Blog Tour: Seraphina by Rachel Hartman + Giveaway

Welcome to my stop on the Seraphina Blog Tour! 

 Be sure to check out the giveaway below for a chance to win a copy of your very own!

Title: Seraphina

Author: Rachel Hartman

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Series: Seraphina #1

Hardcover, 499 pages

Publication: July 10, 2012 by Random House BFYR

Source: I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for a honest review and blog tour.

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Four decades of peace have done little to ease the mistrust between humans and dragons in the kingdom of Goredd. Folding themselves into human shape, dragons attend court as ambassadors, and lend their rational, mathematical minds to universities as scholars and teachers. As the treaty's anniversary draws near, however, tensions are high.

Seraphina Dombegh has reason to fear both sides. An unusually gifted musician, she joins the court just as a member of the royal family is murdered—in suspiciously draconian fashion. Seraphina is drawn into the investigation, partnering with the captain of the Queen's Guard, the dangerously perceptive Prince Lucian Kiggs. While they begin to uncover hints of a sinister plot to destroy the peace, Seraphina struggles to protect her own secret, the secret behind her musical gift, one so terrible that its discovery could mean her very life.

I vaguely remember hearing about Hartman’s Seraphina when it was first published in 2012, but with the torrent of books always releasing I forgot all about it. All I knew about the book was that it was about dragons and that it was a YA Fantasy novel. I don’t recall ever reading a book with dragons as the main creatures and I don’t read many YA fantasy novels. So when I was approached to read Seraphina, I thought why not give this book a chance? It sounded pretty good. I went in without much expectations but wow was I surprised! Seraphina turned out to be an amazing book and I was so glad I read it!

Many Young Adult novels these days are mediocre, then we have the few that are pretty good but it is rare to find books that blow you away or surprise you; and Seraphina did both! Hartman’s world-building was complex, meticulous, and well- developed. The world was so fully realized that I can literally picture Gorredd in my mind like it was a real, existing place with fantastical dragons flying in the sky! But Hartman didn’t stop there. Hartman's inhabited the world of Gorredd with realistic and likeable characters. Each and every single characters were unique from their appearance, background to their personalities. I love all of the characters, and can find no fault in anyone…even the villain of the story! I also liked that all of the women (including Seraphina and Princess Glisselda) were strong, independent and weren’t afraid to voice their opinions. While I have seen many strong heroines in the dystopian genre…it is rare to see this for majority of the female characters throughout a book….I usually find some problem in heroines of other books, but none was found here for these characters.

The pacing of the book was great. The author sprinkled details of the world and background information throughout the book so that readers can piece the clues together, so don’t worry about being overwhelm with too much information. I loved that the plot and characters were the main focus, with the romance taking the backseat. It is there but it didn’t dominate the story like usual YA books.

Ienjoyed this book immensely, and I can’t wait to read the sequel, Shadow Scale, when it comes out next week (March 10th)! This is a wonderful start to a series that will appeal to adults and teens alike. If you’re looking for something fresh, unique and well-written, look no further…Seraphina may be a YA Fantasy novel but it is above many books of its genre and is well worth the read. It’s more than a story about Dragons and Humans. It’s about a girl learning herself worth, acceptance, love and friendship; about prejudice, loss, political intrigue, forbidden love, and family. Read it, you won’t be disappointed, I promise!

 

Random House has generously offered to give one lucky reader a copy of SERAPHINA! To enter the giveaway, please fill out the rafflecopter below!

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rachel Hartman lives and writes in Vancouver, BC.

Her first YA fantasy novel, Seraphina, was published by Random House on July 10th, 2012. Here are some things that are already being said about Seraphina by some fabulous authors:

“A book worth hoarding, as glittering and silver-bright as dragon scales, with a heroine who insists on carving herself a place in your mind.” — Naomi Novik, New York Times bestselling author of the Temeraire series.

“Seraphina is strong, complex, talented — she makes mistakes and struggles to trust, with good reason, and she fights to survive in a world that would tear her apart. I love this book!” — Tamora Pierce, New York Times bestselling author.

“Just when you thought there was nothing new to say about dragons, it turns out there is, and plenty! Rachel Hartman’s rich invention never fails to impress — and to convince. It’s smart and funny and original, and has characters I will follow to the ends of the earth.” — Ellen Kushner, World Fantasy Award-winning author.

To connect with Rachel:  Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

[Blog Tour] The Bodies We Wear by Jeyn Roberts + Giveaway

Title: The Bodies We Wear
Author: Jeyn Roberts
Genre: Young Adult
Series: The Bodies We Wear #1

Hardcover, 368 pages
Publication: September 23, 2014 by Knopf  BFYR

Source: I received a review copy in exchange for a honest review/blog tour

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People say when you take Heam, your body momentarily dies and you catch a glimpse of heaven. Faye was only eleven when dealers forced Heam on her and her best friend, Christian. But Faye didn’t glimpse heaven—she saw hell. And Christian died.

Now Faye spends her days hiding her secret from the kids at school, and her nights training to take revenge on the men who destroyed her life and murdered her best friend. But life never goes the way we think it will. When a mysterious young man named Chael appears, Faye's plan suddenly gets a lot more complicated. Chael seems to know everything about her, including her past. But too many secrets start tearing her world apart: trouble at school, with the police, and with the people she thought might be her friends. Even Gazer, her guardian, fears she's become too obsessed with vengeance. Love and death. Will Faye overcome her desires, or will her quest for revenge consume her?

I really enjoyed Roberts alternative dark and gritty America, where the man-made drug Heam (Heaven’s Dream) is king. Heam is a cheap and addictive drug that’s readily available; popular because it is said that those who take it is able to glimpse a part of heaven and any beloved that died. But like everything in life there are consequences to taking Heam. There are two outcomes most associated with Heam, the first one is that the user would become so addicted after one try that it eventually leads them to take Heam till they overdose and die. The second outcome is the euphoria of Heam is so great, the user is in awe at how beautiful heaven is that they die and never wakes up. So basically, it’s likely that the users dies either way. The question then is will it be now or later? But in Faye’s case she not only survives but it made her stronger. I thought the world building was very well established, giving the readers a perfect image of Faye and the setting. For example, Faye lives in a place that’s always raining, dark, and dank…pretty much the worst part of town as you can imagine. The setting also fits Faye’s character/personality. She lives in an old rundown church with Gazer living on just the bare essentials. Unlike the kids Faye goes to school with (private school/wealthy families), Faye doesn’t have the luxuries or upbringing like they do making her an automatic outsider. Since everyone looks down on Heam users, Faye can't help but be closed off; believing she has no chance at life or happiness because she bares the Heam scars on her chest. She is full of anger at Russ for forcing her to take Heam, at society for condemning all Heam users (even though it wasn’t Faye’s fault) and the injustice in the city.

My first impression of The Bodies We Wear is that it’d be a tale of revenge; however the synopsis is a bit misleading. While there is plenty talk of revenge, there was very little in terms of action. The Bodies We Wear is more of Faye’s journey and character growth since the day she was saved and rehabilitated by Gazer. Faye is a strong and kick-butt (literally) heroine. Faye acts tough and invincible but underneath her hard exterior she is a still a fragile girl…a girl that wants a normal life with friends to talk to and have fun with. I love seeing Faye’s transformation over the course of the book as she broke down her walls and tried to learn to trust people. It was extremely hard for Faye to fathom a life without seeking vengeance; since she devoted the last six years of her life determine to avenge her friend’s death. Overall, I was happy with Faye’s choice at the end, because I know it wasn’t an easy decision. As a 17-year-old Faye was very mature and competent. Although Faye has a lot of flaws about herself, she wasn’t afraid to learn from her mistakes, and was willing to change for a better life…which is a 180 degree change from the beginning of the story. Faye is brave for everything that she’s been through and more so for the choices she made towards the end of the book.

The pacing of the book was good, and the action scenes were well spaced to keep the story from getting dull. About halfway through the book the author incorporated a paranormal twist to the plot which I did not expect. It was interesting but wasn’t fully explained. Even the character didn’t understand the gist of it. But don’t worry, the paranormal aspect only played a minor role in the overall plot. I read that some readers were confused but if readers read the author’s acknowledgement at the end of the book, it will make more sense on how the story came about and why she incorporated the twist. I hope we’ll get an explanation on the how/why of it in the next book as The Bodies We Wear is the start of a new series.

Overall I liked it. It wasn’t what I expected but I like being surprised. The twist definitely brought something else to the story. The Bodies We Wear isn’t just a Dystopian YA as there are two underlying themes. The first addresses the overall effects of taking drugs and how society views junkies. And the second one focuses on life and death; asking the question where do we go when we die and what would you do/say if someone who died reappeared? I’m looking forward to seeing more of Faye and where the author takes this series. Be sure to check out  the cool extras at the end of the book; such as Faye's training schedule, a playlist and quotes Faye lives by.

Thanks to the wonderful people at Random House, I have a copy of The Bodies We Wear to give away! To enter fill out the Rafflecopter below!

US/CA ONLY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jeyn Roberts grew up in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and started writing at an early age, having her first story published when she was 16 in a middle-grade anthology called LET ME TELL YOJeyn Roberts grew up in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and started writing at an early age, having her first story published when she was 16 in a middle-grade anthology called LET ME TELL YOU.

