Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore

Bitterblue
Kristin Cashore
Publisher: Dial
Release Date: May 1, 2012
Pages: 576

Rating: 5 stars

Eight years after Graceling, Bitterblue is now queen of Monsea. But the influence of her father, a violent psychopath with mind-altering abilities, lives on. Her advisors, who have run things since Leck died, believe in a forward-thinking plan: Pardon all who committed terrible acts under Leck’s reign, and forget anything bad ever happened. But when Bitterblue begins sneaking outside the castle—disguised and alone—to walk the streets of her own city, she starts realizing that the kingdom has been under the thirty-five-year spell of a madman, and the only way to move forward is to revisit the past. Two thieves, who only steal what has already been stolen, change her life forever. They hold a key to the truth of Leck’s reign. And one of them, with an extreme skill called a Grace that he hasn’t yet identified, holds a key to her heart.

I liked Graceling a lot, but didn't love it. I loved Fire and thought it was amazing. Neither of these prepared me for the absolutely mindblowing book Kristin Cashore delivered with Bitterblue. This book stole my heart on page one and even after I turned the last page, it didn't let go. Everything Cashore builds in this novel was so intricately done. I sat there in awe after I finished the book, and it lingered on my mind for many days to come. This is her best book to date.

The writing in Bitterblue is absolutely gorgeous. That has always been one of my favorite things about her books - her beautiful prose and her detailed world. The world that was established in Graceling has been built upon, and I just loved it. It's a world that I could happily read book after book in, and never tire of it. The concept of it Graces just fascinates me.

Bitterblue was a character that I liked in Graceling, and I loved seeing how she'd changed since we last saw her. Bitterblue was strong, had spunk, and an curiosity that couldn't be smothered. I loved the other characters met in Graceling who make appearances in Bitterblue have really grown as well. My biggest issue with Graceling was some characteristics about Katsa, but by this point in the story, she has matured and moved on. Kristin Cashore always has an amazing boy in her books, and while I don't know if Saf has quite lived up to my love for Brigan and Po, he comes pretty darn close. Saf was such a complex character and he was not going to let anyone tell him what to do.

Bitterblue weaves a tale that was so complicated and intense. There was this constant sense of intrigue as I was reading. The plot was ever-building, and the different storylines of the book began to intersect. I never knew what Kristin Cashore was going to throw at readers next. Yet, there were also so many moments when I had to step back and just admire the little things going on, like the compassion between characters. The relationships between the characters are all so deep and learning all their back was one of the best parts of the book. The ending was phenomenal - the thought had crossed my mind at several points throughout the book, but I was not sure what Cashore would do about that event. I loved how she tied up the story, it was perfect: full of hope.

I did not want this book to end. Bitterblue was simply a masterpiece, and was everything I had hoped for and more in the years of waiting since Fire. Kristin Cashore is simply a master of fantasy, and I cannot wait to see what she comes up with next.

Fantasy Five Friday: Interview with Dan Haring

I am super excited to have Dan Haring by the blog today for another Fantasy Five Friday! Welcome Dan!

Dan Haring is the author of Oldsoul, which debuts April 24th. He has a degree in animation and has worked on movies like Tangled (Ummm coolest thing ever!) You can find him on the web at his website, blog, Goodreads, and Twitter.

Could you give us the one sentence pitch of your book?

Jason must harness the skills of the souls within him in order to
combat the immortals bent on destroying humanity.

Since you have a fantasy novel coming out, the next question I obviously have to ask is: If you were a fantastical creature, which would you be?

I've honestly never thought about that. I'd love to be something that
could fly. Dragons are cool, but usually they're jerks. Maybe a
griffin.

Do you have a favorite fantasy read?

That's a tough one. I'd have to say it's a tie between The Hobbit/Lord
of the Rings and Harry Potter. Both worlds are incredible.

Generally speaking, which comes first: the world, the characters, or the plot?

With OLDSOUL it was the character, with my current WIP it was the
plot. It just depends on the project I guess.

