A Book Obsession..

Who is Marcus Finch? Clue #14 & Giveaway

, by KT

I absolutely adore Richelle Mead, especially her VA/Bloodlines series. So, when I was offered the opportunity to participate in a fun promo leading up to the release of The Indigo Spell. There's going to be a new character in the series, and his identity is a bit of a mystery. In fact, these were the teaser questions presented to me:

Is he competition for Adrian for Sydney’s heart?
Is he an Alchemist? An ex-Alchemist??
Is he good? Evil? A Warrior of Light?

Definitely mysterious. So, each weekday from 1/22-2/11 I'll be posting a new clue on the blog that will give us a little bit more of a hint of who exactly this Marcus Flint is. Oh, and just to put the cherry on top of this fun promo, I'll have a hardcover copy of The Indigo Spell to give away to one lucky reader. Enter via the rafflecopter at the bottom of each post, and make sure you come back each day to get your additional entries for tweeting about that day's clue!

So without further ado, here is today's clue:

Missed any of the previous clues?

Find out more about the Bloodlines series by Richelle Mead:

Bloodlines Website: http://www.bloodlinesseries.com/
Bloodlines Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/BloodlinesBooks
Bloodlines trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bMJEaT41b4
Bloodlines excerpt: http://www.scribd.com/doc/102759112/THE-INDIGO-SPELL-by-Richelle-Mead-Bloodlines-3-First-Chapter

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Let's Talk With Smash & Kt (15)

, by KT

Welcome to the Let’s Talk weekly discussion meme!

Originally hosted by Melissa from i swim for oceans, Smash & Kt took her original inspiration, and made it their own, expanding it to more than just books. Let’s get personal (but respectfully so) and learn more about one another! Each week, a different question will be posted along with a place to link up your posts and visit other people’s responses.This meme is definitely meant to bring out conversation and meet new people. So, Let's Talk!

We'd love to hear any ideas you have for questions. Submit them Here.

This week's question:

Procrastination: does it rule your life? Or are you more of the prepared/scheduled type? (Thank you, Lena Sledge!)

When it comes to work I am a very prepared scheduled type. In fact, if I know something has to be done, it will eat at me until it gets done. That being said, I am learning to tone down some of my inner panic as a lot of my job requires going with the flow. A lot of the time we will be waiting on a crutial piece before we can release something. So what I've learned to do is prepare the post/campaign/etc and just leave a bolded notation where that missing piece goes. That way, once that missing info is ready all I have to do it enter it in and we are good to go. It really helps with my panic issues.

For blogging, I also am very prepared and scheduled. I use a desktop sticky note to keep track of my review due dates. I also use Google Calendars like mad crazy. I try to have at least two weeks of reviews scheduled in advance. For memes/my book birthday features, I try to have about a month's worth scheduled at any given time. In fact, I hardly read over this long holiday break, but I wrote and scheduled a TON of posts. I now have 8+ weeks of meme posts written. I just like the breathing room that kind of advance posting gives me. That way if I get really overwhelmed with work or life, I don't have to worry about the blog going to the way side.

Now when it comes to cleaning my house/laundry/dishes/dinner/any other home duties, I am the WORST procrastinator in the world. Out of that list, the only chore that isn't like shooting things under my fingernails is doing the dishes, but that is only because my hubby installed a really awesome dishwasher that makes the dishes sparkly clean. But for the other stuff, I absolutely despise it. In fact, one of my biggest goals with my newish job is to make enough money to afford a cleaning lady. I'll still have to make the dinners and do the laundry, but all of the other cleaning stuff can be placed in much more capable hands, and I will be more than happy to hand those reigns over.

Blue in the Wild

, by KT

Listen up, everyone! The archangel Wren has taken all the copies of Out in Blue and made a run for it!
Poachers are in town. Wren needs to protect Ginger at all costs, which I can understand. But running isn’t the answer, and the Guardians would really like to find him. Help us find Wren and Ginger before the poachers do! Sanctuary is offering rewards for your help!

How do you find Wren and Ginger? Keep an eye on Amazon, the Barnes and Noble website, and all other book venders (including brick and mortar, if you prefer!). If Wren shows up, the books will come off pre-order and be offered for sale. This might happen tomorrow or five minutes from now or... So start stalking and keep stalking!

