Winner Announcement

Congratulations
~Tiffany W.~
On Winning The Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children Giveaway!

Thank you to everyone who participated by liking, tweeting, and/or just reading the review. It was a great turnout this time around, and I hope to offer more giveaways in the future.

In case you missed it, here's my review

~Miss Peregrine's Home
for Peculiar Children~
Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children
Book 1
By Ransom Riggs
Amazon ~ Powell's

A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of very curious photographs.

It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.

A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows.

Thanks To A Binding Spell, That Magic Was Gone

SPOILER ALERT
This review is for those who have read or are familiar with the previous books, Hex Hall and Demonglass, or don't mind knowing some spoilers for them. Spell Bound, however, will remain spoiler-free.
SPOILER ALERT

~Spell Bound~
Hex Hall
Book 3
By Rachel Hawkins
Amazon ~ Powell's

Talk about terrible timing...

Just as Sophie Mercer has come to accept her extraordinary magical powers as a demon, the Prodigium Council strips them away. With her powers locked inside her, Sophie is defenseless, alone, and at the mercy of her sworn enemies—the Brannicks, a family of warrior women who hunt down the Prodigium. Or at least that’s what Sophie thinks, until she makes a surprising discovery. The Brannicks know an epic war is coming, and they believe Sophie is the only one powerful enough to stop the world from ending. But without her magic, Sophie isn’t so sure.

The only known spell that can help Sophie regain her magic is at Hex Hall—the place where it all began, and now the headquarters of the evil Casnoffs. Together with her best friend, the vampire Jenna; her boyfriend, Archer; her fiancé, Cal (yeah, her love life is complicated); and a ghost for a sidekick, Sophie must battle an army of demons. But even with her friends at her side, the fate of all Prodigium rests on her shoulders alone.

Sophie’s bound for one hell of a ride... Can she get her powers back before it’s too late?


Picking up where Demonglass left off, Sophie has just fallen smack dab in the middle of a sticky situation and once again has to use her snark and wits to save her skin. However, thanks to a binding spell that's trapped her powers, she doesn't have her amazing magic skills to help her out, so now all she's got to rely on is her sarcasm and a little help from her friends to save not only herself, but the whole world. Not exactly what the Hex Hall brochure promised.

Audio Addendum: Demonglass

~Demonglass~
Hex Hall
Book 2
By Rachel Hawkins
Amazon ~ Powell's

Sophie Mercer thought she was a witch.

That was the whole reason she was sent to Hex Hall, a reform school for delinquent Prodigium (aka witches, shapeshifters, and fairies). But that was before she discovered the family secret, and that her hot crush, Archer Cross, is an agent for The Eye, a group bent on wiping Prodigium off the face of the earth.

Turns out, Sophie’s a demon, one of only two in the world—the other being her father. What’s worse, she has powers that threaten the lives of everyone she loves. Which is precisely why Sophie decides she must go to London for the Removal, a dangerous procedure that will destroy her powers.

But once Sophie arrives she makes a shocking discovery. Her new friends? They’re demons too. Meaning someone is raising them in secret with creepy plans to use their powers, and probably not for good. Meanwhile, The Eye is set on hunting Sophie down, and they’re using Archer to do it. But it’s not like she has feelings for him anymore. Does she?

Original Review

Approximate Reading Time: 4 Hours

Read by Cris Dukehart

Nikki, the Avenger

SPOILER ALERT
This review is for those who have read or are familiar with the previous books, Halflings and Guardian, or don't mind knowing some major spoilers for them. Avenger, however, will remain spoiler-free.
SPOILER ALERT

~Avenger~
Halflings
Book 3
By Heather Burch
Amazon ~ Powell's

Sometimes the Truth Comes with a Price

Nikki knew Damon Vessler would not let his prized creation go easily — she simply never imagined the lengths he'd go to get her back into his clutches, and turn Nikki's heart toward darkness. A Seeker at her heels, trained on her blood, Nikki flees with Raven alongside her for protection, while Mace and the other Halflings fight the battle that has erupted on earth.

But even as the two boys she loves fight for her, she knows the battle will be hers to win. Determined to uncover the secrets of her past, and exactly how she fits into Vessler's twisted plans, Nikki sets off on her own, and soon discovers facing hellacious beasts is nothing compared to the decision she will need to make. One that could change not only the war, and her relationship with Mace and Raven, but her future with the Throne.

I was already at least half-way over the fence after the first two books, Halflings and Guardian, with little hope going into the third installment, Avenger. After the major rants I'd already given, by all rights I should have called it quits on this series and gone on with my life. Alas, despite my warnings to myself, I trudged my way through another of Burch's books, and woo-boy, have I got some more ranting to do.

We're Peculiar. Aren't you?

~Miss Peregrine's Home
for Peculiar Children~
Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children
Book 1
By Ransom Riggs
Amazon ~ Powell's

A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of very curious photographs.

It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.

A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows.

You remember in school when you were given a picture and told to write a story about it? Or maybe you've had a writing exercise where you have to use a picture and a phrase within your short story. Well, regardless of whether or not you've done it yourself, I think we can all agree Ransom Riggs has gone above and beyond the minimum requirements.

I've Got A Game For You

~Mind Games~
Book 1
By Kiersten White
Amazon ~ Powell's

Fia and Annie are as close as two sisters can be. They look out for each other. Protect each other. And most importantly, they keep each other’s secrets, even the most dangerous ones:

Fia was born with flawless instincts. Her first impulse, her gut feeling, is always exactly right. Annie is blind to the world around her—except when her mind is gripped by strange visions of the future.

When the sisters are offered a place at an elite boarding school, Fia realizes that something is wrong . . . but she doesn’t grasp just how wrong. The Keane Institute is no ordinary school, and Fia is soon used for everything from picking stocks to planting bombs. If she tries to refuse, they threaten her with Annie’s life. Over and over again the sisters are forced to choose between using their abilities in twisted, unthinkable ways…or risking each other’s lives by refusing to obey.


If the title and summary weren't enough of an indication, this book deals with some heavy stuff. We're talking kidnapping, assassinations, blackmail, espionage, and mental breakdowns — and the characters caught up in the middle of all this are both in their mid-to-late teens when this is happening. As much as this may seem like a relatively short, kick-ass heroine action story, it's actually quite the dark character study.