Review: Wings of the Wicked by Courtney Allison Moulton

WINGS OF THE WICKED
By: Courtney Allison Moulton
Published By: Katherine Tegen Books / HarperCollins
Release Date: Jan. 31, 2012
Series: Angelfire (#2)
Pages: 528
Genre: Paranormal
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: ALA Midwinter
Buy the Book: Amazon

Disclaimer: This summary may contain spoilers if you have not read the first book in this trilogy. To read my review of ANGELFIRE, click here.

Goodreads Summary: Life as the Preliator is harder than Ellie ever imagined.

Balancing real life with the responsibility of being Heaven’s warrior is a challenge for Ellie. Her relationship with Will has become all business, though they both long for each other. And now that the secret of who she really is has come out, so have Hell’s strongest reapers. Grown bold and more vicious, the demonic threaten her in the light of day and stalk her in the night.

She’s been warned.
Cadan, a demonic reaper, comes to her with information about Bastian’s new plan to destroy Ellie’s soul and use an ancient relic to wake all the souls of the damned and unleash them upon humanity. As she fights to stay ahead of Bastian’s schemes, the revelations about those closest to her awaken a dark power within Ellie that threatens to destroy everything—including herself.

She’ll be betrayed.
Treachery comes even from those whom she loves, and Ellie is broken by the deaths of those who stood beside her in this Heavenly war. Still, she must find a way to save the world, herself, and her love for Will. If she fails, there will be hell to pay.



Angelfire was one of my favorite books of 2011, so I've been dying to read Wings of the Wicked for a very long time now. I was very eager to delve back into the world that Courtney created and see what Ellie and Will faced this time.

Ellie and Will thought that they had a hard fight in Angelfire, but the worst is not over. Demonic reapers are still after her, and Bastian has certainly not forgotten about her. Even with the help of more angelic vir, Ellie is finding it harder and harder to escape from the demonic. And in addition to all of this, Ellie still has to deal with warnings from Cadan as well as being a senior in high school. Furthermore, with the stress and Will's moral conscience, things between the Preliator and her Guardian are strained at best, very tense at worst. Now not only does Ellie have to fight for her life against demonic reapers, she also has to decide how long she can fight her heart...

Wings of the Wicked in one word: Wow. Sometimes sophomore novels don't live up to the first book, but with Wings of the Wicked nothing could be farther from the truth. This book was darker than Angelfire, but with this came an intensity that made this book impossible to put down. Somehow 500 pages flew by and yet still weren't enough. The world and its angel lore, the action, the romance...all were taken to a new level during this book. Every fighting scene was incredibly vivid, and Will and Ellie's relationship by turns sizzled off the page or made me smile ridiculously or even tear up. And Will. Oh, Will. I'm positive I claimed him as one of my book boyfriends already, but if not, let me do that now. He is swoon-worthy to the max and practically perfect in an endearing way. Then there's Cadan, who definitely surprised me in this book. I'm very curious to see how things will turn out for him in the next book. Finally there's Ellie. Despite her rough patches, she really grew into her own over the course of this book. And all of these characters are woven into a story full of twists and turns that take you on one crazy ride.

It's hard to say what the best part of this book is, because I love the characters, the story, and the writing. Courtney's writing style truly makes every scene come to life and made me feel everything that these characters felt. There's also a bit of evil genius at work in this book...I'm convinced that a few scenes were in there to torture us readers (and Courtney has admitted to her evil ways...).

Be prepared to lose sleep, to laugh, cry, grieve, and rejoice along with Ellie, Will, and the others. I am dying to know what happens next and will be impatiently awaiting the final book in this trilogy!

"Waiting on" Wednesday

"Waiting on" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.



This week's selection is:

REVIVED
By: Cat Patrick
Published By: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Release Date: May 8, 2012
Preorder the Book: Amazon

Goodreads Summary: As a little girl, Daisy Appleby was killed in a school bus crash. Moments after the accident, she was brought back to life.

A secret government agency has developed a drug called Revive that can bring people back from the dead, and Daisy Appleby, a test subject, has been Revived five times in fifteen years. Daisy takes extraordinary risks, knowing that she can beat death, but each new death also means a new name, a new city, and a new life. When she meets Matt McKean, Daisy begins to question the moral implications of Revive, and as she discovers the agency’s true goals, she realizes she’s at the center of something much larger — and more sinister — than she ever imagined.



Why it's wanted:
This book sounds very different from other things I've read and also very intriguing. I want to know what the conspiracy is!

Teaser Tuesday (29)

I'm very excited to be one of the many blogs participating in Teaser Tuesdays! TT is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. To participate:

* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!
(Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Here is my teaser:



"Then he vanished, and an icy breeze billowed the drapes over my open window. I squeezed my eyes shut and let myself cry."


p. 203 (ARC) from WINGS OF THE WICKED by Courtney Allison Moulton

Please share your teasers - post them or link to your blog!

Top Ten Tuesday (12)

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week there will be a new topic and a new list to make. Be sure to stop by the host blog to see all of the other blogs participating!