The first twenty-five people to take and share a screen shot of Out in Blue offered for sale anywhere on the web (not the pre-order!) or a photo of the book on the shelf by Friday, February 8th at 11:59pm EST will be entered to WIN A NOOK!

Out in Blue on Amazon

Out in Blue on Barnes and Noble

After the nook drawing, entrants will be entered to win one of the five print copies Wren stole!

Enter via Sarah's Blog!

**Please note: Only the new edition (see the cover above) of Out in Blue qualifies for an entry. Copies of the previous edition are available on some sites and are not valid in this contest.

***First 25 entrants to share their screenshot/picture of the new version of Out in Blue live for sale will be entered to win the Nook. After that, the remaining entries will be entered to win 1 of 5 print versions of Out in Blue. US Only.

Twitter Hashtag #BlueInTheWild

Kirsten Reviews: Fade to Black by Francis Knight

, by KT

Fade to Black by Francis Knight

Rojan Dizon #1

From the depths of a valley rises the city of Mahala.

It’s a city built upwards, not across—where streets are built upon streets, buildings upon buildings. A city that the Ministry rules from the sunlit summit, and where the forsaken lurk in the darkness of Under.

Rojan Dizon doesn’t mind staying in the shadows, because he’s got things to hide. Things like being a pain-mage, with the forbidden power to draw magic from pain. But he can’t hide for ever.

Because when Rojan stumbles upon the secrets lurking in the depths of the Pit, the fate of Mahala will depend on him using his magic. And unlucky for Rojan—this is going to hurt.

Fade to Black by Francis Knight (@Knight_Francis) is the first in a series set in a world where pain can power magic, and technology is still fairly new and strange. The city of Mahala is built in the typical ‘rich on top, poor down below’ arrangement that shoves the unlucky, or simply ‘undesirable’ people into what is literally the pit of this place. The Ministry, Mahala’s ruling class is supposed to look after its citizens, but in reality they are just as much a threat at the gangs and other criminals.

Into all this comes Rojan Dizon, a man who is happiest when womanizing and bounty hunting people who don’t run too far. Of course, even hitting on any woman with a pulse can’t go on forever, and Rojan finds out that his brother has been attacked, and the niece he’s never met was kidnapped. The tricky part is, Rojan’s brother has a few more secrets than expected, and the girl was taken below the city, to the places nobody wants to go and fewer return from.

The tone of Fade to Black is dark, fantasy, steampunk, with a dash of noir. Of course Rojan is going to have to venture into the underbelly of Mahala, and given his issues with using his ability to harness magic with pain - dislocation of a finger is a favorite method, even if Rojan favors using a little blood, minimal effort is his trademark early on in the book, that also has to be confronted.

The mistreatment of the poor factors largely in this book, and the use of women and girls as prostitutes, and tools in other forms is a tired plot device that is as apt to inspire disgust as it is exhaustion. Yes, the audience knows how vulnerable women can be, but it would be nice to see more of a comeuppance for the oppressors, rather than always having a male protagonist step in to save the day. More than that, having Rojan be largely unlikeable because he tells us everything he’s thinking, and undergoes little growth makes it hard to empathize with him. As this is the first book in a series, it’s likely that he will have more chances to make readers like him, and it would help it he stopped expecting ‘being kind of a decent guy’ to be something worth rewarding.

As an introduction to this world, Fade to Black is interesting, but the author relies too often on telling the audience things, rather than letting them figure it out, or showing them. With that quibble, the world building is promising, if further adventures continue to expand on the political dealings, and conflicts between magic and religion that are introduced in this book then Mahala and its characters will be a memorable addition to the genre.

(Received from the publisher via Netgalley)

Rating:

Pre-order:

Other Reviews:

Who is Marcus Finch? Clue #13 & Giveaway

, by KT

Is he competition for Adrian for Sydney’s heart?
Is he an Alchemist? An ex-Alchemist??
Is he good? Evil? A Warrior of Light?

Missed any of the previous clues?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Bargain Books & Kindle Deals (33)

, by KT

I've decided to make my Bargain Book and Kindle Deal finds a weekly feature here at A Book Obsession.. If you guys are anything like me, your book addiction can easily get out of hand, so any sales/deals are a huge help. If you like any of the deals below, I would appreciate if you use the affiliate links below. All earning support the giveaways here on the blog. :)

(Prices accurate as of 2/6)

Bargain New Paperbacks/Hardcovers:

Kindle Deals:

$0.99

$1.99

$2.24-$2.99 $3.49-$3.99 $4.00-$5.99

Waiting on Wednesday (133)

, by KT

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights an upcoming release we are greatly anticipating.

