A Book Obsession..

Who is Marcus Finch? Final Clue & 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

Early Review: The Goddess Inheritance by Aimee Carter

, by KT

The Goddess Inheritance by Aimee Carter

Goddess Test #3

Love or life. Henry or their child. The end of her family or the end of the world. Kate must choose.

During nine months of captivity, Kate Winters has survived a jealous goddess, a vengeful Titan and a pregnancy she never asked for. Now the Queen of the Gods wants her unborn child, and Kate can't stop her--until Cronus offers a deal.

In exchange for her loyalty and devotion, the King of the Titans will spare humanity and let Kate keep her child. Yet even if Kate agrees, he'll destroy Henry, her mother and the rest of the council. And if she refuses, Cronus will tear the world apart until every last god and mortal is dead.

With the fate of everyone she loves resting on her shoulders, Kate must do the impossible: find a way to defeat the most powerful being in existence, even if it costs her everything.

Even if it costs her eternity.

For nine months Kate has lived in captivity both anxious for and dreading the day her unborn child would arrive. Now that day is here Kate realizes she would do anything at all to keep her child from falling int to Calliope's evil hands, even if it meant giving herself over to Cronus for all eternity. The only problem is that while he will spare her son, Henry and the rest of the gods will not gain the same pass. How is a mother to chose between her only child and everyone else she has ever loved?

As a mother myself, I cannot even begin to express just how much this book affected me on a personal level. The raw emotions surrounding Kate and the baby were staggering, and portrayed perfectly, especially the instant connection between them. Aimee Carter really captured the range of emotions surrounding a baby, and just how far a mother would go to protect her child. Kate has to make several hard decisions throughout the book and I was incredibly impressed with her backbone. Each time one of those hard choices came about, she made up her mind, and no one, not Chronos, not the chauvinistic pig Walter, not even Henry himself was going to stop her from doing what she felt was the best thing for the people she loved. She isn't the easily swayed girl we met in the first book, and I couldn't love her any more for it.

As much as I enjoyed, and was emotionally attached to, the previous books in this series, nothing could have prepared me for the emotional wreck I was while reading The Goddess Inheritance. Granted, at the start of this book, we were coming off of a killer cliffhanger and it also is the final installment so things had to come to a head. But even, so I just was not prepared for the numerous times I was literally in tears while reading this book. Don't get me wrong, this book isn't really all about doom, gloom, and sadness. In all actuality, at the core it is about holding on to hope no matter how dire the circumstances are. I've always felt that the books that really center around finding hope in the face of overwhelming odds are the books that stay with me the longest, and The Goddess Inheritance is a perfect example of this.

I realize that I've mostly talked about the emotions in The Goddess Inheritance and the affect they had on me in this review. However, since I am still emotionally raw even after waiting several days to write this review, I think that shows just how impactive this book truly is. It deserves to be read unbiased and unspoiled, so I just can't in all conscience say any more, and trust me, after you read the book, you'll thank me for it. An absolutely astounding and incredible finish to the Goddess Test Series, The Goddess Inheritance is an absolute must buy as it will leave readers utterly breathless in the end.

(Received a copy from the publisher via Netgalley)

Rating:

Pre-order:

Other Reviews:

Previous Books:

        1.    The Goddess Test
        1.5 The Goddess Hunt
      2.    Goddess Interrupted
        2.5 The Goddess Legacy

Who is Marcus Finch? Clue #14 & 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

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)