This week's topic:
Top Ten Books You'd Hand To Someone Who Says They Don't Like To Read

1. Harry Potter - I still maintain that this is one of the most addictive and amazing series written.

2. Hunger Games - It doesn't get more compelling than this.

3. Twilight - Knock it if you will, but this saga got a lot of people back into reading...

4. Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind - If you can get past the length, this book is amazing. It has everything you could want in a book.

5. Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma - This book is amazing. Really, there aren't words.

6. Dear John by Nicholas Sparks - I don't like all of his writing, but this book seemed so very real.

7. The Help by Kathryn Stockett - This book has just the right mixture of good story, humor, and strong message.

8. Crank by Ellen Hopkins - I admit that I haven't read this complete book, but from the bit I have read and other excerpts of her books I know how powerful they can be.

9. Nightshade by Andrea Cremer - I loved this entire trilogy and really think it should be "the next big thing."

10. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins - Who can say no to a romantic comedy? Especially one set in Paris?



What made your Top Ten list? Please leave a comment or link to your blog!

Review: The Gathering Storm by Robin Bridges

THE GATHERING STORM
By: Robin Bridges
Published By: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Release Date: Jan. 10, 2012
Series: Katerina Trilogy (#1)
Pages: 386
Genre: Historical Fiction / Paranormal
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: Netgalley
Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads Summary: St. Petersburg, Russia, 1888. As she attends a whirl of glittering balls, royal debutante Katerina Alexandrovna, Duchess of Oldenburg, tries to hide a dark secret: she can raise the dead. No one knows. Not her family. Not the girls at her finishing school. Not the tsar or anyone in her aristocratic circle. Katerina considers her talent a curse, not a gift. But when she uses her special skill to protect a member of the Imperial Family, she finds herself caught in a web of intrigue.

An evil presence is growing within Europe's royal bloodlines—and those aligned with the darkness threaten to topple the tsar. Suddenly Katerina's strength as a necromancer attracts attention from unwelcome sources . . . including two young men—George Alexandrovich, the tsar's standoffish middle son, who needs Katerina's help to safeguard Russia, even if he's repelled by her secret, and the dashing Prince Danilo, heir to the throne of Montenegro, to whom Katerina feels inexplicably drawn.

The time has come for Katerina to embrace her power, but which side will she choose—and to whom will she give her heart?



This was one of my highly-anticipated debuts for 2012, and thank goodness I didn't have to wait long into the year to read it! With an exotic Russian setting, an intriguing world of paranormal creatures in the royal court, and a boy worth swooning over, Robin Bridges created a fantastic debut novel and one that kept me up reading into the wee hours of the morning.

From her childhood, Katerina Alexandrovna has carried a dark secret with her: She is a necromancer and can reanimate the dead. In spite of this, or perhaps because of it, she dreams of attending medical school and becoming a doctor. However, she is also a duchess and expected to behave in the royal court and to marry well. Yet when the tsar's son is in danger from a spell, Katerina cannot help but use her power to protect him. Soon she is caught up in a battle that has lasted for centuries, a battle spanning all of the nobility as well as the living and even the dead. Katerina must try to unravel the plot and stop it before it is too late. But to make matters even more complicated, there are boys. Both carry their own secrets, and being with either one would greatly affect the course of Katerina's life. Katerina will have to embrace who she is and to make a choice...a choice that could affect Russia as she knows it...

I think my love for books with foreign settings has been pretty well established, and the setting of The Gathering Storm is no exception. I enjoyed traveling back in time with Katerina to the late 1800s and being part of the Russian nobility, attending balls and witnessing an era when chivalry was very much alive. The addition of the paranormal elements to this world was nothing short of ingenious. There were a variety of paranormal creatures in this book, from faeries to vampires and beyond, yet rather than being overwhelming, all of these elements worked together to create a truly fascinating world. I found myself caught up in the mystery and intrigue of both the paranormal world and the two boys right along with Katerina. I loved that she looked for the reason behind things - in line with her desire to be a doctor - instead of being a "normal" debutante and only looking for a husband. And for those of you who read "two boys" in the summary and immediately thought "love triangle," let me assure you, it's not what you would expect. There are, however, definitely romance scenes in here that will leave you smiling.

There were only two things I wanted with this story - a better way to keep all of the nobility straight, because the amount of names was a bit overwhelming at first - and more. More of the brilliant writing, more of the world, more interaction between Katerina and George. After the ending of this book, I cannot wait to see how everything works out for Katerina.

Blending elements of historical fiction and the paranormal, The Gathering Storm is a fresh new story that will capture you from the very first pages. I will be eagerly anticipating the next book in this trilogy!

It's Monday! What are you reading?

It's Monday! What are you reading? is a weekly meme hosted by One Person's Journey Through a World of Books. Each week we will share the books we have just finished reading, are currently reading, and are planning to read.



Just Finished Reading:
I have a couple of weeks to catch up on here:
Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
Don't Breathe a Word by Holly Cupala
Incarnate by Jodi Meadows
The Gathering Storm by Robin Bridges

Currently Reading:
Wings of the Wicked by Courtney Allison Moulton
The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney (Book Club)

Planning To Read:
Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally



What are you reading this week?