My pick this week:

Mountain Echoes - Walker Papers #8

by C.E. Murphy

Publication Date: February 19th, 2013

Pre-Order:

You can never go home again.

Joanne Walker has survived an encounter with the Master at great personal cost, but now her father is missing-stolen from the timeline. She must finally return to North Carolina to find him-and to meet Aidan, the son she left behind long ago.

That would be enough for any shaman to face, but Joanne's beloved Appalachians are being torn apart by an evil reaching forward from the distant past. Anything that gets in its way becomes tainted-or worse.

And Aidan has gotten in the way.

Only by calling on every aspect of her shamanic powers can Joanne pull the past apart and weave a better future. It will take everything she has-and more.

Unless she can turn back time...

Who is Marcus Finch? Clue #12 & Giveaway

, by KT

Is he competition for Adrian for Sydney’s heart?
Is he an Alchemist? An ex-Alchemist??
Is he good? Evil? A Warrior of Light?

Missed any of the previous clues?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Early Review: Moonglow by Michael Griffo

, by KT

Moonglow by Michael Griffo

The Darkborn Legacy #1

From the author of the acclaimed Archangel Academy vampire trilogy comes a stunning new series about a girl determined to defy her fate—and reclaim her future…

Something strange is going on with Dominy Robineau. All her friends in Weeping Water, Nebraska, have noticed—and it’s way beyond teenage blues. As weeks pass, Dom grows consumed by anger, aggression, and violence, and she seems powerless to stop it. Then she turns sixteen, and things get really dangerous.

When her best friend is murdered, Dominy’s father is compelled to reveal the truth behind the darkness that threatens to both overtake and empower her. Her boyfriend, Caleb, swears they’ll find a way to change her destiny. But others are hiding secrets too, and gifts that are far more terrifying than hers. And even as she struggles to control her new abilities, Dom must contend with an enemy who wants her to use the beast within to destroy all those she loves, before she destroys herself…

Dominy's been going through some very unsettling changes lately. She's quick to anger and violence has become like a second nature and it's only getting worse. Then on the night she turn sixteen the unspeakable happens and her life is forever changed and her father finally reveals the truth behind what has been happening to her. The answer is more shocking and unbelievable than she ever could have imagined. Suddenly life becomes centered around the mystical and everything holds more questions than answers. With limited time, Dominy must learn to control herself before her darkside consumes her and everyone around her.

While the characters in MOONGLOW weren't completely flat and two dimensional, I can't really say that they were three dimensional either. I mean there was romance, but I definitely didn't feel anything about it as it was just kind of laid out there. Honestly, the only character who had any depth at all was Dominy's best friend, Jess, and she gets killed off in the very beginning. In fact the entire time I was reading this book, I couldn't really figure out the characters' motivations for anything they were doing. So, I was rather blaze about their whole plight. At least that was something happened later in the book that absolutely appalled me to the point where I literally disgusted with Dominy. She made an absolutely inexcusably selfish decision that came back to bite her in the butt anyway. To be honest I felt that she deserved the negative turn of events, and honestly when you start wishing ill towards the main characters, it really shows the lack of connection.

Considering the length of this book I really very surprised that things weren't developed more than they were. In fact more time was spent on lengthy descriptions rather than really developing the plot or characters. The "big bad" was one of those in your face evils, yet the reasoning behind that evil was completely unsatisfying. In fact the whole circumstances surrounding the issues with Dominy really felt like they were just slapped together without any real cement to bind it all together. For a book to be really enjoyable for me, it has to have both strong characters and a well developed mythology/plot. Unfortunately MOONGLOW fell short in both of those categories.

As I look back over this review, I realize that I didn't really have anything positive to say about the story. It wasn't that MOONGLOW was a terrible book, it just had a really hard time keeping my attention due to the issues I talked about above. In fact, because of those problems, I found myself skimming more often than not as I tried to find anything that would grab my attention. But unfortunately those moments were far and few between. All in all MOONGLOW was a rather mediocre read for me as there just wasn't anything memorable about it. I highly doubt I'll be continuing on with this series. Perhaps this book will appeal more to others, but for me it's a pass.

(Received a copy from the publisher)

Rating: