Title: The Demon’s Surrender (The Demon’s Lexicon #3)
Author: Sarah Rees Brennan
Published: June, 2011 by Simon and Schuster
Pages: 383
My Rating:  
Purchase: The Book Depository

The Goblin Market has always been the centre of Sin’s world. She’s a dancer and a performer, secure in her place. But now the Market is at war with the magicians, and Sin’s place is in danger. Keeping secrets from the market she loves, struggling with a friend who has become a rival, Sin is thrown together with the Ryves brothers, Nick and Alan – whom she’s always despised. But Alan has been marked by a magician, to be tortured as the magician pleases, and as Sin watches Alan struggle to protect the brother he loves, she begins to see both brothers in a new light. But how far will brother go to save brother – and what will it cost them all?

Final Thoughts:
A full on rollercoaster of emotions. I was left in tears as I turned the final page. This is definitely a five star read. If you haven’t read The Demon’s Lexicon yet, where have you been? Get on to that now, as these books are so laden with twists that my review may spoil the start of the series for you.

Title: The Secret To Lying
Author: Todd Mitchell
Published: June, 2010 by Candlewick Press
Pages: 329
My Rating:  
Purchase: The Book Depository

James was the guy no one noticed — just another fifteen-year-old in a small town. So when he gets into an academy for gifted students, he decides to leave his boring past behind. In a boarding school full of nerds and geeks, being cool is easy. All it takes is a few harmless pranks to invent a new James: fighter, rebel, punk. Everyone’s impressed, except for the mysterious ghost44, an IM presence who sees through his new identity. But James is riding high, playing pranks and hooking up with luscious Jessica Keen. There’s just one thing awry: he’s starting to have vivid dreams of being a demon-hunting warrior, a thrill that is spilling over into dangerous and self-destructive acts while he’s awake. As he’s drawn deeper into his real-life lies and his dream-world conquests, James begins to wonder: What’s the price for being the coolest guy around?

Final Thoughts:
A book about how not to be yourself, and why that’s a problem. There are plenty of bits that are sure to crack you up, but if you’re looking for a light, fun read, this isn’t it.

In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by The Story Siren, which allows bloggers to share what books they’ve received in the past week. They can be from stores, contests, tours or publishers!

• Hounded by Kevin Hearne (purchased)
• Hexed by Kevin Hearne (purchased)
• The Iron King by Julie Kagawa (purchased)
• The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa (purchased)
• The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa (purchased)

It got to Friday and I thought I was getting nothing this week, but then the post lady turned up with a stack of five packages from The Book Depository for me. Only took 8 days this time, which is better than usual. I haven’t read any of these yet, however I’ll be fixing that soon. Iron King is definitely high up on my TBR. I didn’t realise how tiny the Kevin Hearne books were going to be either. They’re about the size of one of those pocket phonebooks.

If you haven’t already entered my INTERNATIONAL Giveaway, check it out for a chance to win one of the books in The Demon’s Lexicon trilogy. (Ends 17th July 2011)

My Reviews from the past week:
Marr, Melissa Wicked Lovely #1, Wicked Lovely

Link up to your mailbox and I’ll be sure to check it out!

Title: Wicked Lovely (Wicked Lovely #1)
Author: Melissa Marr
Published: June, 2007 by HarperCollins
Pages: 328
My Rating:  
Purchase: The Book Depository

All teenagers have problems, but few of them can match those of Aislinn, who has the power to see faeries. Quite understandably, she wishes that she could share her friends’ obliviousness and tries hard to avoid these invisible intruders. But one faery in particular refuses to leave her alone. Keenan the Summer King is convinced beyond all reasoning that Aislinn is the queen he has been seeking for nine centuries. What’s a 21st-century girl to do when she’s stalked by a suitor nobody else can see?

Final Thoughts:
A hot, yet aggravating faerie king, a scheming faerie queen, an exceedingly adorable best friend and a tough human girl, born with the Sight. Add all of that together and you have an enthusiasticly fun, romantic read.