In My Mailbox (28)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme that was started by Kristi at The Story Siren with some inspiration from Alea at Pop Culture Junkie. It features books or book-related things that have been bought, borrowed, won, or received in the mail. Be sure to check out The Story Siren for a list of all the other blogs participating!



For Review:



Griffin's Fire by Darby Karchut
Recieved courtesy of the author

Bought:



Dead to You by Lisa McMann
Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally
Angel Fire by L.A. Weatherly



Weekly Recap:

Review: Don't Breathe a Word by Holly Cupala
Review: Incarnate by Jodi Meadows

Teaser Tuesday: The Gathering Storm by Robin Bridges
Waiting on Wednesday: Insurgent by Veronica Roth
Book Blogger Hop & Follow Friday



What books did you get this week? Please leave a comment or link to your own IMM post!

Follow Friday (28)

Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee and Allison Can Read. Visit either of their blogs for complete rules of the following fun!

This week's question:

"Define what characteristics your favorite books share. Do they all have a kick ass heroine or is the hot love interest the Alpha Male?"

This may be an obvious answer, but what I love is good writing. Whether it's a strong heroine or a swoon-worthy love interest, I want it to be written well with believable characters, settings, and actions. I also like books that make me think or that can cause me to consider things in a different perspective. I read to get lost in the stories, but I also read to expand my horizons. If a story or characters can stick with me long after I've finished the book, that's the hallmark of something truly good.



What are your answers? Please leave a comment or a link to your blog!

Review: Incarnate by Jodi Meadows

INCARNATE
By: Jodi Meadows
Published By: Katherine Tegen / HarperCollins
Release Date: Jan. 31, 2012
Series: Newsoul (#1)
Pages: 384
Genre: Fantasy
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: Netgalley
Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads Summary: New soul

Ana is new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why.

No soul

Even Ana's own mother thinks she's a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she'll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame?

Heart

Sam believes Ana's new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana's enemies--human and creature alike--let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else's life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all?

Jodi Meadows expertly weaves soul-deep romance, fantasy, and danger into an extraordinary tale of new life.



Incarnate has all of the makings of a great book - gorgeous cover, fresh and intriguing idea, and a good blend of fantasy and romance. From the very beginning I found myself lost in Ana's world and wanted to linger there even after I had finished the book.

In the land of Heart, there are a million souls, and each of them have been reincarnated for thousands of years. And then Ana was born...and her soul didn't match any previous soul. Because of this, Ana has been taught all her life that she is a nosoul, a mistake, and someone who quite possibly only has one life to live. Ana is desperate to leave her mother's tyrannical house and find out more about why she was born, but she never imagined the dangers or the resistance she would face. Fortunately she meets Sam, who believes that Ana is not a nosoul but a new soul. With Sam's help, Ana is able to reach Heart and begin her quest for knowledge. Yet not all the souls in Heart are happy about this turn of events...and there may be some who would stop at nothing to take Ana's one life.

First things first. Incarnate may be about reincarnated souls, but it is not your typical reincarnation story. For instance, all of the reincarnated souls retained their memories of their past lives. In addition, Meadows' take on soulmates is slightly different from what I've seen before, though it does have validity. Finally, because Ana was a new soul, her journey was very different from what it would have been had she been reincarnated from a previous life. As we learn through Ana, the world of Range is a most interesting one, combining ancient fantastical creatures such as dragons with modern technology with a dash of a new deity. I enjoyed many of the characters in this book and their easy relationships with one another; I truly did feel like I was amongst an old group of friends. And then there was Sam. For those of you who know me, if you read this book, you will know exactly why I love Sam. There's just something about him...and there are definitely some swoon-worthy scenes between him and Ana.

Although there were many things I liked about this book, there were also a few things that bothered me. It seemed like the writing took a while to even out; in the beginning, there were moments of beautiful prose, but they were often juxtaposed with fragments that seemed jarring (and often ones that presented Ana as more surly than I think she was). At times it was hard for me to connect with Ana. Both her self-pity and the comparison between her and a butterfly were mentioned frequently throughout the book, almost to the point of detracting from their intended purpose. That being said, the world and the other characters were more than enough to keep me reading.

If you like reincarnation stories, fantasy settings, and a sweet, believable romance, you will want to read Incarnate. I will look forward to seeing what else is in store for Ana and Sam!

"Waiting on" Wednesday

"Waiting on" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.



This week's selection is:

INSURGENT
By: Veronica Roth
Published By: HarperCollins
Release Date: May 1, 2012
Preorder the Book: Amazon

Goodreads Summary: One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth's much-anticipated second book of the dystopian Divergent series is another intoxicating thrill ride of a story, rich with hallmark twists, heartbreaks, romance, and powerful insights about human nature.



Why it's wanted:
I think everyone who has read Divergent is eagerly awaiting this book. I need to know what happens next! And I need more Tris and Four!