealing Queen Victoria's ring for instance!)

The darkness of London is the perfect setting for the Fey, who hover in shadows, preying on innocent people. The two worlds blend so well, it was easy to be completely lost in the story. The twists and turns in the book are unexpected, reminding me of running through the narrow streets of London. In fact, one particular twist at the end is so surprising, I had to read the passage twice!

Tiki is a very likeable character, sometimes making wrong decisions but always with good intentions. Rieker, another thief, is mysterious, handsome and a little bit dangerous. The attraction between these two is obvious as the banter goes back and forth easily. Do we trust Rieker? Should we? 

Overall, The Faerie Ring is a wonderful mix of fantasy, rebellion and mystery. I loved reading every moment of this book! 

Rating: 10, One of the Best

Author Interview with Kiki Hamilton!

Kimberly- Thank you so much for stopping by Kiki!

Kiki- Thanks so much for inviting me over to your blog!

What inspired you to become a writer? 

I’ve always loved to write but I was so busy with work and my family and life that I didn’t make the time to write. Then I read Harry Potter. (I didn’t actually start Harry Potter until the Goblet of Fire came out… I read books 1-4 in a week.) I’d forgotten the magic of a well-told story. The magic of becoming the characters in a book and experiencing their adventures. I loved Harry Potter so much that I decided I’d write a little story for my daughter and that’s when the madness all started…

What was the last book you read?  

I read REVOLUTION by Jennifer Donnelly recently and enjoyed that.

What sparked the idea of your book? 

I’ve always loved the idea of things not being what they seem. That other dimensions or worlds exist side by side with our own, just beyond our ken; that the scope of our world is more than just the three dimensions that we are able to easily comprehend.

At the same time, I'm intrigued by the past, by our history, by what may have occurred that might not have been formally documented for future generations. The untold story, if you will. And I am particularly fascinated with those untold stories that have a thread of documented fact woven through them, hich makes the reader question whether they are reading fiction or nonfiction. A story that makes the reader say... "What if..."

How did you choose the setting and time for your novel, which takes place in London 1871? (Do you have a time machine?) 

Victorian London is a mysterious and magical time in history.  It is an era of great change, great technological advances, yet at the same time, beliefs in the occult remained strong.  Additionally, the era offers a startling dichotomy between the classes and the way people lived, providing a great gap of motivations. 

What are your favorite things about Tiki? 

I like how loyal Tiki is – that she will stand up for and take care of people even when it’s frightening or difficult.

I’m a little in love with Rieker. Is he real?  

LOL, don’t we wish? That’s the fun of being a writer – you can create exactly what you want. But no, Rieker is not based on a real person.

Are you sure? 

LOL – You never know. I’ll let you know if I run into him in crowded railway station one day. J

What was the biggest challenge writing your novel? 

Actually, there wasn’t any great challenge. I wrote the story I wanted to read and it just fell out of my head onto the page.  I wrote THE FAERIE RING in 30 days.  Editorial revisions, however, took a bit longer. ;-}

How do you like your potato? 

Boiled, mushed with lots of butter

If you weren’t a writer, what would you be? 

I’ve been in business for many years.  Right now, I also work at a financial advisory firm.

Do you have a favorite literary character? 

I LOVED Eugenides in Megan Whalen Turner’s THE THIEF series. And of course, I love Harry Potter and the Weasley twins…

What do you do when you’re not writing? 

Clean the house, mow, walk the dog, grocery shop, cook dinner, laundry, haul the kid around….you know – the usual. But I also like to play the guitar, ski, play tennis, I paint occasionally and stuff like that.

What is one thing you would tell aspiring writers? 

Never, EVER give up.

What is your next book about and when is it coming out? 

Stay tuned!

Thank you again Kiki for stopping by! 

You can visit Kiki Hamilton here and follow her on twitter @kikihamilton

Book Review: Succubus Revealed by Richelle Mead

Title: Succubus Revealed

Author: Richelle Mead

Publisher: Kensington

Publication Date: August 2011

Genre: Adult Romantic Fantasy

Series or Stand Alone: Series, Book Six, End of series

Check out my archive to see reviews of book one to five!

Book Review: Succubus Shadows by Richelle Mead

Title: Succubus Shadows

Author: Richelle Mead

Publisher: Kensington

Publication Date: April 2010

Genre: Adult Fantasy

Series or Stand Alone: Series, Book Five

Check out my archive to see the reviews on books one to four!

Book Review: Succubus Heat by Richelle Mead

Title: Succubus Heat

Author: Richelle Mead

Publisher: Kensington

Publication Date: May 2009

Genre: Adult Fantasy

Series or Stand Alone: Series, Book Four

Succubus Blues (book one) review can be found here.

Succubus On Top (book two) review can be found here.

Succubus Dreams (book three) review can be found here.

Book Review: Succubus Dreams by Richelle Mead

Title: Succubus Dreams

Author: Richelle Mead

Publisher: Kensington

Publication Date: October 2008

Genre: Adult Fantasy

Series or Stand Alone: Series, Book Three

Review of Succubus Blues (Book One) can be found here.

Review of Succubus On Top (Book Two) can be found here.

Book Review: Succubus On Top by Richelle Mead

Title: Succubus On Top

Author: Richelle Mead

Publisher: Kensington

Publication Date: January 2008

Genre: Adult Fantasy

Series or Stand Alone: Series, Book Two

Succubus Blues (book one) review can be found here.

Book Review: Succubus Blues by Richelle Mead

Title: Succubus Blues

Author: Richelle Mead

Publisher: Kensington

Publication Date: March 2007


Genre: Adult Fantasy

Series or Stand Alone: Series, Book One