They are always coming out with new editions of board games. If your
book could be a special edition of any board game, which would you
choose?

I love the Lord of the Rings edition of Risk I have, so that would be
awesome. I don't know that my book is epic enough for that though.

Here's a bit about Oldsoul:

Jason Gouvas doesn’t want to believe he has special abilities or that he's an Oldsoul-- a vessel for the souls of people who have passed away, but the dead girl in his mind can be very persuasive.

Her name is Erin, and through her Jason is able to access the knowledge and skills of the souls within him. And with a group of power-hungry immortals bent on destroying the Oldsouls and overthrowing humanity, he's going to need them all.

Buy Oldsoul

Fantasy Five Friday: Interview With Marissa Burt

I am very excited to have Marissa Burt with us here for another Fantasy Five Friday! Welcome Marissa.

Marissa is the author of Storybound. She now lives in the Seattle area. You can find her on the web at her website, Goodreads, and Twitter. And like Storybound on Facebook!

Could you give us the one sentence pitch of your book?

Sure! Shy, twelve-year-old Una Fairchild is suddenly transported by a mysterious book into the Land of Story, where characters from books train to be cast into a Tale of their own, and Una attends the Perrault Academy while trying to discover who has Written her In and why.

Since you have a fantasy novel coming out, the next question I obviously have to ask is: If you were a fantastical creature, which would you be?

Hmmm. The middle-grade me would say without hesitation...a talking cat. Nowadays, I think I would choose to be a human in a fantasy world, but I'd want to have some sort of magical powers. I'd love to be a sword master or a brave warrior - courageous characters are my favorite! And flying capacities that don't involve getting on an airplane wouldn't hurt either - haha! Fantasy me would definitely have a pet dragon.

Do you have a favorite fantasy read?

Lots of them! The first fantasy I read might have been TAILCHASER'S SONG, by: Tad Williams (hence, the aforementioned desire to be a cat). I still read THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy annually, so I should probably mention that, and I'm a sucker for George R. R. Martin and Robert Jordan's epic tales.

Generally speaking, which comes first: the world, the characters, or the plot?

For STORYBOUND, the world came first. Whenever I read a beloved book, I'm always so sad when the story ends, and I imagine the characters going on about their lives - without being spied on by nosy readers. So I wrote a story about a girl falling into that world. Plot follows hard on the heels of an interesting character being thrown into an enchanting world.

They are always coming out with new editions of board games. If your book could be a special edition of any board game, which would you choose?

What a question! If Alison Klapthor and Brandon Dorman (the two artists who worked on STORYBOUND'S cover) were involved, I'd love to see something graphically rich like a fabulous Monopoly edition (a game I despise) or an epic puzzle (I love puzzles!). But for a playable game, I'd want a special edition Settlers of Catan, and we could have fairy tale villains and heroes fighting over Story's resources. How fun!

Thanks so much for stopping by Marissa! Marissa's book Storybound came out April 3. Here's a bit about the book:

In the land of Story, children go to school to learn to be characters: a perfect Hero, a trusty Sidekick, even the most dastardly Villain. They take classes on Outdoor Experiential Questing and Backstory, while adults search for full-time character work in stories written just for them.

In our world, twelve-year-old Una Fairchild has always felt invisible. But all that changes when she stumbles upon a mysterious book buried deep in the basement of her school library, opens the cover, and suddenly finds herself transported to the magical land of Story.

But Story is not a perfect fairy tale. Una’s new friend Peter warns her about the grave danger she could face if anyone discovers her true identity. The devious Tale Keeper watches her every move. And there are whispers of a deadly secret that seems to revolve around Una herself....

With the timeless appeal of books like A Wrinkle in Time and the breathtaking action of Inkheart, Storybound has all the makings of a new classic. Brimming with fantastical creatures, magical adventure, and heart-stopping twists, Storybound will leave readers wishing they too could jump through the pages into this enchanting fairy-tale world.