Waiting on Wednesday was started by Breaking the Spine and serves to showcase those pesky books that aren’t released yet, but that we’re eagerly awaiting! This week, my WoW is…

Title: Dark Souls
Author: Paula Morris
Published: 1 August, 2011 by Point/Scholastic

Welcome to York, England.
Mist lingers in the streets.
Narrow buildings cast long shadows.
This is the most haunted city in the world. . . .

Miranda Tennant arrives in York with a terrible, tragic secret. She is eager to lose herself amid the quaint cobblestones, hoping she won’t run into the countless ghosts who supposedly roam the city. . . .
Then she meets Nick, an intense, dark-eyed boy who knows all of York’s hidden places and histories. Miranda wonders if Nick is falling for her, but she is distracted by another boy — one even more handsome and mysterious than Nick. He lives in the house across from Miranda and seems desperate to send her some sort of message. Could this boy be one of York’s haunted souls? Soon, Miranda realizes that something dangerous — and deadly — is being planned. And she may have to face the darkest part of herself in order to unravel the mystery — and find redemption.

I love this cover. Admittedly that’s what first drew me in. From the gothic text, to the bricked alleyway, to that eerie mist… I’ll stop myself there and get back to what’s really important. The story. I haven’t read Paula’s first book, Ruined (which has a similarly designed cover), but it appears from the blurbs that they are standalones, maybe in the same universe, I’m not sure. When I read it was a book set in England, with ghosts, and adding in two mysterious boys, yes it had my interest piqued. There’s only five weeks until this one’s released, so not long to wait now. I’m going to have to remember to pre-order it soon.

If you haven’t already entered my INTERNATIONAL Giveaway, check it out for a chance to win one of the books in The Demon’s Lexicon trilogy. (Ends 17th July 2011)

What are you waiting on? Feel free to link me up and I’ll check yours out!

In appreciation of my first 100 Followers, I’m having a giveaway. It’s INTERNATIONAL too!
All you have to do is be a follower (new or old) of my blog, Demons Read Too, and fill out the form below. Giveaway ends Sunday, 17 July 2011 at 11:59PM (AEST), winners will then be notified by email and have 48 hours to respond.

There will be two winners chosen using random.org. Each winner gets their choice of one of Sarah Rees Brennan’s amazing urban-fantasy books in paperback:

• The Demon’s Lexicon
• The Demon’s Covenant
• The Demon’s Surrender – My Review

From the back cover of The Demon’s Lexicon:
Magicians call up demons in exchange for their power. The demons can appear in any shape, show you marvels, promise you anything – until you invite them in and receive their mark.
What happens next?
First you get possessed.
Then you die.
Nick’s been on the run his whole life, ever since his mother stole a charm from the most feared magician of them all, and the only person he trusts is his brother Alan. Alan’s just been marked by a demon. Only Nick can save him, but to do so he must face the magicians – and kill them. The hunt is on, and Nick’s going to discover things he never dreamed were out there…

Winners will be notified by email and will have 48 hours to reply with your postal details or a new winner will be chosen (no exceptions). I’m not responsible for any books that are damaged, lost or stolen in the mail.

P.S. Comments are appreciated but they are not entries, so make sure you remember to submit the form below.

GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED

In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by The Story Siren, which allows bloggers to share what books they’ve received in the past week. They can be from stores, contests, tours or publishers!

• Touching Darkness by Scott Westerfeld (purchased)
• The Secret Hour by Scott Westerfeld (purchased)
• Blue Noon by Scott Westerfeld (purchased)
• Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins (purchased)
• The Morganville Vampires: Vol 4 (Fade Out & Kiss Of Death) by Rachel Caine (purchased)
• The Demon’s Surrender by Sarah Rees Brennan (purchased)

A heap of my AmazonUK purchases turned up this week. I got the complete Midnighters trilogy by Scott Westerfeld. I borrowed these from the library a couple months ago and really enjoyed them. I’ve seen a heap of different covers for this series, but I settled on these ones. My Hex Hall hardback finally turned up, I think it took four weeks to get to me from the UK, lucky I’ve already read it, otherwise I would have been stressing. Volume 4 of The Morganville Vampires bind-ups was just released, I had it pre-ordered so mine shipped early (thanks book depository). I still haven’t caught up on reading these, I’ve only read the first two in the series. Lastly, is The Demon’s Surrender. I can’t help but smile at it. I’ve been waiting on this new release for so long. I’m absolutely in LOVE with this series. If you haven’t read book 1: The Demon’s Lexicon, go out and get it now.

