Mar
21

Title: Fated (Fated #1)
Author: Sarah Alderson
Published: February, 2012 by Simon & Schuster
Thanks: Simon & Schuster, AU
Pages: 310
Rating: ★★★☆☆ 
Purchase: The Book Depository

What happens when you discover you aren’t who you thought you were? And that the person you love is the person who will betray you? If your fate is already determined, can you fight it?

When Evie Tremain discovers that she’s the last in a long line of Demon slayers and that she’s being hunted by an elite band of assassins –Shapeshifters, Vampires and Mixen demons amongst them – she knows she can’t run. They’ll find her wherever she goes. Instead she must learn to stand and fight.

But when the half-human, half-Shadow Warrior Lucas Gray – is sent to spy on Evie and then ordered to kill her before she can fulfil a dangerous prophecy, their fates become inextricably linked. The war that has raged for one thousand years between humans and demons is about to reach a devastating and inevitable conclusion. Either one or both of them will die before this war ends.

If your life becomes bound to another’s, what will it take to sever it?

Final Thoughts:
I’ve heard that Sarah’s other book Hunting Lila was amazing, so I was excited to start on her latest release. Unfortunately, it just didn’t wow me. I like demons, and I like demon hunters, so it should have been a perfect fit, but there was something about it, something that it lacked. I didn’t connect with Evie as the book progressed, and at one point I thought, “If they killed her, would I care?” The switching POVs did help it somewhat—Lucas’s life surrounding the Brotherhood brought more to the book—but towards the end, I thought it hindered it. When you know what the other character’s real intentions are, it takes away from the tension.

Read Full Review?

Mar
18

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!

Reckless by Cornelia Funke (purchased)
The Demon’s Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan (purchased)
The Demon’s Covenant by Sarah Rees Brennan (purchased)
The Demon’s Surrender by Sarah Rees Brennan (purchased)
Infamous by Sherrilyn Kenyon (purchased)
Spellbound by Rachel Hawkins (purchased)
Dead Sky Morning by Karina Halle (thanks to Author)
Lying Season by Karina Halle (thanks to Author)
Torn by Amanda Hocking (thanks to Publisher)
Hunting Lila by Sarah Alderson (purchased)

I hardly get hardcovers since they don’t sell them in Australia very often, so I thought I’d treat myself on book depository and buy all of the Demon’s Lexicon series and a few others I’ve been wanting. I’m obsessed with Sarah Rees Brennan’s writing, so I knew I had to buy these, even though I already have the UK/Aus paperbacks. I’m behind on both the Chronicles of Nick and Hex Hall series. I read the first books in each, bought the second, and then let them sit gathering dust for a year. I’ve been reading Fated over the past couples days, so when my friend, Brittany, and I went to the Claudia Gray signing in Brisbane yesterday, I saw Hunting Lila on the shelves at Dymocks and gave in and grabbed it. I did get four other books when I stopped by Big W this week, but I’m at my parents’ house this weekend, so they’re going to have to wait until next week’s IMM.

Here are my latest reviews if you want to check them out:
Williams, Avery Incarnation #1, The Alchemy Of Forever

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

Jan
15

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!

Everneath by Brodi Ashton (thanks to Publishers)
The Unbecoming Of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin (thanks to Publishers)
Fated by Sarah Alderson (thanks to Publishers)
Hallowed by Cynthia Hand (purchased)
Lover Awakened by J.R. Ward (purchased)
Hero by Perry Moore (purchased)
Nana: Volume 2 by Ai Yazawa (purchased)

A big thanks to Simon and Schuster who sent me the top three books this week. Everneath is a Harper one in America, so I’m not sure why S&S Australia has it. Anyway, can’t wait to read all of them. For those that haven’t heard, Simon and Schuster are running a comp giving Aussie bloggers the chance to win a $250 voucher for either Dymocks, Westfield or JB HiFi. All you need to do is read Everneath, film a video review and post it to your blog and then head over to www.everneath.com.au and fill out the form before 24th February 2012. Under 18’s need parental permission.

Okay, back to my mailbox… I went shopping during the week and kind of spent more than I’d hoped. Hallowed and Lover Awakened were both $20 each, more than I’d like to pay for a paperback, but self-restraint went out the window and I hurried to the counter and bought them. I’m hoping to read Hero either this week or next, but who knows if that will happen, we’ll see. Lastly, I stopped in at the local anime store and picked up another volume of the Nana manga. I got a heap of them last week during an online stocktake sale, but I needed this one so I could move on to volume three. If you haven’t noticed the Tempest pic at the top of my sidebar, I’m hosting a giveaway for Macmillan Audio for the Tempest Audiobook. It ends next Thursday 19th January. Click on the pic to check it out. There’s a free audio sample on the page, too.

Here are my latest reviews if you want to check them out:
Cross, Julie Tempest #1, Tempest
Dane, Jordan, On A Dark Wing
Hocking, Amanda Trylle Trilogy #1, Switched

Link up to your mailbox and I’ll be sure to check it out!
(Sorry to those I missed getting back to last week, I was feeling sick Sunday/Monday.)