When she was 21, she moved to Vancouver with dreams of being a rock star, graduating from the University of British Columbia with a degree in Writing and Psychology. For the next few years she played in an alternative/punk band called Missing Mile before moving to England where she received her MA from the prestigious Creative Writing graduate course at Bath Spa University. Jeyn is a former singer, songwriter, actress, bicycle courier and tree planter.

An avid traveler, she’s been around the world, most recently, teaching high school in South Korea.

A lover of animals, Jeyn volunteers regularly with helping abandoned and abused animals, especially cats.

Connect with Jeyn!

|Website|Facebook|Twitter|

Review: ACID by Emma Pass

Title: Acid
Author: Emma Pass
Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian
Series: N/A Standalone

Hardcover, 384 pages
Publication: March 11, 2014 by Delacorte Press

Source: I received a review copy (arc) from the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

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The year is 2113. In Jenna Strong's world, ACID—the most brutal controlling police force in history—rule supreme. No throwaway comment or whispered dissent goes unnoticed—or unpunished. And it was ACID agents who locked Jenna away for life, for a horrendous crime she struggles to remember. But Jenna's violent prison time has taught her how to survive by any means necessary.

When a mysterious rebel group breaks her out, she must use her strength, speed, and skill to stay one step ahead of ACID, and try to uncover the truth about what really happened on that terrible night two years ago. They have taken her life, her freedom, and her true memories away from her. How can she reclaim anything when she doesn't know who to trust?

Even though the Dystopian genre is so over saturated, with every other book becoming similar or identical…I still find myself picking one up anyways. Two things are guaranteed when you read a Young Adult Dystopian; there will be a kick butt protagonist and loads of action. Not surprising I picked up Acid. The cover alone promises what I just said! But what really caught my attention with this book was the synopsis…a seventeen year old girl in an all male prison. What?! I immediately requested this book from the publisher, and was happily obliged when it showed up in the mail.

Acid started off with a bang as readers are introduced to Jenna Strong, a seventeen-year-old, who was charged with the murder of her parents. I love a kick butt heroine as much as the next reader, and was excited to see Jenna take down nasty and perverted inmates 2-3 times her size. She even had all these crazy wicked moves that can drop a person on their butt before they know what hit them! I was pretty impressed but at the same time not totally convince. While I read it in the synopsis and even when I started reading Acid, I had a hard time picturing a girl in an all male prison. It wasn’t believable, because realistically that would never happen. But plausibility aside, it didn’t matter much as Jenna gets broken out of jail a couple chapters in.

After Jenna’s prison break she goes on and gets three different identities. I liked Jenna for the most part, she definitely the epitome of a dystopian female lead and with each new identity she never once lost that strong-dangerous vibe (well maybe except when she was Jess briefly). The only thing that bothered me was Jenna’s recklessness in the last few chapters. She pulled a YA trope. She put not only her life in danger over a single boy who she barely knows (also apparently loves); but also the FREE (A group of activists that want to bring down the corruption and its Acid leader Harvey) team and the hundreds of prisoners. For someone who is so smart, especially when she was able to evade Acid countless of times; she sure isn’t thinking clearly when it comes to Max. The other secondary characters like Max, Jon, Mel, or even Jacob all had about equal amount of page time but I never got a feel for their characters. They weren’t fully developed and were nothing but a back drop to Jenna’s story. They definitely helped move the story along but never made much of an impression.

The world building is the weakest part of the book. Like the secondary characters, I didn’t think the world was fully realized or developed. Things were told but never fully explained, which made the futuristic U.K. and the Acid totalitarian government society far-fetched. For example, people are Life Partnered at a young age (arranged marriages), and are assigned a place to live, a job and whether or not they’re allowed to have a baby or not. There was never a reason given why this is so (well if there was a reason, I definitely don’t recall reading it). The author also never went into detail as to how Acid came into power and how they overthrew IRB (Independent Republic of Britain). Even the NAR terrorists group didn’t make sense. We meet them midway during the book and are told of one of their plans to attack Acid but again no details except they hate Acid and want to overthrow them (just like FREE, but violent).

Overall Acid was a good book, but because of the underdeveloped world building it fell short of becoming what it could have been; an incredible dystopian. The pacing of the novel could have also used some work, the book started out strong but quickly lost momentum midway; picking up sporadically till the end. I mentioned the poor world building, but it isn’t to say that Ms. Pass can’t write because she definitely can. I thought the book was well written and am looking forward to seeing more of her work. This is the author’s first book, so I know everything isn’t going to be perfect. If you enjoy reading Dystopains, and aren’t too burned out I’d say give this book a try…you might like it more than me.