Don’t forget to enter my INTERNATIONAL Giveaway for a chance to win one of Sarah Rees Brennan’s books.

My reviews from the past week:
Jones, Carrie Need #2, Captivate
Ward, J.R. Black Dagger Brotherhood #2, Lover Eternal

Link up to your mailbox and I’ll be sure to check it out!

Title: Lover Eternal (Black Dagger Brotherhood #2)
Author: J.R. Ward
Published: July, 2007 by Piatkus Books
Pages: 449
My Rating:  
Purchase: The Book Depository

In the shadows of the night in Caldwell, New York, there’s a deadly war raging between vampires and their slayers. And there exists a secret band of brothers like no other – six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. Possessed by a deadly beast, Rhage is the most dangerous of the Black Dagger Brotherhood…

Within the brotherhood, Rhage is the vampire with the strongest appetite. He’s the best fighter, the quickest to act on his impulses, and the most voracious lover – for inside him burns a ferocious curse cast by the Scribe Virgin.

Possessed by this dark side, Rhage fears the times when his inner dragon is unleashed, making him a danger to everyone around him. When Mary Luce is unwittingly thrown into the vampire world, she must rely on Rhage’s protection. Knowing that Mary feels the same intense animal attraction, Rhage must make her his alone…

Final Thoughts:
Even better than the first book. Rhage brings a hot new perspective to the Brotherhood’s world. Deep characters, plenty of angst, and heaps of steamy vamp sex.

Waiting on Wednesday was started by Breaking the Spine and serves to showcase those pesky books that aren’t released yet, but that we’re eagerly awaiting! This week, my WoW is…

Title: Devoted (Elixir #2)
Author: Hilary Duff
Published: 11 October, 2011 by Simon & Schuster

Since Sage was kidnapped, Clea has no way of knowing if he is alive or dead. And even though she has only just discovered they were soulmates, she feels like a part of her is lost forever. What’s worse, she can’t even turn to her best friend Ben—because every time she looks at him, all she sees is his betrayal.

But waiting for something to happen is not an option, so Clea is ready for action. Suffering through dreams of seeing Sage with another woman, she makes an uneasy alliance with Sage’s enemies and sets out to be reunited with Sage…in this life or the next.

I know celebrity written books tend to get frowned upon, but Elixir was actually quite enjoyable. If you’ve been avoiding it like the plague because of the author, maybe try it from the library and see what you think. It plays heavily on reincarnation, soul mates and immortality. And after the way the first book ended, it was begging for a sequel. I’m glad that’s happening. I’m not too fond of the cover design change though. The first book really stood out with its faux-suede purple cover with the flower, which had relevance to the story. It seems they’re trying a new direction with the artwork, and I think it looks too generic now. Either way, I’ll still be buying.

What are you waiting on? Feel free to link me up and I’ll check yours out!

Title: Captivate (Need #2)
Author: Carrie Jones
Published: January, 2010 by Bloomsbury
Pages: 273
My Rating:  
Purchase: The Book Depository

Zara and her friends thought they’d solved the pixie problem. And they did — sort of. The pixies are all locked away, deep in the woods. But the king’s needs grow stronger each day that he is in captivity, while his control over his people weakens. And it’s enough to draw a new king into town. Astley claims he is different. He claims there are pixies who can live peacefully with humans, that it doesn’t have to be all violence and nastiness all the time. Zara wants to believe him . . . until Astley also claims that she is fated to be his queen.

Final Thoughts:
Zara hasn’t changed, she’s still rushing into bad situations without thinking. We get to see a new side to the pixies as more come to town searching for Zara. Not as creepy as the first book, and still plenty of romance. Definitely read this if you loved Need.