Buy Storybound: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository

A Touch Morbid by Leah Clifford

A Touch Morbid
Leah Clifford
Publisher: Greenwillow
Release Date: February 28, 2012
Pages: 336

Rating: 5 stars

Eden won the battle-she saved her true love from the darkest evil. But the war has only just begun. With secrets swirling around her, powerful allies unraveling, and life-and death-as she knows it eroding, Eden and those she loves tread dangerous ground. Can she trust anyone? Will her unearthly powers be her salvation or her downfall? A sweeping, dark, and sexy paranormal romance that will haunt readers with an inventive mythology and a cinematic New York City filled with shadows and longing.

It is rare that I like a second book in a trilogy more than the first, but Leah Clifford raised the stakes in A Touch Morbid and I was absolutely captivated. Once I started, I simply could not put it down, and I read straight through in just over 2 hours. What is big and awesome in A Touch Mortal only gets better in this installment of the characters' story.

I love the characters. The characters of this trilogy are so unique, and they all are very different from one another. Eden was one character that really grew on me in this book. She was a good character in A Touch Mortal, but I definitely felt she grew a lot and was a character I genuinely liked with this book. I super loved Gabe in this one, he was already a great character, but oh my gosh, his character was just marvelous in this one. Despite the fact I think I'm supposed to hate Luke, I found myself falling hard for him in this one. Kristen is one of the best written characters I've read in a long time.

Leah Clifford doesn't leave a single dull moment. The entire book is fast paced and action packed. Everything that goes down is simply fascinating, and I loved every moment of it. While there is never a slow moment, Leah Clifford still manages to have this perfect pacing; nothing is ever too much or too little. Michael was an interesting guy. I felt like he was a complete creeper, but every scene with him in it were some of the most intense in the books. They were the ones where I was flipped pages at a crazy speed. In addition to everything else going down, there were also lots of sexy times in A Touch Morbid, which I wholeheartedly approved of.

A lot of questions are answered, yet Leah Clifford raises about a dozen more in the process. The plot just kept layering deeper and deeper, and I am so intrigued to see where it goes in the last installment. The whole idea of the Siders is so intriguing by itself, but when you add in all the other details of the story line, it is just brilliant.

Your emotions will be in shambles by the end of this book. You also never know who to trust, Leah Clifford plays with your emotions to make you think so and so is behind something, then flips the switch and then you suspect someone else. It is absolute torture. In addition to that, just everything that happens is completely emotionally draining. I was happy, then clueless, then worried about this character or that character, all paired with these absolutely heart-wrenching moments.

My one complaint? That is was not longer, as I know I have to wait out the long months before book 3 is out. The ending was an absolute killer! Everything builds and builds to this crazy peak and Leah Clifford just leaves readers hanging.

This series is one of those must reads. I loved book 1 and book gets bigger and better. Basically I think all of this could be summed up with the statement of I hate Leah Clifford for being a genius. She's a genius this series is just SO good and that makes the wait between books so agonizing. There is no other way to put it, but that A Touch Morbid was simply brilliant.

Fantasy Five Friday: Interview with Courtney Allison Moulton

I am super excited to have Courtney Allison Moulton here at The Book Cellar today, for another Fantasy Five Friday.

Courtney Allison Moulton is the author of Angelfire, Wings of the Wicked, and the forthcoming Book 3 in the Angelfire series. She lives in Michigan with her horse, Pia.You can find her on the web at her website, twitter, and blog.

Could you give us the one sentence pitch of your book?

A teenage girl with extraordinary powers battles the armies of Hell with
the help of her reaper Guardian.

Since you have a fantasy novel coming out, the next question I obviously have to ask is: If you were a fantastical creature, which would you be?

I'd love to have superhuman abilities like in the X-Men. It would be fun
to be a secret government weapon or something. For like a weekend.

Do you have a favorite fantasy read?

Fire by Kristin Cashore

Generally speaking, which comes first: the world, the characters, or the
plot?

This varies. I have about a hundred or so projects to finish on my
computer, and sometimes the world comes first and sometimes the character.
I don't really know why one or the other, but I just go with the flow.

They are always coming out with new editions of board games. If your book
could be a special edition of any board game, which would you choose?

Hungry Hungry Hippos with human faces on the little balls and you, as
Ellie, have to chop their heads off before they eat the little people.
It's like Anti-Hungry Hungry Hippos. I want to play this now.

Courtney's next book, Wings of the Wicked, is coming out on January 31st.

Life as the Preliator is harder than Ellie ever imagined.
Balancing real life with the responsibility of being Heaven’s warrior is a challenge for Ellie. Her relationship with Will has become all business, though they both long for each other. And now that the secret of who she really is has come out, so have Hell’s strongest reapers. Grown bold and more vicious, the demonic threaten her in the light of day and stalk her in the night.

She’s been warned.
Cadan, a demonic reaper, comes to her with information about Bastian’s new plan to destroy Ellie’s soul and use an ancient relic to wake all the souls of the damned and unleash them upon humanity. As she fights to stay ahead of Bastian’s schemes , the revelations about those closest to her awaken a dark power within Ellie that threatens to destroy everything—including herself.

She’ll be betrayed.
Treachery comes even from those whom she loves, and Ellie is broken by the deaths of those who stood beside her in this Heavenly war. Still, she must find a way to save the world, herself, and her love for Will. If she fails, there will be hell to pay.

Buy Wings of the Wicked: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository

Wings of the Wicked's trailer is super awesome! 

Fantasy Novels I Love

So this is a post in which I VLOG about fantasy books I love. I tell you about some urban fantasy and some high fantasy. I also inform you of authors whose past books I have loved AND have books coming out this year, which would count for the 2012 YA/MG Fantasy Reading Challenge.

If you haven't signed up for the 2012 YA/MG Fantasy Reading Challenge, you should! It's going to be a year of FANTASY, FUN, READING, GIVEAWAYS, AUTHOR INTERVIEWS, and MORE. All the information and sign-ups can be found here :)

I should also warn everyone that I will be sporadically vlogging about things that pertain through the Fantasy Challenge all year - I'm planning for at least one vlog a month :) (So I hope you like them)

If you don't want to watch the whole vlog, I will simply list the titles below. Starred books are authors with a book that counts towards the challenge this year.

Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton*
Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep*
Fairy Bad Day by Amanda Ashby
A Touch Morbid by Leah Clifford*
Wondrous Strange by Lesley Livingston*
The Iron King by Julie Kagawa*
Spellfall by Katherine Roberts*
Song Quest by Katherine Roberts*
Crystal Mask by Katherine Roberts*
Dark Quetzal by Katherine Roberts*
Nightspell by Leah Cypess
Fire by Kristin Cashore*
The Study Series by Maria V Snyder
Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken

2012 YA/MG Fantasy Reading Challenge Now Has a Goodreads Group!

The 2012 YA/MG Fantasy Reading Challenge now has a Goodreads Group! There is the group itself, and also there is an official challenge widget where you can track your progress over the year!

So check out the group HERE. :)

And if you aren't signed up for the 2012 YA/MG Fantasy Reading Challenge - sign up here :)

Fantasy Five Friday: Interview With Sarah Prineas

I am super excited to have Sarah Prineas by for the first Fantasy Five Friday Interview of the year!

Sarah Prineas is the author of The Magic Thief Series and Winterling. Her latest book Winterling came out on January 3. She has a Ph.D in English literature and lives in Iowa City, Iowa. You can find her on the web at her website, twitter, Goodreads, and blog.


TBC: Could you give us the one sentence pitch of your book?

SP: In Winterling, a girl named Fer follows a tricksy puck-boy through a Way into a world of magic and danger, where she must set right a terrible evil.

TBC: Since you have a fantasy novel coming out, the next question I obviously have to ask is: If you were a fantastical creature, which would you be?

SP: Here is a picture of my own mighty fantastical creature, a dragon.

TBC: Do you have a favorite fantasy read?

SP: As a huge Lord of the Rings geek, I reread the books fairly often (I'm reading them aloud to my kids now), and as a New Year's Eve tradition, my family watches all three of the extended-edition movies. This year we're watching the movies and having a LotR-themed feast, including hobbit beer, mushrooms, and lembas.

TBC: That is the coolest thing ever! My cousin and I always try to have an extended edition marathon on New Years as well, but your house sounds much cooler! Now generally speaking, which comes first: the world, the characters, or the plot?

SP: It's all fairly organic for me. Plot usually arises out of what drives the characters, and the world takes shape around that. I never plot out the story ahead of time, which I call "writing as discovery." It's a very fun way to write.

TBC: They are always coming out with new editions of board games. If your book could be a special edition of any board game, which would you choose?

SP: I'm a huge word nerd and have lots of neologisms in my books, so I'd have to say Scrabble.

Thank you so much Sarah for stopping by! You can find Sarah's books on the web at:

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository

And check out Winterling's book trailer:

Fantasy Five Fridays are a part of the 2012 YA/MG Fantasy Reading Challenge. Are you a fan of fantasy? It's not too late to sign up! Check out the central hub of information HERE.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Cinder
Marissa Meyer:
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Release Date: January 3, 2012
Pages: 387

Rating: 4.5 stars

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

This book was awesome! Cinderella is one of my favorite tales, and Marissa Meyer has revamped it and upgraded it to a story that is just stunning. With Cinder's futuristic element, an epic romance, and the looming threat of war, it is a tale that you will not want to miss.

The world was so cool. Though I was a bit confused at first - fully understanding the world and what was going on did take a bit, but once it did everything made perfect sense. The story also switches between being told from Kai and Cinder's lives, which is about my favorite thing an author can do.

I loved all the characters in Cinder! Iko, Peony, Dr. Erland, Kai - they were all just great. I loved Cinder as a main character - she had a bit of spunk and wasn't afraid to stand up for herself. I am really curious to see how all the characters develop over the next books, as I just loved them all. Everything about Kai was great - I was always curious to see how he'd react in different situations.

The plot was a lot of fun. I won't lie, I guessed how the book would end fairly close to the beginning. Since I was pretty sure how it would end, throughout the entirety of the book it was a lot of fun guessing if I was right or how this event would play out. I loved that Cinder was a mechanic - it was very different and made it that much more fun.

This is a absolutely brilliant debut. I loved the elements of Cinderella entwined in the futuristic world and intense story line. Marissa Meyer is definitely an author to watch, and I cannot wait to see what it next for Cinder and Kai.

2012 YA/MG Fantasy Reading Challenge: My List

I realized the other day I didn't have a post for my list of books I'm reading this next year for the 2012 YA/MG Fantasy Reading Challenge :) If you want to sign up (which you TOTALLY do!) the sign up page and all the information is here.

I'm hoping to read at least 20 fantasies, which I should be able to do since there are so many fabulous sounding ones coming out this year :)

My List:
1. Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore
2.
3.
4.
5.

I also read Cinder, Arcania, Witch's Brew, and A Touch Mortal in 2011, which won't count for the challenge, but are still 2012 fantasy releases so I wanted to include them :)

January Fantasy Releases

As promised, here is a compilation of January's Fantasy Releases! I am so excited for so many of these titles.

Winterling by Sarah Prineas - January 3

The Cabinet of Earths by Anne Nesbet - January 3
Cinder by Marissa Meyer - January 3

Dragonswood by Janet Lee Carey - January 5

Shadow's Edge by Maureen Lipinski - January 8

Stolen Away by Alyxandra Harvey - January 17

The Book of Wonders by Jasmine Richards - January 17

Daughters of the Centaurs by Kate Klimo - January 24

Incarnate by Jodi Meadows - January 31

Wings of the Wicked by Courtney Allison Moulton - January 31

These are all the fantasy releases I could find that are coming out this month. If I missed one, leave it in the comments. Also, if you love fantasy and still haven't signed up for the 2012 YA/MG Fantasy Reading Challenge, and would like to do so, check out the main page for it :) Also, which fantasy books that are coming out are you most looking forward too? Weigh in in the comments.

2012 YA/MG Fantasy Reading Challenge: January

Welcome to the FIRST month of the 2012 YA/MG Fantasy Reading Challenge!

The prize pack below is open to participants of the 2012 YA/MG Fantasy Reading Challenge only (make sure to sign up on that page or else you are not eligible to enter in the monthly giveaways). Link to your fantasy reviews that were posted in January below - each one will gain you an entry in this month's prize pack! Please post your reviews in the format of Title by Author (Blog Name), and make sure to use a direct link, not simply a link to your blog.

This month's prize pack contains:
A Hardcover of Everlasting by Angie Frazier
An ARC of Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Bookmarks:
Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Childs
Breath of Angel by Karyn Henley
Starstruck by Cyn Balog
The Books of Elsewhere : The Shadows
Sweet Venom by Tera Lynn Childs (SIGNED)
Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Other Goodies:
A Chapter Sampler for The Wood Queen by Karen Mahoney
A Sweet Venom by Tera Lynn Childs Sticker
A Sirenz by Charlotte Bennardo and Natalie Zaman Postcard
A The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa Button

YA/MG Fantasy Reading Challenge: Books and Participants

*NOTE* I decided to make a page for the challenge, so the central hub for information will now be HERE. I am posting all updates and new information to the page listed in the menu bar at the top of the page :) So please sign up there.

Sign-Ups and all the other information about the challenge can be found in THIS POST.

I put together a spreadsheet of the fantasy releases I have found and sorted them by month. The spreadsheet can be viewed online here. I will keep editing this spreadsheet as well as the other 2 lists as I find other titles!



Other Resources:

Amazon Listmania
Goodreads List

Participants:

YA/MG Fantasy Reading Challenge

*NOTE* I decided to make a page for the challenge, so the central hub for information will now be HERE. I am posting all updates and new information to the page listed in the menu bar at the top of the page :) So please sign up there.

Fantasy is my favorite genre of books. I feel like the genre that there is never enough of, and I feel often gets lost in the masses of dystopians and paranormals (which don't get me wrong, I love both!). I thought it would be fun to have a YA Fantasy Reading Challenge for 2012 with the objective to be read 10 YA or MG fantasies, any type be it high, urban, epic, etc that will be released in 2012.

Every month I will have a post for participants to link their reviews and there will be monthly giveaways picked from those reviews. Reviews can be posted on a personal blog or Goodreads.

I will hopefully be featuring authors who have fantasy books coming out next year periodically over the year in "Fantasy Five" interviews and will also try to do a compilation at the beginning of each month of all the fantasy books coming out that month.

Make sure to check out the Goodread List for the challenge if you are looking for books to read! I'll do my best to keep it up to date, but do keep in mind that anyone can add books to the list. I also made a Listmania List on Amazon here.

Basically the rules of the challenge are:

- Read 10 YA or MG fantasy that are released in 2012
- Post a review on a personal blog or Goodreads
- The challenge runs from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2012
- Anyone can join at any point throughout the year

Sign up by linking to your post about the challenge below! I'll make a new post with participants and other information :)

If you are an author, and have written a fantasy novel coming out in 2012 and I haven't included it in my  lists, fill out this form here and I will add it right away.

Make sure to grab a button for the challenge :)

Authors: Do you have a fantasy book coming out in 2012? Would you be interested in helping with or participating in the challenge? I will be featuring authors throughout the year in "Fantasy Five" interviews which are short 5 question interviews, as well as guest posts. I also am having monthly giveaways for participants for fun and a nice incentive. If you would be interested in donating bookmarks, pins, buttons, posters, etc that would be awesome. Contact me at thebookcellar (at) wi.rr.com if you would be interested in either!